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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. Shirei, Shizo’s Caretaker
$2.82 to $3.20 (13.5%)

Lately the Magic Finance community has been going bananas for Commanders. The legendary creatures from Commander and Planechase decks have been making their rounds.

It is possible that now interesting legends from Kamigawa are getting some attention.

Shirei has been a pet favorite card of mine for a while. The possibilities of getting back small creatures like Bone Shredder or Fume Spitter over and over again are a lot of fun.

It is exactly the kind of challenge Commander players love to find and build around.

However there is a new 1 power black creature in town. Shadowborn Apostle turns this commander from interesting to degenerate.

Imagine getting a new beefy demon every single turn.

Shirei makes paying upkeep costs like Abhorrent Overlord’s or Xathrid Demon’s into a value proposition.

Lord of the Void and Rune-Scarred Demon are all cheap and fun to play with.

He only has one printing and given his name he will be tough to reprint outside of supplemental products.

I agree that his time has come. I expect him to continue to climb.

9. Cephalid Coliseum (From the Vault: Realms)
$2.34 to $2.68 (14.5%)

Cephalid Coliseum plays in Legacy Dredge. It does fantastic things in that deck like stocking your hand and graveyard at a reasonable price.

The problem is that is it an uncommon from Odyssey and it was reprinted in From the Vault: Realms.

It was nearly $4 before dipping back down to $2. It looks like it is on its way back up. You should be able to pick up a play set fairly cheaply and sit on them.

8. Tendo Ice Bridge
$3.50 to $4.05 (15.7%)

Tendo Ice Bridge comes into play untapped and provides you with any color that you want.

The drawback is that it can only do this once.

The Modern Amulet of Vigor deck has found a way around this. It runs so many Ravnica bouncelands that it can rebuy the charge counter over and over again. Azusa, Lost but Seeking even helps you replay and reuse the same bridge on the same turn.

It is a rare from Betrayers of Kamigawa so there is not a large supply. The deck uses three of them.

The buy in is cheap and I do not believe it is done growing. The deck is still on the fringe but it has seen some 3-1s on MODO Modern dailies. I would trade for any that you see.

7. Oubliette
$7.97 to $9.35 (17.3%)

This common comes to us all the way from Arabian Nights.

It is a black Oblivion Ring that returns auras and counters. That makes it a template that Wizards will never want to reprint again. It is also in a color that no longer gets this effect.

Why exile a creature when you can Murder them for the exact same price?

It is not on the reserved list but it might as well be. I don’t think we will ever see any more copies of this card in existence.

It is used in Mono-Black Control Pauper decks but the Pauper format.

Unfortunately Pauper is not really a supported format in paper Magic.

In Commander and Cubes it gives black an ability that cannot be found on other cards unless you look at creatures like Faceless Butcher.

The past few months have seen it go from $2 to $4 to $14. It went back down to $7 and is now on the rise again. I think this is premature.

I would move these.

6. Chandra Nalaar (Duel Decks: Chandra versus Jace)
$7.51 to $8.99 (19.7%)

Chandra Nalaar is one of the Lorwyn five. As one of the original planeswalkers she will always have some casual appeal.

She also makes some appearances on the competitive front.

There is a Modern Boros Lockdown deck that ties up the opponent’s board with Ghostly Prison and Ensnaring Bridge.

Chandra Nalaar can pick off small creatures or creates a clock for the opponent.

The big finisher is Assemble the Legion.

Turn after turn an army of 1/1 soldiers with haste provide chump blockers and eventually an overwhelming offense.

Chandra is used as a 2 of in the deck.

It is notable that this price is for the Duel Deck: Chandra versus Jace version. It has unique artwork and was only found in limited supplies.

I don’t see her rising in price too much more. She has already been printed four times and she could theoretically be reprinted in any core set that needed her.

5. Orzhov Pontiff
$2.07 to $2.48 (19.8%)

Orzhov Pontiff is a rare from Guildpact. It has not been reprinted and its flavor makes it difficult to reprint outside of Return to Return to Ravnica or a supplemental product.

I think even those are long shots as Wizards has expressed regret with the Haunt mechanic.

It does some wonderful work in Melira Pod acting as removal and additional value when you sacrifice creatures.

It is only played as a one of in the deck. This has helped push the card from bulk rare to $2.50.

Melira Pod is very strong in the metagame but does not dominate which will help it avoid the ban hammer.

