As the spoiler season starts to shed light on what is probably the most anticipated set of Magic’s history, the Internet is abuzz with rumors and deck ideas already. As always, I will be covering the spoiler once it is complete, going through my top financial picks, busts, and sleepers to keep an eye on. This week, I want to talk a little but about cards that are currently in circulation that you should be keeping an eye on as the new sets is revealed. Most people look to spoiler season to see what new flashy cards are good pickups, but few remember to look at the format as a whole and realize that with rotation brings about a bountiful new set of deck options, and in turn, a brand new set of cards have their chances to shine.

There are a few more cards from the Scars block that you should keep an eye on, but most are not cards you would typically associate with competitive Magic, and they therefore may be less apparent. Asceticism is a card that most competitive players would value as a bulk rare, and it is therefore easy to pick up in trades and even more so now that it is rotating. If you look on any major retail site, you may be surprised at the price of this card, but if you think about casual formats and realize how powerful giving all of your creatures regeneration and hexproof can be, it brings the picture a little more into focus. This card is already climbing since its printing this time last year, and I don’t expect that to change any time soon. I could see this card hitting $5 to $10 in the coming years as they become increasingly difficult to find. Other cards that fit into this category are Unwinding Clock, which is already on buy lists for more than bulk. Here are some more:

• Contagion Engine
• Ezuri, Renegade Leader
• Hand of the Praetors
• Mimic Vat
• Darksteel Plate
• Mirrorworks
• Myr Turbine
• Sangromancer
• Caged Sun
• Life's Finale
• Norn's Annex
• Myr Superion

All of these cards are worth picking up at bulk prices and holding onto for a few months, and very few of them have ever seen the light of day at a Grand Prix or Pro Tour. Knowing which cards will hold their values after a rotation is a great way to stock up on casual cards while at the same time allowing your competitive crowd an outlet for their cards as they concentrate on the future of Standard. There are other cards such as Blightsteel Colossus and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite that will probably hold some value due to their playability in Eternal, but they still will probably drop some in the coming months, so I would not be looking to pick them up now.

Now that we have covered the basics for the upcoming rotation, it is time to focus on the format that is quickly approaching. Cards that may have been undervalued or overlooked may have their chances to shine now that the metagame is being shaken up. There are still decks that will probably survive the rotation, and beyond that, many cards that are already played will continue to be good, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for some of the Innistrad-block fringe playables to finally have their chances.

• Drogskol Reaver – Another writer here at GatheringMagic, Jason Alt, has been all over this card since it first came out, and I am starting to come around. As a body, it is fairly weak, but its ability can completely shut down any aggro strategy if allowed to survive even one turn. Not only does this card by itself gain you life and cards, it also works will with other playables such as Thragtusk that can easily fill the middle of your curve in the right deck. As the spoiler reveals more and more cards, I am sure other synergistic cards will arise, but for now, the Reaver is a solid card to watch.
• Sigarda, Host of Herons – With the G/W guild looking to have a solid aggro base so far, it is likely that the midrange variants will want a finisher that can withstand the pinpoint removal and sacrifice effects that are currently in the format. Sigarda fits that role better than almost any card in that color combination’s history, and with Wrath effects becoming more and more conditional, it is unlikely that she will be stopped any time soon.
• Griselbrand – Although this may seem like a strange pick considering its cost and how mana-intensive it is, that doesn’t mean it is out of the realm of possibilities. I don’t see the card taking a price spike, as it will probably be a two-of at most, but that doesn’t mean the Standard community won’t be actively looking for them. As a way to gain life and card advantage all in one extremely large package, this Demon could be a contender in a ramp variant. The in its cost is easier to contend with due to shock lands becoming available.

With the new cards coming in quickly, some of these cards may become obsolete if something better can replace them, but I would certainly be looking to pick them up if you can find them cheap enough now. Outside of finishers, there are a lot of other good cards that are currently being overlooked or undervalued in the current environment.

Though I am less confident about this call, I feel Vexing Devil may be a player in the coming format with shock lands already starting players at 14 to 16 life. Taking 4 was a reasonable solution before the rotation, but I feel that may no longer be the case if every deck is stretched too thin on mana and forced to take some damage. If a zoo deck crops up, this guy is sure to play a part in forcing your opponent to make some poor decisions to stay in the game.

Although there are a ton of in-print cards that I feel have a great chance to see play, I don’t have enough space in just one article to talk about them all. Next week, I will start talking about some of the new cards that are spoiled and cover some more cards that should start seeing some play. Before I depart for the week, I do want to cover one last cycle of cards, though.

That’s it for this week. Join me next time when I continue the hunt for major players come October. I would love to hear what you guys think will have major influences on the format, so leave a comment or shoot me a tweet as always. Thanks again for joining me, and come back next week—same time, same place—for more up-to-date financial information in what may be the most important time of the year for a trader.

Ryan Bushard

@CryppleCommand