Diving into the Secret Lair 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit
Unless you’ve been in hiding, you’re probably aware that Magic: The Gathering is approaching its 30th anniversary. Beginning with Limited Edition Alpha in 1993, we’ve seen Magic grow and change across various different types of sets and other product lines. While there are over 20,000 different cards in Magic, most years bring only a few that truly live on as icons of their respective eras of the game.
The Secret 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit was designed to showcase a single card from each year from 1993 to 2022. In this article, I’m going to go over each of the 30 cards in this release. I’ll be offering my opinions on why each card made the cut, highlighting other possible selections, and sharing my thoughts on the new art and presentation. There’s a lot to unpack, so it’s probably best if we just jump right in!
Author’s note: This is a long one. There were a ton of cards to talk about!
1993
Shivan Dragon
Originally printed in Limited Edition Alpha
If you’re looking for an iconic card, it doesn’t get much better than Shivan Dragon. While it’s no longer the same powerhouse that it once was, this card terrorized many a game of kitchen table Magic in its era. I would wager that it is also responsible for more trader’s remorse than any other card in the history of the game. We’ve all heard stories of people trading piles of dual lands and other cards for the elusive Shivan Dragon. This much-loved card has lived on and seen many reprints over the years.
While it’s a distant second, Serra Angel is probably the only other creature from this era that has achieved remotely the same level of recognition and longevity. Even though I have a personal preference for angels, I can’t really argue against Shivan Dragon being the correct choice for a card to represent 1993. The fantastic new artwork by Justine Jones, who previously worked on the Kaleidoscope Killers Secret Lair and rulebook treatments for Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Battle for Baldur’s Gate, is also a great way to celebrate one of Magic’s most classic creatures.
1994
Mishra’s Factory
Originally printed in Antiquities
This unassuming card is secretly a deadly control finisher that set the standard by which other creature lands would be judged later. Since you can turn Mishra’s Factory into a creature only when you need to, it sticks around through board wipes and many other hazards. You can even play another copy and use it to buff the first one during combat. Outside of its extensive play history, this card is also notable for the popularity of the different seasonal variants released in Antiquities. Each of these variants features stunning artwork by Kaja and Phil Foglio.
It isn’t a very flashy card, but I definitely think that Mishra’s Factory is one of the true classics of 1994 Magic design. We continue to see cards that are directly influenced by it, with this year’s Mishra’s Foundry being the most overt example to date. While I’m not a huge fan of this style, the pixel art of DXTR brings an interesting modern spin to this classic card and it feels appropriate alongside the artist’s other work on the artifact lands in the Mirrodinsanity Secret Lair. This makes for a wonderful inclusion that really captures the spirit of Magic in 1994.
1995
One of my oldest Magic dreams is that we someday get a legendary creature card of the character depicted on Necropotence.
Necropotence
Originally printed in Ice Age
These days, most experienced Magic players are aware of how powerful this card can be. This was not true in 1995 when Necropotence famously received a 1-star review in InQuest #7 and was widely viewed as the worst rare in Ice Age! It only took until the summer of 1996 for it to become a card that defined the entire meta. It seemed like every deck was either playing Necropotence or actively trying to find ways to beat it. This era came to be known as Black Summer and remains one of the most notorious instances of a single card completely warping Constructed play.
I don’t think that there’s a single other card from 1995 that I’d have replaced Necropotence with. It isn’t like Homelands gave us a whole bunch of iconic cards to compete for this slot. There’s Merchant Scroll and then not a whole lot else. I’m also a big fan of the way the new artwork by Rafal Wechterowicz pays homage to the original by Mark Tedin. You may remember his work from the Party Hard, Shred Harder Secret Lair. This is definitely going to be one of the chase cards from this product, and rightfully so.
1996
Lim-Dûl’s Vault
Originally printed in Alliances
This is actually the first card on this list that seems more novel and less like a candidate for one of the definitive cards of its year. While Lim-Dûl’s Vault did see some play and has more recently become a popular include in decks that care about manipulating the top of the library, it just doesn’t have the star power than some of the other chosen cards bring to the table. That said, part of the fun of exploring Magic’s history is in finding fun and interesting gems in the vault that work nicely alongside your newer cards.
Creatures have gotten so much better over the years, but I still love these classic card designs.
