Hey everyone, thanks for tuning into our updates for Pro Tour Khans. I’ve been paying attention to the first two rounds and what is happening so far. Let’s take a look below:

Round 1 Summary

Raphael Levy (Mardu Planeswalkers)

Notable cards from the deck:

• Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
• Chained to the Rocks
• End Hostilities
• Nyx-Fleece Ram G2 & G3
• Utter End
• Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
• Chandra, Pyromaster
• Crackling Doom

Ben Stark (Jeskai Aggro) (won match 1)

Notable cards from the deck:

• Dig Through Time
• Goblin Rabblemaster
• Mantis Rider
• Seeker of the Way
• Brimaz, King of Oreskos
• Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

Park Jun Young (won match 1)

Notable cards from the deck:

• Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
• Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
• Sorin, Solemn Visitor
• Chandra, Pyromaster
• Thoughtseize
• Crackling Doom
• Butcher of the Horde
• Ashcloud Phoenix

Ivan Floch

Notable cards from the deck:

• Prognostic Sphinx
• Dig Through Time
• Hero’s Downfall
• Silence the Believers
• Clever Impersonator

Commentator Input

• They were very excited about Dig Through Time.
• Butcher of the Horde was the number 1 rated card by commentators.
• LSV – Altar of the Brood won match 1 with Jeskai Ascendency, not covered on camera but the amazing 2-0 game was noticed. Only one Altar was played, so probably not much opportunity there but should watch this deck moving forward through the Pro Tour.

General:

• Temples were seen everywhere – more lands came into play tapped then not.
• Pearl Lake Ancient made an appearance as a two-of in control decks.
• Keranos won a game against a control deck
• Perilous Vault – seen at last pro tour, and also seeing play here.
• Dig Through Time doing so much work!
• Deck – Azorius Soul Blade. Notable cards: Ensoul Artifact, Hero of Iroas, Ghostfire Blade, Phyrexian Revoker, Master of Waves SB, Stubborn Denial SB

Round 2 Summary

Peter Steinaa (Kung Fu Tokens)

• Jeskai Ascendency
• Hordeling Outburst
• Dictate of Heliod
• Nyx-Fleece Ram

Shawn McLaren (Jeskai Aggro)

• Anger of the Gods
• Jeskai Charm
• Dig Through Time
• Mantis Rider

Owen Turtenwald

• Perilous Vault
• Aetherspouts
• Thoughtseize

Park Jun Young (again surprising us)

• Empty the Pits (won a game on camera)

Commentator Input

• Unwritten Devotion archetype. Green Devotion, with See the Unwritten. Ferious to get two creatures into play. Splash black for Doomwake Giant constellation effect. Hornet Queen is also a card appearing in some lists.
• Nelson – White/Red Tokens
  • Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
  • Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
  • Hordeling Outburst

• Manfield – Abzan Midrange
  • Sylvan Caryatid
• Blue / Black not doing well. Matches are 0-3 so far.

General:

• Jeskai Charm seems to be the most popular charm, since Jeskai in various forms is everywhere at the Pro Tour. Picking up foils of this charm seems good once the release hype dies down. Still seeing Sarkhan in basically all the red decks.

OK, so what do we know so far?

Based on James’ initial impressions, it seems like there have been tons of winners so far. Sarkhan, Sorin, Hornet Queen, Dig Through Time, and Goblin Rabblemaster all seem ripe for spikes soon after the Pro Tour. Wingmate Roc and Siege Rhino have not seen much camera time yet but as the tournament progresses they should have their time in the spotlight. Siege Rhino at least has been talked about tons by the commentators and they are big fans of the card.

Speculations are also abound. The top speculations at the moment are Jeskai Ascendency, Pearl Lake Ancient, See the Unwritten, Crackling Doom, and Perilous Vault. Based on what we’ve seen so far, all of them have performed very well and are critical parts of the decks they are present in. After spiking, these cards have a pretty good chance of staying higher than their pre-spike price even after the release hype.

Some other cards that could be good pickups are Ashcloud Phoenix, Empty the Pits, Butcher of the Horde, Prognostic Sphinx, Silence the Believers, Altar of the Brood, and Hero of Iroas (from the Azorius Soul Blade deck tech). However, the window will be much shorter with these secondary cards since there seemed to be fewer of them on camera and once the hype form the Pro Tour dies down they will go down in price as well.

