Hey everyone, and welcome back to Insider Trading! It’s prerelease time again, which means it’s time to run down the financial value of the newest set – in this case Conflux! So hold on tight, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover!
Our base prices for cards at StarCityGames.com are $0.10 for Commons, $0.25 for Uncommons, and $0.50 for Rares. For foils, it is $0.25 for Commons, $0.50 for Uncommons, and $2 for Rares. As is tradition with the Financial Value of articles, I’m going to list the starting presale prices of our Conflux singles, and give my thoughts about whether the card will likely go up, down, or remain steady in value. I’ll also point out foils of particular interest!
As is with every set, the spoiler information for this article was taken from our friends at MTGSalvation.com. The spoiler was finished this past Sunday, so we were able to get preorders up a few days earlier than normal – and this has also let me see some customer trends as well. As usual, all credit for the card texts goes to them – as does any blame if any of the spoilers are wrong.
And with that said, onto my thoughts about the Financial Value of Conflux!
Key:
Starting Price: Our original presale price on this card, when presales went live on Tuesday.
Future Price: The price I believe this card will be a month from now (after people have had a chance to play with the card, and metagames are more firmly established).
Thoughts: My thoughts about this card.
MYTHICS
Apocalypse Hydra — XRG
Creature – Hydra (Mythic Rare)
Apocalypse Hydra comes into play with X +1/+1 counters on it. If X is 5 or more, it comes into play with an additional X +1/+1 counters on it.
1R, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Apocalypse Hydra: Apocalypse Hydra deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
0/0
Starting Price: $3
Future Price: $6-$7
Thoughts: Playable doubling cards tend to escalate in value. This is playable in a mana-ramp build, and so it’ll have cross-over appeal between casual and competitive players. Not a four-of, but that’s why it’ll settle in the single-digit range.
Child of Alara – WUBRG
Legendary Creature – Avatar (Mythic Rare)
Trample
When Child of Alara is put into a graveyard from play, destroy all nonland permanents. They can’t be regenerated.
6/6
Starting Price: $6
Future Price: $5-$6
Thoughts: Should remain stable in price. It’s a souped-up False Prophet, which usually has sold for $2ish over the past decade. Yes, it’s bigger, but yes, it’s also much harder to cast, or intentionally kill on your own.
Conflux – 3WUBRG
Sorcery (Mythic Rare)
Search your library for a white card, a blue card, a black card, a red card, and a green card. Reveal those cards and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Starting Price: $2.50
Future Price: $2-$3
Thoughts: Priced just about right. Bulk Mythic.
Ethersworn Adjudicator – 4U
Artifact Creature – Vedalken Knight (Mythic Rare)
Flying
1BW, T: Destroy target creature or enchantment.
2U: Untap Ethersworn Adjudicator.
4/4
Starting Price:$5
Future Price: $10-$12
Thoughts: One of the sleeper cards in the set. Comparable to other Blue finishers that have had a high value in Standard – Meloku and Keiga spring to mind. There are already decks that can run this, and it’d potentially be a four-of in those decks. Pick this up now – it will go up in price.
Maelstrom Archangel – WUBRG
Creature – Angel (Mythic Rare)
Flying
Whenever Maelstrom Archangel deals combat damage to a player, you may play a nonland card from your hand without paying its mana cost.
5/5
Starting Price: $6
Future Price: $10-$12
Thoughts: This has the appeal of being an Angel (always a popular tribe) plus having a much more relevant effect for a Five-Color Control deck than Child of Alara. Already climbing in value from our initial presales.
Malfegor – 2BBRR
Legendary Creature – Demon Dragon (Mythic Rare)
Flying
When Malfegor comes into play, discard your hand. Each opponent sacrifices a creature for each card discarded this way.
6/6
Starting Price: $5
Future Price: $4-$5
Thoughts: Would probably be a $6-$7.50 card, if it wasn’t the prerelease foil. It’s not good enough to hit the Demigod of Revenge or Figure of Destiny sweet-spot of breaking through the prerelease-pool glut of supply, but it’s along the lines of a Avatar of Discord (which was $3-$4 while in Standard).
