Sphere of Influence: August 22, 2025

Shardless Agent | Illustrated by Izzy

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 introduced a slew of exciting cards for Modern, and the meta has been rocked as a result. Here are a few players worth picking up for that super-fun format:

Shardless Agent - $0.50

This reprint from Modern Horizons 2 has become a staple of any Modern archetype that wants to cascade; things like Living End and Birthing Ritual, among others. If those decks are appealing, you're going to want a playset of Shardless Agents, so grab them while they're cheap.

Aftermath Analyst - $1.50

Amulet Titan decks have benefited from the printing of Aftermath Analyst in a big way. It doesn't represent a significant change to the deck archetype, but it puts in work as a one-of that can be grabbed off of Green Sun's Zenith to recur a bunch of lands at once. This card has fluctuated in price, and $1.50 is a decent one upon which to capitalize.

Fable of the Mirror-Breaker - $10

This card ain't cheap, but as it has waxed and waned in usage, so, too, has its price. I've seen it pushing beyond $20 at times. This $10 price tag is an excellent development, as the card is losing some steam in the meta at the moment. It's flexible enough that I can't see it dipping too far below that price anytime soon. Give it a shot!

Fatal Push - $1

As Psychic Frog continues its ascent in the meta, Fatal Push has emerged as a must-have to deal with the croaking menace, among other things. Wizards is going to keep printing cheap threats, and I sincerely doubt Fatal Push will become irrelevant anytime soon in a format dominated by fetchlands. For $1 each, you can grab multiple playsets to outfit all of your future decks and brews.

Boggart Trawler - $2.50

Flicker decks centered around Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd keep getting better as juicier flicker targets keep getting printed. Boggart Trawler isn't a card requiring you run a playset, but as a one-of, it puts in major work against all of these pesky graveyard decks running around. That, plus its utility in Commander, makes it a more-than-worthy pick-up.

Pre-Modern

What do you think of the new meta post-Edge of Eternities? Any decks you think are well-positioned now? Let me know!