By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

10 Big Winners of the Week

10. Obstinate Baloth (M11)
From $1.68 to $1.88 (11.90%)

Obstinate Baloth has been recovering from its dip a few weeks ago.

It should never have gotten so low in the first place. It is a powerful sideboard card against Liliana of the Veil and other discard cards. It comes down as a solid 4/4 four four mana while buffering your life total against burn or helping a midrange deck recover from early aggression.

It shows up in Melira Pod, Abzan Midrange, Jund, Scapeshift and Temur Tempo decks among others. I believe it is rightfully returning to $2 but I do not see it growing too much further than that.

You can still purchase them for as little as $0.76 and sell them for $1.10. They also make excellent toss ins to even up deals.

9. Sylvan Caryatid (Theros)
From $9.49 to $10.64 (12.12%)

Sylvan Caryatid is going to be used in every single standard deck that runs green and any other combination of colors. It will help you fix your mana for wedges and accelerate into a turn three Polukranos or Xenagos, the Reveler.

It is playable in three out of five wedges and will be a workhorse in any attempt to make five colors work.

I am ready to declare it the most played creature in standard six weeks from now.

It was the Buy a Box promo for Theros  and a rare in a heavily opened set but I will not be surprised when these sustain $15 for the rest of their time in standard.

8. Nylea, God of the Hunt (Theros)
From $6.17 to $6.97 (12.67%)

Everyone is busy talking about wedges and new three color decks but some people are going to look at tried and true block strategies like Monogreen Devotion. There are a host of powerful creatures to help build devotion and she has been seen in two color builds like Gruul Devotion and Golgari Devotion as well.

She makes an easy splash and helps your big creatures get through for damage. Unfortunately she sits in the already crowded four mana spot on the curve.

She will certainly see $8 but I do not think she will quite see $9. The important thing is that she is getting attention so you can trade her away for maximum value and let others work out her role in the new standard.

7. Fabled Hero (Theros)
From $1.17 to $1.33 (13.68%)

Fabled Hero has proved potent in block Azorius Heroic and Naya Aggro strategies. You can throw powerful bestow creatures and auras on him and let him wreck your opponent.

Will he see play? I do not know. I do know that his foil can be purchased for as little as $1.49 which is almost the same as the regular copies. I would grab foils as a hedge with minimal investment. If he sees any play then I could see the foils hitting $10 without any problems.

If not you can still try get out without losing your shirt.

6. Nyx-Fleece Ram (Journey into Nyx)
From $1.75 to $2.08 (18.86%)

Nyx-Fleece Ram has had a tremendous impact for an innocuous creature. It helps create a life buffer and holds back even Goblin Rabblemaster (when did he become $10?!) and even the most Temur of 4/4s with ease.

It is currently being played in Orzhov Control, Esper Control and Boros Aggro.

Each of these decks was already interested in life gain. I believe he will have a role in the new standard but as an uncommon $2 is about the best it can hope for.

Banishing Light from the same set is $3 and that is an answer to Planeswalkers, gods, fatties, and a host of things the humble Ram can only gaze upon with dismay.

I would move them and get the $0.90 buylist or $2 trades for cards that look like draft droppings.

5. Thought Reflection (Shadowmoor)
From $0.99 to $1.18 (19.19%)

Thought Reflection feels like exactly the kind of overcosted binder bulk that sounds like a fun inclusion in a Commander deck.

The problem is that at seven mana it still does nothing on its own. Consecrated Sphinx just does so much more and costs less to cast.

Staff of Nin is better most of the time and is cheaper. It can be purchased for as little as $0.16 and sold for $0.37.

That said you can still buy Thought Reflection for as little as $0.49 and sell them for $0.53.

4. Mana Confluence (Journey into Nyx)
From $13.47 to $16.07 (19.30%)

Get used to Mana Confluence because you are going to be seeing a lot of them. Every midrange three color deck is going to want some number in their decklist. Many two color aggro lists could play them and enable a splash card in the sideboard.

There are even enough cards that provide incidental life gain like Nyx-Fleece Ram and Courser of Kruphix that negate the downside of Mana Confluence entirely.

Speaking of Courser of Kruphix you can still buy them for as little as $9.90 from some vendors and sell them for $11.21. This is despite ready availability from Clash packs.

Modern uses them in Ad Nauseam. Both Legacy and Vintage dredge decks run a play set.

Mana Confluence will be a seeing $20 soon. I would wait for that time and trade or sell them. I think that they will be at least $15 for the rest of their life in standard. In the long term this may be as cheap as they get until a reprint so if you want them for Legacy I would bite the bullet and get your play set now.

3. Soldier of the Pantheon (Theros)
From $2.32 to $2.85 (22.84%)

Soldier of the Pantheon looked like a hedge against powerful multicolor threats from Return to Ravnica. Now it is being considered again as an answer to powerful wedge cards.

