Throughout recent years, the Standard MTG format has become rather unpopular on paper, to say the least. Plagued by cost problems, lack of support, and smothered by better formats, it was only MTG Arena that kept Standard alive. Not content with this, in 2023, Wizards of the Coast set about saving Standard through major sweeping changes.
While many MTG players were skeptical at first, it seems Wizards changes might actually be working. That appears to be the case, at least, when you look at the secondary markets for MTG. Recently, for the first time in what feels like forever, Standard cards have actually been moving the markets!
Throughout recent weeks, we’ve seen more and more Standard cards making surprisingly major waves. This is largely thanks to the upcoming Regional Championship Qualifiers which are running from January until March. Hosted as Standard events, these tournaments have seen a huge surge in interest in the once-dominant format. The latest price spike we’re seeing is yet another example of this.
Preacher of the Schism
Since the release of Dominaria United, Rakdos has been an incredibly dominant archetype in Standard. Even following the major bans back in May, the archetype’s dominance was only shaken a little. Before too long, Rakdos climbed up the ranks again, putting in strong performances left, right, and center.
Following the release of Wilds of Eldraine and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Standard has seen quite a shakeup. Thanks to new staples, the once-dominant Rakdos decks have fallen down the pecking order somewhat. This fall from grace, however, may be about to end, as new tech from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is proving ever-resourceful.
Appearing in both Rakdos Ramp and Rakdos Discover decks, Preacher of the Schism is Standard’s latest staple. Capable of drawing cards or crating vampires depending on who has the most life, this Cleric is full of utility. Within both Rakdos decks, their main benefit is the card draw which the typically controlling strategy enables with ease.
Thanks to their utility, Preacher of the Schism has been popping up in a fair few Standard MTG decks since release. Recently, however, it seems their popularity has exploded, with their price tag following suit. Formerly, copies of Preacher of the Schism could easily be picked up for just $0.80 in early January.
Throughout the past week, the price of Preacher of the Schism has begun climbing with seemingly no end. Right now, copies of this Standard staple are selling for around $6. That’s an increase of around 750% in an impressive short time frame. Even more impressively, foil copies of Preacher of the Schism are now selling for around $10! Since they too were $0.80 just a week ago, this is a staggering jump.
Standard Staples on the Rise
While Preacher of the Schism is the latest Standard card to see a staggering spike, it’s hardly the only one. Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor, for instance, has similarly been climbing up and up. Last week, we marveled at how Gix had over doubled in value in a few short weeks, however, they haven’t stopped there. Climbing more and more, copies of Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor are selling for around $16.50. Recent sales have even been as high as $20!
Alongside Gix, another card we highlighted recently, Urabrask’s Forge has also continued to climb. For better or worse, their steady increase hasn’t been nearly as impressive as Gix, only increasing by a few dollars. Last we left off, copies of Urabrask’s Forge were selling for around $3. Now, however, on TCGplayer, recent sales have been as high as $7. Thanks to the card’s prevalence in mono-red Standard decks, this could increase even more.
Mercifully, while there are plenty of Standard staples steadily increasing in price, not every MTG card is soaring to the heavens. For example, Bloodthirsty Adversary appears to now be on a decline at long last. Once selling for $20 routinely at its peak, copies now sell for around $16 or lower. Hopefully, this decrease will continue over time as tournament fever dies down a little.
Alongside Bloodthirsty Adversary, another recent Standard spike has thankfully calmed down a little. Previously selling for as high as $11, Sunfall seems to have suddenly dropped off. In the past few days, regular copies of the card have plummeted down to just $6. While this is still a few dollars higher than prices a month ago, this dip is definitely better than
What to Watch
While Standard staples definitely have a lot of potential to spike in price right now, they’re not the only soon-to-be market movers. Thanks to a recently announced Secret Lair Commander deck, a pair of Typal archetypes may soon shoot up in price. Depending on what gets printed in the Raining Cats and Dogs deck, numerous Cats and Dogs may soon get rather expensive.
For better or worse, right now, Cats and Dogs are two rather affordable Typal archetypes in Commander. Having been printed and reprinted into the ground, you can easily put together an adorable and thematic deck on a budget. Despite this immense amount of supply, however, there’s undoubtedly going to be a surge of interest following the deck’s reveal.
At the moment, we don’t know exactly which cards may get expensive, as the full decklist hasn’t been revealed. Once the entire decklist has been spoiled, however, the missing staples, because there are always a few, are sure to jump in price. Ultimately, we’re just going to have to wait and see what these cards are, as there’s no telling right now.
Beyond the potential profits to be found in Cats and Dogs, it’s also worth keeping an eye on cards with Investigate. Thanks to Murders at Karlov Manor, there’s soon to be a lot more support for this archetype. Typically, this will lead to increased demand as players vie to snap up what they need for their freshly brewed decks.
Read More: Major $50 MTG Price Spike Foretells Worrying Secret Lair Future