Eighty Percent of Cash for Half the Fun
Universes Beyond is a unique and niche environment for translating other IPs into Magic: the Gathering. Between large crossovers like Fallout and Lord of the Rings, along with smaller products like Stranger Things and Street Fighter, Universes Beyond: Assassin's Creed fits firmly in between in terms of scale. The popularity of the cards often depends on the timing of the release; the question I’ve been asking myself is when did this crossover idea first begin to materialize. Being well out of touch with the series since the Ezio trilogy, my own familiarity with the characters could be improved. Much like with Fallout, I admit there are numerous elements and possible nods to in-game mechanics that might escape me.
What doesn't escape me, however, is the introduction of Aftermath-style boosters available for this product. The new Beyond Boosters include seven cards, with a guaranteed foil and borderless card in every pack. These currently retail at $8, in comparison to the full 15-card boosters of Modern Horizons 3 for $10. While I understand the rationale behind the smaller booster size given the set’s limited 131 card roster, the decision to price them at full value pushes me towards singles over boosters. March of the Machine: The Aftermath also benefited from being a Standard-legal set featuring unique cards like Nissa, Resurgent Animist, but Assasin's Creed is primarily built towards Commander and Modern playability. This limits its current demand, as even the pre-release prices fail to compare with the previous products from Universes Beyond.
Not a Pick One
Apple of Eden, Isu Relic is a rather unique card that fits more than one style of play. On my initial reading, I was getting ready to dismiss it towards a budget Mindslaver in a steal cards archetype. However, the more I considered its potential lines of play, the more I appreciated its versatility. Ideally, the Apple provides knowledge into the opponent's hand as well as an ability to cast their cards. In the best-case scenario, you can hit their game-winning pieces, advantage spells, and other key cards in order to win the game. In the worst-case scenario, you still get to peek at the hand and prevent them from casting spells. Despite this intriguing potential, the $9 price point is too high for the chance that this card might see play.
Senu, Keen-Eyed Protector, is a decent evasive creature that falls short in Modern. While its evasion and vigilance on a low mana threat is great with the ability to scry, its toughness is its own shortcoming. In a meta where Orcish Bowmasters exists, nothing is safe with one toughness. As such, I believe the more appropriate home for Senu is in Commander where it can be utilized multiple times. There will be a plentiful supply of legendary creatures included in decks to trigger Senu’s return. Therefore, I see Senu as a decent inclusion in the 99, priced somewhere in the $5-$7, potentially up to $12 in the next two years.
Lastly on the middling cards list is Tax Collector, a mix between Tithe Taker and Azorius Arrester, offering a choice between the two effects. As a low cost playable, applying a tax effect or acting as an effective one-turn Arrest could be some benefit. Over the years, cards with a higher degree of flexibility have found their place for sideboard tech. In the same manner that Pick Your Poison is not played in main decks, Tax Collector has the potential to be favorable against certain matchups. The financial aspect here is rather straightforward as Tax Collector won't be breaking out from under $2 any time soon, but it may approach that mark within 2-3 years if it avoids a reprint.
| Apple of Eden, Isu Relic | | |
| Senu, Keen-Eyed Protector | | |
| Senu, Keen-Eyed Protector (Showcase) | | |
| Tax Collector | | |
History and Patterns
Ezio Auditore da Firenze stands out as one of most memorable protagonists from the series and serves as the Commander of choice for the set. As the sole five-color legendary creature, he serves as the catch-all for the rest of the cards from the set. Enabling Freerunning for all of the Assassins, and ‘target player losing the game’ ability makes for a unique combination, enhancing Ezios' demand. Financially, I suspect a brief period of further declines towards $5, before bouncing back to $10 and higher in 1-2 years. Beyond this timeline, the future value of these cards is uncertain, especially since there are no announced plans for in-universe reprints of the included cards.
Excalibur, Sword of Eden, offers a nice twist on the old Arthurian legend. Resembling a weird play on Colossus Hammer, it showcases the care for historic permanents in the set. With the potential free casting cost combined with the drawback of equipping only legendary creatures, there are a few hoops that you’ll need to jump through in order to utilize this fully. However, when was the last time you saw Ghalta, Primal Hunger being cast without a discount? Between the legend you’re equipping to and some mana rocks, the discount on casting costs is quickly increasing. While the high cost is currently suppressing Excalibur's price, I expect it to rebound quickly. The historic permanents have always been integral to the game and continue to get more support with additional releases.
Moving on to popular discourse about mana ramp players and how it affects the game, we have Viewpoint Synchronization. This is potentially one of the best mana ramp spells printed in recent years. Despite the five mana cost, its ability is somewhat balanced as it gets two additional lands into play, one into hand. Being able to play the discounted cost in early to mid-game provides a ton of advantage which can set up for quick wins as other opponents struggle to keep up. With the market price average still falling to below $.50, I don't suspect a sudden rebound on this card. The card's popularity will increase gradually, but the window to acquire multiple copies should remain open for the next few years.
| Ezio Auditore da Firenze | | |
| Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Foil Etched) | | |
| Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Borderless) | | |
| Excalibur, Sword of Eden | | |
| Excalibur, Sword of Eden (Extended Art) | | |
| Viewpoint Synchronization | | |
Printing Classics
Sword of Feast and Famine has long stood at the pinnacle of its cycle. With multiple reprints in recent years, its price has dropped from an all-time high of $74 to a more accessible average of $38. This recent addition has lowered the sword to $22, though it is gradually climbing back up. While the card's power is pretty self-explanatory, the greatest drop in price is attributed to a change in art direction. The loss of the iconic coloring contrast between two edges in favor of a more generic black tint will deter many players. While it's encouraging to see that the Swords cycle isn't immune to reprints or Secret Lair inclusions, it feels like we've lost some of the card's original charm in the process.
Cover of Darkness is a niche card that bolsters the effective firepower of typal decks. On its own, it doesn't advance the board state or win the game outright; rather, it acts as a support piece that relies on pre-existing attackers. It reminds me a lot of Kindred Dominance, both in effect and price pattern. Both cards suffered from a large price point over time and have been knocked down after a singular reprint. Currently, Cover of Darkness is rebounding from an average of $8 and is likely to continue climbing until reaching a stable equilibrium closer to $15. For anybody interested in short-term investment, purchasing a double-digit number of copies seems relatively safe before another potential reprint.
| Sword of Feast and Famine | | |
| Sword of Feast and Famine (Borderless) | | |
| Cover of Darkness | | |
| Cover of Darkness (Extended Art) | | |
Meta Changes or New Players
"Let's see how Assassin's Creed shakes up Modern before making any bans” was a common phrase I heard throughout the PT weekend in Amsterdam. However, there simply aren't enough cards here to make any sort of impact in the Modern meta as most of this product is Commander-focused. The card with the highest potential to see any play in constructed formats is Tax Collector, though even that might be a generous statement. Between the lack of playable cards following MH3 and the aggressive pricing, Assassin's Creed will quickly phase out of the public interest without a long-lasting impact. While other sets from Universes Beyond may have resulted in an influx of new players, this one is not likely to execute the same impact.
Join me again next time as we strive to prevent calamity in Bloomburrow.
Further Reading:
Checking in on the Modern Meta After Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3
