Sometimes a call just has to get revised. Here's what the QS stance on the card was last week:

"This ain't Spectral Procession by a long shot, but 6 guys for 5 mana isn't a bad deal. Kicking it for 11 will likely not happen, but its nice to have the option. This seems like a worse Martial Coup, but people love cards like this so it'll probably trade in the 4-5 dollar range. Don't go out of your way to acquire them quite yet."

In that time, Star City has raised their price on it to 3 dollars, ChannelFireball's financial columnist Jeremy Fuentes has called it a sleeper (despite their price being under two dollars a card), and comparisons have been made to Cloudgoat Ranger. One material fact was overlooked when making the initial analysis of Conqueror's Pledge - Brave the Elements is a very strong card. 6 power for 5 mana is a great deal, and in most cases, having it split 6 ways is even better. Clearly, this opens up the caster to a blowout of Volcanic proportions, but with Brave the Elements, it's not nearly as risky as a turn 6 play. Now, if only we had Windbrisk Heights....

The fact is that this will probably end up as a 2x or a 3x in some white soldier decks. The kicker is outrageous and might as well be flavor text in decks like White Weenie, but the threat of Ajani Goldmane, Honor of the Pure and most importantly, Brave the Elements makes this card more than just a casual appeal. It is currently a card you should begin to acquire, while they're still cheap. The odds are good that they'll rise in price before they fall in price, but don't expect a huge spike. 2WWW makes it very difficult to play in decks other than mono white. 5-6 dollars is a good estimate for the time being. The card should be compared to Cloudgoat Ranger, as Ben Bleiweiss said on Star City, and comparing it to Martial Coup was probably just wrong. Put it on your short list of cards to acquire.

Sometimes a call just has to get revised. Here's what the QS stance on the card was last week:

"This ain't Spectral Procession by a long shot, but 6 guys for 5 mana isn't a bad deal. Kicking it for 11 will likely not happen, but its nice to have the option. This seems like a worse Martial Coup, but people love cards like this so it'll probably trade in the 4-5 dollar range. Don't go out of your way to acquire them quite yet."

In that time, Star City has raised their price on it to 3 dollars, ChannelFireball's financial columnist Jeremy Fuentes has called it a sleeper (despite their price being under two dollars a card), and comparisons have been made to Cloudgoat Ranger. One material fact was overlooked when making the initial analysis of Conqueror's Pledge - Brave the Elements is a very strong card. 6 power for 5 mana is a great deal, and in most cases, having it split 6 ways is even better. Clearly, this opens up the caster to a blowout of Volcanic proportions, but with Brave the Elements, it's not nearly as risky as a turn 6 play. Now, if only we had Windbrisk Heights....

The fact is that this will probably end up as a 2x or a 3x in some white soldier decks. The kicker is outrageous and might as well be flavor text in decks like White Weenie, but the threat of Ajani Goldmane, Honor of the Pure and most importantly, Brave the Elements makes this card more than just a casual appeal. It is currently a card you should begin to acquire, while they're still cheap. The odds are good that they'll rise in price before they fall in price, but don't expect a huge spike. 2WWW makes it very difficult to play in decks other than mono white. 5-6 dollars is a good estimate for the time being. The card should be compared to Cloudgoat Ranger, as Ben Bleiweiss said on Star City, and comparing it to Martial Coup was probably just wrong. Put it on your short list of cards to acquire.

Just a heads-up to all the QS fans out there - ManaNation.com has brought me on to cover Magic Finance for them every Thursday! Keep an eye on Twitter and the QS front page for a link, or just head over to ManaNation.com every Thursday! This week's article is an introduction to actual and expected value, and is a must-read for anyone just getting started trading buying or selling Magic cards!

The single most important concept in Magic finance, and possibly in Magic itself, is the concept of Expected Value “EV” is a term you’ll hear often when reading or discussing Magic. The concept of EV is slightly ethereal. EV is not a representation of what has happened in the past, nor is it a measure of what will happen in the future. Those are very concrete concepts, but EV is more abstract. The best way to explain this is through the analogy of the booster pack. Assuming a normal booster pack distribution of 1 rare, 3 uncommons, and 10 commons and setting aside Mythics, foils and ‘Priceless Treasures,’ any player can see where the value is generated in these packs. It comes from the Rare slot. The first thing most players do when they bust open a pack is check the rare, so let’s set aside the rest of the pack and focus only on the rare. Read the rest here.

The Fetchlands

There's not much to be said about the cycle of the Enemy Fetch Lands - they're each between 15 and 20 dollars and a majority of people will not trade them, except for other fetch lands. They'll be staples for Extended season, but unlike the ONS fetch lands, they'll be available in greater supply. The fact that they'll be needed in Standard and Extended both means you should probably just hang on to yours and not worry too much about making or losing a few bucks on them. A dollar here or there won't outweigh the hassle of finding them.

Crypt of Agadeem

Land Rare
Crypt of Agadeem enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool.
2, {T}: Add {B} to your mana pool for each black creature card in your graveyard

It takes 4 dead guys to make this a 2-mana land. Mono Black Control needed a Cabal Coffers, and despite the fact that they look similar, Crypt is not Coffers. It's a low-end rare until some sort of combo deck finds a way to stuff the 'yard and abuse it.

Emeria, The Sky Ruin

Land Rare
Emeria, the Sky Ruin enters the battlefield tapped.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control seven or more Plains, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
{T}: Add {W} to your mana pool.

Mike Flores loves this card in Martyr-Proc in 1.x, but that's about the only place it'll be useful. After seeing the whole set of ZEN, it looks like mono-white won't really be that good compared to some of the aggro red and black decks. Another low-end rare only due to its narrow scope of use.

Magosi, the Waterveil

Land Rare
Magosi, the Waterveil enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {U} to your mana pool.
{U}, {T}: Put an eon counter on Magosi, the Waterveil. Skip your next turn.
{T}, Remove an eon counter from Magosi, the Waterveil and return it to its owner's hand: Take an extra turn after this one.

