Keeping sets feeling special and unique for MTG cards is getting rather difficult. There is so much MTG product being released nowadays, and making each set feel different from other releases is, understandably, not easy.
One thing that Wizards of the Coast has been implementing to try and make sets feel special is new foil treatments. We saw the introduction of serialized cards in The Brothers’ War, which offered a pseudo-lottery ticket feel to the set’s more expensive product. Serialization has been quite the hit each time it returned in March of the Machine and Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth as well.
While this is the extreme example of novelty in rarity, there are other foiling treatments introduced in recent times aimed to achieve similar effects. March of the Machine, for example, introduced Halo Foil cards. Surge foil cards seem to be the go-to rarity reprint for Universes Beyond products, and Double Masters 2022 introduced the Textured Foil cards. These were received with heavy gusto, as textured cards commonly retailed for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market! Well, those Textured Cards are returning in Commander Masters, but, as pointed out by members of the MTG community, they may not be worth what you think they are.
Textured Foiled: A History
BREAKING: #MoxKitty did it with Double Masters!!! Opened Wrenn and Six ✨TEXTURED FOIL✨ 3 boxes into my 12 box opening of Collector Boosters. Feast your eyes on this! The #1 card I wanted from the boxes and I got it! Want to see what other cool cards I opened? #mtgfinance #EDH pic.twitter.com/kEGLzz3Jir
— MoxKitty (@kitty_mox) July 8, 2022
Textured Foil MTG cards refer to a specific type of foiling that is only available in Double Masters 2022 and Commander Masters Collector Booster packs. In terms of appearance, Texture Foils do not have flat surfaces on the card. Lines are used to create incredibly gorgeous foil effects with the artwork.
While these technically first appeared in Double Masters 2022, a bizarre printing error made these cards pop up in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate product as well.
Both of these Collector Booster pack boxes are unique in the sense that they only offer four packs, making these cards even more difficult to come by.
Frankly, Textured Foil MTG cards look gorgeous, so its no surprise that players jumped on them. Right after these cards were made available to the world, they had some pretty ridiculous asking prices. Here is the average of what each Textured Foil card was worth at the end of July 2022 for Double Masters according to TCGplayer. Note that the set officially released on July 8 of that year:
Wrenn and Six – $351
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth – $232
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre – $208
Liliana, the Last Hope – $227
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn – $132
At this time, Double Masters 2022 Collector Booster Boxes were worth about $300. While Wrenn and Six was enough to pay for your entire box, the other four potential hits were a big step in trying to break even. Outside of Emrakul, the other three cards were usually enough to get you there combined with the rest of the contents in the box.
While these Textured Foils were considered fantastic hits once upon a time, they have not aged well. This could have the same effect on the new Commander Masters texture foils, making them worth a lot less than players think.
Textured Foils have Tanked
The reason why bringing up a history of Textured Foils is important is to demonstrate just how much the financial situation for these cards have changed. Since the release of Textured Foil cards, they have absolutely tanked in value. There’s definitely still a bit of a premium in comparison to more common iterations of the same cards, but its nowhere near where it was on release.
The cheapest of the five Textured Foil cards is Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Competitive MTG players don’t typically enjoy foil cards since it can create marked card issues in competitive play. As a result, a fancy foil version of card that’s banned in Commander may not have a ton of demand.
As can be seen by the price chart above, the Textured Foil version of Emrakul has plummeted in price. Once worth $132, the card now sells for around $40.
This isn’t an outlier, either. This is the trend for all of Double Masters 2022’s Textured Foil treatments. Liliana, the Last Hope which was once $227 has now dropped to about $50. Ulamog has dropped from $208 to about $60, Kozilek from $232 to $70 and Wrenn and Six, by far the most expensive of the Textured Foil cards thanks to its continued Modern play, has dropped from $352 to about $90, but commonly sees sales between $80 and $100.
In contrast, the price of Double Masters Collector Booster Boxes has only dropped to about $210. These have not even lost half of their value over time, but all the Textured Foil cards are only worth a fraction of their previous worth, losing about 66% (or more) of their value.
Read More: Commander Masters Decks Cause Multiple $40 Card Spikes!
The Commander Effect
One notable thing about the Double Masters 2022 Textured Foil cards that may be rather different from Commander Masters Textured Foils is that none of these really made for strong Commanders. Wrenn and Six is strong everywhere, Ulamog and Kozilek are good additions to many casual 99’s but Liliana and Emrakul don’t really have a place in the format. That won’t be the case for Commander Masters’ Texture Foil cards.
Jeweled Lotus, while frankly a bit too powerful for some tables, will definitely continue to see Commander play. The Ur-Dragon is one of the most popular and powerful Commanders out there. In fact, all 12 Textured Foil cards in Commander Masters have a much bigger presence in Commander than any of the Double Masters 2022 cards did, and this is the market that cares about foil cards the most. Here are the Textured Foil cards that appear on TCGplayer for Commander Masters:
Jeweled Lotus
The Ur-Dragon
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Omnath, Locus of Mana
Urza, Lord High Artificer
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Morophon, the Boundless
Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
Neheb, the Eternal
Many of these cards can function as better individual Commanders than the cards from Double Masters 2022, so an increased interest from the Commander community could make these cards more expensive than their Double Masters 2022 counterparts.
That said, these cards are currently preordering for around the same prices as the Double Masters cards were going for near the beginning of their release. Considering the amount that the previous Textured Foil cards dropped, advising players to buy in at these prices seems dishonest.
Are These Cards Worth it?
According to past trends for Textured Foil cards, players should not buy into early prices for this particular foil treatment. As mentioned previously, cards are currently being listed for hundreds of dollars, so if these Textured Foils match the trends of the past one, anyone buying in now may lose a good chunk of change.
That said, because these cards are a lot more versatile in a Commander setting, they may end up being worth more than what players expect. Its tough to tell now but, if you are in the market for the new Textured Foil cards from Commander Masters (and we wouldn’t blame you, they look gorgeous), just be careful what you buy in at.
Read More: Top 10 Most Expensive Cards on The List for MTG Commander Masters