In the most recent GP in Minneapolis there were two Melira Pod decks in the Top 8 and a total of five in the Top 16.

So long as the deck continues to show such strong results I expect this card to continue to grow in value.

4. Temple of Malady
$6.07 to $7.49 (23.4%)

The scrylands from Journey Into Nyx will have the lowest supply of any of the scrylands. Journey is a third set so far less will be opened in drafts and sealed pools.

Drafters will also be treated to Conspiracy in a couple weeks. It will be interesting to see how this effects Theros block drafts.

Even before Journey the Golgari Dredge deck has been turning heads as a fun alternative to Esper Control or variations on Blue Devotion.

In block Temple of Malady is also played in BUG Control and Jund.

This will see the highest prices of any of the scrylands.

The big question is what dual lands will be available in M15 or the fall set. I see the potential for these to continue to grow to $10 or to fall back down to around $5.

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I think growth is more likely. I would happily trade for them but don’t go crazy. A couple play sets should do you.

3. Necropotence
$6.64 to $8.53 (28.5%)

Vintage Masters.

Vintage Masters is the talk of the town. Magic Online will have a draftable set that allows them to play with broken cards that banned in every format but Vintage and casual kitchen tops.

More people will get to experience playing with this card. It is difficult to reprint. Wizards of the Coast has banned this in Legacy so it goes without saying that they do not want to see this in Modern or Standard.

Planechase, Archenemy and Commander products are all usually multicolor decks that would not play well with the greedy mana cost that Necropotence demands.

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It has already been printed in a From the Vaults product so I don’t think any more will appear until they are announced as a promo.

This is a solid investment that I believe will continue to rise in the short and long term. Vintage Masters will not be redeemable but it will increase interest.

I would trade for them.

2. Shivan Reef
$5.52 to $7.99 (44.8%)

Shivan Reef is used in Modern Izzet decks like Storm or Kiki Twin. It helps fix mana without losing tempo.

The UR Storm deck has been getting 3-1s on Modern MODO dailies and has been piloted by pros like Jon Finkel.

The deck runs three Reefs to help fix mana but they are not essential to the deck. Steam Vents, Cascade Bluffs and Scalding Tarns all work to help the mana flow.

A deck like Storm requires finesse and skill to pilot. A lot of people are trying to build it because it is relatively light on the budget and powerful.

I think that this card will continue to increase in value slowly but with three printings I think it will have difficulty getting much higher than ten dollars.

1. Urza’s Miter
$2.73 to $4.87 (78.4%)

Urza’s Miter is a rare from Antiquities and is on the reserved list.

There will never be any more copies of the Miter than there currently are.

It is not that powerful or interesting so I don’t think the Magic world at large would miss it if every copy in existence suddenly disappeared. It is lower in power level than Viridian Revel which does not require three mana for every activation.

It looks at your artifacts but cannot benefit you if you sacrificed the artifact.

It is clunky and tough to build around.

It has seen a sudden surge in popularity. It jumped from $2.50 to $4 and right back down to $2.50. It is currently making its way back to $5.

There is no real justification for this outside of someone buying the cheap copies to artificially raise the price. This is still a bad spec.

That does not mean that there is no opportunity here. If anyone has one they are probably not aware of the inexplicable price increase.

One store on MTGPrice has a buylist of $2.51 on it.

You could trade this straight for cash. I would do so before this vendor corrects its buylist.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Lightning Bolt (Magic Players Reward Card)
$55.95 to $49.48 (-11.6%)

This just baffles me. There has never been a format where this card was legal and it was not one of the best removal spells played. It is always seen as a play set for the sole reason that you cannot play forty of them in your deck.

This card belongs in almost every Modern and Legacy deck that has access to red mana. It belongs in every Cube and many casual decks.

I don’t need to defend Lightning Bolt. I just need to point out that this is probably the cheapest you will see this premium version.

4. Damia, Sage of Stone
$12.55 to $11.00 (-12.4%)

I mentioned before that everyone has been going crazy for Commanders.

She had been steadily growing from $4 to $7 when people starting noticing generals disappearing. There were several buyouts and she got all the way to $14 before everyone decided she was good but maybe not that good.

She has taken a little dive but I expect her to level out around $10 and continue slowly growing. I would watch for the opportunity to grab her when she does.

She even sees play in BUG Nic Fit in Legacy. The deck has not posted serious results but if someone can find a way to use it then expect her to shoot up along with the rest of the deck.

