Magic: the Gathering Trends in 2023
Behind the Scenes
The New Horizons series has now been featured on MTGStocks for a year, and reaching this milestone has been both unexpected and exciting. It’s been a pleasure to share this journey with all of you as we delve bi-weekly into new products. To commemorate this occasion, I’ve compiled a set of statistics detailing the series' coverage over the past year.
From the inaugural article on
However, alongside winners, there are inevitably losers. The most significant downturns were incurred by
The Test of Time
Throughout the New Horizons series this year, several trends have emerged. Firstly, there was a balanced distribution of articles covering released sets, Commander products, and Secret Lair releases. Among these products, a noteworthy observation was the prevalence of creature cards, with instants and sorceries closely followed in terms of coverage.
Reflecting on the cards that have appreciated since their respective article releases, a significant trend was the notable increase in Secret Lair creature cards. Examples include
However, the legends from the Secret Lair series emerged as an exception to this trend. In contrast, the majority of the creatures covered in the regular set releases and Commander products experienced a price decline. With the influx of potentially relevant creatures being added to the game, it's difficult for these cards to appreciate in value.
The cards that retained value or significantly increased their momentum during the year were the undisputed staples in one or more formats. Examples such as
Dawn of a New Age
The future outlook for undervalued cards remains uncertain, as the most significant increases in market prices often hinge on a card finding its niche in a deck or as part of a sideboard. Smaller jumps in value may be influenced by factors such as popularity, media coverage, or scarcity. One prevalent concern revolves around the sheer volume of products released annually and its impact on the cards. With many cards becoming upgraded versions of old staples or receiving specific treatments, such as full art basics flooding each set, it seems that the space for growth in the game is shrinking.
The overall health of Magic: The Gathering has been a frequent topic of discussion, especially given the substantial changes the game has undergone in recent years. Even comparing the current state to how the game looked five years ago is indeed challenging. The introduction of Play boosters in
Across the Multiverse
As we wrap up the first year for New Horizons, let’s indulge in some fun and reflect on my highlights from last year:
Favorite Article To Write:
The Fall 2023 Secret Lair Super Drop was the most enjoyable to write. The cards included were mainly EDH playable and consisted of a wide variety of styles and decent power levels.
Favorite Product Release:
The main set of
Best Limited Environment:
Most Anticipated Release for 2024:
Duskmorn: House of Horror is the set that has me most excited about the theme and potential gameplay.
Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to all for reading the series and making it a success. Your ongoing support and engagement are the driving force that keeps me returning to write more each week.
Join me next time as we explore how
Further Reading:
Matt Grzechnik started playing Magic with the release of Dragon's Maze. Since then he has tried and experimented with all of the formats before discovering his love for EDH and Pauper. Piloting the same Jund deck for the last 10 years, he now tries to both understand and break Sealed as a format.
