Hello all. Since everyone and their mother writes these things, and I don’t always agree with what’s written, here’s my unbiased opinion of Magic 2012.A few things, before I start. One, when I think prices, I think eBay prices or the lowest retail price available (usually the same; sometimes eBay is higher, go figure). Two, if I say “bulk”, it means that a person will not hesitate to bulk it out to a dealer at .10-.20. Lastly, I am not a pro player, nor a self proclaimed financial writer. I just happen to [think] I know my stuff.
Mythics:
Angelic Destiny – Like Rancor, but not really, since if it gets blown up, it’s gone. Not a lot of enchantment removal in T2, but there is a crap ton of spot removal. Seems like a recipe for disaster. Still, a mythic with good art. $2-$3.
Gideon Jura – Everyone knows he’s decent. However, Rise was a well opened set, there’s a bunch of them around. Figure $7-$10. Even if for some reason he sees no play post
rotation, people seem to like him.
Sun Titan – I like him with the 1U Illusion clone guy. Clone someone early game, chump, whatever, then get back with Titan copying Titan. Seems good. Maybe. Still, only going to be $2-$3. Keep in mind there is a M10 Pre-release promo.
Frost Titan – He is ok, but you need to be playing control. And what are you going to control with? Emo Jace? Not happening. Plus he just got a promo, which is going for $4-$5 on eBay. Figure $3-$5 too.
Emo Jace – For five mana, it better win you the game. Except it doesn’t. $30 for this is insane. Figure $10ish.
Time Reversal – Wow, it’s just like Time Spiral, except it doesn’t untap lands. Or just like Timetwister, except it exiles itself! Bulk.
Bloodlord of Vasgoth – Not Nocturnus. Right now, unplayable bulk. We’ll see when Innistrad comes out, but it looks like it will be a solid quarter.
Grave Titan – Better than Frosty, IMO. But still a reprint, has a promo, etc, and nobody in their right mind would play four. $3-$5.
Sorin Markov – Casual favourite. And that’s it. I’ve seen people saying he can be a finisher in Mono-black, but I think that if you get to 6 mana in mono-black and your opponent has more than 10 life, you’re doing it wrong. $5, because he looks cool.
Chandra, the Firebrand – I actually like the card. Call me nuts, but I like the idea of playing two of her in Legacy burn to kill little stuff while potentially forking a Fireblast here and there. She’s better than Jace, but, eh, I just don’t feel it. $10-$15, though.
Furyborn Hellkite – Ew. Bulk.
Interno Titan – I’d like to say he will be the best one post-rotation, but nobody knows what’s going to come in Innistrad, so saying what I think what will be good post rotation is irrelevant. I like him, though, and while he should say in the $3-$5 range like the other Titans, I will pick him up at $3, no problem. And I hate picking up T2 cards.
Kahmal, Primal Hunter – Or maybe he’s called Garruk . I associate Wurms and beasts with Kahmal, but whatever. He looks like the best of the bunch, and I have a hunch that he will be worth $20ish, maybe a bit more. Who knows, he might even see play.
Primeval Titan – Already took a massive price hit, and will continue to fall all the way down to $5 or so.
Primordial Hydra – See that other terrible Hydra from M10. Bulk.
Rares:
Aegis Angel – Trade these away to angel collectors. Except they don’t exist anymore, because all noobs collect planeswalkers now. Bulk.
Archon of Justice – EDH gold. I bought like 12 of these because they were cheap, and were bould to go up. But it got reprinted. Boo. Bulk
Day of Judgment – Wrath just isn’t what it used to be. Should still be easy to move at $1, though.
Gideon’s Avenger – I guess he can get pretty big i they swing at you with everything, but if they’re doing that, you’re already losing. Bulk.
Grand Abolisher – Don’t believe people saying he will hit seven , or ten bucks. He’s a rare. Rare’s don;t go over $10, unless its busted like SFM. I’m wary of saying he will be good (see Leonin Arbiter), but I tink he will see play, at least in Legacy, which might make him be worth $2.
Honor of the Pure - I remember when Crusade was $5. Ah well. Bulk.
Mesa Enchantress - Ew. Bulk.
Personal Sanctuary – Someone will break this in Legacy. One day. And, oh, makes Hurricane so good! Until then, bulk.
Djinn of Wishes – You want to use this with Crystal Ball and Emrakul. Or Liliana and Emrakul. But not really. Bulk.
Jace’s Archivist – It’s not a Windfall. I guess you could use it in a mono-blue aggro deck, except that doesn’t really exist. And good in EDH (forgot about that) Bulk.
Lord of the Unreal – It’s a Lord. However, it’s not an illusion. Two of them aren’t that good. Still worth around $1, though.
Mind Unbound – Like Thought reflection, but worse. Bulk.
Phantasmal Image – Clone with CMC 2. Love it! I predict that this will be the sleeper card of the set. It can copy a lot of stuff, and it has a very reasonable cost. $1-$2, maybe going up to $5 if it finds a home.
Redirect – Not Misdirection. Bulk.
Sphinx of Uthunn – Good in EDH. Bulk.
Visions of Beyond – Again, good in EDH, but twenty cards in a graveyard is a lot. Maybe splash it in burn for the late game? Seems like it could be fun! Otherwise I think I’d rather have Brainstorm. $5, because I think people are mad, and then it will go down to $2 or less.
