While Star Trek briefly stole the spotlight during yesterday’s First Look, Marvel Super Heroes won’t be quickly forgotten. In fact, this set is barely getting started, as we’re still gearing up for the Pro Tour this weekend. Showcasing what Marvel has done to Modern, as well as the set’s Limited environment, this event is definitely one to watch.
Beyond these formats, plenty of Marvel Super Heroes cards are seeing play all over. Namor the Sub-Mariner, for instance, has been steadily cementing itself as a Commander staple, while seeing strong Standard play, too. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that the card’s price has been climbing recently.
MTG Namor the Sub-Mariner
At first glance, Namor the Sub-Mariner might not seem that strong outside of Commander. As a clear Merfolk Typal card, you might think that you’d need a dedicated Merfolk deck to make Namor thrive. While it is at its best in this environment, Namor is both the payoff and the engine.
Even without any other Merfolk in your deck, just casting a bunch of blue noncreature spells can quickly flood the board. This, in turn, makes Namor into a serious threat, especially if your blue spells keep the board clear. This is essentially the game plan of the Mono-Blue Namor decks that have been popping up in Modern recently.
Notably, while these decks have gotten some decent results recently, they’ve hardly overtaken the Modern format. Despite this, there is some expectation that the archetype will appear at the upcoming Pro Tour. Even if it doesn’t, however, Namor, the Sub-Mariner may still make an appearance in Tameshi Belcher sideboards.
Outside of Modern, Namor the Sub-Mariner has also seen some success in Standard, within Prowess and Spellementals lists. Once again, these Namor-infused lists haven’t taken over the format; however, they’re still worth watching. Thanks to its raw efficiency, it feels like this card is moments away from breaking out at any time.
Over in Commander, Namor has already achieved this breakout as part of Merfolk Typal lists. Appearing as the Commander of plenty lists, and in the 99 of even more, Namor is a dream card for this archetype. Unsurprisingly, all of this has led Namor the Sub-Mariner to be quite an in-demand MTG card.
The Spike
While Namor the Sub-Mariner has been on a hot streak recently, initially it did feel like just another Commander card. Due to this, its presale price quickly plummeted as soon as prerelease events began. If you were quick, you could have picked up a near-mint copy of Namor for just $3.19 on average.
Sadly, for anyone who is still in the market for a copy of Namor, this past price has long gone now. After 1,750 near-mint sales in the past month alone, the price of this once affordable rare has shot up dramatically. Now, near-mint listings start at $11.73, including shipping, marking a 267% price spike in just a few weeks.
Unfortunately, while Namor the Sub-Mariner has a pair of variants, neither offers any savings right now. The borderless character logo variant is selling for $14, while the classic comic card variant is around $57. Since there are no worse-condition variants available, $11.73 is the best you’re going to get right now.
Well Worth Watching
As much as Namor the Sub-Mariner is already a fairly expensive MTG card, it’s still early days. Not only has Marvel Super Heroes not even been out a full month, but we’re still pre-Pro Tour, too. Depending on how well Namor does at this upcoming event, its price could easily spike again later this week.
Admittedly, while this is a possibility, going into the Pro Tour, Namor the Sub-Mariner isn’t the card to beat. As such, the chances of it storming the event and becoming the next must-have card do feel low. That being said, never say never in MTG, as even a middling performance could still increase demand.
Ultimately, even if Namor the Sub-Mariner flops in Modern, it’s bound to have a consistent presence in Commander. Between Merfolk Typal decks, as well as blue-heavy control ones, there are plenty of places Namor can see play. As a result, even if its price slips somewhat, it’s unlikely to crash completely.
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