Mirror-Sigil Sergeant – 5W
Creature – Rhino Soldier (Mythic Rare)
Trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a blue permanent, you may put a token into play that’s a copy of Mirror-Sigil Sergeant.
4/4
Starting Price: $3
Future Price: $2.50
Thoughts: Another doubling card, but this one doesn’t have the tournament pull that Apoclaypse Hydra might. I see this as becoming a bulk Mythic down the road – trade them off now if people are looking for them.
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker – 4UBBR
Planeswalker – Bolas (Mythic Rare)
+3: Destroy target noncreature permanent.
-2: Gain control of target creature.
-9: Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker deals 7 damage to target player. That player discards seven cards, then sacrifices seven permanents.
Starting Loyalty: 5
Starting Price: $20
Future Price: $20
Thoughts: The marquee card for the set, and the only Planeswalker. Has the “WOW” factor that will keep interest high, despite whether or not it’s tournament playable. Every casual player I’ve talked to has shown interest in acquiring Nicol Bolas, especially for EDH or Cube play. If Sarkhan Vol has held value, Nicol Bolas definitely should too.
Progenitus – WWUUBBRRGG
Legendary Creature – Hydra Avatar (Mythic Rare)
Protection from everything
If Progenitus would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, reveal Progenitus and shuffle it into its owner’s library instead.
10/10
Starting Price: $9
Future Price: $15
Thoughts: Comparable to Darksteel Colossus, right down to immunity to reanimation. Huge Timmy factor, and people will cheat this into play in any number of ways (Oath of Druids, Natural Order, Dramatic Entrance). I could see this going even higher than $15 if it achieves the same level of iconic recognition that Darksteel Colossus ended up having.
Thornling – 3GG
Creature – Elemental Shapeshifter (Mythic Rare)
G: Thornling gains haste until end of turn.
G: Thornling gains trample until end of turn.
G: Thornling is indestructible until end of turn.
1: Thornling gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
1: Thornling gets -1/+1 until end of turn.
4/4
Starting Price: $8
Future Price: $4-$5
Thoughts: See Torchling. As Patrick Chapin pointed out, there’s a lot of remove-from-game/put on bottom of library effects getting played right now. It might see some tournament play, but for it to stay in the $10 range it’s currently selling for, it’d have to be regularly played. Don’t see that – Torchling started at $5, and is now practically a bulk rare. This is better than Torchling, but it’s closer to Torchling than to Morphling. Trade these away now while the value is high.
RARES
Banefire – XR
Sorcery (Rare)
Banefire deals X damage to target creature or player.
If X is 5 or more, Banefire can’t be countered by spells or abilities and the damage can’t be prevented.
Starting Price: $7
Future Price: $12.50
Thoughts: Demonfire peaked at the $12.50 mark. This is better than Demonfire – so there is no reason to believe it will do anything other than hit at least the same price that Demonfire ended up hitting. Buy them now – they aren’t going to get cheaper than $10 once people start playing with them.
Blood Tyrant – 4UBR
Creature – Vampire (Rare)
Flying, Trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player loses 1 life. Whenever a player loses life this way, put that many +1/+1 counters on Blood Tyrant.
Whenever a player loses the game, put five +1/+1 counters on Blood Tyrant.
5/5
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1ish
Thoughts: Will be popular with the multi-player crowd (for obvious reasons), but is in the Garza Zol school of “This is a 7-cost 3-color vampire” range, so it’s limited in who will have interest. Slightly higher than a bulk rare, but not going to be a breakout performer.
Bloodhall Ooze – R
Creature – Ooze (Rare)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a black permanent, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Bloodhall Ooze.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a green permanent, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Bloodhall Ooze.
Starting Price: $4
Future Price: $2-$3
Thoughts: Most overrated card in the set – the Wake Thrasher/Talara’s Battalion of Conflux. Doesn’t seem like it’s work well in practice (just in theory), and fragile. Trade these off now, before they depreciate in value.