Call to the Grave – Another casual card that becomes worthless. Bulk, but maybe $1 to casual players.
Cemetery Reaper- Maybe Zombies become good in Innistrad? Probably not. Bulk, but easy $1-$2 to casual players.
Monomania - Mind shatter saw no play the second time around. This won’t wither. Bulk.
Sutured Ghoul – Will they reprint Hermit Druid? No? Then bulk.
Vengeful Pharaoh – Another nice design. I like this one. I want to use it with Zombie Infestation, and a draw engine. $1-$2 because he is different, and people won’t want to bulk him out. Yet.
Chandra’s Phoenix – Excellent card. A playable phoenix, wow. Seems good in any red deck, can come back late game, too bad it doesn’t go directly into play. Still, better than Grim Lavamancer, i think. Unfortunately, it’s a release promo. So it will top out at $2, maybe $3.
Flameblast Dragon – Bulk.
Goblin Chieftain – If Goblins take off, he will be a solid $2. Otherwise, bulk.
Grim Lavamancer – This is the card that prompted me to write this. Seriously, why is everyone saying to buy in at 7, 8 bucks? There’s a ton of these out there. Plus, if Innistrad is graveyard based, you won’t want to remove cards from your graveyard. He sees play in Legacy, so he won’t go the way of the Shade completely, but he will stabilize at $3, maybe a bit less.
Manabarbs – Cute with Personal Sanctuary. But bulk.
Reverberate – A bulk Fork.
Scrambleverse – Seems like something I want to play in a 5 player EDH game... Bulk.
Warstorm Surge – Ooh, sort of like Where Ancients Tread. Bulk
Arachnus Spinner – Nice design. Unfortunately, the aura doesn’t shut down fatties, which sucks. Therefore, bulk.
Birds of Paradise – I remember paying $10 on these. $1, unfortunately.
Doubling Chant – Not Season, darn it! Casual card. If you are casting it, you are likely winning anyway. Bulk, but casual players will love this at $1-$2.
Dungrove Elder – Gets big, hard to remove. But you can
still chump it all day. Bulk.
Elvish Archdruid – He’s good, but he’s only $1-$2 now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change, even with the reprint. Casual players like him. Might be stable at $1, though.
Garruk’s Horde – I’ll be playing him in my casual R/G beast deck. Bulk.
Rites of Flourishing – There’s a billion of these around from all the people playing the Goyf lottery. Bulk.
Skinshifter – Not a Morphling. Repeat. Not. A. Morphling. It seems a lot of people are ignoring the fact you can only use the ability once each turn. I guess he can hit for 4 on turn 3, but is that really that good? He requires a constant mana investment. I don’t like him. $1-$2 while people try and break him, then bulk.
Adaptive Automaton – Instant casual favourite. It will be $1-$2, and I will always be picking them up, just like I am with Caged Sun. When it goes out of print, the price *will* go up.
Druidic Satchel – I like it. I think it will be bulk, but someone may find an application for it. It serves as a deck thinner with library manipulation, or even creates chump blockers in a pinch. Bulk, but with an upside.
Pentavus – Bulk before, bulk now.
Quicksilver Amulet – Le sigh. I have a few of these, and the price just got destroyed. I hope someone breaks it so I can dump mine at $3, but I don’t see it happening. People will still want to live the dream, so it will never be less than $1. And if it is, pick it up.
Solemn Simulacrum – Some writers are saying this is a good buy at 5. LOL. It’s only 5 because of EDH. Before it was like $2 or less. Nobody would touch them. He might see play in T2, but it’s not like Mirrodin was an unpopular set. $2, maybe, maybe $3.
Sundial of the Infinite – Bulk, until someone breaks it in Legacy. Then $3-$4 if.
Throne of Empires – Not Moblization. Bulk.
Wordslayer – It blows up everything! But gonna be bulk, just like it is now. Oops on the equipment-creature thing.
Dragonskull Summit / Drowned Catacomb / Glacial Fortress / Rootbound Crag / Sunpetal Grove – I have these in my binders, but nobody wants them. I think they should be worth at least $1, but they have been reprinted three times. So, bulk.
Uncommons:
Timely Reinforcements – Seems good in control, and maybe even in WW (not that it exists, but whatever). Might fetch a solid quarter.
Turn to Frog – It’s blue spot removal. Don’t forget that. I wouldn’t bulk it out at pennies, though.
Zombie Infestation – Next set may be graveyard themed. Also is cute with Vengeful Pharaoh, especially as a combat trick, now that I think about it. Quarter.
Goblin Grenade – I have fifty of these. Good think it came back as an uncommon, so my old ones will still be worth fifty cents, while this one will be twenty five.
Swiftfoot Boots – Greaves it is not. However, hexproof is just fine when you have Swords. Fifty cents.
Buried Ruins – Don’t bulk it out. May be good in the future.
And there you have it! A set review that is brutally honest, from someone who is not employed by a store, and doesn't have to hype anything up. I’d appreciate any comments, even if they are bad.
Mr.C
Edited for readability.
[Edited 5 times, lastly by Mr.C on July 16, 2011]
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