PET CARDS

Khans of Tarkir: Brimming with Potential (Pt1: Hardened Scales)

By James Chillcott (@MTGCritic)

With the forthcoming release of Khans of Tarkir Wizards of the Coast has given us a fresh new take on an Alara style gold set, complete with a bunch of cards that would seem unplayable if we weren’t overloaded with mana fixing options. As with M15 this set is positively brimming with cards that could make a big splash IF they find the right complementary cards in the format, and IF the deck ends up doing well at a significant event. With the Onslaught fetchlands taking up a significant chunk of the set’s EV (estimated value), many of these potential winners will be great pickups next summer when they’ve failed out of standard. A few however, will become triumphant underdogs, just as Goblin Rabblemaster did in M15.

Now most of my investments in MTGFinance rest firmly in the “obvious winners” category, with specs harvested from my own research and tips from the top minds in the game. I spent most of my spring/summer acquiring cards like Mana Confluence, Eidolon of the Great Revel foils, Soldier of the Pantheon, Courser of Kruphix, Keranos and Goblin Rabblemaster.

With every set however, I like to dig for 2-3 cards that seem wildly undervalued, often because they are hard to evaluate or seem underwhelming at first glance.  I tend to go deep on these cards using math that requires at least 1/3 to triple up or I lose money. My time horizon is often targeted at 1-2 years but I try to pick cards that have a shot at imminent success whenever possible.

As with any good MTG spec we’re ideally looking for cards that are:

1. Multi-format playable
2. Mythic or Rare
3. Preferably from small sets (making all KTK and future fall/spring big set specs worse in general)
4. Can benefit strongly from the printing of future complementary cards
5. Strongly undervalued vs. rarity average

For the next few weeks I’ll be selecting one card per week to explore more fully and try to establish whether it has true potential or a destiny in the bulk rare bin.

This week we’re going to be talking about an innocuous little green enchantment that goes by the name of Hardened Scales.

Tail of the Tape

• Casting Cost: At G Hardened Scales is well positioned to come down early ahead of the cards it aims to boost and is easy to cast in any deck with access to the color.

• Resiliency: Post side-boarding enchantments can draw some hate in certain metagames, but at the kitchen table they’re one of the card types most likely to stick around and do their job.

• Usefulness on Curve: A late game Scales into an empty board may be just the stumble an opponent needs to finish you off, but early and mid-game it easily fits on curve among other activity.

• Rarity: This could have been an uncommon in a set with a broader +1/+1 theme, but it’s to our benefit that it’s a rare in KTK.

• Valuation:  Averaging just .75-1.00 USD in pre-orders this card is poised for solid gains if it ends up in a successful standard or modern deck this fall. The potential price range from strong standard play alone is $3-5, but growth beyond that is limited due to the linear nature of the strategy the card suggests. It will need Modern or strong EDH/Casual support to get much further.

• Availability: KTK may end up the most opened set ever, and that will mean continuing bulk status if it doesn’t find a home this year. In that case next summer will be the all-time low, and the time to snap up some copies for decks and specs at .25-.50.

Standard

In standard this card’s future rest squarely in it’s ability to find a home in a few possible decks (in order of likelihood): Abzan, Green Devotion, or Temur.

On first review there doesn’t seem to be anything truly degenerate to do with Hardened Scales in Standard so far, but there are more ways to gain value from it than you probably realized. Actually, dozens more.

So far in Abazan or G/W (the most likely shells) we have the following cards to work with, listed in order of natural affinity. (Warning: this list is exhaustive in the hopes that it will inspire one of you to do something grand with Scales and but may also just result in you losing your FNM games while you durdle around.):

The Green Devotion Players

Working with the pre-existing Green Devotion shell may mean messing with a good thing unnecessarily but it’s certainly worth a look to see whether Hardened Scales can rate a slot in a deck that’s already proven itself Tier 1, perhaps with some previously ignored cousins:

