Let’s begin at the end, shall we? The Top 8 of Pro Tour Fate Reforged contained 3 Abzan decks, 2 Splinter Twin decks, 2 Burn decks, and an Amulet Bloom
brew. If you’re looking for breakout cards or the decks that most of the Modern-centric people at your FNM are going to try and build next, this is the
place to start. All publicity is good publicity, but there’s nothing quite as potent as a Pro Tour Top 8 finish.
Despite not making the finals, Abzan is the biggest story of the tournament and was the most played deck on all three days of the Pro Tour. It’s also
fairly new, which means it has a lot of cards whose values are likely to change based on PT speculation and increased real world demand. Let’s start there.
Creatures (12)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (25)
Spells (19)

Creatures (15)
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (24)
Spells (18)

Wait, wasn’t Birthing Pod banned? That was my first thought after seeing Abzan show up in force on Friday afternoon. In reality though, this deck has a lot
more in common with pre-Bloodbraid Elf banning Jund than it does to the value-based Pod decks we’ve seen over the past year or two. Abzan does run Pod
superstar Siege Rhino, but it also has a major hand disruption element and a healthy amount of spell-based removal.
At first glance, Jesse and Eric’s builds are very similar. Jesse runs one more Liliana of the Veil, an additional Abrupt Decay, an extra Thoughtseize, a
Maelstrom Pulse, and a 25th land. Eric went with an extra Path to Exile, a Batterskull, and three Noble Hierarchs. Their sideboards are fairly different,
but that isn’t going to matter much in the way of price spikes and increased demand.
Liliana of the Veil – $77.29 (Sold Out)
Liliana’s most recent low was around the $55 mark about a month ago. Today, finding a copy under $90 is fairly difficult, and her new retail price is
closer to $95-$100. If it wasn’t for the fact that we all knew Liliana was going to be the Regional PTQ promo card, she’d be surging toward a $200 price
tag.
I had originally expected Liliana to tank once the promo was released, but that was back when she was seeing very little play. If Abzan continues to be a
force – and I see no reason why it won’t – the promo shouldn’t drop the needle at all. Remember when the Modern Masters version of Tarmogoyf actually made
its price go up? The Liliana reprint could be just like that, at least for the first round or two of RPTQs.
I hate to say it, but if you want to play this version of Abzan, you should probably start thinking about where to get your copies of Liliana of the Veil
sooner rather than later. Waiting for mid-April and hoping that the price drops might not work at this point.
Siege Rhino – $6.49 (Sold Out)
You bought your playset back in December like I told you to, right? Khans is the most opened set in Magic history, so there are plenty of copies out there
still, but the fact that Siege Rhino is now dominating multiple formats means that it’s not going away any time soon. Siege Rhino was already on an upward
trajectory, but now I believe it’ll hit $8-$10 again before long. Standard will impact this card’s future far more than Modern will, but getting a set of
any rare that did as much in Modern as Rhino did last weekend at $6.50/card is a rare thing. I’m still trading for these at retail without hesitation.
Foils have also spiked hard, and I don’t see them going down in price at all.
Tasigur, the Golden Fang – $10.55 (Sold Out)
I had originally pegged Tasigur as an easy candidate to fall back toward $5-$6, but his Modern playability might keep that from happening. Tasigur’s
versatility is startling, and he’s begun finding a home in many different decks. Fate Reforged is a small set too, so the potential for upside is higher
here. I’m not trading for these right now because I do think that they’ll come down in price a little, but it probably won’t be as much as I had predicted
as recently as last week. If you want to hedge your bets,
getting a playset is fine.
Abrupt Decay – $12.29 (Sold Out)
Abrupt Decay has been kicking around the $10-$13 range for a few months now. It isn’t clear whether Return to Ravnica’s Modern staples are ever going to
spike in the same way that cards from Scars and earlier have due to the increased print run, but if they do it’ll probably start with Abrupt Decay and
it’ll probably happen soon. There’s relatively little downside in buying in now, especially when Decay could make a leap to $25 at any time.
Tarmogoyf – $224.99
As predicted, the most efficient card in all of Modern is a big part of what drives the format’s best new deck. If you want to play green and attack with
things, you need a ‘Goyf on your side.
Tarmogoyf might continue rising in price, but I’m hopeful that it’ll be reprinted in Modern Masters 2015 and that the extra copies will help keep its value
in check. Otherwise, there isn’t much to say about Tarmogoyf-its price isn’t going to move all that much no matter what, and you’re either okay spending
$1,000 on a playset or you’re not.
Scavenging Ooze – $5.75 (Sold Out)
Scavenging Ooze has been doing nothing but drop in price since August of 2013. That slide should stop now. The card did have a promotional printing for
Duels of the Planeswalkers, but it’s still a core set rare that sees play in Modern and Commander. I could easily see Ooze hitting $10 again this year on
Modern playability alone.
Verdant Catacombs – $34.05
Verdant Catacombs did a ton of work this weekend, and it should be a bigger story than it is. If people weren’t so scared of the Zendikar fetchlands being
reprinted soon, I’d expect a spike back toward $45-$50. People are wary about investing in these right now though, so I doubt we’ll see Catacombs crack $40
unless attitudes start to shift. It’s okay to grab a set if you need them over the next few months, but holding off is obviously the safer play.
Lingering Souls – $0.75
Lingering Souls looked great on camera all weekend, and I expect it to be one of the defining cards in the new Modern. It’s been reprinted several times,
of course, and there were plenty of copies available for $0.20 or less on Saturday. That shouldn’t happen. This is probably a $1.50-$2 card going forward,
so there’s a little bit of low risk money to be made by grabbing a bunch of really cheap copies now and holding them for a few months. Foil and promo
copies are also a little undervalued right now.
Gavony Township – $2.79 (Sold Out)
Gavony Township was a big part of many Birthing Pod decks, but it’s an even more important part of the current generation of Abzan brews. It’s also a
fantastic land in casual and Commander play. At $2.79, it’s an easy pick to double in price over the next year or so. When in doubt, buy land.
Creatures (27)
- 4 Birds of Paradise
- 3 Kitchen Finks
- 3 Wilt-Leaf Liege
- 4 Noble Hierarch
- 2 Qasali Pridemage
- 3 Loxodon Smiter
- 4 Voice of Resurgence
- 4 Siege Rhino
Lands (23)
Spells (10)