It is already used in Selesnya Aggro and Brave Naya lists. If there is a white weenie build in Khans standard this will certainly be a headliner. It will also be in white control sideboards to hold back threats like Zurgo Helmsmasher indefinitely.

You can still pick them up for as cheap as $1.26 and sell them for as much as $1.70.

2. Keranos, God of Storms (Journey into Nyx)
From $13.54 to $18.04 (33.23%)

Is Keranos the God of Hype? Any number of authors have espoused him as a patron of card advantage. He is in decklists in every single format.

He can help you dig for spells, destroy creatures or is simply a clock for your opponent. In a world where players life totals are gouged by fetchlands, painlands and Mana Confluence a free Lightning Bolt or two can make a huge difference.

He has grown a lot from the $7 he was a month ago. If you got in at $8 when I told you then take your profit and be on your way. If you are a gambler you can wait just a little longer. He will still see $20 but I am hesitant to say he will get to $25. There is nothing wrong with getting out now. Corbin says you should leave the last 10% to the next guy.

1. Polukranos, World Eater (Theros)
From $7.67 to $10.64 (38.72%)

Standard Gruul Devotion, Monogreen devotion, Golgari Rock, Jund Monsters and Golgari Chord all run this monstrous hydra. It is a potent threat and can clear the board of annoying utility creatures like Soldiers of the Pantheon or Elvish Mystic.

He was in Theros and the Heroes vs Monsters duel deck. He is already being listed at $15 by some vendors.

I really like the foil copies that are only $12.70. They are not as diluted and have more room to grow if it becomes the role player we all think he will be.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Enemy Fetchlands (Zendikar)
From an average of $54.08 to $44.27 (-18.13%)

The Modern mana fixing monopoly of Zendikar fetchlands has come to an end.

Scarcity will do a lot for you but when there is a supply shock in cards that can fit your roles then that will take a toll on you.

People have already been speculating on whether these will be reprinted in Louie or Modern Masters 2. I almost think that the Onslaught fetchlands will make this a moot point. You no longer need to pay $300 to $400 for a playset of lands like you would have earlier this year. Here are the individual break downs.

Arid Mesa
From $43.18 to $36.48 (-15.52%)

This is used in modern Jeskai Control, Red Deck wins and Burn. Legacy uses it in Jeskai Miracles, Jeskai Delver, Burn and Imperial Painter.

Verdant Catacombs
From $45.16 to $38.14 (-15.54%)

Modern uses Catacombs in Jund and Golgari Rock. Legacy uses it in Elves, Shardless sultai, Sultai Delver and ANT.

Scalding Tarn
From $69.24 to $56.87 (-17.87%)

The mighty have fallen. Modern Twin Exarch and Izzet Delver use Tarns. Legacy uses them in Jeskai Miracles, Azorius Miracles, ANT, OmniTell, Jeskai Delver and Burn.

Misty Rainforest
From $70.24 to $57.03 (-18.81%)

Rainforests are used in modern Twin Exarch, Izzet Delver and legacy Shardless Sultai, Storm, OmniShow, Elves, and Stoneblade decks.

Marsh Flats
From $42.58 to $32.82 (-22.92%)

Modern uses it in Jund, Boros Midrange and Abzan. Legacy uses it in Shardless Sultai and Esper Stoneblade.

The bottom line is that all of them are still role players in major decks in eternal formats. I think the new prices of $30 to $50 are still respectable but with the new fetchlands commanding $15 to $20 each I could still see some room to drop a bit.

I told you to move them if you are not playing with them and that holds true now more than ever. Anyone who was sitting on them may start to cut their losses. That will increase the copies flocking to buylists and eBay. This will put further downward pressure on the price. I would say get out but even that advice is too little too late at this point.

4. Mutavault (Morningtide)
From $32.55 to $23.98 (-26.33%)

Mutavault is used in standard Monoblue Devotion, Monoblack Devotion, Red Deck wins and basically almost every other deck in the format.

In eternal formats it is used in modern and legacy Merfolk and Modern UB Faeries, Esper Delver and even Twin Exarch.

It will take a beating as copies are sold off at rotation but the roles are filled. Mutavault will continue to lose steam until it gets to around $15.

3. Reflecting Pool (Shadowmoor)
From $11.63 to $8.33 (-28.37%)

The Conspiracy reprint really killed this card. It is still used in modern Kiki Pod, Cruel Control and even Bloom Titan but usually only as a single copy. It is unfortunate that you need to have the mana already available to make this card shine. It is a popular inclusion in commander decks of all shapes and sizes.

You can still buy them for as little as $4.95 and sell them for $5.76.

2. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
From $16.58 to $11.51 (-30.58%)

Standard control decks that include black will want this to help fix their colors. If you want to cast a host of 2/2 zombies at your opponent’s end step then this is the card that can help you get past the four black mana in the cost.

Modern uses it in Abzan, Gifts Control, 8rack and Dead Guy Ale. Legacy uses it in Loam, Tezzeret, ControlPox and Stoneblade.

