The first quarter of 2023 is nearing its end, and it's the perfect opportunity to take a look at cards worth buying or selling. This time we have more from the most recent set, Phyrexia: All Will Be One, look back at The Brothers' War, and sneak in one Modern card as well. Let's get to it!
Buy: Skrelv's Hive
turned out to be a powerhouse in Standard in a very specific shell, and that's Selesnya Toxic. Getting a free toxic creature every single turn would already be strong, but on top of that they get to attack with lifelink very soon thanks to the corrupted mechanic. It's strikingly similar to , which may contribute to the players' willingness to play it. Sentiment is a strong motivator.
Hive was worth €10 a month ago, as people started to realize its Bitterblossom-esque potential. From that point on, however, it started gradually decreasing and seems to have plateaued at around €4. Everyone knows by now that Selesnya Toxic is a real player in the current Standard environment thanks to its multiple Magic Online finishes and numerous paper appearances. Therefore, I don't expect the price to go up soon, but go up at some point it may.
There haven't been any toxic decks outside of Standard yet that would adopt this card. There mite be a chance that it happens, but I reckon it's a pretty slim one. But if you are planning on picking up a Standard deck, you can safely buy Hive now at its all-time lowest. Even if you'd like to acquire them speculatively, this is the best moment to do so.
| Selesnya Toxic, Standard |
|---|
| Main Deck | Sideboard |
|---|
| | |
Buy: Bloated Contaminator
hovered around €3 for some time, and now it is around €2. It's played here and there in Standard, but its overall applications are quite wide.
It sees play in the aforementioned Selesnya Toxic decks but also in green-based stompy-type shells where it adds counters to and . The proliferate ability is especially useful in Gruul alongside and . While it has not materialized yet, I could also imagine seeing it more in other formats where the body size and proliferation matter. I am mainly looking at strategies in Pioneer, or more broadly in counters-matter decks.
| Gruul Counters, Standard |
|---|
| Main Deck | Sideboard |
|---|
| | |
While future sets won't focus on poison, we can expect cards that go well with either counters in general or attacking with aggressive creatures. Contaminator fits both themes.
If you are a Commander player, you may want to pick up a copy for your , , or decks. There is a plethora of EDH strategies that revolve around poison, proliferating, or both. You can even pick up foil copies for as little as €3. Great info for the people who like to bling out their Standard or Commander decks.
Buy: Underworld Breach
Now it's time for the Modern entry on the list. had been unproblematic for a very long time in Modern, despite having seen quick bans in Legacy and Pioneer. People tried it in pure combo builds, but it didn't fully cut it. With the release of Modern Horizons 2, however, red decks got an overall boost thanks to , , and most importantly . Initially these mainly saw play in strategies, making for the ultimate MH2 deck.
Then combo entered the picture. Even though the deck existed before, it was deemed unstable and generally not good enough. Once , Unholy Heat, and Ragavan joined the conversation, it started to look more and more legit. Thanks to renowned US players on the NRG and SCG circuits, Grinding Breach gained a ton of popularity. Even Murktide players decided to include some copies of Breach in their decks, as it allowed them to refuel with multiple s cast on the same turn or end the game with multiple Bolts. The card skyrocketed in price. It was no longer a bulk rare. It was a €10–20 card.
If you haven't jumped on the Breach train yet, that's great news actually. The card's price has now stabilized, and you can pick up your copies at around €15. As it's widely played in Modern, I do not expect the price to drop further, especially once we factor in the price memory phenomenon.
| Jeskai Breach by Tadej Kadunc, 13th at Grand Open Qualifier Trieste, January 15 |
|---|
| Main Deck | Sideboard |
|---|
- 3
- 1
- 4
- 4
-
- 3
- 4
- 1
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 4
- 2
| | |
Buy: Portal to Phyrexia
is a supremely fun card to play with in all sorts of strategies. It can be hardcast in ramp decks, cheated into play from the grave in some reanimator shells, or found with or . In Standard, you can put it onto the battlefield with , frequently played alongside . Wiping the opponent's board is strong enough, but on top of that you get to reanimate a creature, which most likely is going to be Atraxa.
In Pioneer it will most often be a wish target in your sideboard for . It's a great card to find when you are behind on board and cannot combo off. You get to relieve the pressure and build toward victory by reanimating opposing creatures or your own devotion-dense threats like .
I have even seen it in Modern four-color decks as the primary payoff for . On top of all of that, it's a popular card in Commander where you can play around with the aforementioned interactions and many more. Looking at you, .
The price has now stabilized at around €15–17. As it is a mythic played in competitive and casual formats, long term I would expect the price only to go up. I bet in a year it won't cost below €20. If you're feeling frisky, you can pick up foils, as they are merely 15% more expensive than the regular versions.
Sell: Cityscape Leveler
In immediate opposition to Portal, we've got . It's a card that's expensive as well but has way less potential when it comes to utility across formats and diverse archetypes. Leveler isn't really worth cheating into play, as it does not provide a substantial enough advantage. Rather it's a threat that you ramp up to and that then does its impersonation. Unsurprisingly it's only played in decks that generate big mana like Tron in Modern or Devotion in Pioneer, and even then usually as a single copy. As much as new strategies might emerge, Leveler will likely only ever fit ramp.
While all mythics have the potential to rise in price over time thanks to EDH, this card does not have that much appeal in this format either. I'd sell this off for €13, especially all copies past one, and buy myself something nicer, like Portal to Phyrexia or Underworld Breach.
That's it for the March installment of Buy, Sell, or Hold! Did you jump on the Breach train in time? Do you already own Selenya Toxic and plan to foil it out? Do you have any other hot leads? Let us know! And as always, remember to hold my hand, and let's pass the turn together. Cheers!
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, not of Cardmarket.
