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. Fauna Shaman (M11)
From $7.01 to $8.01 (15.55%)

Fauna Shaman is in an interesting place. It is a powerful effect but it is just too slow to be playable in several decks.

Some Modern Kiki-Pod decks experiment with it. I am sure Combo Elves variants in Modern and Legacy are constantly brewing with it.

That is not to say that it does not have its home.

Commander and Cube players often make good use of the Shaman.

This card will continue to grow slowly and steadily for a long time to come until someone does finally break the card and everyone starts scrambling for a play set.

9. Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker
From $4.10 to $4.91 (19.76%)

Michiko is an interesting white commander. She just looks at you with her warning smile daring anyone to come attack you. She is the right color for all kinds of life gain to offset any life lost.

She is from a third set that was released a decade ago. There is little supply with a unique and powerful effect.  I would trade for her and let the value continue to grow. She is so tied into the flavor of a plane we are certain not to revisit that I would be surprised if she ever saw a reprint.

8. Porphyry Nodes (Planar Chaos)
From $4.19 to $5.35

Porphyry Nodes is potential repeatable removal. It makes a very potent sideboard card. It keeps aggressive decks in check and can get around hexproof, shroud and protection.

It is sometimes seen in WUR (Jeskai) Control and Delver decks.

I would trade for these at $4 and hold onto them. The last time they got attention on camera during a major tournament prices spiked to $8.

7. Legion Loyalist (Gatecrash)
From $3.59 to $4.62 (28.695)

Rabble Red and Boss Sligh have given the Loyalist a big last hurrah before rotation.

The deck does well on MTGO dailies but so far has not seen any success in person beyond Top 16s.

Everyone wants to put this deck together and try it out at FNM.

I think the hype will settle and people will soon be looking to get out while there is still some value to be had.

I would trade these now and not look back.

6. Pithing Needle (Saviors of Kamigawa)
From $2.63 to $3.40 (29.28%)

Pithing Needle is a singleton is roughly half of legacy sideboards. It is also used in some modern and standard sideboards.

It has been printed four times. Saviors of Kamigawa was a third set in a block. Tenth Edition and M10 were core sets.

The most recent printing was in Return to Ravnica which was one of the most opened large sets ever. It was an incredible draft environment with many modern and legacy staples.

There are a lot of copies out there now.

Standard players will no longer need it and will be looking to unload it on a market that already picked up the copies they needed a long time ago.

The price is going back to around $2 in a month. Move these if you can.

5. Ad Nauseam (Shards of Alara)
From $3.26 to $4.30 (31.90%)

Ad Nauseam is a powerful way to draw your deck and finish off your opponent on their end step.

It is used in Modern Ad Nauseam and Legacy ANT and TES.

The SCG Legacy open on 8/10/2014 in Syracuse has an Ad Nauseam deck place in the Top 16. It is a fringe deck but can pop up unexpectedly depending on the metagame.

I like trading for these at $3 since the price is low and it sees play in eternal formats.

Other pieces of the deck can be pretty cheap as well. You can buy Phyrexian Unlife for as low as $0.26 and sell them for up to $0.51.

4. Enduring Ideal (Saviors of Kamigawa)
From $2.59 to $3.49 (34.75%)

Theros block recently introduced several powerful enchantments including gods. This always gets casual players pulling out their copies of Enduring Ideal and Sigil of the Empty Throne.

People are brewing with the Ideal of Modern success but nothing has gained any traction.

The deck needs powerful finishers. Assemble the Legions and Form of the Dragon are not quick enough.

I would trade them if someone if looking for them.

3. Kataki, War’s Wage (Saviors of Kamigawa)
From $2.28 to $3.46 (51.75%)

Ensoul Artifact has a lot of players looking at Affinity. When affinity gets attention then anti artifact cards get added to sideboards.

Kataki fits in several Modern deck archetypes including BW tokens, Melira Pod, Kiki-Pod, Soul Sisters, GW Hatesbears and more.

It even gets played in some vintage sideboards. The problem is that it has been reprinted so much recently. It was in Modern Masters and the Modern Event Deck.

