Sphere of Influence: April 25, 2025

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

Let's get back to our roots! Foundations has been out for some time now, and many of its original and reprinted Commander cards, in the shadow of flashy new sets, have remained cheap this entire time. Here are some of the best:

High-Society Hunter - $1

Five mana is a considerable price to pay for a 5/3 flying card draw engine, but High-Society Hunter doesn't come off as much of a kill-on-sight threat until it gets going. The evasive body is attached to a Grim Haruspex that triggers on everyone's nontoken creatures dying and can trigger itself upon attack.

The longer this stays on the battlefield, the larger the chance it spirals out of control. I'm picturing Aerial Extortionist as a comparison point. This one is absolutely worth further testing.

Vivien Reid - $0.50

While one of the slower planeswalkers, Vivien Reid provides substantial value right away, including the ability to off an evasive creature that may threaten to kill her during the following turn cycle. Her ultimate is achievable and pretty much signals the end of the game, too.

Few planeswalkers have much of an impact in Commander, but this one doesn't carry a terrifying reputation in other formats, as Dack Fayden and Jace, the Mind Sculptor do, so she may remain in play for the longer haul.

Drogskol Reaver - $0.50

There was absolutely no reason why this card should have been more than $10 for two years, yet its scarcity and plethora of keyword goodness kept its price high for much longer than it needed to be. This began to change with a printing in Double Masters 2022, and this recent Foundations printing is sure to cement its price dip for at least a year, if not more.

I'm always happy when Wizards of the Coast does something about fun-but-not-powerful cards fetching too high a price. Still, there's no telling when an oddity like this will jump back up.

Giada, Font of Hope - $1

Giada remains the best Angel commander in the format, and its printing into Foundations guarantees it will remain available to intrepid Angel brewers for awhile. Even not at the helm of her own deck, Giada puts in work in the 99 as a mana producer that comes down early and beefs up your additional creatures - even tokens.

A dollar is a fabulous price to pay for a powerhouse like this.

Genesis Wave - $0.50

This card dropped its $5 price last year and has been a bulk rare since, and Foundations continues the trend. It's here, though, as a reminder that it serves as a strong and fun finisher in any big mana deck. Especially in the color green, it's a blast to spin the wheel, so to speak. Do the wave!

Lost and Foundations

Are there any new cards from Foundations you've found to overperform? How about underperformers? Let me know!