Maybe Garfield doesn’t hate Mondays after all? As we get closer and closer to the June 15th “Cats Are the Best” superdrop, Wizards of the Coast have announced that three Garfield themed drops will be joining the summer line up!
So, let’s break down the content of each of these announced drops…
Secret Lair x Garfield: Motivationally Challenged
1x Rin and Seri, Inseparable as “Garfield and Odie, Best Buds”
1x Orim’s Chant as “Talk to the Paw”
1x Ponder as “Hang in There”
1x Beast Within as “I Hate Mondays”
1x Sol Ring
Looking at this list, Rin and Seri is a semi-popular commander, and the instants and sorcery all have their uses in their respective colours, but yet again WOTC is wasting a slot on a Sol Ring, which pretty much every Magic player probably owns at this point.
Secret Lair x Garfield: As Intended
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Counterspell
1x Dark Ritual
1x Earthquake
1x Fog
A classic selection of staples here (if Earthquake can be considered a staple, it’s not one I often see at the table anymore) all printed with art styled after the comic panels. The issue here is that these staples have been reprinted into the ground value wise.
Secret Lair x Garfield: Our Only Thought Is to Entertain You
1x It That Betrays
1x Maddening Cacophony
1x Maddening Hex
1x Hunter’s Insight
1x Molten Collapse
The art here is definitely leaning more towards the absurdist element that Garfield memes often have nowerdays, it stops short of going full blown Garfield horror. Value is mixed in this selection, though playability is pretty strong, with some decent pieces for any colour deck.
Overall, the theming of these drops is sporadic at best, unless you’re looking to build several decks at the same time (and let’s be honest here, most of us have at least three ideas bouncing around at any given time), there’s no drop that feels essential for you to pick up for say, a mill deck, or any particular theme.
Value wise, at the usual Secret Lair price of $29.99 for non-foil and $39.99 for foil, you probably aren’t going to make your money back on the Garfield Magic the Gathering Cards if you’re buying them for sheer monetary value. Alternate art treatments often inflate the prices of cards, but nearly every card featured here is easily available on the cheap.
Art is famously subjective, and whilst these cards sure do have Garfield on them, it’s certainly not what this particular writer wants in his fantasy card game. Universes Beyond has been a real point of contention for Magic players, with this year’s release calendar being more UB than UW, the fight for the “soul” of the game is looking more fraught than ever, but that isn’t the kind of topic that should be broached in a news article.
If, however, you’re wanting to get your Secret Lair fix in a more Magic-flavoured way, keep an eye on the Secret Lair store this afternoon (around 5PM BST), as the Goblin Storm Secret Lair deck will be dropping. Including 12 borderless foil spells and 22 borderless foil Mountains with art from beloved artist Wizard of Barge (as well as tokens), this deck is looking to be a real winner for those who love token or storm strategies.
Never played Magic before? Our very own Bryan wrote a beginner’s guide in 2023 that is still relevant to this day!