Charnelhoard Wurm – 4BRG
Creature – Wurm (Rare)
Trample
Whenever Charnelhoard Wurm deals damage to an opponent, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
6/6
Starting Price: $0.75
Future Price: $0.75
Thoughts: Bulk rare, that may hit the $1 range, but not much more. Fun casual card, expensive for competitive play.
Cliffrunner Behemoth – 3G
Creature – Rhino Beast (Rare)
Cliffrunner Behemoth has haste as long as you control a red permanent.
Cliffrunner Behemoth has lifelink as long as you control a white permanent.
5/3
Starting Price: $3
Future Price: $5+
Thoughts: There’s a very good argument that a Naya aggro-deck is now sustainable in Standard – dropping this on turn 4 (with Elves/other acceleration) after a Woolly Thoctar is 10 points of damage (in fat) hitting the Red zone. Combos well with Figure of Destiny as well. Potentially undervalued – worth investing in a playset now, just in case!
Cylian Sunsinger – 1G
Creature – Elf Shaman (Rare)
RGW: Cylian Sunsinger and each other creature with the same name as it get +3/+3 until end of turn.
2/2
Starting Price: $0.75
Future Price: $1-$2
Thoughts: Might have a bright future as a sought-after multiplayer card (you pump every Sunsinger with an activation, including teammates copies). Otherwise, not much more exciting than Knight of the Skyward Eye
Exotic Orchard
Land (Rare)
T: Add to your mana pool one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce.
Starting Price: $5
Future Price: $7-$10
Thoughts: At first, this was spoiled and people thought it was great – a second coming of Reflecting Pool. Then people started arguing that it wasn’t that great against a good number of decks. I think that this is better than a pain land, but probably worse than a Shockland. Should be in the price level of most filter lands, which is the $7-$10 range in the end.
Extractor Demon – 4BB
Creature – Demon (Rare)
Flying
Whenever another creature leaves play, you may have target player put the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Unearth 2B
5/5
Starting Price: $0.75
Future Price: $0.75
Thoughts: Casual mill card. Unless dredge finds a way to break this (which is highly unlikely), shouldn’t be tournament played.
Font of Mythos – 4
Artifact (Rare)
At the beginning of each player’s draw step, that player draws an additional two cards.
Starting Price:$1.25
Future Price: $2.50-$3
Thoughts: Howling Mine has value more from casual play, than an occasional appearance in Stasis/Ebon Owl Netsuke-type decks. Currently undervalued as a casual card, but I would recommend this one more for casual play than as a “tournament sleeper”.
Giltspire Avenger – GWU
Creature – Human Soldier (Rare)
Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
T: Destroy target creature that dealt damage to you this turn.
2/2
Starting Price: $1.25
Future Price: $1-$1.50
Thoughts: Avenger en-Dal, Ben-Ben Akki Hermit and/or other creatures with this effect. Usually ends up being a $1ish level card.
Goblin Razerunners – 2RR
Creature – Goblin Warrior (Rare)
1R, Sacrifice a land: Put a +1/+1 counter on Goblin Razerunners.
At the end of your turn, you may have Goblin Razerunners deal damage equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it to target player.
3/4
Starting Price: $1.50
Future Price: $3-$4
Thoughts: One of the current sleeper rares of the set. Is this Standard-playable? Yes, I believe so – the body is large enough, and the effect can end the game in a hurry. I think that once people start playtesting with Goblin Razerunners, it’ll at least get some play. Worth picking up a playset now, in case my instincts are correct.
Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer – 1WU
Legendary Creature – Human Rogue (Rare)
WU, T: Put a bribery counter on target creature you don’t control. Its controller draws a card.
Creatures with bribery counters on them can’t attack or block.
2/2
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1
Thoughts: Are there decks, such as a mid-range W/G Aggro deck, that will absolutely fold to this card? Potentially, but that’s been the domain of the $1 rare, such as when Fortune Thief was used in much the same role.