I doubt it will be able to keep up the price.

You can purchase them for as little as $1.48 and sell them for as much as $2.60.

The Modern Masters copy also has an opportunity for profit. You can buy them for as little as $0.79 and sell them for as much as $1.26.

2. Terra Stomper (Zendikar)
From $2.12 to $3.52 (66.04%)

Terra Stomper is standard legal for the next year thanks to M15 Planeswalker decks and the Deckbuiler’s Toolikit.

The biggest problem it has it that the deck that Monogreen Devotion has so many other powerful options. Arbor Colossus, Hornet Queen, Genesis Hydra and Polukranos are all fighting for the same spot in the deck.

Mistcutter Hydra wants the sideboard space against control.

This leaves Terra Stomper without a home. I would trade these away aggressively.

1. Squelch (Champions of Kamigawa)
From $1.34 to $2.28 (70.15%)

Squelch looks at a modern metagame filled with fetchlands, pod activations and planeswalker abilities and rubs its hands together.

It has only been printed once.

So far only Modern Mono-Blue Tron runs it. I would try to stock up on $1 copies and wait for it to get noticed.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Norin the Wary (Time Spiral)
From $4.05 to $3.67 (-9.38%)

I love Norin the Wary. He has provided some great flavor text over the years. Every once in a while someone toys with a crazy rogue deck featuring him.

The most recent flavor was a Boros Soul Sisters that used Purphoros, God of the Forge to deal lots of damage while Norin played peekaboo.

The bump he got in price is coming down as it should.

I would trade for Purphoros though. His buylist and vendor price are both $4.00. He is a powerful commander and he just needs creatures to become good. I think he has a lot of potential.

4. Master of the Feast (Journey into Nyx)
From $3.70 to $3.28 (-11.35%)

Can Mono-Black Devotion survive the rotation of Pack Rat and Desecration Demon? If the answer is yes then Master of the Feast is a prime candidate for replacing the demon.

An upcoming wedge set suggests time to set up mana bases. I think that rotation would be a great opportunity for an aggressive monoblack deck to take charge.

3. Lifebane Zombie (M14)
From $3.86 to $3.25 (-15.80%)

Lifebane Zombie sees play in a variety of standard decks but is having trouble breaking into modern Jund and Golgari Midrange decks.

It will continue to decrease in price over the coming weeks. I would get out now. After rotation these should become bulk rares which you can pick up if you think it is good enough for a modern sideboard.

2. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (Planar Chaos)
From $20.66 to $17.05 (-17.47%)

Urborg is taking a beating for being reprinted in M15.

Let us not forget that it is used in Legacy and Modern decks of all varieties. It is going to be an automatic inclusion in every black deck in standard for the next year.

The price will not be done dropping until Khans of Tarkir is released.

You can currently purchase them for as low as $10.99 and sell them for as much as $14.40. f you have been slow to unload then this is your chance.

1. Rebuff the Wicked (Planar Chaos)
From $1.81 to $1.44 (-20.44%)

Rebuff the Wicked is an interesting inclusion in white commander decks.

It is a counterspell for one white mana. It is not a card that people are thinking of playing around. It protects your commander and any other permanents you have.

I love finding these in collections I buy.

I would hold onto them and wait for the price to get back to $2.

If you do not have faith in that happening you can still buylist them for $0.50.

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. Slaughter Pact (Modern Masters)
From $5.87 to $6.83 (16.35%)

Slaughter Pack is a modern darling. This past weekend was an excellent example of that.

The SCG Modern tournament in Dallas on 8/3/2014 winner was a Golgari Midrange deck that ran two copies of Slaughter Pact in the main deck.

Six of the Top 8 decks had Slaughter Pact either in the main deck or sideboard. There were a total of nine copies played in those six decks so most were using one or two. That still means that a sizeable chunk of the metagame wants a have a few copies handy.

This can take the form of Jund, Pack Rat Black, and Junk (Abzan) decks that utilize it.

