Looking for new cards to buy after the Lurrus banning? We got you covered! Topics this time include: more Neon Dynasty singles to watch out for, plus some Standard staples, a look at the Pioneer resurgence, and what to invest in for Modern before Double Masters arrives. Let's get to it!
5. Kamigawa Mythics: Which Did You Miss?
Normally when I recommend cards from newer sets I try not to suggest overpriced mythics that fluctuate a lot and, what's worse, might end up being unplayable. When Neon Dynasty released, I immediately bought everything I needed for my decks, especially the legendary channel lands cycle.
While reviewing the mythics, it was clear to me that between the Spirit Dragon cycle and the lore cards ( and ) there weren't a ton of playables for Constructed formats. But it was only a matter of time before some chased mythics emerged. They ended up being and .
I merely purchased a single copy of the white Empress alongside a Japanese Rakdos Saga for my collection, both alternate art versions, right before they spiked up in price. At that point I didn't consider it a good move, whereas currently they have doubled up their price. My personal rule of thumb is, if you have the money and are sure to play the card, get it as soon as possible since the more you play with it, the more you redeem the card's value. Take as an example, it has fallen gradually from twelve euros to ten down to €7.50 for the cheapest copy. That's less than 25% of its value, and it's even seeing some fringe play in Modern.
So, what to do now with Hidetsugu and the Emperor? Wait until the hype dies down and everyone who desperately needs their copies got them. Kamigawa is still being cracked as we speak until Streets of New Capena arrives. There is still a considerable amount of time to get both of them for less than their current price.
4. Standard Staples on a Budget
Moving on to our format review, Standard is in a great spot right now. With the last round of bannings alongside all the Neon Dynasty arrivals new strategies have emerged such as Naya Enchantress or Rakdos Anvil Sacrifice, and others like Jeskai Control and Selesnya Midrange have been revitalized. From time to time, I tend to look at the most played cards from each format. That way you get a pretty good idea of the most impactful strategies and what defines each of them.
This time around, I have found that is the actual number one creature, since it fits in a wide variety of shells: the previously mentioned Selesnya build, Monowhite Aggro, Orzhov Midrange, plus some Boros and Naya builds. Consider also that this Cleric has already been nerfed in Alchemy. Currently, there are single copies available for around two euros while the full playset stands at twelve euros on Cardmarket. It has a second life in Pioneer (which is seeing new opportunities) as a player in Five-Color Humans, and I have even seen it played in Vintage!
Next on the list is another white card, that hails from a more recent set, Innistrad: Crimson Vow, and can be found in more than 30% of Standard decks. I am talking about . A that transforms after three turns while also throwing some 1/1 tokens onto the board, and can even draw cards in the right spot? Count me in! The fact that it fits almost every white strategy, is easy to splash, and goes both in midrange and controlling strategies ensures a long run in Standard, possibly even surviving rotation. Despite its low average price you can see the trend is slowly going up so my recommendation is to grab a playset just in case.
My last pick for Standard staples is another rotation proof card from the Innistrad cycle: . Even if is no longer legal, this two-mana Dragon holds the fort during the early game until it transforms into an actual flying threat that can clean the board from small and medium threats. Price wise, you can find the red Egg for less than two euros a copy, which is quite reasonable for a card that will remain in Standard until September 2023!
3. Pioneer Is Back on the Menu
Lately, I have been seeing a in the Pioneer format, at least among the local game stores I frequent. The reasons are multiple: Modern is getting more and more expensive as we speak. As more sets are printed, the format gets its own identity, while the obnoxious combo strategies are already forgotten. Hopefully, Wizards finally announces the tabletop organized play comeback, giving a Pioneer all the credit it deserves.
In case someone is interested to give it a try or looking for the staples before they spike in price, my suggestion is to grab some copies of , which stands as the most played card, with about a 50% of the decks including at least three copies in their 75—suck on that, ! Jokes aside, you can find it in sideboards from Izzet Phoenix, Azorius Control, Hidden Strings, Spirits, and Esper Greasefang, basically every blue-based deck aside from Niv to Light. It counters key expensive cards like , , or for a miser mana. Regarding its price, singles copies are around one euro, still a cheap and reasonable bargain for what it does.