Inkwell Leviathan – 7UU
Artifact Creature – Leviathan (Rare)
Islandwalk, trample, shroud
7/11
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $2
Thoughts: There is already talk of this supplanting Darksteel Colossus as the main Tinker creature in Vintage, due to Shroud. At the very least, I’d try to get foil versions of this card, because Vintage players will be jonesing after it as a one-of for their decks.
Kederekt Parasite – B
Creature – Horror (Rare)
Whenever an opponent draws a card, if you control a red permanent, you may have Kederekt Parasite deal 1 damage to that player.
1/1
Starting Price: $2
Future Price: $2-$3
Thoughts: Underworld Dreams has long been a very popular casual card, and Kederekt Parasite is the cheapest iteration of an Underworld Dreams effect to hit Magic. Fragile like the Ooze, above, but used for an entirely different purpose.
Knight of the Reliquary – 1GW
Creature – Human Knight (Rare)
Knight of the Reliquary gets +1/+1 for each land card in your graveyard.
T, Sacrifice a Forest or Plains: Search your library for a land card, put it into play, then shuffle your library.
2/2
Starting Price: $8
Future Price: $12-$15
Thoughts: All feedback I’ve gotten about Knight of the Reliquary is that he is, indeed, absolutely insane in playtesting so far. Pick these up now – they will be a staple in Standard, and potentially in Extended.
Magister Sphinx – 4WUB
Artifact Creature – Sphinx (Rare)
Flying
When Magister Sphinx comes into play, target player’s life total becomes 10.
5/5
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1
Thoughts: Bulk Rare.
Mark of Asylum – 1W
Enchantment (Rare)
Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to creatures you control.
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $2
Thoughts: Playable sideboard card, should end up seeing Kithkin play against Mana Ramp. Not groundbreaking, but in the Sacred Ground range of $2 sideboard rares.
Martial Coup – XWW
Sorcery (Rare)
Put X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens into play. If X is 5 or more, destroy all other creatures.
Starting Price: $4
Future Price: $2ish
Thoughts: Overrated. At under seven mana, it doesn’t give you the Wrath you want (but instead gives you Icatian Town). Against control decks, will get countered. Against aggro decks, will sit in your hand as you get run over. I see this as more Sunscour than as Decree of Justice.
Master Transmuter – 3U
Artifact Creature – Human Artificer (Rare)
U, T: Return an artifact you control to its owner’s hand: You may put an artifact card from your hand into play.
1/2
Starting Price: $4
Future Price: $5-$6
Thoughts: From the Elvish Piper school of $4-$6 rares. People have debated about whether or not this is tournament playable, but that’s not the point; the point is that Elvish Piper has always been a very popular casual card, and this is Elvish Piper for artifacts. If this ends up being tournament playable, the price will probably hit the $10 range. Worth picking them up now, just in case, as they will hold value either way thanks to casual play.
Meglonoth – 3RGW
Creature – Beast (Rare)
Vigilance, trample
Whenever Meglonoth blocks a creature, Meglonoth deals damage to that creature’s controller equal to Meglonoth’s power.
6/6
Starting Price: $1.50
Future Price: $1
Thoughts: Bulk rare.
Noble Hierarch – G
Creature – Human Druid (Rare)
Exalted
T: Add G, W or U to your mana pool.
0/1
Starting Price: $12
Future Price: $15+
Thoughts: Early reports? As good as hyped. Forget comparisons to Birds of Paradise for a moment – except in the most dedicated of Elf decks, is this better than Llanowar Elves? 90% of the time, yes – produces two other colors of mana, bigger when attacking, and can grow your other guys. Llanowar Elves is a $0.50-$0.75 common, despite being printed in a billion sets. If Llanowar Elf had only been printed once (or once, plus a reprint set), you’d have the $1.25 Fyndhorn Elf. This is an extremely high price for a Common to get to, from the post-Legends era of Magic. Taking that as a baseline, this as a Rare is to Llanowar Elves as Thoughtseize was to Duress. Using that comparison, I can only see this going up in value as it gets played.
Nyxathid – 1BB
Creature – Elemental (Rare)
As Nyxathid comes into play, choose an opponent.