The reprint in Modern Masters made it take a hit last year but I see these continuing to rise over the long term. Free removal is something we do not see very often after all.

9. Avenger of Zendikar (Worldwake)
From $5.42 to $6.37 (17.53%)

Avenger of Zendikar was around $10 before it was reprinted in the Jund Power Hungry Commander 2013 decks.

It is a casual favorite that creates a swarm of chump blockers that turn into game ending threats fairly quickly.

It is starting to creep back up but the recent flood of copies in a deck you can still pick up at a local Target or Walmart near you makes me think this has a ceiling of around $8. It will take a long time to recover if it ever does.

If you just want to move them, you can purchase these as low as $4.01 and sell them for $4.39.

8. Fauna Shaman (M11)
From $6.86 to $8.07 (17.64%)

Fauna Shaman is a fixture of Commander decks, Cubes and casual decks that run forests and creatures. There are an endless supply of creatures to tutor or reanimate.

It sees some play in Modern Kiki-Pod variants and has a nearly unique effect. It is certainly easier to pick up a few shamans than a few copies of Survival of the Fittest.

I see this one continuing to grow over the long term.

7. Porphyry Nodes (Planar Chaos)
From $4.24 to $5.35 (26.18%)

It is still astounding that only six months ago this was a bulk rare.

Control decks use it to keep a leash on Zoo and other aggressive decks. If it kills a single creature it has paid for itself.

Modern UWR (Jeskai) Control and UWR Delver both have a pair in the sideboard. The deck consistently appears in Top 8s.

However a sideboard card out of a single deck is no place to park your money.

I would trade for Keranos, God of Storms out of the same deck. You can buy them for $5.00 and sell them for $5.23.

There is also the possibility that UWR or RUG (Temur) standard decks will be using them soon.

6. Pithing Needle (Saviors of Kamigawa)
From $2.50 to $3.48 (39.20%)

You may recognize Pithing Needle from half the sideboards in legacy.

Just this last week at the SCG Legacy Open in Dallas half the Top 8 had a copy in their seventy five.

That may sound like a ringing endorsement but it is a trap. There have been four printings of the card. The most recent version was Return to Ravnica. In a few months all of the standard players that have held onto a few copies to use in their sideboards will be unloading them. Most decks only need a single copy.

I would get out before the market gets flooded.

You can still buy these as low as $1.79 and sell them for up to $2.25.

5. Legion Loyalist (Gatecrash)
From $2.92 to $4.18 (43.15%)

Rabble Red received quite a bit of attention this past week. It was a quick and aggressive deck which is usually a pretty safe game plan right after a shakeup in the metagame.

It got a lot of attention on day 1 but failed to Top 8 on day two. Twenty two of the cards in the deck are rotating soon.

The amount of buzz will cause other players to want to put this deck together and try it out. I would take this price bump and run.

4. Galerider Sliver (M14)
From $2.92 to $4.94 (69.18%)

Speaking of rotating rare cards next we have Galerider Sliver. This is sometimes used as a flying one drop in Mono-Blue Devotion but that is it so far as the competitive scene goes.

Modern Slivers still does not appear to be a thing and standard slivers is now definitely not a thing.

Get out. Sell your Galerider Sliver and buy Galerider Sliver.

The regular copies are $4.94 but the foils are only $5.31.

You can even find the foils for as low as $4.94!

These are the copies that people will want in their sliver commander decks so I say upgrade to foil and wait for slow steady growth.

3. Flames of the Blood Hand (Betrayers of Kamigawa)
From $2.44 to $4.11 (68.44%)

Flames of the Blood Hand is played in every flavor of modern Burn decks.

Boros Burn has become popular as well as Rakdos Burn which recently got in the Top 16 in the 8/3/2014 SCG Modern tournament.

I do not think that an uncommon is going to get much higher than $4. I think it is time to cash out of them.

2. Boom // Bust (Planar Chaos)
From $1.25 to $2.16 (72.80%)

This card is essentially a bulk rare.

It does see play in a fringe Modern Restore Balance deck as a play set in the sideboard but that is about it.

