Hello, my fellow degenerates! I was very tempted to take you into the world of Tactical Trade Teams (TTT), but on the eve of a new set, there is only
one thing that we can do, and that’s dig in. I’ll save the details of TTT for another time. I purposefully did not give my opinion on a lot
of the cards, so that I could do a nice little brain dump and get you ready for your release tournament.
As always, I want to point you toward Ben Bleiweiss‘ review. I always write
mine before I read his, so it’s interesting for me to see where he differs in thought process. I always seek to add knowledge and understanding
to my own outlook, and Ben’s experience and knack for seeing a card’s market viability are a welcome modifier for my first impressions.
All right, enough of the butt kissing; let’s talk about the biggest, baddest card in the set.
Karn Liberated $49.99
Will this card see play? Yes. It’s too powerful not to see play. Even Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker saw fringe play (it would have seen more play if
Cruel Ultimatum didn’t exist), and this is much easier to cast. The current format is relatively slow. The dominating deck wins with 1/1 fliers
(yes, I exaggerate a bit here, but the format is pretty slow). You know it’s slow when a respectable game plan in the format is to cast a
six-mana Titan and ride it to victory. The Titans were not only good, but they shaped the metagame. I trust that Wizards designed the set with the
intention of making the high-end castable; this means that cards like this and the Praetors have a good chance of seeing play.
The real question here is not “Will Karn see play?” The real question is “How much will he be worth?” Whenever I define for a
price point for a card, I always look for a similar card. In this case, the choice is Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker.
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker is sold out at $19.99 on StarCityGames.com. Because Karn is colorless and legal in Standard, I expect him to be more than
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker. This means that $19.99 is the lowest that it could be, and since it’s an in-print mythic rare, the ceiling is Jace
pricing, which is currently $80 but could technically be $120 since that’s what Jace was in his prime. I expect this card to be on the level of
Gideon rather than Jace. Like Gideon, it’ll see play as a two- or three-of in certain decks. I expect the price to “settle” at $30.
What I mean by “settle” is that the retail price will catch up with the current eBay price, which is $25—$35. Let’s have
Robocop come and wrap the review of this card up.
Popularity:
Mid-High
Perceived Value:
High $50
Synopsis:
The perceived value is much higher than what it goes for on eBay auctions. If it finds a deck then the outlook may change, but for now, unless you can
get them at $30, I would pass.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Blade Splicer $1.99
Four power (three of which is first strike) for three mana—this is a big win. It’s in-color for an aggressive Tempered Steel deck, and it’s
right on time at three mana for a control deck to help “stop the hemorrhaging.” You don’t need other Golems to make this good, but if
you have them, then this makes them all better
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $.50 to $1
Synopsis:
This is the only rare in this cycle, so chances are that people are going to overlook this or value it low because they think it’s an uncommon.
Keep in mind that this is a foil in one of the starter decks.
Action:
Engage
Chancellor of the Annex $.99
I like this card. Mono-White Stax has always had a special place in my heart. That special place gets trampled on when I get my turn one Trinisphere
(on the play) countered by a Force of Will. I’d love to have one of these in my hand and a Trinisphere on the play. The possibility of locking
the game before it begins brings me an unhealthy delight.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Accurate $1
Synopsis:
I won’t let my personal affinity for the card cloud my judgment. The Chancellor cycle is much better than people give them credit for. I’d
recommend that you pass on most of them at first and watch how they affect the metagame.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite $5.99
When this was spoiled, I was dabbling in Legacy Dredge; it seemed like a perfect fit for the deck’s sideboard against decks like Merfolk and
Goblins. My intuition was confirmed when Richard Feldman, in his latest article, had two in the sideboard. I could also see
this in a token strategy in Standard. I have yet to see a good prototype decklist that features this card in Standard, but if it does start to see
play, you can expect a price bump. This card has a similar footprint to that of Iona, Shield of Emeria with a small upside in that it can be used in
token strategies. Iona is currently selling for $5.99 so keep that in mind when picking these up.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low $4.99
Synopsis:
Trade for this as if it would only see play as a one-of or two-of; don’t put your hope in its breaking Standard. Giving $5 or $6 on these seems
okay, since this set will not be opened as much as Zendikar was, and the card is a Mythic rare.
