Cards to Watch for Modern - July 2025
Hello folks! Today on Modern Times, we’ll dive into a couple cards that are relatively bulk status but possess some interesting potential as the Modern meta evolves.
Then we’ll examine two pricier pieces that are having an outsized impact in two particular shells – one at the top end of the meta, and one trying to find its way.
Let’s dive in!
Herigast, Erupting Nullkite
Eldrazi Ramp has really been a mainstay of the meta since the dawn of
Many market movers have stemmed from the prominence of this deck, but it’s some of the less volatile, more muted inclusions that might be of interest for folks in the market for cheaper pickups with financial potential.
Herigast is a really fascinating Eldrazi with a design space that melds (get it?) the best aspects of the original Eldrazi designs from
On top of the
If you’re playing
For all these reasons, there’s a lot of untapped potential that Herigast has to offer. At a market price of $1.50, there’s a lot of upward financial potential to be had, especially as the Eldrazi archetype continues to evolve and grow in prominence.
| Herigast, Erupting Nullkite | ||
| Herigast, Erupting Nullkite (Foil Etched) | ||
| Herigast, Erupting Nullkite (Borderless) |
Sazh's Chocobo
I won’t dwell too long on this single, but it’s caught my attention if only for one reason: it’s seeing play in Domain Zoo, and is one of the few “bulk” status singles from
While Domain Zoo isn’t a top tier deck in the meta, it can generally hold its own given its ability to apply pressure early and consistently. For a while, the selling point of this shell was that if you have
This one-mana green creature is a cute little 0/1 that gets +1/+1 counters for lands that you put into play. Functionally, in a deck that lacks meaningful turn one plays outside of Ragavan, you can play this little guy, and have it “evolve” over the course of the game, making it an excellent tempo piece in a deck whose two-mana slot is too jam-packed for its own good at times.
While I don’t see Domain Zoo ever really getting to the levels of Energy or Amulet Titan or other comparable decks at the top end of the meta, it’s still a very serviceable deck, and one that is beautiful in both its simplicity and linearity of play patterns. While this little Bird is only $0.50, it does give some hope, both practically and financially, to the prospects of Domain Zoo going forward, and that makes its financial potential both low-risk, and potentially highly rewarding.
| Sazh's Chocobo |
Stormchaser's Talent
While Prowess is running rampant in the Standard meta, its presence is slightly more muted in Modern. Having said that, it’s very much a viable shell – one made more viable by the recent printing of
Its uptick in Prowess shells is two-fold: first, casting it triggers Prowess for existing creatures in play; and second, it has the ability (much like Cori-Steel Cutter) to make more Prowess-possessing creature tokens over the course of the game. In a shell that’s historically struggled to balance the density of Prowess creatures with Prowess enablers, cards like Steel Cutter and Stormchaser’s Talent fit perfectly.
Stormchaser’s Talent is on here because it’s trending downward in recent weeks, and is ripe with potential given the support that Prowess shells have been seeing in recent months. With the release of
| Stormchaser's Talent |
Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
Energy continues to reign supreme in Modern, and Sephiroth represents the single largest boost to Mardu Energy shells in quite some time. Much like
The backside of Sephiroth on the other hand is just game-ending if it sticks, and it’s not particularly hard to flip either, especially in a deck with
In essence, Sephiroth represents: a sac outlet, a card advantage engine, and a potential win condition, all four three mana. At around $37, the potential this piece represents is only just now being tapped into. I fully expect this price to hold, and depending on how the meta evolves, for it to continue to creep up in price further.
| Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER | ||
| Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (Borderless) (0317) | ||
| Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (Borderless) (0382) | ||
| Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (Extended Art) |
Closing Things Out
As we start out July, we have
Speculate safely!
Further Reading
The Finances of Universes Beyond
Corey Williams
Corey Williams is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He considers himself a macroeconometrician with his research body reflecting work in applied macroeconomics and econometrics. Corey is an L1 Judge who started playing Magic around Eighth Edition. He enjoys Modern, Commander, cEDH, and cube drafting. Outside of Magic, he loves running, teaching, and the occasional cult movie.