I really cannot find much reason to recommend it but you can buy these as low as $0.66 and sell them for up to $1.10.

That should make someone happy.

1. Goblin Rabblemaster (M15)
From $0.94 to $3.41 (262.77%)

Here is the biggest swing this week. Everyone was talking about Rabble Red but it did not put up the results to justify its spike.

A lot of standard players are going to want to get their hands on it to brew and I say let them have it. M15 is still being drafted and so move them as quickly as you can.

You can buy them for as little as $0.89 and sell them for up to $1.01. If you were able to get a lot of them cheaply then I say now is your time to strike.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Blood Baron of Vizkopa (Dragon’s Maze)
From $5.11 to $4.37 (-14.48%)

Standard Orzhov Control performed admirably at Pro Tour Magic 2015. Two of the Top 8 decks were Orzhov Control.

That is the only thing keeping this about $3 right now. It will be $2 come September.

Rotation is looming and no other format cares for the Blood Baron. You may have a friend who wants one for their commander deck or lifegain deck but that will be it.

Get these out of your bind and trade them while someone still wants them.

4. Commandeer (Coldsnap)
From $3.26 to $2.74 (-15.95%)

90% of the time Commandeer is just a much worse Misdirection. It is legal but not playable in modern. Most spells you want to redirect probably have a single target.

This used to be the budget card you played in Commander because you did not want to spend $20 on Misdirection.

Now you can pick one up for $5 thanks for Conspiracy so who needs Commandeer?

3. Extirpate (Modern Masters)
From $3.69 to $3.08 (-16.53%)

Extirpate is a sideboard card in several fringe legacy and vintage decks.

It is not the kind of effect that most casual players are interested in.

The reprint in Modern Masters increased the supply but the demand remained stale. This is a recipe for price deflation.

You can still turn this around if you are stuck with a few copies.

Vendors are selling them for $1.46 and some are buying them for $1.82. That is probably the best deal you are going to.

2. Battlefield Forge (10^th Edition)
From $5.06 to $4.06 (-19.76%)

Battlefield Forge is going to be used a lot over the next year. Any Boros, Naya, WUR (Jeskai) or RWB (Mardu) decks will want to run a few copies.

It has been reprinted a lot though so I expect these to drop over the next few months while triple M15 is the draft format of choice. I would trade away or sell any you get in the short term.

You should be able to pick them up even cheaper right before rotation hits.

1. Spirit Mantle
From $2.56 to $2.00 (-21.88%)

I really enjoy Modern Bogles but it is in a strange spot. It has a strong presence in online dailies but not in paper tournaments. You never see it even make Top 16.

Without results the prices are not going to have much movement.

If you are tired of sitting on Spirit Mantle you can still sell them for $1.50.

The Planechase 2012 version is even better. It was printed in smaller quantities for you can purchase them for $1.50 and sell them for $1.80.

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. Dictate of Kruphix (Journey into Nyx)
From $0.89 to $0.98 (10.11%)

Dictate of Kruphix has seen a little bit of play in block but standard does not quite have enough pieces to put together a competitive Turbo Fog deck at the moment.

Its true home is with casual players. Who does not love a Howling Mine with flash? I think this will be a casual staple for years to come and at under a dollar the opportunity cost is minimal.

Keep in mind that Journey into Nyx sales were cannibalized by Conspiracy.

I like these as long term holds with the possibility of short term gains if they see adoption post rotation.

9. Slaughter Pact (Future Sight)
From $5.39 to $5.96 (10.64%)

Every competitive deck wants to run the best removal available to it. It is no wonder that Slaughter Pact is run in nearly every Modern deck with access to black mana.

In the SCG Modern tournaments on both 7/25 and 7/27 the winning decks ran two copies of Slaughter Pact main deck. One of them even had another copy in the sideboard.

Slaughter pact is used in several competitive and fringe modern decks including the Rock, Golgari Midrange, Melira Pod, Junk (Abzan,) Jund, Ad Nauseam and Amulet of Vigor.

It is even used in Omnishow in Legacy.