Reviewing the deck made me realize that Thragtusk is now sitting at under $2.50. I think that is a steal. I believe his price will go up if he gets reprinted in a core set and everyone needs their play sets to play with again.

I just hope they do not reprint Restoration Angel in that Standard environment.

3. Ephara, God of the Polis
$5.77 to $5.05 (-12.5%)

The gods have lost some of their luster. I would use this as a chance to get them. Once Return to Ravnica rotates there will be a shakeup in decks. A card that can guarantee card advantage will be well positioned.

The casual and commander crowds will make sure that these insanely efficient creatures never dip down too low. I look at Karametra as the floor. I don’t think any god should ever be less than $3. I am waiting for something in Huey or M15 to come out that will make her outstanding.

Ephara actually sees play in competitive Standard decks so she should not get lower than $5. If you want to play with her get in now.

2. Domri Rade
$24.29 to $20.85 (-14.2%)

Standard is diversifying. Domri Rade is being used in variants on Jund, Naya and Gruul decks.

It is also being used in Modern in Zoo.

It is a shame that all of those decks are failing to make impressive results.

His price is slipping. You can even find him for almost $15 in some locations.

I would trade mine away unless you want to play with him. The fact that he is used in Modern means his price won’t drop too much come rotation, but it will be a bumpy ride until then.

Liquidate now and pick it up right after rotation if you want to use him in Modern.

1. Lotus Petal (From the Vault: Exiled)
$33.91 to $27.48 (-18.7%)

I still love this card. It is used in a number of Legacy decks that are getting results. If we just look at the most recent SCG Open we see the following decks that feature three to four Petals.

ANT and Imperial Painter were both in the Top 8.

Belcher represented two spots in the Top 16.

Any way you slice it a quarter of the decks that were placing ran almost the full compliment of the artifact.

There is no way it stays this low for too much longer.

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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. Teferi’s Puzzle Box
$2.49 to $2.77 (11.2%)

Teferi’s Puzzle Box has gone from bulk rare to being nearly $3. This has been the result of its power in one specific Commander deck.

Nekusar, the Mindrazer has spurned more price increases than any other Commander has done in recent memory.

I think that Teferi’s Puzzle Box will get to $3 and then just sit there.

There is no shame in tripling in a couple of months.

It has just had too many printings and the decks that want it only want a single copy.

There are vendors paying more than $1 for them.

I would keep the one copy you need and unload them for everyone who got a free 98 card Mind Seize from Walmart.

For my money I would rather be picking up Psychosis Crawlers for almost nothing. Remember that you are drawing a lot of cards too.

9. Telekinesis
$6.27 to $6.99 (11.5%)

Telekinesis is a rare from Legends and is on the reserved list.

These are the only two things that is has going for it.

It is not particularly powerful or interesting.

It is a waste of a perfectly good name.

This card is being bought by collectors so that it can sit in binders and do nothing.

That is not the hallmark of a good spec.

I would stay away. The only money there is to be made will be slow over a long period of time. Your cash has better homes.

8. Master of the Feast
$4.00 to $4.49 (12.3%)

Who cares about giving cards to your opponents at the cost of five damage a turn?

Usually I am wary of picking cards from a set so fresh. Prerelease prices are infamously high.

This might be the exception to the rule. Journey into Nyx is a third set so it will be drafter less. Conspiracy will be out in less than a month. It is a set based around drafting so I expect less Journey to be opened than a normal third set.

This is a great replacement for Desecration Demon once rotation hits.

That is assuming that Mono-Black control is still viable.

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It will be losing the omnipresent Pack Rat but most of the removal will still be intact.

I would not trade aggressively for them but I would not mind putting together a few play sets to sell in case things do get interesting come fall.

7. Price of Glory
$2.61 to $2.94 (12.6%)

Price of Glory is an interesting card. It comes down and shouts to your opponents not to play counterspells or combat tricks.

It is a red take on City of Solitude.

It is not used competitively so it must be going up due to casual demand.

I do not trust it to maintain this price. It was an uncommon. The name is generic enough it can be reprinted any time Wizards decides to.

I would not be surprised to see it in Conspiracy.

I would trade mine away.

6. Surgical Extraction
$5.27 to $5.94 (12.7%)

I really like this card. It can be played without any mana as an instant to disrupt graveyard shenanigans or just as a free psuedo-Lobotomy.

It can be played by any deck regardless of color. This is a powerful turn one play after a Thoughtseize or Cabal Therapy.

