New Horizons: From Cute to Brute

This week on New Horizons we’ll check out both the upsides and downsides of Secret Lair: From Cute to Brute.

Intro

From Cute to Brute is the second Secret Lair Series offering of a full 100-card deck. The first was released in November 2021, however the Heads I Win, Tails You Lose deck was famously delayed due to shipping issues, leaving fans waiting a full year before receiving the physical product.

With the smooth release of the second product, along with an increased retail price, we have a direct comparison to the value proposition of the original offering. Retailing for $150 from the Secret Lair site, the set contains five foil reprints with thematic art done by Nana Qi and GODMACHINE.

There is a stark difference in the composition and the reasoning behind certain inclusions in the deck. The original Heads I Win, Tails You Lose was an actual deck created and played by Gavin Verhey, a well known game designer from Wizards of the Coast. In contrast, the From Cute to Brute decklist is a selection of flip cards that are included because they’re unlikely to be reprinted in any future Standard product or reprint sets. Nevertheless, there are some inclusions here that justify the increase in purchasing price and the increasing cost to purchase the full deck in the secondary market.

Esika, God of the Tree

Esika, God of the Tree is a very clearly defined card that knows what it wants to do and excels at it. The direction it points as an EDH card is a legendary-matters theme, allowing us to improve our fixing with each additional legendary creature in play. This straight direction is also a downside that stops Esika from seeing play in other formats where legendary creature decks aren't prevalent. It ends up being a niche choice that embodies the idea of throwing a deck full of legends from spare cards that are in your trade binder. On the flip side, The Prismatic Bridge is the driving power behind Esika; being able to cheat out a specific permanent while avoiding the resource cost is a great addition to any five-color deck.

Originally printed in Kaldheim with the regular and extra variants, both versions of Esika saw a sharp increase in price back in September of 2022. The foils followed a similar pattern before reducing in price to a steady $17 for the regular and $25 for the alternate art. Now with the introduction of the foil-only Secret Lair version sitting at a calm $25, the prices of the initial prints are continuing to decrease steadily. While the product is still being opened and circulating, the price point of Esika is likely to decrease further until it begins to bounce back closer to the margins of the original extra variant.

Esika, God of the Tree	CardKingdom	TCGPlayer $24.20
Esika, God of the Tree	CardKingdom $12.99	TCGPlayer $11.09
Esika, God of the Tree (Showcase)	CardKingdom $11.99	TCGPlayer $7.02

Bloodline Keeper

Bloodline Keeper is another example of how a card can be impactful in EDH, but is considered to be too slow in other formats, like Modern. Currently, 64 legendary Vampire creatures can be used as your commander. Out of those, there are only three that don't have a black color identity. This means that the effect from Lord of Lineage can benefit 95% off all Vampire Commander decks.

The price trend on this card also shows quite a tale. Printed in Innistrad and reprinted as part of From the Vault: Transform, the foil versions of these are currently averaging $22 and $18, respectively. Comparing this directly with the Secret Lair version which has currently fallen to a low of $15, the price is likely to slowly go back up to meet the original print, or even exceed it further down the line.

Bloodline Keeper is unlikely to see a reprint coming any time soon. A great opportunity for the reprint would have been in either Innistrad: Crimson Vow or Innistrad: Double Feature. As mentioned earlier, the double-faced cards are not a priority to be reintroduced into Standard sets. This would mean that there is a lot of time and sets ahead of us before another potential reprint opportunity might arise.

Bloodline Keeper	CardKingdom	TCGPlayer $16.75
Bloodline Keeper	CardKingdom $13.99	TCGPlayer $10.99
Bloodline Keeper	CardKingdom $16.99	TCGPlayer $12.80

Jace, Vryn's Prodigy

Jace Vryn's Prodigy has seen plenty of highs and lows throughout its price history. While the price is nowhere near the peak that it achieved of $92 back in March 2016, it has made some minor increases since then, despite the low points.

Looking over the graphical data, Jace has gone through two previous price surges until its recent low of $7, and now an increase to a $27 average. While the price will most likely continue to creep down from this high, it’s unlikely to creep much higher.

Back in the Magic Origins Standard metagame, Jace had a warping effect on the decks at the time. The looting ability was also not widely available on other cards at the time. Jace fueled different decks by being a discard outlet for Reanimator strategies, or by adding cards to later exile for Dig Through Time. While its popularity and price have decreased over time, Jace still sees a decent amount of play in Pioneer Dimir and Grixis Control and fringe play in Legacy Tainted Pact Combo.

Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is a great inclusion to this deck, and adds a little bit of monetary value amongst other cards. While the current price is likely to mellow out over the next few weeks, without another reprint there may be an opportunity for another breakout in due time.

Jace, Vryn's Prodigy	CardKingdom $5.49	TCGPlayer $5.98
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy	CardKingdom $5.99	TCGPlayer $6.00
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy	CardKingdom $9.49	TCGPlayer $7.12
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy (SDCC 2015)	CardKingdom	TCGPlayer $99.44

Conclusion

Secret Lair: From Cute to Brute carries some meaningful reprints, but also increases the price point from its predecessor while not including any of the accessories in the previous offering. The appearance of the double-faced planeswalkers and the full cycle of Pathways creates a reprint to currently inexpensive singles, but they don't enhance the deck itself.

There are plenty of cards included in the decklist that make sense to me thematically, but leave me wishing for better alternatives. When compared with its predecessor the first deck felt like a theme being put into play by the creator, while the transforming cards feel like a gimmick that has been haphazardly put together. There are plenty of cards here that will fill out a collector’s trade binder with some nice inclusions, or can be used well in other decks, but as a whole lack any conviction to keep the deck together.

Join me in the next installment of New Horizons, as we go on a journey together through: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth.

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