Upon first being teased by Wizards of the Coast, the More Adventures in Middle-earth Secret Lair drop initially had players very excited. Reusing art from the classic animated Lord of the Rings film, this new product looked like a nostalgic gold mine! Unfortunately, however, once it was released, it seemed nostalgia was the only thing going for it.
Since the product line’s inception, most Secret Lair drops have offered not just unique art, but also compelling value. Unfortunately for excited fans, however, the More Adventures in Middle-earth drop only had the former. In theory, this isn’t a major problem, as art has carried Secret Lair releases before. For More Adventures in Middle-earth, however, this is needed more than ever before.
Rather than only falling somewhat shy of the $29.99 price tag in value, More Adventures in Middle-earth was worth less than a dollar. Considering the past trend with Secret Lair releases, many MTG players weren’t too happy about this detail. Thankfully, however, it’s possible this much-maligned MTG Secret Lair may be saved yet thanks to an unlikely leak.
Bonus Cards to the Rescue
Despite the dismally disappointing value of More Adventures in Middle-earth, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are many MTG players, for instance, who are still thoroughly excited about the gorgeous and nostalgic art. For these players, the almost $30 cost of admission is well worth the price already.
Alongside these pleasantly pleased players, there are also those hoping for hidden value. Considering the Secret Lair’s cards have been revealed, this may seem like a fool’s errand, however, they’re not actually wrong. Alongside obviously including the advertised cards, each Secret Lair drop also has a hidden Bonus Card.
Often posted to social media shortly after the first package is opened, these Secret Lair bonus cards can technically be absolutely anything. Some of the time, these expectedly unexpected cards follow the Secret Lair’s theme, however, that isn’t always the case. As a result, the bonus card slot has the potential to contain incredible value for MTG fans.
Since More Adventures in Middle-earth sorely needs more value, many MTG players are pinning their hopes on this mystery bonus card. After all, if it is another Shadowborn Apostle or a similarly collectible card, the Secret Lair’s value could be redeemed. Unfortunately, for players hoping for this saving grace, they may be out of luck. As, thanks to a new leak, it’s possible the bonus card has already been revealed to MTG players.
Yet Another Nazgûl
Pointed out by Reddit user u/DangerWillRobinson04, there’s a non-zero chance the More Adventures in Middle-earth bonus card has already been revealed. This follows a Twitter post by Ralph Bakshi, the artist for the 1978 animated Lord of the Rings movie. Since their work is being used in this Secret Lair, MTG players have been watching their social media feeds closely.
As you can see above, yesterday, Ralph Bakshi posted a photo of a Nazgûl from the animated movie. Technically, this doesn’t mean anything, as it could simply be Bakshi showing off their work, and art which people enjoy. If you ask many MTG players, however, this is near concrete proof that a Nazgûl is the much-anticipated bonus card.
“Having a Nazgul as the bonus card makes a lot of sense for this lair,” Reddit user u/Taysir385 commented. “Financially and thematically and gameplay-wise.” Alongside this optimistic assertion, many players suggested Wizards could even go above and beyond. According to u/Xinhuan and u/Ahayzo, Wizards could theoretically release nine different new Nazgûls for players to collect!
In theory, this would definitely help to redeem the More Adventures in Middle-earth Secret Lair. After all, even the cheapest version of Nazgûl is currently selling for $9.96 on TCGplayer. On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive version is worth a remarkable $14.73! Since the Secret Lair version would theoretically be more scarce, this hypothetical bonus card could be even more valuable!
Unfortunately, while this theory is definitely exciting for value-hungry MTG players, it’s important to note that this leak may not mean anything. Since they’re an artist, Ralph Bakshi may simply be showing off some of their old work, as artists often do. Subsequently, we’d be hesitant to read too much into this Twitter post.
Only Time Will Tell
At the end of the day, despite this leak, we won’t know what the bonus MTG card will be for any of the new Secret Lair drops. Thankfully, however, following recent improvements in shipping speed, we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out. While previously players could be left waiting weeks to receive their Secret Lair cards, now it often only takes days!
For the previous Secret Lair Superdrop, MTG players started to receive their cards in as little as four days. Should this trend continue, we may start seeing the first Bonus Cards before the end of the week! If this is the case, then players will soon be able to make more informed choices when purchasing the latest assortment of Secret Lair drops.
Ultimately, while we do love value and some tantalizing reprints, they’re not the main focus of Secret Lair releases. Instead, that is the gorgeous and unique art that is often unlike anything else in MTG. More so than ever before, this is what you should focus on when purchasing a Secret Lair drop. After all, even if a drop looks like a good deal, there’s no guarantee the prices will hold.
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