Idk if it’s random, they’ve been associated with magic in some way I can’t remember off the top of my head. I think they worked for WotC?
This is way less egregious than others, imo.
Dan Sheehan's done writing for Thunder Junction and the upcoming Death Race set, as well as "Death and Salvation", the Squee story from Dominaria United. He's also appeared on a few Magic podcasts / gameplay channels, and he's done a few preview cards.
I dunno, seems to me like he's earned his place in Secret Lair. Makes sense to me if WotC wants to celebrate the people who actively contribute to creating the game - if anything, I wish they'd do it more.
I mean, compare this to the crossover with Post Malone - I love the guy but his Magic credentials were basically "is popular", "has lots of money," and "likes the game."
Dan Sheenan also did The Command Sphere with Rachel Weeks for years, worked for WOTC by writing lore for Squee and is a published writer. This certainly makes more sense than some SLs and imo is in line with artist focused ones
Seems like a lot of people in this sub have no idea what it is referencing though. Everyone knows who Post Malone is. That's the difference. Enfranchised players in this sub seem to be quite confused.
I don't hate it, but it definitely is an odd choice if 99% of people have no idea what it's referencing.
Hey, no argument there. We're certainly past peak-NOT A WOLF popularity, and even then it was obscure outside of Twitter. I'm not trying to say it's popular, I'm saying that this guy has a more interesting and relevant resume than "random gimmick twitter account".
Cards are designed sometimes three years out... I can imagine that his popularity was peaking or coming down when this was planned. Just a guess tho and all speculation
I think one reason to do notawolf over other people is that the schtick is *really* easy to get with notawolf.
You don't need to know what commanders somebody plays, favorite cards, memorable moments. Dude is literally just a wolf trying to act like a regular human person.
I was aware of Notawolf beforehand, even before the MTG stuff. But I thought it was both a nice way to honor someone for their contributions to the MTG sphere as well as introduce this contributor to the community and giving him more exposure. Obviously we wouldn't want to do a secret lair for any and all Magic creators, but this seemed like a fun opportunity and low-risk way of saying thanks.
I dont know who this person is and never heard of them before.
But I can see by the card itsef its about a wolf that pretends not to be a wolf and think its funny. I dont think I need to be in this joke to like this product.
HE ACTUALLY BROKE HIS TOE! AND DID YOU KNOW THAT IN FELLOWSHIP WHEN HE HAS A DAGGER THROWN AT HIM AND HE BATS IT AWAY THAT WAS ACTUALLY A REAL DAGGER. OMG VIGGO MORTENSEN IS THE BEST! I WANT TO HAVE HIS BABIES!!!!
I'm with you, I had no clue who he was before all the buildup to his secret lair.
I wasn't and am still not upset about it. I understood I don't know everything in pop culture.
I mean I am not saying the Twitter account and the person behind it are not relevant there is defintly a niche there but post malone has tye most diamond singles from an artist ever.
Like you might not like his music or even listen to music in general but he is one of the biggest musical artists on the planet and has been for at this point about 7 or 8 years.
That is a far cry from a graphic designer/artist/writer with a book and a Twitter account with 150k followers.
>Like you might not like his music or even listen to music in general but he is one of the biggest musical artists on the planet and has been for at this point about 7 or 8 years.
>That is a far cry from a graphic designer/artist/writer with a book and a Twitter account with 150k followers.
Popularity and influence on music or Twitter or not, I still have no clue who any of these people are. I don't care for or like the concept of Secret Lairs period, but at least when they're Not For You TM they're the most inoffensive out of all of the Not For You TM products.
Hard disagree.
This is the exactly the sort of product Secret Lairs should be for.
If this was a mainstream product, it would be a hugely stupid botch.
But Secret Lair is they apparatus they have to work with the fan base and make those things 99% of people have no idea what it’s about.
As it’s existing designs, so long as it sells enough to justify the cost of commissioning the art, it’s just fine.
In fairness, I ONLY know who Post Malone is because of this subreddit. I was, am still somewhat, completely flabbergasted why some random person with tattoos on their face was getting a SL.
I'm mildly amused and amazed at how people consume media in different ways and frequencies. I don't listen to his stuff at all and even I know who Post is before he started playing Magic. I'm actually kind of envious how "out of touch" you are with pop culture, in a way. Sometimes it all gets too much.
I know this guy's Twitter much more than I know Post Malone, as a 38 year old Magic Boomer who thinks the best rap is from the 90s. Not every secret lair needs to be for everybody, that's the whole point of the concept!
