Wizards of the Coast frequently drops small exclusive limited-time Magic: The Gathering sets known as Secret Lairs. These feature unique art styles not seen elsewhere, as well as a bonus, unlisted, card. This, combined with the rarity of each set, means that many Secret Lair cards increase in value significantly.
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As a core card in every deck, land cards are critically important, and secret lair drops give players the chance to get their hands on a range of unique, interesting, and playable lands you may not otherwise find in a booster pack any time soon.
All the prices of these cards are from TCGPlayer, and are subject to change.
10
Swarmyard – $33
SLD #199 Hope You Like Squirrels
The Hope You Like Squirrels Secret Lair lives up to its name with six cards full of squirrels. The aptly named Swarmyard depicts a bunch of the furry creatures all gathering nuts together. The forest backdrop is beautifully illustrated and the shadows on the large squirrel in the foreground add a unique touch.
This land allows you to regenerate a Squirrel, which is perfect for such a design. You can also regenerate an Insect, Rat or Spider, but it’s not as fitting. The Swarmyard not only has Squirrels and a punny name, but it’s legal in a range of formats, including Commander, Modern, and Legacy.
9
Exotic Orchard – $34
SLD #1231 The ’90s Binder Experience
The Exotic Orchard is a card which really goes hard on its theme. The ’90s Binder Experience Secret Lair is a colorful riot of neon and this card is no exception. If you want to evoke some pure ’90s energy and Candyland vibes, then this land is for you. Neon bunnies frolick in this candy-inspired orchard with ice creams and lollipops galore.
This card allows the mana you tap for to match the color of any land under your opponent’s control, offering versatility for any Commander deck. It’s also legal in Legacy, Modern, and more.
8
Emeria, The Sky Ruin – $42
SLD #1291 Artist Series: Alayna Danner
Emeria, The Sky Ruin looks stunning in this traditional fantasy-style design from Alayna Danner’s Artist Series Secret Lair drop. The buildings in the sky are placed in the background yet still stand out against the cloud sky with hints of the ocean beneath. The spiral railings surrounding the structures given them a beautiful and unique look sure to look great in any deck.
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This land card can return a creature to your battlefield from your graveyard if you meet the criteria of controlling seven or more plains. It’s also legal in several formats including Commander, Legacy, Modern, and Vintage.
7
Rogue’s Passage – $43
SLD #607 Blueprint Cards
The Rogue’s Passage from the Blueprint Cards Secret Lair is a unique design unlike many others. The background comprises sketched blueprints of a maze of passages in a style which evokes M.C. Escher vibes. Center stage is a colored yet muted illustration of someone walking into a passageway surrounded by trees.
If you want your artwork to be more traditional, interesting and unique, this land is a great choice. Its secondary ability allows you to choose a creature which cannot be blocked for a turn.
6
Dracula’s Tomb Rare Nonfoil/Foil – $44
SLD #208 Welcome To Castle Dracula
Dracula’s Tomb draws on classic gothic horror vibes in this creepy coffin artwork. The open coffin surrounded by smoke and covered in intricate detail evokes wealth and mystery. Adding the candles and the shadow against the wall gives this art a stunning element of mystery to add to the darkness.
The legendary land has mechanics involving sacrificing a creature to gain black mana. A fittingly dark card for any Commander Deck, its also legal in several other fomats including Legacy, Brawl and Modern.
5
Strip Mine – $57
SLD #472 Totally Spaced Out
This Strip Mine land card from the Totally Spaced Out set showcases a captivating design of an anomaly in space. The ripples spread out towards the planets, all set against a stunning blue sky backdrop. The early secret lair drop Strip Mine comes from contained just four cards and the galaxyfoil finish makes it as unique as the space anomaly it depicts.
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While the land card allows you to tap it for mana, or sacrifice it to destroy a land, the value in this particular version is mainly in its rarity and unique design, especially since it is only legal in Commander and Oathbreaker.
4
Mana Confluence – $61
SLD #1012a Pride Across The Multiverse
This unique Mana Confluence artwork is part of the Pride Across The Multiverse Secret Lair drop and perfectly blends a simplistic but stunning design with a subtle hint of pride reflected in the rainbow colors of the cloaks of our magic users pouring their mana into the pool in front of them. The ethereal figure in the pool and its gate further add to the mystery of this artwork.
The card itself allows you to exchange life for mana and being legal in most formats means this beautiful artwork can be added with pride to most decks, including Commander, Modern, and Brawl.
3
Cabin Of The Dead – $78
SLD #1356 Evil Dead
Horror fans will immediately recognize this ramshackle cabin design as being inspired by The Cabin In The Woods and similar horror classics. But while the artwork evokes a range of horror movies, this land’s ability to create 2/2 Zombies is firmly tied to Evil Dead, the theme of this seven card Secret Lair drop.
The creepy cabin is framed by a stunning red sky and a looming background of tall trees. A car approaches but you know it’s unlikely to leave, just as horror fans won’t want to leave this land out of their decks.
2
Eldrazi Temple – $85
SLD #1154 Artist Series: Aleksi Briclot
This Eldrazi Temple designed by Aleksi Briclot has an ethereal vibe with inverted pyramids spreading out across a stunning cloudy sky. The spectrum lines on the edge add a flash of color to the mainly blue hues in this Commander staple. It evokes feelings of mystery and is unique while also being generic enough to match many other cards in terms of overall style.
Eldrazi Temple doesn’t just look good, the land is also incredibly useful, allowing you to tap it for mana to cast colorless Eldrazi spells or activate colorless Eldrazi abilities. Round out your commander deck in style with this Secret Lair version.
1
Sliver Hive – $174
SLD #668 Surprise Slivers
This Sliver Hive rare foil features captivating artwork of a Sliver flying into its hive from the 53-card Surprise Slivers set, which were included as bonus cards in other drops. The dark hive walls are nicely detailed and the silhouetted Sliver glides in looking majestic. It’s simple yet striking, offering a neat card that will seamlessly merge with most existing MTG artwork.
While the artwork is intriguing, the true value of this card is in its ability to generate Slivers, and the fact that it’s legal in all formats except Standard, Alchemy, and Pauper. This increases its value enough to make it the only Secret Lair Land to hit three figures.
Magic: The Gathering
- Franchise
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Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
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August 5, 1993
- Player Count
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2+
- Age Recommendation
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13+
- Length per Game
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Variable
