It’s finally happening – a new block is starting! The birth of many new formats is upon us! A new Limited, a new Block Constructed, a new Standard – perhaps even a new Extended (since it is changing so much anyhow). All of these thoughts are enough to make a Magic player excited right up until the Prerelease… Which is going to happen tomorrow.
Some people prepare for the prerelease – I mean, they actually practice for it. I even know some of these people; however, I believe they are going about it all wrong. You want to know how I prepare for a Prerelease? I prepare in the same manner a dealer would – I go over the spoiler list and think to myself,”What are going to be the most expensive cards in the set? Which are the underdogs and which are the kings of hype?”
Compare these three cards from Judgment:
Seedtime – The Hypemasta!
When Judgment just came out, all everyone was talking about was Seedtime. I couldn’t understand it – the card was just plain awful. I just didn’t know why they were trading at $14 a pop at one point. But the fact is that they were, and that’s the hype. When trading for cards that you want to use in the future, avoid hype cards. They will break your wallet in two, regardless of if you are a dealer or not. These days I would be surprised if you could get anyone to steal your Seedtimes from you. Hype is great and lucrative while it lasts, but try to be sure that you don’t own any of the hyped cards once the truth is revealed.
Brushhopper – Savage Beats? Only Time Will Tell.
Brushhopper started out looking like a good card, but quickly was taken up in the traditional hype-frenzy. If you had one, a frothing mob of the unclean would chase you until you relinquished it; then they moved on to find other prey – perhaps Seedtimes.
However, something strange happened – Brushhopper actually proved its worth in the Block format. Will this real success translate to other formats? If you don’t think so, I would start trading them all away for Onslaught cards this weekend.
Living Wish – The Man With The Plan…
Living Wish is a rather cheap card – perhaps you can pick it up for three or four dollars in trades. However, this card continues to prove its worth as a close relative to Demonic Tutor (the same goes for Burning Wish) and as time goes on, you will see this card go upwards in value just based on the fact that it is a solid card that will end up in many decks. Think of Force of Will, the lowly uncommon that struck it rich – at the height of its fame, Force of Wills were selling at $11 a pop. Fact or Fiction is always on the rise these days. Good cards will always go up in value – that’s just the way Magic works. They may not have the hype… But they have the master plan.
So what will you trade for at the Prerelease?
One of the best ways to pad your wallet is by being smart in the beginning. I have often given dealers advice on what to trade and buy when a new set comes out – and now I bestow some of this knowledge to you. It is not about getting everything you need to make all your decks for the rest of the block – it is about getting cards that are undervalued and worth enough to trade later for what you need when you need to build something for that ever-present PTQ.
Here it is: Nate’s Onslaught Top Trade Pick List (if you bump into me during the Prerelease, feel free to trade me any of these cards).
Keep in mind that these are all rares. Also keep in mind that I’m not stating what I think are the best cards in the set – just the best trades. I am not going to make this an agonizing article with all my thoughts on the various cards and why they will be good trades; I will just list them and let you guys get to the fun part of getting down-and-dirty at the prerelease!
Akroma’s Vengeance 4WW
Sorcery Rare
Destroy all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments.
Cycling 3 (3, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)
Ixidor had only to imagine their ruin and Akroma made it so.
Greg & Tim Hildebrandt 2/350
Exalted Angel 4WW
Creature – Angel Rare
Flying
Whenever Exalted Angel deals damage, you gain that much life.
Morph 2WW (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
4/5
Michael Sutfin 28/350
Jareth, Leonine Titan 3WWW
Creature – Cat Giant Legend Rare
Whenever Jareth, Leonine Titan blocks, it gets +7/+7 until end of turn.
W: Jareth gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn.
Light’s champion in the stronghold of darkness.
4/7
Daren Bader 43/350
Shared Triumph 1W
Enchantment Rare
As Shared Triumph comes into play, choose a creature type. Creatures of the chosen type get +1/ +1.
“Win together, die alone.”
Mark Brill 53/350
True Believer WW
Creature – Cleric Rare
You can’t be the target of spells or abilities.
So great is his certainty that mere facts cannot shake it.
2/2
Alex Horley-Orlandelli 57/350
Weathered Wayfarer W
Creature – Nomad Cleric Rare
W, T: Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play this ability only if an opponent controls more lands than you.