• Genesis Hydra: I like getting a slightly better rate on this guy when he was already playable. For 5 mana, we’re getting a 4/4 that digs 3 cards looking for a Banishing Light or Suppression Field to help clear a path.
• Bow of Nylea: Already played in Green Devotion decks this year, it now provides +2/+2, making it that much better.
• Mistcutter Hydra: Gets a bit bigger, and his presence in the main will depend on how the metagame shakes out regardless, since Mono-U is likely done for now.
• Polukranos, World Eater: Getting an extra +1/+1 from his monstrosity trigger isn’t a big deal, but he didn’t really need the help to be good. The rest of the playable Monstrosity guys like Hundred-Handed One and Arbor Colossus are a bit better too.
• Heroes’ Bane: This guy has more fun with Scales than Polukranos, increasing your rate to 5/5 for 5 and allowing him to hit for 11 for 2GG a turn later.
• Hornet Nest: Maybe, just maybe, Hardened Scales into Nest into either Ajani is a disgusting way to slaughter decks without flyers.
• Living Totem: Suddenly this limited staple reads 3G for a 2/3 that boosts a buddy +2/+2 permanently on entry. Not bad.
• Scourge of Skola Vale: He’s now a 3/3 for 2G that gets very large indeed if you give up a dying companion to his hungers. Likely not good enough.
• Hooded Hydra: Gets an additional counter, which is not that exciting and a dubious Standard card regardless (except with Purphoros, where he might win games).
• Nature’s Panoply: For 2GG you now get 4/4 of fresh power/toughness on the table, but you need guys in play first.
• Hunt The Weak/Temur Charm: Now beefs up a creature +2/+2 and makes it that much more likely to win the fight. Hmm. Banishing Light and Suppression field are likely still just better, but perhaps a single copy for the road.
• Nessian Demolok: Bet you didn’t know this card exists. With Scales you get a 3/3 for 3GG that destroys a planeswalker or Banishing Light or you get a 7/7 for 5. They’ll give you the big guy then kill it. The rest of the tribute cards have the same issue. Moving on.

Several of these cards may also be better off joining the Abzan posse below.

The Abzan Crew

• Incremental Growth: With Scales this now reads 3GG, Sorcery: Put 2 +1/+1 counters on a creature, 3 on another and 4 on another. That’s adding 9 power/toughness to the table for 5.
• Ajani Steadfast: Putting +2/+2 permanently on each of your creatures and boosting any planeswalkers you happen to be playing seems great since it makes it that much more likely that your Ajani can hide effectively behind his friends.
• Ajani, Mentor of Heroes: Similarly to his other incarnation, the GW version of Ajani coughing up a maximum of 6 +1/+1 counters as his +1 seems excellent.
• Retribution of the Ancients: This is the kill spell this deck needed, turning all those +1/+1 counters into lethal -1/-1 counters on the opposing side for a very low cost and with extreme flexibility. Bad in multiples so it would be 1-2 copy thing.
• Abzan Charm: As if this charm wasn’t useful already killing Sarkhan and drawing cards, now it potentially adds 4 power/toughness to the table instead of 2
• Cruel Sadist: B gets you a 1/1 that ramp easily to 3/3 and 5/5 in two turns and starts picking off small creatures with ease.
• High Sentinels of Arashin: It’s a 3/4 flyer that gets +1/+1 for each other creature you control with a counter on it and it can even provide 2 counters for 3W when necessary. Lovely.
• Feat of Resistance: Putting a two +1/+1 counters on a guy while countering a kill spell or trumping a combat trade for 1W at instant speed looks worthy.
• Mer-Ek Nightblade: 2/3 for a guy that can make himself 2/2 bigger per turn and give everyone Deathtouch seems worth testing.
• Anafenz, the Foremost: Already a great beater at 4/4 for WGB, suddenly she’s permanently boosting a fellow attacker by +2/+2. Seems solid.
• Abzan Ascendancy: Doubles in power adding +2/+2 to every creature on your board, along with the 1/1 flyers you get when your dudes die.
• Ivorytusk Fortress: This card has been written off as limited only, but 5/7 for 5 is an ok rate, and untapping your Outlast/counter guys for defense could be what they need to succeed.
• Athreos, God of Passage: No interactions with Scales directly, but a fantastic value card if we’re trying to recycle Heroic dudes, Sadists and Chroniclers.
• Grim Haruspex: No direct interactions, but in combination with Athreos, could be the foundation of a solid draw/drain engine.
• Fleecemane Lion: A great card gets a bit bigger and still outranks Satyr Grovedancer.
• Ainok-Bond Kin: 1W for a 2/1 that has T, 1W: Permanently gain +2/+2 that gives all your other counter laden creatures first strike might get there.
• Herald of Anafenza: W for a 1/2 that can gain +2/+2 and make a 1/1 for 2W every turn. Again, seems workable though the tap cost on Outlast makes it much worse.
• Feast on the Fallen: for 2B, you get a +2/+2 upgrade on a creature of your choice every turn (I’m assuming you’re attacking hard yeah?)