While I’m not 100% sure that I’d have picked Lim-Dûl’s Vault to represent this year, it has definitely aged better than Balduvian Horde! This card was initially viewed as one of the strongest cards in the set and a likely staple. While there are a lot more ways to take advantage of discarding cards these days, this card continues to be an eyesore. It is worth noting that this is the first time that Lim-Dûl’s Vault has been available in foil, and the comical art style of Wizard of Barge, which you may remember from the Prime Slime Secret Lair, is nothing if not distinctive.
1997
Tradewind Rider
Originally printed in Tempest
Okay, this one takes me back. The Tempest Block is actually my favorite era of Magic because it was when I really started trying to build smarter decks and take the game more seriously. Tradewind Rider was a major player in that era as a great tempo card that could repeatedly stymie opponents’ attempts to create a board presence and even had the ability to bound lands! This card made an appearance in Brian Selden’s deck when he won the 1998 World Championship and returned as a Judge Gift promo in 2002.
If you think about it, Lotus Petal is a lot like a Treasure token that you cast for no mana. While it’s still an insanely powerful card, that just goes to show you how much the game has changed over time.
1997 is actually home to many iconic cards. Outside of the Reserved List, it could be argued that Lotus Petal and Wasteland have lived on as true staples of every format where they’re legal and would seemingly be prime candidates for a product such as this one. That said, there are definitely more opportunities to reprint those cards and have them feel relevant. In the context of a retrospective such as this one, Tradewind Rider feels very appropriate. It’s would also be a very cool card for your cube. The striking contemporary artwork by BrooklynSnobs also seems to be his first foray into Magic, setting this card apart from most others in this product.
1998
Smokestack
Originally printed in Urza’s Saga
This is surely one of the most infamous cards to make the cut. While a lot of the most memorable cards from 1998 are locked behind the Reserved List, Smokestack is a card that has gone on to have a huge impact on high-level Magic play as a cornerstone of some punishing and oppressive decks in both Legacy and Vintage. The key to playing this card effectively has always been leveraging the soot counters to ensure that your opponents are on the back foot. With Mishra’s Workshop generating unfair amounts of mana and creatures like Lodestone Golem pricing your opponents out of the game entirely, it’s easy to maintain a dominant position without accruing a massive board presence.
While there’s no doubt in my mind that Smokestack is iconic enough to secure this position, there are so many other classics from 1998 that could also have made the cut. Show and Tell and Sneak Attack are some of my favorite cards from this era, but they’ve been afforded more opportunities to see reprints than Smokestack. I really think that this particular card was the perfect fit for this year. The surreal poster style artwork by Jaime A. Zuverza truly makes this card stand out. This is one of the highlights of this entire product for me, and not only because I’m a dedicated stax player!
1999
Squee, Goblin Nabob
Originally printed in Mercadian Masques
In addition to representing one of the most beloved characters of the early Magic story, this card is best known for being a big part of decks that rely on sacrificing a creature or discarding a card every turn, even continuing to see play in Vintage and Commander to this day. This could be frustrating for opponents to deal with, making it quite a flavorful representation of the Weatherlight crew’s constant frustration with Squee in the story. It seems that the goblins of Mercadia were some of the few in the multiverse that truly appreciated what he brought to the table.
You haven’t truly lived until you’ve tapped down someone’s important land during their upkeep and essentially Time Walked them with a land.
While I adore Squee, Goblin Nabob and think that he was an excellent choice to represent 1999, I can’t help but think about Rishadan Port. This card has terrorized countless Magic tables over the years and would have been my first choice as I’ve always had a soft spot for lands and resource denial. I still think that Squee was a fantastic selection because he’s one of the most enduringly popular characters from the early Magic story, even if only the goblins of Mercadia ever truly appreciated what he brought to the table. The vibrant new artwork by Nana Qi, also known as PuffyGator, captures the whimsical spirit of Squee perfectly and I just love it.
2000
While the restrictions on this card make it seem tame by more recent design standards, you’ll notice that they’ve shied away from allowing any later card to both repeatedly tutor creatures directly out of your library and put them back in after they’ve died.
Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
Originally printed in Nemesis
Magic managed to enter the 2000s gracefully with the release of Nemesis. This set was considered to be refreshing after the generally underwhelming reception of Mercadian Masques. I don’t know if anyone would have been able to predict that this would be the start of a literal rebellion at Magic tables everywhere. That’s right—Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero and her band of rebels wound up being some of the strongest cards of the era. It turns out that being able to tutor creatures directly to the field and recycling them if they die is extremely strong, even when you’re restricted to a single creature type.