Nyxathid gets -1/-1 for each card in the chosen player’s hand.
7/7
Starting Price: $3
Future Price: $2-$3
Thoughts: Slightly overhyped, but playable. Might be reevaluated if there’s another good discard spell that works its way to Standard/Extended.
Obelisk of Alara – 6
Artifact (Rare)
1W, T: You gain 5 life.
1U, T: Draw a card, then discard a card.
1B, T: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
1R, T: Obelisk of Alara deals 3 damage to target player.
1G, T: Target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $2-$2.50
Thoughts: From the Cromat/Staff of Domination school of “five abilities are cool.” Would end up being in the $4-$5 range if it weren’t the release card – however, because it is, I see it ending up pretty close to where Door of Destinies and Earwig Squad ended up – a $2ish card that has a promo card which mirrors the same value.
Paleoloth – 4GG
Creature – Beast (Rare)
Whenever another creature with power 5 or greater comes into play under your control, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
5/5
Starting Price: $0.50
Future Price: $0.50
Thoughts: Bulk rare.
Rakka Mar – 2RR
Legendary Creature – Human Shaman (Rare)
Haste
R, T: Put a 3/1 red Elemental creature token with haste into play.
2/2
Starting Price: $1.50
Future Price: $1.50-$2
Thoughts: Legendary, which helps, and from the Ashling school of Red dudes that do Red stuff that would appeal to a certain group of players. Probably too fragile for tournament play, but might end up getting there as a one-to-two of.
Scepter of Dominance – 1WW
Artifact (Rare)
W, T: Tap target permanent.
Starting Price: $1.50
Future Price: $2-$3
Thoughts: Undervalued. I think that Icy Manipulator has been just-not-good-enough for so long (and been in-and-out of Standard for most of the past 5 years, more in than out), that people dismiss the effect. Dropping Icy on turn 3 (instead of four) could make a huge difference, because it gets into play before you need to Wrath, not after.
Scepter of Fugue – BB
Artifact (Rare)
1B, T: Target player discards a card. Play this ability only during your turn.
Starting Price: $2
Future Price: $3-$5
Thoughts: Another sleeper rare. Shaving 1 off of Disrupting Scepter, both for the activation, and original mana cost, is huge. A very simple spell, that can have devastating long-term effects on the game – and cheap enough to drop early so you can both activate it, and control creatures with cards like Terror or Wretched Banquet (or Innocent Blood or Slaughter Pact or Ghastly Demise, or Snuff Out, for older formats). I am a big believer that this card will “get there” in Standard, as it’s value in the control-on-control match is as marked as Jace Beleren’s card advantage – except the Scepter is much less fragile than a planeswalker.
Scepter of Insight – 1UU
Artifact (Rare)
3U, T: Draw a card.
Starting Price: $0.50
Future Price: $0.50
Thoughts: Bulk rare. Unlike the other two Scepters (which are being mildly, and hugely undervalued right now IMHO), this one is essentially Jayemdae Tome – it’s the activation that matters, not the mana cost. Four is four, and this might be better if it cost U3 to cast, and UU1 to activate. Even then, is this that different than Treasure Trove? Not really, except it’s easier to kill. Unexciting to both casual players, and competitive players.
Sigil of the Empty Throne – 3WW
Enchantment (Rare)
Whenever you play an enchantment spell, put a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying into play.
Starting Price: $1.25
Future Price: $1ish
Thoughts: There’s a group of players that really like playing around with Enchantment cards, which is why things like Celestial Ancient end up drawing interest years after they rotate out of Standard. With that said, we’re still talking the card hovering at $1, making it pretty much a bulk-level rare.
Soul’s Majesty – 4G
Sorcery (Rare)
Draw cards equal to the power of target creature you control.
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $3-$4
Thoughts: I think this card is also a huge sleeper right now. There’s no Harmonize in Standard, and while this isn’t as good as Harmonize (since you need a creature in play, and to survive Soul’s Majesty being cast to work), it’s still a card that fills a big hole in Green’s current gameplan (especially in decks that work Exalted). Pick these up now – worst comes to worst, you’re out $4-$5 for a playset (in cash or in trade)..
