When Reserved List cards are in demand, they sure do spike quickly. Thanks to their lofty status on this much-hated list, these cards will never be reprinted. This means that the supply of these cards will never increase. For players looking to play Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls in Commander, this may cause some extra strain on their wallet, because Forsaken Wastes seems rather powerful in the deck.
While this Duskmourn Precon upgrade was rather cheap before more details for the Commander decks were revealed, it doesn’t appear to be that way anymore. Forsaken Wastes has jumped from $4 to $20 in about a week’s time, showcasing a major increase in interest for the card.
Forsaken Wastes
- Mana Value: 2B
- Rarity: Rare
- Card Type: Enchantment – World
- MTG Sets: Mirage
- Card Text: Players cannot gain life. During each player’s upkeep, that player loses one life. If Forsaken Wastes is the target of a successfully cast spell, that spell’s caster loses 5 life.
Forsaken Wastes excels at making sure each player takes damage in a turn cycle. While this may not seem all that great, especially for $20, there are certain decks that can really take advantage of it. When Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin was released in March of the Machine: the Aftermath, for example, this card saw some attention because of the obvious synergies with that Commander.
Now, Forsaken Wastes is getting a price spike because of its interaction with the new Duskmourn Precon Commander Valgavoth, Harvester of Souls. This card cares about your opponents losing life, and Forsaken Wastes is going to trigger Valgavoth during each of your opponent’s turns. That translates to three cards and three counters on your Commander every turn cycle. When put into context, Forsaken Wastes is a steal.
Read More: Incredible Duskmourn Uncommons Are Magic’s Latest Signal of Power Creep
Other Bonuses
Even past its core use, Forsaken Wastes has two other perks, as well. For starters, it’s able to completely shut down life gain. Should you run into a Commander who cares about gaining life, they won’t be able to play the game until Forsaken Wastes is removed. Sadly, this also means that your enchantment likely won’t stick around for very long.
Forsaken Wastes also dissuades your opponents from targeting it. This protection, however, is hardly perfect considering the card advantage you’ll receive from Forsaken Wastes Valgavoth, Harvester of Souls. In the grand scheme of things, five life isn’t the biggest price to pay. Still, this extra damage can still give Valgavoth another trigger, which is always useful.
Ultimately, Forsaken Wastes’ price spike is definitely thanks to the card being a fantastic Commander Precon upgrade. The fact this card quintupled in price, however, is likely thanks to its Reserved List status. If this card’s quantities weren’t so low, I doubt it would see such a massive price spike. There are likely a lot of other cards that also synergize with Valgavoth quite strongly. If you can find them, perhaps pick them up before they start skyrocketing in price, too.
Read More: MTG Reserved List Enchantment Powerhouse Shoots to $40