I’m fully on board with this choice because Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero ran tables with rebels at all levels of play and really defined the meta in 2000. Elvish Champion is the only other card that I figured might take the crown, but it’s not really close by my estimation. Lin Sivvi has more than earned her spot here. I’m also a big fan of the modern reimagining of the character as done by AlbaBG, perhaps best known for creating White Numen Tarot and also providing art for the Every Dog Has Its Day Secret Lair.
2001
Wild Mongrel
Originally printed in Odyssey
Every now and then, an unassuming card breaks out and really makes an impact on Magic. Such was the case with this common from Odyssey. The real strength of Wild Mongrel came from its ability to function as a free discard outlet in a graveyard-centric set, especially once madness showed up in Torment. Discarding cards would also allow you to pump up your faithful hound and even dodge removal or other effects that sometimes cared about what color it was. All of these things together turned Wild Mongrel into a fearsome Grizzly Bear with major upsides, making it a threat in both Limited and Constructed formats.
This is one of my favorite cards. I also happen to really like talking. Coincidence?
The only other card that I might have picked for this year is Meddling Mage, which was Chris Pikula’s Invitational card. I still lean towards Wild Mongrel here as a fantastic example of a breakout common that definitely outperformed expectations. The goofy art by Crododile Jackson, who you may remember from his Monstrous Menagerie Secret Lair, really lends itself to the impracticality of a common nearly defining an entire year of Magic. Besides, who doesn’t love a good doggie?
2002
Genesis
Originally printed in Judgment
Judgment brought a continuation of the graveyard-centric themes that started in Odyssey, including incarnations that would do different things if they were in your graveyard at the beginning of your upkeep. Green and white were some of the most dominant of the colors of the day, so Genesis and its ability to recur itself or other creatures turn after turn made it a powerful option, and it’s gone on to be a favorite among Commander players as well.
Look. I like Invitational cards, okay? They’re just cool.
Genesis is a worthy choice for 2002, even though my personal choice for this year would have been Sylvan Safekeeper. This was Olle Råde’s Invitational card. That said, either of these cards would have been an excellent selection for this year. It’s also nice to see Genesis reunited with Wild Mongrel, as they made quite a formidable team in their day. Michael Hutter’s first outing as a Magic artist also sees him directly referencing the Mark Zug original, which feels appropriate for such an iconic piece of Magic artwork.
2003
This new Chrome Mox is going to look great next to my Stronghold Mox Diamond. Long-term bling goals achieved!
Chrome Mox
Originally printed in Mirrodin
2002 was a wild time for Magic. Not only did we get an entirely new card frame, but Mirrodin came out and kind of cracked the game in half with a bunch of crazy artifact cards. Chrome Mox was a big part of Affinity in Standard, but its popularity waned when some key pieces of that deck were banned. It went on to become one of the founding bans of Modern, where it would likely have been a problem straight away. You may notice that later attempts to created fixed Moxen have notably been legendary artifacts in order to reduce their efficiency.
Chrome Mox has more than earned its spot here and it would have been my top choice for this year. The only other option would have been Akroma, Angel of Wrath, since she was widely viewed as the ultimate creature when she first showed up in Legions. She’s had plenty of opportunities to see reprints, including in the Artist Series: Livia Prima Secret Lair. As a final note on Chrome Mox, bringing in original Moxen artist Dan Frazier and reviving the old frame style for a new take on a defining card from the set that ushered in the modern card frames is absolute perfection!
2004
Glimpse of Nature
Originally printed in Champions of Kamigawa
Contrasting its serene art and flavor text, this card actually tends to make for some rather explosive gameplay in the right deck. Glimpse of Nature is far and away the most efficient card draw engine ever tied to the casting of creature spells. For decks such as mono-green elves that can easily create tons of mana early on, this card is an absolute powerhouse that allows you to churn through your deck and fill up the board with relative ease. It’s no surprise that this card was one of the founding bans of the Modern format.
I’m over the moon with this particular card choice because it’s my favorite card from Champions of Kamigawa. If not for the recent reprint in Double Masters 2022, I’d have guessed that Sensei’s Divining Top might have been the selection. I also noticed that Commander fan favorite Azusa, Lost but Seeking was conspicuously absent from the Kamigawa Ink Secret Lair, which notably also featured beautiful artwork by JungShan in the same style as her Glimpse of Nature. I guess she’s still lost out there somewhere.
