Next week, on May 15, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is supposed to be released throughout the world. It’s been on limited release for about a month now, and even though there’s blessed few places/ways to play in paper, some prices have really stood out.

Now comes the true test: What will the prices be once we can buy and open all we want?

While I think almost everything is going to come down in price, there’s a certain mindset of ‘people can buy, but can they play? That’s a much more difficult question to answer, and my guess is that even if stores are open, are people going to go there? I certainly don’t feel ready to go storming back in like nothing’s changed.

With that caveat, let’s focus on the current prices for the pack nonfoils, the most basic versions of cards in Standard.

Fiend Artisan (nonfoil, regular art is currently $27)

The Artisan is in quite a spot. There’s been a lot of versions of Cat Food decks, most of which are using Mayhem Devil and the new hotness is Obosh, the Preypiercer as a Companion. That version can’t play this even-costed Artisan, but holy wow, is the Artisan perfect for the deck. Get bigger with every card in the yard, can upgrade one creature into just about any other creature. Note the lack of ‘nontoken’ to sacrifice. Note that you’re paying the new creature’s cost, even if that’s huge, and it’s going right into play! 

Even with all the awesomeness of this card, I think it’s due to come down a little. It’s not going to go too far, as it’s a fine card in multiples and these sacrifice-themed decks will want at least three. I see this as ending up at $15-$20.

If I’m wrong, and the Food decks take over in paper, watch for Korvold, Fae-Cursed King to jump again. He was $30 at one point, and has fallen down to $6. The rise of the Artisan could make Korvold jump to $15 again.

Luminous Broodmoth ($19)

There aren’t a lot of decks playing a ton of this. I love seeing this with Gyruda, Doom of Depths as wrath insurance, but since the main use of this card is that sort of defense, that’s generally not the sort of proactive plan that decks succeed with. It’s a powerful card, one that demands its own removal spell first, and that will help keep the price near $10.

There’s a Mardu Sacrifice deck out there that might take off, and if it does, the Broodmoth will rise and you should also get in on cheap copies of Nightmare Shepherd. Currently a dollar rare, if the deck is real it’ll hit $5 easily.

Lurrus of the Dream Den ($19)

This price is entirely due to the proliferation of decks using this companion in older formats. Standard doesn’t have decks that can satisfy this requirement easily, though I played against one that used a variety of reanimation cards quite effectively. Modern Burn has adapted to this card quite easily, and Legacy isn’t far behind. Sometimes the goal is just to recur a Mishra’s Bauble, and sometimes the goal is just to have the 3/2 lifelink lurking for whenever you need it.

I don’t think this price can hold once we’re opening packs at the normal rate. My instinct is that it’ll flirt with $10 and lower within a couple of months, but the long-term outlook of this card entirely rests on how broken you think it is and if it’ll merit a ban.

Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy ($18)

There’s not a lot of Standard fun with this kid yet, but the synergy with Castle Garenbrig is real and terrifying. I think the big appeal of this card so far is in Commander, as I can’t find many lists with Kinnan yet for Standard. The combination of Commander appeal and the limited amount in circulation is a formula for a price that’s teetering on the edge of a precipice, and the fall is about to happen. Unless a new Standard deck pops up with the prodigy (and I’ll be pissed if it’s not called Firestarter!) it’s headed towards $5-$7 or so.

Vivien, Monsters’ Advocate ($13)

Five-drop planeswalkers need to be overpoweringly good on their own for their price to get high and stay high. This version on Vivien is not overpowering, but untapping with her in play is likely to lead to wins. The value of playing the top of your library is good, but this effect exists in a couple of creatures already: Vizier of the Menagerie and Garruk’s Horde. Neither is expensive or game-ending in Commander, which doesn’t bode well for her price long-term. 

I’d expect her to drop by half soon, and stay in that range for most of her life in Standard.

Rielle, the Everwise ($11)

There is a deck playing Rielle, and it’s awesome to see someone cast Cathartic Reunion with her in play. As you can imagine, this is an Arclight Phoenix deck, and a decent one. Rielle as a mythic is going to drop pretty hard, as there’s better choices for a Commander of a cycling-themed deck. I’d say she will end up about $3/$4 when prices begin to fall.

Narset of the Ancient Way ($11)

The Fires of Invention decks love having good four-drops that can get ahead on the board. Fires is a do-nothing by itself, but Fires into Narset can take care of a big threat nicely, depending on the discard. Jeskai Control is another deck that would dearly love to get this emblem going, and 2 life on the plus adds up quick. I think Narset’s price will fall a little, but not too far, and hover near $10 for quite a while.