Sphinx Summoner – 3UB
Artifact Creature – Sphinx (Rare)
Flying
When Sphinx Summoner comes into play, you may search your library for an artifact card, reveal it and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
3/3
Starting Price: $2.50
Future Price: $5
Thoughts: Esper decks are creeping up in power level, and Sphinx Summoner will be a part of that deck – a 3/3 flyer that lets you get the, likely, best card remaining in your deck for free. Fabricate + 3/3 Flyer for five mana seems decent for this style of deck. If Esper ends up being more popular than I estimate (which may happen after Alara Reborn), this’ll go even higher. Pick them up now while they are undervalued.
Telemin Performance – 3UU
Sorcery (Rare)
Target opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until a creature card is revealed. Put all noncreature cards revealed this way into that player’s graveyard, then put the creature card into play under your control.
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $2ish
Thoughts: The whole “Helm of Obedience”/”Bribery”/”Acquire” school of cards usually end up in the $2-$3 range when they are legal, sometimes climbing higher in the case of Bribery, when opponents are playing with lots of men. Telemin Performance has the bonus of being Extended playable, as it will outright kill TEPS decks, as currently built (and will potentially force TEPS to builds that include Simian Spirit Guide, to avoid decking). Helm of Obedience/Leyline of the Void is still a better combo for Vintage and Legacy, however.
Voracious Dragon – 3RR
Creature – Dragon (Rare)
Flying
Devour 1
When Voracious Dragon comes into play, it deals damage equal to twice the number of Goblins it devoured to target creature or player.
4/4
Starting Price: $2
Future Price: $2
Thoughts: A Predator Dragon level card, right down to wanting to be played with a deck that can pump out a whole lot of creatures. There’s a place for this guy as a finisher, but it’s a niche card indeed.
Wall of Reverence – 3W
Creature – Spirit Wall (Rare)
Defender, flying
At the end of your turn, you may gain life equal to the power of target creature you control.
1/6
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1-$2ish
Thoughts: Is this Standard playable? Most decks that can run Wall of Reverence can also run Plumeveil, so the question is – do you want to be able to block an attacker, plus gain 1+ life a turn, or would you rather have the flexibility of playing a 4/4 wall as an instant, and trading one-for-one? Wall of Reverence reminds me how underrated Plumeveil is as a card – it should see more Standard play, but doesn’t.
Worldheart Phoenix – 3R
Creature – Phoenix (Rare)
Flying
You may play Worldheart Phoenix from your graveyard by paying WUBRG rather than paying its mana cost. If you do, it comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it.
2/2
Starting Price: $2
Future Price: $1-$2
Thoughts: One advantage over previous Phoenix cards – it can come back during your first or second main phases, whereas previous versions of this type of card required a commitment during your upkeep of mana. You can wait to see if you are going to spend WUBRG until close to the end of your turn before recurring Worldheart Phoenix – but WUBRG is not necessarily easy to get. Could be a good card for Five-Color Control against certain other decks.
UNCOMMONS
Ancient Ziggurat
Land (Uncommon)
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to play a creature spell.
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1-$2ish
Thoughts: Will be very popular, because it’s one of the best type of use-mana-only-for-one-type-of-spell ever printed (and an Uncommon to boot). Would be a $7-$10 rare. Will probably end up closer to $2 than $1 in the end.
Celestial Purge – 1W
Instant (Uncommon)
Remove target red or black permanent from the game.
Starting Price: $1.50
Future Price: $2
Thoughts: Top-notch sideboard card, with potential main deck implications. Its value will be proportional to the number of Red aggro decks that show up in any given format.
Countersquall – UB
Instant (Uncommon)
Counter target noncreature spell. Its controller loses 2 life.
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1
Thoughts: Negate is to a bulk common as Countersquall is to a bulk Uncommon. That is to say, $0.50 against $0.10 versus $1 against $0.25. Seems appropriate.
