While the singleton rule, deck size, and starting life total all help define Commander, what really sets the format apart are the titular legends themselves. Having access to the same creature every game is what allows most Commander decks to function, and is a fundamental pillar of the format’s appeal. Cards that take that option away, then, can be very dangerous indeed.
This week, the secondary market has proven this statement true. Declaration of Naught, a long-neglected MTG enchantment from Morningtide, has seen a huge price spike over the last few days. While social media is partly to blame, what’s really driving this movement is the card’s ability to fully shut out opposing Commanders.
Declaration Of Naught MTG
If you haven’t heard of Declaration of Naught before, then you’re not alone. This is a fairly obscure enchantment, printed once 18 years ago and never again. On the surface, it’s also kind of terrible. Three blue mana to counter a specific spell, which you have to name in advance, is a rough rate. In constructed formats, the card has seen basically no play for that reason.
In MTG Commander, however, Declaration of Naught has a lot more going for it. Naming a Commander with this card can keep it out of the game permanently, as long as you always keep one blue mana untapped. With how Commander-centric many decks are, this can be a two-mana death sentence in some scenarios. You can even use cards like Copy Enchantment to double down on the effect and lock out multiple Commanders at once.
Declaration of Naught isn’t limited to just shutting out Commanders, either. Many of the best win conditions in the format, like Thassa’s Oracle and Underworld Breach, are well-known and widely played. Even in an unknown pod, naming one of these with Declaration can delay an opponent’s win. With blink effects like Displacer Kitten, you can reset Declaration at instant speed to deal with different win conditions, too.
Despite all this utility, Declaration of Naught has largely flown under the radar for its 18-year life. A couple of days ago, however, a new Instagram video from Missing.lands put it back in the spotlight. The video pointed out how easily the card can deal with enemy Commanders, which has prompted a surge in sales for the card and a price spike to match.
The Spike
After the video dropped, sales on Declaration of Naught shot through the roof on TCGplayer. 25 lightly played copies of the card have sold since then, which is huge, considering sales previously averaged 0-3 copies on most days.
Thanks to this newfound interest, the price on Declaration of Naught is up by a ton as well. What was a $3.55 card a month ago is now selling for around $12.04 on average. This marks a massive 239% price spike for this forgotten Morningtide gem. It’s worth noting that recent sales for the card are all over the place, however, with plenty lower and higher than $12.04. At this point, the value on Declaration is still settling, if trending up.
For those hoping to score a cheaper copy of Declaration, you’re out of luck. The card has only been printed once, for a start, so alternate versions are out. There are also no bargains to be had among the remaining listings for the card, either.
In total, there are only seven copies of Declaration listed on TCGplayer right now. These are all trending up, too, with the remaining moderately-played version sitting even higher at $17.95. With no other outlets or printings to absorb the spike in demand here, it’s likely this trend will continue until players lose interest.
Ebb And Flow?
Looking forward, it’s unclear exactly where Declaration of Naught will end up price-wise. It’s certainly a powerful Commander card, and one that deserves more play than it currently gets. According to EDHREC, only 1.98k decks run it, which is low considering how well it deals with other Commanders.
In Prison and Stax decks, like Grand Arbiter Augustin IV, Declaration is a fantastic tool to have in your back pocket. It’s also a nice addition to blue Enchantress decks, especially Zur the Enchanter since you can tutor it up on demand there.
All of that said, there are still definitely downsides to the card. As many MTG players have noted in response to this new spike, Declaration of Naught is a fairly clunky card in many situations. While the ongoing Commander denial is nice, many decks would simply prefer a cheaper, less pip-intensive counterspell. This likely precludes the card from becoming a full-on staple, which limits its overall potential.
Whether this surge in popularity is the new normal for Declaration of Naught or just a flash in the pan remains to be seen. If its play rate doesn’t continue to pick up in Commander, however, the latter will likely be the case. Useful as the card is in Commander, it has no real homes outside of that.
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