You can still get them for $7.60 and sell them for up to $10.01.

1. Huntmaster of the Fells (Dark Ascension)
From $5.95 to $4.05 (-31.93%)

What a fine sale!

It is next to impossible to reprint and is used in modern Splinter Twin, Jund, Temur Tempo, Tarmo Twin and Kiki Pod. Legacy even uses it in Nic Fit. This is probably the cheapest you will ever see it and it has plenty of room to grow. I would trade for them aggressively.

By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

This week we are going to shake things up a little. In the wake of Khans spoilers and impending rotation there have been a lot more cards losing value than gaining value. This week we will have 5 Big Winners and 10 Big Losers.

5 Big Winners of the Week

5. Leyline of Sanctity (M11)
From $20.48 to $22.80 (11.33%)

Leyline of Sanctity is a sideboard all star. It can protect you from burn and many types of combos. The best part is that you can begin the game with it on the battlefield without even paying mana.

It blanks Thoughtseize, Cabal Therapy, Lava Spike, Grindstone and much more.

It is used in RG Tron, Amulet of Vigor, Ad Nauseam, Bogles and UR Tron sideboards.

Legacy uses it in OmniTell and even Manaless Dredge.

This card will only continue to increase in price until it is reprinted. My best guess for that would be either Modern Masters 2 or the final core set.

4. Maralen of the Mornsong (Morningtide)
From $3.20 to $3.58 (11.88%)

Maralen turns long grindy games of commander into a shorter game of “Who can disrupt the combo?”

The pieces are not of her combo deck are not new or expensive. The entire deck can be put together for under $10 which is part of its charm. She has been losing momentum. She was recently a bulk rare but it looks like she may only make it to $4 to $5 dollars.

You can still buy her for as little as $2.00 and sell her for as much as $2.23.

3. Doubling Cube (Fifth Dawn)
From $6.33 to $7.26 (14.69%)

Doubling Cube has only been printed twice. The first time was in Fifth Dawn and them again in 10^th Edition.

It is a fun inclusion in Commander decks that are looking to ramp for huge amounts of mana. It is a very nice inclusion in a Kruphix, God of Horizons deck.

Speaking of the God of Horizons you can buy him for $2.49 and sell him for $2.80. His price tag is just simply too low for a mythic rare god in a set that was so sparsely opened.

It can also work well in conjunction with sources that produce more than one mana at a time like Nykthos.

It is a unique and powerful effect. It has spent a long time bouncing between $5 and $6. It looks like it has broken its ceiling and I could see it finally getting to $10 which will be the new value.

2. Goblin Guide (Zendikar)
From $23.53 to $28.02 (19.08%)

What can be said about Goblin Guide that has not been written dozens of times before? It is one of the most powerful one drops in Modern and Legacy burn and aggro decks. Zoo wants it. Red deck wins wants it.

This price increase is the result of building demand rather than hype. It has been quietly shocking players every turn for years and has more than earned its new price.

There are still opportunities to profit from the sudden increase. You can still buy them for as little as $20.00 and sell them for as much as $22.22.

The foil copies are still only $30.41 which is absurd. These will soon be easily $50 to $60. Grand Prix copies can still be had for $35.00

I would target the premier versions and wait for the price to adjust on them as well.

1. Keranos, God of Storms (Journey into Nyx)
From $8.87 to $16.41 (85.01%)

Unlike Kruphix, Keranos has been taking metagames by storm.

He is going to be played in standard Temur (RUG) and Jeskai (UWR) decks. Free card draw and Lightning Bolts are powerful even if you never make him a creature.

He is already making his way into Modern Splinter Twin, Jeskai Control and Temur Delver decks. A lot of players are toying with them in the sideboard and some are already moving them main deck.

Legacy decks are running him in Jeskai Miracles.

This is to say nothing of commander and even some vintage play.

He is the a mythic rare from a third set that was barely opened before Conspiracy took over the drafting tables.

I had an arbitrage opportunity for you but it dried up in the time it took me to write this article. There are still a few $10 copies out there but I would hurry to get those as well. I think he will see $20 soon.

10 Big Losers of the Week

10. Glen Elendra Archmage (Eventide)
From $7.51 to $6.78 (-9.72%)

Glen Elendra Archmage was reprinted in Modern Masters.

It is used in modern Kiki Pod and UB Faeries as repeatable permission on an evasive threat or chump blocker that comes back asking for more.

It has even found its way into a Vintage Sultai (BUG) Survival Madness deck. It is trying to recover from the reprint but it may take a bit longer to gain any appreciable traction. This is a good long term hold but if you are looking for quick profits I would look elsewhere.

9. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (Dark Ascension)
From $5.40 to $4.78 (-11.48%)

Speaking of good speculation opportunities here is a role player in Modern and Legacy Death and Taxes, Zoo and Hatebears.