Lastly, here are the Theros block and M14 cards that are performing exceptionally well and may see further gains from the Pro Tour results:

• Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
• Thoughtseize
• Hero’s Downfall
• Sylvan Caryatid
• Courser of Kruphix
• Brimaz, King of Oreskos
• Keranos (good against control, won a game in round 1)
• Temples (probably the most important from Theros)
• Goblin Rabblemaster
• Hornet Queen
• Chandra, Pyromaster

by James Chillcott (@MTGCritic)

ROUND 8 Notes:

• End of Day 1 Coverage: See you Sat evening around 7pm!
• Sigrist just called out Siege Rhino as the “best card in his deck, not close”
• Based on the strong performance of DIg Through Time, you could do a LOT worse than to order a few of these Japanese Foil Promo copies from the Prerelease (http://www.saitocardshop.com/product/15297)
• Hornet Queen just called out as the “best card” in the G/B Constellation deck that also did well today
• Just bought 20 copies of Rakshasa Deathdealer for 1.75 as it should have room to run to $4-5 if this deck keeps pace tomorrow
• Also worth noting this deck is “too aggro” to run Courser of Kruphix.
• Notable that the deck is running 4 Thoughtseize despite the life loss, to nab removal spells and protect their creatures: 4 Fleecemane Lion, Rakshasa Deathdealer (on track to bump to $4-5?), 3 Anafenza, 3 Herald of Torment, 4 Siege Rhino. Also running 3 Sorin. All of these will gain if this deck wins through on Day 2.
• Shout to FacetoFace Games team member and honorary Canadian Mike Sigrist being featured as the 8-0 Abzan Aggro player.
• Abzan Aggro is at 8-0. Don’t count this one out at all. Siege Rhino may be safe around $5-6.
• Brad Nelson beats Jamie to got to 6-2 with R/W tokens.
• At least a few Ascendancy decks are 4-0 going into this round
• Goblin Rabblemaster being featured as a format staple. <crickets>
• Chandra + Elspeth doing some work for Brad Nelson right now
• Next big Standard tourney is Grand Prix LA next weekend
• Brad Nelson (W/R Tokens) vs. Jamie Parke (Jeskai Aggro) 1st on camera this round, both at 5-2. Nothing unusual here so far. Jeskai Charm may hit $2+ based on heavy play.
• Look to whether Finkel makes Day 2 with See the Unwritten to see if the spec is real

ROUND 7 Notes:

• Just bought up a pile of Astral Cornucopia at .40. A half-chance it hits $1-3 if Jeskai Ascendancy continues to do well as it’s a winter rare. I’ve been sitting on a pile of these in regular and foil for a while, and here’s the combo it needed to do something. Note: there are alternates to the card, so the spec is weaker than it would be if that were not true.
• U/B Control Dech Tech with Cifka on camera: he argues that against 12 mana creature decks going 1-for-1 should be good. Runs 3 Clever Impersonator in the SB.
• Lol, apparently  0 pros agree with me that Villainous Wealth, not Hornet Queen, is the strongest thing to do with Nykthos mana. Hornet Queen just looked great in Green/B Devotion facing Abzan.
• Cards I’ve bought in the last hour: 40 copies See the Unwritten under $4, 12 copies Doomwake Giant under $2
• Cards I’ve sold in the last hour: Dig Through Time, Sarkhan, Jeskai Ascendancy, Fetches
• Abzan and G/B Devotion decks now on camera at 3-0 each
• Jeskai Ascendancy combo wins 2nd game easily against RWG Planeswalkers to put Dave Williams to 5-2. This is looking like THE card of the tourney thus far.
• U/B Control being condemned on camera as “not as good as before”
• Jeskai Ascendancy combo now on camera…expect a run on the card based on that Turn 4 combo kill.
• Finkle is now 2-1 with the See the Unwritten ramp deck.

ROUND 6 Notes:

• Less than 10 copies of Jeskai Ascendancy on Ebay under $8. A few prices posted around $12-13 already. Just sold my Korean copy for $9.
• Jeskai Ascendancy Combo being called out in the 3rd Deck Tech…my top pick to gain so far this weekend. Should be over $10-12 by end of weekend. Other deck components include Astral Cornucopia, Dig Through Time and a singleton Altar of the Brood.
• Ari called out Siege Rhino and Thoughtseize as key cards in his deck.
• Ari takes down U/B Control with Abzan. Notable interaction when Perilous Vault failed to wipe the board because Nissa’s lands aren’t impacted.
• Wingmate Roc and Nissa, Worldwaker now on camera in a 2-0 Abzan build piloted by Ari Lax
• Finkle loses the match to Mardu Aggro, leaving the spec potentially stranded.
• Jon Finkel is on camera playing the See the Unwritten deck. He just lost Game 1 but the buyout has already started. I encountered multiple cart thefts while lapping up 4-5 sets at $4/card. A full 60 copies just got snatched. I expect this card to hit $12+ if Finkle wins or someone gets to top 8 with it.

