As you may have heard, the Commander format is currently being revolutionized with a brand-new bracket system. Designed to properly codify the strength of a commander deck, this bracket system has been a long time coming. While there is still some room for bad actors to spoil the fun, Wizards’ latest innovation is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
To try and keep things as fair and fun as possible, Wizards has created the new Game Changers list. This list contains some of the most powerful spells in Commander which can only be used in brackets three and above. On top of helping to balance the Commander format, this list also allows for partial bans and unbans.
When announcing the new brackets and Game Changers list, Wizards also confirmed their intent to unban some cards. While nothing was officially announced, this reveal was more than enough to fuel plenty of rampant speculation. Somewhat unsurprisingly, this speculation has quickly caused multiple past Commander staples to spike in price significantly.
Mana Crypt
Mana Crypt must be one of the most controversial bans in the long 31-year history of Magic: The Gathering. That being said, the Commander Rules Committee had good reason for banning this card. Even with the cost of losing light factored in, Mana Crypt could easily generate obscene amounts of mana immediately.
Like much of the fast mana available in Commander, Mana Crypt is capable of enabling seriously explosive starts. The card is, or rather was, the best in the format in that regard so it was arguably deserving of the ban. The problem, however, was that this ban came out of nowhere.
While the Game Changers list is now a pseudo-ban watchlist, players had nothing similar at the time. There was no warning that Mana Crypt could go, which was a problem given how expensive the card was. Routinely selling for around $180, this card was once obscenely expensive, so, many players were devastated by its banning.
Now, thanks to Wizards’ talk of unbans and the Game Changers list, there’s some hope Mana Crypt could be unbanned in Commander. While nothing has been confirmed just yet, players are obviously already investing on the off chance this unban happens. Thanks to this early speculation, the price of Mana Crypt has already started to climb.
Mana Crypt Price Spike
Considering that Mana Crypt was once a $180 MTG card, it’s safe to say it has fallen from grace. Until recently, you were able to pick up copies of this card for just $50 apiece. This is still an awful lot of money for a card that doesn’t see play outside of Vintage. Now, however, it seems the price of Mana Crypt is on the way back up.
Right now, you’ll struggle to find a near-mint copy of Mana Crypt for less than $80. While this isn’t the most impressive price spike we’ve seen in recent weeks, a $30 jump overnight isn’t half bad. Considering the immense number of copies that have been purchased recently, this may just be the start.
Should supply continue to drain, especially at the rate we’ve seen already, Mana Crypt could spike to its past high. Players who want to enjoy high-bracket Commander will have a great need for this card, and investors are obviously interested, too. That said, while there is a great deal of potential, nothing is set in stone.
At the end of the day, Mana Crypt was banned for good reason, so Wizards doesn’t have to unban it. That said, it does feel somewhat likely that Mana Crypt will be unbanned and placed on the Game Changers list.
Jeweled Lotus
Much like Mana Crypt, Jeweled Lotus was capable of creating absolutely explosive starts in Commander. While it can only cast your Commander, it’s basically a Black Lotus which is obviously nuts. With this in mind, it makes sense that the Commander Rules Committee banned it to slow down casual games.
Once again, there was a problem with this banning, since Jeweled Lotus was also incredibly expensive. While sometimes expensive cards do need to be banned, ideally there should be some warning. Just like Mana Crypt, players got no such luxury, meaning many players lost out unexpectedly.
Unfortunately for players with copies of Jewled Lotus, the card is almost useless outside of Commander. After all, if you don’t have a Commander to cast, the mana generated by this card can’t go anywhere. This made its banning that much more punishing, even if it was justified.
Now, just like Mana Crypt, there is the expectation that this card may be unbanned thanks to the Game Changers list. If this is going to happen, it’ll be in late April, when Wizards delivers another update about the state of the format. While this is still some ways away, clearly players aren’t waiting around until just before the announcement.
Jeweled Lotus Price Spike
While not quite as impressive as the price spike to Mana Crypt, Jeweled Lotus is still up a fair amount. After being banned in September of last year, the price quickly crashed to around $50. Following this, the price has continued to fall until it was just $30 a few days ago.
Considering Jeweled Lotus is effectively useless, this price tag is fairly surprising, likely driven by an expected unban. Now, that time seems to have finally arrived, as many players expect Jewled Lotus to join the Game Changers list. While this hasn’t been confirmed, it does feel like this card would be suitable on that list.
Right now, the price of Jeweled Lotus has jumped back up to around $65. Near-mint copies from Commander Masters are even selling for as much as $75 and are in fairly short supply. Much like Mana Crypt, once again, this card could be due for an even bigger spike as the supply steadily drains.
Ultimately, both of these spikes are driven by nothing but speculation at the moment. Wizards of the Coast hasn’t revealed any cards they’re explicitly watching, so anything is on the table. While there are plenty of good reasons to put Mana Crypt and Jewled Lotus on the Game Changers list, arguments can be made to keep them banned.
At the end of the day, we’re just going to have to wait and see what unbans happen in Commander in April.
