Underrated Versions of Commander Staples -  Spotlight on Ramp

Etched foil. Surged foil. Galaxy foil. Rainbow foil. On and on the list of various new card treatments goes. Ever since the introduction of Collector Boosters and Secret Lairs, the different variants can seem never ending. Gone are the days when cards were simply foil and non-foil, now there needs to be fifty versions of Sol Ring. And while this variety of styles means wonders for those trying to spice up the aesthetics of their deck, it can sometimes seem a bit… much.

One of the biggest detriments to come from this influx in treatment types is that cards that used to be special don’t feel as much so anymore, or seem to have been forgotten in favor of newer, fancier versions. This does mean, however, that these older unique versions can be acquired for a bit of a discount at the moment, at least if one doesn’t anticipate that the same art will be reprinted any time soon. Wizards has already said they will slow down on reprints moving forward, so the chances of these versions being reprinted is slim, making for safe buys if you’re looking to give your deck a glow-up. 

There are many hidden gems like this throughout Magic’s storied history, and this time, I’d like to focus specifically on cards that deal with producing mana or putting lands on the battlefield, as ramping is such an integral part of the game and the Commander format - everyone wants to ramp right? With all this in mind, here are my picks for some alternate arts you may be sleeping on.

Mind Stone - DCI Gateway Promo

One of the things I wanted to keep in mind when writing this article was to try to focus on cards that widely see play in Commander, and in my mind there may be no widely-played card with as underrated an alternate art as Mind Stone.

Up until 2021, this was the only other version of Mind Stone besides the Adam Rex art, and while there’s nothing wrong with that art, there’s something to be said about the details of the brain in this DCI promo that sets it apart. Dating back to 2007, this promo is rarely seen out in the wild, and that’s surprising considering how nice it looks in person and how much play the card sees.

It’s undeniably one of the best mana rocks in the format, an auto-include in decks that need any extra draw power they can get, and absolutely could be considered a staple. Mind Stone is simple and to-the-point, and chances are you’re always going to need one, so why not pick one of these beauties up for just $9 to give your decks some variety? The price right now is much cheaper than it was at its peak (around $20 in 2021) and while it’s not at an all-time low, once it starts trending upwards, it likely won’t be this cheap again.

Mind Stone

CardKingdom

TCGPlayer $8.80

Evolving Wilds - FNM 2012 Promo

While I’m personally not a fan of lands that enter the battlefield tapped, there’s undeniably a spot for certain cards that have this clause depending on their utility, and that’s exactly where we find cards like Terramorphic Expanse or Evolving Wilds, being old reliables of any landfall-based deck regardless of this. Both of these have seen a staggering amount of reprints and have many arts to choose from, so ultimately whichever one you want to put in your deck is up to personal taste.

It just so happens that I enjoy the 2012 FNM Promo by Sam Burley. The art really conveys the feeling of wild, unstable landscapes coming to life in an epic and grand scale, but is another one I rarely see at Commander nights or when playing games with strangers, which is a shame considering NM copies can be found for around $3.50 at the moment.

This one climbed as high as $25 in 2016, and while it hasn’t nearly reached those heights since, there’s still room for it to grow, as it’s been sitting at sub-$5 for about five years now despite its widespread inclusion in Commander decks.

If you think this art is as neat as I do, now’s not the worst time to snag one of these bad boys on the off-chance they go up again.

Evolving Wilds

CardKingdom

TCGPlayer $3.50

Farseek - FNM 2013 Promo

Another great card for land-based decks, or multicolor decks with green that need any sort of ramp or fixing (see: every one), is another classic: Farseek. Often compared to Rampant Growth, Farseek can’t get you basic Forests, but can grab you basics of another color, or any land with a non-Forest basic land type (see: Shocklands, original duals, etc.), giving it a bit more utility.

While Rampant Growth does have a somewhat underrated full art variant, the one I want to discuss is the 2013 FNM Promo for Farseek, as I don’t see this one pop up nearly as often. With art by Michael Komarck, this was the only variant on the original art until the Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 decks, and by that time Wizards had already begun churning out an uncountable amount of variants for every staple they could think of. Including Warhammer 40,000, there have been six different different arts in less than three years, so this printing, appearing a whole decade before these Commander decks, is arguably the one that stands out the most from all the others. 

Currently sitting at just under $8, this printing actually isn’t that expensive relative to the cost of a basic version of around $2 - sure it’s a bit more, but the premium could be way higher on such an old version of something that sees so much play. Seeing as its highest price was around $18 in 2021 there’s always a chance this could bounce back to that realm. And if you want to bling out your deck, you could do much worse than the price of lunch.

Farseek

CardKingdom

TCGPlayer $7.97

Elvish Mystic - FNM 2014 Promo

Man, FNM promos in the 2010s were on a roll with playable ramp cards, first giving us Evolving Wilds in 2012, Farseek in 2013, and Elvish Mystic in 2014 - talk about a hot streak. Elvish Mystic is as straightforward a mana Elf as you can get, and cards like it and Llanowar Elves will always stand the test of time as efficient, simple ways to quickly accelerate your game plan in green.

While Llanowar Elves has seen its fair share of printings (over fifty), Elvish Mystic has seen far fewer - fourteen in paper to be exact. And with the newest Hatsune Miku variant garnering everyone’s attention, it’s the perfect time to look into snagging one of these gorgeous versions.

Price history on this one is all over the place, but it’s sitting at its lowest since it shot up to a preposterous $40 in 2018. Since then it leveled out to around $7, where it sat until it experienced another bump in 2020, bringing it to around $20. It gradually decreased from there, and now lies around $6 for a NM copy, but the potential is there for it to experience another resurgence in price; it’s clearly a widely used card and this is a unique version that’s only getting older, so it’s not out of the question.

If you’re on the fence, now might be a good time to check this one out.

Elvish Mystic

CardKingdom

TCGPlayer $5.85

In Conclusion

Ultimately, whatever version of a card you decide to put in your deck comes down to personal taste, but I just wanted to shine a light on some you either may not have known about or forgotten, starting with heavily played ramp cards.

Magic has such a long history that there are plenty of these picks flying under the radar, many with capabilities beyond the ramp, so always be on the lookout for lesser known versions of some of your favorite staples if you’re looking to make your deck stand out. With the influx of variants, a lot of them are currently cheaper than you may imagine, so now’s not the worst time to do some digging and see what you can find.

Further Reading:

Five Most Exciting Reprints from Innistrad Remastered