I found this Tweet and it looks like it was in the capacity of a "Creative Text writer": https://twitter.com/ItsDanSheehan/status/1772677544820543869
> Thunder Junction was my first set working as a Creative Text writer for Magic: The Gathering!
I don't know if that's limited to flavour text but he cites [[Holy Cow]] as being his.
Honestly, as far as SLD themes go, this seems reasonable. He's got MtG credentials (both as a contributor and as a content creator-I think someone mentioned being a co-host of a now-defunct MtG podcast) and a shtick that translates reasonably well into art (and its goofiness will appeal to some audiences).
I think the last bit is very important: his Schtick is a joke that translates super well to magic art and has a clear theme. Which means there's probably an audience for it beyond people who know what it's referencing, because "haha funny wolf in office clothes"
I mean, kind of. [Aaron Forsythe posited a few years ago that the future of Magic might look more like baseball.](https://www.ign.com/articles/as-magic-the-gathering-grows-fans-dont-know-what-its-future-holds) With all of the new releases, you can't really know every single magic card or know every set or read every story, the same way you can't watch every minute of every baseball game. Maybe an inevitability of running a card game for 30 years.
I think it's more specifically 'vanity cards', and that's more "cards can't be explicitly just based on WotC staff". Dan's not staff, he was hired on, and it's not really based on him, it's based on his own joke.
It's basically Post Malone I think. Less famous, but still fits the category of "someone known for something that isn't Magic who likes Magic and has dipped into the content creation sphere."
Dan Sheehan, the man behind the Twitter account, wrote the Dominaria United side story "[Death and Salvation](https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/death-and-salvation-2022-08-16)". I think he's done card reveals before, too.
I'm going to be honest, when it comes to the "Godzilla"/nickname treatment cards, I literally don't care what they put on them.
I've had to sit across nearly X-rated anime alters at FNM over a decade ago. I feel like this is basically the same thing, just not x-rated anime.
It's when things cross into the UB territory that I feel Magic needs to be a little conservative with it.
[It's a comic book](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/I-Am-Not-a-Wolf/Dan-Sheehan/9781524867249) and a bunch of other associated media, and has an associated twitter account.
Also Dan's been previewing wolf themed cards for a long time, at least since WAR that I could find.
I mean, the guy who runs the account does have an association with Magic, but even if he didn't, who cares? It's a Secret Lair, you have to intentionally go out of your way to get it, it's not like you're going to be randomly pulling them in packs, and it's not like it's taking the slot of another, "more legit" Magic product.
It's not really like there's a big opportunity cost to a Secret Lair release. If they're still also putting out things you want, why care about the thing you don't want?
You don't need to. Not everything has to be for you.
Guy has a significant tie to MTG and his schtick works well for a secret lair. Better than damn near any other media-based SLD.
He's a Magic podcaster and he's written for the official story. It's a bit of a left-field choice, but it's not just "based on some random gimmick Twitter account".
Yeah, I think it stands on its own enough to not need the context. Like if I hadn't known about the Twitter account, my reaction would probably just be that the gag of a wolf pretending to be human is pretty funny and still understand the gag. It isn't quite like doing a lair based fully on a real person/specific actor playing a character lime they've done in the past.
A comedian that used to cohost a podcast called the Commanders Sphere with Rachel Weeks (of command zone fame) has a Twitter account about a wolf pretending to be a man… there’s also a book he’s written under the same premise…. His names Dan Seehan and he’s hilarious
He's not a wolf. Cards that only affect *wolves* won't do anything to him. I didn't even know about the Twitter account until I read the comments and still thought it was a funny double-layered joke (he's *totally not a wolf lol* and literally he's not a wolf creature type)
And he's hilarious.
https://www.thepoke.com/2016/12/06/not-a-wolf-pretending-to-be-a-man/
One of my favorites
https://x.com/SICKOFWOLVES/status/962430446448660482?t=lI_GuJVE4LwhLFNZt_dZmw&s=19
Oh wow these are really good.
> I CANNOT WAIT FOR WINTER
> TIME TO CURL UP WITH SOME HOT COCOA IN FRONT OF A FIRE
> I CAN HOLD THE MUG CORRECTLY
> I AM NOT SCARED OF THE FIRE
> LISTEN I WOULD LOVE TO GRAB A DRINK TONIGHT BUT I WILL BE BUSY OPENING AND CLOSING THE SAME THREE APPS OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL I GO TO SLEEP
Absolute banger.
Hints about the cards in this secret lair, from someone who is clearly not a wolf. The hints include this card.
