First gracing MTG in 2019, the Secret Lair sub-brand has been an incredible boon to players. Offering not only interesting reprints but also compelling art, it’s no wonder this direct-to-consumer is so beloved. Unfortunately, however, as loved as it may be, not every Secret Lair and Superdrop is a complete slam dunk.
In the past, Wizards of the Coast has released some absolute stinkers. Promising minimal reprint value, and arguably meh art, many players lost faith in the once beloved brand. Thankfully, following a string of successes, that faith has returned, and then some. Between new My Little Pony cards and a new Commander Deck, Secret Lair is looking better than ever.
Thankfully, the next Secret Lair Superdrop appears to continue that trend. Dubbed the Spookydrop 2023, this Secret Lair release offers incredible value. That being said, however, you’ll still have to be careful where you spend your money, as it’s not completely flawless.
If you’re in the market for foil cards to bling out your Commander deck, the Spookydrop 2023 has got you covered. With almost every single drop offering positive financial returns, the gorgeous art efficiently becomes a free added bonus! For better or worse, on the non-foil cards, this art is more of a major selling point, as the value isn’t all there.
With ups and downs across every drop within the Spookydrop 2023, it’s worth scrutinizing the Secret Lairs to see what’s best. Thankfully, if you’re looking to do exactly this and make the most out of your money, we’re here to help.
So, after a few quick caveats, let’s embark on a deep dive into the Secret Lair Spookydrop 2023 to see if it’s worth your hard-earned MTG card-buying cash!
First Things First
As we mentioned above, there are a few things we have to go over first before getting into the breakdown. The first of these is the important point that, for Secret Lair releases, art matters. Whether it’s cute, brutal, or just all-around good, art can potentially be a huge source of demand for Secret Lair drops. So much so, in fact, that good-looking Secret Lairs can hold a huge premium over regular printings of a card!
Due to art being a major factor within many Secret Lairs, it can be rather hard to accurately predict the final price of cards. After all, not only is art subjective but Secret Lair drops are also printed to demand and direct-to-consumer releases. Thanks to this, anyone who wants the art can easily obtain it, making the secondary market less necessary.
Compounding this pricing problem further, occasionally Secret Lair Drops also give an MTG card its first foil or non-foil printing. When this happens, it’s impossible to predict just how expensive the new Secret Lair card might be. Subsequently, we’ve got little choice but to mark new foil/non-foil prices with N/A during our breakdown.
Last but not least, for the prices in this article, we’ll be using TCGplayer’s Market Price. Additionally, we’ll only be looking at the cheapest available variant of each card. As noted before, the actual price of the Secret Lair cards may be much higher than this, since typically nice and/or interesting art holds a steep premium.
Now, with those with those caveats finally out of the way, it’s time to dive into the list! So, here’s the complete financial breakdown of the Secret Lair Spookydrop 2023!
Secret Lair x Creepshow
To kick things off in rather spectacular fashion, we have the first of many crossovers from the Spookydrop 2023. As the name suggests this Secret Lair Drop collaborates with the cult horror franchise Creepshow. Inspired by pulp comics, the beloved aesthetic of the franchise works incredibly throughout this SLD. Utilizing the front and back of the cards to great effect, the Secret Lair x Creepshow cards look like mini-comics.
As for value, unfortunately, Secret Lair x Creepshow is hardly an all-around powerhouse. Three of the cards, for instance, are barely worth more than a dollar. Thankfully, the reprints of Zombie Master and Unholy Grotto do make up for this somewhat. Valued at around $7 and $11 respectively, these MTG cards stop Secret Lair x Creepshow from being a complete dud.
