All the Lands are Brown, and the Slivers are Gray

As another seasonal quarter passes, we find ourselves evaluating the highs and lows of the Secret Lair Series Superdrop. With a total of seven drops to peruse, let’s compare the strengths and weaknesses of the cards. 

Our first subject, which happens to be a recurring source of frustration for me, is Gary Baseman's collection of lands which happen to be devoid of any added consistency. Once more, we’re presented with a Secret Lair collecting one land of each basic type, with no purpose beyond framing for aesthetics.

$9.67 $3.99

$8.75

When such offerings emerge, one can’t help but ponder a potential career change to the WOTC Secret Lair division just to discover whether these releases are genuinely profitable.

Despite my obvious disdain, the likely answer is affirmative, given their continued production.

Putting aside my frustrations, these sets also include Secret Lair prints of Slivers. Therefore, if your aim is to add some flair to your recent Sliver Gravemother deck, this might be the ideal product for you.

Now, let's turn our attention to more thrilling and valuable releases, two of which have even piqued my interest this time around. The first of these aligns with the theme of the typal-loving Sliver deck mentioned earlier, while the second provides additional options to enhance your potentially costly competitive deck.

ALIENS and Other Nostalgia

'Now on VHS’ stands out as one of the more notable Secret Lair products this time around, featuring two of the more sought-after cards for outright purchase. Adhering closely to the theme might have been a bit of a stretch, considering that only one card actually accomplishes this, The First Sliver. 

This familiar inclusion, currently averaging at $39.45, experienced a slight increase due to its exclusion from the aforementioned Sliver deck. Several factors justify the attendance of this card. Firstly, it’s only been printed twice before, both times in the Modern Horizons products, with the older border style version showing relatively stable pricing. Secondly, Sliver cards are notoriously challenging to reprint, with the most recent examples being the Commander Masters product and Time Spiral: Remastered, both exceptions to the long hiatus in set inclusions.

$18.00 $10.99

$3.99 $1.99

Consequently, it would require considerable backing for this five-color legend to find a place in the annual Masters-style products. Currently, Secret Lair copies are selling for an average of $24.69, with foil versions not too far behind at $29. Both of these prices represent a reduction of approximately $10-$15 from the current asking price for Modern Horizons copies.

Now, let's quickly turn our attention to the other standout in this product, which is the undoubted Food Chain. Its price has already been devastated by its inclusion in Double Masters 2022, plummeting from an average of $62 to a much more affordable $20. 

To drive the final nail into the combo piece coffin, the Secret Lair version is currently retailing at an average of $10 and is likely to continue decreasing. Food Chain is beginning to exemplify how the prices of older cards can be significantly diminished after one or two reprints.

CEDH Harder Than You Previously Thought Possible

Let's delve into those potentially expensive competitive decks. As the title suggests, we'll be focusing on CEDH here. Each of the cards featured in the ‘Keep Partying Hard, Shred Harder Than You Previously Thought Possible’ Secret Lair are viable options for the Commander format. While not all of them are particularly noteworthy or the primary staples you commonly see in play, there are still some intriguing aspects to be found in this collection.

Starting with Godo, Bandit Warlord, this card has been part of the MTG landscape for the past 19 years. Currently, it averages around $5.30 for the Champions of Kamigawa printing and approximately 10% of that price for the latest Commander Masters release. Godo’s price hasn't experienced significant fluctuations over the years; the original foils still maintain value at $42, while the more modern releases are trending at less than a dollar.

$10.79 $9.99

$11.99 $6.49

The Secret Lair printing brings a fresh appearance and offers an opportunity to exchange some old copies for a touch of excitement. As the average price gradually decreases over time, approaching the $9 mark, with foils at $18, it's highly likely that these will appreciate in value once the supply diminishes and players seek out updated copies.

Concluding this Secret Lair, we have Vial Smasher the Fierce, which is receiving its third reprint. While not the most expensive card in the Superdrop, or even the most significant, Vial Smasher has come down in price since its peak of $31 in 2020. It's currently priced at a modest $14, and this marks the first time a Secret Lair has provided a card, with no previous non-foil printing. All the previous versions, from the original commander foil to the subsequent etched foil, lacked a non-foil counterpart until now.

Bugs with Baseball Bats

Touching upon the last few products in the fall lineup, namely the ‘Buggin' Out’ and ‘Magic: The Baseballing’ drops. Keeping it relatively short for each.

 ‘Buggin' Out’ introduces several cards that are presently seeing play in the Modern, Vintage, and Legacy formats. Notably, Grist, the Hunger Tide and Noxious Revival have secured solid positions in their respective decks. Both have relatively few reprints and each offers unique utility in the game. While Grist maintains a relatively stable price, having decreased significantly from its pre-release assumptions to an average of $5.81, Noxious Revival has recently seen a price drop from $15 to $3.95, primarily due to its inclusion on The List and thematic printing in 88470.

$8.30 $3.99

$11.45

As for ‘Magic: The Baseballing’, there is currently no demand to play with any of the planeswalkers featured in this set. For Jace, Liliana, and Chandra, there's an abundant supply of reprints and various art versions available.  The prices for all five of the planeswalkers will likely follow the same downward trend as Garruk's previous Secret Lair appearance. Over time, prices are expected to self-adjust and come down closer to their original printing values, hovering around the $5 mark.

The First Sliver	CardKingdom $22.99	TCGPlayer $33.30
Food Chain	CardKingdom $10.99	TCGPlayer $18.00
Godo, Bandit Warlord	CardKingdom $5.49	TCGPlayer $6.75
Vial Smasher the Fierce	CardKingdom $9.99	TCGPlayer $10.79
Grist, the Hunger Tide	CardKingdom $7.99	TCGPlayer $17.81
Noxious Revival	CardKingdom $3.99	TCGPlayer $8.30

Another Month Another Dollar

The Fall Superdrop proves to be a valuable addition to the ever-expanding array of Secret Lairs saturating the market. Within this quarterly release, a significant number of cards stand out, making it challenging to dismiss them as just another haphazard assortment.

Whether you're engaged in Legacy or engrossed in the world of CEDH, this collection includes cards capable of infusing some distinctive flair and character into your cherished decks. Both the 'Now on VHS' and ‘Keep Partying Hard, Shred Harder Than You Previously Thought Possible' emerged as clear favorites for me, boasting an admirable selection of cards and an enticing theme.

Having explored numerous Superdrops over time, each presenting its own unique charm, this one lands somewhere in the middle of this year's lineup. While maintaining an optimistic outlook regarding what the Winter Superdrop may hold, there are still several smaller releases to anticipate before that arrives.

As always, join me in the next installment of New Horizons and embark on the journey of unraveling the mysteries of the Universes Beyond: Doctor Who release.

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