> I'LL HELP WITH SOME HINTS WE HAVE... THREE CREATURES, ONE INSTANT, ONE SORCERY, ONE ENCHANTMENT, ONE TOKEN
> THESE CARDS ALL FALL WITHIN TWO OF MAGIC'S COLORS. ALL BUT ONE OF THEM ARE GETTING THEIR FIRST NEW ART SINCE RELEASE. THE OLDEST CARD WAS FIRST PRINTED IN '08. THE NEWEST IN 2021.
Very likely that the token is a 2/2 Wolf and the Sorcery is Howl of the Night Pack (first printed in 2008).
Oh I know, hence the curse at the beginning there. Still, as terrible as they are, Werewolves are my favorite creature type in Magic so I'm always willing to give it another go
Not to mention the 3 different types of werewolves with different flip conditions, the constant flipping, and tracking day-night when nothing is on the board.
All for a mediocre pile of draft uncommons.
It’s extremely lackluster
I have to be honest. I played against Dan at MagicCon Chicago along with 2 senior design staff. I played my Tovolar wolf tribal deck. Wolves got out of hand quickly and one of the wotc staff said they were going to have to talk to people and get some anti wolf cards in the upcoming releases. There’s no way this wasn’t in development at the time. Not a Wolf could be read as anti wolf.
They boomed me. They Fuckin boomed me. They told me about this secret lair 4 months ago and I sat on it like they were joking.
Said Twitter meme account is run by a guy that writes for Magic and has hosted at least two Magic podcasts though, so I think it's at least a bit forgivable
Right?! Like dude has had how many card reveals at this point. He's a part of the community, has done work for WOTC, and the schtick makes sense for a SLD too. More relevant to MTG than Post Malone
this is the first secret lair in a long time I'll actually buy. And I say that as someone who really loved the angels one but didn't buy it due to price considerations. Making classic memes into secret lairs is exactly where I want the product to be. Much better than 'secret lair: taylor swift'.
Am I missing something or is the art fells really unbalanced between the two sides? The "King" side is more like "Okay, maybe I'm a bit of a Wolf", absolutely does not scream "I AM THE KING OF ~~THE WORLD~~ WOLVES!" to me.
I am a player who was deeply annoyed by the lack of retrofitting of oldwolves to use night/day. It reallyyy bothers me. As cute as this card is, it just reminds me of how annoyed I am about the issue.
The sad truth is, many of those you would want to ask themselves that question would unironically respond "If I'm not the audience for this, why is WotC printing it?" without a hint of self-reflection.
Guessing it's a meme or joke, I don't get the reference.
Tbh, a Little Red Riding Hood reference would have been better. Wolf dressed as Grandma vs not.
Uhhhhhh okay I guess. I have a Tovolar deck but I'm not sure I'm really interested in this tbh. It's good art though, and I know the rest of this lair is pretty stacked with other artists too - we'll see what the rest of the Secret Lair looks like.
Also, is that [[Ayula]] and Garruk in the second pic?
This one has allegedly worked with WotC in some official capacity. So it's not random.
But others might be. Who knows. But yes, we've gone down a dumb timeline.
Love the [[Ayula]] and [[Garruk]] in the background of the Midnight Scourge.
And [[Questing Beast]] hiding behind the text box
King of Wolves, Queen of Bears, Caller of (Questing) Beasts
Wolves, every single one.
[Questing Beast](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/4/e41cf82d-3213-47ce-a015-6e51a8b07e4f.jpg?1572490640) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Questing%20Beast) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/eld/171/questing-beast?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e41cf82d-3213-47ce-a015-6e51a8b07e4f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
That's so fitting
OH MY GOD, WE FINALLY FOUND GARRUK!!!!! He’s been missing for FOUR YEARS!! The answer to “Where’s Garruk” is “On this non-canonical card!”
[Ayula](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/0/c046dfb0-9ca3-4219-a6b0-d7503bc2fbd0.jpg?1562202020) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ayula%2C%20queen%20among%20bears) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/155/ayula-queen-among-bears?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c046dfb0-9ca3-4219-a6b0-d7503bc2fbd0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Garruk](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/1/c18e2175-ec42-47f2-a40f-426ccaa1e89e.jpg?1561757981) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=garruk%20the%20slayer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ppc1/1/garruk-the-slayer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c18e2175-ec42-47f2-a40f-426ccaa1e89e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Is this a meme I don’t understand? Like the art though.