2005
Lightning Helix
Originally printed in Ravnica: City of Guilds
While it contained some individually powerful cards, the Kamigawa Block was considered to be one of the worst in Magic history. Fortunately, it was followed by Ravnica Block, which has gone on to be one of the most well-received by players. This was largely on the back of powerful spells focused on different two-color combinations, with Lightning Helix being one of the most emblematic examples of excellent card design and vision that the design team brought to the table. It turns out that stapling lifegain onto a Lightning Bolt makes for a powerful card design.
Have you ever played against this card during a draft? It’s the stuff of nightmares. I’ve never passed it even once in my entire time playing the game.
Personally, I think that Lightning Helix is the correct choice for 2005. If I had to pick something else, I’d go for the card that may be the most feared card of all time in Limited: Umezawa’s Jitte. This card continues to be a popular inclusion in cubes and was one of the founding bans for Modern. That said, I favor Lightning Helix for its immediate impact on the meta of its day and the succinct and flavorful card design. The new art by Martin Ontiveros is also very distinctive and I look forward to seeing it across the table.
2006
I tap 8 mana and cast—no, not Cyclonic Rift! That costs 7. This sick dragon is much cooler.
Bogardan Hellkite
Originally printed in Time Spiral
Knowing full well that Time Spiral came out in 2006, it would be difficult to predict exactly what we might see from this year since that set really turned Magic on its head in a lot of ways. Bogardan Hellkite is a highly serviceable dragon that saw some play in a popular Standard deck based around Dragonstorm. It turns out that it’s pretty easy to finish off an opponent by putting a few copies of this dragon into play from your library. Variants of this deck were even played by Patrick Chapin and Gabriel Nassif at Worlds in 2007, where they placed 2nd and 3rd overall respectively.
I’m a huge fan of the Ice Age block, including Coldsnap, so I’d have loved to see Dark Depths in this slot. Naturally, it might have raised an issue if the Marit Lage token wasn’t included. I still can’t complain about Bogardan Hellkite. I love creatures with flash, and it’s certainly a cool dragon with an interesting legacy as part of one of the more unique decks in the history of Standard. The new artwork by GodMachine is also quite good, as you might expect based on the work that he put out during Kaldheim. I’d love to see a Secret Lair that featured only his artwork, as he hasn’t done much art for Magic yet.
2007
Ponder
Originally printed in Lorwyn
I don’t have a lot to say about Ponder. We all know that it’s a good card that has always been playable in any format where it’s legal. All that aside, were you aware that it had to be restricted in Vintage because it made finding other restricted cards in your deck far too easy? This is the same reason why Ponder remains a perennial favorite for Commander players. It’s much easier to find a desirable card in a singleton format when you can potentially see 4 cards for a single blue mana.
Most experienced Magic players know that planeswalkers made their debut as a card type in Lorwyn. An earlier version of them was worked on during the Time Spiral block, which is why the Tarmogoyf from Future Sight references their existence.
There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Ponder is worthy of being in this slot. 2007 still has some stacked choices, including infamous cards like Tarmogoyf and Thoughtseize. All of these cards have achieved near legendary status over the years. That said, I’m not the biggest fan of the artwork done by Lauren YS here, even though I quite enjoy her earlier work on the Seeing Visions and Pride Across the Multiverse Secret Lairs. While I don’t doubt that it’s intentionally a bit strange, I find this art to be unsettling and it’s just not for me. I suppose that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2008
Heritage Druid
Originally printed in Morningtide
Whoever picked the cards for this Secret Lair must really like elfball, but I can’t really complain. This card became an immediate staple for mono-green elves, seeing play in a variety of formats. The real power of this card lies in the ability to create mana using elves that have summoning sickness. Meeting the requisite number of elves to meet the requirements is trivial with all of the cheap mana dorks and tokens that decks can create, so Heritage Druid quickly becomes one of the most explosive cards in the deck.
Ethersworn Canonist’s art depicts her judging you as you attempt to cast your second nonartifact spell for the turn. Chef’s kiss. 🤌
2008 has a surprising number of heavy hitters, so it was hard to even guess what might have been in this slot. Personally, I’d probably have put Death and Taxes and Affinity roleplayer Ethersworn Canonist in this spot because Shards of Alara is one of my all-time favorites and this card really captures the unique feel of that set. Heritage Druid is still an excellent choice for this year, and the great new art by Rovina Cai does a great job of illustrating exactly how she’s quietly become one of Magic’s best new artists over the past few years.