Anything that says "Take An Extra Turn" can always be abused. Always. People called Time Sieve a crap rare, after all. No one's using it right now, it's not legendary, and it's cheap. It will take a combo deck to really break this card, but there has been discussion about using it in the control mirror to seal a win. It'd be good to have a few, but don't expect it to pass 5 or 6 dollars.

Oran-Rief, the Vastwood

Land Rare
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {G} to your mana pool.
{T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on each green creature that entered the battlefield this turn.

There are some mighty fine green creatures, but Green doesn't want to sacrifice its mana development for what will amount to a minor boost. It's got potential, but in most cases, Green decks can't afford the ETB tapped penalty alongside the fact that it can't add counters and make mana in the same turn. Low-end.

Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

Land Rare
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle enters the battlefield tapped.
Whenever a Mountain enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Mountains, you may have Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle deal 3 damage to target creature or player.
{T}: Add {R} to your mana pool.

Valakut suffers the same problem as Emeria does - it's extremely narrow. If M10 duals had basic land types, or Valakut counted as a Mountain, it would be significantly better, but the fact that it triggers off your 7th land of the game, at bare minimum, makes it a dangerous land to play. Mono red decks are powerful because they can make full use of their mana early to do a lot of damage, so losing a turn of mana development is probably not acceptable for a turn 7 reward.

That wraps up our Zendikar reviews! Overall, the fetch lands are propping up the average value of booster packs. Sleepers like Goblin Guide and Bloodchief Ascension are still cheap, and Ob Nixilis the Fallen is quickly gaining recognition. It's a great set to draft, and the Priceless Treasures promotion has been a huge success. As long as the quality control issues with the card stock and mis-cuts don't continue, Zendikar will remain one of the most popular sets in recent history.

Blade of the Bloodchief - 1
Artifact - Equipment Rare
Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on equipped creature. If equipped creature is a Vampire, put two +1/+1 counters on it instead.
Equip 1

For the 2 mana it costs to get this to do anything, you're better off playing a 2 drop creature, like Putrid Leech. Might not be AWFUL in a Vampire deck, but seems pretty bad.

Eldrazi Monument - 5
Artifact Mythic Rare
Creatures you control get +1/+1, have flying, and are indestructible.
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature. If you can't, sacrifice Eldrazi Monument.

Making a horde of tokens evasive, fat, and indestructible has never been a bad thing, but turn 5 might be better spent making 6 1/1 soldiers or something. It has potential, but is probably a safe bet to stay cheap. Grab a few early if you have faith in token decks again.

Eternity Vessel - 6
Artifact Mythic Rare
Eternity Vessel enters the battlefield with X charge counters on it, where X is your life total.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have your life total become equal to the number of charge counters on Eternity Vessel.
There's enough artifact hate available to make this slightly less scary, but if a control deck can resolve one with 10 life or more, the game's going to take a while. Setting a life total is considered gaining or losing life, so those triggers will apply. It's too fragile for tournament play, but EDH players are going to have an absolute BALL with this.

Artifact - Equipment Rare
Equipped creature has double strike.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, you may have target creature block it this turn if able.
Equip 4

That's an AWFUL lot of mana just to give double strike. It'll probably tear it up in Limited, but as far as constructed is concerned, ignore it.

Setting aside for a moment the earth-shattering news that old Power cards will be in select ZEN boosters, we're going to compose ourselves and discuss the remaining rares and Mythics in the set. Green has its usual batch of fatties, elves, and traps that give free creatures, so let's have a look.

Beastmaster Ascension - 2g
Enchantment Rare
Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may put a quest counter on Beastmaster Ascension.
As long as Beastmaster Ascension has seven or more quest counters on it, creatures you control get +5/+5

Conley Woods likes this card, and thinks that it'll be a sleeper or at least popular with the FNM crowd, and it seems as if he hit the nail on the head. It's a very easy condition to trip in a G/W token or Elf deck, but in most cases, Overrun will do the job better. They'll probably trade will to casual players, so you could do worse than to acquire them from Spike to sell to Timmy.

Gigantiform - 3gg
Enchantment - Aura Rare
Kicker 4
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature is 8/8 and has trample.
When Gigantiform enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, you may search your library for a card named Gigantiform, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

Get excited about another big mana aura that doesn't end the game on the spot! It's a great flavor and has a nice kicker, but it won't see any serious play.

Lotus Cobra - 1g
Creature - Snake Mythic Rare
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
2/1

Let's call Lotus Cobra what it really is - a pseudo-bear that accelerates your mana a little. Making it Mythic was a cruel joke, and 30 dollars is entirely too much for our serpentine sidekick. He's more of a 15-20 dollar card. If a combo deck that can abuse the Cobra is found in some form or another, it could justify its current price tag. Unless that happens, the Cobra is supremely over-hyped.

Nissa Revane - 2gg
Planeswalker - Nissa Mythic Rare
[+1]: Search your library for a card named Nissa's Chosen and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
[+1]: You gain 2 life for each Elf you control.
[-7]: Search your library for any number of Elf creature cards and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library
{2}

At worst, she's a 2/3 for 2GG if she dies to say, a Bolt or Pulse. That alone will keep her viable. The fact that she can pump out non-token creatures that live through fallout is very cool, and her second ability can get out of hand quickly. It's unlikely that an Elf Planeswalker will ever be worth less than 10 dollars, and that's where Nissa belongs. She could go as high as 20 but it would take inclusion in a tier 1 Standard deck for that to happen. Planeswalkers are usually predictable and stable in value so use them as currency to get the sleepers you NEED.

Oracle of Mul Daya - 3g
Creature - Elf Shaman Rare
You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
You may play the top card of your library if it's a land card.
2/2

She's too small, too fragile, and in most cases you're running her (him?) because you NEED the mana acceleration. Definitely the kind of card that makes your Limited deck ridiculous, but in constructed it will probably just end up as filler.

Predatory Urge - 3g
Enchantment - Aura Rare
Enchant creature.
Enchanted creature has "{T}: This creature deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power to this creature."

"You know what I want to do today? Invest 4 mana and a card into something that will kill itself AND the creature it's on!" Really, guys? Again, obviously nuts in your sealed pool tonight/tomorrow but its' constructed garbage. Green's really phoning it in so far.

