Ever since Secret Lair was first launched in 2019, the sub-brand has been consistently delighting MTG players. Offering awesome art and occasionally high-value reprints, the quarterly Superdrops are always highly anticipated by players. From our recent interview with the Senior Business Manager for Secret Lair, Emily Floyd, it seems MTG players have even more to look forward to in the future.
Beyond looking amazing and occasionally offering a Commander staple for cheap, Secret Lair drops, like all MTG cards, are sometimes remarkably expensive. In fact, thanks to their good looks, rarity, and relevance in formats, Secret Lair drops have produced a number of seriously expensive MTG cards. Since you’re on this list, you might well be wondering which of all these cards is the most expensive. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered.
Before we do that, however, there are a few things to go over. First and foremost, when determining the price of cards, we’ll be using TCGplayer’s Market Price. Alongside this note, you’ll also find several cards in this list have been grouped. This is to keep the list interesting and prevent it from just being multiple copies of Shadownborn Apostle.
Now, without any more caveats and waffling, let’s dive into all the important information! Here are the top 10 most expensive Secret Lair cards in all of MTG!
10 | Rick, Steadfast Leader
Price: $56
To kick off our list, we have a card that won’t be here for long: Rick, Steadfast Leader. One of the first ever Universes Beyond cards, Rick, Steadfast Leader is undeniably steeped in history. Unfortunately, this card is also steeped in immense controversy. Much to the anger of many players, this brand new mechanically unique MTG card was only sold via Secret Lair.
Thanks to this limited-time sale, copies of Rick, Steadfast Leader are in incredibly short supply. Since they’re one of the best Commanders around for a Humans Typal deck, this is a serious problem. As a result of this problem, the price of Rick, Steadfast Leader has steadily been climbing over time.
Mercifully, almost three years after Rick was first released, they’re finally going to be reprinted. This will happen during Wilds of Eldraine thanks to the Universes Within reprint policy. Typically, this policy ensures mechanically unique Universes Beyond cards will be reprinted after six months. Evidently, Rick, Steadfast Leader has been waiting on their reprint a lot longer than that.
Once Rick is finally reprinted, you can expect them to drop off this most expensive Secret Lair list rather quickly. In fact, judging by what’s happened to past Universes Beyond cards, Rick may only be worth a few dollars following their reprint.
9 | The Ur-Dragon
Price: $60
Somewhat uniquely, compared to many other cards on this list, this The Ur-Dragon is a bog standard Secret Lair MTG card. Released as part of the Kaleidoscope Killers bundle in 2019, this early three-card bundle was absolutely insane. Featuring The Ur-Dragon, Sliver Overlord, and Reaper King, this $40 drop boasted almost $100 of value!
Despite the awesome value on offer, clearly, this Secret Lair drop didn’t sell like hotcakes. After all, the price of the reprinted cards didn’t fall down to the level of the Secret Lair. Instead, many of these cards continue to be more expensive than their usual variants thanks to their gorgeous art.
Unsurprisingly, since it’s on this list, this is the case for the Secret Lair version of The Ur-Dragon. Currently priced at around $60, this card is worth $25 more than the cheapest variant. Over the coming weeks, it’s possible this divide will increase even more, as The Ur-Dragon has been reprinted in Commander Masters.
As for why The Ur-Dragon is so expensive in the first place, well, they’re an absolutely incredible Commander. Offering access to all five colors, The Ur-Dragon is the go-to choice for Dragon-Typal decks. This is largely thanks to their Emminence ability which ensures they’re useful, even in the Command zone. Alongside this, The Ur-Dragon can also cheat out cards from your hand, which is always a tremendously powerful effect.
8 | Old Gnawbone
Price: $64
While they may not be the best Dragon-Typal Commander around, like The Ur-Dragon, Old Gnawbone is nonetheless a Commander favorite. This is thanks to their ability to generate an obscene amount of mana with relative ease. Simply put, once Old Gnawbone is in play, any point of damage you deal with a creature gets you that many Treasure tokens.
Considering Commander is dominated by fast mana and ramp, it’s no wonder that Old Gnawbone is such a beloved MTG card. Typically costing around $21, for the most part, this powerful dragon isn’t too expensive. When we’re looking at the Secret Lair variant, however, the price jumps right up.
Unlike normal Secret Lair MTG cards, this copy of Old Gnawbone is a limited edition product. Sold in collaboration with Beadle & Grimm’s, the Here Be Dragons Secret Lair was limited to 10,000 copies worldwide. Thanks to this, the “Rulebook” frame copy of Old Gnawbone is understandably expensive since they’re in short supply.
7 | Kodama’s Reach
Price: $65
Technically, the Purrfection Secret Lair drop featuring this copy of Kodama’s Reach wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. For example, the drop contained four cards, a bonus card, and it cost the same as usual. With the Purrfection drop, however, there was one major detail, Secret Lair didn’t sell it.
