Chaos Strikes as Creator of Latest MTG Secret Lair Drop Fails to Make a Purchase
As someone who typically enjoys playing Magic: The Gathering with whatever random cards I can find rather than splurging on new ones, I’m not the target audience for Secret Lair. However, I have to say that the recent Goblin Storm Commander Deck is pretty impressive. This goblin-themed deck showcases a variety of cards featuring stunning new artwork by the talented Dakota Cates, also known as Wizard of Barge, along with some reprints that include both new and classic art. It’s a fantastic collection for fans of these quirky little creatures, and even though it comes with a hefty price tag of $150, I can see why many players were eager to grab a copy.
Naturally, it sold out in just 34 minutes.
This rapid sellout occurred despite a one-deck-per-person limit and a purchasing queue that allowed players to wait in a virtual line for their chance to buy… if they could even get the site to cooperate. Many users took to social media to share their frustrations, reporting that they entered the queue right when it opened, spent half an hour waiting, and still couldn’t complete their purchase. Even Cates himself was unable to secure a deck, as he shared in a Reddit post:
“I’m obviously super disappointed in how the drop was handled,” he wrote. “I woke up just like all of you to try and buy a second copy (yes, I only get one), and just like many of you, it sold out while it was in my cart.
“I spent months on the concepts and art for this deck, and it truly was my dream project with Magic, as many of you know. We promoted the deck around me as the artist, and I did everything they’d let me to prioritize my fan base, many of whom were planning to get into Magic via this deck.”
To make matters worse, even with the one-per-person limit, scalpers managed to snag decks and are now reselling them at outrageous prices on eBay. A quick glance at the listings reveals one deck sold for an astonishing $999, while others have gone for between $400 and $600.
You might say this is to be expected with exclusive, high-priced items, but what’s really riling up fans is that Secret Lair hasn’t always operated this way! Back in 2024, Secret Lair was print-to-demand: you’d order what you wanted during a specific time frame, and they’d print however many cards were needed to fulfill all orders. Wizards of the Coast previously explained that the shift occurred because, despite being marketed as print-to-demand, they were actually pre-printing cards and only producing more once the initial stock ran out. This led to losses from unsold products sitting on shelves. However, if they reverted to true print-to-demand, shipping times would be lengthy due to the time required to print and ship that many cards—something players experienced in the early days of Secret Lair when it was genuinely print-to-demand.
Based on current fan feedback, it seems the wait might be worthwhile, both to ensure players can buy the cards they want at fair prices and to deter scalpers. Numerous comments across Reddit, Threads, and other platforms are urging Wizards of the Coast to return to print-to-demand or at least consider a second run of the cards.
So far, Wizards of the Coast has remained silent, though Cates has expressed his frustration multiple times. At the time of writing, his Instagram featured a humorous Story of someone painting a wall green with the caption “I SURVIVED GOBLINGATE2026 AND ALL I GOT WAS SCALPED BY BOTS.” One fan shared a screenshot of another Story, allegedly posted earlier and now unavailable, where Cates stated, “Personally, I’d rather y’all bootleg the entire deck than pay these scalper prices. GOBLINS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE!!!!!!!” This sentiment is resonating with many fans, who are already circulating PDFs of the cards for others to “proxy” and create their own versions of the decks for casual play.
On Reddit, Cates mentioned he’s in talks with Wizards of the Coast to see if more Goblin Storm decks can be produced, though he’s “not counting on it.”