Rampaging Baloths - 4gg
Creature - Beast Mythic Rare
Trample
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a 4/4 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.
6/6

Hot Damn! If this weren't the pre-release card, it might be worth something. 6 for a 6/6 trample that vomits out 4/4s seems good. Treat this like you treat Ob Nixilis - play him with a fetch land - and reap the benefits. It probably won't supplant Broodmate Dragon or Baneslayer Angel, but the right kind of Ramp deck would really love to have a few copies of these angry beasts.

Scute Mob - g
Creature - Insect Rare
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control five or more lands, put four +1/+1 counters on Scute Mob.
1/1

Scute Mob and Ranger of Eos make one heck of a team. Some kind of Naya Zoo deck might be in order, fetching out Scutes, Nacatl, Elite Vanguards and Goblin Guides with Ranger of Eos. The mob is only like 5 dollars right now, so keep an eye out. They have the potential to go higher. It seems that comparisons to Tarmogoyf have stifled the hype somewhat, but the synergy with the other Naya 1-drops certainly increase the stock of the bugs.

Summoning Trap - 4gg
Instant - Trap Rare
If a creature you cast this turn was countered by a spell or ability an opponent controlled, you may pay 0 rather then pay Summoning Trap's casting cost.
Look at the top seven cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

Why isn't this card getting more love? It's really not great for its 6 CMC, but as a SB card for aggro against control? You don't even need to be playing green if it's in your sideboard. If you have at least 20 creatures in your deck, you'll see a free guy most of the time. Most aggro decks run at least that many. Most poeple don't seem to think this is good so it is a good sleeper candidate to pick up early.

Terra Stomper - 3ggg
Creature - Beast Rare
Terra Stomper can't be countered.
Trample
8/8

Big, dumb, and uncounterable means nothing when we have this level of spot-removal available. He's not good. At all.

Turntimber Ranger - 3gg
Creature - Elf Scout Ally Rare
Whenever Turntimber Ranger or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on Turntimber Ranger.

He's not awful. Despite the fact that he dies in response to his own trigger if they have a fallout, sometimes he'll just be a 3/3 and a 2/2 for 3GG. The problem is, he's the only really good Ally. It should be noted that if you play Conspiracy, naming Ally, and then play a Turntimber Ranger, you get an infinite loop. Conspiracy makes ALL CREATURES you control the chosen type, so the Wolf token becomes an Ally token. We'll see what comes of this.

Winners: Lotus Cobra, even if it IS over-hyped, Nissa Revane
Sleepers: Summoner's Trap, Scute Mob

Red in Zendikar has a lot of interesting, flavorful cards. It contains one of the most aggressive creatures you've ever seen, a second printing of Chandra, and the fabled "The Land Continues To Burn" card.

Chandra Ablaze - 4rr
Planeswalker - Chandra Mythic Rare
[+1]: Discard a card. If a red card is discarded this way, Chandra Ablaze deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
[-2]: Each player discards his or her hand, then draws three cards.
[-7]: Cast any number of target red instant and/or sorcery cards from your graveyard without paying their mana costs.
{5}

Starting off with a bang, the new Chandra is one powerhouse of a Planeswalker. Her ultimate is a game-ender, her -2 ability is both an epic discard spell and a big reload for RDW, and her +1 ability is a Flame Javelin. She's already big money, so she's not a "good investment", but if RDW becomes a real deck and needs a finisher and a reload button, she could see a slight price increase. Overall she'll probably hover between 10 and 15 big ones.

Electropotence - 2r
Enchantment Rare
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 2{R}. If you do, that creature deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player

Pandemonium was awesome because it was a free trigger. Electropotence asks a red deck to spend 3 mana and a card to do nothing, and another 3 mana to maybe squeak out a few extra damage. Great name, great flavor, terrible card. Bulk.

Elemental Appeal - rrrr
Sorcery Rare
Kicker 5 (You may pay an additional 5 as you cast this spell)
Put a 7/1 red Elemental creature token with trample and haste onto the battlefield. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step. If Elemental Appeal was kicked, that creature gets +7/+0 until end of turn.

Is Ball Lightning played right now? No. Then why would this be? Well, we have Goblin Guide, Ball Lightning, Hell's Thunder, Zektar Shrine Expedition, and this card here. We also have Bolt, Fallout, Pyroclasm, and the new Shock/Flame Javelin hybrid. It's conceivable to think that with Fae and Forgetender gone, this kind of ridiculous sligh could really take off. Run 8 fetch lands to thin the deck and trigger Zektar Shrine Expedition, and there might be a contender. Testing is needed to see if the deck is any good, and even so, Elemental Appeal has an extremely narrow use. If you like RDW and Sligh kind of decks, grab the cheap playset now in case they start being worth a couple bucks each.

Goblin Guide - r
Creature - Goblin Scout Rare
Haste
Whenever Goblin Guide attacks, defending player reveals the top card of his or her library. If it's a land card, that player puts it into his or her hand.
2/2

We discussed this earlier, but it bears repeating. This card is the stone cold NUTS. A 2/2 haste for 2 is always "good enough", and the card is designed in such a way as to ensure that the opponent is likely dead before the drawback matters. Path to Exile put the land INTO PLAY and it's good enough. This card is probably one of the best in the set, if not one of the best in the format, and it should be worth WELL over the 5 dollars for which it's pre-selling.

Hellkite Charger - 4rr
Creature - Dragon Rare
Flying, haste
Whenever Hellkite Charger attacks, you may pay 5{R}{R}. If you do, untap all creatures you control and after this phase, there is an additional combat phase.
5/5

Simply fantastic flavor, and we predict that the art is going to be mouth-wateringly awesome too. Sadly, he's the Ron to Broodmate Dragon's Fred and George Weasley, so he won't see competitive play. Feel free to Live the Dream in casual or EDH though.

