‘Ello ladles and jellyspoons! It’s about time I start doing these spec articles as soon as I can because I will come across a trending card and think to myself, “I bet this card increases in price in the future.” and sure enough days later I see it scrolling across the daily stocks headline after it’s too late (sadly, that card was Dreadhorde Arcanist recently). With the recent Pauper announcement Wizards made we are bound to see some price movement on some highly volatile Pauper staples as a result. Without further ado I give you my recent list of specs:
[scryimg] Delver of Secrets [/scryimg]
#1. Delver of Secrets should come to no surprise for most of you if you play Pauper as Skred Delver and Mono U Delver are two of the premier decks in the format. Even though Mulldrifter is the #1 most played creature in Pauper right now, it has had enough reprints that once the announcement takes effect the increase in demand will have little effect on the abundant supply. The single real printing of Delver (making it super volatile) is the reason I feel like it will get hit hard when it does because it’s kind of the poster child of Pauper.
[scryimg] Skred [/scryimg]
#2. Skred. If my discussion of Delver and how Skred Delver is one of the premier top tier decks in the format wasn’t foreshadowing enough. Skred only has one printing. Period. From Coldsnap wayyy back in 2006.
[scryimg] Oubliette [/scryimg]
#3. Oubliette. Ah yes, Oubliette. What list would be complete without this notoriously expensive Pauper card. With the recent printing of Defile in Modern Horizons, Mono-Black Control basically got a black version of Skred which makes MBC a tasty option for people entering the format. (Am I the only one that thinks of the Labyrinth as David Bowie gazes into his crystal ball and says, “She’s in the oubliette.”?)
And now, in no particular order:
[scryimg] Guardian of the Guildpact [/scryimg]
Guardian of the Guildpact. It’s the True-Name Nemesis of the Pauper format. Mostly played in WB Pestilence and the occasional WR Weenie deck, this thing is a real pain to deal with once it resolves. It only has one printing which makes its price susceptible to a sudden uptick in demand.
[scryimg] Journey to Nowhere [/scryimg]
Journey to Nowhere. It’s the Path to Exile/Swords to Plowshares of the format. Deals with those pesky Gurmag Anglers that are too big to Sunlance. This card is already at a premium (costs over a whopping 1.00$) and only has one real printing from Zendikar.
[scryimg] Curse of the Pierced Heart [/scryimg]
Curse of the Pierced Heart. Played as a 4-of in every Pauper Burn deck, the card only has one printing, and Burn is the #1 most played deck in Pauper right now according to MTGGoldfish.
[scryimg] Quirion Ranger [/scryimg]
Quirion Ranger. Played as a 4-of in every Pauper Elves deck as well as Mono Green Stompy and Legacy Elves. Already sitting at 3$ it only has one real printing from way back in Visions, making the price even more vulnerable.
[scryimg] Goblin Grenade [/scryimg]
Maybe Goblin Grenade. Why I say maybe is because when Gobo Grenade was announced as legal we didn’t see an immediate uptick but I’m thinking once the announcement actually takes effect, people are able to play with the card, and people start losing 1/4 their life totals to a single spell then the price will spike.
[scryimg] Thraben Inspector [/scryimg]
Thraben Inspector. Only has one printing and is a linchpin in Kuldotha Boros strategies as well as WB Pestilence decks.
[scryimg] Preordain [/scryimg]
Preordain. Only has one real printing in M11 and is played in not only just Pauper but heavily in Legacy and Vintage as well. Why this made the list and Ponder and Brainstorm didn’t is because Ponder had three real printings (M10, M12, and Lorwyn) and Brainstorm has had over a dozen different reprints. When the influx of Pauper demand comes, Preordain will get hit the hardest due to its strained supply.
[scryimg] Electrickery [/scryimg]
Electrickery. This pesky little sideboard card is in every deck that can splash red for it. The amount of times this card has wiped my army of elves (usually only leaving behind a lonely Elvish Vanguard) or goblins makes me want to punt a puppy. This card is the reason I run Goblin Caves in Goblin Tremors 🙁 Due to Electrickery’s popularity and it only having one real printing in RTR, its price is subject to spiking if/when we see a huge influx in the Pauper player base. *Psst* Blazing Volley is another good option and its supply isn’t as strained.
[scryimg] Ash Barrens [/scryimg]
Ash Barrens. Played EVERYWHERE in Pauper (at least any deck playing more than one color…). Originally printed in Commander 2016 so already the supply was limited from the beginning (hence it’s 9.00$ price tag at one point). Currently sitting at 2.85$ each, buy yours now.
[scryimg] Priest of Titania [/scryimg]
Priest of Titania. Already the most expensive card in Pauper Elves sitting at 5.14$ it’s played as a 4-of every time, all the time. It has received a couple of reprints over the years but only one real printing back in Urza’s Saga. Priest of T will continue to command a high price and keep going up over time.
[scryimg] Birchlore Rangers [/scryimg]
Birchlore Rangers. A little less obvious than Priest of T but these little guys are essential for being able to cast non-green spells in the deck (think Distant Melody for card draw…). It is also played in the Legacy list and only has one printing. Only one printing ever, that’s it. I could see this card being very vulnerable.
[scryimg] Chittering Rats [/scryimg]
And lastly, Chittering Rats. Originally and only printed once in Darksteel way back in 2004. It sees play in MBC as a 4-of in every deck and I’m honestly surprised it has remained this cheap for so long.
Welp, that does it for my Pauper specs folks! If you noticed; most of the cards on the list were either essential 4-of’s in top tier decks or only had one real printing (usually both). That is a recipe for a price spike when the time comes and I just hope you’re ahead of the curve when it does.
And as always, if you’re in the market for some snazzy new sleeves be sure to cruise on over to the shop and use my discount code MADMAGIC for 15% off on your next purchase.
