Magic: The Gathering is collaborating with Brain Dead once again. For years now Brain Dead has been making MTG-themed clothing and merchandise, but now they’re branching out. At long last, Brain Dead is finally getting the Secret Lair crossover players have been waiting for.
After so much build-up, Brain Dead isn’t holding back for their Secret Lair collaboration. In total, three new Secret Lair drops have been announced. These drops support three broad themes: Lands, Creatures, and Staples. Each of these drops will be available on July 29th, when the Inside an Elevator Superdrop begins.
As we’ll get to shortly, there’s a lot to love about the cards in each of the Brain Dead x Secret Lair drops. Even on the cards that aren’t valuable, the art is absolutely spectacular. Considering the talent and pedigree global collective of artists at Brain Dead this isn’t a surprise at all.
Secret Lair × Brain Dead: Creatures
- Consecrated Sphinx
- Chaotic Goo
- Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
- Meteor Golem
- Wurmcoil Engine
They might not be the strongest cards in existence, but the creatures Brain Dead has chosen for this Secret Lair are undeniably iconic. Thankfully for finance fans, there’s also a great deal of value to be excited about. In total, the cards in this drop are worth a whopping $41!
Out of the drop’s five cards, Consecrated Sphinx is easily the most expensive. Selling for $24 on average, this card almost makes the Secret Lair worthwhile on its lonesome. Considering it’s a rarely reprinted draw engine that’s stupidly powerful in Commander, this price point is completely unsurprising.
Dropping down the order a decent chunk, Wurmcoil Engine is only worth $12. While this is half of Consecrated Sphinx, it’s still a great reprint nonetheless. Seeing play in Vintage, Modern, and Commander, Wurmcoil Engine is iconic for good reason. It’s no Colossal Dreadmaw, but Wurmcoil Engine is still a devastating 6/6 for six that freely replaces itself.
While they’re no longer the Modern all-star they once were, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker is still rather expensive. Thanks to its copying antics, there’s a steady demand for Kiki-Jiki in Commander where high-cost enters effects reign supreme. Following a few reprints in The List, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker is now only worth $5.
Worth only $2, it’s hard to call Chaotic Goo a value powerhouse. That being said, it’s nonetheless an interesting addition to this Secret Lair. Sure, this coin-flip-based card isn’t good, but it hasn’t ever been reprinted before. Still, we doubt anyone has been clamoring for a Secret Lair variant of this card.
Last but not least, Meteor Golem is also here but they’re only worth $0.07.
Secret Lair × Brain Dead: Staples
- Lightning Greaves
- Skullclamp
- Sol Ring
- Thought Vessel
- Command Tower
Technically, none of the cards in the Secret Lair × Brain Dead: Staples drop are very expensive. In fact, the total value of this drop is barely $12. Despite these seemingly dismal price tags, the actual value of this Secret Lair drop may be significantly higher. These cards are all Commander staples, after all.
Even if they weren’t staples, Lightning Graves and Skullclamp are both great reprints. Selling for around $4.50 and $5.50 respectively, these are both welcome reprints to see. As we mentioned, however, the real draw is in the fact these cards are so popular, being true Commander staples.
As ubiquitous utility artifacts and land, the above five cards can fit into any Commander deck. In fact, thanks to the effects they provide, they’re usually auto includes in any Commander deck. It doesn’t matter what theme or colors you’re running, your deck almost always wants these cards.
Thanks to this constant demand, there’s a good chance the Secret Lair × Brain Dead: Staples cards will be incredibly expensive. Should this limited run drop sell out quickly, the final prices may be significantly higher than current lows. That being said, the actual demand for this Secret Lair drops remains to be seen.
While the aptly named staples are undoubtedly popular the new art could turn away potential buyers. Already on social media, it seems a lot of players aren’t overly excited about the new art. Due to this, there’s a non-zero chance this drop takes a lot longer than expected to sell out.
Secret Lair × Brain Dead: Lands
- 2x Plains
- 2x Island
- 2x Swamp
- 2x Mountain
- 2x Forest
Last, but by no means least, Brain Dead is also releasing a very unique set of lands. In fact, two sets of lands are being released together to amp up this drop’s value. Offering a unique Brain Dead-esque border and bizarrely polluted landscape, these lands are definitely different.
In terms of value, despite just being basic lands, these cards could be rather valuable. Over the years, Wizards of the Coast has released a great many land-based Secret Lairs, and their prices vary dramatically. On the low end, some Secret Lair lands are barely worth a dollar. On the other end of the spectrum, some lands can be worth upwards of $16.
Ultimately, the final value of the lands in this Brain Dead drop will depend on the demand from players. This means it’s mostly down to whether or not players enjoy the artwork. As we mentioned before, this is a big unknown surrounding the drop at the moment since players seem less than enthused.
While the initial reaction online toward the Brain Dead drops may be negative, Brain Dead does have many fans. Due to this, there’s a good chance that all of the Secret Lair drops we’ve covered today will end up selling out fairly quickly. They may not break records and sell out in mere hours, but they’ll likely sell out nonetheless.
Read More: Bloomburrow Special Guests Feature First-Time Reprints And Pricey MTG Staples