Kazuul Warlord - 4r
Creature - Minotaur Warrior Ally Rare
Whenever Kazuul Warlord or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a +1/+1 counter on each Ally creature you control.
On expeditions, minotaurs are worth their weight in gold. Fortunately for the paymasters, most minotaurs don't know how much they weigh.
3/3

A real Minotaur is worth his weight in gold. A cardboard one isn't worth the stock he's printed on. The Ally tribe just doesn't seem good, and he's no exception. Bulk.

Lavaball Trap - 6rr
Instant - Trap Rare
If an opponent had two or more lands enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay 3{R}{R} rather than pay Lavaball Trap’s mana cost.
Destroy two target lands. Lavaball Trap deals 4 damage to each creature.

Clearly a blowout against an aggro deck using fetch lands, this card is so ridiculously cheap that it might be worth socking away a set or two just in case. The odds that it ends up being playable are low, but they are there. Sam Stoddard seems to like the card, as well as a number of other talented players. The potential is there, but it's far from a sure thing. Keep it on your radar.

Obsidian Fireheart - 1rrr
Creature - Elemental Mythic Rare
1{R}{R}: Put a blaze counter on target land without a blaze counter on it. For as long as that land has a blaze counter on it, it has "At the beginning of your upkeep, this land deals 1 damage to you." (The land continues to burn after Obsidian Fireheart has left the battlefield.)
4/4

The best flavor ever, and a serious annoyance in an EDH deck, Obsidian Fireheart is too slow for Standard. If you can get him online, the damage will quickly add up but the fact is, 3 mana is a lot for a red deck to spend without getting 3 damage up front or clearing the board. Probably going to end up a low-end Mythic that remains popular with casual players.

Pyromancer Ascension - 1r
Enchantment Rare
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that has the same name as a card in your graveyard, you may put a quest counter on Pyromancer Ascension.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell while Pyromancer Ascension has two or more quest counters on it, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for that copy.

That's an awful lot of work to get a few free spells. The payoff is huge, but red decks aren't known for their ability to find multiple copies of the same spell easily. The red quest that vomits out a 7/1 haste guy is better by far.

Warren Instigator - rr
Creature - Goblin Berserker Mythic Rare
Double Strike
Whenever Warren Instigator deals damage to an opponent, you may put a Goblin creature card from your hand onto the battlefield.
1/1

This poor fellow went from Zendikar's Next Top Model to Persona Non Grata in a heartbeat. He's only preselling at 10 dollars now, but it's clear that Goblin Guide is the real star of the tribe. There's just not enough tribal support to make him good, so if you can get 10-15 in trade, do so.

Winners: Goblin Guide
Sleepers: Elemental Appeal, Lavaball Trap

Courtesy of Evan Erwin, who made a phone call as I did to verify for himself:

"Spoke with someone at Kidforce Collectables in Ohio.

I believe him. This is real.

Some questions I asked:

Why put it in a sleeve?

He wasn't thinking about being called a liar, he was thinking "Oh my God, this card is valuable and there are a lot of kids here at the store" etc.

Does it looked "newly" reprinted, or "repackaged"?

He says it is DEFINITELY repackaged, as the printing is noticeably lighter (as you would expect with Antiquities cards) and he would mark it as "Near Mint" meaning there were still a few imperfections present.

I asked him to go on the record for the Magic Show this week (it's going to be late as hell anyway), and he refrained. With all of this attention, he's now afraid of Wizards coming down with the smack, either legal-wise or punishing the store for opening packs in some fashion.

FWIW he said he _would_ talk to me tomorrow after speaking with Wizards, but that's way after press time and doesn't help.

This is real boys. Holy crap."

Moving on to black, we start to see a few of the more powerful cards the set has to offer. Black has a lot of fun Vampire-themed cards that are sure to be a hit with casual players, so there might be more "Timmy Rares" than the other colors.

Bala Ged Thief - 3b
Creature - Human Rogue Ally Rare
Whenever Bala Ged Thief or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, target player reveals a number of cards from his or her hand equal to the number of Allies you control. You choose one of them. That player discards that card.
2/2

We liked this card better when it was Uncommon, a Faerie, and cost a mana less. That card never saw tournament play, and its likely this won't either. Bulk!

Blood Tribute - 4bb
Sorcery Rare
Kicker - Tap an untapped Vampire you control. (You may tap a Vampire you control in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.)
Target player loses half his or her life, rounded up. If Blood Tribute was kicked, you gain life equal to the life lost this way.

Kicked, this card will win you the game outright with Sanguine Bond on the table. The combo is too fragile and slow for constructed, but there will surely be casual players who try to build it. Sanguine Bond will probably gain a small amount of value, as will this. It's not a tournament card, but it will likely be popular enough to trade well.

Bloodchief Ascension - b
Enchantment Rare
At the beginning of each end step, if an opponent lost 2 or more life this turn, you may put a quest counter on Bloodchief Ascension. (Damage causes loss of life.)
Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, if Bloodchief Ascension has three or more quest counters on it, you may have that player lose 2 life. If you do, you gain 2 life.

Oh. Baby. Anyone who doesn't think this card is at least "very good" doesn't understand the concept of incremental advantage. Combining this card with Goblin Guide, Volcanic Fallout, Sign in Blood, Blightning, Lightning Bolt, and the other all-stars of the Jund shard leads to a punishingly aggressive deck with serious staying power. The truth of this card is that if they do not deal with it, they lose to it. It's status as a 1-drop means that your opponent will likely spend an entire turn casting something like Maelstrom Pulse while you continue to beat down. The bottom line is, Bloodchief Ascension has the power to be a format-defining card and they're criminally underpriced just about everywhere. Get on board sooner rather than later.

Bloodghast - bb
Creature - Vampire Spirit Rare
Bloodghast can't block.
Bloodghast has haste as long as an opponent has 10 life or less.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may return Bloodghast from your graveyard to the battlefield.
2/1

The fact that it can't block makes it a totally different card than something like Nether Spirit. It just might not be "good enough" in the current Standard format, where 2/2s with Haste cost a single red mana, but it has the potential to be strong. Keep a close eye out to see if decks start using these, and acquire your playset at the first sign.

