Brain Dead MTG Secret Lair taps Commander staples, iconic creatures, and lands

Wizards of the Coast has teamed up with Brain Dead for the Inside an Elevator Secret Lair Superdrop, showcasing subculture punkish art on iconic Magic: The Gathering cards. 

Artwork by Brain Dead, a group of artists from around the world based in Los Angeles, showcases an underground subculture style that’s unique and capturing. It’s a style that translates well onto MTG cards and will be featured through three Secret Lair drops launching on July 29 at 11am CT. Running from July 29 to Aug. 18, while supplies last, there will be a monster drop full of iconic Magic creatures, a land drop, and a drop full of staples for the Commander format. All Brain Dead Secret Lair drops are priced at $29.99 for non-foil and $39.99 for foil versions. 

The MTG Secret Lair monster drop showcases Brain Dead artists Gage Lindsten, Ema Gaspar, Gomzé, JRZ251, and Kogan. The cards chosen for the drop are Consecrated Sphinx, Chaotic Goo, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Meteor Golem, and Wurmcoil Engine. Personally, this is my favorite Brain Dead drop of the three, although the lands are in a close second. The gray frames on Wurmcoil Engine and Metor Golem allow the artwork to pop off the card. And each of the five cards showcases the power and toughness of the creatures within a Brain Dead head. 

For players like myself who love collecting basic lands with breathtaking art, the Brain Dead land drop contains 10 basic lands. Five feature full-art apocalyptic landscapes, and five are on brand with the artwork contained within a Brain Dead head. The artists for the MTG Secret Lair Brain Dead land drop are Gage Lindsten and Hank Reavis. 

The final Brain Dead MTG Secret Lair drop features five Commander staples: Sol Ring, Lightning Greaves, Skullclamp, Though Vessel, and Command Tower. Unlike the monster drop, artists Bardo Berad and Jackson Epstein worked on the Magic card staples playable within the Commander format. 

All Brain Dead MTG Secret Lair drops within the Inside an Elevator Superdrop will become available starting on July 29 at 11am CT. WotC only prints limited quantities of Secret Lair drops. If they don’t sell out, the end date for the Superdrop is Aug. 18. Fans of the artist and artwork can also find a special merchandise Secret Lair collab on the Brain Dead website.