I really like the prospects of this card. Phyrexian mana makes it difficult to reprint outside of a supplemental product. Most of those are based on casual and multiplayer formats rather than hosing finely tuned Legacy decks.

It has seen widespread adoption in Legacy sideboards and has even made the occasional Modern appearance.

I would target the promo copies with the alternate art. The normal art foil is $17. There are still places with the promo copies available for under $10.

That is a crime.

5. Drop of Honey
$47.74 to $53.97 (13.1%)

It is on the reserved list. It sees play in Legacy. It is cheap green removal that can get rid of opposing blockers every single turn. It does not target. That means that True-Name Nemesis and Nimble Mongoose are legal victims.

I think that the recent success of Porphyry Nodes has helped remind everyone of the power of this one drop.

It has had some aggressive growth recently and I do not know how much more room. I would trade for something with room to grow.

4. Mystic Gate
$18.67 to $21.46 (14.9%)

I really like this land as a mana fixer in UW Midrange decks. It has seen adoption in Modern and even makes the occasional appearance in Legacy decks like UWR Miracles.

We have recently seen movement on the Twilight Mire as a $30 card. Most of the rest of the filter lands have moved up to $20.

There are still some cheap ones though. Fire-lit Thicket, Wooded Bastion and Rugged Prairie are all about $12 to $14. They have room to grow.

Graven Cairns is a steal at $6. It is the only land with two printings. It originally appeared in Future Sight and teased the cycle. I has shown steady sustained growth for a while now.

I wouldn’t mind trading for any of the cards in this cycle. I especially like the prospects for Cascade Bluffs.

3. Lotus Petal (From the Vault: Exiled)
$28.49 to $33.81 (18.7%)

I am glad to see Lotus Petal begin to rise again. This is the only foil copy available. It is used extensively in multiple Legacy decks including Reanimator and Sneak and Show variants. ANT and Imperial Painter decks also play the full four copies to try to get their combos started as soon as possible.

I don’t see this coming down below $30 ever again. I would gladly trade for these. Foil Simian Spirit Guides are around the same price and this is much more versatile.

2. Silent-Blade Oni
$5.99 to $7.58 (26.5%)

Silent-Blade Oni has only been printed in Planechase 2012. It was in the ninja deck and allows for some gross plays like stealing your opponents planeswalkers from their hand while hitting them for six damage.

May it can grab you a Progenitus or Violent Ultimatum. Sometimes he gets you nothing.

The demon ninja is cool but its sole value is to casual players. They just can’t seem to make up their mind what the price should be. $5 is too little. $9 is too much.

This week was good for the oni but sooner rather than later it will hit its ceiling again and fall back down. I would look to trade these away on the way up and for them when they come back down.

1. Nether Shadow
$1.75 to $2.31 (32.0%)

What do you do when you want to try out one of the greatest formats Magic has to offer? Look up a budget deck list and play some games.

Manaless Dredge is competitive and costs less than one land in most other decks in the format. It can put up a fight without having to play a single dual land and that is exciting.

Nether Shadow is a source of repeatable free graveyard recursion. The deck runs the full four but with so many reprintings in core sets the price is still next to nothing. I could see you getting these as toss ins on a larger trade.

The deck has not been posting results in paper but online it has several Top 8 showings.

I think that other cards from the deck will continue to grow such as Ichorid, Bridge from Below and Cabal Therapy.

There are some cheap opportunities in Chancellor of the Annex and Golgari Grave-Troll.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Keranos, God of Storms
$10.97 to $9.49 (-13.5%)

The gods from Journey into Nyx are exciting. They are each powerful and interesting Commanders.

I fully expect Keranos to show up as a 2 of in UWR or Grixis Control decks in Modern and Standard.

Why did his price go down then?

Packs are being opened. This is normal for any mythic rare in a set. Once prerelease and release dates are behind us supply will creep up to meet demand.

Journey into Nyx has thrown two wrenches into this.

First is a card called Deicide. Several gods values plummeted just upon announcement of the god centric removal.

Second are the god packs. Some booster packs of Journey into Nyx contain all fifteen of the Theros gods. Your childhood dreams of opening a pack with fifteen rares can finally come true.

The instances of this occurring are staggeringly low. It is easy to see after seeing a couple dozen showing up on Twitter that some people are reluctant to pay as much as they were beforehand.

