MTG’s goblin-focused Secret Lair deck which has been floating around in leaks and teasers for months has finally been revealed, and I’m pleasantly surprised by its value for money.
Here, we’ve got a Zada, Hedron Grinder deck featuring lots of cute art, starring one of Magic’s most popular creature types, and full of powerful, valuable cards. I’m calling it now, this thing is going to sell out instantly when it arrives on May 18, 2026.
Let’s rip the bandaid off. The ‘Goblin Storm’ deck is $150; it’s by no means cheap. Still, this is a price many players are already willing to pay for a strong Commander deck when going out and buying singles, so it’s hardly unreasonable.
What you get for your money is a precon with 12 foil cards featuring new, borderless artwork by Wizard of Barge. That’s two more than is normal for these SL decks, and better yet – the deck’s 22 mountains are original foils too, with three new pieces split between them.
Even if we discounted the new art treatments which, as we all know, can add considerable value on the secondary market, Goblin Storm would still not be a bad buy because it’s packed with expensive MTG cards. There’s Roaming Throne, an anything tribal card whose flexibility has pushed its price to $47. There’s Throne of Eldraine, a monocolor engine that costs $38. And there’s Goblin Lackey, a one mana goblin that cheats bigger goblins into play to the tune of $19.
Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep is also a $30 land – for some reason.
When you add it all up, and using TCGPlayer prices, the deck has $283 of cards. It compares very well to past SL precons. For instance, 20 ways to win had $222 worth of cards for $150 and Everyone’s Invited had only $225 of card value for $200!
And it’s not really correct to discount those art treatments. Because everyone knows that a shiny SL Sol Ring can easily sell for $15, when by rights the staple should cost no more than $1.50.
It’s nice to have a wholly positive view of a new Magic: The Gathering product, though of course the flipside to how great this deck is is that it’s going to be hard to get hold of. Wizards abandoned print-to-demand years ago, and the result is that sought-after Secret Lairs go quick.
If you want to run the gauntlet and try to grab yourself a Goblin Storm deck, the date to write down in your calendar is May 18. The deck will be up for sale at 9 am PST, and you’ll want fingers on buzzers as soon as it arrives. Check out the full decklist on the MTG website, and come join our Discord for great tabletop content.
Source: Wargamer