Action:
Engage
Norn’s Annex $1.99
As much as I want this to cut the mustard, it doesn’t seem to do the trick. Against Vampires (or Frank Lepore), I’d rather have Lightmine Field;
against Caw-Blade, they can pay the one white mana to get their Sword-wielding Hawk through. Maybe there’ll be deck in the future that wants
this; it does enable metalcraft, and it really makes the Splinter Twin / Deceiver Exarch combo pretty useless, since they have to commit suicide to
alpha strike you. It would also make the aggro-on-aggro mirror interesting.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
You can probably get these for $.25 at the release tournament, but then you’ll have to sit on them until they become good, which could be never.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Phyrexian Unlife $1.25
This is a strange card with a lot of interactions. It creates a soft lock with Melira, Sylvok Outcast, and it also combos nicely with Ad Nauseam. At
the very least, it gains ten life for three mana. This card also makes Death’s Shadow less scary to play.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
I feel like this card is worth more than a dollar, and you can surely pick them up for $1 or less.
Action:
Engage
Puresteel Paladin $5.99
“Human Knight”—that’s the first thing that I noticed about this card; because of the interaction with Knight Exemplar, this
card will command a premium. Puresteel Paladin’s abilities are solid, and the card is on-curve for an aggressive white Knight deck. Between the
Puresteel Paladin’s draw effect and the living weapon mechanic, it may be reasonable to run equipment-heavy decks and not suffer from
“blank” draws. If you think outside of the box, there could be a silly combo deck with stuff like Paradise Mantel and other zero-mana
equipment. Trust me; people will want to build this!
Popularity:
Medium-High
Perceived Value:
High $6-7
Synopsis:
I know that I can move at least twelve of these within the first two weeks of the set’s release. I’ll trade for this card at a “loss”
$7 versus the SCG price of $6 just so I can buy the opportunity to trade this card for stuff like Mental Misstep, Dismember, and Torpor Orb. It’s
basically a diversification technique that I use to invest in cards that have more room to grow.
Action:
Engage
Chancellor of the Spires $.99
… Okay that was fun. Moving on.
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur $4.99
And you thought Brainstorming every turn was sick! You’ll have to make sure that you put an Emrakul in your deck to discard so that you
don’t mill yourself. If this guy didn’t have flash, I’d expect him only to be a reanimation target, but with flash, you can cast him
off a Sword of Feast and Famine hit with only five lands (thanks to Patrick Chapin for the tech there). Of course that’s a lot of “living the
dream” talk, but his effect is powerful enough for people to try to play him.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
High $5-6
Synopsis:
This is one of the better Praetors; I recommend picking these up.
Action:
Engage
Phyrexian Ingester $.99
This is like a Duplicant, but suckier (Get it? Suck, ingest… LSV, that’s for you).
Phyrexian Metamorph $3.99
I expect this to be played in Vintage Shop decks as a replacement for Sculpting Steel. It’s very versatile in that slot because it can be another
lock piece or you can buy a copy of their Tinker target for yourself. Aside from that, it’s a fine creature / artifact in Standard. I could see
it being used in a Tezzeret-centric deck or even a Tempered Steel deck.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
Low $1-2
Synopsis:
This is the release promo, so keep this in mind when picking these up. My strategy is to pick up as many of these as possible at $1, including the
release foil. People will trade for the regular ones at $4.
