Sphere of Influence: January 30, 2026

Catharsis | Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli

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

The arrival of Lorwyn Eclipsed has temporarily blotted out the unrelenting brightness of Universes Beyond, providing some much-needed in-universe chill. Its cards are in demand and prices are high, but many powerful additions to Commander decks are sailing under the radar for the moment. Now is the time to pick them up. Here are this week's selections:

Meek Attack - $1.50

Sneak Attack this is not, but that doesn't mean Meek Attack doesn't have its place. Rather than cheating out ginormous, intimidating creatures, Meek Attack favors small utility players with high mana values that would love to come down at instant speed; things like Ravenous Chupacabra, Mulldrifter, and the like. This card is only going to get better as power creep continues to take hold.

Sapling Nursery - $1

The fact that this card mentions Treefolk is a misnomer that pigeonholes this card into typal decks. In reality, if we're running Forests, we can make great use of Sapling Nursery. It comes down for two green pips and can start producing 3/4 reaching tokens right away at a rate of at least one a turn. In a pinch, it can be sacrificed to protect all of the creatures it has created, plus whatever Treefolk you have lying around. This one's a steal considering its low price and how much power it can generate on our board.

Catharsis - $1.50

This may not represent the perfect analogy, but when the Evoke Elementals came out in Modern Horizons 2, Endurance and Subtlety were quite cheap for some time before players caught on. While Catharsis can't compare with the power level of a free spell, its ability to offer token creatures, haste, both, or simply a fairly chunky body means it's flexible and should find itself in plenty of homes. Its price is certainly going to start inching upwards.

Abigale, Eloquent First-Year - $0.50

Here's an interesting one: a card that removes the abilities of another creature while gifting it flying, lifelink, and first strike. While it has the potential to turn an otherwise blah creature into a powerhouse, the fact that Abigale can target our opponents' creatures means it's a way to turn off a commander's abilities while keeping it on the battlefield and reducing the chances someone will simply make a deal and chump block that commander. This might create a prison, of sorts, for an unlucky creature while also maintaining the flexibility to turn our commander into an evasive threat for the closing blow.

Cosmic Event

What are your feelings on Lorwyn Eclipsed? Which cards are you excited to brew around?