Just recently, the Secret Lair Spring Superdrop 2024 sale concluded. Beginning on May 13, this Secret Lair drop featured some really intriguing collections full of alternate art reprints. Many of the themes showcased were very cool, such as the MTG Hatsune Miku crossover’s anime style or the social media vibes associated with the Goblingram Secret Lair.
As players have begun receiving their products, the bonus cards given alongside each Secret Lair are starting to make their presences known. While players know every other individual card in each Secret Lair before purchasing, the bonus cards add a bit of suspense to their orders.
Over the weekend,
Thrun, the Last Troll
Thrun, the Last Troll
This spell can't be countered.
Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
{1}{G}: Regenerate Thrun.
was revealed as the Goblingram Secret Lair bonus card. Now, it appears we know the bonus cards present in the Hatsune Miku and sAnS mERcy Secret Lairs. Let’s take a closer look.
Elvish Mystic
First up, we have the bonus card for the Hatsune Miku crossover: Elvish Mystic. Elvish Mystic is a great ramp element for green decks. What makes Elvish Mystic so strong is its efficiency. Elvish Mystic appeared both in M14 and M15, so it had a long stint in Standard at the time. Whether you were trying to jam
Goblin Rabblemaster
Goblin Rabblemaster
Other Goblin creatures you control attack each combat if able.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, create a 1/1 red Goblin creature token with haste.
Whenever this creature attacks, it gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each other attacking Goblin.
on turn two or you were ramping towards elite haymakers like
Dragonlord Atarka
Dragonlord Atarka
Flying, trample
When Dragonlord Atarka enters, it deals 5 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or planeswalkers your opponents control.
, Elvish Mystic remained the best possible turn one play.
Since
Llanowar Elves
Llanowar Elves
{T}: Add {G}.
made its last Standard appearance over five years ago, Wizards of the Coast has been hesitant to put one-drop mana dorks without serious drawbacks into Standard. Still, Elvish Mystic enjoyers can make great use of the card in Pioneer green Devotion strategies and Elf typal Commander decks.
While the card continues to see a lot of play, it isn’t worth much from a financial standpoint. After all, it’s just a common that has been reprinted countless times. It currently sits at roughly 25 cents in its cheapest traditional form, according to TCGPlayer market price. The good news is that this is Elvish Mystic’s first time boasting anime-style artwork. As we will see later, though, not everyone is a fan of the art.
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Spiteful Prankster
Next, we have the sAnS mERcy Secret Lair bonus card. Unlike Elvish Mystic, this card has not seen much of any Constructed play to speak of. The card in question is none other than Spiteful Prankster, which debuted in Jumpstart. Spiteful Prankster is also rather cheap, just like Elvish Mystic. This uncommon is worth under 20 cents in its cheapest traditional form.
However, even though Spiteful Prankster isn’t a dominant Constructed card, it does see some play in Commander and Brawl on MTG Arena. As a Devil, Spiteful Prankster is a very common inclusion in decks built around
Zurzoth, Chaos Rider
Zurzoth, Chaos Rider
Whenever an opponent draws their first card each turn, if it's not their turn, you create a 1/1 red Devil creature token with "When this token dies, it deals 1 damage to any target."
Whenever one or more Devils you control attack one or more players, you and those players each draw a card, then discard a card at random.
or
Raphael, Fiendish Savior
Raphael, Fiendish Savior
Flying
Other Demons, Devils, Imps, and Tieflings you control get +1/+1 and have lifelink.
At the beginning of each end step, if a creature card was put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn, create a 1/1 red Devil creature token with "When this token dies, it deals 1 damage to any target."
. It also has some nice synergy in sacrifice decks as well as decks whose Commanders can increase damage output, such as
Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph
Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph
Ward {2} (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays {2}.)
Three Autostubs — Whenever another source you control deals exactly 1 damage to a permanent or player, Ghyrson Starn deals 2 damage to that permanent or player.
or
Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might
Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might
Trample
If a red source you control would deal an amount of noncombat damage less than Ojer Axonil's power to an opponent, that source deals damage equal to Ojer Axonil's power instead.
When Ojer Axonil dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed under its owner's control.
.
Part of Spiteful Prankster’s appeal as a bonus card comes from the fact that the card has only appeared in Jumpstart and Jumpstart 2022. As such, this is the card’s first time highlighting alternate art. On top of that, players pointed out that Spiteful Prankster is finally debuting in foil. For anyone looking to add some pizzazz to their Commander decks, now’s your chance!
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Player Reaction
Overall, players didn’t seem to have an issue with the fact that the bonus cards were relatively cheap. There were also minimal complaints about the card choices themselves. Where most of the disappointment from the player base came from instead centered around Elvish Mystic’s art.
Many players were quick to point out that they felt the artwork didn’t capture what the anime style is all about. Others brought up the fact that many recent sets, including Jumpstart 2022, Ravnica Remastered, and Wilds of Eldraine, have shown off some beloved anime-style cards that were quite well received. With this in mind, players clearly felt that this project should’ve been produced by someone with more expertise in anime illustrations to begin with.
Players did note that the artist responsible for Elvish Mystic is quite talented, as their artwork can be seen on other non-anime cards like
Jin-Gitaxias
Jin-Gitaxias
Ward {2}
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell with mana value 3 or greater, draw a card.
{3}{U}: Exile Jin-Gitaxias, then return it to the battlefield transformed under its owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery and only if you have seven or more cards in hand.
. At the end of the day, players were clearly hopeful for the artwork across the whole Hatsune Miku Secret Lair to better encapsulate the beauty of anime.
On the flip side, when it comes to the sAnS mERcy Secret Lair, many players felt the odd font and text structure took away from exceptionally gorgeous artwork. Spiteful Prankster’s art was clearly highly approved, but the same could not be said about the joke behind the entire Secret Lair.
Ultimately, we now know about the specific bonus cards for three of the Secret Lairs. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the remaining holdouts.
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