Action:
Engage
Psychic Surgery $.99
Haven’t you ever wanted an enchantment that lets you exile your opponent’s cards after each shuffle?! No? Me neither. On the bright side, it
makes the Mirage Tutor cycle useless, and it could have uses in combating these types of effects in Eternal formats, but at the end of the day, there
are better cards to combat tutor strategies.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
Pass on this card for now. If for some reason it starts seeing play, there will be a window where you can raid your local card store’s $1 binder.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Xenograft $.99
This card will find its way into the same convoluted casual decks where Conspiracy is currently hanging out. It’s not an exact copy of
Conspiracy, but decks that want more Conspiracy want this.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Accurate $1
Synopsis:
Give em’ to me for $.25, and I’ll take ’em.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Chancellor of the Dross $1.99
Living the dream is having this in your opening hand in an 8-10 person Commander game. Pulling that off once would be worth the beat down that you’re
going to take for pinging everyone. If you don’t start with this in your opening hand, there are a lot of better things that you can do with
seven mana in Commander.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Accurate $1
Synopsis:
This is another wait-and-see card. Ship them at release for other cards that have a brighter future. Keep in mind that this is in a starter deck.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Glistening Oil $.99
Bu-Bu-Bu-Bulk!
Life’s Finale $1.99
Six-mana wrath effects are always a slippery slope. They never show up on time against decks that you really need a wrath against. The thing
that’s exciting about this card is that it’s a black wrath effect. This is something that Wizards does sparingly, and the secondary ability
of this card seems more relevant than people are giving it credit for.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Accurate $2
Synopsis:
At the very least, this is another option for Commander. Try to get them at $1. I’m sure that there are plenty of people who will ship them for
that.
Action:
Engage
Phyrexian Obliterator $24.99
This card is powerful; we can’t deny this. The question is where does he fit? I won’t say that he doesn’t have a place, but
it’s hard to see him outside of a mono-black deck. Some people are talking about him in a Mono-Black Control shell, but I can see this at the top
end of a deck like Vampires or black-based aggro. When you pressure your opponent with other creatures, then you force them to consider using their
removal spells on creatures other than the Obliterator; if they save removal for the Obliterator, then they die to your little dudes.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
High $25
Synopsis:
I want these but not at $25. I’m a buyer at $16.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Praetor’s Grasp $3.99
This card is interesting in Vintage because there are so many restricted cards. I’ve received a surprising amount of requests for this card, and
I expect it to be the mirror breaker in many Legacy combo matchups. Can you imagine jacking someone’s Tendrils of Agony? How about a Force of
Will?
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
High $6
Synopsis:
You can trade these as high as $6. I’ll issue an “Engage” call on this one, but be careful of people who will overvalue them. Keep an eye
out for foils of these.
Action:
Engage
Sheoldred, Whispering One $4.99
This is a powerful effect, and like most of the other Praetors, this will see a lot of Commander love. It’s really anybody’s bet whether
the Praetors will actually see play in Standard, but if they do, their prices will rise. I can see it happening because they’re all powerful
enough for people to want to play them. Sheoldred gives you an edict if they don’t kill her on the spot.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low
Synopsis:
The fact that this is the Prerelease promo drives the price down a little bit. My strategy for playable promos is to pick up as many as I can. For the
next couple of weeks, you’ll see the promo in people’s trade binders; pick them up on the cheap. People will accept $4 on the Prerelease promo.
Action:
Engage
Surgical Extraction $12.50
This is a card that trades fast because there are too many people who think that a discard spell, followed by this card, on turn one is the end all, be
all of Magic. This card is useful against some combo decks and all Vengevine decks. I suspect that this will play the role of Extirpate in some decks
(even though I’m pretty sure that Extirpate is just better). Don’t fall for the trap here; run real solution cards and weigh your options
before considering this.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
High $15—20
Synopsis:
It’s not impossible to envision a format where this card would be worth $10-plus. I just don’t think that this is the format. This is also
the buy-a-box promo, which will bring the price down a touch.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Bludgeon Brawl $.99
I’m sure that something interesting can be said here. I’ll let someone else say it.