My advice would be the same as almost every other release situation. Sell or trade away your mythics as soon as possible. Pick them up again in a few months at a fraction of the price.

I would still hold onto foil copies of the gods because Commander, Cube and Casual players will never scoff at a god.

4. Old Man of the Sea
$56.00 to $47.47 (-15.2%)

He is a uncommon from Arabian Nights on the Reserved List.

There are not a lot around and there will never be any more.

Stealing creatures is fun but there are more powerful options.

He does not see play in any format that I can determine.

I thought $50 was a little high. I think his old price of $40 was about right.

I would trade him away. Maybe you can a Drop of Honey for him. At least then you can play it.

3. Iroas, God of Victory
$12.13 to $9.90 (-18.4%)

See Keranos.

2. Kruphix, God of Horizons
$8.20 to $6.44 (-21.5%)

See Keranos again.

1. Shivan Reef
$7.98 to $5.52 (-30.8%)

I would look at this as a opportunity. It is a pain land and has seen three printings. It is used in Izzet Modern decks that want their mana and they want it now.

Expect to see it in Splinter Twin and Storm variants.

This card has seen substantial growth recently. It is only natural to see it drop a little before it starts climbing again. We know it can get to $8 and possibly higher.

I would gladly trade for these at $5. Offer your Journey god and a toss in for two.

See how you do.

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. Edric, Spymaster of Trest
$12.34 to $14.33 (16.1%)

I think $12 was the new floor and $14 seems fair for this Commander. It is being used in 4 Color Delver and Noble Fish.

4 Color Delver made Top 8 on 4/20 in Detroit. It is earning its place and I would gladly trade for these at $10 to $12. I would not go too deep in them though. There is only one in the decklist. Commander and Legacy players alike will only need a single copy. It is still something good to keep in the trade binder.

9. Shivan Reef
$6.87 to $7.98 (16.2%)

Modern loves its Izzet decks. From Kiki-Jiki making a billion Pestermites to Goblin Electromancer and Pyromancer Ascension powering up Grapeshot for the win.

Both of these combo decks need their mana fixed consistently and quickly. They need to have blue for Serum Visions or Sleight of Hand and red for Lightning Bolt and Shattering Spree.

They both want to win quickly before Tarmogoyfs can attack for large amounts of damage.

Taking a little pain from your lands is acceptable to end the game a turn earlier.

Despite three printings Shivan Reef is still going strong. I would not recommend any of the other painlands. This is the only one seeing wide adoption. That is why it is so much more than the others.

I think these could be a strong sell as Modern season is approaching they have people looking for them but the power of the card probably gives it a ceiling of around $8. I don’t see this as a $10 card so your profit is already set.

8. Cephalid Coliseum
$2.30 to $2.68 (16.5%)

Cephalid Coliseum has been printed twice. It was an uncommon in Odyssey and it appeared in the From the Vault: Realms.

It is used in Legacy Dredge decks as a full playset.

It is a deceptively powerful land. For a single blue mana you can get an Ancestral Recall and mini-Buried Alive rolled into one.

You get to stock your hand and your graveyard at a very reasonable pace.

What’s more is that in a standstill you can use it offensively. You can target your opponent and essentially Burning Inquiry them to mill for the win.

We have recently seen Ichorid from the same deck increase in price. Mana Confluence from Journey Into Nyx will help the mana in this deck by upgrading City of Brass and will edge out Gemstone Mine or Tarnished Citadel.

More consistent mana should mean a more consistent deck.

I think this increase is deserved and would be happy to trade for them around $2 from anyone who still has old price memory.

7. Shadowborn Demon
$6.06 to $7.15 (18.0%)

Shadowborn Demon is a mythic rare from M14. It is currently used a 2 of in Golgari Dredge Standard decks. It also sees play in Junk Reanimator.

All of its play is in Standard. It has not see any adoption in other formats. I would be surprised to see it reprinted in M15. I would also be surprised to see it stay higher than $1.50 once rotation hits in another couple of months.

There may be a little growth but I don’t see much opportunity compared to the amount of risk associated with this card. I would trade these as fast as I could.

6. Nether Shadow
$1.72 to $2.11 (22.7%)

Nether Shadow is a staple of Legacy Manaless Dredge decks.

The fact that it can be brought back from the graveyard turn after turn and attack or chump block for free gives it immense value.

We are not going to see any future printings because Wizards of the Coast no longer supports cards that care about graveyard order.