Winota, Joiner of Forces ($10)

Of all the cards on this list, I think Winota has the greatest chance to rise in price. The deck playing her is going to play the full set, and rightfully so. You can choose any flavor of low-cost non-humans, but Winota is the reason for the spike in Agent of Treachery recently and I won’t be shocked to see Haktos the Unscarred rise from bulk into the $2/$3 range as well. Winota decks are capable of some absurd turns: Spectral Sailor into Raise the Alarm into Chandra, Acolyte of Flame means five Winota triggers on turn four, and you’ll be looking at an absurd 30 cards in total.

What you really want to keep in mind with Winota is the scaling effect. Every cheap non-Human makes her easier to activate, and every good Human makes her triggers that much better. It’s unlikely we’d get something as good as Agent of Treachery’s trigger, but who’s to say?

In terms of her Commander appeal, my favorite Human hits in her colors are probably Konda, Lord of Eiganjo and Lena, Selfless Champion. Depending on your local metagame, Vulshok Battlemaster might be the perfect card too.

Winota needs to win something spectacularly, like a SCG open on camera with a turn-four kill, just to put her capabilities into everyone’s mind. Then she’d hit $15 or $20, as befits a mythic that must be played as a four-of.

Cliff (@WordOfCommander) 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 official substitute teacher 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.

I realize that we’re currently in a really divided time. A majority of the states are going to be open in some way starting May 1, and there’s a whole lot of leeway when it comes to what businesses are allowed to function and which aren’t. 

Game stores are in a vulnerable spot, and the main factor for us to consider is that the paper Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths isn’t supposed to be released until May 14. The Commander decks are supposed to be available then, as well. I don’t think we’re going to have normal times for quite a while yet, but we will see.

We are also about five months from rotation, and there’s some big names at big prices. It’s time to get out while the getting is good…

My main goal for you is to be safe, no matter what your state/country is requiring of people. Getting in a Commander game is not worth your life. More people have died from COVID-19 in the United States than died in the Vietnam War. If you look only at the statistics and decide you like your odds, that’s your call, but remember that you’re an infection vector and could transmit the virus to someone who isn’t as lucky.

Or you’d roll a 1 on your d20. 

People want things to be normal. I like the creative ways folks are making lemonade out of these shelter-in-place lemons. We’re seeing a wide range of online tournaments. People have been busily playing Commander via webcam, or less official programs, but prices are still changing by the week.

I’m impressed at the way prices are almost acting normal. Lurrus is big in Modern and Legacy, and has a price to show it. I’d expect that price to fall once people start opening packs in real numbers, especially because people need exactly one copy per deck. Some Companions are worth playing extra copies in the main (Gyruda, I’m looking at you, buddy!) but Lurrus precludes that. 

Right now, given the proximity to rotation out of Standard, it’s the perfect time to sell extra copies of overpriced things. All of these suggestions are presuming that you’re going to keep the ones you need, but in some cases, I’m going to be raiding my Commander decks and selling cards that I can put back in once rotation happens and these prices come back to earth.

If you play Standard, keep what you need, but the profit-taking is about to happen for some of these. Sell at the highest price!

Some overpriced cards I think you should sell:

Breeding Pool ($27 nonfoil from Ravnica Allegiance)

Blood Crypt ($15)

Yes, I think you should sell every once of these that you’re not playing. Right now, Simic is clearly the best guild in Standard, it’s been given all the fun toys even when Once Upon a Time and Oko are both banned. Blood Crypt has had a bump recently with the popularity of the assorted flavors of Mayhem Devil-centric sacrifice decks, but the Pool is at one of the highest prices I can remember for a Standard land. 

Blue-Green is that good, that dominant, that prevalent. It’s not in as many decks as Fabled Passage, but the Breeding Pool decks tend to start with four of the shockland. Most decks with Passage want less than the full playset (but do stock up before Passage breaks $20!) and I’m getting out of these shocks entirely. As I said above, I’m even taking a couple of copies out of Commander decks and selling them, the value is too good and shocklands will come back to earth later this year when rotation happens. 

I have trouble imagining a world where a soon-to-rotate land with this much stock goes higher. The Gatecrash version is $25, original Dissension is $34. I’m taking the value now and I won’t be sad if it bumps to $30. My eyes are firmly fixed on when this is $10 at Halloween.

Hydroid Krasis ($17)

Get out while you can. Krasis is a fantastic card in big-mana Commander decks, but let’s take a look at the graph:

The big spike has happened, and only the popularity of UGx decks has allowed it to maintain this price. It’ll be in the $10 range by the end of summer, and at that point, you’d better not have any excess copies in your inventory. Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy is no Nissa, who Shakes the World, even though Uro is going to be a staple for the next year and a half. Too much of the ramp deck is rotating for me to want to try and hang on to the Krasis.