ROUND 5 Notes:

• Jeskai Tokens and Tempo are showing up in numbers, and the Tokens deck has now been featured in the 2nd Deck Tech of the night….Ascendancy looking primed to bump up if this continues
• A big Empty the Pits just went off for a ton out of the Mardu Planeswalker deck (Park) that is holding the top table and just beat Owen Turtenwald
• Randy B just called Perilous Vault “a real card” on camera
• Fellow Canadian Shawn McClaren goes to 5-0 using Jeskai Tempo
• Pantheon U/B control deck is running 2/3 Aetherspouts and 4 Perilous Vaults
• Butcher of the Horde is seeing play in numerous takes on Mardu builds
• Mihara and the other half of the Pantheon Team are on Unwritten Devotion (See the Unwritten + Doomwake Giant + Hornet Queen) ramp

ROUND 4 NOTES:

• Todd Anderson is showing off Ghostfire Blade in his Ensoul Artifact deck
• LSV is on Jeskai Ascendancy combo using Altar of the Brood + Ornithoptre or Astral Cornocopia to mill opponents out, which he did in Round 1. Updates as we see how many Altar are in the list…
• Ben Stark and David Williams are on Jeskai Tempo
• Raphael Levy is on Mardu Planeswalkers
• William Jensen and Flock are on U/B Control with Dig Through Time, Downfall, Prognostic Sphinx. Pantheon version is running Pearl Lake Ancient as the only finisher.

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So here we are.

6 weeks of hype, pre-release and release events, early results from SCG and State Championships all culminate this weekend at Pro Tour: Khans of Tarkir. The mixed format event started this afternoon with 3 rounds of Booster Draft and wraps up with the

With the Estimated Value of Khans of Tarkir Booster Boxes currently sitting around $140USD (most fall sets should end up between $100-$110), the results of the Standard portion of this Pro Tour are likely to result in the ascendancy and downfall of a larger than usual swath of cards. All eyes are on the 5 rounds of standard playing out between 8pm and 1:30am tonight to see what the key teams like Channel Fireball, SCG and the Japanese powerhouse squads bring to the top tables.

Early word from the tournament seems to indicate a wide open field, with no major clues that anyone has “solved” the format. In such a scenario consistency and great play should rule the day, so it will be fascinating to see what rises to the top and sets up a fresh round of buy and sell signals.

For Magic speculators, the weekend will be an especially important proving grounds for many of the most hyped cards of the format. Here are some early stories to be paying attention to:

• Sarkhan, Dragonspeaker

First folks thought he would replace Stormbreath Dragon. Then we thought the Dragon might be better. Then we thought we’d play both. Either way, he’s managed a reasonable number of showings in early tournaments and is propped up as the Elspeth of Fall 2014. Currently available around $35 online and $50 retail, he stands to lose the most if he doesn’t make the top tables this weekend. Hype and casual interest could still easily keep above $25, but I’m selling into hype at $35 with confidence, looking to enter lower later this season.

• Sorin, Solemn Visitor

So far Sorin, doesn’t have an obvious deck likely to make top tables and as such, could be headed to a $15 price point. A good showing could reverse that trend.

• Clever Impersonator

Originally pre-ordering close to $20, we have basically no indication that this is a major player in standard so far, and nothing short of a top table appearance in multiples will prop it back up.

• Hornet Queen

She was vastly underestimated in her first 8 weeks of release, with plenty of us picking up unlimited copies under a dollar.  Since Monday I’ve gone from selling $10 sets with a smile to selling $25 sets with a shit-eating grin and plenty of MTGFinance types think a good showing this weekend in Green Devotion and Reanimator decks this weekend could push her over $10/copy like her set cousin the Rabblemaster.

• Dig Through Time

A lot of the focus has been on Treasure Cruise as the most broken draw spell since Ancestral Visions, but as a rare it’s actually Dig Through Time that may have the most financial relevance this fall. A broad showing this weekend in control or tempo decks could push the card over $10, at which point I’d be selling into that hype.