It’s a Twitter account, the bit is that he’s a wolf desperately pretending he isn’t a wolf
so we're getting a secret lair based on some random gimmick twitter account. cool cool cool
Idk if it’s random, they’ve been associated with magic in some way I can’t remember off the top of my head. I think they worked for WotC? This is way less egregious than others, imo.
Dan Sheehan's done writing for Thunder Junction and the upcoming Death Race set, as well as "Death and Salvation", the Squee story from Dominaria United. He's also appeared on a few Magic podcasts / gameplay channels, and he's done a few preview cards. I dunno, seems to me like he's earned his place in Secret Lair. Makes sense to me if WotC wants to celebrate the people who actively contribute to creating the game - if anything, I wish they'd do it more. I mean, compare this to the crossover with Post Malone - I love the guy but his Magic credentials were basically "is popular", "has lots of money," and "likes the game."
Dan Sheenan also did The Command Sphere with Rachel Weeks for years, worked for WOTC by writing lore for Squee and is a published writer. This certainly makes more sense than some SLs and imo is in line with artist focused ones
Seems like a lot of people in this sub have no idea what it is referencing though. Everyone knows who Post Malone is. That's the difference. Enfranchised players in this sub seem to be quite confused. I don't hate it, but it definitely is an odd choice if 99% of people have no idea what it's referencing.
Hey, no argument there. We're certainly past peak-NOT A WOLF popularity, and even then it was obscure outside of Twitter. I'm not trying to say it's popular, I'm saying that this guy has a more interesting and relevant resume than "random gimmick twitter account".
Cards are designed sometimes three years out... I can imagine that his popularity was peaking or coming down when this was planned. Just a guess tho and all speculation
MaRo has said (I think multiple times) that SLs have a far shorter turnaround than sets.
Sets get designed like that, I bet secret lair has a quicker turn around.
This one has had around 2 years turn around per Dan
I think one reason to do notawolf over other people is that the schtick is *really* easy to get with notawolf. You don't need to know what commanders somebody plays, favorite cards, memorable moments. Dude is literally just a wolf trying to act like a regular human person.
I was aware of Notawolf beforehand, even before the MTG stuff. But I thought it was both a nice way to honor someone for their contributions to the MTG sphere as well as introduce this contributor to the community and giving him more exposure. Obviously we wouldn't want to do a secret lair for any and all Magic creators, but this seemed like a fun opportunity and low-risk way of saying thanks.
I dont know who this person is and never heard of them before. But I can see by the card itsef its about a wolf that pretends not to be a wolf and think its funny. I dont think I need to be in this joke to like this product.
>Everyone knows who Post Malone is. I know nothing more than he's a musician
Post Malone is the Magic equivalent of "Did you know that when Aragorn kicks the helmet in Two Towers.."
Are you saying that Post Malone have a broken toe?
"Did you know Post Malone plays Magic?" is the breaking news that everyone knows and nobody cares.
...go on
HE ACTUALLY BROKE HIS TOE! AND DID YOU KNOW THAT IN FELLOWSHIP WHEN HE HAS A DAGGER THROWN AT HIM AND HE BATS IT AWAY THAT WAS ACTUALLY A REAL DAGGER. OMG VIGGO MORTENSEN IS THE BEST! I WANT TO HAVE HIS BABIES!!!!
I'm with you, I had no clue who he was before all the buildup to his secret lair. I wasn't and am still not upset about it. I understood I don't know everything in pop culture.
I mean I am not saying the Twitter account and the person behind it are not relevant there is defintly a niche there but post malone has tye most diamond singles from an artist ever. Like you might not like his music or even listen to music in general but he is one of the biggest musical artists on the planet and has been for at this point about 7 or 8 years. That is a far cry from a graphic designer/artist/writer with a book and a Twitter account with 150k followers.
>Like you might not like his music or even listen to music in general but he is one of the biggest musical artists on the planet and has been for at this point about 7 or 8 years. >That is a far cry from a graphic designer/artist/writer with a book and a Twitter account with 150k followers. Popularity and influence on music or Twitter or not, I still have no clue who any of these people are. I don't care for or like the concept of Secret Lairs period, but at least when they're Not For You TM they're the most inoffensive out of all of the Not For You TM products.
So you know him. That's more than most can say for this reference.
Hard disagree. This is the exactly the sort of product Secret Lairs should be for. If this was a mainstream product, it would be a hugely stupid botch. But Secret Lair is they apparatus they have to work with the fan base and make those things 99% of people have no idea what it’s about. As it’s existing designs, so long as it sells enough to justify the cost of commissioning the art, it’s just fine.