It has been printed six times if we count both Alpa and Beta so it will not see explosive growth. It will grow slowly over time.

Nether Shadow knows that sure but steady wins the race.

5. Drop of Honey
$38.75 to $47.74 (23.2%)

Drop of Honey is a rare from Arabian Night. It is powerful as cheap, repeatable green removal. It is also on the reserved list.

Most importantly is that it has been used in mono-green 12 Post decklists as a sideboard card.

I think the fact that this card now buylists at the price it had last week is evidence that retailers have a lot of faith in the card.

12 Post has been making top 16 in MTGO daily listings but if it can break Top 8 I could see this getting to $60 or $70.

4. Karador, Ghost Chieftain
$4.50 to $6.35 (41.1%)

It seems that all of the wedge commanders are being snatched up while the snatching is good. It is easy to see why.

They have color combinations that are difficult to print in normal expansions.

Their abilities are unique and fun.

Karador plays in a lot of space that makes him popular with casuals.

He has interested interactions with the Graveyard and can provide value as he lets you cast your creatures over and over again.

He is one of only four Commanders in his color combination. Each one offers very different styles of deck that they want to be played in.

I think he will continue to grow in value as time goes by. He is tough to reprint in a normal set so the only opportunity for him to show up again is in future supplemental products.

3. Urza’s Miter
$2.44 to $3.98 (63.1%)

I did not even remember that this card existed. It only has two things going for it.

It was a rare from Antiquities so there are few in existence. It is on the Reserved List.

The ability is expensive and does not even work in a deck that wants to sacrifice its artifacts to Megatogs or Grinding Stations.

I see no reason for this price increase except for someone trying to get cute with the market. Stay away.

2. Winding Canyons
$5.85 to $9.61 (64.3%)

This rare from Weatherlight is on the reserved list so there is very little supply.

It is not seeing play in any tournament format. Where is the demand coming from?

There is not a Commander deck in existence that should not ask itself if it should run a Winding Canyon.

The ability to give any creature in any deck flash can disrupt any potential combat situation.

You can trigger evolve, constellation or even throw down a big Blightsteel Colossus or Meglonoth as a surprise blocker.

Just imagine how devastating casting something like Sunblast Angel can be as an Instant during combat.

The last time Wizards of the Coast gave a similar ability to a land was Alchemist Refuge.

I think this price is here to stay.

1. The Mimeoplasm
$3.78 to $7.17 (89.7%)

Everything I said about Karador can be repeated here.

The Mimeoplasm was only printed in the original Commander decks and Commander’s Arsenal.

What I love about The Mimeoplasm is that he is in great colors and let’s you mix and match your creatures in endless combinations.

Need a 15/15 evasive infect creature? Just splice Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon and Worldspine Wurm.

The great thing is that is just gets better as more creatures are printed. I think that this recent surge in prices for Commanders is actually a price adjustment that has been warranted. I would not mind trading for them at these prices if I wanted to play with them.

I do think the chance to make a quick buck has passed.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Necropotence
$7.81 to $6.64 (-15.0%)

Necropotence is restricted in Vintage, banned in Legacy and too dangerous to reprint outside of From the Vault: Exiled.

That still leaves casual kitchen tables and mono-bloack Commander decks who want to relive Black Summer.

This card is a piece of Magic history and is one of the most powerful card drawing engines ever printed.

It has shown steady growth for a while and this is just turbulence. I would grab as many at $6 as I could and hold onto them. I would not be surprised to see them as high as $10 by the end of the year.

4. Ghostly Prison
$8.54 to $6.85 (-19.8%)

This looks worse than it is. I still like Ghostly Prison for the sheer power and versatility it represents in Modern and Casual formats. It has already had a tremendous year and I expect it to show up in every deck running Sigil of the Empty Throne and then some.

It plays a strong defense allowing you to buy time to get to your win condition. It makes attacking you problematic and swarming you impossible. Suddenly having twelve 1/1 goblin tokens from Empty the Warrens is not such a dangerous proposition.

This is another one I would try to trade for.

3. Disharmony
$6.24 to $4.99 (-20.0%)

This rare from Legends is on the restricted list. It is a powerful combat trick but otherwise unremarkable.

I think $5 is about right.

2. Silent-Blade Oni
$8.34 to $5.99 (-28.2%)

My outlook on the demon ninja is the same as it has long been. It likes to play ping pong between $5 and $9.