The Heroic Shell Cards

• Phalanx Leader: WW and some heroic triggers starts building up our entire army in +2/+2 increments.
• Fabled Hero: If you were going to try and play a Heroic guy, this might be it, since the first trigger would give you a 4/4 Double Striker for 1WW.
• Hero of Iroas: If we’re going the Bestow route a 4/4 for 1W with cheap trigger costs seems about right.
• Wingsteed Rider/Akroan Skyguard: A 4/4 flyer for 1WW is playable, with the right triggers. So is a 3/3 flyer for 1W. Perhaps both?
• Battlewise Hoplite: A WU 2/2 that Scrys for 1 and becomes a 4/4 on it’s first targeting is interesting if UWG can be made to work.
• Favored Hoplite: I spent most of the spring tooling a W/U deck with Battlefield Thaumaturgist, Favored Hoplite and Triton Shorestalker where I would use Launch the Fleet and Hidden Strings to do dumb things on turns 2/3 and then get blown out by real magic cards. Still, he’s a 3/4 for W off the first trigger so I’ll be testing him again.
• Reap What is Sown: A couple of Heroic guys and a Scales, and then you cast this during combat? Yeah, that’s +4/+4 per guy, permanently…
• Solidarity of Heroes: So then, the next turn, we cast this for 2GG and our 6/6 guys become 11/11s? WTF. Call it win more if you like, it’s still hilarious.
• Chronicler of Heroes: 3/3, Draw a card for 1GW starts to look almost playable in the presence of so many counters.
• Ordeal of Nylea/Erebos: The plethora of kill in this new format makes this pretty dubious, but Ordeal of Nylea on an early Sadist after Scales, could be attacking for 5-7 and fetching 2 lands. The black one makes them discard 2 cards the turn it’s played. Worth fooling with?
• Eidolon of Blossoms: Getting a card off your late Scales to turn them into cantrips with upside is good if there’s already a high enough density of “counters count” cards and enchantments to make Eidolon worthwhile.
• Armory of Iroas: An equipment that gives any creature a permanent +2/+2 for 2 equip cost is possibly playable. It would help push though Courser and Sylvan and that’s important right now.

The Temur Tribe

In Temur we maintain access to the interesting mono green cards above and gain additional access to a few extra toys, at the cost of a lessened overall focus on +1/+1 counters:

• Chasm Skulker: Gains 2 +1/+1 counters per turn, necessitating kill sooner lest it get out of control.
• Trap Essence: Countering a key creature on turns 4-6 and getting 3 counters on Chasm Skulker at instant speed seems like something I should at least be trying to do.
• War-Name Aspirant: Could potentially come in as a 4/3 for 2 that can’t be blocked by Elspeth, Brimaz or Mardu tokens.
• Sage of Hours: Taking extra turns is good but this guy needs more help amidst a see of good removal, pressure and sweepers.
• Adamant Negation: If you can get a guy up to 4 power with your token work (or you’re just playing Savage Knuckleblade), this card starts countering other counters, kill and planeswalkers for one blue, and still steals turns early on causing maximum feel bads. Absolutely worth a shot.
• Disdainful Stroke: This is the other half of a wicked good counter package where Adamant Negation handles the early and late game and this card shores up the middle by preventing Xenagos, Sarhkhan, Nissa, Stormbreath, Stoke the Flames, Utter End, etc.
• Treasure Cruise: If U/G Delve can be made to work, using Treasure Cruise to dump 6 counters onto a Chasm Skulker may be a central anthem.
• Temur Charm: As a more flexible Hunt the Weak, a mediocre counter spell or the falter you need to get in there for critical damage, this may have a role to play.

Personally, with Chasm Skulker being one of my pet cards from M15 I’m most excited to see if gaining 2 counters per turn is enough to put it over the top in some kind of UGx shell. There’s an outside chance that it’s actually UGB that is more set to support Skulker with some kind of Sidisi, Treasure Cruise, Jace brew, but I haven’t had chance to look at it very hard yet and figure out if Scales would even make an appearance in such a deck.

Modern

Moving on to Modern we immediately have access to many more options for attempting degeneracy with Hardened Scales.