Guul Draz Specter - 2bb
Creature - Specter Rare
Flying
Guul Draz Specter gets +3/+3 as long as an opponent has no cards in hand.
Whenever Guul Draz Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
2/2

The bizzaro Hellbent ability on Guul Draz Specter solves the problem of his older brothers, and he has potential, but paying 4 for a 2/2 that doesn't do anything when he hits play is not exactly what Black wants. It would almost be better as a 1/1 for 1BB, but a 2/2 for 4 is what we got. It might have some potential but it's more than likely not going to be heavily used.

Halo Hunter - 2bbb
Creature - Demon Rare
Intimidate (This creature can’t be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.)
When Halo Hunter enters the battlefield, destroy target Angel.
6/3

This card seems to be the winner of the "How can we make this less relevant?" contest? 1) It costs 3 of a single color to play. 2) It's adorable little triggered ability will almost never be relevant because Baneslayer Angel lives to smite this guy. You might get lucky and kill a Luminarch Ascension token though! Great Job! 3) 5 mana. 3 toughness. You do the math. He'd be SO much more playable as a 6/4, 5/5, or heck, even a 5/4. But no, he just sucks up a Bolt and the game goes on. What a waste.

Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - 5bb
Legendary Creature - Vampire Warrior Mythic Rare
{B}{B}{B}, {T}: Destroy target creature. If that creature is put into a graveyard this way, put a black Vampire creature token onto the battlefield. Its power is equal to that creature's power and its toughness is equal to that creature's toughness.
5/5

Limited bomb, EDH fun, constructed trash. There's just not much else to be said about the king of the Vampires. His ascension is far more interesting than his reign.

Malakir Bloodwitch - 3bb
Creature - Vampire Shaman Rare
Flying, protection from white
When Malakir Bloodwitch enters the battlefield, each opponent loses life equal to the number of Vampires you control. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.
4/4

Did you know that "Malakir" means "I don't scoop to Baneslayer anymore!"in the Zulu language? It's true! The fact that the 'witch doesn't die to Bolt, Fallout, Path or Doom Blade is enough to make her a successful finisher in a dedicated Vampire deck, but she's really fine in ANY deck that runs almost exclusively black cards. Don't get caught up playing sub-optimal cards to trip her ETB trigger - it's just a bonus to having a 4/4 flying Pro-White guy for 5. They're only three bucks, so getting a set now could be smart.

Ob Nixilis, the Fallen - 3bb
Legendary Creature - Demon Mythic Rare
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have target player lose 3 life. If you do, put three +1/+1 counters on Ob Nixilis, the Fallen.
3/3

Let's take a moment and forget about the Magical Christmasland Scenario where you have 3 Fetch Lands, a Harrow, and a Warp World and talk about the worst-case scenario. After all, he IS a 3/3 for 5. Not so fast. First and foremost - he costs 5 mana. He is NOT a 5-drop. If you play him without a fetchland in hand, you are -wrong-. In this scenario, you play Ob Nix, retain priority, play a fetch land. They can't Bolt him with the trigger on the stack, because you'll just fetch a land and trigger him to a 6/6 again. Even if they have a Path to Exile, you still trade 5 mana for 6 damage and one of their cards. Hardly an unfavorable trade! Remember, that's really the -worst- case scenario. 5 mana. 6 damage. They lose a Path to Exile. That seems fine. A more common scenario is that they waste their removal on guys like Putrid Leech and try desperately to keep Quest for the Gravelord, Vampire Lacerator and Bloodchief Ascension from killing them, and you just end the game with a 9/9 who double-bolts their face. There's a whole lot to like about Ob Nixilis, so as long as you temper your expectations, he will do very good things for you and your deck. Star City wants 8 per copy, and Ebay is looking to be about 5 per. If he's used in any deck, he'll be worth twice that.

Sadist
ic Sacrament - bbb
Sorcery Rare
Kicker 7 (You may pay an additional 7 as you cast this spell.)
Search target player's library for up to three cards, exile them, then that player shuffles his or her library. If Sadistic Sacrament was kicked, instead search that player's library for up to fifteen cards, exile them, then that player shuffles his of her library.

So let's just assume you don't have 10 free mana just kicking around. If you did, why not just cast a Cruel Ultimatum or something? Let's say you only have BBB to play this. For another mana, you get all FOUR copies of the offending card, you get it from their hand too, and you might get some bonus damage. No one plays Thought Hemmorhage these days, so why would they play this? Kicked it still doesn't win you the game. Why not just pay 5 mana for Haunting Echoes? This card is awful.

Sorin Markov - 3bbb
Planeswalker - Sorin Mythic Rare
[+2]: Sorin Markov deals 2 damage to target creature or player and you gain 2 life.
[-3]: Target opponent's life total becomes 10.
[-7]: You control target player's next turn.
{4}

He's expensive, his +2 ability is sweet, his -3 ability is sweeter, and his -7 is ridiculous. He's already double-digits because, well, that's what Planeswalkers do these days, so its unlikely that you'll make any money on Sorin Markov. We'll leave it to the strategy writers to figure out if he goes in a deck or not, but unless he's the lynchpin of a deck like Mono Black Control, he'll probably just hang out with the other Planeswalkers at around 10 dollars.

Winners: Bloodchief Ascension, Ob Nixilis the Fallen
Sleepers: Bloodghast, Malakir Bloodwitch

Moving right along to Blue, now!

Archive Trap - 3uu
Instant - Trap Rare
If an opponent searched his or her library this turn, you may pay 0 rather than pay Archive Trap's mana cost.
Target opponent puts the top thirteen cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

People love their Mill cards. We all know it's a hilarious combo with Bloodchief Ascension, but in general, Mill cards suck. They are always worth a little bit of money, so trade them to "that guy" at your store who just can't stop trying to get Jace to 10 counters.

Archmage Ascension - 2u
Enchantment Rare
At the beginning of each end step, if you drew two or more cards this turn, you may put a quest counter on Archmage Ascension.
As long as Archmage Ascension has six or more quest counters on it, if you would draw a card, you may instead search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, then shuffle your library.

It's just too much to ask for. Six turns of drawing 2 cards a turn is a LOT, and you're just asking to get nuked by a hexhunter or a Maelstrom Pulse. Just not good enough, bulk rare.

