Perch Protection is a wild MTG card. Gifting an opponent an extra turn is a really scary concept, but it works when that turn can’t turn against you. Sure, your opponent could set up an infinite in a worst-case scenario situation, but that’s what MTG Commander politics are for!
When used right, Perch Protection can seriously slide the game into your favor. You allow an opponent to either catch up or completely roll over their opposition while you take a break and wait for the infighting to calm down. Granting an extra turn also, of course, should gain some favor from your giftee, so there’s a good chance you can get even more value than just a few birds and a Teferi’s Protection. Considering this, it’s no wonder that Perch Protection is gaining secondary market value.
Perch Protection
Perch Protection is an army in a can at instant speed. Creating 4 2/2 fliers for six mana is a fine deal on its own, but you can create some extra chaos if you’re willing to Gift an opponent an extra turn. If you do, Perch Protection also gains the effects of Teferi’s Protection. As an added benefit, your birds will be safe and sound thanks to Perch Protection, allowing you to untap with a smaller army.
As strong as Perch Protection is, giving an opponent an extra turn is really scary, so not every deck is going to be able to take advantage of this trade-off. According to EDHREC, most of the decks that use Perch Protection are group-hug ones. These commonly help out opponents while trying to acquire their own goals. Using Commanders like Ms. Bumbleflower and Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis, these Commanders routinely benefit opponents and, as such, should have contingencies in case one gets out of control.
The Spike
As demonstrated by the above graph, Perch Protection began to see a massive price spike at the beginning of November. Rising from $2, Perch Protection is now selling for about $6.50 rather consistently. That said, the current supply of the card is available for about $5, even on TCGplayer Direct. Currently, this seems like a more realistic price for the card. Persistent shoppers can even find this card for $4.
This makes the current abundance of sales between $5.50-6.50 rather bizarre. We would normally assume that TCGplayer Direct premiums have dragged the price of this card up, but even TCGplayer Direct is offering Perch Protection for $5.
If you want to save some money, grab Perch Protection’s extended art variant. That version of the card is still going for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2-3. That said, current sales do suggest the card is on the rise, as sold copies of the card approach $4. This could indicate that the extended art variant of Perch Protection is just behind the times, but considering the strange price discrepancies seen for the normal variant of Perch Protection, it’s hard to tell for sure.
