2024 is the 50th anniversary of the gaming phenomenon Dungeons & Dragons, and WotC is pulling out all the stops to celebrate. Not only are D&D-specific events and products being released, but a new wave of five MTG Secret Lair drops is, too. The first of which, surprisingly, was fully revealed today. That drop is the D&D: An Exhibition of Adventure drop, and it’s a real doozy. I’m talking deeply nostalgic artwork on deeply playable (for the most part) cards. Even the Secret Lair skeptics will have a hard time arguing with the value proposition here.
The Dragon’s Hoard
Let’s look at the financial side first. The drop contains seven cards in total, three of which have serious monetary potential. Goldspan Dragon, a classic Treasure support card from Kaldheim, takes the top spot here. The card goes for around $10 usually, with promo and extended art versions going for closer to $20. One can only assume the markup on a D&D-related product like this will push it far above that.
Next up is Acererak the Archlich, at around $5. A bit of a jarring drop-off already, but Acererak is a worthy inclusion regardless. Firstly, because he’s one of the most iconic D&D villains of all time. Secondly, because the card itself is actually played in Aluren decks way back in Legacy as a combo piece.
Monster Manual is next, a solid green creature support card that sits around $3.50 at present. Not a huge value, but again, a flavor home run. High-end copies of this card do go for around $8, so there is definitely potential.
The other four cards in the drop are bulk, but useful bulk. Faithless Looting, Ponder, Fell the Mighty, and Reality Shift all have homes somewhere. The first two in particular. These are cards with pricey bling versions. High-end Faithless Looting copies can go for $8, while Ponder does even better, with some versions around $30.
Assuming base prices on all seven cards, the drop is worth around $22. I think it’s safe to double that for the stunning new art and limited availability, however, and possibly even triple it. At the usual $30 Secret Lair price, this one seems like a safe investment value-wise.
A Rich History
Of course, monetary value isn’t the only factor at play here. The D&D: An Exhibition of Adventure Secret Lair drop is also a lovingly-crafted piece of art. Each of the seven cards features stunning borderless artwork, taken directly from the cover of a vintage D&D book. Goldspan Dragon, for example, uses the art from the iconic ‘Dungeons & Dragons Set 1: Basic Rules’ box from 1983. An image that will doubtless be instantly recognizable to those who have grown up with the game.
The seven cards go from 1975 to 2014 in terms of artwork, encompassing a lot of D&D’s rich history. For this reason, it really feels like it lives up to that ‘Exhibition of Adventure’ title. It also makes it a very attractive purchase for nostalgic D&D fans who also play Magic. A sizable venn diagram, if ever there was one.
Because of this, I can see the ‘Secret Lair tax’ on these new versions of the cards being higher than usual. The art is great, the theming is great, and everything is playable in one format or another. While it’s not an absolute financial knockout, it’s a brilliant collector’s item, and one likely to sell out just as fast as the recent Monty Python Secret Lair drop. Hopefully the other four D&D Secret Lair drops can keep up the high standards Exhibition of Adventure has established here.
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