Whenever a new set drops, we get an entire Secret Lair superdrop that relates to the set. Outlaws of Thunder Junction had the Outlaw Anthology, the Showcase, and the Poker Faces, and Bloomburrow had their own Showcase drop as well!
There is something really exciting about seeing these connections made, and this got me wondering. What will Secret Lairs look like for Duskmourn? We are on the precipice of preview season, but we have already seen a ton of references made to iconic horror media. What outside IPs will appear in this upcoming Fall superdrop? Here are five horror franchises I’d like to see.
Ghostbusters
The first thing I thought when I saw the Duskmourn art previews was, “If they didn’t get Ghostbusters, it would be a mistake.”
There are many references to Ghostbusters in the handful of Duskmourn previews we’ve seen already. From Ghost Vacuum to Threats Around Every Corner, the Ghostbusters vibes are real.
I recently rewatched the iconic films and fell in love all over again with the franchise. I can definitely see Wizards of the Coast (WotC) using some of the most iconic moments to use as skins for some beloved pieces. Think a Slimer skin for a Spirit creature card, an Ecto-1 Smuggler’s Copter, the Twinkie as a battlefield wipe (preferably Day of Judgment), and a Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man as something ridiculous, like a Blightsteel Colossus. I feel with this drop that they’d have to pull an Assassin’s Creed and include Ghost Vacuum as a Proton Beam card in the vein of Haystack.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This franchise is definitely one of my more far-fetched, hopeful guesses. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (as the original film was spelled) is one of the most gruesome, goriest films in that classic era of horror, known for cannibalism, wearing human face masks, extreme torture, and lots of gore. It is a film not for the faint of heart.
I love it with all my heart, but I am aware that this film is hard to integrate into the kid-friendly WotC paradigm. Still, we’ve seen some nods to the franchise with cards like Abattoir Ghoul and the more recent Chainsaw. There’s hope!
I think that there is a lot to explore here with Secret Lair cards. Chainsaw should obviously make an appearance, but what about The Meathook Massacre? That would be such an insane inclusion. Helm of the Host would also be pretty gnarly to see depicted as Leatherface’s iconic… leather face. Maybe we might get lucky and get Matthew McConaughey on a Ghitu War Cry depicting the weird noise he made when he jumped on the hood of a car in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation!
Friday the 13th
This is one IP that I feel like we are guaranteed, alongside Ghostbusters. When people think of 80s slashers, most conjure up the image of a hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding maniac. That is Jason Voorhees, one of the big three of 80s horror.
This is one of the few IPs I am desperate to see come to fruition. Trusty Machete could be his iconic weapon; Grafted Exoskeleton could be his mask; Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth could be Camp Crystal Lake; and maybe Curse of Vengeance or Campaign of Vengeance could depict Jason’s murderous mother (the first killer of the franchise).
While some are put off by seeing TVs depicted in Magic cards, I find myself bouncing in excitement, hoping that we get a glimpse of a hockey mask on one instead.
It
Okay, roll with me on this one. One of horror’s most iconic figures is Stephen King, creator of The Shining, Carrie, 1408, and Misery. He also penned a novel so horrific, it altered people’s perceptions of the joyful figures of clowns. I’m talking about It.
We all know It, whether from the most recent films beginning in 2017 or the iconic performance of Tim Curry in the miniseries in 1990. What could have possibly led me to this guess? Well, in Mark Rosewater’s Blogatog regarding Duskmourn, he announced that there was a card that makes 1/1 red Balloon creature tokens. While this may seem innocuous, the red balloon is synonymous with It and its clown terror, Pennywise.
This tiny little nod has my mind spinning. We could get a Pennywise legendary creature card (my heart hopes for Morophon, the Boundless); a paper boat Treasure Cruise (the delve made me chuckle), or a red balloon Sol Ring.
Personally, if this were to happen, I would love to see Tim Curry’s Pennywise depicted. While Bill Skarsgård did a phenomenal job, seeing Tim Curry’s head pop out of a shower drain scarred me as a kid. Give the man a Magic card already!
Goosebumps
If I had a magic lamp, this would be the collaboration I would use my wish on. Goosebumps is basically baby’s first horror movie. From the books to the episodes to the films, this franchise is the gateway to horror for most youths (I see you, Are You Afraid of the Dark?). Every Halloween, I watch Goosebumps alongside my more adult horror selections. To this day, I still get freaked out by the Haunted Mask!
With the IP being as old as it is (and with its resurgence thanks to the Jack Black films), I see this as being one of the more likely, and ultimate, Secret Lair collabs. I would kill to see the iconic covers slapped onto Magic cards: One Day at HorrorLand as Field of the Dead, Night of the Living Dummy as Stuffy Doll, Monster Blood as Scavenging Ooze, The Haunted Mask as Grafted Exoskeleton, The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight as Reaper King, or The Werewolf of Fever Swamp as Ulrich of the Krallenhorde.
There is so much you can do with this IP! You don’t even need to commission new art. The old book covers are perfect for this. If I had one Halloween wish, it would be to make this Secret Lair a reality. I’m just hoping we see it in Duskmourn.
Brewer Beware, You’re in for a Scare!
There are dozens upon dozens of amazing horror IPs that could be made into Secret Lairs. I left out a handful of my favorites, such as Scream, The Thing, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. It would be a dream come true to see any of these films on an official Magic card. Duskmourn is my most anticipated set of the year and I have a feeling that, no matter what is in its associated superdrop, I will be purchasing it.
Are there any horror IPs you think will pop up in Lair form? Do you think any of my guesses are likely? Let me know! Happy haunting, deckbuilders!
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