@@TolarianCommunityCollege just wait until they approach you about a NEW SECRET LAIR! based on the Madness mechanic and all featuring The Professor. I would buy, day 1 😂
5 secs into you pointing I said out loud ... Is that a 2001 reference? .. and then you appeared in orbit as a ghost/ egg like head... Yes yes it is.... And it was inspired! Oh and 52 reporting in ...
Prof, I would love to see a video of Magic's "perfect customer", who buys literally every Magic product as it comes out over the course of 2024 and then put up a grand total at the end of the calendar year. The "perfect customer" would buy every secret lair, all Commander decks, a pre-release kit, a bundle, a play booster box, and a collector booster box for every set in Magic over the course of one year. Then, don't forget to add a box of each set for Arena for 2024 as well. Starter decks, Game Night 3? kits, + any other Magic product I'm forgetting, like another random reboot of another set. It'd be hilarious to see what Magic profits pushed to the absolute max would be.
I think it would be telling to check the AVERAGE customer who purchases product and what/how much they purchase Purchasing every damn thing is just the lower echelon of Whale (and by that I mean lowe range of still BEING a whale, but not a super whale)
I'm fairly certain WotC intentionally moved away from the idea of people keeping up with their release schedule. They probably know their average customers well enough to know how to milk us best. I know that I will splash out without remorse if a product hits my sweet spot, but I have long since given up on being a completionist.
It’s well more than a grand. If you bought everything in horizons 3 ONLY it’s over $1000 Special 4 commander pre con decks: $600 Regular 4 pre con decks if you can find them $260 Collector booster boxes: $400 Play booster box: $250 Regular GIFT box: $76 (ouch! The other ones have been closer to $35-$50) Collector booster GIFT box : $110 And I’m sure I missed something.
10:07 In AC Leonardo Da Vinci is the best friend of the main character Ezio and he invents stuff for him to use in combat like a wrist mounted gun before gunpowder pistols were widely available Think Lucius Fox to Batman
Yep, and he doesn't get white in his cost because he helped the Templars build tanks and whatnot in Brotherhood I guess? Just wish it was blue-white flyers.
The print to demand style from before is in every way better than the limited supply run version we have now. I did cave and buy both Hatsune Miku Secret Lairs as she's a top 3 character for me personally and vocaloid was a major part of my childhood growing up.
Better for us customers, for sure. But from WotCs point of view it's probably more profitable to be able to fix production slots and logistics a long time ahead of release. I wouldn't be surprised if a few years down the road they'll start to repeat the highly successful ones.
Screw the new Secret Lair System. Sheldon’s spellbook was the last Secret Lair I bought and I will definitely not buy a Secret Lair that is tied to the “Sold Out” model. They are already FOMO products. I used to love Secret Lair, but they find a way to ruin just about anything.
To me, the availability is too short to even trigger FOMO. If there isn't enough time for me to come home from work, look at the product and think about if I want to buy it, then this product is really not for me. It's for the people who have the time to arrange their days so they can be ready to buy it.
One thing is certain, the Prof never sells out. Also, Miku in both her versions sold out the same day. Infact, a few hours after I bought mine, and thats when I got the email.
Between the artificial scarcity and the continual decline in value, I think I'm more or less done buying Secret Lairs. There's more than enough cool cards being printed in Magic's main sets, and more than enough main sets being printed to take up most of my entertainment budget on their own.
Incredibly good point. Why buy a 30 dollar set of mid cards with one 15 dollar card (that you won’t use) mixed in when you can just buy a new staple for 10 bucks
That combined with the increased shipping cost. If you don't want to buy over $100 worth of product for free shipping then shipping is now $11. I don't have the data but that seems MUCH higher than before. So if you are ever considering a $30 secret lair, might want to think of it as $40~ which makes a big difference.
@@chim007azo Even for the art buying singles is the way to go, if you don´t care about the full lair. In the 2024 drops not a single card is worth more then a whole lair, ignoring the fact, some lairs are more expensive than the others.
The NOTAWOLF lair is the first one I've ever bought, entirely because the art and flavor text of that Howl of the Night Pack brought me so much joy at a time I needed it, and every time I see it I wind up smiling. The whole thing just hit absolutely perfect for me in particular.
I have only ever bought 2 Secret Lair Drops: the Cats and Dogs commander deck and the yet to be received Sheldon Menery Secret Lair. I mostly bought them for the art. The charity donation on the Sheldon Secret Lair was also a factor.
As a fan of Assassin's Creed and not owning any of the specific cards(except for the dragon & soul warden) I showed this to my wife. She purchased it as an early Birthday gift for me. I will accept that.
Props to sneaking in the product reviews for the other two secret lairs in the introduction. Great attention to detail. Love your videos, keep staying awesome!
I'm happy to see Secret Lair FOMO FINALLY get recognized by Wizards in the new next set after Bloomburrow which is coming after Assassin's Creed Universes Beyond. Fear of Missing out.
I did buy the Assassin's Creed version because I wanted the Ramses to head my Assassin deck, and liked the designs. I do wish they'd go back to the print on demand versions, to be sure.
That intro was top tier. The only fake scarcity Lair I got so far was Raining Cats and Dogs. I wanted the basics, Jinnie, Jetmir, and Anointed Procession. My Jinnie Fay deck is very important to me, and I wanted the specific cards.