Cosi's Trickster - u
Creature - Merfolk Rare*
Whenever an opponent shuffles his or her library, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Cosi's Trickster.
1/1

There is some confusion as to the rarity of this card. If it is only uncommon, it will still be worth a buck or two, but as a rare, it is criminally underpriced. Keep an eye here for confirmation of the rarity.

Lorthos, the Tidemaker - 5uuu
Legendary Creature - Octopus Mythic Rare
Whenever Lorthos, the Tidemaker attacks, you may pay 8. If you do, tap up to eight target permanents. Those permanents don't untap during their controllers' next untap steps.
8/8

Despite being the baddest octopod on Zendikar, the fact of the matter is that Lorthos the Calamari King just ain't really a good card. He'll own the table in Limited, make mortal enemies in EDH, but won't be worth his weight in Marinara sauce in Constructed. Bulk Mythic.

Lullmage Mentor - 1uu
Creature - Merfolk Wizard Rare
Whenever a spell or ability you control counters a spell, you may put a 1/1 blue Merfolk creature token onto the battlefield.
Tap seven untapped Merfolk you control: Counter target spell.
2/2

Sad times for the Lullmage. There just aren't enough good counterspells in Zendikar. The idea of paying 2UU to counter a creature and get a 2/2 and a 1/1 is appealing, but frankly, there just aren't enough good counterspells going around. Revising our position to "meh". That's the technical term - "meh".

Mindbreak Trap - 2uu
Instant - Trap Mythic Rare
If an opponent cast three or more spells this turn, you may pay 0 rather than pay Mindbreak Trap's mana cost.
Exile any number of target spells.

It stops Banefire, Fallout, and Enlisted Ultimatum. It can stop storm combo in all formats. It's sometimes even free in Standard. This card is important, and will unfortunately clock in around 15-20 dollars. This should NOT have been Mythic. That was a major mistake. Be that as it may, get a set and sit on them, and mortgage your house for a foil copy. Vintage players might be interested in such an item.

Rite Of Replication - 2uu
Sorcery Rare
Kicker 5 (You may pay an additional 5 as you cast this spell.)
Put a token that is a copy of target creature onto the battlefield. If Rite Of Replication was kicked, instead put five of those tokens onto the battlefield.

No one played clone, and adding 5 to the cost isn't going to change that. An absolute beating in EDH, but a bulk rare everywhere else.

Roil Elemental - 3uuu
Creature - Elemental Rare
Flying
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may gain control of target creature for as long as you control Roil Elemental.
3/2

Too expensive, too small, too fragile. The effect is huge but the fact that he's only a 2-toughness 6-drop is a real dealkiller. Bulk.

Sea Gate Loremaster - 4u
Creature - Merfolk Wizard Ally Rare
{T}: Draw a card for each Ally you control.
"He's a living library. He remembers everything our band of explorers has seen, and we can use that to our advantage."
- Zahr Gada, Halimar expedition leader
1/3

Sea Gate Loremaster wins the award of Most Insipid Flavor Text in a new set. It's got two cliches - "living library" and "band of explorers", and uses these two cliches to set up the most droll, understated conclusion possible. The only reason this is relevant is because nothing else about Sea Gate Loremaster IS. Every time you open one in a booster, punch yourself in the kidney because the pain will make you forget how bad this bulk rare truly is.

Sphinx of Jwar Isle - 4uu
Creature - Sphinx Rare
Flying, shroud
You may look at the top card of your library.(You may do this at any time)
5/5

What a neat little card. It probably won't find a home in any constructed decks, but it could be worth a buck or two to the right Timmy or EDH guy. A foil copy belongs in every blue EDH deck.

Sphinx of Lost Truths - 3uu
Creature - Sphinx Rare
Kicker 1{U} (You may pay an additional 1{U} as you cast this spell)
Flying
When Sphinx of Lost Truths enters the battlefield, draw three cards. Then if it wasn't kicked, discard three cards.
3/5

Someone on a forum compared this to Mulldrifter, but clearly missed the point of the Flying Fish. A decent sized body with evasion and card selection for 5 mana is a fined deal, and the kicker makes it very appealing late-game. Still, it suffers from the "worse than Baneslayer and Broodmate" issue. Blue is hard-up for card draw right now, but not THIS hard-up. Bulk.

Winners: Mindbreak Trap
Sleepers: Cosi's Trickster (if it is indeed rare).

We've got it all! All 249 cards of the new powerhouse out of Renton, WA have been spoiled and what a set it has turned out to be. Without any delay, let's get to analyzing the rares and mythics and figure out where your money should be. These are preliminary predictions, so keep an eye out for changes in position as people start playing with the cards.

Armament Master - WW
Creature - Kor Soldier Rare
Other Kor creatures you control get +2/+2 for each Equipment attached to Armament Master.
2/2

A 2/2 for WW usually gets you at least first strike. He seems to take a lot of work to give bonus to an underwhelming tribe. Someone will want these on Friday, but it won't be you. Low-end rare.

Celestial Mantle - 3www
Enchantment - Aura Rare
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double its controller's life total.

Yawn! Timmy Trade Fodder. It's a 6-mana Aura that will win you the game in Limited, but sadly it's not constructed playable. Get what you can for it.

Conqueror's Pledge - 2www
Sorcery Rare
Kicker 6
Put six 1/1 white Kor Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield. If Conqueror's Pledge was kicked, put twelve 1/1 white Kor Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield instead.

This ain't Spectral Procession by a long shot, but 6 guys for 5 mana isn't a bad deal. Kicking it for 11 will likely not happen, but its nice to have the option. This seems like a worse Martial Coup, but people love cards like this so it'll probably trade in the 4-5 dollar range. Don't go out of your way to acquire them quite yet.

Day of Judgment - 2ww
Sorcery Rare
Destroy all creatures.

You already know what to think about Wrath - Bomb, Stud, $15 card.

Devout Lightcaster - www
Creature - Kor Cleric Rare
Protection from black
When Devout Lightcaster enters the battlefield, exile target black permanent.
2/2

Great SB card against all those mono black decks people seem to be so enamored with. It'll likely just be a role-player, so a cheap playset might come in handy. Then again, its triple white to cast, so don't exactly seek them out.