Chancellor of the Forge $.99
This basically makes a Raging Goblin for zero mana, which can be good in an aggressive deck. Can you imagine 1-2 of these guys in your hand on turn
one? What about adding a Goblin Guide to the mix? Four power of hasty dudes on turn one? Sign me up! The cool part is that we have a Goblin Lord in
Standard. The only downside to this card is that red really doesn’t have a way to filter cards, which means you may be stuck with a big red
Chancellor in your hand. Then again, you might not care since your opponent might be dead.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $1 or less
Synopsis:
I feel like we can’t say no to free creatures with haste; at the current price, I recommend that you pick these up.
Action:
Engage
Invader Parasite $.99
I expect this to fill the role of Acidic Slime for the decks that can support it with their mana base. Think RUG Birthing Pod deck. Mold Shambler
kicked, Pod it into Invader Parasite, Pod the Parasite into Frost Titan! Living the RUG life, for sho! Its second ability could be relevant against
monocolor decks, but with the mana diversity available at the moment, it seems like this ability will not be as effective.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
Let’s not go crazy here. This card will see some Standard play, but its mana cost will keep it from seeing Legacy play. Pass for now and wait and
see.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Moltensteel Dragon $1.49
Patrick Chapin made this guy a superstar by showing the world the interaction between this guy and Treasure Mage. I’ve played against this in
Limited, and I could see it being Standard viable. The fact that you can pay actual mana and then dump life into this makes him a real threat.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
This is in intro pack, so the foils can be found for cheap. You can value the foils at $2, and they sell on StarCityGames.com for $4.99.
Action:
Engage
Slag Fiend $3.99
This may be one of the most underrated cards of the set, between stuff like the new Shrines, legend-ruled Mox Opals, and Spellbombs, you can make a
pretty big beater for one mana. I usually don’t like taking gambles on cards, but when I think about this card, I can’t help but think
about how every fetchland that you cracked made Knight of the Reliquary bigger. This might put Kuldotha Red back on the map. It fits the curve, and
you’re sacrificing artifacts to Kuldotha Rebirth.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
I recommend picking these up. At the very least, you can get them for a dollar and turn them around for $4.
Action:
Engage
Urabrask the Hidden $7.99
It’s hard to not like this card. If it finds a place in a red deck as a four-of, then everyone will be reminded that it’s a mythic rare by
the ridiculous price increase that will ensue. This is one of my top 5 pickups for the set. The card has the same mana cost as Demigod of Revenge, but
it’s easier to cast. It’s currently priced the same as Hero of Oxid Ride (another card that I love). I think that this has more range than
Hero because it can keep you from getting blown out by a Batterskull by buying you a turn.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $6
Synopsis:
Act like Phyrexian Ingester, and suck as many of these up that you can!
Action:
Engage
Birthing Pod $3.99
This card seems to be broken; I’m not sure how exactly it will be used. I expect it to take the same pricing path as Mimic Vat unless there is a
ridiculous combo deck that is ruining the format. This card has a lot of untapped/unexplored potential so keep an eye on it.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
Accurate $4
Synopsis:
Pick these up. At the very least, there will be plenty of Commander players who will want them.
Action:
Engage
Chancellor of the Tangle $.99
People are going to want these; some are starting to see the power in starting the game with two or even three mana on turn one. Can you imagine a turn
one Lotus Cobra, play a land, and then play Fauna Shaman! When Chapin
writes about something, I pay attention and so do other people. Keep that in mind when you’re presented with an opportunity to trade for this.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
Low $.50
Synopsis:
This is not a $.99 card. Pick these up at $.25 and $.50.
Action:
Engage
Fresh Meat $.99
Everyone wants to live in the fantasy world where at the end of your opponent’s turn, you sacrifice a dozen Eldrazi Spawn tokens and then serve the
beats. This may happen from time to time, but I’m not sure if this card has what it takes to be a competitive.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low
Synopsis:
This is another wait-and-see card.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Melira, Sylvok Outcast $1.99
I think this is a cool card because it combos with Phyrexian Unlife for a soft lock. It’s a very powerful hate bear against the poison strategy.