@@ALTR_no_EGO better for consumers who want to acquire the cards. Worse for stores or players who want their original cards to hold value. There’s definitely different sides to it
@@chim007azo the value is automatically reduced with reprints. Who cares about value, being able to GET the tools to play the actual game is what's great about print to order. The scalpers boon style of limited run is just lame.
@@YardenTheshepherd I’m not sad. I like my collectibles to have rarity. There are tens of thousands of other games to play if the rarity aspect isn’t for you. Or just play at home casually.
The artwork and the fact that I didn't already have most of the cards sold it for me this time but only other one I've purchased has been the junji ito secret lair. Love the art and the cards in that lair!
I buy secret lairs often mainly because I do love alternate arts for cards but I 100% preferred the print to demand system they had it gave me time to think
i really like secret lairs, most aren't for me but the ones that are have really brightened my collection. i don't mind the quantity, because that way there is more chance that one of them is for me, or for someone else. i usually don't buy entire lairs, just individual cards that i like. thank you for helping me in my enjoyment by regularly posting a clear visual representation of every new release, you usually help me find some that i missed in spoiler reveals in other places online.
As someone who draws a lot and someone with a Cadric Soul kindler/godo combo deck I LOVE the Da Vinci designs. These cards will swap out the ones I currently have in that deck. And maybe I’ll put the plate in my wyll blade of frontiers deck. I love them in their design and the actual cards are ones I own already and enjoy playing. First secret lair I’ve bought. And I got the foil. I don’t mind I’m breaking even because they’re gorgeous to me.
I loved the treatment that MSCHF SL achieved. The market seems to enjoy this product. And maybe I framed one printing of it yet anyone could play with this cards. We know some of these iconic cards. Shame that WotC doesn’t see or use this careful treatment more frequently (where the artist gets to design as they want to; and hopefully has knowledge of magic).
Same here. It may not be monetarily worth it, but the artwork and characters are so nostalgic, it's completely worth it. I already have plans to make an Eivor (Najeela) and Altair (Kelsien) deck with them.
I did buy one one of each of the assassins creed sets. I’m just a huge fan of the the game and series. I’m probably the only person I know excited about the ac set. I can’t wait to build an Edward kenway commander deck!!
The DaVinci secret lairs are artistically amazing (for my personal tastes), and I would want them on a playmat or my wall, but I agree for game purposes that I have trouble reading them and quickly distinguishing between them, which is not great.
I'm confused why they are all equipment though. Da Vinci's is known for inventing mechanical devices, not swords and cloaks. Surely it should be stuff like ornithopters, unwinding clock, chromatic orrery, maybe even walking ballista?
@@Yammenkow I don't know anything about assassin's creed, so no clue. However, it seemed like there was a big equipment theme with the epilogue boosters, so maybe it's to fit with that?
I have never bought a Secret Lair before this one. Julie Bell is one of my favorite artist so for me it was really a nostalgic thing because I've been following her career for the past 25 years. I can also use most of the cards in decks I'm currently building.
Bought all of the Assassins Creed secret lairs as my first ever secret rare purchase. I love the games and hope to fill a binder with all of the cards from the set, figured this would be a good start :)
I love watching these. I buy a lot of secret lairs just because I love the art, Its not always for the value. But I often end up getting some of those ones that sold out early. And often feel left out when you do these videos and don't cover the ones that sold out. I would love it if you could go over the ones that sold out but understand if thats a lot of work. Congrats on the 1 million!
I've bought a few Secret Lairs, now. I picked up the Creepshow lair from 2023 (It's my favorite movie, ever) for the nostalgic value. My favorite movie tends to get overlooked in the realm of horror, and I want to support any form of Creepshow that I can. I also ended up grabbing both (so far) Miku lairs for my Girlfriend. Last drop and this drop. Miku is one of her favorite things ever, so it was a no-brainer for me to grab them. I adore Secret Lairs. They have a unique artstyle and quirky graphics that make me smile when I see them. This new FOMO method is pathetic, though. I 100% agree with everything you said about it being anti-consumer, and especially with the reprint values being so low, it's not like WotC is going to hemorrhage money if they let these be print-to-demand.
I purchased both Assassin's Creed sets in foil and no-foil. The foil for my collection binder and the non for a deck in the future. Having never purchase magic before this was just a fun entry point in advance of the release next week.
I've only recently gotten into magic so I only know the limited supply version of secret lair drops, but I mostly buy for the neat art. Having valuable cards is fun, but it doesn't really matter if I don't plan on selling them.
I only have bought like 4 seceret lairs, mostly due to the factor on me loving either the theme of the lair that catches my interest. or if it featured a artist I follow on twitter that I enjoyed. Like i bought the godzilla secret lair, the bob ross lair since I grew up loving his show, forgot the other two i bought. But i have loved them all so far equally. I am highly impressed that I haven't gone for after every set yet and only ones that catch my eye if I love the art style or artist. Other than those two factor I haven't gone crazy spending on them which I'm proud of.
This new trend to go below or barley above reprint value has been a blessing to me, I feel less pressured to buy a reprint of a card unless I really enjoy the art. The "it's a great deal, how can a I pass this up" aspect of some previous lairs used to be a big temptation that just isn't there anymore. I do think moving away from the on demand model is a mistake though, especially since it doesn't feel like I'm getting my cards any sooner then in the past. I also knew what to expect, so the wait time wasn't as frustrating to me.