2009
Bloodbraid Elf
Originally printed in Alara Reborn
The poster child for one of the most broken mechanics of all time, this creature has seen heavy play in nearly every format where it has been legal. Owing to the strength of cascade, Bloodbraid Elf has been played in a variety of different archetypes because casting a creature with haste that allows you to cast something else for free is just very solid at 4 mana. This is likely another example of the designers overshooting the moon in terms of card strength, but this card has gone on to become one of the most widely known creatures of the Modern era.
Bloodbraid Elf is definitely one of the cards that I think about first when envisioning 2009’s place in Magic history. The other card that comes to mind is Path to Exile. While either of these cards would have been an excellent selection, Bloodbraid Elf feels more unique in the context of a retrospective. Path to Exile remains one of the best removal spells ever printed, but it’s more remembered for its incredible efficiency than it is for being an inimitable card design. This was also a good opportunity to showcase the art of Ejiwa “Edge” Ebenebe once again, after her excellent work on the Mother’s Day 2021 and Black Is Magic Secret Lairs. This vivid artwork really pops in the borderless treatment. I also have to praise how nice the rules text looks on this card, devoid of all reminder text for cascade.
2010
The new Sun Titan definitely looks like he’s been through it. Read on to find out more.
Sun Titan
Originally printed in Magic 2011
I’ve been waiting for a new artwork for Sun Titan since the Showcase: Kaldheim Secret Lairs brought special new versions of all of the other cards in this cycle. While Primeval Titan sees more play in formats where it’s legal, there’s no question that Sun Titan has also become a star in his own right. I’m sure that Commander players everywhere are especially excited by the prospect of picking up this fancy new version of one of white’s most popular staples in that format.
Sun Titan has been cast, killed, and reanimated countless times over the years. In fact, he even appears in the art for Animate Dead and Terminate. He’s definitely seen some things, so I’m glad to finally see some emotional new artwork for the big guy. While Sun Titan hasn’t had the largest impact, I think that this is a good example of a fan favorite really earning a spot in a special premium product. The fantastic partnership of Justin and Alexis Hernandez has been bringing us cool Magic art for the past few years, so I’m excited to see their take on this classic creature.
2011
Birthing Pod
Originally printed in New Phyrexia
New Phyrexia brought a powerful new mechanic into the game in the form of Phyrexian mana. There were a number of powerful cards in this set that used Phyrexian mana, but Birthing Pod might be the most feared of them all. As we’ve seen in the past, being able to use your life total as a resource is extremely strong. When you put that on an artifact that tutors things straight to the battlefield, it might even be too good in some cases. The fact that it was eventually banned in Modern didn’t come as much of a surprise.
I definitely think that it had to be a Phyrexian mana card for 2011. Birthing Pod does seem like the logical choice because it’s still quite popular even after being banned in Modern. While Mental Misstep is also a notorious card that made quite an impact on the game, it remains a little bit more nice, especially after being banned from most Constructed formats. While I’d like to see this card reprinted as well, it feels like they made the right choice here. Wooden Cyclops, previously seen in the Heads I Win, Tails You Lose Secret Lair, pulled off an interesting take on this card. That sure is a weird little creature in there.
2012
Deathrite Shaman
Originally printed in Return to Ravnica
With all of the dredge, self-mill, and fetchlands running around, this card might as well be a mana dork with incidental graveyard hate, life drain, and life gain stapled on. It’s easy to see why this card has earned a reputation as one of the best 1-drops ever printed. In fact, Deathrite Shaman even wound up being banned in Modern and eventually Legacy because it was deemed to be simply too efficient for those formats. It remains a popular card in Vintage and Commander for the same reasons, while the absence of fetchlands has hindered its effectiveness in the Pioneer format.
Is it obvious yet that I really like Death and Taxes? Not that this was ever a secret.
Ultimately, Deathrite Shaman probably is the best card to represent 2012. In my mind, the only real competitor is Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. That said, she’s had plenty of opportunities to see good reprints and she’s currently leading the pack among unique art variants for any legendary creature card with a total of 9 different pieces of art to choose from. Mark Riddick also did a fantastic job with the new artwork for Deathrite Shaman, showcasing his signature style that we’ve seen prior in Innistrad: Crimson Vow and The Unfathomable Crushing Brutality of Basic Lands Secret Lair. This grim new look makes this one of the coolest cards in this entire Secret Lair.
