Weekly Winners 2020 - 08

After several weeks of big movement on all kinds of cards in different formats, this week has proven to be a tad calmer. But some very interesting movers are to be found in our interests this week!

Like every week, just in time for FNM, I'll now tell you about the cards that will be the talk of the town tonight!

 

#1 Reap $10.44 (+249.16%)

 

According to Mark Rosewater last fall, commander is very, very popular: "the data says it might currently be the most played constructed format, but that is far from a majority. People forget how many players play "cards I own."

Although the format is not played by the majority of players, it is still extremely popular. One of the key characteristics of Commander is the huge variety in decks played. Other constructed formats have a (small) set of decks that are much, much better than all other possible deck builds. The number of legal cards in Commander and the way the rules work, allow a very wide variety of good decks.

That also means that if you want to play the best cards, you need to keep on top of things. Every single new set might bring new ideas, new commanders and new strategies into the meta. You can keep up to date by having an encyclopedic knowledge of all cards and following every shred of news.

Or, like the vast majority of players, you don't have the time for this. Or maybe even the ambition to put so much time into a hobby. For those (and others) there is a vast amount of content available about Commander.

One the most popular content creators is the Command Zone podcast and YouTube channel. They are so popular in fact, that when they mention a card, it is a clear incentive for people to start buying the card.

And that's the story with Reap. As you can hear and see in the video below, the card is put forward as "one of the most underrated cards in the format." When playing against one or more black opponents, Reap can give you insane amounts of card advantage.

And that if, is also the most important drawback of the card. When you don't play against a black deck, the card is dead in the water. In the right circumstances Reap is insanely powerful. In the wrong circumstance it does nothing at all. That is one of the reasons why the card might have gone unnoticed before.

To hear the full story, check out the video below. The part about Reap starts at 5:13.

Reap
Tempest	CardKingdom $6.99	TCGPlayer $10.44

 

#2 Swarmyard $23 (+64.64%)

 

Sometimes intuition can be totally wrong. If you would have run into me at a MagicFest and asked me to guess what price Swarmyard would be, I would have said: "around $8 or so", and would be very confident about this. Boy, I would have been wrong.

The card is from Time Spiral, a set with a more limited print run than current sets, making it more 'rare' than rares from 2020. It does feature specific creature types, but none of them are the real big tribals like Goblins or Merfolk. Squirrels are always popular, if only because of the flavour. Rats can be good in Commander. But spiders and insects are not on the top of many lists. (A flipped Delver is an insect, but that's about it).

How this card can be at a $23 price tag is still a mystery to me. When I saw it popping up into our interests, I figured that it must be a popular EDH card, seeing a ton of play. But upon checking EDHRec.com I found this: "In 1365 decks 0% of 280841 decks."

$23 is really a lot for a card in very low demand. Maybe I've missed a Command Zone-esque mention somewhere. If not, this Swarmyard spike reeks like a buyout by some speculator, more than a spike because of an uptick in real demand.

A price around $8 - $10 for a niche Commander card from this set might be sustainable over long periods of time. But considering its 0% playrate in Commander, that might be a bit on the high side too. Its price development begs to differ though, as it has been around that $10 mark (and higher) for over four years.

 

Swarmyard
Time Spiral	CardKingdom $22.99	TCGPlayer $23.00

 

#3 Stoneforge Mystic $42 (+10.56%)

 

Stoneforge Mystic's price development has proven to be particularly interesting. The cards has gone up and down since its unbanning, but is now gaining price again. Just check out this:

• Price before unbanning: $36
• Price right after unbanning: $74
• Highest price after unban: $79.84
• Price in week 1 of 2020: $37

Many people have jumped the hype train. Even after the initial spike people were willing to buy even more to get their hands on Stoneforge Mystic. And six months later, the card was back at its original price. Leaving some people with a empty wallet, and other people to dry their tears of laughter with dollar bills.

But there is always more to a story when you look at it from a long-term perspective. And Stoneforge Mystic delivers. It saw a 10% uptick this week. Last week, the Blade Control deck saw several top 16 finishes in different tournaments, with a second place in the MKM series Paris and another #2 spot at SCG IQ Shreveport the top listings.

Stoneforge Mystic has created a place for itself in the current Modern meta in Bant Snowblade. That deck is now the #6 deck in the meta, with a 3.27% playrate. And a $1033 total price tag.

 

Cheap Pickups

Please note: for our 'record low' we consider the price of the card over the past 7 years. Many cards have been even cheaper (a) decade(s) ago. Also note: some cards are still going down, and might be even cheaper pickups next week.

 

Engineered Explosives $12.53 - Record low and going down

 

The Royal Scions $8.50 - Record low and going down

 

Oko, Thief of Crowns $15.75 - Record low and going down*

 

Extra info: banned in Standard, Pioneer and Modern, but sees play in Legacy and Vintage.

Engineered Explosives	CardKingdom $9.99	TCGPlayer $12.53
Oko, Thief of Crowns	CardKingdom $13.99	TCGPlayer $15.75
The Royal Scions	CardKingdom $6.99	TCGPlayer $8.50