Considering how cutthroat Modern can be, it’s a marvel that the format has so much innovation. Sometimes, it only takes an initially unassuming card from a new set to completely revive and revitalize a fallen archetype. This is exactly what has happened Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar-focused decks, typically known as Asmo Food.
Thanks to Aetherdrift, and Monument to Endurance, this archetype is now back on top form, putting up surprisingly compelling results. While it’s still early days for this revitalized archetype, it seems players are convinced it’s the real deal. Recently, one of this deck’s core cards, Inti, Seneschal of the Sun, has been spiking fairly impressively.
Inti, Seneschal of the Sun
To symbolize its newfound strength, Asmo Food decks are also going by a new name nowadays; Inti’s Cookbook. Unsurprisingly, this means Inti, Seneschal of the Sun is a core part of this deck’s strategy, alongside Monument to Endurance. Both these cards synergize fantastically with The Underworld Cookbook, and Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar herself.
Essentially, since The Underworld Cookbook has you regularly discarding cards, Inti, Seneschal of the Sun is a fantastic value engine. Providing you impulse draw each time you use the Cookbook, this card gives you plenty of gas. Thanks to this synergy, Inti has been part of Asmo Food decks long before Aetherdrift came along.
While Inti, Seneschal of the Sun technically isn’t anything new, the results from Inti’s Cookbook decks recently are undeniably impressive. Multiple Modern League wins and a decent showing in a Challenge have put a spotlight on this archetype recently. This is hardly the first time that Inti has been popular, however.
Since its debut in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Inti, Seneschal of the Sun has seen great success in Standard, Pioneer, and Commander. Even now, this card still sees some Standard play within Jeskai Oculus and Gruul Delirium strategies. There’s even some interest in Inti from Hollow Red decks in Modern, so it’s hardly a completely forgotten gem.
Nevertheless, the price of Inti, Seneschal of the Sun has been spiking recently as players rush to pick up copies. A Modern deck seeing a new surge of power doesn’t happen every day, so it’s little surprise it has been picking up. That being said, the price spike might not be entirely as it seems.
The Spike
As the title states, Inti, Seneschal of the Sun, has spiked exactly 250% in the past month. While this is not the most impressive spike we’ve seen in recent weeks, its specificity is nonetheless remarkable. Notably, however, this price spike is only to the card’s market price, as it’s still rather affordable.
Currently, on TCGplayer, there is no shortage of listings for Inti, Seneschal of the Sun. With around 150 near-mint copies still on the market, there is plenty of supply to meet demand. These copies start at around $2.50, which is a far way off the shown Market Price figure.
Speaking of the market price, this has risen from $1.32 to $4.62 over the course of the past month. As mentioned, this is exactly a 250% spike, however, prices have fluctuated within that time. From the lowest low on February 7th to the highest high on March 2nd, the total spike has been 319%.
Despite the impressiveness of Inti, Seneschal of the Sun’s price spike, it appears to be largely driven by TCGplayer Direct. We often see this kind of spike when a new deck hits the scenes, as players rush to pick up copies with convenience in mind. Due to this extra convenience, players can sometimes end up paying upwards of $9.95 for a single copy of Inti.
Thanks to how averages work, these incredibly high-price sales help to push up the Market Price significantly. In some respects, this means the current price spike isn’t wholly genuine, however, Inti nonetheless has potential.
The Future
Looking ahead, since this is largely a TCGplayer Direct-based spike, it should settle down eventually. Once Inti’s Cookbook decks are no longer the new hotness, the rush of demand will settle and averages will equalize. As always, there’s no telling exactly where prices will settle, however, a slight increase seems inevitable.
At the very least, the new $2.50 price point could stick, provided Inti’s Cookbook decks keep performing. While there is demand from Standard, Pioneer, and Commander, Inti, Seneschal of the Sun is hardly the most popular MTG card in existence. There’s a reason that this card had been selling for around the $1.30 mark for so long, after all.
Ultimately, while Inti’s Cookbook is an emergent archetype, it has hardly taken Modern by storm. Unless this deck starts to challenge for victories in Modern Challenges, it may just be the brief flavor of the month. We’ll just have to wait and see while watching the deck closely to see how it performs going forward.