The world of MTG finance is ever-changing, with rises and falls occurring for all kinds of reasons. Since the reveal of the new Thunder Junction Commander decks, significant price spikes have hit some truly unusual cards. You probably didn’t expect to see a blue common from Shadowmoor today, but that’s where the market is heading. We really do live in interesting times.
Beyond that, there are cards from unusual archetypes getting a new lease of life thanks to the face cards of the new Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander decks, and cards exploding thanks to potential in Standard and Modern. It’s another wild day on the markets, and we’re just here trying to take it all in. Read on for a deep dive into the key movers and shakers for today!
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Cerulean Wisps
The big headliner from this batch of spikes is undoubtedly Cerulean Wisps. For those who don’t know, it’s a mostly-forgotten common from way back in Shadowmoor. For one mana at instant speed, it lets you make a creature blue, untap it, and draw a card. Most color-shift effects in Magic are underwhelming at best, so it’s easy to glaze over this card after the first line. What we’re really interested in, though, is the ‘untap and draw’ part.
These two abilities together let the card go infinite with Stella Lee, Wild Card from the new Quick Draw Commander deck. All you need to do is cast the card with Stella Lee in play. From there, you can tap her to copy it, untap her with the copy, tap her again for another copy, and continue until you’ve drawn your entire deck. Throw in a Thassa’s Oracle, and you can win the game on the spot.
Unsurprisingly, being part of such a potent combo has caused Cerulean Wisp’s price to skyrocket. What was a sub-one dollar card around March 26th is now commanding prices from $4.50 to $7.00 instead. There are listings as high as $8.66 too, which may indicate that the card has more room to grow before it peaks out. Given the card’s age and low availability, I’d say this was likely.
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Felix Five-Boots Spikes
Stella Lee isn’t the only Thunder Junction Commander causing price spikes. Felix Five-Boots is kicking up a storm of his own, thanks to his unique damage trigger multiplication ability. Both Bloated Contaminator and Contaminant Grafter are in the same boat for this one, being green creatures that can proliferate on combat damage.
Getting to potentially proliferate twice per swing is, naturally, an enticing prospect. For this reason, both cards have been on the rise lately. Grafter has doubled from just under $2 to just under $4 since the start of April. Contaminator, on the other hand, has had more of a steady climb, going from around $2 to around $3. Despite these increases, both are still reasonably priced given their high synergy with Felix.
The same can’t be said for Grim Hireling. His ability lets you create four Treasures per swing with Felix out, or eight if you have a double striker. This is a ton of ramp, and can lead to some explosive early plays if you catch the table unawares. Hireling is now selling for $9.46 to $13.99 as a result, up from his previous price point of around $7 at the end of February. The card started out higher than its peers, but it’s still seeing a bump thanks to Felix, and will probably see another if he proves popular post-release.
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Gonti, Canny Acquisitor Spikes
Gonti, Canny Acquisitor is another Thunder Junction Commander creating price spikes just by existing. He’s all about stealing your opponents’ stuff, letting you nab a card whenever you hit someone in the face and cast it cheaper thanks to his passive ability. Cards that synergize with this style of play are, naturally, seeing movement as a result.
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin has profited tidily from Gonti’s debut, going from around $2 to nearly $4 since the start of April, with non-foil copies selling for up to $3.76. It’s not surprising, given that it lets you shut down an opponent on your turn and play their deck as though it were your own. It’s also notable for its synergy with Obeka, Splitter of Seconds, a card that has already had its own impact on the market.
Another card in a similar situation is Tasha, the Witch Queen. She’s a rather unique Planeswalker that rewards you with 3/3 Demons whenever you cast a stolen spell. She can also steal them herself by combining her plus and minus abilities over multiple turns. Tasha makes a fine addition to a Gonti deck, and as such has risen from $2 to around $4 since the start of April, with sales ranging from $2.00 to $6.54. She can also serve as a Commander herself, which may give her spike a bit more longevity yet.
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Slickshot Show-Off
While it isn’t related to the Thunder Junction Commander decks, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention Slickshot Show-Off in this price spike round up. The card has had an explosive week, going from around $7 on the 11th to the $14-$20 range today. Given the controversy around the card, this is unsurprising.
Slickshot Show-Off is already seeing play in Standard on MTG Arena, where it’s the centerpiece of aggressive combo-style decks. By combining Show-Off’s mega-Prowess ability with Plotted cards and cheap spells, you can end games as early as turn three. Since you can also Plot the Show-Off itself, it’s a very difficult card to interact with as well.
Standard play is certainly driving some of that premium price tag, but the card also has brewers in Modern and beyond excited. Historically, Prowess creatures have performed well, with both Monastery Swiftspear and Kiln Fiend seeing ample eternal play. Not only is Show-Off similar, but it has both haste and evasion, making it just about the best version of this kind of card we’ve ever seen. Time will tell if it holds its value, or if it flies too close to the sun and gets itself banned.
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