Sometimes, it takes MTG players years to discover the untapped potential of an older card. This generally happens when a strategy that newer cards push takes the spotlight. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the hidden gem in question wasn’t good until this new strategy appeared, just that the community needed some help to truly see what the card was capable of.
Take Grim Hireling, for example. This Commander darling was always a powerful card, but Outlaws of Thunder Junction presented a theme that allowed Grim Hireling to take center stage. Felix Five-Boots may have been the card that got Grim Hireling noticed, it was always a powerful card on its own.
Another card that appears to be taking up a similar mantle is Proft’s Eidetic Memory. Some players identified the card early on to have some massive potential in some niche archetypes, and while it definitely does have that, this card is starting to innovate in Pioneer’s biggest decks. This could cause a massive financial shift!
Proft’s Eidetic Memory
Proft’s Eidetic Memory can become a powerhouse when built around. Not only does this enchantment immediately replace itself, but it can also grow your other creatures as you draw extra cards during your turn. Many players identified this as a potential way forward for mono blue strategies in Standard, but it was sadly not enough to save the archetype.
Despite failing in Standard, Proft’s Eidetic Memory is rising to prevalence in the Pioneer format, in both a meta and a niche archetype. This niche archetype is certainly more exciting and is one we spoke of before. Mono Blue Nykthos using Training Grounds as an engine has this as a core piece of its strategy.
The idea behind this deck is to set up a cheap way to Connive or loot a ton of cards in a turn. Training Grounds combined with activated ability mana like The Enigma Jewel can allow cards like Hypnotic Specter to churn through your deck at absurd speeds.
Proft’s Eidetic Memory turns your looting into +1/+1 counters. It’s not difficult to get as many as ten +1/+1 counters on your creature after one turn when you’ve established your setup. From here, just a few connections to the opponent’s face can end the game.
While not quite as efficient, the mono blue Training Grounds deck also does work in Standard. This one, in my experience, is more reliant on Agatha’s Soul Cauldron to close out the game since you lose Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx as a way to generate mana, but the deck can still win games.
Memory in Phoenix
As exciting as Proft’s Eidetic Memory is in the new Training Grounds archetype, the deck hasn’t been putting up many noteworthy results. As a result, this isn’t really enough to move Proft’s Eidetic Memory financially.
What could be enough to cause a financial spike for this card is its inclusion in the Izzet Phoenix archetype in Pioneer. Phoenix is largely considered to be one of the two best decks in the format. The only other competitor for this illustrious title is the Rakdos Vampires strategy that took down a Pro Tour in the capable hands of Seth Manfield.
As you’d expect from an Izzet deck, Izzet Phoenix draws a lot of cards. Between various cantrips like Consider, Opt, and Treasure Cruise it is really easy to trigger Proft’s Eidetic Memory. Since your Arclight Phoenixes will recur from your graveyard, it isn’t too difficult to find a target for your enchantment despite the lack of creatures in the deck. Of course, Ledger Shredder is another sticky option that could benefit from a buff.
While Proft’s Eidetic Memory isn’t a hard sell for everyone on the Phoenix deck, it is becoming very popular. Almost all of this card’s play is being seen in Izzet Phoenix decks at this point.
Financial History
Proft’s Eidetic Memory has already seen a smaller spike financially, but its current popularity does suggest that it could see another. Right now, the card is worth somewhere between $2 and $3 according to TCGplayer. At the beginning of April, Proft’s Eidetic Memory wasn’t even worth a dollar. Notably, the card is beginning to creep towards $4 according to TCGplayer sales and could continue to increase in the coming days.
While the financial success of this card doesn’t appear as certain as for Leyline Dowser, there is a chance that Proft’s Eidetic Memory could see a further spike in the future thanks to its uptick in play in Arclight Phoenix decks. Like Grim Hireling, this may just be the spotlight needed for the community to realize just how good this innocent-looking enchantment from Murders at Karlov Manor truly is.