While Secret Lair x Creepshow may not break even in its non-foil variant, those looking for fancy foil printings are in luck. Not only has Zombie Master never had a foil variant before, but the reprint value also skyrockets. Picking up the slack, Noxious Ghoul’s cheapest foil printing currently sells for almost $39. Alongside this, Unholy Grotto is worth $60 as a foil! In theory, either one of these cards makes Secret Lair x Creepshow a slam dunk that’s well worth picking up!
| Secret Lair X Creepshow | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Death Baron | $1.71 | $2.94 |
| Noxious Ghoul | $3.23 | $38.96 |
| Zombie Master | $7.26 | N/A |
| Grimgrin, Corpse-Born | $1.43 | $1.31 |
| Unholy Grotto | $11.34 | $60.77 |
| Total | $24.97 | $103.98 |
Secret Lair x The Evil Dead
Continuing the major theme of the aptly named Spookydrop 2023, Secret Lair x The Evil Dead is another horror-inspired Universes Beyond crossover. Providing new names and art to some incredibly fitting cards fans of The Evil Dead franchise will be very happy. Well, almost, at least… There are plenty of MTG players who are rightfully baffled that Ash, Destined Survivor isn’t a legendary creature reprint.
Outside of this commander faux pa, Secret Lair x The Evil Dead is another fairly standard Secret Lair. Predominantly sold for the art, this SLD does offer some decent value for those just looking for reprints. This time around, almost all the value is thanks to one single card Field of the Dead. Worth around $21, this card is definitely the money maker, so much so, that it makes the rest of the drop look weak in comparison.
In terms of foil value, Secret Lair x The Evil Dead does get a little better, however, it is hardly a monumental change. Only barely breaking even, value is once again propped up almost entirely by Field of the Dead. Worth only $29 as a foil MTG card, the rest of the value is propped up by Zombie Apocalypse at $5, and Vanquish the Horde at $4.
| Secret Lair x The Evil Dead | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Puresteel Paladin | $1.69 | $2.35 |
| Vanquish the Horde | $2.84 | $3.68 |
| Zombie Apocalypse | $0.24 | $5.09 |
| Varina, Lich Queen | $0.21 | $0.28 |
| Field of the Dead | $21.36 | $29.94 |
| Zombie Token | $0.04 | $1.06 |
| Total | $26.38 | $42.40 |
Secret Lair x Doctor Who: The Weeping Angels
While Doctor Who is not inherently a horror-focused TV show, it definitely has its moments. As anyone familiar with the series will know, the episode Blink is definitely one of those moments. So much so, in fact, that it’s very well suited to be the focus of this spooky Universes Beyond Secret Lair Drop. As an added bonus, we’ve also got the Doctor Who Commander decks releasing soon!
Whether you’re looking to spice up the previous Angels Secret Lair deck or just love the Weeping Angels, this SLD is definitely for you. This, however, will pretty much be the only reason to purchase this Secret Lair, as the value is absolutely dire. At $4.50, Blinding Angel is the most expensive card in the entire drop, and it only gets worse from there. In total, the reprinted MTG cards from Secret Lair x Doctor Who: The Weeping Angels are only worth a dismal $7.
Thankfully, while the non-foil value may be a complete flop, the foils are much more promising. Boasting a total value of $51, this Secret Lair is saved by the foil reprint of Blinding Angel. Costing $43, this card alone more than justifies the cost of the foil Secret Lair. It’s a good thing it does too, as the rest of the Secret Lair doesn’t offer much. The only other notable card is Sublime Archangel, and that’s barely worth $6.
| Secret Lair x Doctor Who: The Weeping Angels | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Angel of Serenity | $0.46 | $1.35 |
| Angel of the Ruins | $0.19 | N/A |
| Blinding Angel | $4.56 | $43.62 |
| Restoration Angel | $0.21 | $0.91 |
| Sublime Archangel | $1.75 | $5.96 |
| Total | $7.17 | $51.84 |
Secret Lair x Doctor Who: The Dalek Lands
While not quite as terrifying as the Weeping Angels from Blink, Daleks are undeniably an iconic Doctor Who villain. So much so, in fact, that they’re very much deserving of being included within Spookydrop 2023. Sure, they might have a whisk and a plunger for hands, but those are ruthlessly efficient fighting hands!
