It may have only been out for ten days, but Murders at Karlov Manor has already made some major market movements. Thanks to cards like Leyline of the Guildpact, there has been some starting competitive upheaval. Following this, prices have unsurprisingly soared as players capitalize on new combos and strategies.
Alongside the prophesied meta shift coming true, plenty of other Murders at Karlov Manor cards have been making waves. With Commander getting countless new toys, it’s hardly rare to see a few cards jumping in price. What is a surprise, however, is one card jumping a staggering 1200% over the course of a few weeks.
Shalai and Hallar
Initially released in March of the Machine, Shalai and Hallar was the alternate Commander in the Call for Backup deck. Offering a steady source of damage, this team-up card had great potential within this preconstructed deck. Beyond this initial potential, Shalai and Hallar got even better when helming their own deck.
By building around +1/+1 counters, Shalai and Hallar could potentially blitz through each opponent’s life pool. Thanks to this power and the potential for lethal combos, Shalai and Hallar is fairly viable within cEDH. In the casual variant of the format, however, this card is hardly the most popular choice around.
Recently, thanks to Murders at Karlov Manor, that seems to have changed thanks to one unusual card. As the latest card to flaunt deck construction rules, Slime Against Humanity was an instant hit. Stealing players’ hearts and wallets, many couldn’t wait to build around this unusual card in both constructed and casual events.
Within Commander, there are a number of surprisingly strong Oozes to helm this deck. Most obviously, Aeve, Progenitor Ooze offers potentially insane power with Storm to boot! As good as this card Ooze is, recently there’s a new slimy champion in town; Shalai and Hallar.
Synergizing with Slime Against Humanity’s exceptional ability to create +1/+1 counters, Shalai and Hallar hits hard when played together. Since Slime Against Humanity is exceptionally hard to stop, this damage just keeps coming turn after turn. This makes this somewhat newfangled combo a remarkably deadly treat in casual Commander tables.
The Spike Itself
A couple of weeks ago every copy of Shalai and Hallar was as cheap as chips. Selling for just $1, this card was hardly a Commander all-star by any means, even though it did see some consistent play. Even the extended art variant only held a $1 premium over its regular counterpart, showing a complete lack of demand.
While it seemed that MTG players have been sleeping on Shalai and Hallar, Slime Against Humanity changed that. Following its reveal, the price of the extended art Shalai and Hallar began to slowly creep up and up. As of today, prices have climbed their way up to $7.50!
Considering Shalai and Hallar is available within a preconstructed Commander deck, this rising price is definitely a surprise. Unfortunately, this already impressive climb may just be the start, as listed prices are even higher. If you want a near-mint copy of Shalai and Hallar right now, you’ll have to spend at least $10!
As if the price of Shalai and Hallar wasn’t high enough already, the extended art variant has seen an even bigger boom. Similarly seeing a steady climb at first, this rarer variant of the card has recently exploded in price. From lows of $1.57 a few weeks ago, now this card is selling for $20!
Just like the normal variant, the listed prices for the extended art Shalai and Hallar are even higher than average. Potentially, these listings could push this spike to a new extreme, however, these prices may just be a bubble. Right now, Shalai and Hallar is undeniably in-demand, but there’s no telling how long that will last.
Slime Against Humanity
Since we’ve gone on and on about it in this article, we’d be remiss not to mention Slime Against Humanity properly. Following its release, this card has already seen a number of smaller spikes, but nothing too unexpected. That being said, a single copy of Slime Against Humanity will currently set you back almost $3. Considering this card is a common, that’s quite some feat!
Thankfully for those looking to build a deck around this card, Slime Against Humanity hasn’t seen a parallel spike. That being said, this card still seems primed for one as supply is dwindling. Since copies are snapped up in huge amounts by players building their decks, it may not be long before prices soar.
Ultimately, while Slime Against Humanity is an incredibly popular card right now, there’s no telling where its price may settle. Looking at past similar cards like Dragon’s Approach, $3 may be the final resting price. Considering both these cards are common, it’s hard to expect a higher price, but Slime Against Humanity is definitely more playable.
By creating its own archetype, Slime Against Humanity is always going to see consistent demand. As a result of this, we’re just going to have to watch it carefully in the coming weeks. Hopefully, for the sake of MTG players, the price will settle in a reasonable spot that doesn’t break the bank.
Read More: Powerful MTG Karlov Manor Enchantment Has Plenty of Uncracked Potential!
