Sphere of Influence: October 4, 2024

Welcome to Sphere of Influence, a pre-FNM look at some potential movers and shakers that are worth picking up before their prices increase.

In the wake of last week’s Commander bannings, I thought it would be worth putting together a hodge-podge of cards worth picking up across multiple formats.

Monumental Henge

This check land cycle from Modern Horizons 3 is a winner, with Shifting Woodland and Arena of Glory coming out as the big winners. Monumental Henge may be the third best, though, capable of drawing a strong card every turn when players have extra mana floating around. It’s incredibly cheap at the moment, only priced at a bulk rare. In addition to its inclusion in Commander, where it’s quite easy to have it enter untapped, the card has started appearing on Modern lists as well, for its ability to grab The One Ring. Finally, The One Ring can see some play!

Hangarback Walker

Nothing too special here, just an effective card that does what it does quite well. Since appearing in Magic Origins, Hangarback Walker has been a go-to artifact token creator for its ability to grow itself and produce flying creatures, perfect for grabbing the Monarchy or chumping all those Serra Angels people are clearly still running. It has waxed and waned in price in its lifetime, but never quite hit anything too prohibitive. So grabbing one for $1 is a good idea. Wizards has been printing myriad cards that interact with +1/+1 counters, so there’s a chance Hangarback Walker may see another life with an accompanying price increase. Bonus: sub in its name in the song “Paperback Writer” and sing until your opponents Solitude themselves.

Waltz of Rage

Chandra’s Ignition is a banger, and I’m not here to say Waltz of Rage is at the same power level. It doesn’t hit opponents, which keeps the card from becoming anything resembling a staple. But I’m here to advocate for putting it in any red Commander deck with a large commander at the helm. Think of it as a board wipe that draws you cards: sure, it’s more expensive than Blasphemous Act on average, but it provides resources upon which to rebuild your board the following turn. Waltz of Rage was just released in Duskmourn and is the cheapest bulk rare in the entire set. Get dancing!

Skyclave Apparition

Talk about a super staple. Skyclave Apparition can take out a Smothering Tithe or The One Ring with barely any effort, and its body can be bounced or flickered to do the same thing over again. It’s easy to slot the card into white weenie decks in multiple formats, but Pioneer is where Skyclave is shining at the moment. Grab a few for $0.50 each while a playset is so cheap.

Recurring Nightmare

How is everyone enjoying Duskmourn? Which cards have stood out to you for Commander and Pioneer, specifically? Let me know—the set seems to have large implications for those formats.