This card took a hit when it was reprinted in Modern Masters last year but it is on its way back. I think these are great pickups as they continue to recover.

It is simply used in too many decks to not continue to increase over time.

8. Aetherling (Dragon’s Maze)
From $0.93 to $1.03 (10.75%)

Aetherling has been the finisher of choice for control decks in every variation.

We have seen Azorius, Esper, Bant and Jeskai (WUR) Control deck bide their time until this evasive and difficult creature was able to close out the game.

Its time in standard is nearly at an end though.

You really should have traded these away a long time ago. They are already near bulk and within a few months that is exactly what they will be.

Aetherling has not seen any adoption in any other format.

Get rid of them while you can.

7. Brain Maggot (Journey into Nyx)
From $0.82 to $0.91 (10.98%)

Brain Maggot is part of standard and block Golgari and Junk (Abzan) Constellation decks. This is a good indicator that the deck can be good enough to pick up steam at rotation.

Unfortunately Back to Nature was reprinted in M15. This would seem to put a wrench in things. I have yet to see any copies of the hoser in any sideboards so this may not be a bad thing.

This makes me cautiously optimistic for the deck. You could probably get these as toss-ins on a trade.

6. Demonic Tutor (Unlimited)
From $20.34 to $22.85 (12.34%)

You may recognize Demonic Tutor from pretty much every vintage deck that has any access to black mana.

It is also used in every black commander deck by anyone that owns a copy.

It is one of the most powerful tutors ever printed.

It is also being reprinted as part of the Divine vs. Demonic Duel Deck later this year.

It is not often that you see a negative spread on a vintage staple but you can buy them for as low as $17.89 and sell them for $18.91.

There may be a price dip later this year after the Duel Decks are re-released. We still do not have a lot of information on them but I think this will be the high price for next couple years.

5. In the Web of War (Betrayers of Kamigawa)
From $1.93 to $2.18 (12.95%)

This rare from Betrayers of Kamigawa is a little pricey at five mana.

I’d rather run Ogre Battledriver in pretty much every case. It is cheaper and gives you an extra body.

I do like that you can buy them for a little as $1.09 and sell them for up to $1.35.

4. Oona’s Prowler (Lorwyn)
From $2.07 to $2.38 (14.98%)

I see the price bump but I cannot find anything to attribute it to.

It is a rare from Lorwyn and part of the powerful faeries tribe. I cannot find any results indicating even fringe modern play.

Maybe someone is trying to make Waste Not work?

If you have any buylists are now offering $1.50 for them so I say take the money and run.

3. Crystalline Sliver (Friday Night Magic)
From $8.45 to $9.93 (17.51%)

The new slivers have yet to have any impact in standard but they are always popular in casual games.

Sliver Hivelord is a great new commander for slivers. There are only so many ways do deal with indestructible slivers and Crystalline Sliver makes it even tougher.

If you are going all out on a sliver commander deck you will want the nicest version which is why the Friday Night Magic copy is the one that is growing the most.

There are still some vendors selling them for as little as $3.49 and you can sell them for as much as $4.32.

2. Terra Stomper (Zendikar)
From $1.41 to $1.66 (17.73%)

Terra Stomper is legal in standard thanks to the green planeswalker deck that is used to demonstrate the game newer players.

This means old Zendikar copies of the uncounterable fattie are now getting some attention. It practically calls out for Monogreen Devotion to give it a try.

The most interesting thing is that the M15 version of the Stomper is valued at $3.46. This is odd since the deck it comes in is free. It is also included in the M15 Deckbuilder’s Toolkit. It is scarce enough though that it is virtually a mythic rare.

I would trade them while you can. You can even help out some new players by offering a replacement Terra Stomper along with other cards they need to build their collection for their M15 copies.

1. Ensoul Artifact (M15 Foil)
From $5.68 to $20.78 (265.85%)

There really is no competition for the biggest winner of the week.

Early testing with Ensoul Artifact in Modern Affinity has been promising.

Sure you can make your Darksteel Citadel an indestructible 5/5 but why stop there?

