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Hello, everyone and welcome to the Friday edition of the Daily Stock Watch! Yesterday marked the first time that I did a "Month End Review", and based on your feedback, it's something that I might have to adjust going forward. Today, I'll be doing an exclusive foil review of a card that I really liked the moment that I first saw it.
Our card for today is Field of Ruin
I'd like to focus on the foil copy of this card for certain reasons: first, it is an uncommon from a recently opened set, so there should be a decent number of copies out there; second, it's being played in almost any control shell in Standard and Modern decks; and lastly, I think that it's still cheap, considering how powerful the card is.
For now, let me show you some lists where Field of Ruin is being used.
Standard Blue White Control
Modern Blue White Control
Field of Ruin plays a vital cog in these decks in different ways. The Standard version uses it to punish 4C Energy decks that are already hard-pressed to find an answer to the matchup problem, while also giving it some leeway to respond to troublesome cards like Ramunap Ruins in certain cases. Modern is the format where Field of Ruin is money; it is the answer to traditional powerhouse lands such as Blinkmoth Nexus, Cavern of Souls, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, and the ever powerful Urza lands.
What separates it from other lands with Strip Mine effects such as Ghost Quarter, Tectonic Edge, and Encroaching Wastes, is that it gives you a replacement land for what you gave up. For an extra kick, it also forces your opponent to shuffle their library, because it neglects the "may search" clause that Ghost Quarter comes with. This could be key in certain situations, such as when your opponent has just scryed on their previous turn (which happens a lot in Modern), or to save yourself from a second Approach the Second Sun that would end the game in your opponent's favor. As a matter of fact, I think that it will be utilized more in Standard once Rivals of Ixalan arrives, and it should be a four-of, once control becomes a thing again in the format.
I know that it's hard to speculate on foils, but I really like the upside of this card. Right now, you could still find foil copies of this card from Channel Fireball and TCGPlayer from anywhere between $6.99 up to $9. Card Kingdom has it for $10.99, while Star City Games are out of stock at $6.99, and should be refilling soon in the $10 range as well. I'd like to get all the $6.99 copies, as this could go up to $10-$20 in the future. I don't think people will still be opening Ixalan packs when the new year hits, so now might be the best time to buy in. Don't forget that we're only buying foils!
And that’s it for this week's edition of the Daily Stock Watch! See you again next week, as we check out new cards that might be good to invest on, or time to let go of. As always, feel free to share your opinion in the comments section below. And if you want to keep up with all the market movement, be sure to check in with the QS Discord Channel for real time market information, and stay ahead of the hottest specs!
