Let’s talk about rares, baby!
Well, let’s talk about some of the rares. There’s a few worth discussing but mostly, like in all sets, the rares are forgotten except when it’s time to open your draft packs. That’s the only time you’re hoping for something like a Bygone Bishop.
These are prices from TCG preorders, and I’m predicting what the prices will be when Kaladesh arrives. Keep in mind that an old piece of advice rings true this weekend: Trade everything you open. Prices are at maximum this weekend, so even your sweet foil mythic is going to go down. If you opened a foil Olivia, Mobilized for War and traded it opening weekend, that was $30 or so, now at $15. If you want to lock in value, get rid of it all immediately this weekend.
Bruna, the Fading Light ($1.50) – So this is a rare, whereas the other half is a mythic. I’m not sure why that was done but it means that one half of the Meld creature is much more common than the other, and this is a seven drop with not a lot of appeal outside of certain Commander decks. Getting the creature back immediately is good, though. I think this stays around $2, but just like Gisela, I think this being the Meld makes the foil highly sought after, and the foils will be between $15-$20.
Cryptbreaker ($2.50) – I have to admit, I’m super stoked about this card. There’s a lot of Zombies who don’t mind being in the graveyard, but the second ability is really fantastic. The casual appeal is why this card is so high right now, and that will taper down to the $1 range, but I would expect the foils to be in the $5-$7 range.
Distended Mindbender ($3) – I am hesitant about the Emerge mechanic, though it’s a fair way to cheat on mana costs. This offers the potential of discarding two cards and giving you a 5/5, but you already sacrificed a real card to get the 5/5. It’s possible that Kaladesh or the set after offer some amazing value to sacrifice, but until then, I’m skeptical. Bulk.
Eldritch Evolution ($8) – The hype machine is off and running for this card. I think that the price memory will keep this high, even as the number of decks playing it isn’t too numerous. You have to find something gamebreaking with the card, because it is straight card disadvantage. You’re not going to grind people out with this as we used to with Birthing Pod, you’re going to search up a gamewinner. I’ve seen a lot of lists trying to utilize this in many ways, but it’s notable that the preorder price has dropped $2 in the last week. I think this struggles to be a $5 card until it gets broken and then $15 seems easy. Foils are preselling for $28 and that’s right in line with what I would expect after the card breaks a Pro Tour metagame.
Hanweir Garrison ($2.50) – This is intriguing indeed. There are people comparing this to Goblin Rabblemaster, and that’s not unfair. What really makes it shine is how easily this plays with Thalia’s Lieutenant, and please note these tokens don’t go away. I think this price stays right about where it is, and might even go up during the next block.
Spell Queller ($7.50) – This is a hard price for an in-print rare to maintain, even one from a small set. I won’t be surprised to see it dip down to $5 and then climb back up to $10 if it sees lots of play. I have to admit that I’m leery at this price, and I want to see it do well before I move in on it. It’s powerful but it’s two colors, conditional, but it will absolutely win some games. I like what this does to Collected Company mirror matches!
Splendid Reclamation ($2.50) – The foils are preselling for $14 or more, and that’s a huge multiplier. I suspect that is Commander tech, and not necessarily something Modern cares about. I’ve looked, and seen a few murmurs that Legacy Lands decks love this card, but again, I would be leery of buying just on hype. Day’s Undoing for $20+ anyone?
Thalia, Heretic Cathar ($6.50) – Speaking of the CoCo mirror match! If you’ve ever played with Imposing Sovereign or the like, you know making creatures come in tapped is a very powerful ability. It puts them a full turn behind, and in a properly aggressive deck, that’s an enormous tempo play. She is the buy-a-box promo, but as we have seen with cards like Rabblemaster and Sylvan Caryatid, that doesn’t mean cheap. Modern and Legacy decks are absolutely going to try her out, and all this put together means I would expect her price to tick upward to $8 or so, and remain there for a while. When she rotates out in a year and a half, I’m going to want to get a lot of her to store away, because she’s also an amazing Commander card.