I only bought the two Assassin's Creed ones (Foil) because for the Alt-Art ones I already own the In Universe/Regular cards but I'm building an Assassin deck which will have a good chunk of the new AC cards and some of the old Assassins were already going in it (Like Ramses) so I figured "Eh why not" on having some more AC flavored versions. The second AC set was just another way for me to get another Darksteel Plate, Whispersilk Cloak and Blade of Selves which look cool (to me) as well as the Flail and Deathrender. I've never bought a Secret Lair based on a hypothetical resale value, I've only bought a few and it is strictly based on cards I will use and if I like the art (As well as overall price). Though I bought Sheldon's Spellbook to support a good cause.
My biggest issue with secret lair is the lack of LGS support. I don't live in USA or the UK so importing a single 5 card secret lair ends up costing more than a whole gift bundle of MH3.
To answer your question - never bought a secret lair. There was one I was excited about, but it sold out before I got off work that day. It was themed well, had great art, and was perfect for my wifes commander deck as it featured her commander in a really nice art style. Despite the value being low and it not being worth it money wise, it was going to be a nice gift with some unique cards, but didn't even get to be that because it was shortly after they changed from the print to order format.
I bought the foil prints of darkness as my first secret lair because I love jund, I like the white border and the art, and I just wanted something that felt special. They’re all going into a new prossh deck. Hope they’re worth it😅
I wholeheartedly agree regarding frequency and transparency. I think if it was an annual drop and an actual special pack it would be more desirable/fair to consumers. Something like an actual pack of "Special Guests". Introduced (or at least play legal in most formats from older releases) from the most recent play/collector sets released. This would allow WOC to retain '"Secret" in the name and choose from those existing cards which get new alternate art, while at least giving players some ideas of what's in the pack and value (to them) to buy the product.
Before I got into mtg, I collected pocket knives. Many of them being custom handmade limited pieces that I’d fawn over. Some makers dropped there’s on line without warning and you were left in the dust if you didn’t own some sort of bot to auto buy them and the secondary market would be marked up 150% +. On the other hand, other makers offered a preorder window where everyone had plenty of time to place an order of what they wanted and it could 8 months or so before production was done and they were shipped out. I eventually became jaded with the market due to inaccessibility of the pieces I really wanted. With mtg, the positive thing is the secret lair cards are usually reprints and the real value is in the variant art. If you want the card there’s bound to be an accessible version somewhere. Of course there’s exceptions to that. The rare reprints will always be at a premium. On another note, wizards system for alerting secret lair drops in the tag world is much more forgiving than a lot of other markets, ie. knives. I’ve always had ample time to get what I wanted and spoilers help to get an idea of what’s coming. Yes it’s predatory marketing but you’re never forced to buy these. I feel this system really rewards those who pay attention.
I really enjoy the new version of Secret Lair. It's still a shameless cash grab with art of varying quality (objective and subjective), but since they're gone almost immediately, now I don't have the temptation to even try if an artist would hit my eye. It's a great way to save money, thank you WotC !
I have bought the existing and will buy the remaining miku lairs bc they were a formative part of my adolescence, the art is beautiful and I am supporting and celebrating her long career. Other than that the only secret lairs that I buy are singles that I both like the art of and need for a commander deck. I typically dont mess with Secret Lairs as a while and am thankful for your stance on them Prof.
Leonardo Da'Vincis a side carachter in Assassins Creed 2 and Brotherhood, hes a family friend of Ezio,he also gives you gadgets that open up diffrent aspects of the game world.
I've only ever bought one secret lair, The Princess Bride. I got it because I love that movie and now I'm setting aside cards for some decks. A friend of mine even grabbed the battle of wits off me for his party box.
As always… I love Prov’s video; that 2001 iconic intro is AWESOME!!!! Also…. I can’t wait for Monday to watch Shuffle and Play and see Prof getting very Sultai-ed during the episode 😂 I’ll temur on Monday!
I despise the FOMO and much of what is going on of late with Magic. I came back to the game only fairly recently, having quit in the early oughts, and started playing Commander because I liked the casual and creative aspects, but it didn't take long to be driven away from magic again, and after Caverns of Ixalan I've not bought anything more again, because I'm so severely disappointed with how Wizards treats it's employees and customers. I loved magic, having grown up playing the game and last time I was playing before I stepped away, I was playing block format. Now, I've slowly remembered why I quit so long ago, and I think the company's behavior really is beyond the pale right now. Part of what had brought me back in the first place was discovering your channel. It rekindled the sense of enjoyment and fun that I used to have, and despite not really playing or buying magic right now, I and my partner (who could care less about the game) still watch all your videos and enjoy everything that you release. You are such a positive and fun channel. Congratulations on your well deserved 1M subscribers, professor. That said, I just bought the Julie Bell secret lair. I love her art and it wasn't for the utility of the cards. I have her art cards from the 90's. I have hyborian gates cards. Her and Boris' art is iconic. I feel like it probably would be sold out by now if people realized who she is, because while I think, a lot of people don't recognize her name, almost everyone will recognize some of her work; ever seen the cover art for Wolfenstein 3D, Splatterhouse 3, Valis IV and many other retro game titles? Some of these products are really great and hard to resist, and I failed to resist this one. It's been quite a few months since I've actually been interested or wanted to buy anything from WotC. I've resisted all the new and powerful lures of MH3 and I haven't bought any singles since Ravnica Remastered. I probably won't even have a deck to put any of these cards into, but it just goes to show that they really know how to do things right in some ways, if only it didn't feel like such a bad relationship so much of the time.