Beyond surely being another great and flavorful addition to the Masters of Evil deck upon release, The Dalek Lands also promises positive value. Boasting $31 worth of reprints, this Secret Lair is largely propped up by Spirebluff Canal. Accounting for $12 of the drop’s value, this Izzet land makes up for a few flops elsewhere. The Orzhov Concealed Courtyard certainly needs that since it’s otherwise worth less than a dollar.
Once again, for Secret Lair x Doctor Who: The Dalek Lands, the non-foil version is completely outclassed by the foil variant. Bumping the total value up to almost $80, this SLD is a potential powerhouse of value. Leading the charge again, Spirebluff Canal is worth $31 on its own as a foil, however, it’s now supported by three $12 plus cards. In this foil drop, Concealed Courtyard manages to be the only disappointment that’s worth just $5, which still isn’t bad!
| Secret Lair x Doctor Who: The Dalek Lands | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Concealed Courtyard | $0.69 | $5.51 |
| Spirebluff Canal | $12.45 | $31.29 |
| Blooming Marsh | $5.91 | $15.28 |
| Inspiring Vantage | $7.72 | $14.50 |
| Botanical Sanctum | $4.77 | $12.56 |
| Total | $31.54 | $79.14 |
Secret Lair x The Princess Bride
Moving outside of the horror theme of the Spookydrop 2023, we have one of the most unique Secret Lair Drops in a long while. Containing a surprisingly large haul of nine MTG cards, this Secret Lair Drop should really have it all. As we’ll get to shortly, however, the charm of this Secret Lair is almost entirely due to the art. Thankfully, in this aspect, Secret Lair x The Princess Bride more than delivers as it’s a terrific homage to The Princess Bride movie.
While Secret Lair x The Princess Bride may contain a lot of cards, sadly, the value isn’t all there. In fact, this entire drop is only worth around $17 in total, barely, $2 a card on average. Making up the majority of this value is the reprint of Silence, which sells for around $7. Outside of this, Samut, Voice of Dissent and Pack Rat are the only reprints of note. Both worth around $3, these cards sadly do little to help make the Secret Lair break even.
To continue the running trend, while the non-foil value may be disappointing, foils once again save the day. Unsurprisingly, this is largely thanks to Silence, which is worth around $23 as a foil card. Alongside this, the value of Samut, Voice of Dissent jumps up to $10 and Pack Rat similarly jumps to $7. To add something new into the mix Sisay, Weatherlight Captain also boasts a decent $5 reprint value.
| Secret Lair x The Princess Bride | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sisay, Weatherlight Captain | $1.03 | $4.86 |
| Silence | $6.86 | $23.65 |
| Battle of Wits | $0.13 | $0.38 |
| Baral, Chief of Compliance | $1.50 | $1.85 |
| Pack Rat | $3.45 | $6.80 |
| Fynn, the Fangbearer | $0.07 | $0.08 |
| Brion Stoutarm | $0.44 | $0.70 |
| Samut, Voice of Dissent | $3.20 | $10.98 |
| Marchesa, the Black Rose | $0.72 | $1.45 |
| Total | $17.40 | $50.75 |
Artist Series: John Avon
Revealed prior to the recent MagicCon: Las Vegas panel, this Artist Series drop absolutely wowed MTG fans. Not only is this Secret Lair created by one of the most iconic MTG artists, but it also boasts some truly incredible value. If you’re looking to just pick up one drop the Spookydrop 2023, Artist Series: John Avon is definitely the best of the bunch.
In total, the Artist Series: John Avon Secret Lair Drop is worth over $65, even for the non-foil variant! This is almost entirely thanks to Emrakul, the Promised End. Having never been reprinted before, this casual and competitive staple is obviously hugely desirable and valuable to MTG players. Outside of Emrakul, Progenitus is the only other card of note in this SLD, being worth roughly $7.
