Last week, we traversed into the darkness to see what we could dig up in Dark Ascension. This week, we continue the plunge as we finish out the set and look forward to the next Standard metagame. The big buzz, of course, comes in the form of W/B tokens, which heralds Sorin as its lord. Whether the deck can stand the Ratchet Bomb test has yet to be seen, but either way, it has certainly inflated the prices of key players in that archetype. Let’s get right back to where we left off last week—before I speculate too far—and see what the rest of the set holds.

Faithless Looting

Though common, Faithless Looting is still one of the best, if not the best, card to come from Dark Ascension. Fortunately, even a common holds a solid value when foiled, especially one so likely to see solid Eternal play. If I had the chance to pick up any amount of foreign foil copies, I would scoop them as soon as possible because this one is going nowhere but up!

Verdict: Snatch all the foils you can!

Hellrider

This is another one of those fringe-playable rares that could either end up in the bulk or worth a solid Lincoln. I don’t foresee this card seeing a lot of play while competing with the likes of Koth and Hero, but that doesn’t mean a token variant won’t pop up that can take advantage of this guy. The ability to take out planeswalkers without having to connect is strong, but even then, he is still just a 3/3 for 4. I don’t have high hopes for this one, but I would still keep my eye on him just in case. Picking up any you can in bulk certainly doesn’t hurt, but I wouldn’t go actively seeking them.

Verdict: $2 to $3

Overall, I feel that red received the least assistance in this set, which doesn’t bode well for its place in Standard, considering it is already struggling in the current meta. There are a few casual cards that may have a slight increase, but I don’t see any of them being strong enough to make a large price impact. Cards like Markov Blademaster and Mondronen Shaman // Tovolar's Magehunter may see some fringe play, but I don’t see either one having much staying power. This set is a lot of fun for Limited and extremely flavorful, but unfortunately, that does not make us any money.

Ghoultree

I see this card seeing some solid play in a midrange R/G deck. The skeleton is already there from Innistrad, and of all the archetypes, this is the one I have the most confidence in. With cards like Faithless Looting, Splinterfright, and Mulch, we already have a variety of ways to fill the grave. I don’t see this card spiking too high, considering he is foiled out in a precon; I do, however, expect him to see enough play to warrant a price hike over the next few months.

Verdict: $5 to $6

Predator Ooze

Another card with solid potential, the Ooze is a deceptively strong 3-drop if you can resolve him early. The biggest problem I see in the current Standard environment is the abundance of Vapor Snags we are seeing. The best thing we can hope for is a rise in W/B tokens so that people begin to stray away from the pinpoint removal in control variants. As long as Dismember and Vapor Snag stay on the back burner, this guy may see some solid play next to cards like Dungrove Elder in a mono-green or G/X variant. I could certainly see this in conjunction with Glissa and Ratchet Bomb to close out the token strategies that will be prevalent.

Verdict: $3 to $5

Vorapede

Sadly, this appears to be among the better mythics in the set . . . and that’s truly not saying much. Even with undying, I don’t foresee his current price tag sticking. What I would trade to see this guy with haste rather than vigilance, but unfortunately, I just don’t think this is what green is looking for at the top end of its curve. For 1 more mana, you get one of the better Titans, and in the type of deck that could take advantage of such a monster, Primeval just seems superior. If conditions are right after rotation, I could see him popping up in a midrange G/X variant, but for now, there are just too many variables fighting against him.

Verdict: $3 to $5

Drogskol Reaver

I have heard some talk of this guy in Reanimator, however, I can’t see this card anywhere but the bulk bin. At 7 mana, I expect something on the same level as Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite . . . or at least Sun Titan. Instead, what we have here is a Timmy effect in colors that already have some of the best late-game in Standard. With no protection or enters-the-battlefield effect, I don’t see this card showing up in any Top 8s any time soon.

Verdict: Bulk

Falkenrath Aristocrat

I have mixed feelings about this guy in the current environment, but his effect is extremely power for his cost. A powerhouse that could replace Koth in the R/b variants that occasionally see favor, Falkenrath Aristocrat does have a major downside. Unfortunately, red and black seem to be lacking a significant number of playable Humans. Even without the +1/+1 counter, this guy may still see some play, but being forced to regenerate every time a Spirit steps in the way is a hamper. I don’t know that the pull is there to splash White, but if it happens, we could see a solid price spike.

