Secret Lair is a “sub-brand” of Magic: The Gathering that groups existing cards into small collectible sets with strange themes and wild new art styles.[1][2]
Description
The Secret Lair Series is Wizard of the Coast's first full foray into selling single reprints directly to players.
The first Secret Lair series all consisted of alternate art reprints. Wizards of the Coast was trying to work with artists they usually didn't: street artists, comic book artists, album cover designers, etc. Alternately, they used traditional Magic artists working with very non-traditional art briefs.
With the The Walking Dead series, the premise of only reprints with alternate art was abandoned. Mark Heggen revealed that R&D views Secret Lair platform as a product - testing grounds platform that lets them try things they can't do in normal products. He acknowledged that it had been art up to 2020, but that they had broadened the concept to speak to audiences of different sizes.[3] If they identify a small group that would be thrilled by a specific product, this could cater to them: "like game of Magic the Secret Lair will always try new things and evolve - the first year focused on art which is the low hanging fruit" and "as we have new ideas and want to try new things to make the game joyful for more people, Secret Lair is the place to do that experimentation".
Even though the reaction among the fans was very negative, the Walking Dead was the best selling drop, luring in buyers from outside of the Magic world. This prompted the company to keep on experimenting in this realm[4] and creating the Universes Beyond product line. The 2019 Secret Lair team was awarded with an Heroes of the Realm: Keeper of the Secret Lair.
Drop Series
All cards in the print-to-demand Secret Lair Drop Series have a rare or mythic rare shooting star expansion symbol. The tokens have a common expansion symbol. The Secret Lair Drop Series are in English only.
Each "drop" contains between three and seven cards and/or tokens in a customized collector box, costing either $29.99, $39.99, or $49.99 depending on the drop – some of which use premium foil cards as well. Additionally, the "drops" can contain digital product redemption codes for MTG Arena or MTG Online for various online products to be used in their respective platform. The drops are only available for purchase from the Wizards of the Coast webshop secretlair.wizards.com. The first year, each drop usually only lasted for 24 hours (though there were some exceptions). "Superdrops" were introduced as multi-day sales that include multiple different drops that can be purchased individually or as part of a bundle.[5] Additional information on the contents of each Secret Lair Drop can be found on the webshop secretlair.wizards.com.
In the second year, Wizards of the Coast will focus more on superdrops, with solitary drops still possible for special occasions.[4] In June 2021, it was announced that for upcoming Universes Beyond Secret Lairs, Wizards of the Coast planned to create and print versions of the mechanically unique Secret Lair Universes Beyond cards that are set in Magic 's Multiverse approximately six months (the exact time may vary) after their release in Secret Lair.[6] The in-Magic versions be available on The List. The non-canon cards and the canon cards are considered equivalent game pieces, meaning you can only play four copies (or one copy) of either the Magic version or Universes Beyond version in your deck.
# | Drop | Card numbers | Release date | Price (non-foil) |
Price (foil) |
MTGA Sleeves |
MTGO Cards |
Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bitterblossom Dreams | 012 - 016 | 2019-12-03 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | MTGO Avatar x4 | |
2 | Eldraine Wonderland | 001 - 005 | 2019-12-04 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
3 | Restless in Peace | 006 - 008 | 2019-12-05 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
4 | Seeing Visions | 029 - 032 | 2019-12-06 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
5 | <explosion sounds> | 017 - 021 | 2019-12-07 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
6 | Kaleidoscope Killers | 009 - 011 | 2019-12-08 | $39.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
7 | OMG KITTIES! | 022 - 028 | 2019-12-09 | $39.99 | Y | Non-Foil | MTGA Avatar x2 | |
8 | Year of the Rat | 033 - 036 | 2020-01-27 | $39.99 | Y | |||
9 | Theros Stargazing, Volume I | 068 - 070 | 2020-02-14 | $39.99 | Y | |||
