All posts by Cliff Daigle

I am a father, teacher, cuber and EDH fanatic. My joy is in Casual and Limited formats, though I dip a toe into Constructed when I find something fun to play. I play less than I want to and more than my schedule should really allow. I can easily be reached on Twitter @WordOfCommander. Try out my Busted Uncommons cube at http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/76330
ProTrader

PROTRADER: PucaPicks for 1/5/2017

11 Comments

I have to admit, spoiler season is tricky on PucaTrade.

For the most part, stuff doesn’t happen fast on there. I find that a lot of Standard cards move pretty quick, but a lot of people are cautious this time of year. Some things are already spiking in anticipation of being played with new cards, which is always a fun exercise.

I like the optimism of what people don’t want to let go of right now, but I want to look at the Battle for Zendikar block and pick some cards for long-term appeal. It’s possible that these could spike during their remaining months in Standard, but these are mostly picks that will be paying off in the long term.

Some of these are unique effects, some are casual gold. All of these are cards I’ve got on my want list, and some have been mentioned by me or by others before.

On to the cards!

The rest of this content is only visible to ProTrader members.

To learn how ProTrader can benefit YOU, click here to watch our short video.

expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

Casual Fridays

Resolutions, Past and Future

1 Comment

I’ve done it before and I’m bringing back the standby: The New Year’s Resolutions.

In case you want to delve into my past in this regard, here’s my list from last year, which includes a retrospective on the year before.

2016 was a pretty awesome year for me in Magic.

#1: Use PucaTrade to Acquire a Gaea’s Cradle.

Done! I paid a bounty, but my goodness, did it feel good to pick one up. I’ve chronicled my ups and downs with Puca in the past, but this year has been a very good one for me with Pucatrade. I’ve gotten a Cradle, multiple SDCC foils, a judge foil Sol Ring…yeah, it’s going well for me.

Like many others, I’ve had to work more at things since Future Site came along. There’s a lot of people who are trying to trade up via the site, and so it’s not as easy as it was. But I remain invested, and optimistic.

#2: Have a Regular Magic scene

Done! I don’t get to go as much as I want, but I’ve got good babysitters and an even better Commander group. Oh it feels nice, and there’s a healthy mix of insane combo and janky durdling.

#3: Trust my reads more

Working on it. I did a lot more selling than buying this year, though, and I’ve decided to stick to playsets of things. I keep my stack of 50-odd Prophet of Kruphix in a clearly visible location. I’m not one for going deep anymore.

#4: Get and stay organized

Mostly done. I’m down to two binders. One for trading and one for long-term holds that don’t go into storage, as well as my signed cards. I just prefer keeping them in a binder, rather than a box.

#5: Be on a podcast

I didn’t actually write this out here, I said it on Twitter, but podcasting is fun. It’s crossed off my to-do list, and I got to do casts with both James and Travis as they each went on warm vacations.

Ideally, I’d have the chance to do that more, but we will see.

 

So what are my goals for 2017?

#1: Make Day 2 of a Grand Prix

So I’m going to have a couple of chances at this, in a variety of formats. I haven’t done it yet, and I don’t think any less of myself for it…but I really want it. I mean, REALLY want it.

It’s going to take more practice and more discipline from me. I know that I trade with a clear eye and a calculating demeanor, and I am good enough at Magic to make a day 2. I’ve been at this long enough to have come close a few times, and this is a goal I should be able to pull off. I hope.

#2: Spend more money

It seems silly coming from me, someone who’s been writing about Magic finance for more than three years, but I’ve been taking a lot more profit out of my collection than I’ve been putting in. I sold my all-foil deck for a pretty penny this year, and that was satisfying indeed, even as it tore a piece out of my magpie of a soul.

Like many of you, I follow people on Twitter who sell cards every so often. I buy on occasion, when the value is there, but I know that I would be making more if I spent more. I’m not talking crazy stacks of money or cards, but I want to have a bankroll that is just for Magic, and not subject to the vagaries of how often I have to buy shoes for my kids.

#3: Build a Cube

One of the guys I play with has a powered Cube, and he loves it. He’s built and disassembled several over his career, and I want one.

However, I’m far too random for a stock list, and I am really leaning towards making mine an experience. I’m very likely to build the Reject Rare Cube, but I might pick a block.

It’s a nice feeling to know that there are enough people I play with regularly, that this Cube would see some play. I might foil it out, I might not. Foiling out something like this usually a profitable undertaking, but it’s so much work. I did it once and I’m not sure I have the patience for another go-round.

#4: Treat Magic as a social event, not just a game or a financial transaction.

I recently realized that a lot of my interactions around the game are ancillary to my primary goal: To have fun with other people.

Yes, I trade with an eye for value. I loathe being the one who gives up a $20 card for four $5 cards, unless that’s a playset of Eldrazi Displacer.

But what I get from this game hasn’t just been value. It’s been friends. It’s been fun. It’s been connections that I value highly, and I want a lot more of that.

