New Horizons - Secret Lair Spookydrop 2023
Fill My Cauldron with Cardboard
The October
The wider selection of drops seems to entice individual purchases with specific preferences rather than the collective bundles available through the Secret Lair store. Given the diverse range of elements present, the option to acquire the entire collection in one go may appeal to only a limited number of collectors.
However, before we delve into the standout cards featured in the Spookydrop, there’s a significant outlier in this release. The Artist Series: John Avon introduces a long-awaited reprint of
| Emrakul, the Promised End |
The Sound of Silence
In Magic, victory or defeat can take various forms. From games that are more one-sided to those where the outcome hinges on either securing a win this turn or facing an impending loss next. When involved in such high-stakes games, players prepare their sideboards to strategically counter specific matchups, aiming to gain every possible advantage.
One card that’s seldom mainboarded but maintains a consistent presence in sideboards across many decks is
Silence is currently played in a variety of decks, with the most prominent being Pioneer Simic and Modern Indomitable Creativity. This card has the ability to counter a wide array of situations or simply cut off your opponent for at least a turn, potentially leading to a game-winning advantage.
| Silence |
Fast Five
For once, the inclusion of lands in a Secret Lair product has actually made me happy.
However, as one might anticipate, it's for a non-basic cycle. In yet another Universes Beyond collaboration, Doctor Who: The Dalek Lands features a set of enemy-colored fast lands. Initially introduced in
Given the growing popularity of Pioneer and their utilization in Modern, this cycle remains in high demand. These lands are favored in faster formats and are often likened to powered-down Shock lands. This presents ample opportunity for reprints, akin to what we witnessed with the allied-colored counterparts in
The Doctor Who-style variant of these lands is currently priced in the range of $9.80 to $12.90 on average, depending on individual popularity of the land. It's highly probable that we'll see another reprint of these lands in a more widely printed set in the future.
Notably,
| Concealed Courtyard | ||
| Blooming Marsh | ||
| Spirebluff Canal | ||
| Inspiring Vantage | ||
| Botanical Sanctum |
Burn, Bury, Dismember
Keeping with the Universes Beyond theme, let's dive into some of the cards from The Evil Dead crossover. Starting with
Judging from the community response to Ash, the primary issue is the selection of a non-legendary creature. This choice prevents players from building thematic EDH decks around Ash. Despite this drawback, Puresteel Paladin remains a staple in equipment-based EDH decks and Hammertime in Modern. With this printing, combined with a
Another notable card from this Secret Lair release is
The Cabin of the Dead printing, while more expensive at $27.70, and foils coming in at $47.70, has the potential to decrease the price of the original. However, this won't cause a significant hit in price, given that Secret Lair releases aren't extensive reprintings. But for any players awaiting a more accessible price point, every drop helps.
| Ash, Destined Survivor - Puresteel Paladin | ||
| Cabin of the Dead - Field of the Dead |
Alpha, Beta, 30th
Another card that stood out from the Spookydrop is
This card is particularly challenging to price due to its extensive history. It was initially printed in
One thing is certain, the Secret Lair keeps a stable price of $20 for the regular version, with the foil variant, its first-ever foil treatment, available at $60.
| Zombie Master |
Finality / Descend
In summary, the Spookydrop 2023 offers a selection of cards that may appeal to a niche audience of horror enthusiasts and those interested in products from the Universes Beyond. While not all of the Secret Lairs provide a significant reduction in price when compared to their original printings, the variety they provide to the MTG world is undoubtedly a welcomed addition, particularly from a collector's perspective.
Join me again next time on New Horizons where we pillage The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.
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Matt Grzechnik
Matt Grzechnik started playing Magic with the release of Dragon's Maze. Since then he has tried and experimented with all of the formats before discovering his love for EDH and Pauper. Piloting the same Jund deck for the last 10 years, he now tries to both understand and break Sealed as a format.