As MTG’s first 100-card not-quite-Micro-Set, Assassin’s Creed technically doesn’t contain a lot. Epitomizing this is the set’s collection of reprints. In total, the set features 28 reprints across the main set and the Assassin’s Creed-based starter decks. Despite this being quite a small assortment of cards, there are still some seriously exciting Assassin’s Creed reprints.
On top of offering compelling financial value, each Assassin’s Creed reprint also features new art. While this art is enticing in its own right, it’s the financial value that we’re excited about today. So, in this article, we’ll be going over the most expensive reprints that the Assassin’s Creed MTG set has to offer.
5 | Sword of Light and Shadow
Price: $18.50
For better or worse, Sword of Light and Shadow is bizarrely expensive. Not only has this card been reprinted a couple of times already, but it’s not really that good. Sure, it’s a piece of iconic equipment that can sort of resurrect creatures, but it’s not played heavily anywhere. With little demand for this card in Commander, Modern, or Legacy, its price point is somewhat baffling.
To explain the card’s current cost somewhat, Sword of Light and Shadow has only ever been printed at mythic rarity. Thanks to this, the reprints that it has received have never been that effective in reality. Hopefully, this latest Assassin’s Creed reprint will bring the price down a little lower, but that remains to be seen.
4 | Temporal Trespass
Price: $20
Much like Sword of Light and Shadow, Temporal Trespass doesn’t see a great deal of play in Commander. Instead, this card is predominantly found in Pioneer, specifically in Izzet Pheonix lists. In these decks, Temporal Trespass’s Delve ability synergizes with the litany of cheap burn and draw spells to ensure maximum value.
While Pioneer does fuel a decent amount of demand, much of the value of Temporal Trespass comes from its rarity. Until now, Temporal Trespass hasn’t ever been reprinted. This means that if you wanted a copy, you had to sell out for a copy from Fate Reforged.
Similarly to Sword of Light and Shadow once again, Temporal Trespass was only printed at mythic rarity. Since this new Assassin’s Creed-themed reprint is the same, it’s unclear how effective this reprint will be. Should the Assassin’s Creed set be printed at enough volume, we might be about to see a steep, and welcome, price drop.
3 | Black Market Connections
Price: $23
Currently, Black Market Connections only really sees play in Commander. Considering this card hasn’t been legal in Modern until this new reprint, that is completely unsurprising. That said, once the Assassin’s Creed set launches, this fact may not change as Black Market Connections is somewhat slow.
Compared to Commander, the faster pace of Modern, with its lower life totals, makes Black Market Connections a difficult sell. As much as repeat value is nice, this card simply won’t get enough done during a Modern match. As a result, it’s unlikely that even control-based decks will be eyeing up this card.
Despite not being a great reprint for Modern, Black Market Connections is nonetheless a good reprint overall. Selling for around $23 on average, this card could definitely do with a price cut. Considering the sheer number of Commander decks that want this card, however, this new reprint may not move the needle.
2 | Sword of Feast and Famine
Price: $36
Moving on up to the big ticket items, Sword of Feast and Famine is another in the longrunning ‘Sword of X and Y’ cycle. Boasting an ability that can untap all your lands, this card is the most popular in the cycle. As if that ability wasn’t enough, if this equipment connects, your opponent also has to discard for good measure.
While Sword of Feast and Famine does appear in just under 100,000 Commander decks, it’s hardly a multi-format all-star. Seeing almost no play in Modern or Legacy, this card simply can’t keep up with the pace of competitive formats. Despite this, Sword of Feast and Famine is the second most expensive piece of equipment in all of MTG.
Ultimately, while Sword of Feast and Famine has been reprinted twice before, these haven’t brought the price down significantly. Much like Sword of Light and Shadow, each reprint has only been at mythic rarity. Due to this, supply for the card is still somewhat limited, a fact the Assassin’s Creed set may not change significantly.
1 | Cover of Darkness
Price: $44
Currently, Cover of Darkness gets the lofty title of being the most expensive reprint in the Assassin’s Creed MTG set. Selling for $44, this card is an amazing pull in any Beyond Booster, however, it may not stay this way. Until now, Cover of Darkness hasn’t been reprinted in the 22 years since its debut in Onslaught.
While Cover of Darkness has a very impressive price tag at the moment, its ability sadly doesn’t justify its cost. In theory, providing a chosen creature type with Fear is useful, but this effect is symmetrical so it won’t always work. Depending on who you’re playing in Commander, Cover of Darkness could end up doing more harm than good.
Even if you don’t accidentally give Fear to your opponent’s creatures, Cover of Darkness still isn’t that amazing. Evidence of this can be found in the fact under 18,000 Commander decks reportedly run this card. With these low play numbers in mind, it seems the price of Cover of Darkness is almost entirely due to its rarity.
For better or worse, this rarity-dependent price is likely about to crash once the Assassin’s Creed set is released. Once this happens and new supply is available, we’re likely to see Cover of Darkness drop off this list. While this may be bad news for finance fans, it’s good news for anyone looking to play this card without spending too much.
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