And I feel like this card has some implications as a combo card as well as a solution card.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
I can’t see this going below $1 or $2, but I could see it getting a price bump. It’s a fine pickup right now.
Action:
Engage
Phyrexian Swarmlord $.99
Bulk
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger $3.99
If there is one thing that Commander players can’t get enough of, it’s Mana Flare effects. This is a legendary fatty that punishes your opponent
for tapping lands and gives you the ability to generate a stupid amount of mana. All this goodness is attached to a body! I can see this being good,
but there is so much competition with the other seven-drops in the set that I just don’t see where this fits.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Accurate $4
Synopsis:
At least have 1-3 of these in your binder for the Commander players.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer $1.49
Five mana, and you need to have metalcraft for this guy to pump your guys?!! I’ll pass.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low
Synopsis:
It’s an option for a Boros Commander, but we can’t say that all sucky cards are automatically Commander cards, so pass on this guy.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Batterskull $24.99
This is a fine card, but it needs the tender love and care of Stoneforge Mystic to make it insane! Without Stoneforge, you’re looking at casting this
thing on turn 5, at which point I wonder if I’d rather have a Baneslayer Angel. My guess is that this will be everywhere while Stoneforge is around,
but it will be played much less when Stoneforge cycles out.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
Accurate $25
Synopsis:
The card is really high right now and may see a small price increase in the short term, but watch for a falling trend when Stoneforge Mystic cycles
out.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Caged Sun $3.99
Another Mana Flare affect for our Commander lovers. Gauntlet of Power is played quite a bit in Commander, and Caged Sun does the same thing except that
it only affects your creatures. With this in mind, I expect Caged Sun to maintain its price. It will experience a sharp up-turn if it becomes a four-of
in any winning deck.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low $2
Synopsis:
This is great for Commander, and it might be fit for Constructed!
Action:
Engage
Etched Monstrosity $2.99
I really like this card, but I wonder how good it really is. Is it worth sneaking the counters off with Hexmage? Or Hex Parasite? What deck does it fit
into? Maybe Tezzeret Control? In Tezzeret Control, you have Prophetic Prism which can help generate the other two colors.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $2
Synopsis:
Not a lot of people want this card, but it’s a mythic rare from a new set, which means that it has a lot of time to find a home. If you can pick
these up for a dollar or two, I’d recommend it. Worst-case scenario, you can trade them for $3, and best-case scenario, Patrick Chapin designs a deck
with them, and it shoots up to double digits.
Action:
Engage
Hex Parasite $5.99
This card has a lot of potential in Standard. Killing planeswalkers is the obvious application, but this can also neuter Tumble Magnets and Everflowing
Chalices. There is also a non-zero chance that the Shrine artifacts will see play in Standard, which will make this even more useful. This is the
perfect addition to the Hawkward deck, and I could see it playing a role in the Tezzeret deck as well.
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
Accurate $6
Synopsis:
This has a lot of potential, but at the end of the day, it’s a solution card, and solution cards don’t typically command the same price
points as cards that are pillars in a specific strategy. This is one of the cards that people want from the new set, so it’s important to have
these in your binder. The strategy here is to pick them up at $6 and ship them at $6, but only ship them for cards that will be on the rise, like
Chancellor of the Tangle.
Action:
Engage
Lashwrithe $3.99
A four-mana Nightmare is nothing to sneeze at. The problem with this card is that it can’t interact favorably with Stoneforge Mystic; this means
that you have to run more copies to reliably draw it. I could see this being run as a four-of in a mono-black deck. This is an auto-include for any
mono-black Commander deck.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low $2-3
Synopsis:
I doubt that this will see play in Legacy, which is the only way that it’s going to break $10. I could see it climbing to $5 or $6 if you pick
them up early; then you have a chance to double or triple up on them.
