New Horizons: Winter Superdrop 2023 - Part 2, Plus the One of One Ring

Welcome back to New Horizons. This week's article will cover the One Of One Ring , as well as finish our review of the Secret Lair Winter Superdrop 2023.

As always, emphasis is on prices, foils, and potential value of the new art prints.

 

The One Of One Ring

 

“Keep it hidden, keep it safe.” In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, Wizards of the Coast have forged a print of The One Ring (Extended Art), or rather “one card to rule them all”. This precious foil card which features borderless art and the black speech of Sauron will be placed at random in one collector booster pack (reported odds of pulling it are <.00003%). Meaning the ring of power will fall into the hands of a single lucky player - or the most unlikely creature imaginable. Whoever this card ensnares as a new bearer will certainly wield power in the market as the card is already being estimated at various price points. Opinions and elevated proposed prices for the serialized ring are plentiful, with some community members offering $50,000 for the destruction of the card and others $100,000 for the ownership. Given the nature of the serialization, there is a case for the ring to break the previous record of the signed Gem mint 10 Black Lotus ($511,000) and break into the seven-figure category.

As a regular card commonly available in three other art prints, The One Ring possesses two very strong abilities. First there is protection from everything for the turn it's cast, which can be very easily abused with cards like Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam, or Umbilicus. And second, there is the card draw engine it provides which has caused Mind Over Matter to increase from $38 to $95. Hence, the regular versions of The One Ring are currently starting at $55 and up.

In the unlikely scenario that the serialized ring is not found or perhaps destroyed in transit or discarded without being opened, the price of associated collector boosters are likely to continue rising until this adventure is concluded.

Now back to the Secret Lair.

 

Ertai, the Corrupted (Step-and-Compleat Foil)

 

Ertai, the Corrupted is a very niche card with a simplistic effect and cost associated with it. While some time ago it may have been considered powerful, now it largely falls behind the curve of efficiency. Played mainly in EDH, and usually as part of the 99 rather than the commander itself, the card has failed to gain immense popularity.

Printed originally in Planeshift, pricing has been steadily rising due to age and availability rather than actual player demand. With a reprint obtainable from The List, this card is available for roughly $1-$4 depending on the printing. This low price point is likely to continue as more reprinting opportunities are likely to arise in the future.

The secret lair variant of Ertai is available in step-and-compleat foil treatment only, the price of which is currently in the margins of $18. Reviewing the prices of other cards such as Drivnod, Carnage Dominus (Borderless) (Step-and-Compleat Foil), or even the now infamous Atraxa, Grand Unifier (Showcase) (Step-and-Compleat Foil), the downward trend for this kind of treatment has already been leveled out to steady pricing. The other notable thing about Ertai is the second version of the print from Planeshift. This more elusive variant of the card is currently trending at $620 after a buyout earlier in 2021.

Ertai, the Corrupted (Step-and-Compleat Foil)
Secret Lair Series		TCGPlayer $15.48
Planeshift	CardKingdom $1.49	TCGPlayer $3.09
The List		TCGPlayer $1.33

 

K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth (Phyrexian)

 

K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth is a popular EDH commander which has caused a decent amount of speculation around its release. Beyond initial brainstorming, K'rrik has displayed a downward pricing trend, currently faced at $7.75. First printed in Commander 2019, then reprinted as a judge promo and as part of The List, K'rrirk has now received two additional reprints, first with the Secret Lair x Post Malone collaboration priced at $20 and again four months after with the Phyrexian Faves at $8.70.

With five printings available and a steadily declining price, there is a good chance that the average for the commonly reprinted variants will fall to their lowest historical price at ~$5. This card pairs well with Bolas's Citadel, aside from its current uptick in price the Citadel is available as part of the Secret Lair x Post Malone collaboration along with Jet Medallion, the latter of which is actually the cheapest way of getting the card at $30, with other prints between $40-$44.

K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
Commander 2019	CardKingdom $9.49	TCGPlayer $6.95
Secret Lair Series		TCGPlayer $7.75
Secret Lair Series	CardKingdom $19.99	TCGPlayer $20.70

 

Rin and Seri, Inseparable

 

Rin and Seri, Inseparable is perhaps the most deserving or thematic secret lair we have seen to date. Originally a Buy-A-Box Promo for Core 2021, it hasn't been reprinted since. In terms of flavor and mechanics, the card doesn't belong in any standard set, which makes it more reserved for extra products like the numerous Masters sets. Seeing it as part of a Secret Lair product continues the exclusivity and price inflation of the card. The original copy is currently $23 after its spike to $43 in the last twelve months and subsequent price decline. The Secret Lair copy is $21 and shows a further declining trajectory. While the card is a very specific piece, the original printing will likely see a further increase in value due to scarcity.

The current demand for the card comes largely, or perhaps exclusively, from EDH. Played predominantly as a commander, the Dog and Cat duo tick a lot of boxes for interested players. Being an underrepresented tribe as well as having a payoff for pushing tribal cards in colors that reward token generation is quite the combination.

Rin and Seri, Inseparable
Buy-A-Box Promos	CardKingdom $27.99	TCGPlayer $23.32
Secret Lair Series		TCGPlayer $18.98

 

Conclusion

  With the direct sale of alternative art and styles, collaborations with artists, and now continued serialization of cards, Wizards of the Coast has not only increased the choices in deck building and flavor, but also achieved record profits in revenue. While alternative and special treatments of cards are welcomed by many, the concept of product fatigue is becoming more and more prevalent.

Join me again in two weeks, where we’ll cover March of the Machine.