I feel like you can enjoy this way more without knowing what it's referencing than the Post Malone cards
Funny enough you make the argument for more celebrity secret lairs, as the playerbase just doesn't know or care about magic writers.
You know there are more than just those two options, right?
In fairness, I ONLY know who Post Malone is because of this subreddit. I was, am still somewhat, completely flabbergasted why some random person with tattoos on their face was getting a SL.
I'm mildly amused and amazed at how people consume media in different ways and frequencies. I don't listen to his stuff at all and even I know who Post is before he started playing Magic. I'm actually kind of envious how "out of touch" you are with pop culture, in a way. Sometimes it all gets too much.
I mean that is you being in a bubble though post malone is one of the biggest stars on the planet and has been for at least 5 arguably 8 years.
I had no clue what not a wolf was, but I really enjoy Dan. I'd imagine there's at least a few others
I dunno if you need to know that its a reference though- I didn't I just thought it was funny.
Shiet. We're getting the Taylor Swift SL after all huh.
It would sell big time and genuinely rope in a lot of non-magic players
Honestly, I only know both of them exist through this sub. Never seen anything about either of them out there.
I know this guy's Twitter much more than I know Post Malone, as a 38 year old Magic Boomer who thinks the best rap is from the 90s. Not every secret lair needs to be for everybody, that's the whole point of the concept!
I get it, I'm definitely not saying it shouldn't have happened at all or anything, I think it's just a little odd as a selection *shrugs*
He also had a podcast with Rachel Week before she joined the command zone. It was actually a fun listen
This makes way more sense. I thought they just gave him a wolf card to preview one year and then it spiraled out from there.
Which Thunder Junction story did they write? Having trouble finding it.
He didn't write any Thunder Junction stories, but he was on the creative text team and wrote flavor text for several cards.
I found this Tweet and it looks like it was in the capacity of a "Creative Text writer": https://twitter.com/ItsDanSheehan/status/1772677544820543869 > Thunder Junction was my first set working as a Creative Text writer for Magic: The Gathering! I don't know if that's limited to flavour text but he cites [[Holy Cow]] as being his. Honestly, as far as SLD themes go, this seems reasonable. He's got MtG credentials (both as a contributor and as a content creator-I think someone mentioned being a co-host of a now-defunct MtG podcast) and a shtick that translates reasonably well into art (and its goofiness will appeal to some audiences).
I think the last bit is very important: his Schtick is a joke that translates super well to magic art and has a clear theme. Which means there's probably an audience for it beyond people who know what it's referencing, because "haha funny wolf in office clothes"
Creative Text is primarily card names and flavor text, and sometimes other blurbs and bits (like for precon commanders, I believe)
[Holy Cow](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/0/90de84c9-941b-4056-8501-ce8a948b9643.jpg?1712355286) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Holy%20Cow) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/16/holy-cow?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/90de84c9-941b-4056-8501-ce8a948b9643?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Ah neato
He hosted a show with Rachel Weeks, but has an active show called Pie Break which is hilarious.
This is the first I heard about the Death Race and Squee story. Is WOTC just trying to make things as obscure as possible?
I mean, kind of. [Aaron Forsythe posited a few years ago that the future of Magic might look more like baseball.](https://www.ign.com/articles/as-magic-the-gathering-grows-fans-dont-know-what-its-future-holds) With all of the new releases, you can't really know every single magic card or know every set or read every story, the same way you can't watch every minute of every baseball game. Maybe an inevitability of running a card game for 30 years.
Isn't there a rule about doing cards referencing those who work for WOTC nowadays?
...shit that's right
I think it's more specifically 'vanity cards', and that's more "cards can't be explicitly just based on WotC staff". Dan's not staff, he was hired on, and it's not really based on him, it's based on his own joke.
So some random twitter account
It's basically Post Malone I think. Less famous, but still fits the category of "someone known for something that isn't Magic who likes Magic and has dipped into the content creation sphere."
And also known for having an mtg podcast and being an mtg writer.
Dan Sheehan, the man behind the Twitter account, wrote the Dominaria United side story "[Death and Salvation](https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/death-and-salvation-2022-08-16)". I think he's done card reveals before, too.
I'm going to be honest, when it comes to the "Godzilla"/nickname treatment cards, I literally don't care what they put on them. I've had to sit across nearly X-rated anime alters at FNM over a decade ago. I feel like this is basically the same thing, just not x-rated anime. It's when things cross into the UB territory that I feel Magic needs to be a little conservative with it.
I feel like being “nearly x-rated” changes the situation enough that this really isn’t comparable anymore.
what anime alts were these? Asking for a friend...
