Last week, we got a glimpse at the new “My Cabbages!” Secret Lair, one of the most flavorful Secret Lairs we’ve seen in quite some time. Unfortunately, the financial appeal wasn’t up to snuff, as it didn’t even total $10 in reprint value. Fortunately, it appears this product is part of a full Superdrop boasting some other Secret Lairs that are much more intriguing from a reprint value perspective.
The Avatar: The Last Airbender Superdrop is set to release on November 17th at 9 A.M. PT and features four other newly revealed Secret Lairs. Three Secret Lairs in particular each feature an expensive Commander staple, which alone makes this Superdrop very intriguing.
A Lot to Learn
Starting with the collection that has the highest total reprint value, we have the “A Lot to Learn” Secret Lair, where the headliner is undoubtedly a new reprint of Serra Ascendant. In 20-life formats, enabling Ascendant takes a lot of work, but that is not the case in Commander. Being able to play a 6/6 with Flying and Lifelink turn one is incredible, especially for any decks with life gain synergies.
This card debuted in Magic 2011, and his since been reprinted in Iconic Masters, The List, and a different Secret Lair. Still, the card’s EDH demand has helped it keep a hefty price tag over the years, as it sits at $34 in its cheapest near mint form according to TCGplayer. Considering that this product sells for $29.99 in non-foil, this card singlehandedly pays for the Secret Lair. There are still more goodies, however, that make this one even better.
From a value standpoint, Cryptolith Rite is a solid second option at $3, and it sees lots of play in green token-themed EDH decks. Its versatility is nothing compared to Kodama’s Reach, however, whose constant demand helps it maintain a price tag near $1.50 despite its multitude of common Commander precon printings. Throw in one of the best cantrips ever printed in Ponder that also sits at $1.50, and you’ve got a $40 product consisting of only format all-stars.
Everything Changed
The meat of the “Everything Changed” Secret Lair product rests with Torment of Hailfire, a late game mana sink that shines brightest alongside Commanders like Rowan, Scion of War. The powerful sorcery was originally printed in Hour of Devastation before earning a reprint on The List and in another Secret Lair. It’s worth roughly $24, making it a welcome reprint.
Unlike A Lot to Learn, this Secret Lair isn’t just a one-card show. An infamous enchantment for invalidating opposing manabases, Blood Moon constantly shuts down games across Modern, Legacy and cEDH. The only thing holding it back is its many reprints in various Masters sets, which have brought the card’s price down to $6.
Lightning Bolt keeps the trend of powerhouses with seemingly endless reprints going, as this $1 Alpha instant that has more than stood the test of time has appeared in many Secret Lairs already. The last card, by contrast, is a bit exciting since Dramatic Entrance‘s never got a reprint before, but the financial value behind the instant is a dud. These inclusions help raise the total reprint value here to $32.
The Ember Island Players
Moving to “The Ember Island Players” Secret Lair, the value here rests nearly entirely with Braid of Fire. Unlike most cards featuring the Cumulative Upkeep mechanic, Braid of Fire actually gets better as the game progresses. The enchantment sees consistent play in Ashling, Flame Dancer decks that make it easy to store the excess mana for later use. Braid of Fire should similarly become a staple in Ozai, the Phoenix King decks.
Funnily enough, this is the third time Braid of Fire is getting a Secret Lair printing, despite only appearing in Coldsnap and on The List otherwise. Its applications may be narrow, but its unique and powerful effect makes it worth its $17 price tag with the right support.
From there, this Secret Lair emphasizes a handful of strong copy effects. Phantasmal Image, Magic’s most efficient Clone variant that has a lot of Commander appeal, adds another $3 to the pile. While most Clone effects are blue, Cursed Mirror helps bring a unique spin on the classic effect to red EDH decks while doubling as a mana rock. Given the lack of strong ramp options in red, this artifact is a decent inclusion even if it’s worth just over $1.
The value unfortunately drops off even further with Thespian’s Stage, but at least this copy effect sees lots of Constructed play in conjunction with Dark Depths and Lotus Field. The same can’t be said for Mask of Memory, though, which is a cheap and mediocre card all told. Collectively, these cards sit at nearly $22.
One with the Elements
Ironically, the Secret Lair with the most cards, “One with the Elements,” also holds the least value by far. Silence is the anti-combo headliner, resting at just over $7. While it’s a great cEDH card, Silence is a decent drop-off compared to the most expensive options in the other Secret Lairs. The presence of Force of Vigor does help bolster the product, since it’s a Modern, Legacy, and Vintage staple that’s never appeared in a Secret Lair before. The issue is that its price dropped to $5 following its appearance in the Breaking News bonus sheet, and the other four cards fall off quickly.
Every other card is worth under $1.50, regardless of how strong it is. Both Expressive Iteration and Preordain see ample Modern play, but their low rarity printings hold their value back. Similarly, Past in Flames is an important piece of the puzzle for Storm decks, yet its many Masters and Universes Beyond printings brought its price tag down further. The last card, Painful Truths, is a solid yet narrow card draw spell that has appeared in many Commander precons and barely reaches 25 cents. Combined, these cards hold a reprint value of $14, which narrowly beats out the abysmal “My Cabbages” Secret Lair.
Path of Ancestry Promo
For anyone that spends at least $199 on products following the Superdrop going live, you’ll receive a foil promo of Path of Ancestry for your efforts. Notably, you will receive multiple promos if you spend $398 and so forth, which helps if you want to purchase multiple bundles.
Unfortunately, as well-suited as this promo is for an Avatar themed release, the card barely cracks 10 cents. This is a pretty big step down from some other previous promos like The Scarab God that we’ve seen in the past. Nonetheless, it’s still a nice little reward for anyone looking to go all-in on this Superdrop.
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