Jacob Wilson took a different approach to attacking Modern with Abzan. Gone is the hand disruption save a pair of Thoughtseizes, and gone is the removal
save a playset of Path to Exile. Instead, he’s got 4 Noble Hierarchs, 4 Birds of Paradise, 4 Voices of Resurgence, 2 Qasali Pridemages, 3 Kitchen Finks, 3
Loxodon Smiters, and 3 Wilt-Leaf Lieges. This deck is basically the old Rhino Pod value deck but without the one-ofs.
Wilt-Leaf Liege – $14.95 (Sold Out)
Wilt-Leaf Liege is sold out everywhere right now. As of this writing, I can’t find a near mint copy under $30. I doubt that will change anytime soon, as
Shadowmoor block has long been the home of under-printed Eternal powerhouses. I’m not sure this version of Abzan is better than the one with Liliana, but
enough people are going to want to build it that Wilt-Leaf Liege will likely stay at or above $25 for the foreseeable future.
Noble Hierarch – $67.79 (Sold Out)
Everyone assumes that Noble Hierarch will be reprinted in Modern Masters 2015, likely at rare. Much like Liliana of the Veil, Noble Hierarch would be
pushing past $100 right now if there wasn’t a major fear of an imminent reprint. In this case though, I can’t advise anyone to buy in unless they
absolutely want to play them right now. The chance of this card dropping to $20-$30 after Modern Masters is released is just too great, and a reprint at
rare in any set would kill Hierarch’s value immediately.
Loxodon Smiter – $1.09
Loxodon Smiter is not a sexy spec, but there are hundreds of these still available in the $1 range. You could certainly do worse as a cheap long-term
flier.
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Lands (24)
Spells (25)

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Lands (23)
Spells (27)

There isn’t much to talk about here because Splinter Twin has been a pillar of the format for years now. These decks are fairly similar, but there are a
few intriguing differences – Antonio opts for Vendilion Clique and Peek, for example, while Jelger runs a pair of maindeck Blood Moons, Sleight of Hand,
and the extra Cryptic Command. I also like Antonio’s use of Keranos, God of Storms out of the sideboard.
Snapcaster Mage – $35.45 (Sold Out)
With Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time banned, Snapcaster Mage was a hot breakout pick before the Pro Tour even began. Despite showing up in both
iterations of Twin that made the Top 8, Snapcaster Mage himself didn’t have a great weekend. The Jeskai Control/Tempo decks that were expected to become a
force didn’t really do all that well, and Snapcaster Mage was fairly limited on the top tables. It’s still a good bet to hold its current value, but I
don’t see any absurd spikes happening unless this guy starts to see a lot more play.
Blood Moon – $19.59 (Sold Out)
Blood Moon is one of the best reasons to play red control in Modern, and seeing it alongside Splinter Twin makes a lot of sense. Anyone who watched the PT
finals can attest to the power of this card in the right matchup. It has been printed a number of times though: 8th Edition, 9th Edition, Modern Masters,
The Dark, even Chronicles. I guess we could see it hit $25 if it isn’t reprinted in Modern Masters 2015, but the actually supply of these is fairly high.
That should keep the price somewhat in check.
Creatures (13)
Lands (19)
Spells (28)
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 4 Lava Spike
- 2 Lightning Helix
- 4 Rift Bolt
- 2 Shard Volley
- 4 Searing Blaze
- 4 Skullcrack
- 4 Boros Charm
Sideboard

