Pick Up These Modern Outliers Before Modern Horizons 3
Hello readers! Today we explore the financial potential of some interesting game pieces on the edge of the Modern meta, and by “edge,” I mean game pieces not found regularly in Living End, Temur Rhinos, Leyline Rhinos, Golgari Yawgmoth, or Amulet Titan, but ultimately are still played in other second-tier competitive builds. Let’s get started!
Exploring the Outer Edge of the Meta
The Modern meta is what I would consider “periodically stable,” which is to say that over the course of roughly a year, the format’s top-end of the competitive spectrum remains relatively fixed. There is some variation of course throughout the lower-tier portions of the competitive meta, but for the most part this past year has been dominated by Temur Rhinos, Rakdos Scam, Izzet Murktide, and Amulet Titan. Sure, Beanstalk Elementals had a brief surge in popularity quelled very quickly by a swift banning of
In recent times, the largest fluctuations in the format’s meta were driven by the now-annual direct-to-Modern sets:
So in all this turbulence and under the weight of MH3’s expectations, what are the low-risk investments one can make in Modern? What’s worth investing in that feeds into a playable deck in the meta? Today, we'll talk briefly about five cards with considerable financial upside sitting in builds lying on the outer edge of the meta in the format that are either at their lowest or offer some potential depending on the outcome of MH3.
Eidolon of the Great Revel
Burn is a timeless archetype across Magic’s history. Going all the way back to 1993 with the release of
Once almost $30 a little over two years ago, Eidolon of the Great Revel has been trending aggressively downward, in part due to a handful of reprints, but also due to Modern Burn quietly falling to a relatively low meta-share. But don’t be fooled, Burn is still fairly competitive, though it lacks a certain level of resilience that decks like Temur Rhinos and Rakdos Scam both have.
Burn’s problem has historically been its propensity to run out of steam after the first few turns, and then struggle to catch up to opponents in the mid- to late-game. Pieces like Eidolon of the Great Revel have been integral for giving some resilience to Burn. Why play burn spells when your opponent can shock themselves every time they play a cheap spell? At worst, Eidolon gets
Sitting at $3 today, Eidolon is one of the best pickups now that was previously the most expensive card in Burn. A playset of these guys for $12 is well worth the investment. Burn is historically resilient, consistent, and has a very accommodating learning curve regardless of how turbulent the format may be at times.
| Eidolon of the Great Revel | ||
| Eidolon of the Great Revel | ||
| Eidolon of the Great Revel (Borderless) |
Puresteel Paladin
Equipment decks in Modern have been in a precarious position up until fairly recently. Puresteel Paladin has always been at the heart of Modern equipment brews. Its Metalcraft mechanic enables equipment costs to go to zero, and draws you a card every time an equipment is played, making it the quintessential engine for any equipment build. This card along with
Today, however–again, thanks to some timely reprints–Puresteel Paladin sits at around $2.00. Why is this great? Because it has never been more utilized in the format than it is today in Hammer Time! Hammer Time represents the first true equipment deck in Modern that can hold its own in the meta. The key ingredient?
| Puresteel Paladin | ||
| Puresteel Paladin (Borderless) | ||
| Ash, Destined Survivor | ||
| Puresteel Paladin |
Goryo's Vengeance
This pick is probably the most fringe of all cards we’re discussing today. Having said that, Reanimator-style decks have always struggled to find a home in Modern.
Enter:
One such brew utilizes cards like
So where does that put Goryo’s Vengeance today? Around $11 and trending a little downward, although it could just as easily be in the process of bottoming out. Admittedly, I’m a little biased. I love reanimation in Magic. It’s a fun way to play the game. It does require some setup, and in Modern is often eclipsed by Living End, which is effectively a Reanimator deck, however, pure Reanimator builds have so much potential as reanimation spells slowly creep their way into the format. With any luck, we’ll get a couple more options in Modern Horizons 3 that can complement Goryo’s Vengeance and Persist.
Would it be worth investing in a playset? I’d say it’s probably worth the risk. Given the very recent banning of
| Goryo's Vengeance | ||
| Goryo's Vengeance | ||
| Goryo's Vengeance |
Karn, the Great Creator
There are many Karn planeswalkers skulking about in the game of Magic. The most noteworthy of these, however, is
Today, however, Karn is trending downward, and fast! Currently it sits at $7.00, but it seems like it will likely continue to fall further, and has yet to bottom-out. It’s quite possible that KGC hits $4 or $5 a pop as Q1 2024 closes out, which makes picking up a playset now more appealing than at any other time in the card’s history.
And which decks would you play KGC in? Two obvious ones come to mind: Tron and Mono-Black Coffers. Why? Both decks generate considerable mana from a small pool of lands very quickly. As soon as Mono-Green Tron has each Urza land in play, you’re set up for seven mana at your disposal as early as turn three, which is best spent on powerful colorless spells like
Karn’s presence in Tron at the very least ensures its format viability will be here to stay, as Tron is a cornerstone of Modern’s meta, and has for years been a mainstay deck one could always play. After all, the Urza lands are still legal, so why not? With MH3 spoilers like the reprint of
| Karn, the Great Creator | ||
| Karn, the Great Creator (Stained Glass) | ||
| Karn, the Great Creator (Old Border) | ||
| Karn, the Great Creator |
Final Thoughts
Modern is a dynamic format with many, many moving pieces–a format moving faster seemingly each year. In spite of this meta turbulence, there are still many competitive game pieces worth financial consideration whose potential is overshadowed by the top-tier builds. Today, the singles discussed merely scratch the surface of lower-share competitive staples ripe for speculation and investment. Karn especially strikes me as an undercapitalized format staple that’s well worth the investment.
As we turn a corner towards Modern Horizon 3, consider the more stable components of the Modern environment that will likely persist or get stronger with MH3. Speculate safely!
Further Reading:
Waifus, Stickers, and a Faerie - Safe Bets
Corey Williams is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He considers himself a macroeconometrician with his research body reflecting work in applied macroeconomics and econometrics. Corey is an L1 Judge who started playing Magic around Eighth Edition. He enjoys Modern, Commander, cEDH, and cube drafting. Outside of Magic, he loves running, teaching, and the occasional cult movie.