How about Inkmoth Nexus? Either they have an answer or they are on a two turn clock. It would even dodge Creeping Corrosion or Supreme Verdict. Unlike Steel Overseer Ensoul Artifact does not force you into overextending.

Vault Skirge and Ornithopter are also impressive with the aura.

That does not even take into account flexibility to turn a creatureless battlefield into a slaughter when you enchant a Mox Opal or Springleaf Drum into a 5/5 with virtual haste after mass removal.

It does not matter whether you think this is good enough or not. What is important is that other people do. These people play eternal formats and want the foils.

Keep your eyes open. You will have a chance to trade some Standard playable cards into the hottest new thing in Modern. I just would not let them rot in my binder too long.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Satyr Firedancer (Born of the Gods)
From $1.52 to $1.33 (-12.50%)

This does not feel like a $1 card to me. It has not had the impact that Eidolon of the Great Revel had but it is still being used in multiple formats.

Modern and standard are using it in Boros Burn and Red Deck Wins variants.

Even Legacy Burn decks sometimes run it.

If you are bullish on this card then I would sit on at least a play set. It is as low as it is going to get.

If you are bearish on it you can still make a little money.

You can buy these for as little as $0.35 and sell them for $0.75.

That should make everybody happy.

4. Hokori, Dust Drinker (Betrayers of Kamigawa)
From $2.33 to $2.02 (-13.30%)

Hokori, Dust Drinker is used in Modern GW Hatebears.

It is also one of the most trollish commanders imaginable. It is a Rising Waters on legs.

I expect we will see more Hatebears with the recent printing of Hushwing Gryff.

Hokori is a pretty safe pick up. You can get him for as little as $0.99 and sell him for $1.07.

3. Battlefield Forge (9^th Edition)
From $5.59 to $4.70 (-15.92%)

Standard Boros Burn,  Boros Midrange and Naya Aggro all want Forges to help fix their mana.

We now have confirmation Khans will include wedges so I expect these will also see play in Mardu (RWB) and Jeskai (WUR) decks.

However the multiple printings of the painlands and the amount flooding the market from M15 will drive all of their prices down.

I would move these quickly.

2. Elbrus, the Binding Blade (Dark Ascension)
From $2.68 to $2.25 (-16.04%)

I really enjoy the flavor of this card. It is a double sided legendary equipment that turns into a 13/13 demon.

It is not going to be reprinted any time soon if ever. It has a lot of casual appeal but outside of commander it is pretty unrealistic.

I like it as a long term spec just due to sheer novelty but realistically your Magic dollars are probably better served elsewhere.

1. Flames of the Blood Hand (Betrayers of Kamigawa)
From $3.00 to $2.34 (-22.00%)

Burn has been getting a lot of attention in Modern recently.

You have Kitchen Finks, Spike Feeders and Daybreak Coronets pushing players out of burn range.

That is part of why Flames of the Blood Hand is essential in those matchups. It keeps the game plan progressing while shutting off escape routes.

Monored Burn, Boros Burn and even Rakdos Burn have been appearing in Top 8s and Top 16s. I would look at this as a fire sale (pun intended) on Flames of the Bloodhand and pick some up.

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. Walk the Aeons (Time Spiral)
From $4.19 to $4.69 (11.93%)

If there is one thing that players like doing it is taking an extra turn. There is always casual demand for effects like this and Walk the Aeons has a special place since it has buyback.

If you have enough mana and lands you can theoretically take infinite turns. Azusa, Lost but Seeking and Crucible of Worlds can allow you to go infinite if you can keep them both in play.

Sometimes fun casual interactions are tinkered with to create fringe competitive decks.

Both Monoblue and Simic Time Walk decks have been played but have yet to have much success.

Every time an extra turn effect gets printed this deck edges towards playability.

The buyback mechanic is powerful but leads to monotonous play. Walk the Aeons is the perfect example of the danger of such cards so I do not think that it is likely to be reprinted.

These are cheap enough that getting a couple play sets will not break the bank. Casual appeal should help them hold value if not increase over time.

I would also take a look at Beacon of Tomorrows and Time Stretch.