• Fetchlands

They’re clearly some of the best lands of all time, but so far they haven’t made a huge splash in Standard, with relatively few decks running full sets. The early dominance of Courser of Kruphix and his excellent interactions with Fetchlands certainly balances the lack of Ravnica duals to fetch for, but the collapse of Khans EV should still begin with these lands moving down towards the $10-14 range from their current $15-20 range. Only a ton of decks running multiple playsets of 4 will have any chance of keeping prices to the higher side of the downhill range as we move deeper into the season.

• Goblin Rabblemaster

He’s already proved his mettle in everything from Aggro Red to Jeskai Temp and R/G Monsters builds and he’s earned his crown as the top rare from M15. The question is whether the metagame will now warp around him to ensure his token aggro driven strategy is nullified. A top 8 will keep him high. Missing that stage, could see him slide back $3-5 so it’s worth watching.

• Wingmate Roc

First we hated it. A bad Broodmate Dragon they said. Then he started showing up as a great value play and potential finisher in a few different decks and he’s a clear candidate for breakout card of the weekend. As a mythic currently sitting around $13, and with an MTGO run-up this week of ~40%, there are plenty of eyes wondering if this powerful flyer can hit $20+.

• Siege Rhino

It’s been trending down, and could easily move towards bulk unless an Abzan mid-range deck puts this powerful beater to work holding off red and black based aggro decks.

Stay tuned through the evening as we update this page with additional notes and findings from the early rounds and offer insight into how the rest of the weekend might shape up.

 

James Chillcott is the CEO of ShelfLife.net, The Future of Collecting, Senior Partner at Advoca, a designer, adventurer, toy fanatic and an avid Magic player and collector since 1994.

 

 

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. Aether Vial (Modern Masters)
From $23.19 to $26.15 (12.76%)

Magic the Gathering is in an interesting place right now. Shocklands and fetchlands are both relatively affordable at the moment. This lowers the barrier to entry into the modern format.

It would be nice to think that modern decks will suddenly become cheaper because you can now set up your entire mana base for less than a play set of Scalding Tarns would have cost you earlier this year. The truth is that Modern staples will increase in price as more people explore the format. This will be even more noticeable with budget modern decks.

Aether Vial is a powerful addition to modern and Legacy Merfolk, Hatebears, Death and Taxes and even some Goblins decks. It is also a powerful inclusion in Commander, Cubes and casual decks that like cheap and efficient creatures.

Most Top 8 lists in Modern or Legacy will feature at least one deck that packs a play set of Vials.

On 9/7/2014 the SCG Legacy tournament in St. Louis had two Legacy Death and Taxes decks make Top 8. The modern portion of the tournament had a Hatebears deck get second place.

This steady growth will only continue.

I do wonder why the FTV Relics copies are only $30.94 and the foils are only $34.53. I would try to pick up a few before the price correction boosts them up to $50 to $60.

9. Memnarch (Darksteel)
From $6.89 to $7.99 (15.97%)

Memnarch is an interesting commander. The rules have to be adjusted slightly to make him work but he is well worth the effort if you want to generate a lot of mana to steal everything at the table.

He has not seen any competitive play. His need for lots of blue mana make Mono-Blue Tron seem unlikely to include him. He is far too expensive for affinity decks.

I do not expect anything more than slow sustained growth from him. You can purchase the Archenemy copies for as little as $4.99 and sell them for up to $6.27.

8. Battlefield Forge (10^th Edition)
From $4.47 to $5.22 (16.78%)

It is not worth discussing current standard decks this week except to look forward to a new Standard in six days time.

Aggressive Mardu and Jeskai combo decks will run Forges as additional copies of Mana Confluence. This makes it one of the better positioned painlands since these are the colors that want to end the game quickly before the lands can do much damage.

I think that Boros Burn will disappear as an archetype in standard but it will always have a home in Modern.

I expect all of the enemy painlands to stay in the $4 to $7 range for the duration of their standard stay depending on the metagame.

7. Goblin Rabblemaster (M15)
From $8.48 to $10.70 (26.18%)

I have to admit that I have been constantly surprised by this card. I thought it would fall back down to $3 at rotation but instead it is sitting pretty at nearly $11.

