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Insider: Digging for Post-Rotation Standard Specs

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Guilds of Ravnica (GRN) becomes tournament-legal today, but it has already made a big impact on the market. There have been some large movements in the past week, both of new cards like Pelt Collector and March of the Multitudes, and of old cards like History of Benalia.

These cards definitely made some people money, but the ship has likely already sailed, and if there is further growth it won't be much or sustained for long. Today I will dig a bit deeper into the market and share some other cards that are on the rise but look to still have some meat on the bones and potential profit to be had.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Dream Eater

One example is Dream Eater. It has already seen some large gains, up from under $4 pre-order to over $7, but could go higher. It’s the closest thing we have left to Torrential Gearhulk, and could fill in some of the same role, or perhaps will stand out in a surveil deck. If it does, it could soar past $10.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice

Looking at a much more expensive mythic, Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice is up from $10 to $15, but I could see movement past $20 in the short-term. There’s a high chance that Boros picks up where Red-Black left off and becomes the new best deck. Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice can be found in just about all of them, even as up to a four-of.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Swiftblade Vindicator

A more bargain spec that could cash in on the popularity of Boros is Swiftblade Vindicator, which seems to be a staple of the Boros decks, particularly because of how well it works with Mentor. At $2 it looks like a bargain compared to Pelt Collector's $10, even if it's more color-restrictive, and could double or triple in price. It's great with Tajic, Legion's Edge, which at $3 could be a bargain as well.

An even cheaper Boros spec is Path of Mettle, which is seeing play in some Boros decks. Its price is heading towards a $1, and could double or triple in if it becomes a staple of the archetype.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Muldrotha, the Gravetide

A much more speculative pick is Muldrotha, the Gravetide. The duals of GRN mean Sultai is a top color combination, which could bring the card into the spotlight. It has seen some nice gains in market price over the past day, up to $4 from $3.75, from a low of $3 a month ago.

Along with Golgari’s many graveyard enablers and Golgari Findbroker, which like Muldrotha also promotes a focus on permanents, it could be a great win-condition for a midrange deck. Standard aside, I also think it’s a very strong pick in the long run because of its Commander appeal.

Another Golgari card of note is Journey to Eternity. The card was somewhat hyped when spoiled, but has been completely absent competitively. Now with the return of Golgari it is seeing renewed attention, and could finally break out.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Stitcher's Supplier

The most-improved Golgari card might be Stitcher's Supplier, a fantastic enabler for undergrowth and other graveyard synergies, and a great card to sacrifice to Vraska, Golgari Queen. It was already a Modern staple, which brought its price to over $1, but over the past couple weeks has grown to over $2 on GRN hype. If it pans out, the extra demand on top of the Modern demand could send its price even higher.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Vivien Reid

Green has gotten a lot of great tools from GRN, which makes its existing cards even better. One card that is suddenly hot again is Vivien Reid. Vivien can play a part in all variety of green decks, whether it be Golgari, Selesnya, Steel Leaf Stompy, or anything in between, like Abzan.

It has grown from $8 to $9 over the past week, and from 7 tickets to over 10 online. I expect the paper price to grow another couple dollars too, and maybe even more if green becomes the dominant color in Standard.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Radiant Destiny

Goblins received enough new cards in GRN that it can form a tribal deck in Standard, which has renewed demand for cards like Siege-Gang Commander.

One of the best specs might be Radiant Destiny, which is a great anthem for a tribe with plenty of tokens to help it gain the City’s Blessing. It's up to $3.50 from $3 a month ago, but the online price doubling this week to 1.5 tickets means demand has been very high—the paper price could follow suit and grow to $5 or more.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Clifftop Retreat

One of the safest specs right now is probably lands. The best might be the Dominaria checklands, which have started to creep up in price over the past week, with Clifftop Retreat and Hinterland Harbor leading the way. The Ixalan checklands are heading up too, with Sunpetal Grove being the biggest gainer.

The past printings of these cards have been trending upwards as well. Really any checkland is fair game at this point, but those that align with the GRN shocklands are probably the best bet. That said, planning ahead for the next five shocklands being released in Ravnica Allegiance in January by buying those checklands now is likely a smart move.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Field of Ruin

Another great land to target is Field of Ruin, which is up from a $3.50 market price past $3.75 and heading towards $4. It’s a strong Standard card, and a staple of Modern. I think it has a bright future.

-Adam

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