Unsurprisingly, the foil reprint value of Artist Series: John Avon is much the same story as the normal variant. Propped up by the immense $134 price of Emrakul, the Promised End, this Secret Lair is an incredible deal. So much so, in fact, that this SLD could cause the card’s price to drop. After all, surely this drop will sell like hotcakes, flooding the market with plenty of new supply.
| Artist Series: John Avon | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Emrakul, the Promised End | $58.26 | $134.11 |
| Serra Angel | $0.04 | $0.17 |
| Brainstorm | $0.99 | $1.54 |
| Progenitus | $6.53 | $6.55 |
| Total | $65.82 | $142.37 |
Pixellands_Vol2.jpg
Previously, full-art lands in MTG were a thing of legend. Released only on the rarest occasion, players with a deck full of these lands meant serious business. More recently, however, full-art lands have become remarkably commonplace, releasing with almost every set. While this has been a great way to get amazing art into the hands of players, it has caused the value of these cards to tank somewhat.
Thankfully, if you’re looking to really show off, there are still plenty of expensive lands available in MTG. Alongside these, there are also lots of utterly gorgeous lands to accentuate the style of your deck. If you’re into retro aesthetics and pixel art, Pixellands_Vol2.jpg is certainly for you.
If you can’t tell at this point, there’s not a lot we can say about this collection of full-art lands. At the end of the day, they are lands, after all. Thanks to this, judging pricing can be incredibly difficult, as Secret Lair land prices are all over the place in MTG. For this drop, we’ve judged value based on the prices of the past pixel art land SLD, PixelSnowLands.jpg. As you can see below, this makes it an incredibly enticing drop in theory.
| Pixellands_Vol2.jpg | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Plains | $8.36 | $7.56 |
| Island | $18.50 | $17.76 |
| Swamp | $11.17 | $14.00 |
| Mountain | $6.60 | $7.07 |
| Forest | $11.84 | $11.65 |
| Total | $56.47 | $58.04 |
Meditations on Nature
Last and certainly no means least, we have another Secret Lair Drop only containing full art lands. This time around, the theme is traditional Japanese watercolor paintings, and the lands look absolutely spectacular because of it. Beyond looking good, however, there’s not much that can be said about these cards, as, once again, they’re just land.
Since the Meditations on Nature SLD is just full-art land, pricing it, once again, is a rather difficult task. On the one hand, these cards could have a similar value to the full-art lands from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. On the other hand, however, they could be more similar to past Secret Lair Drop land pricing.
Since Meditations on Nature is in fact a Secret Lair Drop, we’ll be using the latter pricing strategy. Subsequently, below are the cheapest prices of any full-art land from a Secret Lair Drop. In theory, the actual value of Meditations on Nature may be much higher than this, however, we’ll just have to wait and see.
| Meditations on Nature | Price | Foil Price |
|---|---|---|
| Plains | $5.13 | $7.26 |
| Island | $2.91 | $3.28 |
| Swamp | $2.89 | $4.42 |
| Mountain | $3.47 | $3.86 |
| Forest | $2.59 | $2.81 |
| Total | $16.99 | $21.63 |
What About the Bundles?
Currently, at the time of writing, none of the bundles for Spookydrop 2023 have been announced. Considering they can provide incredible value to players thanks to marginal discounts, this may be rather disappointing. Worry not, however, humble MTG players, as the Spookydrop 2023 bundles are just lying in wait.
Since Spookydrop 2023 hasn’t launched just yet, Wizards hasn’t revealed absolutely everything in store. Once the Superdrop is live, however, the bundles should appear as normal. When they do, the foil bundle is definitely going to be the one to watch. After all, all of the Secret Lair Drops already boast positive value when foil, so any added discount is just going to make them even better!
Once the bundles from Spookydrop 2023 are announced, we’ll update this section to contain all the important information.
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