Sphere of Influence: October 18, 2024

Welcome to Sphere of Influence, a pre-FNM look at some potential movers and shakers that are worth picking up before their prices increase. Now that the dust has settled on Duskmourn, let’s look at some Standard all-stars you can pick up for practically a song. Plus, a major reprint for Commander.

Haughty Djinn

I love this card. It does a little bit of everything I wanna do when playing blue: reducing costs and swinging in for big damage in the air. Haughty Djinn has become a role-player in blue Standard decks, and I can’t imagine it'll be outclassed in the near future. It’s worth grabbing a playset while the card is only $1.50, before it’s out of print and copies are being scooped for Commander.

Enduring Curiosity

Wizards of the Coast has once again iterated on the four-mana blue card that draws cards when creatures deal combat damage. We’ve had Coastal Piracy, Bident of Thassa, Reconnaissance Mission, and The Indomitable (criminally underplayed). Enduring Curiosity may have cracked the code as a fairly sized flash creature that continues operating even after death. For $4, you too can own a bit of micro-power creep, fresh off the Duskmourn printing press.

Up the Beanstalk

Too powerful for Modern and a bit too niche for Commander, Up the Beanstalk is enjoying its new life as a Standard role-player that, at the very least, cantrips. It’s hard to tell just where the ceiling hits, as new cards are printed every minute of every day (though we all wish that wasn’t the case) and there will likely be some high mana-value targets in any number of upcoming sets. For $1.50, Up the Beanstalk is a worthy pick while demand is low.

Kederekt Parasite

Less than a year ago, this card was nearly $20, which isn’t all that surprising. It was only printed in Conflux and scales into Commander effortlessly. I’m grateful to Duskmourn for plopping this card in one of its Commander precons and driving down the price to a far more reasonable $4. But the price won't last; now is the time to get one. It’s the kind of card worth tossing into a binder and letting it accrue value, at the very least.

Sloe Djinn Fizz

Am I overestimating how strong Haughty Djinn will be in the new Standard? Has anyone run it in their decks to great effect, and if so, which archetypes? Let me know!