Rotation time usually is the best time to be playing quick and aggressive decks. Red Deck Wins is usually a winner out of the gates as everyone is figuring out the metagame.

Goblin Rabblemaster is positioned nicely to lead the charge. It will also work very nicely with cards utilizing the Raid mechanic.

It is surprising me even more that it is seeing some experimentation in larger formats.

Legacy Goblin Stompy is a deck that can quickly play a three mana goblin on turn one and uses Trinisphere to set everyone back while it deploys threat after threat. It took second place in a MODO Legacy Daily on 9/12/2014.

It has also seen some sideboard play in Modern burn decks.

The card is nearly $11 so I think the time to get into it has passed but foils are only $17.32. It is a big gamble but if it does get picked up by Modern and Legacy then this is the best time to get in.

If you want to play it safe then this is about as high as the card is likely to get. Cash out now.

6. Trickbind (Time Spiral)
From $4.23 to $5.49 (29.79%)

Trickbind is picking up a little steam. Fetchlands are getting a lot of attention and cards like Trickbind, Shadow of Doubt and Squelch are easy targets to ruin someone’s day when they try to crack their fetch.

It is played in Legacy OmniTell as well. The deck managed to take top spot on 8/24/2014 in the Master Game Summer Legacy tournament.

I would not get too excited though. It was only a single copy out of the sideboard.

I would sell or trade away copies into the hype. Earlier this year you could get copies for $3. You are almost doubling your money.

5. Eidolon of the Great Revel (Journey into Nyx Foil)
From $24.98 to $32.5 (30.14%)

Eidolon of the Great Revel has been making a splash in standard, modern and Legacy Burn decks.

Can you believe these used to be $8?

If you have quadrupled your money and want to cash out that is respectable. I do believe that these will continue to be a long term hold.

The SCG Legacy Open in Atlanta on 9/14/2014 had a Burn deck make Top 8. This is getting to be a regular occurrence for the deck.

I will take a moment to say that the tournament had three Berserk Poison decks in the Top 8 as well.

Right now foil Blighted Agents are $10.51. Foil Glistener Elf is only $2. They are both commons from New Phyrexia. Glistener Elf enables a possible second turn kill. I would pick up as many as you can before the price corrects itself.

While we are on the topic the Commander copies of Invigorate can be purchased for $0.99 and sold for $1.17. The Invigorate foils are $12 as well.

4. Sundering Titan (Darksteel)
From $4.31 to $5.91 (37.12%)

So you want to be “that guy.” The one that summons a Sundering Titan through ramp, reanimation or abuses it with flickering.

It is a staple in Commander and Modern lists. It is a brutal way to punish people for greedy mana bases using shocklands, dual lands in addition to basic lands.

It is used in modern Gruul Tron, Mono-Blue Tron, Legacy MUD, Vintage MUD and Stax.

It has been reprinted in small quantities in Archenemy and From the Vault: Relics.

Due to its mana cost it is usually only played as one or two copies when it shows up at all.

It has been getting some attention recently in Stockholm.

Khans of Tarkir PTQ on 8/16/2014 had a Top 8 with two GR Tron decks in the Top 8 including the winner. Two weeks later at the GPT on 8/31/2014 Gr Tron placed second place.

Very few cards hit the battlefield with such a resounding thud.

You can purchase From the Vault copies for as little as $4.98 and sell them for up to $5.81. I think they are a solid pickup in the long term.

3. Thoughtseize (Theros Foil)
From $52.66 to $77.22 (46.64%)

I was going to compose a list of decks that run Thoughtseize but it is pretty easy to say that any deck that taps swamps for mana in Standard, Modern and Legacy is either running it or asking themselves tough questions about whether or not they should run it. It is an answer to almost everything.

Some decks like legacy Elves even splash black just to board in Thoughtseize out of the sideboard.

Mono-Black Devotion is going to be releasing its stranglehold on standard but foil prices are derived from Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Cubes. I am afraid commander does not count for this particular card due to constraints of the format.

Modern PTQ Khans of Tarkir at Riccione, Italy had three out of the Top 8 decks were running Thoughtseize. This includes the winner. A total of twelve out of thirty-two possible copies appeared in decklists.

I feel that this is the new price. If you got cheap copies when Theros came out then this is a great time to take some profit. If you are more patient these will be a solid hold until the next time it is reprinted.

2. Crystalline Sliver (Friday Night Magic)
From $10.15 to $15.93 (51.57%)

Sliver Hivelord has gotten everyone excited about building sliver decks.