Emeria Angel - 2ww
Creature - Angel Rare
Flying
Landfall—Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control,
you may put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying into the battlefield.
3/3

Now here's a constructed-worthy card. If she survives a few turns, she can start to take over the board. The fact that she doesn't take a dirt nap when Fallout shows up is very important, and a 3/3 flier for 4 is never "bad". Should start at 5, and has the chance to head higher if a G/W landfall deck with Knight of the Reliquary comes to be.

Felidar Sovereign - 4ww
Creature - Cat Beast Mythic Rare
Vigilance, lifelink
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 40 or more life, you win the game.
4/6

Oddly enough, the best way to get to 40 life in Standard right now is Baneslayer Angel. If she connects four times, you're probably going to win anyway. It's pretty bad, but it has a whole load of EDH and Timmy appeal, so it should trade nicely at first. Get what you can for it and leverage its mythic rarity.

Iona, Shield of Emeria - 6www
Legendary Creature - Angel Mythic Rare
Flying
As Iona, Shield of Emeria enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Your opponents can't cast spells of the chosen color.
7/7

Overrated like crazy. It's a heck of an ability against a mono color deck, but with mana bases being so good, why play mono? It seems like a nice reanimation target until you realize how little reanimation there is these days. It's a legendary angel, so it'll probably hover between 8 and 10 dollars even if no one plays it. Remember Jenara, Asura of War? Same deal.

Kabira Evangel - 2w
Creature - Human Cleric Ally Rare
Whenever Kabira Evangel or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you may choose a color. If you do, Allies you control gain protection from the chosen color until end of turn.
2/3

If there were allies with Flash, this card could really get nasty. Protection is one of the best abilities in Magic, but in this case, all it really does is act like a Falter. At the moment, the Alliance seems to be weak, but keep an eye on this guy. He could have a role somewhere.

Luminarch Ascension - 1w
Enchantment Rare
At the beginning of each opponent's end step, if you didn't lose life this turn, you may put a quest counter on Luminarch Ascension. (Damage causes loss of life)
1{W}: Put a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying onto the battlefield. Activate this ability only if Luminarch Ascension has four or more quest counters on it.

This card was an early favorite that has slowly been falling from grace. It's looking harder and harder to go four opposing turns without taking so much as a Bolt to the face, especially since aggressive decks come out so strong and so fast. The quest condition takes work, as opposed to cards like Bloodchief Ascension which are natural, so get a set of these on the cheap if you can and sit on them. You might still hit gold.

World Queller - 3ww
Creature - Avatar Rare
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may choose a card type. If you do, each player sacrifices a permanent of that type.
4/4

A lot of players seem to like him, but his ability is just not relevant quickly enough. Baneslayer Angel completely trumps at 3WW, and the ability to nuke opposing Planeswalkers just doesn't stack up to a 5/5 flying first striking lifelinker. These should trade well on opening day, but realize that they likely have no long term value.

Winners: Day of Judgment
Sleepers: Emeria Angel, Luminarch Ascension

While we're about 70 cards away from a full set reveal, enough of Zendikar has been spoiled to start making some decisions and pre-ordering cards. Remember, pre-orders carry extra risk due to the unpredictable nature of spoiler season. Before ordering a card that's not an official spoiler, consider carefully your risks. We'll do a comprehensive review of each rare and mythic in the set when all are revealed, but for now we'll just touch on a few early favorites in each color.

Obviously an instant classic. Pre-sales are at 15 dollars and that seems about right. It's got an outside shot at 20, but could just as well sink to 10 if the decks that run it aren't good enough. Regardless, you'll be playing this card for the next two years so secure a set at a good price and sit on it.

She's got a lot of potential. These days, 4-drops need to own the board or generate card advantage, and while the fragile Angel is still in Bolt range, she remains dangerous as long as she's on the board. Possibly not good enough, but keep an eye out.

If counterspells are viable, he will be good. His synergy with the new Force Spike-Negate hybrid is also enviable, but don't play Cancel just to get a free token. They're so ridiculously cheap right now that it would make sense to snag a few sets, just in case.

Mindbreak Trap is going to be a very important card. The ability to counter a Bloodbraid Elf on the draw is nice, and the ability to stop an Enlisted or Bituminous Ultimatum is also great. Foils of this new Legacy and Vintage powerhouse will be worth entirely too much money, so if your play group is mostly Standard players, load up on the foil and sell it to a Vintage player. 18-20 dollars seems high for this card, but it just might not come down. It shouldn't go much higher than 20, so don't rush to finish your set.

If the spoiler is correct, which it most likely is, this card is really ridiculous. It's got all the right things - a low CMC, a non-creature type, an easy and natural quest condition, and a game-breaking effect once the condition is met. It's got great synergy with Lightning Bolt, Bloodbraid Elf, Goblin Guide, and it is a natural partner with Blightning - which turns into Cruel Ultimatum. Combo decks with this and the Archive Trap will probably not be Tier 1, but if there is some sort of way to tutor up a quest, it's a possibility. This is up there with Goblin Guide as a big-time sleeper. It's a perfect one-drop for an aggressive deck, and will utterly dominate the mirror. Your Maelstrom Pulses just got another Bitterblossom to shoot down. Why this isn't already selling for 40/set is baffling, but take the opportunity while they're cheap.

People are trying to do too much with Landfall. Yes, it's an instant win with Warp World, we all know that. But most of the time, Warp World is a win when it resolves ANYWAY! The appropriate way to play Ob Nixilis is to treat him as if his 2nd cost is playing a fetch land in the same turn . That way, a single Lightning Bolt doesn't blow you out. In a deck with 10+ fetch lands, this should not be difficult. The biggest question is how to build the rest of the deck - do you go for Cobra Ramp and Harrow? Or just use him as a finisher in some sort of Black/X aggro deck? Either way, he's got power in spades and doesn't die to everything. Keep a keen eye on this Mythic ex-Planeswalker. He could be better than you think.