9. Ajani Goldmane (M10)
From $8.57 to $9.85 (14.945)

Ajani is getting a lot of attention right now. There are three versions in standard. This is not one of them.

It has a lot of casual appeal since it is helpful for decks that are focused on lifegain or tokens.

This lets it be included in some builds of Modern Soul Sisters.

It has been printed three times so far so there is a decent amount of stock available.

Ajani’s storyline is focused on protecting others right now so I do not think it will get reprinted for a while. I suspect this will be a slow gainer until that time.

8. Wrath of God (8^th Edition)
From $6.12 to $7.12 (16.34%)

Wrath of God will always be the definitive mass removal spell. It takes me back to when my friends and I were playing Revised.

It is still used today in a wide variety of modern and casual decks.

It may have some competition from Supreme Verdict if both blue and white mana are available but it is still going to be in the sideboard or main deck in any good control deck.

Its price been a little depressed since the release of Commander 2013. It was reprinted yet again in the Naya Commander deck. You would recognize it from every Walmart and Target shelf you have visited lately.

It has started recovering its price.

The vendors have started adjusting their price and that has caused some disparity.

You can buy them for $4.39 and sell them for $4.80.

7. Teferi’s Puzzle Box (9^th Edition)
From $2.56 to $2.99 (16.80%)

Store have been stocking twice as much Mind Seize as the other Commander 2013 products. It is not hard to see why. People rush home sell the True-Name Nemesis and have a subsidized Nekusar, the Mindrazer deck.

Every good Nekusar deck needs wheel effects that cause everyone to draw a lot and take heaps of damage.

Teferi’s Puzzle Box has gone from bulk rare to $3.00 on the strength of this commander alone.

After the numerous printings that the Puzzle Box has gone through I do not see it climbing much higher. You should be trading these away to any friends who are fine tuning their Nekusar deck.

6. Reaper King (Shadowmoor)
From $2.74 to $3.21 (17.15%)

As much as I would love to say that scarecrow tribal has finally happened the biggest contributing factor to Reaper King’s price is its mana cost.

It is played in a fringe Legacy Blazing Infect Deck.

It will drop a quick Glistener Elf or Blighted Agent. Reaper King or Progenitus can be exiled to Blazing Shoal to create a lethal threat. They can both be fed to Force of Will as well to protect the combo.

Reaper King is used as a full four copies which is the most attention it has ever received. Reaper King can also come down as a threat for as little as five mana if things are going wrong. Progenitus likely never be cast.

These are cheap and the people with them in their binders have probably been sitting on them since Shadowmoor. You should be able to get these as toss ins if you ask nice enough.

5. Galerider Sliver (M14)
From $2.20 to $2.60 (18.18%)

This will probably be the peak for Galerider Sliver. Mono-Blue Devotion is probably on its way out at rotation and the resurgence of slivers will only be for the next few months.

I do not want to suggest that Galerider Sliver will ever get to be a bulk rare because the casual appeal alone will keep it around a $1.00 to $1.50 but unless something drastic happens soon I do not think it is getting any higher.

On the bright side you can still get them for $1.50 and sell them for $1.67 which means you at least have a good way to unload any that you have have lying around.

4. Flames of the Blood Hand
From $1.73 to $2.06 (19.08%)

Burn decks have been performing rather well in legacy and several Modern players have been trying to translate those decks to their format of choice.

Mono-Red Burn is always a popular choice. Flames of the Blood Hand is a great way to answer Archangel of Thune and Spike Feeder or Melira and Kitchen Finks.

There are several variations on Burn being brewed with none have really seen very much success recently.

This type of card is always a welcome find in collections as people tend to value them as bulk but I would not actively trade for them unless you want to play with them.

I would not be too hasty to trade away your Skullcracks as they fill a similar role and can be played a turn earlier.

3. Suppression Field (Ravnica)
From $1.82 to $2.32 (27.47%)

Suppression Field is the quintessential sideboard card. It is backbreaking in certain matchups and utterly useless in others.