It can make your entire team indestructible but sometimes that is not enough. Crytalline Sliver can keep your slivers safe from ill timed disruption like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile that might ruin an otherwise unstoppable offence.

The wonderful thing about slivers is that there is always an appeal. This is a safe hold for a long time to come. This is all the more true since Wizards has been using hexproof rather than shroud in recent years. I doubt we will see any reprints any time soon.

1. Metalworker (Urza’s Destiny)
From $13.73 to $25.58 (86.31%)

Metalworker has just been unbanned in commander. This means you will soon be seeing infinite mana courtesy of Staff of Domination, Umbral Mantle and Voltaic Construct among others.

You can win the game anyway you want with your infinite mana. My personal favorite way is through Golem Artisan.

There are plenty of other ways to abuse the large swaths of mana it is capable of generating.

Metalworker has been featured in Legacy and Vintage MUD decks as well as Vintage Stax.

This news makes for a huge pay day for anyone who happened to be holding onto Metalworkers. I would observe the example of Bitterblossom’s unbanning in Modern. It spiked immediately due to the frenzy of players trying to get their hands on the card and trying it out in the format. This new format only requires a single copy per player so I would sell into the hype as quickly as possible.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Merrow Reejerey (Lorwyn)
From $6.20 to $5.63 (-9.19%)

Merrow Reejerey is a feature in Modern and Legacy Merfolk decks.

Unfortunately it has seen its place in the deck challenged by newcomers Master of Waves in Modern and True-Name Nemesis in Legacy.

The sweet spot for Fish tends to be two mana so even a three mana lord that accelerates mana and taps down blockers is only featured as a two of.

The Reejerey will continue to decline until it hits around $3. I would get out now. It is only used in an unstable spot in a pet deck for now.

2014 modern state championships – maine

4. Living End (Time Spiral)
From 8.82 to $7.92 (-10.20%)

Living End is used solely in the appropriately named Living End Modern deck. It is an all in reanimator deck which is easily hated out with an early Rest in Peace or a timely Bojuka Bog.

It has been falling in favor in the Modern metagame. It has been over a month since it has been in a Top 8.

This deck tends to be cyclical. When reanimator decks fade a bit and graveyard hate is removed from sideboards it will rise again. This has caused the price to be nearly half the $15 it commanded at the beginning of the month.

I would grab a cheap play set or two and wait for the deck to come back into favor.

3. Mutavault (Morningtide)
From $26.81 to $23.65 (-11.79%)

Mutavault has been everywhere in standard and it will happily continue to be played in several Modern and Legacy decks.

I would wait another month or so. Mutavault will be as cheap as it will ever be as standard players unload their copies to pick up new fetchlands. If you can find any copies under $20 I would move on them and hold onto them.

They are an excellent long term investment.

2. Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni (Betrayers of Kamigawa)
From $7.49 to $6.44 (-14.02%)

I need to make a confession. I love Ink-eyes in all of its casual glory. It combines ninjas, rats and reanimation. It is hard to kill and helps rebuy enters the battlefield effects.

None of this make it a great investment. It is not played in any competitive format. It is still a casual favorite and will show up in Commander decks.

Wizards of the Coast seems determined to keep reprints accessible. It was a prerelease promo, was in Planechase 2012 and was reprinted again in From the Vault: Twenty.

It has been on a slow decline for a while. Casual appeal will keep it out of bulk range but I could easily see it getting to $3 to $4 before you know it. I would keep your one copy for any fun decks you want and sell the rest.

1. Elspeth, Knight-Errant (Shards of Alara)
From $20.45 to $17.56 (-14.13%)

I suggested above that Ink-Eyes has been reprinted to frequently to keep its price up. Supply is exceeding demand.

The same case could be made for Elspeth. She is a strong planeswalker and sees play in Modern Orzhov Tokens and even Naya Zoo. Legacy runs her in Esper Stoneblade and Stoneforge Bant.

She was in Shards of Alara and you could get her in the all foil packs. She had her own Duel Deck vs Tezzeret. Wizards printed her again in Modern Masters. This summer they packaged her in the Modern Event deck.

The deck that wants to use her most can now get her prepackaged with a Sword of Feast of Famine. It will take a while to recover from all of these printings.

She is just so strong that she has been holding onto value. I would move any copies that you have. Eventually it will be reprinted enough to get it into the $10 range.

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.