The TMNT MTG set might be in the spotlight at the moment, but it’s hard to ignore Lorwyn Eclipsed’s impact. With fantastic flavor, powerful new competitive staples, and multiple fun new Commanders, too, this set is undoubtedly a smash hit. Thanks to this, we’re still feeling the ripples from the set’s release, especially in the secondary MTG markets.
Since Lorwyn Eclipsed first became legal, five weeks ago, multiple typal staples have been on the up and up. Elementals, Elves, Faeries, Kithkin, and even Treefolk have all been climbing recently. Faeries, in particular, have seen some of the biggest spikes, thanks to Maralen, Fae Ascendant being the set’s most popular Commander. Even now, it seems Maralen is driving the price of cards up.
MTG Scion of Oona
First released in the original Lorwyn MTG set, Scion of Oona is a Faerie Typal card through and through. Not only does this lord offer a clean anthem buff, but it also gives all your other Faeries Shroud. Naturally, this makes Scion of Oona incredibly good at protecting your board from targeted removal, but this Faerie doesn’t stop there.
Thanks to having Flash, Scion of Oona is basically a counterspell with a potent lasting impact. When used like this, the value you get is amplified massively, making it a popular pick for Faerie Typal decks. According to EDHREC, Scion of Oona appears in a staging 91% of all Alela, Cunning Conqueror decks.
On top of being a staple Faerie Typal card, Scion of Oona also sees some play within Changeling-focused decks. Thanks to their easy access to the Scion’s anthem effects, both Omo, Queen of Vesuva and Morophon, the Boundless play it regularly. Now, thanks to Maralen, Fae Ascendant, and her powerful Faerie-focused abilities, Scion of Oona’s play rate has jumped significantly.
While Maralen is responsible for Scion of Oona being used in over 5,200 new decks, the synergy is rather straightforward. Since Maralen just wants you to play Eleves or Faeries, all you have to do is build a typal deck. That said, Scion of Oona having Flash does give it a helpful edge, but you’d still want to use it as a counterspell first.
Even if Scion of Oona is just another Elf Typal staple within a Maralen deck, the significant demand has still pushed prices up. Following Maralen being spoiled, sales have picked up dramatically, pushing Scion of Oona’s price up to record highs.
The Spike
While Faerie Typal decks are hardly the most popular archetype in Commander, Scion of Oona has always been somewhat expensive. Before the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed, near-mint non-foil copies of this card were selling for between $4 and $6. Curiously, while prices fluctuate depending on the printing, the Commander: Wilds of Eldraine reprint was previously the most expensive.
Despite this higher starting price point, this relatively recent reprint is actually the cheapest variant right now. With prices for near-mint non-foil copies starting at $16.75, this variant has seen a significant 179% price spike. While this is already a respectable statistic, the older variants of Scion of Oona have shot up even more.
The original Lorwyn printing, for instance, currently starts at $17, although that doesn’t include the $2 shipping cost. Previously, this variant used to sell for just $4.66, so it’s managed to climb by 264%. The Modern Masters printing, meanwhile, has spiked 350%, climbing from $4.44 to $19.99.
Unfortunately, even if you don’t care about the condition of your cards, there aren’t any sneaky deals to be had. With prices up across the board, the cheapest you’ll pay is $16.69 for a moderately played copy. Even these copies might not be around for long, however, as there’s not much supply left on the market.
Slow and Steady
Looking back at the long term price history of Scion of Oona, it seems this price spike may be here to stay. After the release of Throne of Eldraine back in 2019, Scion of Oona spiked up to $13 at its peak. While it quickly dropped back down to around $10, that price stuck for over two years.
It was only upon the release of Wilds of Eldraine, which reprinted Scion of Oona, that the price finally dropped to around $4. Given this history, there’s a real chance we could see the same thing happen this time around. While the spike is bigger, that’s likely due to the lower supply, since many of the previously bought copies likely haven’t returned to the market.
Thankfully, if there’s any silver lining, it’s that the price of Scion of Oona already appears to be plateauing. Sales have been slowing down recently, and prices have already dipped slightly in the past week. Potentially, this dip could continue, although I’d expect it to retain a fair bit of its value, like last time.
Ultimately, we’ll just have to wait and see where Scion of Oona ends up over time. Theoretically, it could settle somewhere around $15, or even drop back down to $10, like before. Sadly, since we can’t properly predict the future, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks and months.
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