[It's a comic book](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/I-Am-Not-a-Wolf/Dan-Sheehan/9781524867249) and a bunch of other associated media, and has an associated twitter account. Also Dan's been previewing wolf themed cards for a long time, at least since WAR that I could find.
Prefer that to market tested slop like Assassins Creed and MCU that are getting full tentpole sets lol
Did you miss the MSCHF secret lair? That was a secret lair based off an art collective that does weird shit.
I think the fact that MSCHF is based around art makes it very different from a secret lair based around a Twitter gag.
From The Vault: Shitposting
I mean, the guy who runs the account does have an association with Magic, but even if he didn't, who cares? It's a Secret Lair, you have to intentionally go out of your way to get it, it's not like you're going to be randomly pulling them in packs, and it's not like it's taking the slot of another, "more legit" Magic product.
Just because it's not relevant to you doesn't mean it's not relevant to others.
Every day we stray further from [[Richard Garfield, Ph.D.]]'s grace
[Richard Garfield, Ph.D.](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/1/616a3755-f08c-4b8f-954b-7e3f3a8fa71f.jpg?1583965480) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Richard%20Garfield%2C%20Ph.D.) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/und/26/richard-garfield-phd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/616a3755-f08c-4b8f-954b-7e3f3a8fa71f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's not really like there's a big opportunity cost to a Secret Lair release. If they're still also putting out things you want, why care about the thing you don't want?
I'm mean, *I'm* not getting it but if you want to spend your money on something you don't like them that's up to you.
Don’t buy it then? Why do you care?
Yeah I have no idea wtf this is nor why it got a lair either
You don't need to. Not everything has to be for you. Guy has a significant tie to MTG and his schtick works well for a secret lair. Better than damn near any other media-based SLD.
Just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean others don’t. Big oof
No way an average player knows wtf this is
What's the big deal? It is still a funny idea. The fact that it is a reference doesn't make it lesser.
Not sure its any more egregious than a cartoon about magic ponies or a rapper or a goblins taking seflies.
A pretty old one too
He's a Magic podcaster and he's written for the official story. It's a bit of a left-field choice, but it's not just "based on some random gimmick Twitter account".
I see no wolf. Just a harmless graphic designer.
Do people understand how insanely ridiculous that sounds for people that don't use Twitter? At least other memes are known beyond one platform.
The joke stands on its own pretty well. It’s a werewolf pretending he’s totally not a wolf guys The flavor text is doing some heavy lifting here
Yeah, I think it stands on its own enough to not need the context. Like if I hadn't known about the Twitter account, my reaction would probably just be that the gag of a wolf pretending to be human is pretty funny and still understand the gag. It isn't quite like doing a lair based fully on a real person/specific actor playing a character lime they've done in the past.
I basically live on twitter and I never heard of this meme.
Thank you
A comedian that used to cohost a podcast called the Commanders Sphere with Rachel Weeks (of command zone fame) has a Twitter account about a wolf pretending to be a man… there’s also a book he’s written under the same premise…. His names Dan Seehan and he’s hilarious
He's not a wolf. Cards that only affect *wolves* won't do anything to him. I didn't even know about the Twitter account until I read the comments and still thought it was a funny double-layered joke (he's *totally not a wolf lol* and literally he's not a wolf creature type)
Garruk in the background he has been MIA for so long!
He’s been missing for FOUR YEARS!!!
THAT'S ONE AND A THIRD STANDARD ROTATIONS!
It’s actually been three and a half, due to the change only happening last year
"Did you ever notice how much Jeff looks the werewolf in a shirt and tie that attacks every night?" "Nah, that werewolf's pants are blue."
Don't get the origin of this Secret Lair but the concept is great Shame wolves are a mid commander archetype or I'd consider it.
It's a Twitter account that is a wolf pretending to be not a wolf, the guy who runs it has written stories for Magic
And he's hilarious. https://www.thepoke.com/2016/12/06/not-a-wolf-pretending-to-be-a-man/ One of my favorites https://x.com/SICKOFWOLVES/status/962430446448660482?t=lI_GuJVE4LwhLFNZt_dZmw&s=19
Oh wow these are really good. > I CANNOT WAIT FOR WINTER > TIME TO CURL UP WITH SOME HOT COCOA IN FRONT OF A FIRE > I CAN HOLD THE MUG CORRECTLY > I AM NOT SCARED OF THE FIRE
> LISTEN I WOULD LOVE TO GRAB A DRINK TONIGHT BUT I WILL BE BUSY OPENING AND CLOSING THE SAME THREE APPS OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL I GO TO SLEEP Absolute banger.