Option A: Play it in Affinity

Imagine the following turn sequence:

• T1: Ornithopter, Memnite, Mox Opal, Darksteel Citadel, Signal Pest
• T2: Glimmervoid, Hardened Scales, Steel Overseer
• T3: Land, Arcbound Ravager (as a 2/2 out the gate), activate Overseer: 2/4 Ornithopter, 2/3 Signal Pest, 4/4 Ravager (with the potential to go to 14/14)

Being able to ramp Ravager this hard really stretches the value of burn spells and leaves him exposed mostly to Path to Exile and counters pre-board. Clearly Modular and Hardened Scales is at least worth fooling around with but it could just be bad to have a non-artifact in the main.

Note: The oft-overlooked Chronomaton goes up +2/+2 per turn with Scales in play, and can take counters from Ravager. Clockwork Beetle would enter as a 3/3 with potential to stay in play through other interactions. IE Energy Chamber which would dole out +2/+2 to your most needy artifact creature every turn for 2  up front and could be converted into +2/+2 for Ravager in a pinch.

Option B: Try to make “Ooze One Out” a thing

Yeah, so here’s a potential modern deck shell that tries to gather together some of the better +1/+1 oriented cards in the format:

Ooze One Out (Deck Shell, James Chillcott, Sep 10/14)

• 4 BloodHall Ooze: This + Scales + Cackler or Dark Confidant = +4/+4 per turn!
• 4 Rakdos Cackler: Comes in as a 3/3 for R/B!
• 4 Scavenging Ooze: As if this card wasn’t strong enough, now it gets +2/+2 when it removes creatures from the graveyard.
• 4 Dark Confidant: Low casting cost decks with low redundancy on their primary catalyst need cards like this.
• 2 Kavu Predator: Assuming we’re playing Grove of the Burnwillows for our red splash, this guy boosts +2/2 permanently on the first activation and just gets uglier from there.
• 1 Ashling the Pilgrim: This guy is a 1/1 for 1R that helps with Bloodhall Ooze and can gain +2/+2 permanently for 1R and then threatens to blow up the world if left unchecked. I look forward to stealing a game with this out of nowhere.
• 2 Thrill-Kill Assassin: 3/4 Deathtouch for 1B seems suddenly modern playable.
• 3 Strangleroot Geist: A 2/1 haste for GG, that comes back as a 4/3 haste when it dies is just nasty.
• 1 Predator Ooze: If ever there was a shell for this guy, this might be it. Path and counters still get him but he’s an indestructible creature that grows by either +2/2 or +4/+4 per turn depending on who you’re playing against. Could be tough to cast depending on how we balance the mana.
• 4 Hardened Scales: Our main man in Japan.
• 2 Ulcerate: Cheap and effective removal.
• 2 Tragic Slip: Ditto.
• 2 Dismember: More of the same.
• 1 Bow of Nylea: A dubious addition I’m testing just to see if the flexibility is worth it.

Notes:

• Corpsejack Menace: As a potential top end for this deck he’d cause mayhem with Scales, making all inbound counters go 2(n+1) (1 counter becomes 4, 2 counters become 6, 3 counters become 8.) With Bloodhall Ooze the math is actually doubled to 8 +1/+1 counters per turn because Bloodhall carries two separate triggered abilities!

• Falkenrath Aristocrat: Going to 6/3 on the first trigger and 9/5 on the 2nd is tempting but you’d need to up the synergistic human count.
• Countryside Crusher: Flipping 2 lands off the top with this guy would turn a 3/3 into a 7/7 for 1RR.
• Bond Beetle: Could be a 2/3 for G.
• Young Wolf: 1/1 for G that comes back as a 3/3.
• Solidarity of Heroes might be insane in this deck.

In all likelihood I’m missing some fantastic deck options in Modern. (Brew something up and send it my way and I’ll include it in the next article!)

A few other potential Modern interactions:

• Archangel of Thune now grants +2/+2 to all of your creatures permanently when you gain life.
• Kitchen Finks go “infinite” with a way to get +1/+1 counters onto them easily since -1/-1 counters cancel each other out. Some kind of WGB Aristocrats brew?

EDH/Casual

With every card ever at our disposal the broken things we can do with Hardened Scales gets out of control pretty fast. It’s worth noting that in situations where you were only trying to double a single counter anyways, Scales is strictly cheaper than Doubling Season so it should find an auto-home in those pre-existing EDH decks that are already abusing counters.