The opening to this was so good lol. I bought the not a wolf cards for the art and because I love werewolf cards (even though day/night is a nightmare in paper). I don't buy SLs frequently, but when I do the "value" isn't usually a big factor. I mainly care about the art and whether I'm interested in those particular cards.
I bought the darksteel blightsteel doubling cube transformers secret lair after watching your video on it when they came out, not sold out I might add, because I wanted an affordable blightsteel. the only secret lair I have paid for since then was Sheldon's Spellbook because he was a credit to magic the gathering and the stories told by your partner videos were extremely touching. According to my secret lair order tracking it will be shipping soon, and I am honestly excited to be able to use those cards in new decks I plan to make, or my old favorites. Secret lairs now seem like such cash grabs over nothingburger cards, and now that they are limited time, even when the cards are worth anything they're gone and price gouged to where it wouldn't matter anyway
I bought the non-foil version of Not a Wolf and I understood long before it was not a great deal. However, I have a friend whose getting into magic more and wolves werewolves. This was a great gift for him which, in some ways, I think makes it worth the loss in cost.
I bought the Da Vinci designs. It was my first ever Secret Lair buy. The price hurt especially because I researched the cards. I bought them from a collector standpoint and because I loved the art. Being an Assassin's creed fan helped.
It's best to compare this product to what Pokemon does. Pokemon also has "illustration cards", cards with beautiful full-art treatment. They are in regular boosters at a 1/13 rate, meaning they are THE MOST COMMON "special drop" you can get from a booster.
I appreciate how abstract these intros are getting- love it With the exception of Sheldon’s Spellbook I haven’t bought a Secret Lair for like a year? Really there’s been a few that I’ve been tempted to get, but frankly with the secret $10 shipping charge I just can’t- it’s either $50 or buy 3 of them, I can’t stand that
New Secret Lair Alert stuff is actually just peak Magic the Gathering content. I’m as excited for a New Secret Lair Alert as I am for Lorwyn (as a colossal Lorwyn Faeries lover)
Only have bought 2 SLs myself. The Dungeons and Dragons cartoon SL and the Pride across the Multiverse SL. DnD wasn’t worth the $$ but I loved the cartoon back in the 80s. PAM was worth the $$$. Also it had incredibly beautiful artwork with Sol Ring and Mana Confluence as standout pieces. The proceeds going to the Trevor Project was the icing on the cake. Otherwise only other SL I ever wanted was the Richard Kane Ferguson one and it was sold out by the time I could afford it.
I will buy that Davinci's Sketchbook one because I don't have any of those cards and enjoy the style. I have an appreciation of the series and these cards are new to me. I still prefer the idea that nobody can miss out on these.
With each Secret lair prof delves father into madness
Not that far a trip if I am being honest.
@@TolarianCommunityCollege Does your personal hell come with Sticker Cards so you can relabel your inner demons, Prof?
@@TolarianCommunityCollege i bet it took every bone in your body to not correct his spelling haha
If there are any more, he will just become madness.
@@TolarianCommunityCollege just wait until they approach you about a NEW SECRET LAIR! based on the Madness mechanic and all featuring The Professor. I would buy, day 1 😂
Of all the things I expected to see today, Prof doing a parody of 2001 with secret lairs was not one of them. Got a good laughter out of me
I was worried everyone would be too young to get my old reference.
Absolutely got it, absolutely loved it! But then again, I'm 42 😂
yes
5 secs into you pointing I said out loud ... Is that a 2001 reference? .. and then you appeared in orbit as a ghost/ egg like head... Yes yes it is.... And it was inspired! Oh and 52 reporting in ...
Props to the production team for pulling that off so well in such short notice.
We're at a point where I'm more excited about Prof's video about the new Secret Lair than the Secret Lairs themselves
Good. You’re not brain dead
same
Always have been
How can I be excited for Secret Lairs when they're sold out before I ever get a chance to purchase it?
@@CanadianBaconPwnage because you get more designs for your proxys :D
I never considered what Prof's pajamas would be, but a suit makes the most sense
We're reaching Lynch movie levels with these SL intros
I've got good news! That Secret Lair you like is coming back in style!
David Lynch Secret Lair is in the fall.
Let's rock!!
This intro was both wonderful and strange
See you in 25 Lairs 😉
Prof reinventing the same bit about the abundance and deluge of secret lairs makes me love these videos so much
The opening skit has more value than the secret lair sets themselves!
For the 15 minutes of time would have to give it a solid B+ grade
I jumped ahead because I loathe that "NEW SECRET LAIR ALERT" and didn't want to be subjected to it again.
Prof, I would love to see a video of Magic's "perfect customer", who buys literally every Magic product as it comes out over the course of 2024 and then put up a grand total at the end of the calendar year. The "perfect customer" would buy every secret lair, all Commander decks, a pre-release kit, a bundle, a play booster box, and a collector booster box for every set in Magic over the course of one year. Then, don't forget to add a box of each set for Arena for 2024 as well. Starter decks, Game Night 3? kits, + any other Magic product I'm forgetting, like another random reboot of another set. It'd be hilarious to see what Magic profits pushed to the absolute max would be.
I think it would be telling to check the AVERAGE customer who purchases product and what/how much they purchase
Purchasing every damn thing is just the lower echelon of Whale (and by that I mean lowe range of still BEING a whale, but not a super whale)
I'm fairly certain WotC intentionally moved away from the idea of people keeping up with their release schedule. They probably know their average customers well enough to know how to milk us best. I know that I will splash out without remorse if a product hits my sweet spot, but I have long since given up on being a completionist.
