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Browse > Home / Strategy / Articles / Weekly Update (Nov 29): How to Play Commander on Magic Online

Weekly Update (Nov 29): How to Play Commander on Magic Online



How to Play Commander on Magic Online


Tomer shows you how to play Commander on Magic Online!Read more


Budget Magic: 4-Mythic / 10-Rare Pummeler (Historic)


Can we get some one-shot kills with Electrostatic Pummeler in Historic now that the three-drop is back on the client thanks to Kaladesh Remastered?Read more


Finance Update w/ Saffron Olive


Assassin's Trophy Squirrel Wrangler Damnation

This week was fairly slow in the world of finance, but we did get some big news on the product front: a bunch of new Secret Lair drops which go on sale starting tomorrow. There are five individual drops ranging from Artist Series: Seb McKinnon to a set of ten basic lands with art from Bob Ross called Happy Little Gatherings. All of the drops are prices between $30 and $40, with some coming in with both foil and non-foil options. There are also various bundles which offer a discount over buying drops individually. Since there isn't much else happening this week outside of a couple of Commander-focused buyouts (with Sedris, the Traitor King shooting up from $5 to nearly $30 since it's a perfect fit for Obeka, Brute Chronologist decks and Demonic Pact jumping 64% to just under $5 as a key part of Ghen, Arcanum Weaver builds) let's briefly go over the upcoming Secret Lair drops.

  • Happy Little Gatherings (10 basic lands with art by Bob Ross). At first, basic land-based Secret Lair drops were met with skepticism. Is it worth paying $30 for 10 basic lands (or $40 for foil versions)? Based on past drops like the Throne of Eldraine-focused snow-covered basics or the Godzilla lands, the answer is yes. In fact, drops built around basic lands have actually ended up among the most valuable in the entire Secret Lair series, at least in part because basic land drops have been less popular than other drops while on sale, which limits supply and increases prices in the long run. Whether or not this trend remains true for Happy Little Gatherings is up for debate, in part because Bob Ross is extremely popular and in part because people are waking up to the fact that basic land drops offer good value. It wouldn't be surprising for Happy Little Gathering to be a big seller, which might limit the long-term value of the lands in the drop. 
  • A Box of Rocks (Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Commander's Sphere, Darksteel Ingot and Gilded Lotus): On one hand, Commander players love their bling, and several of the cards in A Box of Rocks are legitimate Commander staples (according to EDHRec Arcane Signet is the 4th most-played colorless card in the format, Commander's Sphere is 5th, Chromatic Lantern is 9th, Gilded Lotus is 13th, and Darksteel Ingot is 20th). On the other hand, if you add up the value of a regular printing of the five cards in the drop, it comes up to less than $15, about half of the $30 price tag. However, Commander-staples reprinted in Secret Lair drops tend to have a pretty high value compared to their original printings (see the cards from the International Women's Day drop or the Cat drop), so it wouldn't be surprising to see the A Box of Rocks versions command a premium in the future. 
  • We Hope You Like Squirrels (Chatter of the Squirrel, Krosan Beast, Squirrel Mob, Squirrel Wrangler, Swarmyard, and a Squirrel token): We Hope You Like Squirrels comes only in foil and will set you back $40. While it does have some low-value cards to fill out the theme like Chatter of the Squirrel, the Time Spiral version of Swarmyard is currently $20, while Squirrel Mob is $10, which along with a few dollars for the other cards makes $40 a fair price if you want a bunch of alt-art Squirrels. In some ways, We Hope You Like Squirrels reminds me of the Cat drop from last spring, which looked like medium value at the time, but ended up being one of the higher value Secret Lair printed so far in part because of Commander, and in part because people love Cats. While Squirrels aren't as popular as Cats, they do have a cult following and could easily get more support in future sets now that they are a thing again in black-border.
  • Party Hard, Shred Hard (Anguished Unmaking, Assassin's Trophy, Decimate, Dreadbore, Thraximundar). Party Hard, Shred Hard is another Secret Lair drop where the value of the cards you get is almost exactly the price of the drop (one copy of each card in the drop would cost you $28 while the drop is $30). While you aren't getting a huge discount, if you buy the drop you'll be getting some of the most unique art ever featured on a Magic card. 
  • Artist Series: Seb McKinnon (Damnation, Enchanted Evening, Sower of Temptation, Swamp (252)). Value-wise Artist Series: Seb McKinnon is - by far - the best of the new Secret Lair drop series. Damnation by itself is a $40 card while the non-foil version of the drop only costs $30. Toss in a few dollars for the rest of the cards (and a Swamp (252) that could end up pretty expensive in the future) and it's hard to view the drop as anything but a slam dunk. Oh yeah, and this doesn't even take into account that Seb McKinnon might be the single most popular Magic artist at the moment, which could help the collectability and value of the cards in the drop over the long term (although it's also possible that so many are sold it will be hard for the cards in the drop to maintain too high of a price). 

Single Scoop: Chandras Everywhere (Historic, Magic Arena)

This Week in Legacy: Court is Now in Session

With Chandra, Torch of Defiance here, it's finally time to go Plus Ultra with Chandra! Read more

Joe Dyer dives into how Commander Legends is already affecting Legacy! Read more

Tomer's Top 10 Favorite Cards From Commander Legends

Vintage 101: Unleashing the Inner Power

How long can Tomer ramble without talking to Seth? Let's find out! Read more

Joe Dyer looks in on Vintage Unleashed as well as the impact of Commander Legends on MTGO. Read more


Against the Odds: Jeskai Gearhulks (Historic)


What are the odds of winning with Combustible Gearhulk (along with some of its Gearhulkian friends) in Historic? Let's find out!Read more

Historic 101: Superfriends On A Boat

Much Abrew: Hollow Storm (Modern)

The fun never ends when you're playing Superfriends so let's see what cards Kaladesh bring to one of TheAsianAvenger's favorite archetypes Read more

What happens when Hollow One meets Storm? Let's find out! Read more


Commander Clash S9 E20: OG Commander Legends | Akroma vs. Baron Sengir vs. Kamahl vs. Sakashima


How do these decades-old commanders compare to 2020 designs? Let's find out!Read more

The Fish Tank: Sweet and Spicy User Decks (November 21-27, 2020)

Podcast 304: I'd Rather Sort Bulk Than Draft Commander Legends

What sweet decks did viewers submit this week? Let's find out! Read more

The crew discusses their Commander Legends draft experience, Kaladesh Remastered in Historic and the future of paper Magic before answeri... Read more


Meme or Dream? "Oops, I'm Playing My Jeskai Brawl Deck in Standard"


Two Griffin Aeries with a single one-of that gains life. Two Ruin Crabs with no mill synergies. A million seemingly random one-ofs. Sounds like it's Meme or Dream (formerly Jank or Dank) time!Read more



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