She is a powerful aggressive creature and can keep control players a turn behind for as long as she is alive. She has recently $9 and I think she can go even higher. I would gladly trade for as many copies of her as I could find for under $5.

8. Ad Nauseam (Shards of Alara)
From $4.49 to $3.87 (-13.81%)

The other part of the Maralen combo deck and the namesake card for Modern Ad Nauseam and Legacy ANT and TES decks.

It is a draw card unlike any other. It can enable you to draw your entire deck in one fell swoop but requires very strict deck building limitations. It was a bulk rare until earlier this year when everyone collectively took notice of its place in metagame.

It needs to prove itself. The deck can be finicky and difficult to play. I love crazy combo decks that come out of nowhere and utilize cards that seem borderline unplayable but I would like to see this dip a little more before reinvesting in it. Try to see if you can get them at $3.

7. Amulet of Vigor (Worldwake)
From $4.16 to $3.56 (-14.42%)

Like Ad Nauseam the Amulet came of nowhere and created a combo deck that plays cards you have never worried about before. Hive Mind? Ravnica bouncelands?

Unlike Ad Nauseam it does see success from time to time which encourage other players to try out the deck.

A Bloom Titan deck made the semi finals in PTQ Khans of Tarkir in Roswell, Georgia on 8/23/2014.

I expect you will be seeing more Amulets untapping things soon. Six months ago it was over $10 which makes it a comfortable pick up at $3.

6. Rootbound Crag (M10)
From $2.68 to $2.28 (-14.93%)

The M10 “buddy lands” or “check lands” are undervalued. Any casual or commander deck can utilize these with shocklands which are about as low as you will ever see or fetchlands which are becoming cheaper by the hour.

They are usually perfect on any turn except the first.

Modern Temur (RUG) Tempo decks have even started using a copy main deck.

The M11 copies can be purchased for as little as $0.76 and sold for as much as $0.81.

The M13 copies can be bought for $1.00 and sold for $1.01. These margins are not meant to incentivize you to try to pinch pennies on your route to profit but to show that they are actively being bought and sold at the same price. This means they are a minimal risk and easy to liquidate. Any casual player would love to have more copies of these dual lands and any store will probably give you back your money.

They are as safe as you can get in modern real estate investments.

5. Choice of Damnations (Saviors of Kamigawa)
From $4.00 to $3.40 (-15.00%)

Choice of Damnation is only ever played in the most cruel control casual or commander decks.

There are ways to maximize the value of the card like It That Betrays or Exquisite Blood.

It can have a dramatic effect but even if you do run it you will not want many copies.

I expect that this will continue to decline in value. Wizards keeps printing more mana sinks and demons that create board presence while antagonizing your opponents. This may make for a hair raising moment or two but it is not worth building your deck around.

4. Mirrorweave (Shadowmoor)
From $2.34 to $1.95 (-16.67%)

This johnny card is another one near and dear to my heart. I think the last time I thought about it was when Biovisionary was printed.

It is a cute trick but much too situational. There will always be johnnies looking out for the next combo but I would not want to hold onto more than a couple of copies at the most.

You can still buy them for as little as $1.75 and sell them for $1.91.

3. Door of Destinies (Morningtide)
From $4.53 to $3.77 (-16.78%)

Door of Destinies has lots of casual appeal. It is colorless and adapts to the tribe of your choice. Unfortunately all of the M14 copies are getting ready to rotate and so players that have been holding onto copies waiting for slivers or minotaur tribe to become a thing are going to be unloading them.

This has led to a slight price disparity. You can buy them for $1.25 and sell them for $1.82.

It will never be a bulk rare bue to casual appeal but I think it will go down to $2 after rotation.

2. Sword of Feast and Famine (Mirrodin Beseiged)
From $22.87 to $17.99 (-21.34%)

Sword of Feast and Famine has been reprinted in the Modern Event Deck and so new copies have been entering the market place.

This supply shock has depressed the price. I think that this creates an excellent opportunity to purchase some cheap copies. It is used in Modern UB Faeries and can easily find its way into any deck that wants to disrupt hands and keep mana open on their opponents turn.

Legacy uses it for Jeskai Delver, Esper Stoneblade and even Bant Delver.

It is a popular inclusion in cubes and commander decks.

You can even buy them for $12.00 and sell them for $12.40 but I would hold onto them. It is only a matter of time before it gets back to $25 to $30.

1. Onslaught Fetchlands
From an average of $59.22 to $45.40 (-23.00%)

You knew that this was coming. I have updated this section more than any other throughout the week.

Let us take a moment and see how the individual fetches have been affected so far.

Bloodstained Mire (Onslaught)
From $40.59 to $33.71 (-16.95%)

It is currently used in Legacy ANT, Imperial Painter and Burn decks.

Polluted Delta (Onslaught)
From $88.64 to $70.31 (-20.68%)

It is used in Shardless Sultai, Sultai Delver, Temur Delver, 4 Color Delver and Esper Stoneblade.