It’s well more than a grand. If you bought everything in horizons 3 ONLY it’s over $1000
Special 4 commander pre con decks: $600
Regular 4 pre con decks if you can find them $260
Collector booster boxes: $400
Play booster box: $250
Regular GIFT box: $76 (ouch! The other ones have been closer to $35-$50)
Collector booster GIFT box : $110
And I’m sure I missed something.
@@wedgearyxsaberI bought everything for lord of rings except the collector boosters so yeah I suck. Never again.
10:07 In AC Leonardo Da Vinci is the best friend of the main character Ezio and he invents stuff for him to use in combat like a wrist mounted gun before gunpowder pistols were widely available
Think Lucius Fox to Batman
Yep, and he doesn't get white in his cost because he helped the Templars build tanks and whatnot in Brotherhood I guess? Just wish it was blue-white flyers.
He's Q.
@ChromeTeck, do you mean Q from Star Trek or James Bond? Lmao, jk jk :)
Q from street fighter 3?
The print to demand style from before is in every way better than the limited supply run version we have now. I did cave and buy both Hatsune Miku Secret Lairs as she's a top 3 character for me personally and vocaloid was a major part of my childhood growing up.
Better for us customers, for sure. But from WotCs point of view it's probably more profitable to be able to fix production slots and logistics a long time ahead of release. I wouldn't be surprised if a few years down the road they'll start to repeat the highly successful ones.
Prof keeps me up2date with everything I don't want to buy :-)
Screw the new Secret Lair System. Sheldon’s spellbook was the last Secret Lair I bought and I will definitely not buy a Secret Lair that is tied to the “Sold Out” model. They are already FOMO products. I used to love Secret Lair, but they find a way to ruin just about anything.
To me, the availability is too short to even trigger FOMO. If there isn't enough time for me to come home from work, look at the product and think about if I want to buy it, then this product is really not for me. It's for the people who have the time to arrange their days so they can be ready to buy it.
"I'll do a Standard episode of shuffle up and play to punish you"
Prof, I'm pretty sure that's punishing yourself. 😂
The Secret Lair Alert intros are my favorite thing ever
One thing is certain, the Prof never sells out.
Also, Miku in both her versions sold out the same day. Infact, a few hours after I bought mine, and thats when I got the email.
Between the artificial scarcity and the continual decline in value, I think I'm more or less done buying Secret Lairs. There's more than enough cool cards being printed in Magic's main sets, and more than enough main sets being printed to take up most of my entertainment budget on their own.
Incredibly good point. Why buy a 30 dollar set of mid cards with one 15 dollar card (that you won’t use) mixed in when you can just buy a new staple for 10 bucks
Just be done. It’s not worth it
That combined with the increased shipping cost. If you don't want to buy over $100 worth of product for free shipping then shipping is now $11. I don't have the data but that seems MUCH higher than before. So if you are ever considering a $30 secret lair, might want to think of it as $40~ which makes a big difference.
@@Worm.emergencyfor the art, which should have always been the point
@@chim007azo Even for the art buying singles is the way to go, if you don´t care about the full lair. In the 2024 drops not a single card is worth more then a whole lair, ignoring the fact, some lairs are more expensive than the others.
The skits have been fantastic! Great job Prof! 😊
Thanks! 😃
I love the evolution of the Secret Lair Alert opening sequences. You all seem to have a lot of fun with it.
Loved that 2001 Space Odyssey skit
The NOTAWOLF lair is the first one I've ever bought, entirely because the art and flavor text of that Howl of the Night Pack brought me so much joy at a time I needed it, and every time I see it I wind up smiling. The whole thing just hit absolutely perfect for me in particular.
I have only ever bought 2 Secret Lair Drops: the Cats and Dogs commander deck and the yet to be received Sheldon Menery Secret Lair. I mostly bought them for the art. The charity donation on the Sheldon Secret Lair was also a factor.
I bought the cute to brute commander deck... I no longer am interested in SL commander decks...
@@TheClone37I bought it too. Tried to make the pile of garbage work and then broke it down and sold it off.
As a fan of Assassin's Creed and not owning any of the specific cards(except for the dragon & soul warden) I showed this to my wife. She purchased it as an early Birthday gift for me. I will accept that.
Props to sneaking in the product reviews for the other two secret lairs in the introduction. Great attention to detail.
Love your videos, keep staying awesome!
I'm happy to see Secret Lair FOMO FINALLY get recognized by Wizards in the new next set after Bloomburrow which is coming after Assassin's Creed Universes Beyond. Fear of Missing out.
Prof, I legitimately come to watch these PURELY for your descent-into-madness intros :)
Prof, you're killing me. WHEN ARE WE GETTING THE NEW SECRET LAIR ALERT TSHIRTS!?!?
I did buy the Assassin's Creed version because I wanted the Ramses to head my Assassin deck, and liked the designs. I do wish they'd go back to the print on demand versions, to be sure.
Who needs Duskmourn, when the Prof is experiencing the true House of Horror in the Intro!
That intro was top tier.
The only fake scarcity Lair I got so far was Raining Cats and Dogs. I wanted the basics, Jinnie, Jetmir, and Anointed Procession. My Jinnie Fay deck is very important to me, and I wanted the specific cards.
How is it “fake” scarcity?
@@chim007azo Manufactured, then. Print on demand was better for consumers in general.
