There are a number of exciting new cards released that are having me chomp at the bit to play them in a Constructed setting. I've drummed up a list of the most interesting new cards in the set. I've deliberately left the Planeswalkers off the list as they're in a bit of a category of their own, and fit great in specific decks. The cards in this list are ranked not only for power, but also for their versatility, potential Johnny usefulness (this is a Johnny blog, after all), as well as their long-term monetary value. I try to keep a keen eye on the ebb and flow of card values, and that's something I'd like to integrate into this blog. Essentially, these are cards that I suggest everyone add to their collection.
(Potentially) big creatures don't come any cheaper than this. It can combo to turn your own board wipes into Phyrexian Rebirths (right down to the token), support your sacrifice shenanigans, or allow for an easy and unexpected recovery after an opponent wipes the board. Good stuff. Plus, the token for it is sweet.
$$$: Currently bulk, will stay that way. Pick up at your leisure.
Okay, get past the 6 CMC for a minute. Once it's in play, this card solves some serious problems for a lot of decks. Any build that runs out of cards toward the end of the game (I'm looking at you, red burn) can benefit from three cards a turn for cheap... not to mention the wonders it'll do in Hellbent decks. It doesn't fit into every deck, but the good it does in the decks that can use it make it worth grabbing a playset.
$$$: Incredibly cheap right now, and its prohibitive cost will keep it that way.
Some more sweet sacrifice shenanigans. Free sacrifice outlets turn this into a 9/9 for 3U (with three death triggers, if that helps), or you can just keep him around to make your opponent hesitate to attack you. And again, he handles board wipes very elegantly, and he's just a cool creature card, period.
$$$: He's hovering around 5$ a piece right now, but I'd wait for him to drop a little before picking up him up.
Sure, he doesn't give you a mass pump (or even a permanent one), and he costs mana for each activation. What he does do, however, is give you flexibility. This card is all about swinging into your opponent with your 4 1/1 tokens and seeing what he does. If he blocks, you can decide to take out his creature. Whatever he lets through will potentially cost him 5 life. This is the kind of card that creates some tough decisions for an opponent, and I personally love seeing a defending player spend 2 minutes deciding how to block. He can save your guys from burn, help you out in a fight, and let's not forget that he gives Trample as well... for 1G (no tapping, natch), his ability takes a bit of skill to utilize properly, but can be devastating.
$$$: Bulk now, will stay bulk as he isn't too competitive.
Kiki-Jiki's bearded uncle is no slouch. He obviously invites the comparison, so let's get that out of the way: he doesn't have haste, and he costs 2R to activate, which is a bit of a drag. On the upside, though, he picks up where the goblin left off, giving you access to copies from your graveyard instead of the battlefield. A creature in your graveyard is a lot harder to mess with than one that's in play, so I'll call that a plus. The fact that the tokens are artifacts is also something to take into consideration.
$$$: He's currently under 5$, and considering he doesn't combo as well as his nephew (what with the activation cost and all), he shouldn't stray too far from that mark. Still, a great addition to your collection.
Now that's what I call a redirect spell! No fuss, no muss, 3W gives you a fog that's the stuff of nightmares. Most damage redirection spells will require you to pay X or check other factors, but this one reflects everything (even burn!) for a flat fee. Sure, you don't get to choose where the damage goes, but this will cause most attackers to die, and will probably swing the game if an opponent is hoping to finish you off with a Lava Axe.
$$$: They're currently going for bulk rates so pick up your playset now. I can't see these shooting up too high in cost, but the play value they provide is well worth it.
Okay, I have to be honest. While I do love this card, I initially left her off this list because I dismissed her as a fun combo piece. Good in the right deck, but otherwise wouldn't do much. Then I remembered how much people love fetch lands, even the crappy ones. Sure, she's a combo piece, but the sheer amount of cards she works with to give you 5/3s is staggering. Zuran Orb, Scapeshift, Knight of the Reliquary, Harrow, you name it: she gives you free (free!) 5/3s to do with as you wish. The fact that a big portion of the cards she combos with are lands means you can splash her around fairly easily.
$$$: Hovering around 5$ depending where you go. I'm back-pedaling and picking her up now before people realize how many decks she actually fits in.
Whoa. Accelerates you early game like a poor man's Ingot, and helps you out late game by straight-up destroying anything. The words "Destroy target permanent" on a card are nothing to sneeze at, and while this guy costs a lot to activate, he can actually pull his weight early game. I'm going to be fitting this into more decks than I care to admit. Oh, and Rings of Brighthearth.
$$$: Bulk, will stay there. Pick up 10 so you're never swapping them between decks.
I cannot wait to pull this out on someone. She shuts down so many archetypes it's ridiculous, all for the low low cost of 1W. And she's got Flash, so to add insult to injury you can wait until your opponent spends some mana and cards before you shut him down. On the flip side of that coin, I didn't even start talking about what she enables, such as turning your Mistmeadow Witch into a fricking cannon of death.
$$$: She's holding at anywhere from 20$ to 30$ right now, and she has nowhere to go but up. If you can trade for her or if you feel like giving yourself an early Christmas present, get her now. When the dust settles on this set she will be the highest cost card by far.
Well, they did it. They printed Oblivion Ring in green. To Wizards' credit, though, they managed to wrap it up in a flavorful package. They've been pushing to fit more removal in green's color pie (and blue's, for that matter), as Beast Within, Terastodon, and the reprinting of Desert Twister go to show. This one takes the Path to Exile route by trading for some extra mana. A small price to pay to get rid of their Keranos, wouldn't you say? It even opens them up to your Forestwalkers, so it's a trade I'll gladly take.
$$$: Currently 3$. I think it'll go up a bit but I could be wrong. Either way, a playset won't set you back too much, and their versatility is worth it.
I'm sure I don't need to remind you all that this is a perfect opportunity to pick up reprints you didn't already have, or just to fill out playsets. Most of these cards are still going for half their original cost, and even if they don't reach their previous prices, they'll still go up from where they are now.
Any cards that I missed? Any hidden gems that you think will triple in cost? Leave a comment!
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