Rather than being available on the Secret Lair website as usual, this Secret Lair drop was a Hasbro PulseCon exclusive. Technically, since the 2021 Hasbro PulseCon event was digital, purchasing the card from Hasbro’s store wasn’t too difficult. So long as you were fast, that is, as the Purrfection Secret Lair drop was only available for two days.
Thanks to this limited-time sale, there aren’t too many copies of the Purrfection cards in existence. As you might expect from the trends of this list, that means these cards are all rather expensive. Out of the drop’s four cards, Kodama’s Reach is obviously the most expensive by quite some margin.
As an MTG card, Kodama’s Reach isn’t all too much to write home about. Allowing you to find two basic land cards, this somewhat slow ramp tool has been reprinted to no end. So much so, in fact, that copies of Kodama’s Reach can be easily bought for less than $2. While cheap, Kodama’s Reach is still a Commander staple, causing a big demand for this Secret Lair variant. Subsequently, it’s no wonder it’s one of the most expensive Secret Lair MTG cards around.
6 | Diabolic Tutor
Price: $87
While technically a Secret Lair card, this copy of Diabloic Tutor is far from traditional. This is thanks to it only being available through a promotion with the clothing brand Bread Dead Studios. Available during a combination pop-up store and EDH tournament event, this card, once again, is in incredibly short supply.
Unfortunately for curious players, it’s currently unclear exactly how many copies of Brain Dead’s Diabolic Tutor there are in existence. One thing we do know, however, is that this Secret Lair card is expensive. So much so, in fact, that it’s worth over 100 times more than the cheapest normal printing of the card.
While Diabolic Tutor is undeniably worse than Demoic Tutor, this card is still an incredibly useful tutor. So much so, in fact, that Diabolic Tutor has made its way into over 110,000 Commander decks! Thanks to this, there’s clearly a demand for unique versions of this ubiquitous Commander staple.
5 | Persistent Petitioners
Price: $259
First released in Ravnica Allegiance, Persistent Petitioners is unlike few other MTG cards in existence. Circumventing traditional deck-building restrictions, you can have as many copies of this card in your deck as you desire. While this effect isn’t always good, see Dragon’s Approach for that, this mechanic is nonetheless beloved.
Tapping into this love from MTG players, recently, Wizards has started releasing multiple Secret Lair copies of these cards. Rather than all being part of one drop, however, these cards are instead spread out as occasional Bonus Cards. Providing players with an extra added surprise, each version of Persistent Petitioners is fairly expensive, with the cheapest costing $12.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the most expensive version of Persistent Petitioners is worth around $259. Prominently featuring a big ol’ turkey, it’s safe to say this artwork is rather unique. As good as it looks, however, this big turkey isn’t the reason behind its staggering price. Instead, that is all thanks to its rarity.
Even surpassing the Hasbro PulseCon bonus card, which features adorable pigeons, Persistent Petitioners #595 is the rarest of the rare. So rare, in fact, that there’s no really any information about where it came from. What we do know, however, is that players aren’t keen to part with this card, as there are only 5 copies available on TCGplayer.
Since there are quite a few Secret Lair Persistent Petitioners, here’s a rundown of the other expensive variants and their prices.
- Persistent Petitioners #596 | Price: $72
- Persistent Petitioners #593 | Price: $78
- Persistent Petitioners #598 | Price: $88
4 | Sliver Hive
Price: $277
If we weren’t grouping cards for this list, there would be a fair few Slivers taking up their rightful spots. While we don’t want to be mean to Bonesythe Sliver and Gemhide Sliver we also want this list to be interesting. Subsequently, to cover the entire Sliver section, we’ll be talking about Sliver Hive.
Like most of the Secret Lair Sliver cards, the above cards did not originate from their own dedicated Secret Lair drop. Instead, Slivers have been a common occurrence as bonus cards, much to the delight of players. Typically offering rather compelling value, these cards don’t offer new or unique art, instead, they’re only an extended art treatment.
Considering the extended art card style only offers a few millimeters of extra art, this treatment may not seem too exciting. Thanks to the rarity of these cards, however, many of them are nonetheless expensive. This is certainly the case for Sliver Hive, which currently clocks in at an immense $277!
Over the past two months, the price of Sliver Hive has been climbing steadily thanks to the Sliver Swarm deck. Released as part of Commander Masters, this deck remarkably didn’t include a reprint of Sliver Hive. This is despite the card being an auto-include in any Sliver-Typal deck. Thanks to this baffling inclusion, the price of Sliver Hive has shot up, bringing the Secret Lair price up too.
Since there are quite a few expensive Secret Lair Slivers, here is a rundown of the top three that would have otherwise made the list.
- Galerider Sliver | Price: $76
- Bonescythe Sliver | Price: $83
- Gemhide Sliver | Price: $103
3 | Shadowborn Apostle
Price: $306
Similarly to Persistent Petitioners from earlier in this list, Shadowborn Apostle is another card that flaunts normal deck construction rules. Allowing players to use as many copies of this card as they want, there’s a strong desire to collect these cards. Subsequently, in somewhat of a running theme, there are multiple expensive Shadowborn Apostle variants resulting in another grouped batch.