@@ALTR_no_EGO better for consumers who want to acquire the cards. Worse for stores or players who want their original cards to hold value. There’s definitely different sides to it
@@chim007azo the value is automatically reduced with reprints. Who cares about value, being able to GET the tools to play the actual game is what's great about print to order. The scalpers boon style of limited run is just lame.
@@YardenTheshepherd I’m not sad. I like my collectibles to have rarity. There are tens of thousands of other games to play if the rarity aspect isn’t for you. Or just play at home casually.
The artwork and the fact that I didn't already have most of the cards sold it for me this time but only other one I've purchased has been the junji ito secret lair. Love the art and the cards in that lair!
I buy secret lairs often mainly because I do love alternate arts for cards but I 100% preferred the print to demand system they had it gave me time to think
i really like secret lairs, most aren't for me but the ones that are have really brightened my collection. i don't mind the quantity, because that way there is more chance that one of them is for me, or for someone else. i usually don't buy entire lairs, just individual cards that i like. thank you for helping me in my enjoyment by regularly posting a clear visual representation of every new release, you usually help me find some that i missed in spoiler reveals in other places online.
i hope that standard video threat is a promise, i would love to see standard
As someone who draws a lot and someone with a Cadric Soul kindler/godo combo deck I LOVE the Da Vinci designs. These cards will swap out the ones I currently have in that deck. And maybe I’ll put the plate in my wyll blade of frontiers deck. I love them in their design and the actual cards are ones I own already and enjoy playing. First secret lair I’ve bought. And I got the foil. I don’t mind I’m breaking even because they’re gorgeous to me.
Now I want to see a storyline of the secret lairs and the decent to madness.
Foiled Elves of Deep Shadow. That art is STUNNING.
Nice cameo by the Helix mattress
I loved the treatment that MSCHF SL achieved. The market seems to enjoy this product. And maybe I framed one printing of it yet anyone could play with this cards. We know some of these iconic cards. Shame that WotC doesn’t see or use this careful treatment more frequently (where the artist gets to design as they want to; and hopefully has knowledge of magic).
As an assassin's creed fan, the art of the secret lair already got me hooked to buy it. So I'd say its worth it.
Same here. It may not be monetarily worth it, but the artwork and characters are so nostalgic, it's completely worth it. I already have plans to make an Eivor (Najeela) and Altair (Kelsien) deck with them.
Nice
I plan to make a assassin's Historic deck with ezio (five colored commander) as the main and a pirate deck with either of the two Edwards in it.
Man, I love the art And style. But none of those cards are good enought for my decks :(
Prof's Secret Lair alert videos are incredible!
I can't wait to get the Prof to sign a copy of FOMO, now that with Duskmourn that card will be part of MTG cannon 🤯
And it even has his new secret lair alert specters in the art!
I did buy one one of each of the assassins creed sets. I’m just a huge fan of the the game and series. I’m probably the only person I know excited about the ac set. I can’t wait to build an Edward kenway commander deck!!
The DaVinci secret lairs are artistically amazing (for my personal tastes), and I would want them on a playmat or my wall, but I agree for game purposes that I have trouble reading them and quickly distinguishing between them, which is not great.
I'm confused why they are all equipment though. Da Vinci's is known for inventing mechanical devices, not swords and cloaks. Surely it should be stuff like ornithopters, unwinding clock, chromatic orrery, maybe even walking ballista?
Do they reference specific items that Da Vinci made in Assassin's Creed?
@@Yammenkow I don't know anything about assassin's creed, so no clue. However, it seemed like there was a big equipment theme with the epilogue boosters, so maybe it's to fit with that?
I have never bought a Secret Lair before this one. Julie Bell is one of my favorite artist so for me it was really a nostalgic thing because I've been following her career for the past 25 years. I can also use most of the cards in decks I'm currently building.
That was a fantastic opening! I love it!
Glad you liked it!
Bought all of the Assassins Creed secret lairs as my first ever secret rare purchase. I love the games and hope to fill a binder with all of the cards from the set, figured this would be a good start :)
That intro is a piece of art
The production value on these... INCREDIBLE.
NEW SECRET LAIR SELLOUT ALERT 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🐿️
It's not a wolf😢
I'm so checked out of contemporary magic products, but you make it easy to at least get an idea of what's going on. Thank you!
You forgot about Admiral Becket Brass first foil reprint during the Secret Lair release around the time of Caverns of Ixalan.
It's a nightmare getting these secrets lair videos finished. Thank you for doing your due diligence. It is always appreciated.
The new secret lair "sells out immediately" system has removed my desire to even look at the new drops. No thanks. I'll keep my money wizards
I love watching these. I buy a lot of secret lairs just because I love the art, Its not always for the value. But I often end up getting some of those ones that sold out early. And often feel left out when you do these videos and don't cover the ones that sold out. I would love it if you could go over the ones that sold out but understand if thats a lot of work. Congrats on the 1 million!
never before have I opened youtube to see a video uploaded "12 seconds ago"
new secret lair alert indeed
I've bought a few Secret Lairs, now. I picked up the Creepshow lair from 2023 (It's my favorite movie, ever) for the nostalgic value. My favorite movie tends to get overlooked in the realm of horror, and I want to support any form of Creepshow that I can.
I also ended up grabbing both (so far) Miku lairs for my Girlfriend. Last drop and this drop. Miku is one of her favorite things ever, so it was a no-brainer for me to grab them.
