Today’s the last day of our first week looking at the Financial Value of Khans of Tarkir! The cards spoiled for today’s article are as good as the ones spoiled for yesterday’s article were bad. And for those who didn’t read yesterday’s article – yesterday was a bunch of bulk rares. Today, we have some cards that are going to be tournament staples!
How I review:
Starting Price: The first price we assign to the card as a preorder.
Current Price: The current price of the card by the time this article goes live.
Future Price (Short Term): The price I believe the card will be at before Magic Online redemptions go live for Magic 2015.
Future Price (Medium Term): The price I believe the card will be at by the time the next set (Fate Reforged) comes out.
Future Price (Long Term): The price I believe the card will be at a year from now, when M16 is released.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1 Current Price: $0.50 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
Wizards has thrown a lot of ridiculous stalemate-breakers for Limited into the Rare slot of Khans. Ankle Shanker, like Flying Crane Technique before it, just can effectively end the game the turn you cast it. In Constructed, five mana for a 2/2 haste creature is very hard to find a place for, when all other abilities this creature has are reliant on having other creatures in play (and it does not pump them, it only gives them pseudo-evasion).
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $0.50 Current Price: $0.50 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
Bulk Rare.
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Rarity: Mythic Starting Price: $15 Current Price: $15 Future Price (Short Term): $20 Future Price (Medium Term): $15 Future Price (Long Term): $15 |
This card is HUGE. Phyrexian Metamorph already has value due to play in Pod decks and casually, and Clever Impersonator is superior in almost every circumstance to Phyrexian Metamorph, except the rare instances when you draw it versus Podding it out. In addition, the ability to copy planeswalkers is amazing (reset counters on your own, or mirror your opponent’s). The ability to copy enchantments is relevant right now as well because it allows you to copy your opponent’s non-devoted gods. Long story short – this may be the best Clone variant ever printed, and it will see play in Pod (Modern) and in Standard (various decks), not to mention any Commander deck that runs Blue.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1 Current Price: $0.50 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
In 24 hours, we didn’t sell a single one at $1, so I dropped the price to $0.50. I’m not entirely convinced this card is complete bulk (see Marton Stromgald).
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $0.50 Current Price: $0.50 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
Bulk Rare.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $3 Current Price: $3 Future Price (Short Term): $4 Future Price (Medium Term): $2 Future Price (Long Term): $2 |
Completely solid, playable creature that is reminiscent of Lightning Angel. Losing one mana off the mana cost in exchange for losing one toughness is more relevant than you think, as that four toughness is a deal-breaker for playing defense. As an offensive creature though, Mantis Rider is completely solid and will see a lot of Standard (if not Modern) play.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $2 Current Price: $2 Future Price (Short Term): $2 Future Price (Medium Term): $1 Future Price (Long Term): $1 |
I’m a big fan of these playable X-spells that double as Blaze (see: Rakdos’s Return). Previous versions of this spell have not exactly lit the world on fire (Suffocating Blast, though it only hit creatures). It also does nothing if your opponent fails to play a spell – so if you are behind in a game, your opponent can just keep attacking you on the board and can wait until you tap out to deal with threats before they cast more spells. This way, they avoid walking into a six-point Counterblaze. I think this is very playable, though the one mana difference between this and Syncopate is huge for gameplay.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $0.50 Current Price: $0.50 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
Another Bulk Rare! It’s almost like the majority of the Intro-Pack Rares are not that great!
PACK VALUE!
To determine the value of a booster pack, I’m going to start with the following formula:
(2R + 1M)/121
That isn’t enough of a picture though. In fairness, $0.50 to $1 bulk rares don’t really amount to “real” value if you’re looking to trade with other
players. So I’m omitting the value of any Rare that is below $2 (rounded from $1.99) and any Mythic that is below $4 (rounded from $3.99).
32 out of the 53 Rares have been spoiled. Here are the ones that are $2 and up!
Bloodstained Mire: $20
Crater’s Claws: $2
End Hostilities: $3
Flooded Strand: $25
Ghostfire Blade: $2
Mantis Rider: $3
Mardu Ascendancy: $2
Mindswipe: $2
Polluted Delta: $30
Utter End: $6
Windswept Heath: $20
Wooded Foothills: $20
Total Rare Value: $140
10 out of the 15 Mythic Rares have been spoiled! Zurgo Helmsmasher and Ugin’s Nexus have fallen off this list, as they are both now below the $4 threshold
to appear on this list.
Clever Impersonator: $15
Narset, Enlightened Master: $6
Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker: $25
Wingmate Roc: $6
Total Mythic Value: $84
So plugging this into the formula, we get the following
(2R ($140) + 1M ($84) = $364
$364/121 = $3.01 value per pack, or $108.36 per box.
See you all next week, as we hit the home stretch of discussing the newly spoiled cards of Khans of Tarkir!