Windswept Heath (Onslaught)
From $42.99 to $33.74 (-21.51%)

It is used in Legacy Elves, Maverick, Zoo and Nic Fit.

Wooded Foothills (Onslaught)
From $46.99 to $33.99 (-27.67%)

It is used in Legacy Elves, Temur Delver, Imperial Painter, Nic Fit and Zoo.

Flooded Strand (Onslaught)
From $76.91 to $55.24 (-28.18%)

It is in Legacy Jeskai Miracles, Temur Delver, OmniTell and Esper Stoneblade.

The reprinting of the ally instead of the enemy fetchlands opens up several interesting questions. You can and should read Travis’ article about it in depth here but I will add a few thoughts.

The ally fetchlands only appeal to one wedge each. The enemy fetchlands would have each had two fetchlands that they could use to fix their mana. This could Wizards’ attempt to make sure that the right wedge gets its own mana fixing but who is not first picking a fetchland 90% of the time regardless of what they are playing?

The Zendikar fetchlands stand to lose quite a bit from their modern monopoly.

Each fetchland can find seven of the ten shocklands. There is no reason to fixate on any one fetchland even if you are running a two color deck. The number of lands that can find your Steam Vents has now gone from three to seven and you will be able to purchase a play set for what a single Scalding Tarn costs. There is no way that the current price can hold.

If you are holding onto any fetchlands from either cycle that you are not actively playing with I would dump them as soon as you can.You will be able to purchase them back and them some in a few months. Take a look at what the prices of shocklands or Thoughtseize have done to get a glimpse.

There were several arbitrage opportunities for the Onslaught copies but those dried up before I could get this out to you. That is how quick and dramatic this has been.

I should also caution that this goes for the normal copies only. Old border foils tend to hold their value better especially when the new artwork is not as nice as the original. I do not know anyone who thought that what Flooded Strand really needed was a dragon carcass taking most of the focus.

Standard should be pretty dynamic over the next few months. Anyone who wants to play a wedge will have access to an ally fetchland, two enemy painlands, fetchland, three scrylands and Mana Confluence. You will be able to make your mana do pretty much whatever you want with various tradeoffs between each one.

It will be exciting.

By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

10 Big Winners of the Week

10. Mana Confluence (Journey into Nyx)
From $11.70 to $12.97 (17.16%)

The new paradigm shift for Magic blocks and rotation have a lot of people excited but wondering what the future will hold in store. The new plan means that Journey into Nyx will be the last set to suffer the 6:2:1 drafting ratio. Now larger sets to smaller sets will be closer to 5:1.

This and looming rotation have cause a lot of interest in Journey into Nyx cards. The fact that Conspiracy arrived and cannibalized drafts makes  this one of the least opened sets we will have for a while.

Let us start with our new and improved City of Brass. It is already played in standard Naya Hexproof and Selesnya Aggro.

I can only imagine that the more aggressive Khans wedges will want to be running four of these as well.

It is also being used in Legacy Dredge and I would not be surprised to see these in modern either.

You will want your play set for a long time to come.

9. Eidolon of the Great Revel (Journey into Nyx)
From $6.30 to $7.44 (18.10%)

Standard Burn. Modern Burn. Legacy Burn.

There are varieties of those flavors but this card comes down and deals damage.

It has already helped propel legacy lists to Top 8s. It is an all star from a set that was not opened much. These are going to be going up for a while. These are a safe hold for the next few months. A year from now when they are getting ready to rotate I would try to find as many copies as you can from standard players. They will be a good hold for quite a while to come.

8. Keranos, God of Storms (Journey into Nyx)
From $7.83 to $9.29 (18.65%)

Keranos, God of Storms is finding a home in every format imaginable. He is a steady engine of card advantage. He is great even if your deck has no way make him a creature.

He is in standard RUG (Temur) Chord and Grixis Control.

He is in modern sideboards for Splinter Twin, Kiki Pod, UWR (Jeskai) Delver and UWR Twin.

He is in legacy UWR Miracles.

He is even in a vintage Grixis deck.

He is a powerful commander and a god that gives you free Lightning Bolts. There is so much to love about him.

I do not know what Jeskai and Temur decks will look like Khans but I guarantee they will run a couple copies of Keranos. I would say he is an excellent pick up.

7. Temple of Epiphany (Journey into Nyx)
From $5.20 to $6.23 (19.81%)

Temple of Epiphany is used in standard Azorius Control, Esper Control and even WUR (Jeskai) Control.

It is even seeing play in Modern Ad Nauseam and Sun Titan Control decks.

We are going to get new lands in Khans to allow for wedges to be played. I still feel the value of scrying is powerful enough in slower colors and Azorius fits that bill perfectly.

It is losing a lot of steam at rotation but this will be one of the better scrylands to have soon.

Get them now.

