Weekly Winners 2018-5

This week turned out to be very interesting. Pro Tour Ixalan provides some new insight in brews and the result caused movement on the markets. All the while Pauper cards keep losing their pauper, since the spiked and price gains continue. And this week, Weekly Winners is published on Saturday morning, due to other pressing matters yesterday.

Once again, too late for FNM, I will now tell you what cards were the talk of the town yesterday night!

#1 Hollow One $2.72 (+180.41%)

 

After Goblin Lore last week, we have another double spike this week with Hollow One. The card gained value right after the top 8 finish for Ken Yukuhiro during the Pro Tour Ixalan last weekend. Yukuhiro netted a 7-1 result, profiting from recent brews with his B/R Hollow One deck that utilizes Goblin Lore and Burning Inquiry. This new brew was coined by SaffronOlive and this is the first top-8 result with the deck.

Do note that Hollow One is not that valuable in actual dollars. With a $2.72 price tag the rare is pretty affordable. But don't think that the original budget idea of SaffronOlive is still budget. Yukuhiro's deck lists with a value total of $741.34 (AVG); which places it in a middle price class range for Modern decks, not a budget deck. Not surprising, because Yukuhiro does not play SaffronOlive's list, but did incorporate the Goblin Lore and Burning Inquiry tech.

 

#2 Phantasmal Image $7.93 (+75.44%)

 

Phantasmal Image is the second winner this week that spiked because of results from Pro Tour Ixalan. The card is played in the five-color human deck that gained popularity as of late. The deck netted two top-8 finishes with a 8th and 5th place. These results come on top of the 1st place in the SCG Modern Classic in Philadelphia on january 28th.

Of the cards played in the deck, Phantasmal Image is the prime candidate for a price spike because it is the only rare that is low in price, but sees play in different formats. Phantasmal Image sees fringe play in Legacy with Merfolks and also finds its way into EDH Merfolk decks. Now the card sees play in Modern with a double top-8 finish, it attracts attention from Modern enthousiasts that now want to own this card to be able to make the deck.

 

#3 Pauper Spike (report)

 

After two weeks of other // same pauper spikes, I decided to bring them together under the title of the #3 winner. The biggest spikes this week were actually pauper staples and netted gains well into triple digits. First I will list all pauper spikes, and the deck(s) they see play in, the value they now hold and the percental gain. After that list, you'll find the graphs of all the spiked cards.

• #1. Needle Drop $3; +538.30%; sees play in Burn
• #2. Crypt Rats $3.49; +462.9%; sees play in Mono-black Control, WB, B and WBG
• #3. Curse of Chains $2.35; +343.40%; sees play in Mono-Blue Delver
• #4. Chainer's Edict $13.41; +114.56%; sees play in UB; Mono-Black Control; Dimir-Control; and others.
• #5. Preordain $5.35; +49.03%; sees play in Mono-Blue Delver and UB
• #6. Quirion Ranger $4.36; +45.33%; sees play in Elves and Stompy

Question for you..

What is your opinion on the recent Pauper Spikes? The announcement that there will be pauper side events at the Grand Prix drives the prices of a format that is supposed to be dirt cheap to play. Is this a problem, is it okay that the format evolves beyond cheap, or do you see it as a disqualification that certain singles are now prices $10 or more? Please share and join the discussion on reddit; or send me a tweet: @MTGPeter