The last day of spoilers are tomorrow, so I’ll have this article plus two more: one on Friday to discuss the cards spoiled on Thursday, and one on Monday to discuss the last couple of cards of note spoiled, plus the foil cards of note.
How I Review
Starting Price: The first price we assign to this card as a preorder.
Current Price: The current price of the card, by the time this article was written (usually by midnight on the day of publication).
Future Price – Low: The lowest price I believe this card will hit while it is Standard legal, post-release.
Future Price – High: The highest price I believe this card will hit while it is Standard legal, post-release.
Rarity: Rare
Starting Price: $3
Current Price: $3
Future Price – Low: $2
Future Price – High: $4
Thoughts: As a two-mana flyer, Bearer of Silence isn’t particularly impressive at 2/1. As this block’s version of Gatekeeper of Malakir, Bearer of Silence is probably going to see a bunch of play in Eldrazi decks. Four mana is a lot to ask for a small body + a Diabolic Edict, but there are absolutely decks that this will be devastating against. This isn’t going to stop a creature swarm by itself (especially since it can’t block/chump), but it will be highly effective against midrange decks.
Rarity: Rare
Starting Price: $1
Current Price: $1
Future Price – Low: $1
Future Price – High: $1
Thoughts: It’s odd that this is the same mana cost as Oracle of Mul Daya, larger than Oracle of Mul Daya, and so much worse than Oracle of Mul Daya. Oracle of Mul Daya was pure card advantage and mana acceleration. Mina and Denn won’t accelerate you without outside help (drawing extra cards so you can play more than one land a turn out of your hand by turn 4/5). This is a landfall enabler in a format where landfall probably isn’t that viable. Should have value as another Exploration for Commander decks, but nowhere near as good as Oracle of Mul Daya was seven years ago.
Rarity: Uncommon
Starting Price: $2
Current Price: $2
Future Price – Low: $2
Future Price – High: $5
Thoughts: This is a multi-format all-star card. It’s good enough to see play in Legacy, Modern, and Standard – and likely Vintage as well. All three abilities have very important uses in various format metagames, and virtually any deck that cares to run Warping Wail can run it.
Creatures of note this hits, in various formats: Spellskite, Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy, Dark Confidant, Snapcaster Mage, Eternal Witness, Deceiver Exarch, Deathrite Shaman, Noble Hierarch, Monastery Swiftspear, Delver of Secrets, Stoneforge Mystic, Young Pyromancer, Vendilion Clique, Thalia, Mother of Runes, Flickerwisp, Phyrexian Revoker, Aven Mindcensor, Grim Lavamancer, Ornithoper, Vault Skirge, Arcbound Ravager, Signal Pest, Glistener Elf, Warden of the First Tree, Abbot of Keral Keep, Zulaport Cutthroat, Inkmoth Nexus, Blinkmoth Nexus.
Sorceries of note this counters, in various formats (three+ mana): Anger of the Gods, Scapeshift, Terminus, Painful Truths, Radiant Flames, Hordeling Outburst, Maelstrom Pulse, Languish, Damnation, Past in Flames, Show and Tell, Treasure Cruise.
The last ability renders this useful as in-a-pinch acceleration if the first two abilities aren’t any good – so basically this has three very useful modes, is cheap to cast, and can be played in most formats. A staple card for Standard and Modern, and likely also Legacy. Pick these up now before the supply dries up – this is probably the best uncommon printed in years, and one that virtually any deck can run.
Pack Value
There are 42 Rares and 12 Mythics in this set. Expeditions add $0.80 per-pack value, so we start at $0.80 and add the following:
2R + 1M (Each Rare is printed twice against each Mythic) / 96 (84 Rares/12 Mythics) * 36 (36 packs/box)
Mythics of Note ($4+)
Chandra, Flamecaller: $15
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet: $10 (+$2 since last update)
Kozilek’s Return: $15
Kozilek, the Great Distortion: $15
Mirrorpool: $6
Total: $96
Rares of Note ($2+)
Bearer of Silence: $3 (NEW)
Eldrazi Displacer: $6 (+$1 since last update)
Hissing Quagmire: $4
Needle Spires: $3
Oath of Chandra: OFF THE LIST (Dropped to $1)
Oath of Gideon: $2
Oath of Jace; $2
Oath of Nissa: $5
Reality Smasher: $5 (+$1 since last update)
Sylvan Advocate: $4 (+$1 since last update)
Total: $57
2R ($114) + 1M ($96) = $210 / 96 = $2.19 value per pack.
So total pack value (4 Rares and 1 Mythic left to go)
Rares/Mythics: $2.19 per pack
Expeditions: $0.80 per pack
Full-Art Basic Lands: $0.25 per pack
Wastes: $0.13 per pack
Good Uncommons: $0.32 per pack
Total: $3.69 per pack ($132.84 per box), before foil cards are factored in.
As I stated yesterday – this is the value at/around release, and this value should drop 25%-50% about a month out from release. The most tournament-playable cards will probably go up 25%-50%, but the majority of cards in the set (that end up not panning out) will have the 25%-50% drop.
I’ll discuss the evolving state of Modern tomorrow, along with the last few cards that are spoiled overnight!