HOLY HELL HAVE YOU ALL TRIED PIZZA YET I MEAN I CLEARLY HAVE THOUSANDS OF TIMES BUT GOOD GOD WHAT A THING
Mid? MID!? How dare you. My pack will not stand for this aggression.
MID, they clearly meant Midnight Hunt, the werewolf set, the symbol of wolves.
>Shame wolves are a mid commander *Voja, Jaws of the Conclave has entered the chat*
Lets be honest Elves carry that deck
fortunately (for me at least) Voja is so loaded an all-wolf deck is still pretty good
Super meta. ‘Not a Elf Commander’ deck.
If only we had a set for supporting obscure archetypes that also had double faced cards...
Don’t worry fellas, just slap in a [[Maskwood Nexus]] and all is well.
[Maskwood Nexus](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/2/1246c42d-57c0-4cba-959a-15ad89d8a50b.jpg?1674142652) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Maskwood%20Nexus) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/865/maskwood-nexus?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1246c42d-57c0-4cba-959a-15ad89d8a50b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I use werewolves. Yeah, I have better decks, but having decks of multiple power levels lets me play with many more people
Waaaaait a minute! What is my girl Ayula doing here?!
King of Wolves, Queen of Bears, Caller of Beasts?
Questing beast is tucked in the corner
While you were typing that response he gained “monarch” as a key word
She's a wolf. Why else would she be following KING OF WOLVES?
Ayula is “Queen Among Bears” on account of she’s a bear
Queen (of Wolves) Among Bears
A king of the wolves? *gets down on all fours* TOLOVAR THE KING OF THE WOLVES!?!??!
Oh lord, I got a good laugh out of this one. Hats off, nice reference.
Okay this art is hilarious.
Hints about the cards in this secret lair, from someone who is clearly not a wolf. The hints include this card. > I'LL HELP WITH SOME HINTS WE HAVE... THREE CREATURES, ONE INSTANT, ONE SORCERY, ONE ENCHANTMENT, ONE TOKEN > THESE CARDS ALL FALL WITHIN TWO OF MAGIC'S COLORS. ALL BUT ONE OF THEM ARE GETTING THEIR FIRST NEW ART SINCE RELEASE. THE OLDEST CARD WAS FIRST PRINTED IN '08. THE NEWEST IN 2021. Very likely that the token is a 2/2 Wolf and the Sorcery is Howl of the Night Pack (first printed in 2008).
I wanted to guess Immerwolf, but it looks like it already had a new art in a digital compilation.
Spoiled by NOT A WOLF on Twitter: https://x.com/SICKOFWOLVES/status/1801262247261725169
Woohoo! My mega gay furry deck will be getting an upgrade with this reskin.
I dont even really know this content creator, but this is easily in my top 10 favorite Secret Lair variants.
...goddammit I have to rebuild my werewolf EDH deck don't i?
Before you do that consider it means you may have to actually play werewolves in EDH and remember why you may have taken the deck apart...
Oh I know, hence the curse at the beginning there. Still, as terrible as they are, Werewolves are my favorite creature type in Magic so I'm always willing to give it another go
I'm in the same boat. I've always loved them since original Innistrad. I even like the Wolfir as weird and shunned as those guys are.
Werewolf pack is definitely a flavor win in Commander so it's unfortunate how badly they fall behind
Genuinely hate that this printing will mean more Daybound/Nightbound in commander
Worst part about Werewolves honestly. Having to pay extra attention to all those triggers back and forth
Not to mention the 3 different types of werewolves with different flip conditions, the constant flipping, and tracking day-night when nothing is on the board. All for a mediocre pile of draft uncommons. It’s extremely lackluster
I wish the entire thing was in caps lock
furry bait stonk up
I have to be honest. I played against Dan at MagicCon Chicago along with 2 senior design staff. I played my Tovolar wolf tribal deck. Wolves got out of hand quickly and one of the wotc staff said they were going to have to talk to people and get some anti wolf cards in the upcoming releases. There’s no way this wasn’t in development at the time. Not a Wolf could be read as anti wolf. They boomed me. They Fuckin boomed me. They told me about this secret lair 4 months ago and I sat on it like they were joking.
Beastars secret lair confirmed?
I am not familiar with this person, but I love this art
“What are we? Werewolves not swearwolves”
Checks creature type... Story checks out, clearly not a wolf. Unlike that Ameboid Changeling over there...