Again, if you’re planning on playing Krasis in some paper Magic this summer, keep your playset and dump the rest. The value needs to be extracted and applied to other worthy targets. 

Agent of Treachery ($6)

Holy biscuits, take a look at this graph and tell me you shouldn’t be selling like mad:

Agent has always been a favored ramp payoff, there’s something delightful about ramping up and then taking the thing they were going to kill you with. Drawing three from the second ability tends to earn immediate concessions, and I have been on both ends of that spectrum.

Agent isn’t played in other formats, though it’s a fun Commander card. Dump your spare copies and dump them now. This will be a dollar rare in a few months.

Cliff (@WordOfCommander) 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 official substitute teacher 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.

Last week, I wrote about Throne of Eldraine and some underpriced cards going forward in Standard. Today, I want to expand my thinking a little and focus on mythics whose prices are terribly tempting.

I’m looking for unique effects, good in Commander, things that have or might get used in Eternal formats, and that includes Pioneer.

I mentioned Arclight Phoenix last week and I’m still interested at $4, just to get that out of the way. I don’t need to repeat myself, do I?

Divine Visitation ($11 nonfoil/$16 foil)

I don’t see how these can get much cheaper even as we barrel towards rotation. It’s not like Standard players are lighting it up with token shenanigans. It’s already in 6000 decks listed on EDHREC, it synergizes extremely well with the new UWR token maker, Akim, the Soaring Wind, and it’s just a must-kill threat in any Commander pod. 

Unsurprisingly, as a Commander card I want foils, and at just a few dollars more for the foil, I should be able to make that happen. This could have been had for nearly half as much a few months ago, and while this will get reprinted again, that’s why you want foils. 

Finale of Promise ($2/$4)

Let’s take a trip back about a year, shall we? 

This was close to $20 when people were trying to break it with free spells, and that use hasn’t changed. Yes, War of the Spark has a whole lot of uncut sheets out there, but very few of those are cut into useable cards. I want to have a few of these stocked up for when the next free spell frenzy hits, as it eventually will.

We know this is a good effect, a powerful one. We’re just banking on its return to glory, and that this is a playset when used in Modern. Pioneer doesn’t have the suspend spells to use, but who knows what’s coming? It was 4x the foil price once, and might be again.

Prime Speaker Vannifar ($3/$10)

Vannifar Pod has real potential, both in Modern and in Pioneer. It’s been powerful and hyped before, and I want to have a few of these handy when the hype arrives again. The graph on this one is a lovely shape, just heading to the bottom of the canyon before something happens to make this a hotly desired card.

Again, this is a card that gets played as a four-of, and the higher foil price is more reflective of Commander demand than anything else. Simic is decadently spoiled for choice in terms of the Commanders to choose from, and if I saw PSV in my pod I’d be prepared for a combo backed by countermagic. Pick up foils, if you have the budget. 

Omnath, Locus of the Roil ($4/$7)

Remember when this was a $15 card, backed by three colors of ridiculous Elementals? It’s still very very good and is a tribe that’s gotten a whole lot of support over the years. I like this more for Commander than anything else, but while Horde of Notions is better able to win a long game, Omnath just ends things fast. 

This has the potential to fall a little further as rotation approaches, so if you want to be patient before buying, I’d respect that. I’d also listen if you wanted to play this alongside Kaheera, the Orphanguard for the next few months. I do love synergies!

Kethis, the Hidden Hand ($2/$6)

Kethis Combo decks were huge at the end of last year, and when Pioneer comes back in person, it’ll still be a deck with a lot of potential. The risk of reprinting is quite low, and the synergies are still very powerful. There’s been minor bumps in price as time went on, usually in sync with someone spiking a strong finish with the deck, but its popularity is hampered by the sheer number of clicks it takes to make this deck work online. In person, it’s much less of a problem, once you demonstrate the loop. Online, you’ve got to click every iteration until you’re milled out, play Tamiyo, get back Jace, and win. Then do it all again.

The key interaction point is Mox Amber, which is a bit pricier, but another worthy speculative purchase given that it’s still got a lot of potential in Pioneer. 

Garruk, Cursed Huntsman ($3/$5/$7 Borderless nonfoil/$20 Borderless Foil)

He’s a baddie, no doubt about it. I think he’s criminally underplayed in token/superfriends Commander decks, where so many effects can get him an ultimate right away. He just needs a little help, and then everything is TERRIFYING. Worst-case is that he deals with a threat and replaces the card you spent, which isn’t great in Commander, but that’s a pretty high floor.

I think all the versions are good buys at this point, being at their lowest price. It’s unlikely that he’ll fall too much further before rotation hits, especially in the Showcase styles. I don’t think any one thing is going to happen to cause his growth, just snag your cheap copies now and be patient.

