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We are just a short time away from a major shift in our ever-changing world. No, I am not talking about the so-called end of the world; instead, I am referring to the inevitable addition of the winter set, Gatecrash! I have been awaiting new spoilers since the first ones released a few weeks ago, and sadly, nothing has been posted, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start talking about what you should be picking up and dumping looking forward. Since this entire article is going to be similar to the section I have been doing at the end of each article, I am going to skip that for this week in order to provide more room for all the future speculation I can fit into one week!
Although almost all of these cards are worth a significant amount of money already, I would not be surprised to at least see a speculative spike in the next month as we start to see some aggro cards being spoiled. Hellrider has already shot up over the past few weeks, but I am not positive that he is done growing just yet. Thalia also has increased in price, but you can still find them in the $4 to $5 range, which seems very reasonable for a deck that just needs that one extra turn to be lethal.
Stromkirk Noble and Champion of the Parish have been hovering in the $5 range for a while now, and although that is not exactly cheap, I believe if there is any support, both could see an immediate spike to the $10 range over the next few months. I would not actively be looking to buy out any stores on this type of stock, but it is good to keep in mind when you are looking to fill out a trade.
- Underworld Connections
- Jace, Architect of Thought
- Liliana of the Veil
- Cyclonic Rift
- Desecration Demon
Although the above list contains cards such as Jace and Liliana, which already fetch a huge price tag, that does not mean there is no room to make money on those cards. People concentrate so much on acquiring the new cards when a set first releases that they will usually come off things that are in lower immediate demand for a good price. Learning how to evaluate what a control deck will need to survive and thrive is vital for each new rotation, since inevitably, a control deck becomes a metagame’s top dog.
Cards such as Cyclonic Rift, Underworld Connections, and Desecration Demon currently are on the low end of the price scale and may be solid choices to go deep on when set redemption hits and their prices bottom out. Demon seems to be an ideal finisher in any deck that receives some reasonable countermagic and board-control options.
Cyclonic Rift already sees play as a one- or two-of in a number of control decks to completely shut the door on aggro or break a mirror match wide open, but with a guild that is good at stalling and manipulation, I believe we have just begun to see this card’s full potential.
For the same reasons I like Cyclonic Rift, I also expect Underworld Connections to make a splash. If you are not looking at a deck running white, you will need to look other places than Sphinx's Revelation for your card advantage, and this seems to fit the bill just fine. Though this card is almost always worse than Phyrexian Arena, it still does what no other card in the format can do: give you cheap, efficient card advantage over time for a small price.
- Underworld Connections (yes, again!)
- Bloodgift Demon
- Martial Law
- Lingering Souls
- Heartless Summoning
- Disciple of Bolas
All of Orzhov’s picks happen to be fairly cheap and easy to pick up currently with the exception of Lingering Souls.
If the guild does happen to have a sacrifice theme, I can see all of the above cards playing roles in different decks, allowing you both card advantage and overwhelming board superiority. Although Heartless Summoning does not play well with some of the other cards on the list, there may be a deck that can use the enchantment to pressure the board quickly through creatures such as Bloodgift Demon and Angel of Serenity.
Martial Law seems to be a great answer to the decks running only a few creatures, and the above-mentioned Bloodgift Demon gives you a solid body that can produce card advantage or ping your opponent for those last few points of damage. Both cards are currently bulk and seem to be great pickups.
Disciple of Bolas has already begun to see moderate play in Jund midrange variants as well as Reanimator, but that doesn’t mean she has locked in her top price yet. If Orzhov is looking for a sacrifice outlet that can keep you in the game, she seems to be the perfect fit, gaining you both life and cards at a low cost.
It seems there is a huge expectation from the players that some playable Merfolk will be printed, and whether or not that is true, I expect cards that may be able to support such an archetype to gain popularity. Master of the Pearl Trident is a no-brainer if indeed we do see the men of the sea reemerge, but other, less obvious pickups, such as Descendants' Path, may be worth looking out for as well.
Deadeye Navigator would fit well into any deck that has a number of enters-the-battlefield triggers, and therefore, it seems to be a safe pickup since it is already seeing fringe play in the Gilded Lotus/Zealous Conscripts deck.
Mayor of Avabruck is a card I fully believe will be making a breakout soon anyway, and I therefore expect a price spike before the set is spoiled. We are already seeing it crop up in Humans lists, and if a midrange counter-control deck proves to be viable, I expect him to be the 2-drop of choice in G/U.
- Ash Zealot
- Burn at the Stake
- Daybreak Ranger
- Huntmaster of the Fells
- Mizzium Mortars
- Predator Ooze
- Ulvenwald Tracker
This list seems to be all over the place and for good reason. As of now, we have no clue if Gruul will be a blisteringly fast deck looking to use haste and damage through cards such as Ash Zealot or grind a midrange battle with powerhouses such as Huntmaster of the Fells.
I would like to see a midrange deck appear that can use the new planeswalker’s −2 ability while still packing enough creatures to hit a reasonable number of times from his plus.
What better to slam in a fight deck than two of the best creatures with the ability already? Both Ulvenwald Tracker and Daybreak Ranger have seen fringe play, but neither has broken into the mainstream as of recent.
Looking for a creature to fight? Look no further than Predator Ooze, once a combo in Block, I find it very reasonable to see such a deck crop up if other creature-based decks begin to dominate.
Burn at the Stake allows you to drive those final points of damage home and sometimes dome your opponent for the full 20 if you enter an attrition-based stall. Mizzium Mortars serve much the same purpose but are only good against other aggro decks, meaning the card may be neglected in the board to start with.
That concludes this week’s financial analysis. Sorry for missing a week, but I had some issues with a collection and was stuck in a city with no Internet and very little patience. Next week, we are going into another theme week, and I will be sure to make it extra-awesome to make up for the missed one last week. I also hope I can finally make an announcement that I have been waiting for a while now to unveil. Stay tuned as always, and keep trading up!
Ryan Bushard
