As expected, MTG Foundations has had a pretty big impact on multiple formats thanks to its sheer number of staples. Standard, in particular, has seen a fairly sizable shakeup thanks to many decks getting new toys and tools. Surprisingly, one of the decks that received the most love was mono red, as if that wasn’t already enough of a problem.
Thanks to MTG Foundations, mono red Standard decks have been able to pivot toward a new game plan. Rather than going all in on a single creature with Leyline of Resonance shenanigans, this deck is now more versatile. While still fast, these new angles have forsaken the all-or-nothing approach for better consistency in both performance and results.
Following a string of good results, the new Mono Red variant in Standard appears to be the real deal. Subsequently, it’s little wonder that many of the deck’s otherwise unassuming cards are getting seriously expensive.
Hired Claw
- Mana Value: R
- Rarity: Rare
- Card Type: Creature — Lizard Mercenary
- Stats: 1/2
- Card Text: Whenever you attack with one or more Lizards, Hired Claw deals 1 damage to target opponent.
1R: Put a +1/+1 counter on Hired Claw. Activate only if an opponent lost life this turn and only once each turn.
Hailing from Bloomburrow, Hired Claw hasn’t seen a great deal of love, until now. While it would make the occasional appearance in mono red decks, it was quickly pushed out following new innovations. Once Leyline of Resonance hit the scene, it seemed that Hired Claw was done for, since it didn’t have Haste.
Now, however, this little Lizard is back in action thanks to MTG Foundations. New staples have invigorated mono red decks, once again, allowing for a variety of different approaches. Regardless of whether you’re full Mono Red Burn or taking a more measured approach, Hired Claw is a staple.
They might not seem like much on the surface, but Hired Claw offers guaranteed damage and surprising resilience. Easily able to be buffed after attacking, or following a burn spell, it’s fairly easy to keep this Lizard around. This also makes blocking a nightmare for the opponent, often allowing Hired Claw to sneak through for more damage.
While this is decent enough in a regular mono red deck, Hired Claw really sings alongside Screaming Nemesis. Once life gain it shut down, the annoying pings and slow scaling becomes a lot more threatening. When coupled with Boltwave and Burst Lightning for extra burn, it’s easy to whittle opponents down over time.
The Spike
Now they’re a Standard staple once again, unsurprisingly many MTG players have been picking up copies of Hired Claw. Over the past few weeks, sales of this card have been consistent across each of its variants. Even though supply has far from run out, this continued demand has nonetheless caused a considerable price spike.
Technically, the price of Hired Claw has spiked 2525% over the past month or so. At its lowest point, this card was worth just $0.59, and sales peaked at $15.49. Thankfully, this incredibly high sale appears to be an outlier rather than any continued trend. That said, the price of Hired Claw has gone up, as the market price has risen to $4.28.
Notably, if you want to pick up copies of Hired Claw for less than $15, that’s absolutely possible right now. Not only are there plenty of Near Mint examples for just $1.20 ish plus shipping, but there are other variants too. The Showcase variant, for example, is even cheaper at the moment, with many copies selling for under $1.
Ultimately, while there is a good deal of demand for Hired Claw, it’s by no means worthy of a $15 price tag. What appears to be happening in this instance is one of two possible scenarios. Potentially, some secondary market sellers may be artificially increasing the card’s price to boost its value before selling their supply. Alternatively, MTG players might just be lazy.
Direct Demand
For those who want peace of mind, authenticated cards, and tracked deliveries, Direct by TCGplayer offers a lot of security. Unsurprisingly, these features often come at increased cost due to the extra steps involved. On top of this, prices can also be incredibly volatile due to unexpected scarcity.
While hundreds of copies of Hired Claw are available on TCGplayer, very few are offered Direct by TCGplayer. This allows prices to balloon remarkably quickly, leading to unintended market manipulation. Evidently, some players are willing to pay $15 for a $1 card if it’s easier and simpler to do so. This doesn’t mean that you should follow in their footsteps, however.
Ultimately, this makes the price spike to Hired Claw rather unusual, since the card is nowhere near as good as its peak price. Even if it’s powerful in Standard shells right now, it’s by no means a super staple. In Commander, for instance, Hired Claw won’t see much play outside of Lizard Typal decks.
With this in mind, Hired Claw probably isn’t going to be the best investment going forward. While its price may increase somewhat due to Standard play, don’t expect it to sell for $15 very often.
