Sphere of Influence: September 19, 2025

Adeline, Resplendent Cathar | Illustrated by Bryan Sola

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

Pre-constructed Commander decks, previously available with every new set, have served as welcoming spots where Wizards can include some much-needed reprints. It's a shame, then, that the recent Spider-Man set doesn't include precons in its release. (Thankfully, Tolarian Community College took this omission as its own charge and made a few precons of their own.) The time felt right to revisit the last few Commander sets and identify a few worthy reprints worth grabbing soon, as their prices are already starting to inch upward:

Lightning Greaves - $4

A perennial Commander staple, Lightning Greaves of any variety are quick to get snatched up whenever a new printing becomes available, so any price dip remains temporary, and the card has only gotten cheaper slowly, in the aggregate. Its current $4 price tag is a great one, though, especially given the various art styles available. Without another reprint soon, this card is very likely to move just out of the reach for budget players.

Adeline, Resplendent Cathar - $3

The Tarkir: Dragonstorm precons sunk the price of this overperforming white token army-in-a-can, and we should all be psyched. Adeline puts in work and asks little of its pilots to both become massive and widen your board state. Take advantage of this recent reprint by grabbing a few today.

Baldin, Century Herdmaster - $0.25

Originally printed as E. Honda, Sumo Champion, Baldin, its in-universe equivalent, could have gone the way of other Universes Within selections and been subject to a single printing and, therefore, a higher price. But its appearance in Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander—an unexpected inclusion of a Universes Within card—has rightfully tanked its price, likely for some time. More casual players should give this one a look, as it doesn't often play as strictly a toughness-matters card.

Gravecrawler - $1

Both Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander and Aetherdrift Commander included Gravecrawler on its lists, increasing accessibility for one of the best self-recurring creatures ever printed, one that demanded a far higher price a year ago. This one fits into almost every black deck, even non-Zombie ones, as there will incidentally be plenty of Zombies to support its recursion.

Druid of Purification - $0.50

Aetherdrift Commander brings us another much-welcomed reprint in the form of a souped-up Reclamation Sage. I've started running this card in most of my green decks, and it overperforms almost every time. Only once did my opponents all coordinate to vote for the same thing, denying me a second trigger and wasting a single mana over Rec Sage. Oh well. Every other time, this card has represented at least a 2-for-1, often much more.

Reprinting Press

Are there any cards you've been dying to run in your Commander decks that you wish would receive a reprint? I'm hoping Black Market Connections receives the many-many-reprints treatment and can be brought down to a $5 card, but it may take a bit of time. Let's keep chatting!