2013
I can see why Heliod was so jealous of Elspeth. She was stronger than him and I also doubt that he could pull off those heels.
Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
Originally printed in Theros
A planeswalker at 6 mana usually need to be able to survive long enough to have an impact on the game. It’s even better if they stand a realistic chance of giving you a strong emblem or activating a powerful loyalty ability before they die. Elspeth, Sun’s Champion is able to protect herself by creating Soldier tokens or she can immediately wipe larger creatures off the board. If you manage to reach the emblem ability, there’s a good chance that your tokens and other creatures can finish off your opponent. While she’s outpaced by some of the more recent planeswalkers, this iteration of Elspeth is still quite playable and was one of the highlights of Theros for many players.
This is honestly a pretty good choice to represent 2013 and to represent this card type within this Secret Lair. The other cards that I thought of right away for this year are Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and Archangel of Thune. Both of these cards have been consistently popular and playable since their release, and they’ve only become more popular with the growth of Pioneer. Overall, I do think that Elspeth, Sun’s Champion is a choice that is very emblematic of the design philosophy of this era. She’s also never looked better. Fan favorite artist Rebecca Guay really did an amazing job. The card also has a distinctive appearance due to the use of the classic card frame.
2014
Siege Rhino
Originally printed in Khans of Tarkir
This is surely one of the most dreaded Standard mainstays of all time. True to its name, Siege Rhino will wear you down with its excellent enters-the-battlefield trigger and stat line. Abzan midrange was all the rage, and this creature was leading the charge. Many people called for its ban in Standard, but the siege was never broken. While it hasn’t seen much play since rotation, there has been some fringe play in Pioneer in an attempt to recapture the magic of the classic Siege Rhino decks of yore.
This looks like a heck of a party. It’s a shame that Xenagos didn’t live to throw another one.
Even though it has seen better days, I’m ultimately on board with the decision to pick this card. I might have gone with Eidolon of the Great Revel, which has truly gone on to become an iconic staple in Modern Burn decks. I’m still of the mind that Siege Rhino probably played a bigger part in the Magic landscape of 2013 than almost any other card. CatDirty’s psychedelic art really gives it an interesting new look for this Secret Lair, while still referencing the classic original by Volkan Baga.
2015
Dragonlord Ojutai
Originally printed in Dragons of Tarkir
Given the name of the set, it should come as no surprise that one of the best creatures on offer is a dragon. Unlike the more aggressive traditional dragons in red, Dragonlord Ojutai offered a really good control and midrange creature that was evasive and difficult to remove, while also offering excellent card selection on an attack trigger. It’s rare to have such a complete package all on the same card, especially in colors that do really well at stalling out games until you can finish your opponent off with a large aerial threat.
This is a strong contender for my favorite green card of all time, so I’m honestly quite happy to see white doing similar things nowadays as that’s my favorite color to play.
I think that it would ultimately have to be a dragon to represent 2015, but there’s also a case to be made for Collected Company as a card from this year that’s truly left a mark on Magic. Dragonlord Ojutai’s credentials make him a fine choice, and I’m honestly thrilled to see more artwork by Yuko Shimizu after her excellent Special Guest Secret Lair and a stunning Thraben Inspector promo card. Here’s hoping that we continue to see more of her work in Magic for years to come!
2016
Thalia, Heretic Cathar
Originally printed in Eldritch Moon
While typically viewed as the weaker iteration of this fan favorite character, there’s no question that this card can be a solid roleplayer. While not as ubiquitous as some other cards of the era, she saw some play in Standard in Bant creature decks looking to hit creatures off of Collected Company. She continues to be a popular inclusion in Commander due to her ability to slow down opponents and help you find better combat openings in go-wide creature decks without feeling like an all-in stax card.
This is probably going to seem really ironic, but I believe that Thalia’s Lieutenant was probably the ideal choice for this year. This card was a Standard mainstay and also a reliable inclusion in some Modern decks. This is one choice that I just don’t understand, outside of Thalia, Heretic Cathar likely having more appeal from a presentation perspective. Speaking of presentation, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell created some very striking artwork for this card after also doing some work for The Tokyo Lands Secret Lair. My only real compunction with this card is that the art seems to be a bit dark in person and it’s actually difficult to identify the character as Thalia. It’s still quite pleasant to look at.