1/1
Greg & Tim Hildebrandt 59/350
Arcanis the Omnipotent 3UUU
Creature – Wizard Legend R
T: Draw three cards.
2UU: Return Arcanis the Omnipotent to its owner’s hand.
He has journeyed where none have been before. Now he returns to ensure that none follow.
3/4
Justin Sweet 66/350
Future Sight 2UUU
Enchantment R
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
You may play the top card of your library as though it were in your hand.
“My past holds only pain and loss. I will conquer it by creating the perfect future.”
-Ixidor, reality sculptor
Matt Cavotta 84/350
Read the Runes XU
Instant R
Draw X cards. For each card drawn this way, discard a card from your hand unless you sacrifice a permanent.
“The world is a puzzle, and the mind is its key.”
Alan Pollack 104/350
Voidmage Prodigy UU
Creature – Wizard R
UU, Sacrifice a Wizard: Counter target spell.
Morph U (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
2/1
Scott M. Fischer 120/350
Visara the Dreadful 3BBB
Creature – Gorgon Legend Rare
Flying
T: Destroy target creature. It can’t be regenerated.
“My eyes are my strongest feature.”
5/5
Kev Walker 179/350
Blistering Firecat 1RRR
Creature – Cat R
Trample, haste
At end of turn, sacrifice Blistering Firecat.
Morph RR (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
7/1
Arnie Swekel 189/350
Rorix Bladewing 3RRR
Creature – Dragon Legend R
Flying, haste
In the smoldering ashes of Shiv, a few dragons strive to rebuild their native land. The rest seek any opportunity to restore the broken pride of their race.
6/5
Darrell Riche 224/350
Hystrodon 4G
Creature – Beast R
3/4
Trample
Whenever Hystrodon deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card.
Morph 1GG (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
Anthony S. Waters 266/350
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa 4GG
Creature – Druid Legend R
G: Target land becomes a 1/1 creature until end of turn. It’s still a land.
2GGG: Creatures you control get +3/+3 and gain trample until end of turn.
“My mind has changed. My strength has not.”
4/3
Matthew D. Wilson 268/350
Ravenous Baloth 2GG
Creature – Beast R
Sacrifice a Beast: You gain 4 life.
“All we know about the Krosan Forest we have learned from those few who made it out alive.” – Elvish refugee
4/4
Arnie Swekel 278/350
Silvos, Rogue Elemental 3GGG
Creature – Elemental Legend R
Trample
G: Regenerate Silvos, Rogue Elemental.
He was born of the Mirari, thrust out of his homeland before he was even aware. Left without purpose or meaning, he found both in the pits.
8/5
Carl Critchlow 282/350
Bloodstained Mire
Land (rare)
T, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Bloodstained Mire: Search your library for a swamp or mountain card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
Rob Alexander
313/350
Contested Cliffs
Land (rare)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
RG, T: Choose target Beast you control and target creature an opponent controls. Each creature deals damage equal to its power to the other.
Anthony S. Waters
314/350
Flooded Strand
Land (rare)
T, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Flooded Strand: Search your library for a plains or island card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
Rob Alexander
316/350
Grand Coliseum
Land (rare)
Grand Coliseum comes into play tapped.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Grand Coliseum deals 1 damage to you.
Carl Critchlow
319/350
Polluted Delta
Land (rare)
T, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Polluted Delta: Search your library for an island or swamp card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
Rob Alexander
321/350
Windswept Heath
Land (rare)
T, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Windswept Heath: Search your library for a forest or plains card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
Anthony S. Waters
328/350
Well, there you have it: The top trade picks of Onslaught. I would be a little more careful when trading for the big Legends of each color, but they usually hold on to a good deal of value since they are just fun to play with (except Ixidor). The lands are always a sure bet – although the Contested Cliffs is a card that I personally think will be popular.
My star pick of the set has to be Future Sight – wow, what a card! All players in all formats should find a good use for this one. Who cares about Mirari’s card advantage… I want to see the future!
I have listed cards that fall under each of the three categories; just remember not to hold on to the hype ones for too long! Even if they become established good cards in the end, like Brushhopper may become, you can always trade for more. Better to avoid the loss just in case!
Have fun and trade well!
Nate Heiss
Team CMU
[email protected]