Aang was a clue, Katara confirms it: Allies are back!
We’re already getting some huge spikes, and the set isn’t released until mid-November! I think there will be some space for the spike prices to settle down, inventories to reload, and then once the set is in hand, the Ally specs will go wild.
So today, I want to talk about not just the Allies, but the accessories and the timing, so that we can be ready when a new wave of players are building these decks.
Before we get to the cards, let’s review a couple of concepts. First, no spec is risk-free. We have lots of ways that these cards might get reprinted, but old Allies seem tricky to reprint in the main set. While there won’t be Commander decks for this set, there’s plenty of risk in a bonus sheet, Secret Lairs, or Special Guest inclusions. There’s no way to know for sure.
Second, I usually list prices on all the cards but all the Allies are deep in flux and we’re trying to think a level beyond that. So some of these will have prices and others not.
Let’s talk cards!
Turntimber Ranger, Hagra Diabolist, Sea Gate Loremaster, Agadeem Occultist, General Tazri: All of these are experiencing some level of buyout, and could have more of that happen soon. If you find copies for pre-spike prices, great! I got in for two playsets of LP foil Rangers, but that’s as much as I was able to get.
If there is an ‘Ally Deck’ I fully expect it’ll be a combination of old and new Allies, which will mean that some old ZEN foils will spike hard. I always recommend selling into hype, and so if you have them, feel free to list at the new plateau and see if someone bites. The other option will be to wait for the spike when everyone knows about the cards, not just the folks who are rabid for new news and are invested in being on top of the newest information. That will probably be a bigger spike, but if you can take your profits, take your profits and move on. It’s entirely possible that everything with the type Ally will go wild, especially because there’s no Commander deck to reprint a bunch of Allies in.
Zulaport Cutthroat (Rainbow Foil $16) – I picked this on the MTG Fast Finance cast a week or two ago, but the Frank Frazetta version of this card is by far the prettiest version available, and supply is close to maximum. I always forget that this one is an Ally, so we’re really at a great confluence of specs here.
Ally accessories: Again, no Commander deck means that one of the main reprint risks isn’t around, so we’ve got good chances on all of these.
Roaming Throne (borderless foil $33) – The regular nonfoil is $30, so why not spend a couple bucks extra? Katara is doing the same thing, but the Throne copies everything you want to copy as well. I’m always surprised when I see that this hasn’t been reprinted since LCI, considering its popularity.
Realmwalker (pack foil $4) – I think these have the most room to grow, considering that the SL version in rainbow foil is $16. Every Kindred (focused on a creature type) deck should think about running this, and especially ones where you want to run a critical mass, plus they have low casting costs.
Patriarch’s Bidding (MH2 etched foil $5) – I run this in more than one Kindred deck, and frankly, it’s busted good in those decks. It’s a way to get ALL of your triggers at once, and it’s wonderful insurance against everything short of Farewell. MH2 was printed and then some, but there’s only three shiny versions of this card: this etched, the pack foil from MH2, and the foil from Onslaught, which is at $70+ for the NM copies.
Elesh Norn, Mother Of Machines (concept foil $48) – I like this version best, as it’s easy to read, rare, and there’s no other versions with the same art. If you wanted to buy regular nonfoils in the $20 range, that’s totally valid, as this card might not be an Ally, but Allies trigger abilities left and right, which you want more of. Denying it to your opponents is also amazing, and some decks just fold to this card.
Yarok, the Desecrated (Halo Foil $25) – We want to double up on triggers, and Yarok is another way to do that. Halo foils, especially mythics are in short supply, so this has a chance to show big gains.
Brago, King Eternal (Rainbow Foil $8) – The best version, up $3 since May, there’s only an etched foil to compete with, and flickering Allies is a great way to get the table to concede to your greatness.
Virtue of Knowledge (showcase foil $5) – Double the triggers, on an enchantment!
Titan of Littjara (FEA $7) – Why not draw some cards for playing Allies?
Kindred Discovery (Anime Foil $25) – There’s not a lot of these left and just a few purchases will have this over $40. It’s good in any Kindred deck, so it’s a good spec even if you aren’t sold on Allies.
And They Shall Know No Fear (Surge foil $23) – The nonfoil is close to $10 and there’s a lot more copies of it out there. Teferi’s Protection is three mana, though, and this does a lot to save your stuff for a mere two mana.
Maskwood Nexus/Birthing Boughs ($5/$2 foil) – There’s no special versions of either card as yet, and nothing makes Ally tokens, so you have to settle for Changeling tokens. The Boughs is down to less than fifty vendors, and only one of those is at more than six copies. All told, it’s a card that is close to popping off.
Urza’s Incubator (borderless foil $30) – There are several lesser versions available, all near the same price, but only a handful of the special foils. That would be the best target for a deck filled with cards that want a reduction like this.
Herald’s Horn (Buy-a-Box FIC $7) – The perfect storm of a great Kindred card and max supply with the promo versions, a wonderful time to stock up on a card.
Blade of Selves (Rainbow Foil $10) – All the Final Fantasy lairs got cracked looking for elementals, and there’s a lot of this on the market right now. Get your copies!
Molten Echoes ($6) – There is no special version, no foil at all, just the two nonfoil Commander printings. That said, it’s a remarkably powerful card in a Kindred deck, and I would expect this to have a jump when Allies are a big thing again.
Cliff (@WordOfCommander at Twitter and BlueSky) has been writing for MTGPrice since 2013, and is an eager Commander player, Draft enthusiast, and Cube fanatic. A high school science teacher by day, he’s also the co-host of the MTG Fast Finance podcast. If you’re ever at a GP and you see a giant flashing ‘CUBE DRAFT’ sign, go over, say hi, and be ready to draft.