Creatures (14)
Lands (20)
Spells (26)
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 4 Lava Spike
- 3 Lightning Helix
- 4 Rift Bolt
- 2 Shard Volley
- 3 Searing Blaze
- 2 Skullcrack
- 4 Boros Charm
Sideboard

Burn was one of the top decks in Modern back when it had access to Treasure Cruise, and I wasn’t sure how well it would do now that it didn’t get to splash
a playset of Ancestral Recalls. Turns out that the strategy is still comfortably tier one and a nice semi-budget choice going forward.
Eidolon of the Great Revel – $6.35
After a brief peak in the $10 range back in September, Eidolon of the Great Revel bottomed out around $5-$6 in December. It’s on its way back up now.
Eidolon is a small set card that has become an essential part of why Burn is now tier one (Boros Charm is another), and if it isn’t reprinted in a casual
set or a duel deck, it should hit $15-$20 at some point over the next year or two. Eidolon is a great buy at retail.
Goblin Guide – $19.09
We’ll almost assuredly see a Goblin Guide reprint in Modern Masters 2015, which should bring the price down to $8-$10. Shard Volley should be in that set
as well, making this summer a fine time to build Burn. It’s okay to get Guides now if you need them, but keep the high likelihood of a reprint in mind.
Creatures (7)
Lands (27)
Spells (26)

Amulet Bloom might not have won the Pro Tour, but making the finals is a huge statement for a previously fringe deck. It’s worth noting that this deck is
incredibly hard to play well, and anyone picking it up for the first time is going to be faced with a heck of a learning curve. That said, my Twitter feed
was abuzz with people wanting to build this deck all weekend long. It is going to be pretty popular over the next few months, I’d reckon. A lot of these
cards spiked when the deck was first introduced, but there’s still some room left for them to grow.
Amulet of Vigor – $4.99
Amulet of Vigor has spiked as high as $8-10 before settling down in the $2-$3 range. There’s still some upside here at $5, and I could see it settling in
closer to $8 again if enough people really do decide to build this deck. As I’ve said for years, this is an incredibly powerful card just waiting for the
right home. If this is it, the price should stabilize in the upper single digits. Buying a set at $5/card is fine.
Primeval Titan – $12.79 (Sold Out)
Prime Time spiked to $20 last time there was hype for the Amulet Bloom deck, and it could easily do so again. The fact that this card is banned in
Commander hurts, but it’s a casual all-star that should hold at least some demand even without this deck continuing to perform. At under $15, it’s a
low-risk trade target.
Hive Mind – $4
This has been a prime spec target for years. It has only been printed once-in M10-and it’s a powerful combo piece in the right shell. Its utility is fairly
low though, so it’s a high risk, high reward buy. I liked it back when you could grab copies for $1, but at this point it would probably take a buyout to
cause a real spike.
Azusa, Lost But Seeking – $23.45 (Sold Out)
I watched this card sell out everywhere as the Pro Tour wrapped up on Twitch. Not only is Azusa an essential part of this deck, it’s a stellar casual card
that was a solid $10-$12 before Modern playability factored in at all. The new price for Azusa is likely to be closer to $30 than $20, and there’s an
outside shot someone will push the issue and try to make this a $40 card. With supply so low, there’s not much that can be done short of a Modern Masters
2015 reprinting. If you can find any copies still out there in the $20 range, grab them.
Summer Bloom – $2.99 (Sold Out)
Summer Bloom has been printed five times, but the Portal and Starter 1999 editions barely count when it comes to supply. 6th Edition and Visions were
pretty heavily printed though, so the upside here is fairly small. This is a one-deck card, after all. I can’t see it sustaining a price tag above $5 for
long.
Summoner’s Pact – $6.35
The Modern Masters printing of Summoner’s Pact helps supply a lot here, and there are still tons of copies readily available because of that. I could see
the card hitting $10-15 if the deck takes off, but Azusa is likely to be a much larger supply chokepoint. I’d invest in Amulets before I’d buy Pacts at
this point. Of course, if you’re looking to build the deck yourself, grabbing a set at retail is fine right now.
Beyond the Top 8, there are quite a few interesting decks that put on a show this weekend. Let’s take a look at a few of them, shall we?
Creatures (14)
Lands (19)
Spells (27)
- 1 Sleight of Hand
- 4 Might of Old Krosa
- 4 Vines of Vastwood
- 2 Distortion Strike
- 4 Mutagenic Growth
- 2 Apostle's Blessing
- 4 Gitaxian Probe
- 2 Wild Defiance
- 4 Become Immense
Sideboard

