Considering how long MTG players have been waiting for a return to Lorwyn, it’s no surprise that Lorwyn Eclipsed is doing well. MTG players have been consistently praising the aesthetics of this set, and the mechanics don’t disappoint either. This is especially true for the set’s two precons, which have already proven especially popular.
On top of these, the set also contains a fair few powerful legends that are equally drawing demand. Out of these, Maralen, Fae Ascendant easily seems like the top performer thanks to her unique dual typal theme. Allowing players to build around either Elves or Faeries, Maralen, Fae Ascendant has been making some major waves in the MTG financial markets.
As if that wasn’t enough, High Perfect Morcant has increased the demand for Elf Typal cards even more. Unsurprisingly, while this is already a popular archetype, these new Commanders have caused some rather impressive price spikes. Most recently, the price of Wolverine Riders has shot right up to $40 and beyond!
MTG Wolverine Riders
Released as part of the 2021 Elf Empire precon from Kaldheim Commander, Wolverine Riders offers a steady stream of Elf tokens. At the very least, you’re paying six mana for four Elves per turn cycle, and at least four life to boot. While this isn’t the best rate on its own, within an Elf Typal deck, things can quickly get out of hand.
For starters, the sheer number of lords and value engines that Elves have access to is wild. Even just having an Elvish Archdruid in play will help Wolverine Riders pay for itself rather quickly. While this synergy is already very exploitable, it’s even better alongside both High Perfect Morcant and Maralen, Fae Ascendant.
Having a steady stream of guaranteed Elves with either of these cards as your Commander is especially devastating. Alongside Morcant, getting to force each opponent to Blight on every turn stacks up very quickly. If it’s not going fast enough, one turn cycle gives you enough to use her Proliferate ability too.
Meanwhile, the consistent Elves from Wolverine Riders ensure Maralen, Fae Ascendant always has access to spells to steal. While both of these synergies are pretty strong at default, they get obscene alongside support. Tokens doublers like Doubling Season are obviously useful, but even cards like Elvish Warmaster amp up the value quickly.
Thanks to this potential, it’s no wonder that there’s been a steep uptick in demand for Wolverine Riders recently. While it was already somewhat of a Commander staple, appearing in around 39,500 decks, Lorwyn Eclipsed has pushed this even further. With Morcant adding just over 2,000 decks, and Maralen a further 1,350, Wolverine Riders is now more popular than ever.
The Spike
As usual, with so many new MTG decks after a copy of Wolverine Riders, its price has been pushed up. That said, Wolverine Riders wasn’t exactly a cheap MTG card in the first place, even though it has been reprinted before. After debuting in the Elven Empire precon, this card would later be reprinted in Jumpstart 2022. Unfortunately, while this reprint did help slightly, it is actually more scarce than the original printing.
Thanks to this, the original Kaldheim Commander printing has long been the cheapest available variant. That being said, it’s not exactly a budget card, as copies of Wolverine Riders were still going for $7.50 back in December. Even winding the clocks further back, it has been consistently selling for around $6.50 at the least. Sadly, this price point is now a distant memory, as it has been climbing quickly over the past week.
While there have only been 174 near-min non-foil sales in the past week, this has still depleted the market’s supply. Currently, there are only three listings for Kaldheim Commander copies left on the market. Prices for these currently start at $39.11, and sales for this variant have peaked at just under $40.
As if this wasn’t expensive enough, the slightly rarer, Jumpstart 2022 printing is currently selling for $48.99. Remarkably, there’s even been a sale at this higher price point, so it’s not just sellers capitalizing on the market. That said, since all of the worse-condition and cheaper copies have been bought out, it’s hard not to spend a good chunk of money right now.
Looking Ahead
Unfortunately, while MTG price spikes do usually rise and fall, Wolverine Riders is in a bit of a weird situation. On the one hand, Elf Typal is a hugely popular archetype, and Wolverine Riders has a lot of potential within that. On the other hand, however, Elf Typal is a widely supported archetype, so players aren’t short on options.
As much as Wolverine Riders may be one of the better Elf Typal options, this archetype does have a budget edge. It’s definitely possible to spend tons of money, thanks to cards like Eladamri, Lord of Leaves, but many staples are surprisingly cheap. Due to this, MTG players may choose to look elsewhere, rather than parting with $40+ for Wolverine Riders.
Realistically, since a lot more copies of Wolverine Riders have been sold recently, there’s a good chance some of this current price spike will stick. Going forward, this could settle to be a $10, rather than $7 MTG card, but that remains to be seen. Ultimately, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens, since we can’t predict the future.
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