Tangent 1: Unleash Creatures

Check out what a Hardened Scales does to creatures with Unleash:

• Rakdos Cackler: 3/3 for R or B
• Gore-House Chainwalker: 4/3 for 1R
• Thrill-Kill Assassin: 3/4 Deathtouch for 1B
• Splatter Thug: 4/4 First Strike for 2R
• Hellhole Flailer: 5/4 for 1BR w/ Sac, 2BR: Deal 5 to player.

Tangent 2: Simic/Doubling Season Decks

• Doubling Season: I tried doing the math on this and my brain started to hurt. Suffice to say your creatures are getting massive. Just remember to stack the triggers correctly for maximum benefit.
• Cytoplast Root-Kin:  Goes totally mondo and now reads 2GG, Graft 4, 4/4. ETB: Put an extra 2 +1/+1 counters on every creature that already has a counter.  Another creature ETB: Take a +1/+1 counter off Cytoplast Root-Kin and put 2 on the ETB creature. 2: Remove a +1/+1 counter from a creature and put 2 on CRK. (Wow.)
• Forgotten Ancient:  Gains 2 +1/+1 counters per spell cast by any player. Those counters double again when split to other creatures in your upkeep!
• Vorel, of the Hull Clade: I need a ruling on this one. Does this guy triple +1/+1 counters or just 2N+1?
• Hunting Moa: Is now a 3/2 that puts 2 +1/+1 counters on a creature on ETB, and another 2 when it dies for just 2G.
• Vigean Hydropon: Can distribute up to 12(!) +1/+1 counters to future incoming creatures for 1UG.
• Afiya Grove: Now provides +8/+8  permanently to your board for just 1G. Hot.
• Blessings of Nature: Wow, if you miracle this, you get up to 8 +1/+1 counters for just a single green mana. Gross.
• Curse of Predation: The guy you do this to with Scales on the table is getting him for an extra 2 from every creature. He will hate you for it.
• Simic Guildmage:  Turns a +1/+1 counter into 2 on someone else with every 1G activation.
• Plaxcaster Frogling: Is now a 4/4 for 1UG that can remove a counter when another creature ETB to put 2 on the new creature. It also defends itself and it’s friends for 2.
• Simic Fluxmage: Gets really sexy as a 1/2 that becomes a 3/4 on the next ETB trigger and can reset itself for further growth by removing a counter to place 2 on another creature.
• Elusive Krasis: Goes from 0/4 Unblockable to 2/6 and 4/8 in a hurry with Hardened Scales around.
• Evolution Vat: Upgrades to boosting a creature by +2/+2 and then doubling+1 the resulting total counters.
• Fathom Mage: Gets +2/+2 and draws 2 card per Evolve trigger? Nuts.
• Ghave, Guru of Spores: For 2 mana add a counter to any creature at instant speed.
• Grimgrin, Corpse-Born: Gains +4/+4 in his normal cycle of abuse.

• Gyre Sage: Starts generating silly amounts of mana in a hurry.
• Kalonian Hydra: Hardly needs the help, but he starts at 5/5 and goes to 11/11 while doubling everyone else’s counters +1 on attack. Mental.
• Kavu Predator: With a Grove of the Burnwillows now reads: 1G, 2/2, Trample. Tap Grove to put 2 +1/+1 counters on Kavu Predator.
• Jenara, Asura of War: Gets big fast for 1W per 2/2.
• Fertilid: is a 3/3 for 2G that can Rampant Growth 3 times.
• Lumberknot: is a 1/1 Hexproof creature for 2GG that gains +2/+2 permanently whenever a creature dies.
• Advocate of the Beast: now boosts a Beast by +2/+2 every turn for 2G