10 | Theros Stargazing, Volume II | 071 - 073 | 2020-02-14 | $39.99 | Y | |||
11 | Theros Stargazing, Volume III | 074 - 076 | 2020-02-14 | $39.99 | Y | |||
12 | Theros Stargazing, Volume IV | 077 - 079 | 2020-02-14 | $39.99 | Y | |||
13 | Theros Stargazing, Volume V | 080 - 082 | 2020-02-14 | $39.99 | Y | |||
14 | International Women's Day | 051 - 055 | 2020-03-08 | $49.99 | Y | |||
15 | Thalia - Beyond the Helvault | 037 - 040 | 2020-03-12 | $29.99 | Y | MTGA Card Styles | ||
16 | April Fools | 060 - 062† | 2020-09-11 | N/A‡ | ||||
17 | The Godzilla Lands | 063 - 067 | 2020-05-07 | $29.99 | Y | |||
18 | Full Sleeves: The Tattoo Pack | 041 - 045 | 2020-06-01 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
19 | Can You Feel with a Heart of Steel? | 056 - 058 | 2020-06-02 | $39.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
20 | The Path Not Traveled | 087 - 090 | 2020-06-03 | $39.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
21 | Mountain, Go | 083 - 086 | 2020-06-04 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
22 | Ornithological Studies | 091 - 095 | 2020-06-05 | $29.99 | Y | Non-Foil | ||
23 | Prime Slime | 133 - 137 | 2020-08-19 | $29.99 | ||||
24 | Every Dog Has Its Day | 096 - 099 | 2020-08-26 | $29.99 | $39.99 | Y | Foil / Non-Foil | |
25 | Happy Yargle Day! | 110 - 114 | 2020-09-03 | $29.99 | $39.99 | Foil / Non-Foil | ||
26 | Showcase: Zendikar Revisited | 154 - 158 | 2020-09-25 | $29.99 | $39.99 | Y | ||
27 | The Walking Dead | 143 - 153 | 2020-10-04 | $49.99 | Non-Foil | |||
28 | Extra Life 2020 | 164 - 167 | 2020-11-06 | $59.99 | Y | Foil | ||
29 | Artist Series: Seb McKinnon | 119 - 122 | 2020-11-30 | $29.99 | $39.99 | Y | Foil / Non-Foil | |
30 | Happy Little Gathering | 100 - 109 | 2020-11-30 | $29.99 | $39.99 | Foil / Non-Foil | MTGA Non Foil | |
31 | Hope You Like Squirrels | 195 - 200 | 2020-11-30 | $39.99 | Y | Foil | ||
32 | A Box of Rocks | 201 - 205 | 2020-11-30 | $29.99 | $39.99 | Foil / Non-Foil | ||
33 | Party Hard, Shred Harder | 138 - 142 | 2020-11-30 | $29.99 | Non-Foil | |||
34 | Faerie, Faerie, Faerie Rad | 115 - 118 | 2021-02-12 | $39.99 | ||||
35 | The Unfathomable Crushing Brutality of Basic Lands | 239 - 243 | 2021-02-12 | $29.99 | $39.99 | |||
36 | Valentine's Day 2021 | 214 - 219 | 2021-02-12 | $29.99 | $39.99 | |||
37 | Showcase: Kaldheim – Part 1 | 220 - 222 | 2021-02-12 | $24.99 | $34.99 | |||
38 | Showcase: Kaldheim – Part 2 | 223 - 225 | 2021-02-12 | $29.99 | $39.99 | |||
39 | Black is Magic | 244 - 250 | 2021-02-22 | $39.99 | $49.99 | |||
40 | Our Show Is On Friday, Can You Make It? | 185 - 189 | 2021-04-26 | $29.99 | ||||
41 | Showcase: Strixhaven | 268 - 273 | 2021-04-26 | $29.99 | $39.99 | |||
42 | Culture Shocks: Bant | 123, 127, 132 | 2021-04-26 | $29.99 | ||||
43 | Culture Shocks: Esper | 123-124, 128 | 2021-04-26 | $29.99 | ||||
44 | Culture Shocks: Grixis | 124-125, 129 | 2021-04-26 | $29.99 | ||||
45 | Culture Shocks: Jund | 125-126, 130 | 2021-04-26 | $29.99 | ||||
46 | Culture Shocks: Naya | 126-127, 131 | 2021-04-26 | $29.99 | ||||
47 | Artist Series: Mark Poole | 173-178 | 2021-06-21 | $ | ||||
48 | Dan Frazier is Back: The Enemy Signets | 2021-06-21 | $ | |||||
49 | Mother's Day 2021 | 2021-06-21 | $ | |||||
50 | Phyrexian Praetors | 2021-06-21 | $ | |||||
51 | Saturday Morning D&D | 2021-06-21 | $ | |||||
52 | Special Guest: Fiona Staples | 190-194 | 2021-06-21 | $ | ||||
53 | Special Guest: Jen Bartel | 2021-06-21 | $ |
^† As of June 22, 2020, card 059 is removed from the set and won't be printed.[7]
^‡ Small numbers of the set were allocated to all WPN locations in September, 2020, to be used at their discretion.[8]
Artist Series
The Artist Series is a sub-series of drops for which a famous artist is allowed to choose four Magic cards they want to illustrate. They get "carte blanche"; total freedom to do what they want.[9] Artists who have received such a series include:
- Seb McKinnon (2020)
- Mark Poole (2021)
- Johannes Voss (to be released in 2021)[4]
- Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio (to be released in 2022)[4]
- Sam Burley[10]
- Nils Hamm[10]
- Chris Rahn[10]
Expected drops
- A collaboration in the Universes Beyond series for Stranger Things[11]
- Read the Fine Print (four creatures and one enchantment).[12][13]
- A drop focused on Dinosaurs.[4]
Bonus cards
Each drop is delivered with a bonus card in the package. The chosen card may vary, but each drop only comes with a certain selection of cards. This usually has a theme connected to that specific drop.
