We’ve gotten used to seeing new Secret Lair Bonus Cards fairly quickly these days. Thanks to the limited supply model, players often receive their drops within a few days of ordering. This week, the same is happening yet again. The Commander Reinforcements Secret Lair drops went on sale on Monday, and already players are sharing their Bonus Cards online.
For better or worse, this round of Bonus Cards is doing something a bit different. Rather than offering additional upgrades, these lairs include one of five basic lands, which together essentially form a drop of their own. While these cards lack the outrageous value potential of the Sonic Lotus Petals, their experimental nature is encouraging.
Commander Reinforcements Bonus Cards
This morning, several Magic: The Gathering players took to Reddit to share their Commander Reinforcements Bonus Cards. Based on what they’ve shared so far, we’re looking at a cycle of basic lands here. Moist_Squirter shared images of a Forest and a Swamp, and The_Voidandco showed off a Mountain.
All three of these lands feature artwork from Alexander Khabbazi. If you’re an ardent follower of Secret Lair, you’ll recognize their distinct style from the Deceptive Divination drop last year. While these lands incorporate color in their mana symbols, unlike the original drop, the same overall tarot card vibe remains.
So far, no one has shared evidence of the matching Island and Plains existing, but I think it’s safe to assume they do. It’d be very strange for Wizards to only include the Jund-colored lands in this range, especially since Counter Intelligence is a Jeskai deck that can’t run most of them. We’ve seen plenty of Secret Lair drops that consist of five basic lands from the same artist in the past, be it Meditations on Nature or the SpongeBob Lands Under the Sea.
By the looks of things, these Bonus Cards could actually be a repurposed Secret Lair drop of their own. The fact that they’re dated 2024 in the bottom-right by the Wizards trademark seriously supports this theory. It looks like they were commissioned as part of Khabbazi’s drop last year, but were ultimately shelved for one reason or another. Assuming this is the case, it’s great to see Wizards find a use for this stellar artwork, even just for Bonus Cards.
Visions Of Value?
However they came to be, the Commander Reinforcements Bonus Cards have some serious financial potential. For one thing, blinged-out versions of basic lands like these have a history of holding strong value. The JungShan Mountain pictured above, for example, goes for around $25 right now. The Jubilee Pixel Art Swamp is even pricier, at around $29.
This isn’t universally true, of course. Some Secret Lair basics go for much less, like the SpongeBob or KEXP lands. These lower prices are likely down to aesthetic preference on the part of players, but also supply. More recent Lairs are much easier to come by, after all.
In this area, the Alexander Khabbazi basics have a serious edge. Since these are Bonus Cards, the supply will be far lower than that of most Secret Lair drops. By the looks of things, players are receiving one land per drop, and a random one at that. As we’ve seen with Command Tower Bonus Cards, this scarcity can seriously magnify prices. Players on Reddit are already anticipating the expense of sourcing playsets of these cards.
On top of their low supply, these basics also have a unique aesthetic edge. The Deceptive Divination drop was certainly a departure from the norm, but over time, it seems to have proven quite popular. The cards from the drop all sell for significant premiums over their regular versions, with some being the most valuable printing of the card that exists.
With players already calling these new lands “gorgeous” online, it’s likely that they follow a similar trajectory price-wise. Those hoping to bling out a whole deck with these bad boys may need to dig deep.
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