Sphere of Influence: February 21, 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 take a look at Aetherdrift! The set is full of strong Commander cards, many of which are dirt cheap at the moment. Here are a few that seem turbo-charged for their cheap price.

Agonasaur Rex

I get the appeal of cards like Heroic Intervention and Tamiyo’s Safekeeping in Commander; I just personally stay away because unless you’re pairing them with your own board wipe, your power over their effectiveness diminishes significantly.

Collective Resistance is a step in the right direction, but Agonasaur Rex hits the sweet spot between proactive and reactionary while remaining generally playable. Five mana for an 8/8 trampler is already a steal, and its Cycling ability gets around counterspells and can be used for an alpha swing or to save your own creature and draw you a card in the process. This $1 toolbox card pairs well with any green stompy deck.

Molt Tender

Deathrite Shaman already smacks in Commander, and this new card does a decent impression while fueling itself. Molt Tender slots well into all sorts of green decks, even ones with a fetchland or two that otherwise don’t fully utilize the graveyard, and has the makings of a $4-$5 uncommon card when Aetherdrift stops seeing production. Now’s the time to pick up one for pennies.

Marketback Walker

A combination of Walking Ballista, Mindless Automaton, and Hangarback Walker, this new iteration on the theme stands to grow itself pretty big over time or draw you plenty of cards in any +1/+1 counters deck. Marketback Walker effortlessly slots alongside its forefathers and has the flexibility of a staple-in-the-making. Grab one for $1.50 before others catch on.

Wizened Mentor

While there’s no guarantee you’ll get a 1/1 Zombie token every turn, odds are that Wizened Mentor will net you at least one every turn cycle, which isn’t bad for a two-mana 2/2, if not a bit underwhelming. All it takes is a quick glance at the many new commanders arriving at any given moment to see that the card’s ceiling is probably much higher; it’s not insane to think you could find yourself with three new Zombies every go-round. For the price of a bulk rare, it’s worth the experiment.

Lap 'em Up

Any Aetherdrift cards catching your eye? In particular, have you found any Vehicles you want to run in your non-Vehicle deck? Let me know!