Verdict: $5; potential spike to $13 to $15

Havengul Lich

At first, I thought this guy was just a Johnny mind-wrecker with an impressive enough ability to be broken. After listening to some deck ideas, I have heard of some fairly convincing information to say otherwise. I don’t believe the card is good enough to spike higher than it is preselling for, but I do believe it will still keep some long-term value. If a deck doesn’t catch on immediately, I expect his price to tank, which would be a great time to scoop them up for cheap. At some point, this card will spike back to the current $10 to $12 range; this is the set’s Olivia or Consecrated Sphinx.

Verdict: Pick these guys up if they ever drop below $4.

Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells

Plain and simple, I just feel this guy is overhyped. Sure, he is cute and produces some 2/2s and deals some damage and gains some life, but in the end, none of the effects are strong enough on their own to really impact the game. For the cost, I would almost always rather have Thrun or Solemn considering they at least provide you with some Day of Judgment protection. Perhaps this guy is just better than I figure, but honestly, all I can see is a 2/2 for 4 in two colors with some fairly minuscule abilities that can be gained by a 2-drop in the same block. The 2 damage will almost never be that relevant, and the soonest that will happen is turn five anyway, so it certainly isn’t saving you from a turn-one Delver or a swarm of tokens. Time Walking yourself to transform this over-costed wolf just seems like bad beats.

Verdict: Under $5 after a few months

Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

The first thing I did when I saw this card was compare it to Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas. I see them both in their respective times seeing heavy play for a short time until people realize that the theme-based decks that you have to play them in are just not good enough. Like Tezzeret, Sorin will probably see heavy play for a few months, keeping his price above the $25 to $30 dollar mark. After the new-’walker appeal wears off and everyone and their brothers have taken him around the block, he will tank below $15. At least Tezzeret is playable in Legacy fringe decks; Sorin, in my opinion, is among the most overhyped planeswalkers we have seen in a while. If he was released next to some other power ’walkers, no one would even think that long. Given that he is in a single-’walker set and holds the coveted converted mana cost of his predecessor, Jace, people want to believe he is better than what he truly is.

Verdict: Under $15 in two to three months

Grafdigger's Cage

Of all the cards to print in a graveyard-based set, this has to be the worst . . . or does it? I have heard nothing but outrage when referring to this card. People are afraid it will ruin their graveyard fun. The way I see it, Cage is a trap against so much of the metagame that it will probably cost players just as many games as it will win them. For example, do you board it in because someone is running Green Sun's Zenith? How about Birthing Pod? How many dead cards are you willing to draw to attempt to negate four cards in the opponent’s deck? Yes, decks such as Solar Flare will have a tougher time in the coming months, but I have seen them win just as many games without needing to flash back a single card, because, in the end, Sun Titan is still a 6/6, and Oblivion Ring still gets played for a reason. I am not denying the power of this card—I am just saying you should expect a drop after a while . . . when people realize this is not the end-all against graveyard based decks.

Verdict: $4 to $5

Vault of the Archangel

Although this ability is extremely expensive to use turn after turn, this card, of all cards in this set, gives me the most faith in W/B tokens. I don’t see this being enough, but any deck that can’t find a spot for at least a two-of in its mana base is doing something wrong. I don’t want to make early assumptions about Legacy, but outside of Faithless Looting and a few random commons and uncommons, this card seems to have the most potential. In a midrange deck with Knights and ’Goyfs, this can break the game wide open. Again, the cost is steep, and you will probably only run one, meaning the price won’t spike too heavily, but I could certainly see that keeping this card out of the bulk bin.

Verdict: $3 to $4

That looks to be the end of what I thought was going to be an extremely short set discussion last week. I still don’t have much of an expectation for success of this set or its impact on Standard, but I do see a few sleepers in the mist just waiting for the innovators of the world to break them. Considering all of the new mill effects we are seeing, I could easily see cards like Splinterfright being solid pickups for cheap; and of course, everyone will need a set of Ratchet Bombs to survive the coming onslaught of tokens and Werewolves we are inevitably going to see. Other than those two, I could see Heartless Summoning picking up in price and Sever the Bloodline doubling over the next few weeks. Curse of Death's Hold is still a good pickup for now, and Honor of the Pure could certainly spike, even if just briefly. I will return next week as I talk about Legacy and what to watch out for with the new set releasing as well as some hidden gems that have just become lost in the sets of time. Until then, keep the comments and tweets coming—let me know what you thought of this set and what cards you feel I may have hit or missed on.

Ryan Bushard

@CryppleCommand