While Strixhaven: School of Mages is arguably one of the weaker sets in Magic's recent history regarding expected value and overall impact across formats, there is one uncommon which stands out among all others: . Standard and Modern staple in every deck that can afford to play the Prismari sorcery, it ends up granting two cards for only two mana most of the time. It helps to hit land drops during the early turns and finds key cards during the late game. Currently, Iteration ranks as the third most expensive card from its set, above most rares, with a price trend of €6.50. But this surely will increase if tabletop tournaments come back again and Pioneer finally takes off, so make sure to get a playset before that happens.
Last but not least we have a new contender in the format that caught my eye when looking at recent results of Pioneer Challenges. has finally assembled its own build-around strategy directly transferred from the original Standard iteration. The update consists of adding a bunch of mana dorks and cheap creatures combined with expensive Humans to cheat into play with Winota's triggered ability. The deck is super fun to play and can win games as early as turn three if it gets lucky enough revealing cards with Winota, which you can still purchase for five euros per copy. But the trend is clearly going up as the deck keeps performing well, so don't miss the opportunity while it lasts!
Naya Winota by aManatease, 2nd at Pioneer Challenge
Main Deck
Sideboard
2
4
4
1
4
4
2
4
4
4
4
4
4
1
1
2
3
4
4
1
4
1
4
2
3
2. Companion Reshuffle
Just in case someone has been living under a rock the past two weeks, , the scariest Cat in Magic history, is now banned in Modern and Pioneer. To be honest, it hasn't impacted both formats as much as people predicted. Once the Nightmare is over (no pun intended), one thing is sure, people try other less popular companions to fill the gap. The one and only Skura has already written in depth about this topic, so let's focus on the financial aspects.
Starting with , it now reigns supreme among its fellows. While single copies are less than three euros as most players only need one to add to their collections, a wise move is to gather a playset and see how its trend goes up. Leaving the Bird Serpent aside, there are two companions that could take Lurrus's throne, and .
The Elemental Elk is less restrictive and has already seen play in Tron, Affinity, and Enchantress. Now it could be added to Grixis at no cost too. Obosh's requirement is a whole different story, way harder to fulfill, but it grants a better outcome than a vanilla 5/5. Personally, I have been amazed by the newest Mardu Shadow build, skipping the two-mana slot in order to fit the Rakdos Horror in its ranks.
Mardu Death's Shadow by NicDamian, 5-0 in Modern League
Main Deck
Sideboard
4
2
1
4
4
4
4
3
4
4
3
3
3
2
4
2
4
1
1
2
1
1
4
1
2
1
3
3
While prices are absurdly low, both are safe picks. They cannot really be abused, at least not to the same degree as Lurrus, and sooner or later more Pioneer and Modern decks are going to count on them.
1. Modern Becomes a Turn Three World
Back to Modern. Some players have joked that three-mana cards have now been "unbanned" due to the disappearance of Lurrus. That's somewhat accurate at least for all the Lurrus shells that need to reconfigure to keep up with the rest of the metagame. Jund, variants, and Hammer Time are all looking for new recruits.
While is one of the winners from the Lurrus aftermath, my recommendation is to hold your money for now, as it's very likely to be reprinted in Double Masters 2. If you check its price trend, it has skyrocketed since the banned and restricted announcement from 30-ish up to €40. The Shaman fits into most red-based strategies, granting card filtering and board presence all in one card.
Meanwhile, another three-mana mythic, also from the same set and a Human too, is still at an affordable price: sees play in the aforementioned Mardu Shadow, and the forgotten Heliod Combo, being the perfect answer to fight cascade decks. Fifteen euros for a copy remains a reasonable deal, but it is also going up just like Seasoned Pyro, and you can even play both together with Obosh!
Speaking of cascade, this strategy complex proves a rising force in the format. Whether , , or , all employ as a key card for their game plan. This cascade instant from Alara Reborn hasn't been reprinted yet, hence becoming one of the most expensive commons in the Modern format. Although one can find single copies in poor condition for two euros, the average price is approaching the six-euro barrier and will continue this trend as the cascade shells keep ranking at the top of the metagame.
My third three-mana bet is a card I have already recommended in the past: is one of the playable mythics from MH2 that didn't get the attention they deserve. Regular Jund can include the Insect walker, the sacrifice version also counts on the card, and finally Yawgmoth Combo adds a couple of copies as well. Single copies of the regular version go for between five and seven euros, a cheap bargain considering the amount of play it currently enjoys.
Wrapping Up
This concludes my Top 5 cards to buy for March. As usual, I hope you enjoyed the read and look forward to reading your comments. Which cards are you looking to buy before the next month? Let us know!
See you next month, Rodrigo Martin
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily Cardmarket's.
