Welcome back to my Financial Value of Magic Origins column! There have been a lot of new cards spoiled, and a lot of movement on older cards. Most importantly – Sam Stoddard announced that because of the double-sided cards, there are actually 16 Mythics and 55 Rares in this set! Therefore, my math at the end of the review is going to undergo some changes for this article.
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 goes live.
Future Price – Short Term
: The price I believe this card will be at before Magic Online redemptions go live for Magic Origins.
Future Price – Medium Term
: The price I believe this card will be at by the time the next set (Battle for Zendikar) comes out.
Future Price – Long Term
: The price I believe this card will be at a year from now when the first set of the second block of next year is released! (The one that is the block AFTER Battle for Zendikar block).
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1.50 Current Price: $2 Future Price (Short Term): $1 Future Price (Medium Term): $1 Future Price (Long Term): $1 |
Comparisons here will be to Ire Shaman, which ended up being a flop. This is cheaper to get the free card overall (two mana versus four mana), but more expensive than if you waited a turn on Megamorph (1R versus R). Prowess is a good addition, but I think there are too many other cards fighting for this slot in both red aggro decks or decks that want a two-drop Prowess creature.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $2 Current Price: $2 Future Price (Short Term): $1 Future Price (Medium Term): $1 Future Price (Long Term): $1 |
This card screams ‘plant!’ for Landfall returning in Battle for Zendikar. The potential to miss with this card (unless you’re spending a ton of mana) is pretty high in Standard, and the effect isn’t necessarily as powerful in older formats. I think it’ll be interesting to see if this can/will slot into Lands in Legacy (I don’t think so, but it’s an interesting effect), but generally I think this card will just be a popular casual card for the time being. The main Modern use might be in an Amulet Bloom deck, but only if you can ensure getting Spell Mastery (so you can take advantage of bouncelands).
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1 Current Price: $1 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
I would be more into this card if it were a Zombie. Bulk Rare, though I’ll note that Bulk Rares like this one are a lot more interesting/powerful than useless Bulk Rares in the past.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1 Current Price: $1 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
I feel like we’ve seen cards like this before, but Embermaw Hellion has one advantage – it pumps any red source of damage (such as attacking creatures) and not just red Instants and Sorceries. Forget fancy targeting tricks (i.e. Arc Lightning dealing six damage total after targeting three creatures) – is Embermaw Hellion good enough to be the top of a curve in a token-based Goblin deck (+1 damage to all goblins)? I’m more interested in it in that role than I would be in it providing +1 damage to your burn spells. Probably not Constructed-worthy, but worth looking at just in case.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1 Current Price: $1 Future Price (Short Term): $0.75 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.75 Future Price (Long Term): $0.75 |
Reminds me of Guiltfeeder, but two mana cheaper. Should be very interesting in casual play, but I think it’s too inconsistent in Standard – do you really want to drop this on turn three when you likely have no creature cards in your graveyard, or think that your opponent can’t deal with a one-power creature on turn six?
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1 Current Price: $1 Future Price (Short Term): $0.50 Future Price (Medium Term): $0.50 Future Price (Long Term): $0.50 |
Bulk Rare. Just note that the Priest itself casus the loss of life, so if there is a place for this card, it’s either A) recurring Priest to make 5/5 tokens over and over with only the two life payment regardless of the number of Demons you have or B) using Priest of the Blood Rite as an Exploit target.
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Rarity: Rare Starting Price: $1 Current Price: $1 Future Price (Short Term): $1 Future Price (Medium Term): $1 Future Price (Long Term): $1 |
I think this’ll be a solid casual card if for no other reason than it’ll mill your opponent for seven even if you miss. In Commander, though, you’ll often be hitting two high-yield targets with Spell Mastery, making this a double-bonus. Good enough to keep casual interest, too unpredictable to really see serious Constructed play (though I think of hilarious mirror-matches where you use Talent of the Telepath to hit your opponent’s Talent of the Telepaths to mill them for 28+ cards).
Reprints
Gaea’s Revenge: Had a price history of getting as high at $6 in Standard, but spent the majority of time at $3-$4. Was a Mythic (and is now downgraded to Rare), so I’m putting it at $1 to start, with potential for it to hit $2.
Changes Since The Last Article
Goblin Piledriver: From $20 to $15 – market price is settled at $15, so adjusting to meet market price. Still very bullish on this card!
Hallowed Moonlight: From $2 to $5 – Selling very well, and market price is $20-$25 a playset right now.
Harbinger of the Tides: From $2 to $5 – getting a lot of love for Standard, Modern and Legacy play. I think the $5 isn’t sustainable, but I also think that $2 was too low.
Infinite Obliteration: From $1 to $3 – Ebay prices are $16-$20 a playset right now. I think this will plummet, so I’d not advise buying into this card.
Relic Seeker: From $4 to $3 – Sales are really slow at $4. The second drop this card has had.
Pack Value
To determine the value of a booster pack, I’m going to start with the following formula:
(2R + 1M)/126.
The formula has changed slightly because of Wizards including 16 Mythics and 55 Rares in the set. This isn’t a significant change, but it does move the math by a few percentage points.
41 out of the (now) 55 Rares have been spoiled. Here are the ones that are $2 and up! (* = REPRINT)
Abbot of Keral Keep: $2
Animist’s Awakening: $2
* Battlefield Forge: $2
* Caves of Koilos: $2
Dark Petition: $4
Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen: $2.50
Exquisite Firecraft: $4
* Goblin Piledriver: $15
Hallowed Moonlight: $5
Harbinger of the Tides: $5
Honored Hierarch: $6
Infinite Obliteration: $3
*Knight of the White Orchid: $3
Languish: $7.50
* Llanowar Wastes: $2
Managorger Hydra: $3
Mizzium Meddler: $2
Molten Vortex: $3
Pia and Kiran Nalaar: $3
Relic Seeker: $3
* Shivan Reef: $2
Vryn Wingmare: $3
* Yavimaya Coast: $2
Total Rare Value: $86
14 out of the 16 Mythic Rares have been spoiled!
Alhammarret’s Archive: $8
Archangel of Tithes: $20
Avaricious Dragon: $10
Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh | Chandra, Roaring Flame: $12
Day’s Undoing: $20
Demonic Pact: $5
Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy | Jace, Telepath Unbound: $20
Kytheon, Hero of Akroas | Gideon, Battle-Forged: $25
Liliana, Heretical Healer | Liliana, Defiant Necromancer: $25
Nissa, Vastwood Seer | Nissa, Sage Animist: $20
Pyromancer’s Goggles: $6
Starfield of Nyx: $8
Woodland Bellower: $8
Total Mythic Value: $187
So plugging this into the formula, we get the following:
(2R ($86) + 1M ($187) ) = $359
$359/126 = $2.85 value per pack, or $102.60 per box.
The pack value remained the same since yesterday, despite the overall value going up by $12 or so dollars, because of the adjustment on the number of Rares/Mythics in the set!