Top Trades: April 7 - April 14

Lórien Revealed | Illustrated by Randy Gallegos

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to Top Trades, the weekly series where we check in with the most popular cards from the week prior here at Cardsphere. So, what's on the list this time? Let's take a look!

Honorable Mention - Bender's Waterskin

Number of Trades: 6 --- Number of Cards Traded: 10

Starting off as our honorable mention for the week is a seemingly innocuous mana rock that has been quietly gaining popularity across low-bracket Commander ever since Avatar: The Last Airbender was printed. Let's check in with Bender's Waterskin.

For , Bender's Waterskin is an artifact that untaps on each player's untap step and has ": Add one mana of any color." In practice, this means that you'll never really tap out so long as Bender's Waterskin is in play. Whether it's holding up one mana to activate an ability, counter a spell, or remove a problem creature, Bender's Waterskin has got you covered.

#5 - Mockingbird

Number of Trades: 5 --- Number of Cards Traded: 5

Speaking of the value you can get for as little as one mana, our first main-list pick for the week is Mockingbird, a clone that can be cast for as little as just .

For , Mockingbird is a 1/1 Bird Bard with flying that you may have enter as a copy of any creature with mana value less than or equal to the amount of mana spent to cast Mockingbird, except it's a Bird in addition to its other types and it has flying.

Broadly speaking, clones come in two classes: clones with mana-value three or less, which have some restriction on them, and clones with mana value four or more, which have some upside on them. Mockingbird sits comfortably between these, bringing the upside of both flexibility of cost as well as the bonus of flying, but with the downside of being mana-value-restricted. All in all, one of the better clones for faster formats, especially where the average creature is already pretty cheap to cast.

#4 - Marsh Flats

Number of Trades: 5 --- Number of Cards Traded: 6

Next up, we come to the Orzhov member of Magic's most powerful mana-fixing cycle: the fetch lands.

Unlike other common mana-fixing lands cycles across Magic's history, the fetch lands don't actually provide mana themselves. Instead, these lands enter untapped and, at the cost of tapping and sacrificing them as well as paying one life, can tutor up a land from either of two basic land types from your library into play. In Marsh Flats' case, this means it has ", Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Marsh Flats: Search your library for a Plains or Swamp card and put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle."

When combined with dual lands - be they the original cycle from Alpha, the shock lands, and or the surveil lands - this effectively means that any fetch land can produce mana of any color. Only have Marsh Flats in play but need access to red mana? Sacrifice it to find Blood Crypt; that's technically a Swamp, after all.

#3 - Lórien Revealed

Number of Trades: 5 --- Number of Cards Traded: 12

Continuing with another powerful card that gets value from finding lands, our next pick is Lórien Revealed.

For , this sorcery has islandcycling , meaning you can discard it and pay to search your library for an Island to put into your hand; otherwise, it can be cast to draw three cards.

Like Marsh Flats before it, Lórien Revealed gains a lot of power when you consider that islandcycling isn't restricted to basic Islands, just any Islands. Pay at instant speed to grab a Tundra, or Steam Vents, or Undercity Sewers. If it gets to the late game and mana abounds, then go ahead and cast Lórien Revealed to draw some cards; nothing like a late-game restock.

#2 - Ravenous Robots

Number of Trades: 6 --- Number of Cards Traded: 6

Our penultimate pick for is also our one contender from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles this week, and that's Ravenous Robots.

For , Ravenous Robots is a 2/1 Robot artifact creature with "Whenever you cast an artifact spell, create a 1/1 colorless Robot artifact creature token." Additionally, it has ", : Creature tokens you control gain haste until end of turn."

Ravenous Robots is a cheap way to make an explosive army in a can, exactly the type of early-game artifact synergy that aggressive red decks get behind. Cast it turn two, storm off with some baubles and low-cost artifacts, then swing in with your surprise army.

#1 - Formidable Speaker

Number of Trades: 6 --- Number of Cards Traded: 7

Last but not least, back to Lorwyn Eclipsed for our most traded card of the week, it's Formidable Speaker!

For , Formidable Speaker is a 2/4 Elf Druid that, when it enters, you may discard a creature card. If you do, search your library for a creature card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. Additionally, it has ", : Untap another target permanent."

Formidable Speaker feels like a card built for cEDH. For three mana, you get a single activation of Survival of the Fittest, a notoriously powerful green creature tutor that already sees plenty of play. Plus, you also get access to both a creature for your Gaea's Cradle count as well as a way to untap said creature, something that matters a lot these days considering how Gaea's Cradle (and untapping it) has become one of the best strategies in the meta.

Of course, Formidable Speaker is also just a generically good creature throughout Magic, not just the highest bracket of Commander. Tutors are good, untap effects are good, plus it has all the typal support that comes with being an Elf. What more could you ask for?

Wrap Up

This week was a great survey of some of the more powerful - and even broken - cards that have formed the glue of competitive formats. Fetch lands, tutors, competitive clones, this week had it all. Check back next week for another Top Trades, and thanks for reading!