I was off last week to celebrate Thanksgiving, but I was definitely watching things with a close eye. I want to congratulate Team Greece and their win in the World Magic Cup. It's always great to see Modern on camera. Now then, let's get in to the happenings that took place this week.
As a long time commander player, I am all too familiar with Arcum Dagsson. I've seen him as the head of some very quick, powerful commander decks. He has seen a massive price spike, and it has left me curious. Maybe someone is speculating that he will play well in Aether Revolt? He's always been a great mono blue commander, but I'm not sure how good a 2/2 that does nothing for 4 mana really is, unless he has haste. Spoiler season hasn't quite begun, but four cards have been shown and are up here. It looks like we might see a healthy dose of artifacts in Aether Revolt, so I'm sure we will see more artifact related cards spike in the coming weeks.
Speaking of commander, did you see that Bloodspore Thrinax topped the charts this week? I'm not sure who is behind this mini buyout, but I like their style! He plays well with almost every Simic counter related card and the art is gorgeous to boot. Personally, I would love to find a home for this in my counters matter deck, but at his current price tag, I think I would find alternatives. There are so many cards that compliment creatures buffed by +1/+1 counters, so I'm not convinced of his financial staying power.
My distain for Doubling Season has…well, not quite doubled, just like its price. Doubling Season has been a powerhouse in commander, and the source of many groans when it hits the table. The fact there are a few alternatives, but none as powerful is why Doubling Season stands the test of time. It just keeps going up and up and I honestly don't think it will recede as quickly as some other cards found in the weekly winners. Much like Mana Reflection, I'd hang on to any copies laying around just for sheer unmatched power.
Krark-Clan Ironworks is a long time speculative card, but hasn't ever really caught fire. It spiked back in April, but died down shortly after. I feel that it is once again the source of some maniacal brew, and I hope it works out! With the introduction of something like Scrap Trawler, one could effectively make an engine out of two artifacts. It's probably going to be clunky, but I would love to see an infinite mana combo take center stage in Modern.
With Modern getting some camera time, and people feeling that Standard is getting stale, we've seen a shift of popularity in favor of Modern. As much as I enjoy playing, watching and brewing Modern, I am slightly sad to see people moving away from Standard. Granted the format is really just four decks at the top, I still think it is open to new concoctions. I think some have basically given up until Aether Revolt drops, and that could leave the meta battling itself, allowing room for an outsider deck to bust in. For me, I'm always brewing. I can't stop looking at Magic cards and trying to figure out fun, neat or busted interactions. Spoiler season is my favorite time of year, but who's to say that we have to wait until then to brew the next best Standard deck with the dozens and dozens of affordable cards?