Action:
Engage
Myr Superion $3.99
This card is a trap; it reminds me of Talara’s Battalion. If you topdeck this after a Wrath effect, then you don’t have a way to cast it unless
you activate your manlands and tap them for mana, and at that point, it’s not a two-mana 5/6 anymore. It will also suffer from the splash damage
of people packing hate for the artifact Swords.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $2-3
Synopsis:
People will want this, but you’ll get enough of these “incidentally” to fill the casual demand for these. Don’t set out to get these,
but if you can get them at a dollar or two as part of a bigger trade, it seems reasonable.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Omen Machine $.99
This is one of those crappy chaotic Commander cards. BULK!
Soul Conduit $.99
This card also has Commander written all over it. I can picture someone switching two players’ life totals in response to an attack or something, just
to make sure one player dies.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Accurate $.99
Synopsis:
Only pick these up if they’re foil; otherwise pass on them.
Action:
Do Not Engage
Spellskite $2.49
Surprisingly, there is a lot of love for this card. Some people want to use it in the Tezzeret deck as an early blocker and late-game threat. Paulo
Vitor Damo da Rosa (Have you ever tried to type that name out?! Man, its long.) likes this card, and he doesn’t like anything! He suggests
putting it in the Splinter Twin deck to protect your combo. I think it’s a good idea.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low $2
Synopsis:
There’s enough buzz about this card to make it a reasonable pickup.
Action:
Engage
Sword of War and Peace $29.99
The word on the street is that this sword is not as good as Sword of Feast and Famine. There is no doubt that the Sword is good for swinging through
Squadrons of Flying 1/1s and for destroying planeswalkers without having to attack them directly, but it doesn’t advance your board position like
Sword of Feast and Famine. This sword seems better suited for an aggro deck than it does Caw-Blade. What does all this mean for price? There are more
questions than answers here. The relevant questions are: “Will Caw-Blade still be the dominant deck?” “Will this Sword be able to
compete with Batterskull and Sword of Feast and Famine?”
Popularity:
High
Perceived Value:
Low $25
Synopsis:
It’s hard not to pick these up because this is one of the chase mythics of the set. I think that its immediate future is uncertain. Its eventual
future is known, once Stoneforge Mystic rotates out of Standard; this and all the other swords will fall in price. They’ll always be worth
“something” for the Commander players and the Cube builders, but they won’t command the chase-Standard-mythic money that they
currently do.
Action:
Engage
Torpor Orb $3.99
This has already seen a price increase on StarCityGames.com. There is a pretty heated debate about whether this hoses Caw-Blade. I don’t think it
totally kills Caw-Blade, but it’s a strong tool against them. One of the inherent strengths of Caw-Blade is the ability to search up Squadron Hawks to
keep yourself alive, and this prevents that. If killing Squadron Hawks was the only application for this card, I would not recommend picking it up, but
there are more applications. This card also stops the Splinter Twin combo, and it can be used in Legacy with Hunted Horror and Phyrexian Dreadnought.
Popularity:
Medium
Perceived Value:
Low $2
Synopsis:
This card will see play, and people are okay to trade them away at $2. I recommend picking these up.
Action:
Engage
Unwinding Clock $1.99
This is an auto-include in the colorless Commander deck. I hear that untapping all your artifact mana sources and all your artifacts seems pretty good.
The printing of this card makes me want to play the colorless deck again.
Popularity:
Low
Perceived Value:
Low $1
Synopsis:
Pick these up, especially foil ones. People typically accept $1 on these.
Action:
Engage
Conclusion
I hope that you guys have enjoyed the set review; here is a list of commons and uncommons that you should pick up, and you get special BAMF points it
they’re foil.
Beast Within
Despise
Dismember
Gitaxian Probe
Mental Misstep
Tezzeret’s Gambit
Thanks for reading.