Cliff (@WordOfCommander) 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 official substitute teacher 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.

I know our eyes are full of new cards, and there’s a wild west going on with actual card availability, so I want to take a moment and look at Throne of Eldraine, a set that has another 16 months in Standard, and make sure I’m aware of what the underpriced cards are.

Traditionally, for the big fall set, the highest price is about one year, or the halfway point, whichever you’d prefer to call it.Let’s look at a couple of examples from recent sets:

Legion Warboss (Currently about $2)

The Warboss dropped to under a buck at release, and took about eight months to get picked up in a deck. At that point, you could have made $7 per copy under ideal conditions, and that’s a lovely feeling for a card you snagged at such a low point. Notice that it’s heading for zero, but it’s a fun card to pair with Goblin Rabblemaster in those sorts of decks in Modern and Pioneer. It’s nice when one creature gets you an entire army.

Vraska’s Contempt ($1)

This card fell to around $5 during Rivals of Ixalan, and then started to rise like mad. By October 2019, they were going for just about $20 each, as the premier removal spell of the format. You’d think four mana was too much, but add a little lifegain (and make sure there’s nothing better around) and you’ve got a winning formula.

So what cards in Throne meet these sorts of criteria?

Murderous Rider ($2 regular nonfoil/$4 regular foil/$3 Showcase nonfoil/$6 Showcase foil)

We got some sweet removal spells in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths but nothing this universal and multifaceted. The fact that your three-mana instant can kill anything that needs killing and then, whenever you have mana, can be a 2/3 lifelinker is pretty amazing. It’s not a popular metagame card right now, because it’s not green and Wizards decided we needed a year where every overpowered card was Simic. It’s too much value to be this low and I personally have about a dozen nonfoil Showcase stored up, and I’m debating about getting more.

Removal spells tend to be as strong a spec as you can get in Standard, and we’ve had a good line from Hero’s Downfall to Vraska’s Contempt to this one. When the metagame shifts at rotation (farewell to Nissa and Krasis especially!) I would look for this to be ascendant.

Keep in mind that even with a lack of paper tournaments, Rider is the third most commonly played creature in Pioneer, showing up in a wide variety of decks. Always feels nice to buy a cross-format card at its lowest point.

Bonecrusher Giant ($1/$2.50/$2/$3)

This is another one that is pretty mindblowing to me. It’s incredibly ubiquitous, and yet has such a low price. It’s the #2 creature in Standard right now, and the #9 creature in Pioneer. Decks generally play three or four, because it’s cheap interaction when you need it and a beefy body for cheap after that.

I like picking up the nonfoils more, because this is for those who play in paper tournaments, and that goes for the Rider above too. Players like making their deck unique without the literal warping effects that foils can have. This feels like a slam dunk to me, and I hope you’re able to stock up effectively.

Fae of Wishes (50¢/75¢/$1/$3)

This is a bit lower in price because the current demand isn’t there, but we’ve only had a couple of months to get used to wishboards again. Currently, only Fires decks make use of the card, but it’s a very low buy-in for a card that has such a unique effect. We’ve got more than a year to make this card broken as hell, and there’s a very good chance that the cycle of Ultimatums turbocharges the deck. These seven-mana, seven-specific-mana spells are usually terrible draws but the perfect card to tutor for in the right situation.

As ever, I prefer buying the nonfoil Showcases but I wouldn’t fault you for getting in at near-bulk prices on the Fae.

Fabled Passage ($11/$14/$20/$80)

Finally, a card that is in a Challenger deck and the price graph proves the point:

The Challenger decks are out now and represent a minor reprint for the most played nonbasic land in Pioneer and the #2 land in all of Standard, losing out to only Mountain. Eleven bucks is quite the steal, and that’s with more than a year to go in Standard. I do expect these to be present in next year’s Challenger decks, or reprinted in some other set along the way, but there’s a window for excellent profit here, especially with the Extended Art version. Just like foils used to be a safer play (and in this case, still a delightful one) the EA/Showcase is much less likely to be reprinted and therefore a safer place to put value for a while. Grab a few and thank me later.

Arclight Phoenix ($4)

As a bonus, I’m picking a card that is going to rotate and shows even a Challenger deck can’t hold down a good card. Phoenix took quite a hit right before Throne of Eldraine and rallied back wonderfully, but it’s now gliding towards its rotation out of Standard. Phoenix strategies are still very very valid in Pioneer and will have their day again in Modern, and I’m hoping these fall even further. If you’re playing the Phoenix strategy, you’re definitely on the full playset, and as a Mythic, even one with supply bumped a little, you’re looking at a very solid spec.

Cliff (@WordOfCommander) 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 official substitute teacher 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.