Tangent 3: Other Fun Interactions

•  Ajani Goldmane: His -1 now places +2/+2 on each creature you control.
• Ajani, Caller of the Pride: Does it for one creature with his +1.
• Ajani’s Pridemate: Now gains +2/+2 whenever you gain life.
• A fully kicked Analvolver is now 4BUG for an 8/8 flyer with regeneration.
• Bramblewood Paragon: Warriors enter the battlefield with +2/+2 and gain trample for 1G. My casual Elf Warrior decks rejoices. Elvish Vanguard plays nicely here too.
• Avenger of Zendikar: The landfall ability now puts +2/+2 on all the plant tokens.
• In your Animar EDH/Commander deck, your commander now gains +2/+2 whenever you cast a creature, and reduces creature costs by 2 for every time this happens. Hot.
• Arcbound Stinger is a 2/2 flyer for 2 that gives another artifact creature +3/+3 permanently when it dies.
• Cathar’s Crusade: In EDH/Commander this card starts giving ALL of your creatures +2/+2 for every creature that comes into play for 3WW. So yeah, that would be +8/+8 from a twice resolved Lingering Souls.
• Carrion Feeder: Gains +2/+2 for every creature sacrified, perhaps in a G/B Zombie deck leveraging Scavenge.
• Champion of the Parish: Likewise, this guy gets +2/+2 for every incoming human. That’s +4/+4 for W if you cast Raise the Alarm into a Scales.
• Cenn’s Tactician: Doles out +2/+2 to a creature per turn for W and lets them block two creatures each.
• Dack’s Duplicate: Boosts +2/+2 every time it attacks the leading player.
• Deathbringer Thoctar: Turns into a machine gun accumulating 2 counters when something dies and taking them off at will to deal 1 damage. Savage.
• Descendant of Musamaro: Suddenly becomes playable as a 2G guy who gains 2n-y counters per turn where n = your hand size and y = the hand of the opponent with the least cards.

• Dirtcowl Wurm: A 3/4 for 5 that gets +2/+2 every time an opponent plays a land will get out of hand fast in EDH.
• Dragon Blood: Doles out +2/+2 counters every turn for 3, presumably for massive value in combination with some of these other cards.
• Etched Oracle: This guy gets easier to cast for full value, easily coming in as a 5/5 that can go to 1/1 to draw you 3 cards for 1 mana.
• Experiment Kraj: Gets all fiesty doling out the +2/+2s every turn.
• Experiment One: Being able to boost him for double value and ditch the counters at will to ensure he gets the next Evolve Trigger or dodge removal/combat damage is great.
• Mikaeus, the Lunarch: Comes in one +1/+1 counter bigger, taps to get 2 counters, and trades a single counter from himself into 2 for the whole team. Excellent!
• Borborygmos: Puts +2/+2 on each creature if he connects.

So as you can see, Hardened Scales, though linear and from a set with dominant fetchlands, may well be usable in multiple formats.  Go forth and break my pet card please. My 100+ copies will thank you.

Bonus MTGFinance notes:

• M15 Pet cards Goblin Rabblemaster and Chasm Skulker are looking good for returns, with Rabblemaster already in 250% territory. I was in at $3 on Rabblemaster and $1.25 on Skulker and will hold 50% of my Skulkers for longer looking to squeeze some more profits in case he finds a role somewhere before starting sell-off post PTKTK.

• Modern Masters boxes from last summer have ripened and I’m having little trouble selling cases of 3 for $1200 overseas, representing 55% profits over the entry point of $220/box after fees. With MM2 surrounded by so many question marks I recommend getting out on these boxes this fall and setting up for fresh profits elsewhere. I’ll hold only a single case past Jan 1/15.

• Modern/Eternal/EDH playable foils from KTK to target so far include: Adamant Negation, Savage Knuckleblade, the Fetchlands, Narset, Enlightened Master and Clever Impersonator. I also like Sidisi, Brood Tyrant, especially if she doesn’t end up Tier 1 in standard, because then we’ll have plenty of time to get her excellent art in foil at lower cost.

• MTGO specs from Vintage Masters selected using my preferred Card Evaluation Formula (% of metagame x # copies played/deck) have yielded very good returns in a very short period of time. My top two VMA picks, Jace, The Mind Sculptor and Force of Will have both achieved 40-45% returns in just 6 weeks, the equivalent of over 350% per annum. The most popular blue dual lands are already sliding up and should easily provide similar returns by October. Good luck getting that out of your mutual funds.

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.

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

5 Big Winners of the Week

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

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

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

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

Legacy uses it in OmniTell and even Manaless Dredge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unlike Kruphix, Keranos has been taking metagames by storm.

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

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

Legacy decks are running him in Jeskai Miracles.

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

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

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

10 Big Losers of the Week

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

Glen Elendra Archmage was reprinted in Modern Masters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They are usually perfect on any turn except the first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is a popular inclusion in cubes and commander decks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It will be exciting.