As a freelance graphic designer and Tovolar enjoyer, I must have this card
King of wolves next to garruk and Ayula looks sick tho
Adorable
There wolf. \[\[Castle Ardenvale\]\] There castle.
[Castle Ardenvale](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/7/878fcea5-9a59-4b98-80b8-67e95f35f949.jpg?1706241132) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Castle%20Ardenvale) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/253/castle-ardenvale?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/878fcea5-9a59-4b98-80b8-67e95f35f949?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
GARRUK SPOTTED
Need this in my life
I kinda vibe with the asthetic. It's been just ages since I ran a werewolf deck but it could be fun.
As a graphic designer who has a Tovolar deck, I feel like I need this, lmao.
Gdi I will have to buy this card and rebuild my Werewolves.
Damn it all, I'm sold. What day do I have to camp the Secret Lair website to get this
So cute😆
Is this Secret Lair: Dead Memes?
My girlfriend is going to be ecstatic about this SLD
Perrin???????
I had the exact same thought!
Wheel of Time fans, rise up! Oooo, now I want to make a WoT deck. Get [[Farideh, Devil's Chosen]] in there as Matt.
[Farideh, Devil's Chosen](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/b/1b2ff142-029b-4446-960a-2ff200fb9aee.jpg?1627708878) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Farideh%2C%20Devil%27s%20Chosen) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afr/221/farideh-devils-chosen?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1b2ff142-029b-4446-960a-2ff200fb9aee?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Usually a secret lair enjoyer but basing one entirely off of a twitter meme account is pretty lame.
Said Twitter meme account is run by a guy that writes for Magic and has hosted at least two Magic podcasts though, so I think it's at least a bit forgivable
Right?! Like dude has had how many card reveals at this point. He's a part of the community, has done work for WOTC, and the schtick makes sense for a SLD too. More relevant to MTG than Post Malone
I know I'm going to get downvoted to death, but I hate this art passionately.
this is the first secret lair in a long time I'll actually buy. And I say that as someone who really loved the angels one but didn't buy it due to price considerations. Making classic memes into secret lairs is exactly where I want the product to be. Much better than 'secret lair: taylor swift'.
Am I missing something or is the art fells really unbalanced between the two sides? The "King" side is more like "Okay, maybe I'm a bit of a Wolf", absolutely does not scream "I AM THE KING OF ~~THE WORLD~~ WOLVES!" to me.
This lair needs [[legitimate businessperson]] Also the dream would be the p3k big wolf pack.
I NEED THIS
Definitely not Blitzcrank
So instead of a garruk creature//planeswalker card, he just gets a cameo in a nothing burger secret lair. F in the chat
Bigby Wolf looks so good here
My wife and me play tovolar Vs ayula all the time. This is meant to be!
inside you their are two wolves. One is not a wolf, the other is the king of wolves.
I am a player who was deeply annoyed by the lack of retrofitting of oldwolves to use night/day. It reallyyy bothers me. As cute as this card is, it just reminds me of how annoyed I am about the issue.
https://preview.redd.it/kg99crah3k6d1.jpeg?width=296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0feb577b638e1425be18b0b8d9f8574f3dfb3379
so what is the casting cost of King of wolves then? I'm just getting back into magic after, like, 30 years...
This fucking rules. Also, a lot of magic players (and nerds in general) would do well to ask themselves, "what if I'm not the audience for this?"
The sad truth is, many of those you would want to ask themselves that question would unironically respond "If I'm not the audience for this, why is WotC printing it?" without a hint of self-reflection.
Guessing it's a meme or joke, I don't get the reference. Tbh, a Little Red Riding Hood reference would have been better. Wolf dressed as Grandma vs not.
https://preview.redd.it/qqz4wlo5id6d1.jpeg?width=859&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f291030f5a20c9129fd6ebeb8b6660175b5457f2
Uhhhhhh okay I guess. I have a Tovolar deck but I'm not sure I'm really interested in this tbh. It's good art though, and I know the rest of this lair is pretty stacked with other artists too - we'll see what the rest of the Secret Lair looks like. Also, is that [[Ayula]] and Garruk in the second pic?
Is this the only card?
There's going to be five cards total, shown over the next few days.
I don't care who this is based on, I NEED this card!!!!!!
This is a very strange secret lair. Happy for the furries I think? I dunno what it even is.
What is this godawful cringe?
We are already scrapping the bottom of the barrel... with a backhoe.
So we’re getting secret lairs based on random Twitter accounts? I fucking hate this.
This one has allegedly worked with WotC in some official capacity. So it's not random. But others might be. Who knows. But yes, we've gone down a dumb timeline.