Sphere of Influence: August 8, 2025

Biotech Specialist | Illustrated by Alexandre Honoré

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

Edge of Eternities shot into Magic's galaxy with a slew of powerful Commander cards, a much-needed reprint of the shock lands, and a ruling that legendary Spacecraft and Vehicle cards can serve as commanders. Truly, we're living in a brave new world. Be sure to check out the following card selections for some cheap and reliable new cards that are more than ready to snag a slot in your favorite deck:

Biotech Specialist - $0.50

Worst case, this Insect Scientist ramps you for four mana (over the course of one or two turns) and deals two damage to an opponent of your choosing. Best case, you've got a number of Treasure and Clue tokens floating around to increase the amount of pain you can dish out, and two damage per trigger isn't something to scoff at. Not all Gruul decks want this Specialist, but the ones who do are going to be psyched it exists at such a low price.

The Seriema - $0.50

This three-mana tutor triples as a late-game attacker and protection source for what you tutored up, which isn't something you can say about any other card. There's certainly no shortage of good tutor targets in white, either: Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, and Loran of the Third Path are but a few of the many excellent targets. The versatility offered by The Seriema is unparalleled.

Pinnacle Emissary - $2.50

This card is an instant staple in any artifact deck running Izzet colors, largely due to its cheap warp cost and the fact that the Drones it makes have flying. In fact, the card holds so much promise that it's making an appearance in Modern, where zero-mana artifacts are abundant. Grab one before the price spikes due to its popularity in the adjacent format.

Starfield Vocalist - $1.50

A Panharmonicon for two mana is quite the deal, but so, too, is its four-mana mode that can attack or block with decent efficiency. Most importantly, Starfield Vocalist doesn't contain the sentence that usually spells death for cards like this: "This ability triggers only once a turn," elevating the vocals to angelic qualities. Give this one a shot right away.

Loading Zone - $1.50

Branching Evolution is already a decent Commander card, and Loading Zone operates as a strictly better version of that card. Its cheap warp cost means it can fuel an explosive turn only to return later for more shenanigans. Plus, it affects only "counters," not a particular variety, increasing its usefulness. I can't imagine this card will be this cheap for long.

Warp Speed

Which Edge of Eternities cards did you add to your Commander decks right away? Any that have overperformed for you? Let me know!