You may have seen people recently questioning the EV of a Grand Prix Main Event. That’s valid, considering the prices. I’ll be writing about this exact issue as we get close to GP San Jose.

There’s a lot to be gained from everything else happening at these events, which really are conventions. Look around at a GP. Artists, accessories, a bazillion side events. Look at the people who got together for the first time in forever and rented a house together. Look at the kids and their parents playing alongside. Look at the sheer number of people having a blast, even the ones who simply measure their fun by how many unwanted commons they scoop up.

I want to keep my eye on everything that’s good about this community. There is a long way to go before it’s perfect, as we have too many players who aren’t welcoming or appropriate in their interactions, but the game is awesome and the people should be too.

Yes, 2016 has had a lot of awful things happen. Some are going to last for years.

Here’s to a better 2017, one filled with fun and Masterpieces and sweet brews and incredible stories.

ProTrader

PROTRADER: PucaPicks for 12/29/16

It’s the end of the year, and despite this being a lull in news, there’s lots of news! We’ve learned what most of the Aether Revolt Inventions are, and we’ve heard people whine about Ornithopter.

I don’t suppose it’s news that a whole lot of the Affinity deck got Invention versions, as that’s a deck that combines some awesome artifacts. Enchantress decks will have their day in the sun too.

We are about to get hyped on sweet, sweet spoiler coverage starting just next week, and that’s always a sneaky, sneaky time financially. Some cards are going to spike as new combos are revealed. Some will drop as new answers are printed.

I want to look at things that still have nearly a year to go in Standard, because there’s three sets’ worth of cards to make them spike. You may or may not agree with some of these, and that’s what the comments and the forums are for.

To the picks!

The rest of this content is only visible to ProTrader members.

To learn how ProTrader can benefit YOU, click here to watch our short video.

expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

Casual Fridays

What I’m buying pre-Christmas

2 Comments

Oh do I love this time of year. It’s a lull, mostly, but I’m a big believer in buying yourself at least one present each year. Doesn’t have to be big. Just needs to be something you want…and probably something that someone else isn’t going to get you.

In other words…oh, have a meme.

I bought myself a card I’ve been craving for a couple of years now, a Liliana of the Dark Realms, SDCC version. Why? Because I’m silly and eBay has been good to me. I am awesome and I deserve it.

But you’re here to hear about other things you should be buying, and I’m here to oblige you.

Inventions and Expeditions!

I’ve promised myself that I am not going to get in on the speculation train when it comes to the other 23 cards that are going to get the Invention treatment. I’ve completely given up on that stuff (aside from the other Swords. That’s just a given.) and I won’t do it.

What I will do is get in on anyone who is letting Inventions and Expeditions go right now. Supply just got the smallest boost thanks to the Standard Showdowns, and people are overreacting for some of the most chase versions of cards. It’s a buyer’s market, and act accordingly. Ebay has some good deals, as do some of the bigger sites, and if you see them pop up on Twitter or Facebook, move in.

Cryptbreaker

The little one-drop that could, I love this card for a lot of reasons, not least of which is that it’s around for six months longer than they planned for. That means untested interactions, overlooked combos, and a price that could hop nicely. I’m eyeing Standard here, as he doesn’t seem good enough for Modern.

The foils are terribly intriguing at sub-$4, because it’s a really great member of an iconic tribe. Being able to draw with him in a Commander deck is sweet, so I’m with you if you snag some shiny copies.

Eldritch Evolution

It hasn’t been broken yet. But that doesn’t mean it won’t. It’s harder to break, as it’s one-shot and then exiled, but the potential is there. We know how good this effect is, so we are just waiting for the deck to arrive. When it does, we want to have some copies ready for others who are following the leader.

Deploy the Gatewatch (foil)

Are you kidding me that this is down to $5-$6? It’s just too easy. Grab these. All of these. Don’t leave any behind. And then sit on them. You’re incubating value when you put these in the time capsule and don’t open it up for two years. It’ll get reprinted along the way, but almost certainly not in foil and that’s where we want to be. Lots of Commander players have the magpie’s eye for things that are shiny–including myself–and we want to feed that need.

Eldrazi Displacer

It’s worth repeating: This is a busted Magic card. Unfair. Powerful. Warping decks and minds around it. I love picking up foils and nonfoils. Get crazy.

Oath of Nissa

Heck yes do I love this at under $2. No one plays this in small amounts, it’s almost always the full set. It’s fallen out of favor because it doesn’t help out delirium the way Vessel of Nascency does, but this remains analogous to a green Ponder. It’s not as good, true, but it’s still quite strong. There’s also a case to be made for turn one this, turn two Oath of Ajani, turn three profit.

Linvala, the Preserver

If nothing else, she should see a spike soon if Panharmonicon decks take off. There’s a lot of powerful interactions in that deck, but nothing catches you up like she does. I’m surprised that Eldritch Evolution isn’t seeing play in those decks yet, but I keep trying to find ways to make it work.

She’s a small-set mythic, at $2, part of one of the best and most-loved tribes in Magic. If nothing else, she carries very little risk. Enjoy!