Infect made up over 10% of the field at the Pro Tour, so it can no longer just be considered a fringe deck. Causal players love Infect too, and its staples
always trade and buylist very well. I can’t count how many Vines of Vastwood I’ve been able to pick out of bulk and make a nice profit on over the past few
years. If the deck could find a way to beat Lingering Souls with any consistency, it might be tier one going forward.
Become Immense (Foil) – $3.99 (Sold Out)
Become Immense is one of the major keys to Infect’s resurgence. The first few delve cards in any deck are basically free, and this one can enable kills out
of nowhere. This is a Legacy playable too, so it has a long term ceiling of $10+. I’d happily buy foil copies of these at retail right now.
Wild Defiance – $1.69 (Sold Out)
Remember: the point of an Infect deck is to threaten a one-hit kill. Wild Defiance easily enables that. Considering how many of the commons and uncommons
in this deck sell for a couple of bucks each, there’s no reason Wild Defiance can’t hit and maintain a $4-$5 price tag. There are still plenty of copies
available in bulk bins, so start digging!
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Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (19)
Spells (30)

Why am I highlighting a deck that did so poorly? Because it’s awesome, that’s why! Patrick Chapin might not have had his best day in the Modern rounds on
Friday, but his deck is a very cool Esper Delve concoction that might have a good future if it can figure out a way to fight through hate a little better.
It has the hand disruption of the Abzan deck as well as the explosiveness of a delve deck. It’s also one of the only truly rogue decks to show up on the
Modern PT scene in a while, so I feel obligated to sing its praises to some degree.
Mishra’s Bauble – $3.35 (Sold Out)
Mishra’s Bauble is a great piece of tech. If a control delve deck is possible to build, Bauble will be at the heart of it. It’s a Coldsnap uncommon, so the
supply is incredibly low, and it’s so far under the radar it isn’t likely to be reprinted anytime soon. The upside is pretty high, and the buy-in is
decent. We’re not going to see a spike based on Chapin’s poor PT results, but that doesn’t mean it won’t shine in a later event. File this one away for the
future, and start grabbing these in trade.
This Week’s Trends
– Outside of the Regional Championships, Standard was stagnant over the weekend as Magic’s spotlight shone on Modern. That said, Soulfire Grand Master has
finally begun dropping in price. It looks like this card isn’t the real deal, at least not yet. The rest of Fate Reforged is more or less stable right now.
– Back in Modern, the spring price surge is here! The entire index is up on Pro Tour hype, including cards that didn’t really perform at the PT, like
Daybreak Coronet, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Scapeshift, and Geist of Saint Traft. Be wary of buying in on these cards, especially if you’re not planning
on using them any time soon.
– Lots of people have asked me which deck I’d build right now if I had to jump into Modern from scratch. That depends more on your budget and playstyle
than anything else. Splinter Twin is probably the best deck in the format, but it’s expensive and there’s very little financial upside on any of the cards.
Abzan is even more expensive thanks to Tarmogoyf, Noble Hierarch, and Liliana of the Veil. Infect is affordable, but you’re either in or you’re out on a
deck like that. My pick? Affinity, especially if you can wait until Modern Masters 2015 to grab the Mox Opals I’m almost sure we’ll see. Burn is another
great option right now. It’s probably the best bang for your buck deck in the entire format.
– Ghostway spiked on rumors that it would be played at the Modern PT. It was not. Sell any copies you have if there’s any hype left on this card. Nothing
to see here.
– Dragon hype has continued to grow unabated in the casual realm. Scion of the Ur-Dragon keeps gaining value, and Zirilan of the Claw has joined it there.
These are great cards to sell right now if you have them, as their perceived value might never be higher. If you want to speculate on casual dragon things,
look at the next tier down. Kilnmouth Dragon, for example, has no hype on it and is easily available in the $1 range.