I adore Secret Lairs. They have a unique artstyle and quirky graphics that make me smile when I see them. This new FOMO method is pathetic, though. I 100% agree with everything you said about it being anti-consumer, and especially with the reprint values being so low, it's not like WotC is going to hemorrhage money if they let these be print-to-demand.
I’m a little late; just a casual viewer. I just noticed you hit 1 million subscribers. Huge congratulations Prof.
I purchased both Assassin's Creed sets in foil and no-foil. The foil for my collection binder and the non for a deck in the future. Having never purchase magic before this was just a fun entry point in advance of the release next week.
I got the Tovolar Secret Lair because he was the first commander I made.
I've only recently gotten into magic so I only know the limited supply version of secret lair drops, but I mostly buy for the neat art. Having valuable cards is fun, but it doesn't really matter if I don't plan on selling them.
Great job professor, I can tell how much you love secret lairs
I only have bought like 4 seceret lairs, mostly due to the factor on me loving either the theme of the lair that catches my interest. or if it featured a artist I follow on twitter that I enjoyed. Like i bought the godzilla secret lair, the bob ross lair since I grew up loving his show, forgot the other two i bought. But i have loved them all so far equally. I am highly impressed that I haven't gone for after every set yet and only ones that catch my eye if I love the art style or artist. Other than those two factor I haven't gone crazy spending on them which I'm proud of.
This new trend to go below or barley above reprint value has been a blessing to me, I feel less pressured to buy a reprint of a card unless I really enjoy the art. The "it's a great deal, how can a I pass this up" aspect of some previous lairs used to be a big temptation that just isn't there anymore. I do think moving away from the on demand model is a mistake though, especially since it doesn't feel like I'm getting my cards any sooner then in the past. I also knew what to expect, so the wait time wasn't as frustrating to me.
I only bought the two Assassin's Creed ones (Foil) because for the Alt-Art ones I already own the In Universe/Regular cards but I'm building an Assassin deck which will have a good chunk of the new AC cards and some of the old Assassins were already going in it (Like Ramses) so I figured "Eh why not" on having some more AC flavored versions.
The second AC set was just another way for me to get another Darksteel Plate, Whispersilk Cloak and Blade of Selves which look cool (to me) as well as the Flail and Deathrender.
I've never bought a Secret Lair based on a hypothetical resale value, I've only bought a few and it is strictly based on cards I will use and if I like the art (As well as overall price). Though I bought Sheldon's Spellbook to support a good cause.
Prof please keep going with these intros! they are awesome
My biggest issue with secret lair is the lack of LGS support. I don't live in USA or the UK so importing a single 5 card secret lair ends up costing more than a whole gift bundle of MH3.
To answer your question - never bought a secret lair. There was one I was excited about, but it sold out before I got off work that day. It was themed well, had great art, and was perfect for my wifes commander deck as it featured her commander in a really nice art style. Despite the value being low and it not being worth it money wise, it was going to be a nice gift with some unique cards, but didn't even get to be that because it was shortly after they changed from the print to order format.
I bought the foil prints of darkness as my first secret lair because I love jund, I like the white border and the art, and I just wanted something that felt special. They’re all going into a new prossh deck. Hope they’re worth it😅
I cannot express how much I loved this intro Prof. Master work by the Editors.
I wholeheartedly agree regarding frequency and transparency. I think if it was an annual drop and an actual special pack it would be more desirable/fair to consumers. Something like an actual pack of "Special Guests". Introduced (or at least play legal in most formats from older releases) from the most recent play/collector sets released. This would allow WOC to retain '"Secret" in the name and choose from those existing cards which get new alternate art, while at least giving players some ideas of what's in the pack and value (to them) to buy the product.
Before I got into mtg, I collected pocket knives. Many of them being custom handmade limited pieces that I’d fawn over. Some makers dropped there’s on line without warning and you were left in the dust if you didn’t own some sort of bot to auto buy them and the secondary market would be marked up 150% +. On the other hand, other makers offered a preorder window where everyone had plenty of time to place an order of what they wanted and it could 8 months or so before production was done and they were shipped out. I eventually became jaded with the market due to inaccessibility of the pieces I really wanted. With mtg, the positive thing is the secret lair cards are usually reprints and the real value is in the variant art. If you want the card there’s bound to be an accessible version somewhere. Of course there’s exceptions to that. The rare reprints will always be at a premium. On another note, wizards system for alerting secret lair drops in the tag world is much more forgiving than a lot of other markets, ie. knives. I’ve always had ample time to get what I wanted and spoilers help to get an idea of what’s coming. Yes it’s predatory marketing but you’re never forced to buy these. I feel this system really rewards those who pay attention.
I really enjoy the new version of Secret Lair.
It's still a shameless cash grab with art of varying quality (objective and subjective), but since they're gone almost immediately, now I don't have the temptation to even try if an artist would hit my eye.
It's a great way to save money, thank you WotC !
Elfs of Deep Shadow art is Awesome!
I have bought the existing and will buy the remaining miku lairs bc they were a formative part of my adolescence, the art is beautiful and I am supporting and celebrating her long career. Other than that the only secret lairs that I buy are singles that I both like the art of and need for a commander deck. I typically dont mess with Secret Lairs as a while and am thankful for your stance on them Prof.
I'm glad that one of the Secret Lair Alerts is still original alert short hair Professor.
Leonardo Da'Vincis a side carachter in Assassins Creed 2 and Brotherhood, hes a family friend of Ezio,he also gives you gadgets that open up diffrent aspects of the game world.