This shouldn't need to be said, but here it is. Would you play a 2/2 for [R]? Sure would. How about one with HASTE? No doubt, it's better than any other 1-drop Red has had, except maybe Figure of Destiny. So what about if you added on a drawback that let your opponent draw a card half the time it attacked...? Still good. Sligh decks care about dealing the most damage as fast as possible, not grinding out incremental advantage. The bottom line is, the information they get isn't terribly important when they're being shocked every turn from the word "go". They're pre-selling for less than 5 dollars a card, which is totally insane, and if you haven't pre-ordered a set, you need to.

Those are just a few early picks for now. More to come later!

Today, a special treat for QS readers. Fan, reader, and fellow writer Chris Dube has kindly submitted an article about Legacy for your reading pleasure. Take a moment and read what this newcomer to the Magic journalism world has to say. We promise you'll love his engaging, personable style. Leave your feedback in the comments below, including whether or not you'd like to see more guest writers on QS.com.

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"Why should I play Legacy?" OMG, are you serious? Legacy is a smorgasbord of the greatest hits of Magic. Well…excluding the restricted titans of lore, such as Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, and the Moxen for those born after 1993. When it comes to nostalgia and newbies, you have it all right at your fingertips with a single format. Legacy. Can it be this good? Slap yourself later.

Enjoy stifling a Phyrexian Dreadnought into play and watching the carnage? How about going Natural Order, Progenitus, Good Freaking Game. Does Counterbalance plus Sensei’s Divining Top trip your trigger? You can play just about any deck imaginable under Magic's sun. Want to burn and turn? Play the ultimate Naya Zoo list. Don’t like casting spells much? Go Dredge. Control? Planeswalkers, Crucible of Worlds, Force of Will, and Standstill say "Hell Yes!" Thought Combo Elves was broken in Extended? You ain’t seen nothing yet. 43 lands in a deck? Sure, why not? There are so many playable, competitive decks in legacy the possibilities are endless. This format has something exceedingly fun for every type of player, but what about the cost?

Legacy is actually far more affordable than most people imagine. Yes, a complete set of the original duals now costs a cool grand or more depending upon their condition. Fetches, Forces, and Goyfs…oh my! Many older cards break the 10-20 dollar range, yet so do many standard legal cards that may have no legitimate reason for the price to begin with. I’m looking at you, Great Sable Stag. The most common problem for Legacy newcomers is the initial investment required. Most forlorn souls cry "it's too expensive"! What these people fail to realize is that Standard is just as expensive. Two popular standard decks from this past qualifier season were 5C Control and Merfolk. Their cost? 5 Color Control on average was 250 dollars depending on sideboard and The Baneslayer Question. Merfolk was about 215 dollars to construct. Just about every competative Standard deck was in that price range or higher. Let's compare that to a few Legacy decks.

Naya Zoo

4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Kird Ape
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Woolly Thoctar
2 Sylvan Library
3 Fireblast
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path To Exile
1 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Chain Lightning
1 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Bloodstained Mire
3 Horizon Canopy
2 Plateau
1 Savannah
3 Taiga
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills

Total cost=$475

Counter Top Thresh

4 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Vedalken Shackles
4 Dark Confidant
2 Sower Of Temptation
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Trygon Predator
4 Counterbalance
4 Brainstorm
3 Daze
4 Force Of Will
1 Krosan Grip
4 Swords To Plowshares
2 Ponder
2 Island
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
4 Underground Sea

Total cost=$750

Merfolk/Fish

4 Wasteland
4 Mutavault
13 Islands
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Silvergill adept
4 Cursecatcher
3 Wake thrasher
4 Force of will
4 Standstill
4 Aether vial
3 Daze
3 Stifle
2 Umezawa's Jitte

Total cost=$275

You can play the Merfolk deck in Legacy for basically what it costs to play the higher-end Standard decks. Wait two years, when Standard flushes half or more of your chase rares down the tube and you'll have spent the same on a Counter Top Thresh list. Somewhere in the middle, after a year or so, you’ve invested the same in Standard as it would take to assemble Naya Zoo. In the end, if you play competitive Standard Magic for over two years, you could’ve built any Legacy list instead plus potentially more. A key note here - Legacy never rotates, so unless Magic goes the way of the Dodo, its staples will always go up in value. In terms of Magic, Legacy is a safe investment.

But, there are so many old cards! How am I even going to FIND all these old cards? Aren't the cards harder to find? Yes and no - If you have access to the internet and a bank account, you can easily use the myriad of online shops to order everything your little heart desires. This is the best and cheapest way. Lacking one or both of the two aforementioned items, the local level is where your quest begins. Things can get tricky from here. In most metropolitan areas, you can find dealers or older generation players who will have what you seek. Not the case for you? Live on the southern frontier of Antarctica, or in Wyoming? Plan on making a trip to the largest Magic event nearest you and hope there are enough traders around to fulfill your 75 card quota. Try an event for an older format as well. Limited and Standard events below GP size or larger will not have what you want. Be careful trading at these bigger events. They can be filled with sharks. Make sure you do some research like reading this site and know the value of your cards and the ones you want. In Magic trading, knowing is all the battle and half the war.

Being a Legacy player has never been better. Wizards is printing cards you need, like enemy fetches in Zendikar and prize support is pretty darn good. StarCityGames unveiled its 5K tournament series this year. Wizards has had at least one GP dedicated to Legacy each of the past two years, and there is no sign that’s going to stop anytime soon. With these large organizations supporting Legacy the player base should grow and in turn help local events become more viable. More players means more tournaments which means more prizes. Overall, the format is healthy, open, powerful enough to be interesting, and well-supported. While it might be tough to qualify for the Pro Tour by Legacy alone, the format is a great investment in the game we all love and a great adventure for anyone who loves Magic. You can play cards from your youth alongside today's big hits, and you can rest assured that almost every card you use will retain its value for the long haul.

Chris Dube is a Magic-playing American Ex-Pat from Wisconsin who is making a living teaching English to Koreans overseas. He's been loving Legacy and long walks on Dominarian beaches since 1997 and once, he even won a real Mox Ruby at a Legacy tournament!