The nice thing is that it is highly underestimated since it was printed as an uncommon. I find these in bulk all of the time and I am always happy to see them.

It is currently used in several modern sideboards including Bogles, Soul Sisters and Boros Burn decks.

These can be found for $1.38 and sold for $1.55.

Sideboard cards only hold their value as long as they are the most efficient way to deal with the threat or while the threat is a significant part of the anticipated meta game. I would move these.

2. Blackmail (9^th Edition)
From $0.81 to $1.22 (50.62%)

How many one mana discard spells do you need?

Blackmail has seen some use in Modern Monoblack Infect alongside the usual suspects like Thoughtseize, Duress and Inquisition of Kozilek.

I suspect the recent release of Waste Not has led rogue deck builders to put together their brews in hopes of free mana, card draw and zombies.

Any deck running discard has a lot of choices at one mana. This would not even crack my top five.

If you have copies of Blackmail or Waste Not I would trade into the hype.

1. Hero of Iroas (Born of the Gods)
From $0.48 to $1.14 (137.50%)

Hero of Iroas has some potential. It has had a chance to shine in Theros Block Constructed Heroic decks including Azorius and Boros variants. The ability to toss a couple of Ordeals or Fate Foretold at the bargain price of a single mana can lead to some explosive starts.

With rotation coming soon Theros block decks can give us a clue to potential Standard decks once the doors have closed on Return to Ravnica.

It is very vulnerable to removal like Hero’s Downfall or Silence the Believers.

This is still a bulk rare but the sudden surge of interest does give us an opportunity.

You can buy the Hero for as little as $0.49 and sell it for $0.80.

That makes it a Hero in my book.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Lighthouse Chronologist (Rise of the Eldrazi)
From $9.58 to $8.60 (-10.23%)

We discussed earlier casual appeal of Time Walk effects. They tend to exhibit slow but steady growth.

It may be that we are finally getting over-saturated with them. Lighthouse Chronologist requires a total investment of nine mana before it does anything. That is almost Time Stretch mana.

I think that this will drop to $6.00.

4. Courser of Kruphix (Born of the Gods)
From $16.83 to $15.05 (-10.58%)

Has Courser of Kruphix hit its peak?

It has been seeing lots of play in Standard, Modern and Legacy decks.

It still has a full year in standard and it is doing well in block.

What happened? It had a double whammy.

M15 included a reprint of Back to Nature which pretty much dares people to try and play constellation.

More importantly it was reprinted in the M15 Clash Pack. I see Courser dipping down to the $10 range.

It is still powerful but it is now readily accessible.

3. Fist of Suns (Fifth Dawn)
From $7.32 to $6.34 (-13.39%)

Fist of Suns has become nearly synonymous with a baseless price spike.

A rogue deck was built using Fist of Suns to cheat out powerful creatures like Emrakul, the Aeons Torn or Griselbrand.

It could also use Goryo’s Vengeance or Through the Breach to get these monstrosities attacking.

The deck never really developed. A lot of people bought into Fist of Suns due to the hype.

There is a slight silver lining. You can still buylist your Fists for $4.01. This is not bad considering you can still purchase them for $3.96.

Hopefully you did not pay more than $4 for them.

2. Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni (Betrayers of Kamigawa)
From $6.83 to $5.89

Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni is a personal favorite of mine. It has casual appeal since it is a ninja and it can be used to reanimate creatures from your opponent’s graveyard.

It has been reprinted in Planechase and From the Vault 20.

Most players are cracking their From the Vault for Jace, the Mind Sculptor. That leaves a lot of leftover rats.

Its supply has increased but demand is not really growing with it.

1. Kokusho, the Evening Star (Champions of Kamigawa)
From $12.54 to $10.28 (-18.02%)

Kokusho has seen better days. He used to dominate standard and extended.

There are just much more exciting fatties these days.

He was reprinted in Modern Masters which has not helped his price.

He is still powerful in Commander and multiplayer casual games. He no longer has the competitive demand that he used to have.

If you are sitting on these waiting for a recovery then you have several years to wait. It would move these.