We expect a lot of change after the coming Pro Tour Weekend. But even in the days leading to the first clash of the pros on the planes of Tarkir, we see some interesting risers this week!
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#1 Hornet Queen +198% ($5.67) ALL TIME HIGH
Hornet Queen is rising fast and most stores are almost out of stock. So expect some more price increase on this one. It's a versatile card that is playable in many Standard decks. A whopping 12 archetypes run this card (main or side), or have flirted with it over the past weeks.
On October 5th, Mono-Green entered the top 8 of the State Championships in North Carolina (3), Montana (4), Washington (winner, 5th) and New Hampshire (2). Hornet Queen Was already on the rise, but spiked after those results were in.
When looking at Hornet Queen, one must also take the popularity of Mono Green into account. Suddenly it sees a lot more play and even spikes! Check out the graph:
Also interesting to keep in mind is that Hornet Queen is not a 4-off. Most Green Aggro decks play 2 or 3 copies of the card maindeck. That is also the reason that Hornet Queen is not yet a $10+ card.
Dig Through Time is not a card that people were psyched about when it was spoiled. And it did not have a hyped prerelease price either. But still, it's on a roll and almost out of stock in a lot of stores (at time of writing).
The card is experimented with in Standard, Modern and even in Legacy. But, Standard wins the battle. We currently have 64 decks on file that run the card.
In Jeskai Tempo, Dig Through Time joins those other Weekly Winner hotshots: Goblin Rabblemaster, Mantis Rider and Stoke the Flames. As the deck runs around 20 instants and some fetchland, you can fill up your graveyard fairly quickly. That allows you to delve out Dig Through Time to find what you need to finish off your opponent.
In Legacy, one player experimented with Dig Through Time by running two copies in the slot of Ponder. Interesting and bold, but I think that this won't cut it in the long run. It's a circumstantial card. You need to have enough cards in your graveyard for it to be good. And with a CMC of 8, that's very steep, even with delve. Especially in a deck that can put a Griselbrand or Emrakul on the table on turn 1 (even possible after mulling to 4 cards).
Another drawback is the fact that Emrakul shuffles your graveyard into your library, leaving nothing to delve. Sure, Dig Through Time is an instant, but you need to have mana open to use it in response to, say, a lategame discard card.
#3 Wingmate Roc +30.8% ($13.96) ALL TIME HIGH
Wingmate Roc is getting hyped. But maybe there is a good reason. The card has seen a lot of play in the State Championships and SCG Super IQ's. And those are solid results.
The card sees most play in Abzan Midrange and Naya. However, not all decks in these archetypes run Wingmate Roc. And not all decks run it as a 4-off. The top 5 performing Abzan Midrange decks in the State Championships run an average of 1.4 copies (0-3 spread).
When we compare this to Hornet Queen and Dig Through time, we must note that Wingmate Roc sees less play, in less formats and in less slots. But it's value is more than twice as high!
Loser of the week: Oubliette -29.9% ($10)
Oubliette was the #1 winner in week 34. But now it's back at it's pre-spike price and we have to conclude that Oubliette was a fad. Nice for EDH, great flavor! But not enough reason to retain its value.
But that is good news for everyone that missed the hype train in August. You can now get your copies for $10 again!
Cheap pickup of the week: Geist of Saint Traft ($14.05) ALL TIME LOW
Geist of Saint Traft still sees play in Modern. And was quite a piece in Legacy. But this card has fallen from grace, risen to a nice comeback and is now back under $15.
It's a solid and powerful card that has enough beef to make it into Eternal. I just might pickup a playset of these!
Cards to keep an eye on
As a conclusion to this article, I give you a quick overview of cards that you should keep an eye on!
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