Sphere of Influence: July 11, 2025

Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines | Illustrated by Martina Fačková

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

A few weeks ago, Wizards of the Coast banned seven cards from Standard after the Pro Tour revealed a decidedly variety-less metagame. Good news, though: the following cards are definitely not banned! Here are some Standard staples worth considering.

Qarsi Revenant - $1

Like Vampire Nighthawk before it, Qarsi Revenant stands as a solid role-player in aggro decks—in this case Dimir Aggro—that's not only an evasive, life-gaining threat, but it's also a scary blocker to see on the other side of the board. The difference this time around is that Revenant holds value from the graveyard because it can turn any of your creatures into a Vampire Nighthawk of its own. I'd expect Dimir to gain some meta share post-bans, so now's a great time to pick up a playset.

Scavenging Ooze - $0.50

I love a good Scooze and am psyched for its stock to potentially rise for its place in Golgari Aggro. This card can easily snowball later in the game, gaining some life and threatening life totals without requiring too much of an upfront mana cost. Even with zero creatures in the graveyard, an active Scooze with an untapped green source can tamp down a control or combo player by holding a key piece of their gameplan hostage. Give it a shot, both here and in Commander

Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler - $2

This card sneaks up on ya. It's fabulous with mana dorks like Llanowar Elves and Molt Tender and can grow your board state late in the game when you may be behind. Three-mana planeswalkers are always worth considering, and this one overperforms almost every time.

Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines - $20

This one's far more expensive than the other cards on this list, but its price is significantly lower than the $50 value it held since release until recently. Grab at least one for your sideboard while the meta continues to shift; you never know what new ETB all star is about to arrive.

Winternight Stories - $0.50

Agatha's Soul Cauldron is a Standard powerhouse, and a playset of Winternight Stories supports the Cauldron strategy well by generating significant card advantage in UR Cauldron decks. I could also see this card taking off in Commander, generally a creature-heavy format, for its ability to be cast twice in a turn with little effort. Grab a playset before others wise up.

Standard Fair

Do you think that these Standard bans will have a net-positive effect on the meta? Are there decks that you've seen kept at bay by the likes of Cori-Steel Cutter that you'd like to see take off? Let me know!