‘Ello ladles and jellyspoons! So I’ve been compiling a list of random cards for various reasons. Some are super cheap underrated pickups, others are random specs, and one in particular is because I goofed. So here they are:
[scryimg] Splinter Twin [/scryimg]
Splinter Twin. Ahhhhhh yissss. We just saw SFM come off the banned list and maybe there will come a day where they decide to set Twin free. If they do, wouldn’t you rather have your playset already? For about 5$ each you’re not out a whole lot to just sit on a playset even if that day never comes. I don’t think it’s too crazy to say that someday we might see Twin get unbanned.
[scryimg] Viashino Heretic [/scryimg]
Viashino Heretic. This is my guy. In Commander he is a *blast* blowing up artifacts left and right and burning their controllers for playing them! 1.50$ is a criminally low price for how fun this no-fun card is. Be careful though, you become public enemy #1 at the table in a hurry when you play him so use his ability sparingly and politically when you do.
[scryimg] veil of summer [/scryimg]
Veil of Summer. This one is on today’s list for a different reason: I goofed! I saw the card, read people’s opinions in the comment section, said to myself, “meh, could be good…”, and moved on. I didn’t give it much consideration after that. Mistake 😩 It was until I was at the Legacy MCQ at GP Vegas that as I was looking around I saw a bunch of these cards physically being played before my very eyes. It was then when I realized I messed up. This is already a 4.50$ uncommon and it sees ZERO play in Standard. Yikes! That means all the demand driving the price of this card comes from Modern and Legacy. This card is from a Standard legal set that is still being sold in big box stores and being drafted on occasion which means M20 stuff isn’t in low supply. Who ever had the foresight to buy a bunch of these when they were still 0.30$ good on you because I slept on the card big time.
[scryimg] vampiric link [/scryimg]
Vampiric Link. On this list right now because Burn is the #1 most played deck in Modern. Do you know what hates having a Vampiric Link stuck to it? Eidolon of the Great Revel. How I know? I PLAY BURN ALL THE TIME! 😭😭😭 But really though, if you’re looking to play Grixis Death’s Shadow in Modern right now (which I feel is really underrated and should be playing the police role more in this SFM heavy meta…) just 1x copy of Vampiric Link in the sideboard can single handedly win you games against Burn if they don’t have a Bolt for their own Eidolon. Basically it turns every Lava Spike into a Scorching Spear while netting you 2 life in the process. Usually they have to find a Bolt, Skewer, Searing Blaze, or Rift Bolt before they can start casting spells again. It’s quite hilarious actually. #doitforthelolz
[scryimg] splendid reclamation [/scryimg]
Splendid Reclamation. Remember this card? I do, then I forget, then I come across it again and hope that the price hasn’t spiked under my nose. Not the dollar rare it used to be so there isn’t much spec investment potential for it any more but it’s still a solid card for pick up for 3$ even as a 1-of for Commander and possibly a playset for some cheeky Scapeshift variant, which honestly sounds viable considering Hogaak is gone and graveyard strats aren’t getting hated on so hard any more… I feel like every Scapeshift deck should be running at least one of these in the mainboard. I’ve literally seen games where the Scapeshift player ran out of Mountains in their deck and were unable to produce enough damage to kill their opponent. The insurance is worth it.
[scryimg] curse of the swine [/scryimg]
Curse of the Swine. HOW IS THIS STILL UNDER ONE DOLLAR?!? It’s a blue X spell that EXILES creatures! It doesn’t bounce, it doesn’t tap down and causes them to not untap; no, it exiles. People already pay 4 to 5$ to Pongify a SINGLE creature, this deals with X number of creatures. AND THIS HAS ONLY ONE PRINTING! Is everyone taking crazy pills?!? I feel like this right now:
[scryimg] kiora, master of the depths [/scryimg]
Kiora, Master of the Depths. I don’t have a specific home for her but she has a bunch of utility and she is only 2.50$… Think about untapping a mana dork and a land with a bunch of Utopia Sprawl style enchantments on it with her. Her -2 puts the three cards you don’t pick into the graveyard which also in the right shell can be used for profit (Delve fuel or Reanimator targets). And lastly, her emblem like most ultimates is pretty powerful.
[scryimg] avaricious dragon [/scryimg]
Avaricious Dragon. Not to sound biased because this was a pet card of mine during it’s time in Standard but I think it’s underrated and undervalued. It’s a little too expensive/slow for Modern Burn and a little underpowered for most Commander decks, but in the right shell it can be a value engine. It helps draws high impact cards that you want to play immediately after you draw them (doesn’t play well with counterspells obviously) and is a way for you to discard your whole hand at the end of each turn (cards with Hellbent reward you for this, Madness likes, synergizes with Reanimator strats, etc.). Not to mention it’s a 4/4 flyer by itself which isn’t huge but definitely puts up a good fight in the air and can chip in for damage over the course of a Commander game. Cool little card.
[scryimg] defense of the heart [/scryimg]
And lastly, this was a reader submitted card (that I didn’t forget about after all this time) from before I got banned from the MTG Rocks My World Facebook group (for unexplained reasons still…) Defense of the Heart. Not every card on the list has to be a dollar rare to be underrated. Clocking in at 20$ for the Urza’s Legacy printing and 35$ for the beautiful Judge Promo foil version, Defense of the Heart tutors up not just one but two dudes for the low low price of four mana. My first thought is Dragonlord Atarka EDH decks. Use it to cheat out Xenagos and Emrakul for the classic Tooth and Nail combo and go to pound town w/ Emmy which is usually enough to nearly kill at least one person at the table. Or use it in some cheeky Gaddock Teeg GW Hatebear deck to tutor up silver bullets for whatever is going on at the table at the time. Either way it’s sweet and a pet card for some 🤗
Welp, that’s all for today folks! Thanks for tuning into today’s random article 🙂
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.
