On Monday, we get the Summer Superdrop for 2024, and there are six drops we need to discuss. Some details are as yet unknown, but we know the cards and the prices, and from there, we can make some plans. Let’s get to it!
One thing to note is that for these drops, we aren’t expecting reprints of the cards after this for a while. Some of these will get new versions, maybe even new premium versions. Much depends on the looks and the play patterns, so think and buy accordingly.
Hatsune Miku’s second act, Digital Sensation, is the big one in this drop:
This is a strong set of cards. The first Miku drop was anchored by Azusa, Lost but Seeking, and that’s a card with many premium printings. This is the very first borderless treatment for Diabolic Tutor (143k decks on EDHREC), Chord of Calling (112k) and Child of Alara (4k as commander) and Thespian’s Stage (106k) and Song of Creation (5000 decks) only have one extended-art version to be special with. Sol Ring should be its own category of promos and special printings, and there’s blessed few premium versions not holding at least a $5 price.
The first Miku drop sold out in less than six hours and right now, here’s the prices for the four that were offered:
| Nonfoil English | $60 |
| Nonfoil Japanese | $32 |
| Foil English | $78 |
| Foil Japanese | $42 |
It’s quite rare for a drop to have a high price just as it’s landing in hand, so people are trying hard to cash out of the English versions, and are willing to break even/small loss on the JP copies. The Japanese-language copies also have less listed on TCGPlayer, and I expect that’s because plenty of folks who want to get their profit on the EN versions aren’t bothering to put up the underpriced ones yet. I expect the Japanese ones to start ticking up soon, as the urgent sellers get cleaned out.
With this being the second drop, I am doubtful that WotC has been able to get more copies of this printed than was done for the first drop. This should sell out again and should be your priority target when the bundles are revealed Monday morning.
There is a theme Wizards goes to: A SL dedicated to a certain theme/style/Commander deck. Here’s the Prossh deck. It’s a great lair in terms of ‘cards with high play that don’t have premium treatments’ and even if you don’t play Prossh (10k decks, half as Commander), these are worthy cards. Mayhem Devil (93k), Dictate of Erebos (90k), Moldervine Reclamation (80k), and Fecundity (20k) are all at least playable, and with this treatment, I think the lair and the singles should do well if left alone, and I’ll be getting a couple of these Lairs on Monday.
It’s okay if you don’t think the NOT A WOLF ALL CAPS bit is funny. Again, this is a SL targeted at Werewolf players, of whom there’s a surprising amount. Tovolar is the #56 commander of all time on EDHREC, and that’s a strong number until they print something better for the shapeshifters. Beastmaster Ascension is the star here, being in just under 110k decks and having no premium version before. This is the second sweet version of Second Harvest, which is in 93k decks and doubles up on noncreature tokens. My big worry on this otherwise solid drop is that Tovolar, Caretaker, and Second Harvest are likely inclusions in Innistrad Remastered at the beginning of 2025, and that means these prices will take that much longer to go up (if ever). I likely won’t be getting much of this Lair.
Someone at WotC must listen to MTG Fast Finance, because James and I have been decrying for years that the Artist Spotlight drops were confined to the regular frame. That hasn’t been the case recently, and I’m so very thankful. Three of these cards have never gotten premium treatments before: Soul Warden (100k), Good-Fortune Unicorn (24k), and Elves of Deep Shadow (107k) have always been locked into the regular frame. The Elf and the Cleric have pretty broad appeal, and should hold up nicely. Coat of Arms (86k) was a Special Guest-style inclusion for LCI, and is currently over $20 for that printing. Shivan Dragon is iconic as heck but has plenty of special printings, so I’m not expecting much there. I plan to get a couple of this drop.
This drop, and the next, were publicized as being available for a month in late July, to coordinate a little better with the releases coming out for that franchise, but thankfully it’s been moved up to this drop. Najeela (18k, 10k as Commander) has an etched foil to go with the 40K Secret Lair version from two years ago. Queen Marchesa (25k, 11k as Commander, #42 all-time) has the same thing, a SL in 2022 and an etched foil, but all of those are still inexpensive and this will keep it that way. Ramses, Assassin Lord recently spiked but this should help bring it back to ground. Admiral Brass (12k decks, half as Commander) got a SL Showcase version last year that is also pretty cheap, and Kelsien doesn’t matter at all. A very uninspiring drop overall, and one I’ll likely avoid.
I am into this, but I’m not sure others will be. Blade of Selves (62k) has a FEA from CLB, Flail (32k) has an etched foil that’s over $20, Deathrender (6k) is worth a couple bucks, Darksteel Plate (72k) also has a $20+ etched version, and Whispersilk Cloak (168k) has the special LCI printing pushing $10. We also know that the special inclusion here is Haystack, a white artifact that gives you the chance to phase out a creature for two mana and a tap. For decks that want to keep a creature around, that’s a pretty awesome card. I’m in for this drop, and will be buying accordingly. I understand that the script, the lack of a traditional frame, these are viewed as drawbacks by some, but mainly I like sweet versions of widely played cards.
So to review, here’s my choices, in order:
| #1 | Hatsune Miku: Sakura Superstar |
| #2 | Da Vinci’s Designs |
| #3 | Prints of Darkness |
| #4 | Featuring: Julie Bell |
| #5 | NOT A WOLF |
| #6 | Lethal Legends |
The big unknowns that we won’t see till early Monday (please check your local timezone) is the bundling and the presence of a spending bonus. Sometimes the bonus is a big deal, like Ignoble Hierarch or the Seedborn Muse. Sometimes it’s a couple of extra Collector Boosters. We just don’t know yet.
We also don’t know the exact percentages for bundles, and that should be somewhere between 10-15% if previous patterns hold. I will need large discounts or very sweet cards to make me buy all-foil bundles, because the NOT A WOLF and the Lethal Legends are just not worth an extra $80 to me. I am currently planning on getting a couple of all-Miku bundles (those were available last time, I expect it again) and then an additional few copies of the foil English Miku drop, plus personal copies of Prints and Julie Bell. If the bonus card or discounts change, my purchasing might change too.
Keep an eye on the Discord for updates as we go, and make sure you are logged into everything ahead of time for the drop. Good luck!
Cliff (@WordOfCommander) has been writing for MTGPrice since 2013, and is an eager Commander player, Draft enthusiast, and Cube fanatic. A high school science teacher by day, he’s also the official substitute teacher of the MTG Fast Finance podcast. If you’re ever at a GP and you see a giant flashing ‘CUBE DRAFT’ sign, go over, say hi, and be ready to draft.