I would trade for it at $5 and trade it away at $9. This just may mean it is time to keep your eyes open for that $5 copy soon.

1. Lotus Petal (From the Vault: Exiled)
$40.0 to $28.49 (-28.8%)

There are a number of competitive Legacy decks that play a full four copies of this handy artifact.

If you are a Legacy player and have a fully foiled deck then you need these. They are the only way to get a premium Petal.

I would get in on these. I think they will be back to $40 and even $50 sooner rather than later. You will be glad you got your play set for around $100 when that happens.

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. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
$555.27 to $680.00 (22.5%)

Did you pick yours up last week for $550?

Just as I predicted, it went on sale before bouncing right back to nearly $700.

It is a rare from Legends on the reserve list. It is being used in multiple Legacy decks to keep creatures and mana under control.

I would not by them at $680 but if you want to play with them I would still try to see if any copies exist in the $550 range before that omission is corrected.

9. Akroma, Angel of Fury
$4.00 to $4.93 (23.3%)

Can I say how much I love this card? She is powerful, evasive and has protection from pesky cards like Path to Exile, Detention Sphere and Remand.

She is used in Commander, Casual formats and has been showing up recently in Modern decklists.

Play her morphed. For the small price of a Cloudshift, Flickerwisp or Restoration Angel (remember she is not an angel while morphed) you get a 6/6 monster in the air. She can block Archangel of Thune all day long and not trigger any lifegain or counters.

She is being experimented with in Birthing Pod and Death and Taxes variants.

I would trade for her before Modern season gets going. I could easily see her getting to $10 if the decks perform well.

She has only been printed twice: in Planar Chaos and the original Commander decks. For flavor and mechanical reasons I don’t think she will ever be printed again outside of a supplemental product.

8. Teferi’s Puzzle Box
$1.96 to $2.50 (29.6%)

Wizards of the Coast printed the Mind Seize Commander deck with two money cards in it. True-Name Nemesis was worth more than the retail price of the deck and Baleful Strix was just icing on the cake.

This left a lot of financiers with ninety eight cards needing a home. Nekusar, the Mindrazer was an interesting card with a powerful effect that was included.

A little tweaking was needed and Nekusar decks have been causing price increases in Forced Fruition, Winds of Change, and even the innocuous Teferi’s Puzzle Box has become a powerful win condition.

This card is spiking despite five printings and the support of a format where one copy is all a deck needs. Every copy of this card is being sought out to complete Nekusar decks.

Trade for them if you can get them for under $2. Your local game store may even have some in their bulk rare boxes.

7. Apocalypse
$1.99 to $2.58 (29.7%)

This rare from Tempest is on the Reserved List. For five mana it lets a red deck exile the entire board.

Think about what that means in a casual game. Hexproof and Indestructible permanents make you laugh. Undying and Persist creatures mean nothing to you. Even Gods and Planeswalkers must leave at your command.

All it costs is your hand.

This is a sweeper worth having.

I would actively trade for these. I can only see these continuing to grow slowly over time due to casual appeal.

6. Marton Stromgald
$2.42 to $3.16 (30.6%)

Did you remember that this card exists? I had to look it up. It is a budget Commander with an interesting effect.

It is a rare from Ice Age which means there are not a lot of copies lying around. He is on the Reserved List so it will never be reprinted.

Last summer it shot up from $2 to $10. It sat around $8 for over a month before slumping back to $2. It is a pretty cheap spec with some interesting potential.

I would try to trade for these if you see them in binders. They will probably be sitting with the bulk rares.

5. Mimic Vat
$2.05 to $3.00 (46.3%)

This Commander all star card has been inching up recently. It is not hard to see why. It can be played in any deck since it has no color requirement.

It can exile a problematic creature that you don’t want your opponent to reanimate. It can be a steady stream of card advantage. Even something as mundane as exiling an opponent’s evoked Mulldrifter will give you a Divination you can cast over and over again. You can chump block forever and keep reaping the benefits.

The best part is that if something better comes along like Thragtusk or It That Betrays you can upgrade.

If you want to play with it, I would pick mine up sooner rather than later.

The Imprint mechanic makes it difficult to reprint outside of a supplemental product. This will probably be a slow grower a long time to come.

4. Shadowborn Demon
$4.00 to $5.99 (49.8%)

Standard has been experimenting with Reanimator decks in Golgari and Junk configurations. The decks have been playing well and one of the best targets to reanimate in Standard is Shadowborn Demon.

