Weekly Recs - 09/30/24
A week that shook up the commander-verse!
Weekly Recs
Highlighting five cards that could be worth picking up. (Note: These are sent to subscribers first and then posted a week later)
What a week. Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Dockside Extortionist were all banned. (Nadu, we barely knew you, and no one liked you anyways). These pieces of fast mana were staples in cEDH and if anyone played them at casual tables, they became the archenemy fast. While I will not dive into my personal perspective on whether these cards should or should not have been banned, it is still worthwhile to briefly list out the financial consequences.
- The value of these cards massively dropped, and will likely drop further. Jeweled Lotus is literally unplayable in any format now, so if you want one for your collection, wait a little bit to see how far it drops.
- The financial hit local game stores took was immense. Think of the inventory they are sitting on, of these cards, that is now worth 1/3 of what it once was.
- For individual players, they saved up store credit or some money each month to buy one of these for their decks, only to have it banned the next day. They just wasted $100-$200.
This week, let us look at some cheap, oddball sources of mana that you can purchase instead of Mana Crypts, Jeweled Lotus, or Dockside Extortionist.
Liquimetal Torque
1 year ago - $1.01
Today: $1.49
With the banning of the aforementioned cards, the commander RC wants the game to slow down, which will only make 2 mana rocks like Liquimetal Torque more valuable as it now becomes a "faster" piece of mana.
The other benefit of this card is that it can turn anything into an artifact. Mono red has no answer to enchantments (outside of something like a Chaos Warp) and its removal typically is damage based. You can turn something into an artifact with Liquimetal Torque and then cast Vandalblast for 1 to destroy it!
Types of decks to put it in
- Red decks with lots of artifact hate
Inspired Tinkering
1 year ago - $0.28
Today: $0.12
Ok so Inspired Tinkering may not be considered a pure mana generating card, but I think it is a great budget impersonation of Jeska's Will. For 5 mana, you draw three and create three treasures. Not counting The List, this card has only been printed once, and I am surprised it does not see more play from the value it generates.
Types of decks to put it in
- Treasures
- Exile matters
Descent into Avernus
1 year ago - $1.97
Today: $5.62
Descent into Avernus is hands down one of my favorite cards. Every time I see it played the game gets out of control, in a good way. People have the mana to do nutty things, but the life loss keeps things in check. It accelerates the game as it forces people to act quickly because they know they are about to lose a ton of life every turn. Look at how it scales
- Rotation 1 - 2 Treasures and 2 damage
- Rotation 2 - 4 Treasures and 4 damage
- Rotation 3 - 6 Treasures and 6 damage
Multiplying that by 4 players, in three turns it creates 48 Treasures and does 48 damage. Talk about fun!
Types of decks to put it in
- Treasures
- If you want the game to go fast
Energy Tap
1 year ago - $0.21
Today: $0.32
I had never seen Energy Tap until I opened it in a pack of Dominaria United, when they slotted Legends cards into collector boosters. Because mono blue decks do not have land ramp like green or mass rituals like in black and red, they tend to run lots of artifacts. Because it is not an artifact, Energy Tap can be an afterthought in blue decks. If you have a 4 mana value commander, this is a net gain of 3, on pace with Dark Ritual! Blue also has some beefy sea creatures like Nezahal, Primal Tide, which would give you 7 mana!
Types of decks to put it in
- Mono blue with a high mana value commander
Sacrifice
1 year ago - $2.46
Today: $2.74
On the subject of rituals, Sacrifice is another card I had never seen. The same rules apply as to Energy Tap, where the higher the mana value your commander is, or other creatures are, the more you generate. And in a color where sacrificing is encouraged, this is a great sacrifice outlet that propels your game plan.
Types of decks to put it in
- Mono black
End step
With the commander RC's desire to slow down the game, people will look for cards to fill the giant holes, made by the banning, and to speed it back up. Nothing will come close, but in doing so, it will reveal some interesting, underplayed cards. Surprise your friends with some of these cards as they ask "wait, that does what now?"