6. Sliver Legion (Future Sight)
From $38.49 to $46.89 (21.82%)

Sliver Legion is going in everyone’s casual and commander sliver decks.

The demand has always been there but short supply and the resent printings of Sliver Hive and Sliver Hivelord have people brewing again.

Keep in mind that both Sliver Overlord and Sliver Queen have seen reprints in supplemental products. Let that sink in for a moment. Sliver Queen is on the reserved list and they still reprinted her in oversized form in order to keep players happy.

There is no way we do not see a similar reprinting for Legion. It could be Duel Deck: Slivers vs Eldrazi or in Modern Masters 2. I just know that it will happen. I would cash out while everyone is excited about having an indestructible Coat of Arms.

5. Slaughter Pact (Future Sight)
From $6.04 to $7.73 (27.98%)

Slaughter Pact is all over modern in a variety of decks. It is used in Jund, Junk (Abzan) and even Amulet of Vigor decks as removal and a win condition.

It is even seeing play in Legacy OmniTell.

The popularity and power of a free kill spell are undeniable. I think these are a good place to park some value. It will only be a matter of time before they hit $10 again.

The Modern Masters version can still be purchased for $6.59 and sold for $7.23.

4. Xenagos, the Reveler (Theros)
From $12.86 to $16.89 (31.34%)

Xenagos is all over standard. He is in Jund Walkers, Jund Monsters, GR Devotion and RUG (Temur) Chord decks.

He showed up in three of the Top 8 decks in SCG Hartsdale on 8/24/2014. There were eight out of a possible thirty two copies played.

He is well positioned for rotation and I expect him to break $20 in the coming weeks.

You can still get him for as little as $12.75 and sell him for up to $14.52.

3. Maralen of the Mornsong (Morningtide)
From $2.15 to $3.20 (48.84%)

When I first saw Ob Nixilis, Unshackled I thought of Maralen. Together they deal thirteen damage a turn to each player. The problem is that your opponents get to tutor for answers.

She is part of an incredible commander combo deck.

Cast her and tutor for Ad Nauseam. Draw your entire deck which consists of Sickening Dreams, Dark Sphere and about ninety swamps.

Play the Dark Sphere and cast Dreams large enough to kill everyone but you.

This is either hilarious or terrible depending on which side of the table you are.

Either way this combo is getting attention. You can still buy her for as little as $2.00 and sell her for as much as $2.23 or just hold it and hope novelty gets her to $10.

2. Nyx-Fleece Ram (Journey into Nyx)
From $1.01 to $1.64 (62.38%)

Nyx-Fleece Ram is bit of a work horse in any control deck that runs white. It has high enough defense to block almost any threat while nudging your life total out of burn range.

It is being used in Azorius Control, Orzhov Midrange, Esper Control and even in Boros Burn sideboards to help in the mirror match.

However I think it has had its heyday.

White control decks are losing Sphinx’s Revelation, Supreme Verdict, Detention Sphere, Blood Baron of Vizkopa, Archangel of Thune, etc. All of the Ram’s best friends are moving away.

The next block will be wedges which have been a little slower anyway. They may not need the Ram to keep aggro decks under control.

I would trade these away and take whatever profits you can.

Keep in mind the foils are still $9.64 despite seeing no modern or legacy play so I would cash out on those too.

1. Goblin Guide (Zendikar)
From $16.62 to $27.69 (66.61%)

Goblin Guide has been having a tremendous week! It is one of the most aggressive one drop creatures ever printed.

Any decent modern or legacy burn deck runs four main deck without question. This is less of a price spike and more of a price correction.

Burn decks have been experiencing success recently with the inclusion of Eidolon of the Great Revel.

I believe this price is here to stay until it is reprinted in either an expansion set or the next Modern Event Deck.

Vendors are still adjusting their prices so you can still get them as low as $20.00. If you have been waiting for this spec to pay off you can cash out up to $22.93 with some vendors.

I would be looking for other opportunities to profit as well. If you can track down a copy of the Into the Breach Event deck from Mirrodin Besieged there are a couple of Guides in there.

I would also take a look at the Grand Prix and foil versions. Both are hovering around $30 right now. There is absolutely no reason why these should not be $50 to $60 soon.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Sword of Feast and Famine (Mirrodin Beseiged)
From $22.87 to $18.49 (-19.15%)

Sword of Feast and Famine was recently reprinted in the Modern Event Deck.

Do not let that distract us from the multiple decks it is used in such as legacy UWR (Jeskai) Delver, Esper Stoneblade and Deathblade.

Modern UB Faeries and all manner of commander and cube builders love the swords.

There is no way that this does not bounce back.

To add some gravy you can purchase these as low as $12.00 and sell them for $13.19.

That sounds like more feast than famine.

4. Obstinate Baloth (M11)
From $1.72 to $1.36 (-20.93%)

I do not understand why this is a $1 card.

