$40 Powerhouse Commander Reprint Riddled with Fun Easter Eggs

Last updated on February 5, 2025

Deflecting Swat | Illustration by Jesper Ejsing

It feels like we've been getting a lot of great Secret Lairs lately, and WotC shows no signs of slowing down. There are multiple Secret Lairs aimed for release five days from now (on Feb 10), one of which comes from renowned MTG artist Jesper Ejsing. Shared by the artist on their Instagram account, this Secret Lair brings their distinctive and classic art style to four powerful reprints:

Remember that Secret Lairs almost always come with an extra bonus card. In Ejsing's opening video on Instagram, he actually pulls two copies of Llanowar Elves from the package, one being an “artist sketch” version that's often included in these artist-specific drops. It's sealed with the other cards, so likely doesn't count as the bonus card, which remains to be seen.

Sun Titan

This gorgeous rendition of Sun Titan brings fierce competition in the “best art” category for this classic EDH staple. It's unclear how much involvement Ejsing had with the flavor text on these cards, but this Sun Titan's flavor text is a clever nod to Saffi Eriksdotter, which creates a well-known infinite combo with Sun Titan and other sacrifice outlets.

Breeches, Eager Pillager

Breeches, Eager Pillager is a staple for pirate decks, though it lacks much broad appeal. Either way, this Lost Caverns Breeches looks positively devious in this art, as if he were pulling his best Jack Sparrow impression. And hey, this card's still Standard-legal for a while!

Llanowar Elves

This is the meanest looking mana dork, isn't it? Ejsing's rendition of Llanowar Elves looks like the kind of mana dork who shakes your Bird of Paradise down for its lunch money. Moral of the story: don't mess with the Elves' trees! And thanks to Foundations, you could play this Llanowar Elves in Standard up through 2029!

Deflecting Swat

Deflecting Swat is the main focus here, as it's somehow even more of a staple than Sun Titan at this point (and carries a hefty $40 price tag to match). Free spells are just that good it seems, as Deflecting Swat is a really cool way to mess with your opponent's plans at your utter convenience. Cool art and power level aren't the only thing going on here though…

References Abound

Deflecting Swat | Illustration by Jesper Ejsing

As an artist for over 200 Magic cards, Ejsing has drawn a lot of MTG. Thus for his Deflecting Swat, he made sure to include many beloved cards that he brought to life in the past. In fact, Jesper insisted online that there are a total of 30 references to past cards he drew here! See if you can spot these five above to start:

• Colossal Dreadmaw (almost impossible to miss this one!)
• Arahbo, Roar of the World
• Anara, Wolvid Familiar
• Ayula, Queen Among Bears
• Hedron Crab

Fan Reception

Reception to this Secret Lair Drop was very positive, with fans on reddit being thrilled by the choice of artist, and the power level of the drop (particularly Sun Titan and Deflecting Swat). There was also some discussion about the references, though no one seemed even close to reaching those elusive 30 Easter eggs….

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