Just like the Sliver cards and Persistent Petitioners, the Shadowborn Apostles have all been bonus cards, rather than dedicated drops. Thanks to this, each of these cards is rather scarce, as players can’t really purchase Secret Lairs around them. Instead, players are just left hoping they might get lucky and find a potentially valuable card.
Speaking of value, the cheapest variant of Shadownborn Apostle, outside of the regular card, can be yours for just $8. The opposite end of the spectrum is the $306 Shadowborn Apostle #685. While still technically a bonus card, this variant was only available in the MagicCon: Philadelphia Look at the Kitties Secret Lair. Thanks to this increased rarity, no other Shadowborn Apostle has come close in value.
Just like the Slivers before, a number of Shadowborn Apostle variants would have made this list, if we didn’t group them together. Subsequently, as to not miss anything out, below are those variants, and their prices.
- Shadownborn Apostle #683 | Price: $80
- Shadownborn Apostle #684 | Price: $97
- Shadownborn Apostle #681 (Foil) | Price: $153
2 | Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Price: $554
Jace, the Mind Sculptor is an undeniably iconic MTG card. Capable of milling your opponent’s entire deck, this card has likely ended more games than we could dream to count. Thanks to this, it was an excellent choice to be 2022-23’s Pro Tour promo.
Handed out to players who finish in the top 16 of a Pro Tour this year, this Secret Lair promo card is reserved for the best of the best. Due to this, getting your hands on a copy is no easy feat. Should you manage to do that, however, you’ve secured yourself quite the lucrative prize. Currently, on TCGplayer, the Secret Lair Prize Jace, the Mind Sculptor costs around $554.
Unfortunately for MTG players looking to get their hands on this card, there’s only one chance left this year. This will be at MagicCon: Las Vegas and World Championship XXIX. Thanks to this event, 16 more copies of Jace, the Mind Sculptor should enter circulation, however, this likely won’t affect the price much.
As a note, there are plenty of other cards with the Secret Lair set symbol that could have made this list. Regional Championship Qualifier promos, for instance, each have the Secret Lair star, while often being rather expensive. Well, their foil variants do, at least. Despite these promos almost qualifying, however, they’re not actually Secret Lair cards. Unlike Jace, these cards are Premier Play cards, with their own unique Set Codes and numbers. Subsequently, for the most part, we’re not including them on this list.
1 | Shivan Dragon
Price: $2400
Last but not least, ish, in the official number one most expensive slot for this Secret Lair list, we have Shivan Dragon. The first-ever card within Secret Lair 295, this Shivan Dragon was given out during MagicCon: Minneapolis. For this card, we do mean literally given out, as it was handed to random players for completely nothing.
While this was a very nice gesture on Wizards’ part, many players were unsurprisingly quite keen to sell this serialized card. After all, with only 295 copies in existence, they were surely going to be expensive, right? Correct! Beyond just being pricey, these cards were extremely expensive, in fact, quickly selling for thousands of dollars!
So far, four Secret Lair 295 cards have been given out. As you can tell from it being on this list, Shivan Dragon is the most expensive out of the bunch. Since they’re all deserving of a spot on this list, below are the three remaining Secret Lair 295 cards. For the record, the next Secret Lair 295 card should be given out during MagicCon: Las Vegas.
- Giant Growth #717 | Price: $700
- Lord of the Pit #715 | Price: $1500
- Merfolk of the Pearl Trident #714 | Price: $2000
0 | Brainstorm
Price: $????
Technically, the above Brainstorm is not really a Secret Lair card. Instead, it is a Secret Lair Showdown card, which is just about close enough on this list. Well, it’s close enough for the somewhat novelty number 0 spot at least. After all, this card is seriously expensive and worthy of topping this list from that alone.
Just like Jace, the Mind Sculptor above, rather than being bought, Secret Lair Showdown cards had to be won. Well… To get a Fatal Push all you had to do was show up, but for bigger prizes, you needed to win. Specifically, to acquire the gorgeous Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer card, you’d need to play in the top 32.
Since Secret Lair Showdown events only happen during MagicCons, each of these cards is incredibly rare. Even the Fatal Push, for instance, is worth $160. Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, meanwhile, has a market value of $3,197! While this is obviously tremendously expensive, there is one card that is even more expensive.
For winning a Secret Lair Showdown event, you receive an absolutely gorgeous copy of Brainstorm. Since there have only been three MagicCons so far, currently, there are only three copies of this card in existence. While MagicCon: Las Vegas will push this up to four, these cards are obviously obscenely rare.
Thanks to this immense rarity, not a single Secret Lair Showdown copy of Brainstorm has been sold publicly. If, or perhaps when, one of these cards is sold, it’s sure to be for a monumental amount of money. It’s not out of the question, for instance, to think this card could fetch six figures to the right buyer.
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