Modern is a broad format that boasts a huge pool of cards to choose from. If you’re new to Modern, the possibilities can be daunting. There’s always an opportunity when a set freshly rotates out of Standard, however, to pick up cards to boost your collection; and it’s good to know which cards to hold onto. Since the release of Guilds of Ravnica, a much-needed Standard rotation has happened resulting in Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, Amonkhet, and Hour of Devastation leaving the format. This allows a great opportunity to pick up cards you may have missed out on before. This week, I look into what cards you can pick up for your collection with a focus on Modern, guiding you through the decent pickups from the rotation and reprints occurring in present Standard. Let’s get the ball rolling!
The “fast lands” from Kaladesh provide a good place to start. Lands are always a great investment if you plan to play a lot of Modern. This allows future-proofing for when you build new decks, as lands can take up a chunk of the budget. These enemy-colored lands are ideal and complete the cycle first started back in Scars of Mirrodin. If we take Blackcleave Cliffs as an example, these are about $50 due to the rising popularity of R/B Hollow One and R/B Bridgevine; while the cheapest of this cycle is Razorverge Thicket, which is sitting at $10 currently. Comparing these to the Kaladesh cycle, the most expensive is Spirebluff Canal at $8 and the rest ranging from $3 to $5—which seems a steal right now.
I’d recommend picking up a set of each soon if you plan to play a lot of Modern, as they’re going to get plenty of use for the price paid. Not only are they cheap at present, but they are featured in current Modern decks such as B/G Rock, which plays Blooming Marsh; U/R Storm, which plays Spirebluff Canal; and R/W Burn, which plays Inspiring Vantage. Prices are usually based on a handful of factors such as supply, demand, and availability. So for example, cards like Fatal Push will always be popular given its application in Modern and Legacy. Although with Fatal Push being uncommon and plenty of Aether Revolt in circulation, it will never become overly expensive. This would different if Fatal Push was at mythic rarity, however.
In the same block as the fast lands, Spire of Industry has become a staple in “artifact matters” decks in Modern, replacing Glimmervoid in Affinity builds, which proves that the card is ideal for the archetype. You can pick up a playset of these for $4—a sound investment given that the archetype looks to be consistent for a long time to come. Inventors’ Fair is another highlight for the archetype and doesn’t look to be going down in price either. Although it may be discouraging given its value currently, Walking Ballista doesn’t look to drop in price any time soon as it’s renowned for its function in eternal formats. The $22 a pop price tag may seem steep, but the card doesn’t look to fall out of demand in the future. On the flip side, despite not making any significant impact in Modern thus far, Chandra, Torch of Defiance is a potent Planeswalker. Although Planeswalkers tend to retain their price more post-rotation given how unique they are, Chandra, Torch of Defiance is worth the attention as it’s arguably one of the best red Planeswalkers ever printed. She’s priced around $11 currently, which seems low given what she is capable of.
Sets such as Kaladesh and Aether Revolt have plenty of cards which will make an appearance in Modern, but how about Amonkhet and Hour of Devastation? Neither can compete on the same power level with Kaladesh and Aether Revolt, but there may be some safe speculations to consider. The Gods are a safe place to start. I think Hazoret the Fervent, Rhonas the Indomitable, and The Scarab God are the best of the bunch and have the best opportunity for Modern playability with Hazoret appearing in old Jund and Skred decks. Furthermore, As Foretold is a peculiar card to consider as it requires building around; but the payoff could be great in decks like Mono-Blue Living End, and at $7 each, it doesn’t feel a bad card to speculate on. Last, Gideon of the Trials could be an interesting pick-up too—at only $5 each it feels a little underpriced given how stubborn the W/B Gideon Tribal decks were in Modern upon its release, and could be good alongside Gideon, Ally of Zendikar.
But my advice doesn’t just apply to the current rotation. Guilds of Ravnica and Core Set 2019 have myriad reprints currently played in eternal formats. To the surprise of nobody, the cycle of “shock lands” have returned. You can pick up Guilds of Ravnica shock lands between $7-10; and this only after a few weeks of release, meaning the price will decrease more as more Guilds of Ravnica is opened. I’d recommend keeping an eye out. Shock lands are the bread and butter of Modern manabases and will always have application in the format. Additionally, if you’re into Commander, Chromatic Lantern is one of the best mana rocks in the format and due to its reprint, has dropped to $5 from the $15 it was previously. Expect its price to go back up.
Core Set 2019 saw some wonderful reprints in the form of Scapeshift, Crucible of Worlds, and Omniscience. These are much-desired, particularly Scapeshift. It is played in the namesake deck in Modern and had only one printing back in Morningtide. Now, you can pick up Core Set 2019 Scapeshifts for roughly $11 each, which could be something to ponder over, especially if you plan to play Scapeshift/Titanshift in the future. Crucible of Worlds is a noted sideboard option in Modern and Legacy decks, sitting at $18 which is a reasonable amount compared to the $50 it was before the reprint. Crucible of Worlds is an excellent card to have a few of, as it’s a great answer to all the Field of Ruin and Ghost Quarter strategies Modern is capable of currently.
On a final note, there is always an opportunity to be organised and smart in using the rotation to expand your collection. By doing this, you can play different kinds of Modern decks and build them in whichever way you want. You can do this in future rotations by waiting until Guilds of Ravnica and Core Set 2019 also rotate to start picking up cards too. That gives you plenty of room to tinker in the expansive format that is Modern, and who doesn’t enjoy playing more Modern?
If you’re interested in picking up cards to bolster your Modern, Commander, or Legacy collection, our sponsor Card Kingdom offers fantastic deals on cards with swift delivery to your door! Don’t hesitate to get in touch over on our Twitter (@HipstersMTG) and show us your pickups too!
Emma resides in Suffolk, England and started playing Magic back in 2014 when Khans of Tarkir first hit the shelves. She dabbled in Standard for a while then shifted into Modern, in particular playing Eldrazi Tron and Commander where she has found her home. Follow her on Twitter @emmmzyne to join in on the conversation!