2017
Try not to be distracted by how cute he is. Even in chibi form, he can still ult right away with Doubling Season!
Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
Originally printed in Hour of Devastation
I don’t think that it’s possible to celebrate Magic’s history without this guy. As one of Magic’s longest-running antagonists, he’s had a hand in so many different sets. Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh shows us this classic villain at his best, so it’s easy to see why this card has become a favorite of Commander players and rightly earned a reputation as one of the most explosive planeswalker cards in the format. After all, Commander has so much planeswalker support than an entire archetype known as Superfriends is one of the most popular ways to play.
I promise that I’m not just looking for another excuse to talk about Walking Ballista, but both it and The Scarab God were excellent midrange pieces in the Standard of the era and really defined 2017 in Magic for me. The former even went on to see play in other formats as a combo finisher. That said, you can’t discount the important of seeing one of Magic’s main villains in a set such as this one, so I think that Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh is an excellent choice. I’m not really a fan of chibi artwork, but Uta Natsume did a nice job on this artwork after also designing chibi planeswalkers for a pair of Secret Lairs.
Author’s note: I couldn’t find a website for the artist for this one. Feel free to get in touch with me if you know where I can find something official.
2018
Arclight Phoenix
Originally printed in Guilds of Ravnica
Every so often, there’s a card that becomes the namesake of an entire archetype across multiple formats. Such is the case with Izzet Phoenix, which continues to live on as an excellent Pioneer deck after making a splash in other formats as well. The power of Arclight Phoenix is in the fact that it continues to come back again and again to pressure opponents. In fact, you can easily never spend mana on it at all with all of the ways to discard cards in Izzet colors, making it one of the most efficient recursive threats in recent memory.
Hey, only 30% of them would be foil this time around.
Surely you didn’t expect me to pass this year by without mentioning Nexus of Fate. I’d have honestly been fine with either of these cards, but I do hope that a reprint for this one is on the way in an accessible product. I do think that the growth of Pioneer gives Arclight Phoenix a bit of an edge, and the amazing artwork by Dani Pendergast should come as no surprise if you’ve seen her other work in the A Box of Rocks and Black is Magic Secret Lairs. That’s enough to make this card one of the big highlights of this drop for me.
2019
Emry, Lurker of the Loch
Originally printed in Throne of Eldraine
There’s a Monty Python and the Holy Grail joke to be made here, but that seems a bit like low-hanging fruit. This card is quite a powerful engine, even seeing a bit of play in Modern combo and midrange lists based around artifacts. It’s almost a shame that she hasn’t wound up having much to do with swords. It honestly feels like Emry, Lurker of the Loch is just one of the many cards from Throne of Eldraine that left a mark on Magic. After all, this turned out to be one of the sets with the most Standard bans in years.
Let’s be honest. These are just a couple of the cards that I could have picked from 2019. Talk about a wild year for Magic design.
Oko, Thief of Crowns is just one of the many examples of cards from this set that had a meteoric impact. It’s also worth noting that Theros Beyond Death brought us Underworld Breach, which is one of the craziest card designs in years. I really can’t help but feel that Emry, Lurker of the Loch is a strange choice given all of the crazy cards that came out in 2019. Even though I’m not sold on this particular card choice, I still really like the creepy Brandi Milne artwork. She previously worked on the excellent Valentine’s Day 2021 Secret Lair, so it was great to see her return for this card.
2020
Shark Typhoon
Originally printed in Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
In a set with all sorts of incredible and ferocious monsters, flying sharks actually don’t seem that bad. They still make for an excellent control finisher, which has earned Shark Typhoon some play in Standard and Pioneer. Despite the obvious references to a much-maligned movie series, Shark Typhoon is a very cool card design that was one of the most memorable things about Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths for me. Let’s not even talk about companions. It’s probably just easier that way.
I can only assume that the next Omnath will be a little bit more restrained than this one, but I’m sure that it will still be very cool.
Honestly, I’d have pegged Omnath, Locus of Creation as the ideal choice for 2020, even though it wound up getting banned in Standard. This card just became so popular and iconic in such a short time frame. While Shark Typhoon is one of my favorite cards from this year, I don’t really think that it has the same type of star power as some of the other possible choices. The hilarious VHS artwork by Edgar Sánchez Hidalgo is still one of the highlights of this drop for me, although I was surprised to find that he hadn’t worked on the Monster Movie Marathon Secret Lair. This card would have fit right in!
