New Horizons: Winter Superdrop 2023 - Part 1

Welcome back to New Horizons. This week's article will cover the first half of Secret Lair Winter Superdrop 2023. We’ll emphasize the prices, foils, and potential value of the new art prints.

Secret Lair

First introduced back in the tail end of 2019, the Secret Lair Series has been Wizard's big leap into selling reprints directly to players. No longer constrained by the secondary market in terms of prices, the introduction of this product has opened up the floodgates of alternative art designs for some of the most iconic cards.

With many cards becoming reissued for the first time as a Secret Lair, the prices don't reflect premium pricing. Ponder back to one of the first drops of Kaleidoscope Killers. Out of the three cards there, only The Ur-Dragon has stood the test of time at a premium due to the mass popularity of the card in EDH. Comparing the remaining two niche choices, Sliver Overlord and Reaper King maintain a price relatively similar to their original print.

The example above is not one-of-a-kind in this case. There are many instances where the price of the premium Secret Lair product over time becomes more equal with the widely available counterpart. What is even more intriguing is that many of the cards covered later in the article are actually currently priced at a lower average than their initial release.

Last but not least, there is also the aspect of foil and non-foil variation of the products. Many Secret Lairs come in either version available for purchase with a distinct pricing point. However, there are products that also appear in foil-only variants such as the All Will Be One Step-and-Compleat edition. The foil-specific cards tend to be more premium based even when comparing them to foils of original prints. A good example of this would be Phyrexian Unlife (Step-and-Compleat Foil) and Plague Engineer (Step-and-Compleat Foil).

The Ur-Dragon	CardKingdom $89.99	TCGPlayer $91.20
Sliver Overlord	CardKingdom $44.99	TCGPlayer $42.74
Reaper King	CardKingdom $5.49	TCGPlayer $5.76

 

Eldrazi Conscription

  Eldrazi Conscription has been a long-standing staple in the enchantress EDH style of decks. It is a strong finisher that often gets recurred from the graveyard. Whether it is played on the commander while pushing for the final points of damage or being put on a smaller creature to trigger the Annihilator, there are plenty of decks that can utilize the Aura to its full effect. One such deck is Bruna, Light of Alabaster, who is also featured in the same Secret Lair. Avoiding the high mana value on Conscription and enabling graveyard recursion on both attacks and blocks has made this a well-known Commander combo for some time.

The ongoing price of the Secret Lair variation of Eldrazi Conscription is enticing. Currently, the alt art is sitting at an average of $13.50 with the previous two versions fluctuating between $16 and $17. This is also a common trend with Secret Lair cards. A portion of players may see the cards as less desirable due to the changed art. This then follows a decrease in price trend for alternative printing. Lastly, I want to touch on the Commander Masters product releasing later in August. One of the decks announced was "Eldrazi Unbound". While the decklists are unavailable yet, we will likely see a copious amount of Eldrazi-themed cards reprinted. Eldrazi Conscription might very well be one of them.

Eldrazi Conscription	CardKingdom $18.99	TCGPlayer $16.79
Bruna, Light of Alabaster		TCGPlayer $8.74
Eldrazi Conscription		TCGPlayer $12.50

 

Counterbalance

  Counterbalance sees a large amount of play in Legacy specifically. Decks like Izzet Delver Tempo as well as Cephalid Breakfast often run one or two copies within the sideboard for specific matchups. Given the aggressive mana values of the format as well as the cards played in both decks, the chances of countering more than one spell from the opponent are quite high. The other format that plays Counterbalance is EDH. With fringe sightings of the card in decks like Elsha of the Infinite or God-Eternal Kefnet, the biggest appeal here is the interaction between Counterbalance and cards like Sensei's Divining Top.

Another curious aspect of the card is the printings associated with it. Originally printed in Coldsnap, there has only been a single reprint before the Secret Lair. A Masterpiece Series: Amonkhet Invocations copy appeared every ~130 boosters with a card list of 54. One could run the odds of getting a Counterbalance from the list although it does hold a price of $100. The Secret Lair version of the card, much like the Eldrazi Conscription, retails at a lower average. With the original currently going for $31 and the new printing for $27.75, the price trajectory on both appears to be displaying a downward trend.

Elsha of the Infinite	CardKingdom $0.49	TCGPlayer $0.50
God-Eternal Kefnet	CardKingdom $3.99	TCGPlayer $3.06
Sensei's Divining Top	CardKingdom $27.99	TCGPlayer $25.73
Counterbalance		TCGPlayer $25.75

 

Inkmoth Nexus (Phyrexian)

  Inkmoth Nexus has a long-standing history of being one of the most effective creature lands in the game. The ability to both produce mana and change the dynamic of the game by the addition of Infect has given the card a semi-iconic status within the community. It’s most commonly played in Modern as a four-of in decks utilizing Colossus Hammer or Hardened Scales, but the functionality and appeal doesn’t stop there. Recently with Phyrexia: All Will Be One, the return of the poison counters along with the introduction of the Corrupted mechanic has brought the conversation about Infect and its popularity back into the spotlight. There has been a rebirth of interest where newer players get to experience the mechanic while also reviewing older staples.

While only being printed as part of a set in Mirrodin Besieged, there are currently four versions of Inkmoth Nexus available. Along with the original for $38 there is also a WMCQ Promos for $50 and now two Secret Lair prints, with the first, from Full Sleeves: the Tattoo Pack, currently at $47. Pricing of both the Secret Lair and the set copy has seen a steady increase since mid-2020. Now with another alt print being introduced, the Phyrexian style card is averaging $27 and $34 for the foil variant. Both of these are currently cheaper than any of the non-foil printings.

Hardened Scales	CardKingdom $9.99	TCGPlayer $4.00
Inkmoth Nexus	CardKingdom $39.99	TCGPlayer $37.74
Colossus Hammer	CardKingdom $3.99	TCGPlayer $4.20
Inkmoth Nexus (Phyrexian)		TCGPlayer $26.50

 

Conclusion

Since their inception, Secret Lairs have always been marketed and acknowledged as a premium product for a certain subsection of players. With the current frequency of releases not looking to slow down anytime soon, the likelihood of reprinted cards tanking in price may not be a far-off conclusion. All three cards mentioned above are currently cheaper than their original counterparts, at least for the time being. Card aesthetics aside, we may be reaching a point where the premium product provides a cheaper alternative.

Join me again in two weeks, where we’ll cover part two of the Winter Superdrop 2023.