Esperzoa – 2U
Artifact Creature – Jellyfish (Uncommon)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, return an artifact you control to its owner’s hand.
4/3
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1.50-$2
Thoughts: Seems on par with an undercosted beater-with-a-drawback to a card like Jotun Grunt – the stats and mana cost are there, and the drawback is slight enough as not to be crippling. Should see play in multiple formats.
Fusion Elemental – WUBRG
Creature – Elemental (Uncommon)
8/8
Starting Price: $0.50
Future Price: $0.50
Thoughts: I don’t believe this will break out in value, but it’s an interesting test of a card, as nothing like it has really been tried before (making the largest five-cost non-Rare creature with no drawbacks and giving it the restriction of five-colors of mana).
Hellspark Elemental – 1R
Creature – Elemental (Uncommon)
Trample, haste
At end of turn, sacrifice Hellspark Elemental.
Unearth 1R
3/1
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $2-$3
Thoughts: Decks that want to run Spark Elemental would also want to run Hellspark Elemental. Hellspark Elemental is likely the better card – and Spark Elemental is a $0.75 common and $1 Uncommon (Fifth Dawn and 10th). We move a ton of Spark Elemental at that price. I think Hellspark Elemental will end up being a breakout Uncommon from this set.
Path to Exile – W
Instant (Uncommon)
Remove target creature from the game. Its controller may search his or her library for a basic land card, put it into play tapped, then shuffle his or her library.
Starting Price: $4
Future Price: $5
Thoughts: This is an Uncommon at the level of Eternal Witness, Sensei’s Divining Top, Isochron Scepter, and the like – splashable, extremely powerful, and useable in every constructed Magic format. Solid as a rock in value – this is almost guaranteed to be as good as advertised, and is better than Swords to Plowshares in enough cases that it will rival Plow for play in older formats.
Shambling Remains – 1BR
Creature – Zombie Horror (Uncommon)
Shambling Remains can’t block.
Unearth BR
4/3
Starting Price: $1
Future Price: $1-$1.50
Thoughts: Is there a viable Blightning and/or Black-Red Aggro deck in Standard? There seems to be a glut in the three slot of that deck (Blightning, Ashenmoor Gouger, Shambling Remains), but all three of those spells are above the curve in power level. Should hold value over the term.
Shard Convergence – 3G
Sorcery (Uncommon)
Search your library for a Plains card, an Island card, a Swamp card, and a Mountain card. Reveal those cards and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Starting Price: $0.50
Future Price: $1
Thoughts: Harmonize – GG2, draw three. G3, draw four lands. There aren’t many cards in Magic that are four mana to draw four cards, and though all four cards are lands – that’s a huge amount of card advantage (especially if you have some use for extra cards in hand, such as Seismic Assault).
Volcanic Fallout – 1RR
Instant (Uncommon)
Volcanic Fallout can’t be countered.
Volcanic Fallout deals 2 damage to each creature and each player.
Starting Price: $2
Future Price: $3
Thoughts: On the Pyroclasm/Firespout level of goodness, and probably better than both in the current metagame (thanks to Faeries) in Standard. Will see frequent sideboard play, and a good amount of main deck play as well.
Commons
Here are the commons of note. These are the cards that will likely pull a premium for the foil version!
Remember, these are foil prices for the Commons!
Armillary Sphere: $1
Kaleidostone: $1-$1.50
Lapse of Certainty: $2-$3
Macta Rioters: $1-$1.50
Might of Alara: $1.50-$2
All 5 Outlanders: $1-$1.50
Rupture Spire: $3-$4
Salvage Slasher: $1.50-$2
Scattershot Archer: $2
Wretched Banquet: $1-$1.50
And that’s my take on the Financial Value of Conflux! In the end, I view Conflux as an above-average set, and one that has a very high density of playable Uncommon cards (as did Shadowmoor, and Lorwyn), so this set will be well worth getting, in general.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the forums – so please chime in if you have some time or input! Have fun at the nearest Conflux prerelease this weekend, and may you get what you want to trade for!
Ben Bleiweiss
General Manager, StarCityGames.com
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