It kills an opposing creature like Master of Waves or Stormbreath Dragon and then swings in for five in the air.

If you used Whip of Erebos to bring it back you do not even need to worry about the upkeep trigger.

If you are playing with them then by all means enjoy them. Otherwise I would try to trade them for some Scrylands or gods. Rotation is just a few short months away. Fall will see Shadowborn Demon as a bulk rare that will clutter your binder for years to come. Get something with a longer shelf life.

3. Sneak Attack
$49.98 to $78.26 (56.6%)

Did you grab your Judge Promo yet? Sneak Attack was briefly $85 for both the regular version and the Judge Promo. This should never happen for a card that is used as a full play set main deck in a Legacy deck.

I honestly have no idea how this happened.

I would not get into Sneak Attack now. I think this price adjustment has been coming but the time to get it for less than $50 has passed.

Through the Breach is $10 and sometimes gets played as additional copies of Sneak Attack. It was under $5 for a long time so price memory can help you when picking up copies.

2. Sigil of the Empty Throne
$3.29 to $6.26 (90.3%)

Sigil of the Empty Throne just keeps picking up steam! Monowhite and Azorius Prison decks like to hide behind Porphyry Nodes and Detention Spheres until they can land a Sigil of the Empty Throne.

Weekly results of MTGO Modern tournaments have not seen these decks place very competitively recently.

Modern season is coming soon and a lot of people are probably brewing with these as a budget deck. They are fun to play with but the price is not supported by results.

I would trade these away. I do like Detention Spheres and Chalice of the Voids from these decklists though. Both are cheap and relatively easy to pick up. They are both used in multiple formats as four ofs in multiple decklists. They are criminally underpriced.

1. Ghave, Guru of Spores
$2.70 to $9.51 (252.2%)

This Junk (Green / Black / White) Commander has only been printed once. It was available as part of the original Commander decks.

There has been a lot of interest recently in obtaining these Commanders. Supply is low and interest in the Commander format is at an all time high.

This cheap pick up was suggested by myself (and much more significantly Jason Alt) last week.

The price shot straight from $2 to $12 in an instant. It is coming down but I think it will settle around $7 to $8.

I would sell or trade your while it is still high.

There are still some cheap Commanders from the set that have room to grow.

Karador, Ghost Chieftain and The Mimeoplasm can both be had for $5 to $6.

Ruhan of the Fomori and Zedruu the Greathearted are both bulk rares at this point! You could probably get both as toss ins on trades.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Edric, Spymaster of Trest
$16.00 to $12.99 (-18.8%)

Edric was a surprise inclusion in a successful 4 Color Delver Legacy deck a couple of weeks ago.

The problem is that the deck only wants one copy of him. The deck made a Top 8 appearance in Detroit last week but that alone is not enough to support the card’s sudden jump from $4 to $20.

It is still a strong card with low supply. It has only been printed twice: Commander and Commander’s Arsenal.

I think it will settle around $12.

4. Keranos, God of Storms
$16.41 to $12.97 (-21.0%)

You will notice a trend for the losers of the week.

Pre-order prices for Journey into Nyx gods have all been adjusted.

What happened? Deicide.

It is what happens when you combine Erase and Lobotomy.

Now when someone asks Chameleon Colossus if it is a god it will be afraid to answer “Yes.”

Keep in mind that this does not mean the gods are bad cards. Keranos is fantastic in a Grixis control strategy.

I would still first pick just about any of the gods over a Deicide in a draft.

The Journey into Nyx gods have all will have to settle after they are released and Standard has a chance to play with them. They are third set mythic rares so they should settle higher in price than the gods from Theros or Born of the Gods.

3. Iroas, God of Victory
$16.76 to $13.19 (-21.3%)

See above.

2. Ghostly Prison
$9.00 to $6.98 (-22.4%)

This one surprises me. I am cautiously optimistic. It is not only used in (and names) the White Prison decks mentioned before but it is used in many control variants in Modern.

The thing that keeps this down is the fact that it was printed as an uncommon and it has been printed four times. I would target the FNM Promos. I think that it will recover. The card should be significantly higher in price than Sigil of the Empty Throne.

1. Kruphix, God of Horizons
$12.31 to $8.93 (-27.5%)

This one saddens me but it now makes Kruphix the one god who I think will hold its prerelease price for its duration in Standard. This is sure to be a favorite Commander for a long time to come. I would gladly trade for these at $9 this weekend.