One of the most interesting aspects of the Modern Horizons set series is how it brings older cards to the Modern format. Whether it’s sets from before Modern started or from far-flung Commander products, these printings give classics the chance to shine again. Modern Horizons 3 had a number of these, one of which is really coming into its own of late. That card is Orim’s Chant, and it’s currently experiencing a serious price spike.
While players were slow to adopt the card due to a succession of meta-defining terrors, it’s really starting to find its footing now. Multiple important decks in the format are running Orim’s Chant now, and not just in the sideboard either. Given Chant’s status as an ex-Extended staple from back in the day, this is fantastic to see. It’s high time a new generation got a taste of its brutal, hyper-controlling power.
Orim’s Chant Makes A Comeback
For the most part, Orim’s Chant is now seeing play within multiple Modern lists. This isn’t surprising given that it’s the only change to the card’s legality in 24 years.
In Modern, its most impressive appearance is within Boros Energy lists. This is the current top dog in Modern, and 84% of lists are now running two Orim’s Chant out of the sideboard, according to MTGGoldfish. That’s a huge figure, but one that makes perfect sense when you consider how much utility the card adds to the deck.
Shutting down an opponent for an entire turn is a great way to capitalize on a strong, aggressive start, and Boros Energy is no stranger to those. You can also use it on your own turn to force through a crucial play against more controlling lists.
Orim’s Chant is also a new sideboard staple for Ruby Storm, with 86% of lists running three to four Chant out of the board. This is another top-tier Modern list, so it’s exciting to see Chant here in such numbers. The ability to protect your turns is even more important here than in Boros, since you need to pull them off to win the game.
Azorius Control is the last big home for the card in Modern, but it’s a doozy. Forget four copies in the sideboard, this deck is running the full playset in the main 91% of the time. This deck runs Isochron Scepter to enable the classic combo line, but it also just appreciates being able to turn off attacks for a turn.
The Price Spike
Because of all this newfound attention, Orim’s Chant has seen a significant price spike. While not quite as explosive in terms of time frame as some spikes we’ve seen lately, it’s still well worth mentioning. Over the past three months, the card has steadily risen in price from around $2 to around $9. That’s a jump of nearly 320%, which is big for any card.
This increase is for the regular Modern Horizons 3 printing of the card, which is the one players have been snapping up, as you can see above. It’s the most accessible, recent printing of the card, so this just stands to reason. The increased demand for Orim’s Chant has hit this version the hardest, but other printings are seeing gains too. The MH3 Borderless variant is up from around $4 to around $14 in the same timeframe, a near-200% increase.
Retro Frame printings of the card are up too. The List version has gone from around $3.50 to around $7, while the Planeshift original is up from $9 to $13. It’s interesting that The List printing is the bigger winner here, but it’s something we’ve seen before. When Tortured Existence spiked back in January, The List version of that gained more value too. It remains the most expensive variant of the card today, which solidifies the effect The List’s scarcity can have on pricing.
The final available Orim’s Chant variant, the 2008 Judge Promo version, has actually barely moved at all. It seems to have gained around $0.40 in value over three months, which is barely worth mentioning. This is likely down to the fact that barely any copies of the card are selling at all.
The Chant Continues?
So Orim’s Chant is doing great right now, and, if you ask me, it seems this price spike is here to stay. This is a relatively long-term spike, taking place over three months rather than the usual span of days or weeks. This means it’s more stable and less likely to be a flash in the pan than other price increases we see.
The decks it’s seeing play in are all powerful, well-established Modern players. Barring some drastic bans, this will likely remain the case for the foreseeable future. This means Orim’s Chant will have a consistent home for a good while, which means constant demand, which means constant pressure on supply. I’d expect every version of the card, Judge Promo aside, to keep climbing steadily for as long as this is the case.
Playability aside, Orim’s Chant is also a tricky card to reprint. Outside of The List, Modern Horizons 3 marks the first proper reprint the card received in 24 years. Kicker is a pretty generic mechanic, of course, but the card’s name and flavor tie it pretty tightly to the Weatherlight arc, which means it won’t be showing up in Standard any time soon.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, supplemental products are unlikely too, since there aren’t any currently on the Horizon. A Commander precon reprint is a possibility, but the card is powerful and obnoxious enough that Wizards has avoided printing it there so far.
All of this to say, I think Orim’s Chant is a pretty safe hold for now. You can definitely make a good profit selling MH3 copies you pulled last year, but the rewards may be even richer a few more months from now.