2021
While this card is technically not an Invitational card, I unapologetically love it for all of the same reasons.
Elite Spellbinder
Originally printed in Strixhaven: School of Mages
If you’re anything like me, you didn’t go into 2021 expecting to see white engaging in hand attack. Typically, that is something that falls squarely in black’s domain. Even still, there’s no denying that Elite Spellbinder feels completely at home in white’s stable of tax effects. This unique approach to slowing opponents down was one of the highlights of Strixhaven: School of Mages, further bolstered by solid Ryan Pancoast artwork featuring the likeness of World Champion Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa.
We’ve seen white continue to do similar things in subsequent sets, but the execution always varies slightly. Curse of Silence is certainly an interesting way to go about it, but it lacks that hand attack element. Soul Partition actually measures up favorably with a variety of blue bounce spells, so it feels like a successful iteration on this type of design. Elite Spellbinder really feels like one of those cards that showcases a big turning point for white’s color pie. While I greatly enjoy the work of Alexis Ziritt here, I’m never a big fan of cards that are designed after real people receiving new artwork.
2022
Nashi, Moon Sage’s Scion
Originally printed in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
If I had to pick one set from this past year that really turned heads, it would definitely be Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. Hats off to the design team, because they really managed to bring us back to Kamigawa in a way that is both recognizable and totally fresh. It’s easy to see why Nashi, Moon Sage’s Scion was the pick here. He was an early favorite that was viewed as one of the likely stars of this set. There wouldn’t have been nearly as much time to analyze the long-term impact of cards from this set as there would have been from earlier years.
The rats from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty are just so cool. And powerful.
There’s little doubt in my mind that Greasefang, Okiba Boss would have wound up being the card that made it into this Secret Lair if it had come out later. This card has made huge waves in both Standard and Pioneer. That said, I still think that Nashi, Moon Sage’s Scion is a very cool choice. He’s one of the most unique cards to come out this year and it’s just a lot of fun to use ninjutsu to drop him on unsuspecting opponents. The new art by Death Burger is also very distinctive and really fits with the modern cyberpunk aesthetic of his home plane. I do really like purple.
2023?
Lotus Field
Originally printed in Core Set 2020
Okay, I just wanted to take a moment to talk about the bonus card. Lotus Field is a pretty strong land that’s part of a popular Pioneer deck. I’m not unhappy about receiving a borderless foil version with amazing artwork by ZIUK, who you might remember from the Read the Fine Print Secret Lair. I’m just not really sure why this card is listed as 2023. Then again, I’m honestly thankful that they didn’t just decide to release a card from 2023 early as part of a Secret Lair drop.
Conclusion
If you’ve stuck with me this far, you probably won’t be surprised to read that I have an overall positive opinion of the contents of this product. This is only the second time that I’ve purchased a Secret Lair, but this product felt like the card choices were often influenced by previous Secret Lairs or other premium products. I feel like it wouldn’t be something that I’d recommend to most people unless they were after the more valuable cards such as Necropotence or Chrome Mox. I happen to like a number of cards from this product and I think that they mostly did a good job choosing cards for each year, but I can see why some people are less enthusiastic about the card selection.
I also would really have liked for it to be more accessible and easier for people to buy. The Secret Lair website didn’t seem to be equipped to handle the demand and the launch was marred by technical issues, which resulted in many people being unable to complete their orders. I’d love to see unique products like this one made available in a way that is much easier for people to actually participate in and stand a chance at actually buying the product. I also happened to be the beneficiary of a packaging error, which resulted in me receiving duplicates of the cards for every year from 2013 to 2022. I’ve read online that other people are having the opposite problem, so I hope that all of their situations can be resolved by the Wizards support team.
This concludes my deep dive into the Secret Lair 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit. If you’ve enjoyed this article, please let us know on Twitter! We’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to check out more PlayEDH content, you can find more articles here or tune into the PlayEDH Radio 903.1 podcast here.
If you’re looking to play curated webcam EDH online or just want to chat with thousands of Commander players from all over the world, come join us on our Discord server. We hope to see you there! Articles like these are made possible and kept ad-free by our amazing Patreon supporters.
“This article is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.”
