It’s unusual to see a common or uncommon in a modern-day set command a relatively high price tag. Now and again, a multi-format staple like Fatal Push comes along whose demand pushes its price up and up, but it’s quite the rarity.
Well, it appears we have a similar situation with one particular Duskmourn powerhouse. The card in question is Sheltered by Ghosts, which has quickly risen to stardom in Standard, Pioneer, and beyond. If its price tag of over $5 is any indication, Sheltered by Ghosts is a complete game changer for various archetypes.
Sheltered by Ghosts
- Mana Value: 1W
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Card Type: Enchantment- Aura
- MTG Sets: Duskmourn
- Card Text: Enchant creature you control. When Sheltered by Ghosts enters, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls until Sheltered by Ghosts leaves the battlefield. Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 and lifelink and ward 2.
Sheltered by Ghosts isn’t your typical removal spell. It’s incredibly efficient for its effect and makes racing a complete nightmare for the opponent. As such, the card has become a staple of tons of different decks in Standard and Pioneer.
Sheltered by Ghosts is at its best in decks with lots of creatures that are looking to push damage. Both Jeskai Convoke and Azorius Glyph in Standard fit the bill nicely. Suiting up big threats like Knight-Errant of Eos or Regal Bunnicorn will often seal the deal against red aggro shells that can’t compete with the life gain.
Even in the face of removal, Ward 2 is a surprisingly annoying cost for the opponent to pay. So long as you can use tempo to your advantage, sometimes it ends up being too little too late by the time the opponent can remove your enchanted creature.
Of course, if you have any way of protecting your enchanted creature, Sheltered by Ghosts becomes even more reliable. Azorius Spirits in Pioneer, for instance, uses Counterspells and Rattlechains to help keep the suited-up threat alive.
Similarly, Sheltered by Ghosts has given new life to Selesnya Auras decks in Standard, Pioneer, and even Modern. Putting your Aura on a copy of Toadstool Admirer or Gladecover Scout makes it very difficult for the opponent to kill your creature and blow you out. Sheltered by Ghosts simply does everything you could ask for, and more.
The Spike
According to TCGPlayer market price history, Sheltered by Ghosts has seen a pretty significant price jump in the last two weeks. Back in mid-November, the card sat firmly below $2.
Towards the end of the month, the card started to climb at a fast rate, with non-foil copies reaching nearly $6 by December 2. That number has since fallen slightly, where it currently lands at $5.33. This represents a price spike of almost 200% since mid-November.
Interestingly, foil versions of Sheltered by Ghosts follow a similar path. Traditional foils sat below $4 on November 13, with the price starting to increase in the coming days. Once again, the biggest spike happened towards the end of the month, with foils reaching a pinnacle of $8.40 just a couple days ago before tapering off slightly to where they are now at $7.63.
This is quite impressive for an uncommon. It shows just how many different decks can use this card. If you drafted a lot of Duskmourn, it might be worth checking your collection to see if you’ve got some copies lying around.
