For a while now, Japanese MTG players have been getting a bunch of enviable exclusive bonuses. From events and merchandise to powerful promo cards, the pool has grown rather deep over the last few years. This shows no sign of stopping in 2026, either. MTG Japan has not only just announced an all-new structure for its Standard Cup event, but also a pair of excellent promos players can earn from it as well. As is often the case, these promos put the recent offerings elsewhere in the world to shame.
Unstoppable Slasher
– Mana Value: 2B
– Type: Creature – Zombie Assassin
– Rarity: Promo
– Card Text: Deathtouch.
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, they lose half their life, rounded up.
When this creature dies, if it had no counters on it, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner’s control with two stun counters on it.
– Stats: 2/3
Unstoppable Slasher is a well-known face in Magic at this point. Following its release in 2024’s Duskmourn, the card quickly became a staple in Mono-Black Midrange decks in Standard. This was chiefly down to its incredible synergy with Bloodletter of Aclazotz, which allows for a turn-four win in the right circumstances. This combo has also earned Unstoppable Slasher a spot in Mono-Black Demons in Pioneer.
Despite this solid multi-format success, Unstoppable Slasher isn’t a particularly expensive card. Regular copies will only run you around $3.30 right now, while the Showcase Paranormal Frame version is just a bit more at $3.79. The Lurking Evil version is, interestingly, the most expensive printing currently at $4.52, but we’re still talking about a sub-$5 card here.
To get your hands on this promo, you’ll need to achieve a 5-0 record in one of the Japan Standard Cup events this year. These start at the Player’s Convention in Kyoto, from March 14th to 16th.
Sheltered By Ghosts
– Mana Value: 1W
– Type: Enchantment – Aura
– Rarity: Promo
– Card Text: Enchant creature you control.
When this Aura enters, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls until this Aura leaves the battlefield.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 and has Lifelink and Ward 2.
Sheltered by Ghosts is a perfect example of the “Mythic Uncommon” trend that we’ve seen a lot in MTG recently. Whether it’s Stock Up from Aetherdrift or Boomerang Basics from Avatar, these are uncommons that are more powerful and more expensive than many of the rares and mythics in their respective sets.
This is particularly true in the case of Sheltered by Ghosts. For two mana, this card provides unconditional removal, protection, and a serious stat buff all in one package. In any white deck with creatures, it offers the chance for a massive tempo swing on the board. It’s seen the most success in Orzhov Greasefang lists in Pioneer so far, where it pairs perfectly with self-protecting creatures like Guardian of New Benalia. The card is also a sideboard staple in the Selesnya Landfall decks that have risen up in Standard recently. Here, it’s a great tool for pushing through in grindier matchups.
Despite its rarity, Sheltered by Ghosts actually isn’t far from Unstoppable Slasher in price. Copies will run you around $3.20 at present, which is huge for an uncommon. This is a case where a lack of alternative treatments is likely pushing the price up to an extent, since it counter-intuitively makes it rarer to open in packs.
Unlike Unstoppable Slasher, you don’t need a stellar tournament result to nab yourself this promo. Instead, you’ll receive a copy just for participating in a Japan Standard Cup event this coming season. This should, in theory, make it much easier to get a hold of, especially for players outside of Japan.
The Sky’s The Limit
Based on past precedent, prices on these new MTG Japan Standard Cup promos have the chance to rise much higher than their original counterparts. So far, we’ve only got one set of directly comparable promos, in Tishana’s Tidebinder and Brotherhood’s End from 2025. Both of these are currently demanding hefty price tags, however, which bodes well for the newcomers.
Brotherhood’s End, last year’s participation promo, sells for around $50 at present, so we can probably expect something similar from Sheltered by Ghosts. Tishana’s Tidebinder is even more exciting. While there aren’t a ton of copies out there, since it was only awarded to players who finished in the top 64 of last year’s events, it has sold for up to $768 on eBay. As a similarly playable card, I’d expect Unstoppable Slasher to land in this range, too.
Before we get carried away, however, it is worth noting that there have been some changes made to the Japan Standard Cup this year. According to the official announcement, the Cup will be broken up into five smaller events rather than one big one. This is intended to “lower the barrier to participation and function as a gateway to competitive Magic.” This means the new promos will likely be more accessible than last year’s, which may temper their prices. On the other hand, the Innistrad artwork here, which is already getting love from the community online, could push things the other way.
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