It is used in sideboards for modern Melira Pod, Jund, Scapeshift, Kiki Pod and Junk (Abzan) builds. It is great when cast normally and fantastic when you get it for free off of an activation of Liliana of the Veil.

Legacy even uses it in 12 Post.

I would gladly trade for these at $1 all day long.

You can even purchase these for as low as $0.61 and sell them for up to $1.10.

3. Silent Arbiter (Fifth Dawn)
From $4.54 to $3.54 (-22.03%)

Silent Arbiter was just reprinted in Conspiracy.

The only competitive deck that runs it is a singleton in legacy MUD sideboards.

Sure you can slot it into your commander deck to slow things down or to build on an exalted theme but it is still not that exciting. Artifact creatures are the permanent with the most answers.

Why spend $4 on this copy when you can get the Conspiracy copy for less than a $1?

Move these while you can.

2. Journeyer’s Kite (Champions of Kamigawa)
From $1.53 to 1.13 (-26.14%)

This commander staple has fallen out of favor. Has mana fixing gotten so good? Maybe more cheap viable commanders are being printed.

Either way the reprint in Duel Decks: Venser vs Koth did not help.

I like the card but I honestly feel it deserves to be a bulk rare.

There are just too many other things to do with extra mana.

1.  Golgari Grave-Troll (Ravnica)
From $1.99 to $1.31 (-34.17%)

Vintage and legacy Dredge and Manaless Dredge decks would run at least a dozen Grave-Trolls given the chance.

The reason that Dredge has never been a serious contender in modern is the banning of Golgari Grave-Troll and Dread Return.

It was reprinted in Duel Decks: Izzet vs Golgari so you can find these for $1.

I do not think that that is sufficient for an enabler and finished in a deck that held two Top 8 spots in the SCG Legacy Open in Washington on 8/24/2014.

I would consider this a sale and grab as many copies as you can. If this is ever unbanned you can be certain this will spike.

You can get these for as little as $0.71 and still sell them for up to $1.18.

When you see buylists offering fair trade value that should get your attention.

By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

10 Big Winners of the Week

10. Woodfall Primus (Modern Masters)
From $3.63 to $4.16 (14.60%)

This casual monster is difficult to deal with and takes out multiple problematic noncreature permanents.

It is a favorite in casual and commander decks.

The price tanked when it was reprinted in Modern Masters last year but has been slowly recuperating. I expect these to keep climbing until they get back to around $6.

9. Amulet of Vigor (Worldwake)
From $3.63 to $4.16 (14.60%)

Amulet of Vigor came out of nowhere earlier this year to create a quirky but intriguing fringe deck.

It had been a bulk rare for years but a few prominent displays on camera and the genie is out of the bottle.

Be warned that the deck can be difficult to pilot and inconsistent but it is here to stay. I expect Amulet of Vigor to continue to grow slowly but steadily until it starts getting real results or is reprinted.

You can still pick these up for as little as $2.33 and sell them for as much as $2.51 or just sit on them until they hit $5.

8.  Chandra, the Firebrand (M13)
From $3.64 to $4.31 (18.41%)

Chandra, the Firebrand has some casual appeal. She is used in Commander and Cubes on occasion.

She has seen two printings in core sets. She never really saw any competitive play while she was in standard and nothing to speak of in eternal formats.

I do not see any real justification for the price adjustment. I would trade these away for $4 while you can.

7. Underground River (10^th Edition)
From $3.24 to $3.93 (21.30%)

Enemy painlands have been getting a lot of attention lately with their standard reappearance.

Allied painlands are still relatively cheap pick ups. Underground River is played in Modern UB Faeries. If the deck gets any traction then these will jump.

You can currently buy the 6^th Edition copies for as little as $0.99 and sell them for as much as $1.25.

6. Flames of the Blood Hand (Betrayers of Kamigawa)
From $4.54 to $5.63 (24.01%)

Flames of the Blood Hand is played in Modern Burn and Red Deck Wins.

It is a powerful card out of the sideboard to shut down life gain and keep the deck’s game plan on track. I could not find any recent successes to explain the bump but I find it interesting that the price is approaching the $5.82 that the Premium Fire and Lightning Deck copy goes for.

I would try to snag a few copies of the Fire and Lightning versions before the price adjusts.

5. Orzhov Pontiff (Guildpact)
From $4.87 to $6.19 (27.10%)

Even though Modern Melira Pod only runs a single copy Orzhov Pontiff has been benefiting from Top 8 placements.

This is a bit higher than I would expect to see for a card that is only played as a singleton even if it is in one of the better positioned decks in the metagame.

I would start looking to trade these away.

4. All Is Dust (Rise of the Eldrazi)
From $16.89 to $21.89 (29.72%)

All Is Dust is a colorless sweeper that you can build around. It can get around Regeneration and Indestructibility.

It is a popular inclusion in Commander and Cubes. It is also used in some competitive decks.