SLD # | Bonus card |
---|---|
501 | Stained-glass Karn, the Great Creator |
502 | Stained-glass Ugin, the Ineffable |
503 | Stained-glass Gideon Blackblade |
504 | Stained-glass Teyo, the Shieldmage |
505 | Stained-glass The Wanderer |
506 | Stained-glass Jace, Wielder of Mysteries |
507 | Stained-glass Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor |
508 | Stained-glass Narset, Parter of Veils |
509 | Stained-glass Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage |
510 | Stained-glass Liliana, Dreadhorde General |
511 | Stained-glass Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted |
512 | Stained-glass Chandra, Fire Artisan |
513 | Stained-glass Jaya, venerated Firemage |
514 | Stained-glass Sarkhan the Masterless |
515 | Stained-glass Tibalt, Rakish Instigator |
516 | Stained-glass Arlinn, Voice of the Pack |
517 | Stained-glass Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter |
518 | Stained-glass Nissa, Who Shakes the World |
519 | Stained-glass Vivien, Champion of the Wilds |
520 | Stained-glass Ajani, the Greathearted |
521 | Stained-glass Domri, Anarch of Bolas |
522 | Stained-glass Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God |
523 | Stained-glass Ral, Storm Conduit |
524 | Stained-glass Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord |
525 | Stained-glass Tamiyo, Collector of Tales |
526 | Stained-glass Teferi, Time Raveler |
527 | Stained-glass Angrath, Captain of Chaos |
528 | Stained-glass Ashiok, Dream Render |
529 | Stained-glass Dovin, Hand of Control |
530 | Stained-glass Huatli, the Sun's Heart |
531 | Stained-glass Kaya, Bane of the Dead |
532 | Stained-glass Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner |
533 | Stained-glass Nahiri, Storm of Stone |
534 | Stained-glass Saheeli, Sublime Artificer |
535 | Stained-glass Samut, Tyrant Smasher |
536 | Stained-glass Vraska, Swarm's Eminence |
537 | White-bordered Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded |
538 | Bob Ross-illustrated Evolving Wilds |
539 | Seb McKinnon-illustrated Swamp (sketch version[14]) |
540 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Legion) |
541 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Doctor) |
542 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Angels) |
543 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Unicorns) |
544 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Enchanted) |
545 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Heavily Armored) |
546 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Feathered Friends) |
547 | Foil Jumpstart Plains (Dogs) |
548 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Under the Sea) |
549 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Wizards) |
550 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Above the Clouds) |
551 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Archaeology) |
552 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Mill) |
553 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Spirits) |
554 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Pirates) |
555 | Foil Jumpstart Island (Well Read) |
556 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Minions) |
557 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Discarding) |
558 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Reanimated) |
559 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Rogues) |
560 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Phyrexian) |
561 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Witchcraft) |
562 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Vampires) |
563 | Foil Jumpstart Swamp (Spooky) |
564 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Dragons) |
565 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Develish) |
566 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Seismic) |
567 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Goblins) |
568 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Spellcasting) |
569 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Smashing) |
570 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Lightning) |
571 | Foil Jumpstart Mountain (Minotaurs) |
572 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Tree Hugging) |
573 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Lands) |
574 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Plus One) |
575 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Dinosaurs) |
576 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Cats) |
577 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Walls) |
578 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Predatory) |
579 | Foil Jumpstart Forest (Elves) |
581 | Mechanically unique Lucille |
Ultimate Edition
Ultimate Edition is a different product line under the Secret Lair umbrella with the same sensibility but with a different distribution model (through LGS's).[5]
Set | Card numbers | Release date | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition | 001 - 005 | 2020-05-29 | Around $400 |
Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition 2 | 011 - 020 | 2021-03-05 | Around $115 |
Bonus cards
SLU # | Bonus card |
---|---|
501 | |
502 | |
503 | |
504 | Stained-glass Blast Zone |
References
- ↑ Tom Marks (November 25, 2019). "Magic: The Gathering Reveals New Secret Lair Drop Series With Wild Art". Ca.ign.com.
- ↑ Mark Heggen (November 25, 2019). "Revealing Secret Lair". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Weekly MTG - Secret Lair: The Walking Dead (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (October 2, 2020).
- ↑ a b c d e Weekly MTG: Secret Lair 2021 Sneak Peak. Magicthegather.com (December 3, 2020).
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (March 13, 2020). "Making Fetch Happen—Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 7, 2021). "Secret Lair Universes Beyond Update". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ MTGSecretLair. Twitter.
- ↑ WPN (September 2, 2020). "Sneak Peek: Zendikar Rising Marketing Kit". Wizards Play Network.
- ↑ Seb McKinnon (November 24, 2020). "MtG Secret Lair: Artist Series Thread". Twitter.
- ↑ a b c David McCoy (December 10, 2020). "Wizards Announces 3 More Artists That Will Get Their Own Secret Lair Drops". Hipsters of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 9, 2021). "Secret Lair: Stranger Things on Geeked Week". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Payneswalker (October 3, 2020). "New Drops?". Reddit.
- ↑ David McCoy (December 4, 2020). "Secret Lair's 2021 Plans Revealed: Focus on Artists and Superdrops". Hipsters of the Coast.
- ↑ MetalGearHorus (February 24, 2021). "My Secreversary 2020 Arrived!". Reddit.