Sphere of Influence: August 28th, 2026

The Earth King | Art by Ryota Murayama

It's that time of the week again, where I cover four cards that could start rising in price and playability as we move into September. With the recent release of The Hobbit set in the rear-view mirror, and Reality Fracture on the horizon, it's time to start looking for the singles that could become more sought after.

So, join me Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, as we jump into the Sphere of Influence!

Bloodline Bidding - $2

With typal strategies becoming more and more popular thanks to recent sets, Bloodline Bidding has started to rise in playability. Whether you're looking to bring back Villains, Goblins, Elves, or anything else in-between with this card, it can definitely help swing a game in your favor. Plus, the fact that it has convoke makes it even easier to cast and can help lead to one big explosive turn. This card is currently hovering around the $2 mark, but it may start increasing in price, especially as legends like Thranduil, the Elvenking, who cares about graveyards and a specific creature type, continues to grow in popularity.

The Earth King - $1.50

When it comes to ramp engines in Standard right now, The Earth King kind of takes the cake. We've been seeing a lot of cards that care about creatures with power four or greater, so deploying this legend, that also brings along a 4/4 friend, already offers a good amount of value. However, the main use of this card is its ability to pull large stacks of basic lands out of a deck, which not only sets you up to draw useful nonlands, but it also puts you so far ahead in mana that other players can't keep up. This King and his pet Bear are truly a great tag team in today's meta.

Krark-Clan Shaman - $9

Thanks to The Hobbit set, we've gotten even more support for Treasure tokens, which is what makes Krark-Clan Shaman especially useful these days. This creature has been the cornerstone of a few Pauper decks throughout that format's history, offering a solid way to control the board. Looking past simply playing with commons, this Shaman works well with a few of the new Smaug cards, and also has the benefit of being a Goblin, which just got a whole lot of new support with our return to Middle-earth.

Wrap in Vigor - $1.50

Finally, let's close things out today by talking about Wrap in Vigor. Two very popular commanders from The Hobbit set are none other than Beorn the Fierce and Radagast of Rhosgobel, which're both mono-green legends. Protecting your entire team from a board wipe for only two mana is a great rate and acts as a solid budget alternative to the format staple Heroic Intervention. If these two commanders continue to be brewed around, this card could start rising in price.

Until Next Time

There you have it, four cards that may begin to grow in value as we move into September, so whether you're brewing new decks for Standard, Commander, or any other format, it'll be good to keep these singles at the forefront of your mind. If you're looking to pick any of these up before they rise too high in price, be sure to add them to your 'Wants' lists right here on Cardsphere!