A few Hour of Devastation cards were leaked by accident, and it has caused a firestorm on the internet. We also have a flurry of events happening, with GP Omaha, GP Amsterdam and GP Manila all happening this weekend. Plus GP Vegas is on the horizon. The market was in somewhat of a stalemate this week, as it didn’t really shift towards anything specifically, other than random reserved list cards. Let’s jump into the movements.
I told you dragons would be showing up, and not only has Zirilan of the Claw showed up, but he’s bringing his flaming buddies (dragons, you dork.) Unfortunately, Zirilan of the Claw is a mono red Commander, so he’s probably better off as a one of in the deck, rather than as your Commander of all the new, sweet dragons coming our way in Commander 2017. It’s also worth noting that this IS on the reserved list, so these copies are getting harder and harder to find.
Quite possibly the most hilariously awkward Magic card ever printed, Jihad looks to be the most recent target of a reserved list mini buy out. I actually played this card back in the days of white weenie decks. I’d love to see a modern day interpretation of this card reprinted, but we all know that will never happen. That being said, every time I see an older card on the weekly list, a wave of nostalgia hits me.
I never thought I’d see a card as common as Kodama's Reach on the list, but here it is. Usually found next to Cultivate, these two make up the base of green players around the world. Even at common, these cards are always in huge demand. Other than the Champions of Kamigawa print, Kodama's Reach has only been printed in specialty products like Commander and Modern Masters, so it’s not the normal supply that a common would typically have.
And today’s award for most hilarious depiction of a card’s function is Telekinesis. I mean, it’s a fog for one creature, but it also ices them down for a turn. All that aside, we’re looking at a picture of someone moving a statue with his mind, and I guess he’s throwing it at an attacker to knock them out for a turn? Art aside, I don’t think this card is playable in any format. It is yet another reserved list card, so my guess is this is just part of the natural attrition of the market removing reserved list cards.
Ethersworn Canonist comes from a long line of hate bears; 2 mana 2/2’s with some type of restriction for players on it. Ethersworn Canonist sees a decent amount of play in Legacy, and recently, 1v1 Commander. This thing has been everywhere in various Commander decks, so it’s about that time to start breaking these out of your dusty binders and cash them in.
Foils of the Week!
Cabal Pit has seen very little competitive play, but occasionally it shows up. The foil version has spiked nearly 1500% this week. Another very weird, very high spike, foil Circle of Protection: Red has also gained about 1400%. As mentioned earlier, Ethersworn Canonist gained even more in its shiny version. If you have any of these laying around, it might be a good time to cash them in. Rishadan Brigand doesn’t get any love, but after this week, they will. The foils are sky high now. Finally, the shiny dragon land itself, foil Haven of the Spirit Dragon has spiked in the wake of Commander 2017 spoilers.
Cheap pickups of the Week!
With more tribes coming soon via Commander 2017, I'm on the look out to score cards that may spike when the next three tribes are spoiled. Cards that may not get reprinted, but will see play, like Descendants' Path, Shared Animosity, although, this could get a reprint if Goblins is in C17, Steely Resolve, Belbe's Portal, Cryptic Gateway and Obelisk of Urd.
MTGStocks mystery chart of the Week!
Some people with a keen eye noticed that last week’s mystery chart spiked right around the time of Dragons of Tarkir. The mystery chart was Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund. I also couldn’t stop talking about dragons last week, so it should be no surprise. This week, I decided to feature a card that I enjoyed seeing cast during GP Copenhagen.
Conversation of the Week!
I’d like to take a moment to discuss Standard. I like to brew homemade decks, and usually don’t play decks I haven’t built myself for most formats. Standard is the format that should allow the most flexibility, but as it stands right now, it is not. The problem right now is, you have two challenges: build a deck that can beat Marvel at least 50% of the time, and build a deck that can beat a field of unknowns. Currently, the primary deck that can do those things is Marvel. I was in a PTQ on MTGO and doing very well at 3-0. I was on my mono red Eldrazi deck (list and primer here) and had beaten Mono Black Zombies, then beat Temur Marvel twice without dropping a single game in three matches. I felt great and was really wanted to 5-0 the PTQ. I then played Marvel in my 4th match. Game 1 was a fairly quick run away game, and I was quickly up a game. Game two my opponent mulled to 4 cards and I had a solid 7. I could taste 4-0. My opponent quickly got to 6 energy and, on a mull to 4, cast Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and basically ended the game on the spot. I was devastated and demoralized, but determined to win. Game 3, I had a solid hand. Turn 4 I cast Thought-Knot Seer and my opponent revealed a Aetherworks Marvel. While he had 6 energy, I was in the driver’s seat. He top decked Marvel and spun, hitting Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger once again. Now, looking back, I know at 3-1, I was still live to qualify for the the finals, but at the time, I could not get over the way in which I lost. I don’t even know what happened in my 5th match, but I lost that as well. Mentally, I was not in the game. Here’s my point in this anecdote: Marvel is fun and exciting to watch, but it is one of those kinds of cards that makes a person stop playing Standard. So was kitty combo, and to an extent, Emrakul, the Promised End. I’m all for trying to figure out the puzzle that is Standard, so I don’t want to come off sounding like I’m whining, but the problem lies in the fact that the best way to beat Marvel is to play Marvel. I’m in no way saying that my mono red Eldrazi deck is a T1 deck, but considering my win percentages, it does perform very well. I understand that, from Wizard’s point of view, Marvel is a great deck to showcase cards, because it does so in a big, flashy way. That being said, it is borderline toxic for the format, and something has to give.
The best Commander card you’re not playing!
This week, the best Commander card you’re not playing is Maze's End. It’s definitely a build around me card, and any time a card says ‘you win the game’ deserves a shot. While it’s entirely possible to combo with cards like Scapeshift, I find it more fun to do things the flashy way. Check out my list below to my idea of a perfect Commander deck. Cheers!
My Maze’s End Commander deck here.