I've only ever bought one secret lair, The Princess Bride. I got it because I love that movie and now I'm setting aside cards for some decks. A friend of mine even grabbed the battle of wits off me for his party box.
As always… I love Prov’s video; that 2001 iconic intro is AWESOME!!!! Also….
I can’t wait for Monday to watch Shuffle and Play and see Prof getting very Sultai-ed during the episode 😂 I’ll temur on Monday!
I despise the FOMO and much of what is going on of late with Magic. I came back to the game only fairly recently, having quit in the early oughts, and started playing Commander because I liked the casual and creative aspects, but it didn't take long to be driven away from magic again, and after Caverns of Ixalan I've not bought anything more again, because I'm so severely disappointed with how Wizards treats it's employees and customers. I loved magic, having grown up playing the game and last time I was playing before I stepped away, I was playing block format. Now, I've slowly remembered why I quit so long ago, and I think the company's behavior really is beyond the pale right now. Part of what had brought me back in the first place was discovering your channel. It rekindled the sense of enjoyment and fun that I used to have, and despite not really playing or buying magic right now, I and my partner (who could care less about the game) still watch all your videos and enjoy everything that you release. You are such a positive and fun channel.
Congratulations on your well deserved 1M subscribers, professor.
That said, I just bought the Julie Bell secret lair. I love her art and it wasn't for the utility of the cards. I have her art cards from the 90's. I have hyborian gates cards. Her and Boris' art is iconic. I feel like it probably would be sold out by now if people realized who she is, because while I think, a lot of people don't recognize her name, almost everyone will recognize some of her work; ever seen the cover art for Wolfenstein 3D, Splatterhouse 3, Valis IV and many other retro game titles? Some of these products are really great and hard to resist, and I failed to resist this one. It's been quite a few months since I've actually been interested or wanted to buy anything from WotC. I've resisted all the new and powerful lures of MH3 and I haven't bought any singles since Ravnica Remastered. I probably won't even have a deck to put any of these cards into, but it just goes to show that they really know how to do things right in some ways, if only it didn't feel like such a bad relationship so much of the time.
The opening to this was so good lol.
I bought the not a wolf cards for the art and because I love werewolf cards (even though day/night is a nightmare in paper). I don't buy SLs frequently, but when I do the "value" isn't usually a big factor. I mainly care about the art and whether I'm interested in those particular cards.
I bought the darksteel blightsteel doubling cube transformers secret lair after watching your video on it when they came out, not sold out I might add, because I wanted an affordable blightsteel. the only secret lair I have paid for since then was Sheldon's Spellbook because he was a credit to magic the gathering and the stories told by your partner videos were extremely touching. According to my secret lair order tracking it will be shipping soon, and I am honestly excited to be able to use those cards in new decks I plan to make, or my old favorites. Secret lairs now seem like such cash grabs over nothingburger cards, and now that they are limited time, even when the cards are worth anything they're gone and price gouged to where it wouldn't matter anyway
I bought the non-foil version of Not a Wolf and I understood long before it was not a great deal. However, I have a friend whose getting into magic more and wolves werewolves. This was a great gift for him which, in some ways, I think makes it worth the loss in cost.
I bought the Da Vinci designs. It was my first ever Secret Lair buy. The price hurt especially because I researched the cards. I bought them from a collector standpoint and because I loved the art. Being an Assassin's creed fan helped.
It's best to compare this product to what Pokemon does. Pokemon also has "illustration cards", cards with beautiful full-art treatment. They are in regular boosters at a 1/13 rate, meaning they are THE MOST COMMON "special drop" you can get from a booster.
I appreciate how abstract these intros are getting- love it
With the exception of Sheldon’s Spellbook I haven’t bought a Secret Lair for like a year? Really there’s been a few that I’ve been tempted to get, but frankly with the secret $10 shipping charge I just can’t- it’s either $50 or buy 3 of them, I can’t stand that
New Secret Lair Alert stuff is actually just peak Magic the Gathering content. I’m as excited for a New Secret Lair Alert as I am for Lorwyn (as a colossal Lorwyn Faeries lover)
This video will haunt my dreams for years to come. 😭
Only have bought 2 SLs myself. The Dungeons and Dragons cartoon SL and the Pride across the Multiverse SL. DnD wasn’t worth the $$ but I loved the cartoon back in the 80s. PAM was worth the $$$. Also it had incredibly beautiful artwork with Sol Ring and Mana Confluence as standout pieces. The proceeds going to the Trevor Project was the icing on the cake. Otherwise only other SL I ever wanted was the Richard Kane Ferguson one and it was sold out by the time I could afford it.
Love ya prof. I appreciate all the hard work you do for us in the MTG community 1:28
I like it more because now I get them soon instead of 7 months from now
I will buy that Davinci's Sketchbook one because I don't have any of those cards and enjoy the style. I have an appreciation of the series and these cards are new to me. I still prefer the idea that nobody can miss out on these.
Thanks!
The secret lair alert videos are my favorite.
Got myself the miku jp foils and en non foils, and the ac davinci foils cause of how pretty the arts were
I have only watched the first 50 seconds and this is already one of my favorite new videos
I bought both AC secret lairs in foil. I have been a huge fan of the game series (especially Valhalla) and that was the value for me.
I actually really love the da Vinci secret lair. One of the few "hard-to-read" ones I even bothered to pick up myself.
Nice 2001 homage! Love that you are wearing the 3-piece while doing it.
That intro was worth the wait alone 🤩
I absolutely loved the 2001 A Space Odyssey in the beginning