Modern uses it in Tron variants and has even seen some Top 8 success with it. Legacy can use it in MUD to get rid of even the toughest True-Name Nemesis.

It somehow was not included in From the Vault: Annihilation so it is safe from reprint for a while.

I would pick up the GP Promo version. It is actually cheaper at $14.89.

3. Legion Loyalist (Gatecrash)
From $3.84 to $4.99 (29.95%)

Legion Loyalist is enjoying a lot of attention in its last few weeks in Standard.

It is in Rabble Red, Boss Sligh and Red Deck Wins variants.

The problem is that is it about to become a bulk rare.

Get out now. The sudden demand has made this a lot easier to buylist to vendors that are trying to fill orders. You can currently buylist these for $2.80 and $5 for the foils.

2. Xenagos, the Reveler (Theros)
From $8.26 to $12.86 (55.69%)

Xenagos, the Reveler was the talk of the town last week. Rabble Red is good for a budget deck but when you want results this is the planeswalker we come to.

He can give you a ritual to ramp into larger threats or give you an unlimited supply of Goblin Guides. It makes the Raging Goblins that Goblin Rabblemaster spits out look anemic.

Although Xenagos requires two colors of mana he still shows up in a surprising variety of Top 8 decks. He is played in Jund Walkers, Jund Monsters, GR devotion and Brave Naya.

He will probably be finding a home in Temur (RUG) decks soon. I really like him as a pick up if you can still find him under $10. I could see him getting to $20 or more after rotation.

1. Squelch (Champions of Kamigawa)
From $2.04 to $3.32 (62.75%)

What happened to Squelch? You could still find these for a dollar just a week or two ago.

Mono U Tron runs a pair in the sideboard. It is an appealing deck because it is relatively cheap. You only need a single copy of the expensive cards and even the play set of Remand is lot cheaper thanks to Jace vs. Vraska.

This is the closest we get to Stifle in Modern which comes in handy when someone is trying to crack a fetchland or activate Birthing Pod.

That being said how much higher can Squelch get? There are only so many uncommons that command $4 and they are casual or competitive all stars. This is certainly not on the same level as Tectonic Edge or Spell Snare.

I would unload these while you can. Hopefully you stocked up the past few weeks I have been mentioning it. Now it is pay day.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Eight-and-a-Half-Tails (Champions of Kamigawa)
From $7.58 to $6.71 (-11.48%)

Eight-and-a-Half-Tails has a name and creature type that makes it very difficult to reprint outside of a supplementary product.

He is a white Cancel on a stick which is helpful for protecting your permanents or even pushing through late game damage past your opponents defense.

It is played in modern Death and Taxes and works very well with the Aether Vials the deck packs.

Kamigawa was a long time ago and all indications are that we are not going back any time soon. Supply is low and not going anywhere.

I like these as long term holds. They will continue to grow in value. At the very least it is a unique white commander that offers abilities that other commanders in the color are unlikely to replicate.

4. Endless Horizons (Eventide)
From $6.90 to $6.00 (-13.04%)

Endless Horizons is used in some commander decks and in modern Mono-White Prison as a singleton.

The effect is interesting but has some inherent risks.

It used to be $2 at the beginning of the year. Overnight it was bought out and vendors adjusted the prices accordingly. It has not really earned its place.

This card is going to keep going down until it hits the $3 to $4 range and sit there. I would trade these away while you can.

3. Demigod of Revenge (Modern Masters)
From $3.55 to $3.07 (-13.52%)

Demigod of Revenge was a victim of Modern Masters. It has been outclassed in terms of reanimation targets and does not even get a place in most Dredgevine Decks.

It is still a great casual card and usually gets traded in play sets but it was a prerelease promo and now it has been reprinted without any additional demand.

I think you will soon be able to pick up your play set for under $10. Get out.

2. Nomad Mythmaker (10^th Edition)
From $2.61 to $2.19 (-16.09%)

I keep forgetting this card exists. That is because even in decks it should be good in it is slow and clunky. How many auras are worth reanimating?

I would rather have Sovereigns of Lost Alara or Bruna, Light of Alabaster for my $2 aura enabler.

Only the most casual of aura decks is looking at this card. That does not mean that is useless to us.

You can still buy them for as little as $1.20 and sell them for $1.52.

Even better the Judgment foil can be purchased for $1.36 and sold for $2.00.

1. Banishing Light (Journey into Nyx)
From $3.06 to $2.56 (-16.34%)

Banishing Light is going to be a constant presence in standard for at least the next year. It has been used in Orzhov Midrange, Azorius Control, Selesnya Aggro and even Boros Burn decks.

It deals with any problems you have and is an easy splash.

However this is going to be reprinted in core sets for a long time to come.

Modern already has Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere. It does not need Banishing Light as well.

Keep a play set to for your standard decks but I would buylist the rest for $1.28 while you can. Or trade them for cheap gods like Ephara, Karametra and Kruphix.