As of today, the cycle of fetchlands (Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Windswept Heath, Wooded Foothills) are the hottest cards in Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering Khans of Tarkir release as measured by total dollar amount sold through the TCGplayer.com website.  Khans of Tarkir is the most recent large set that ushered in a brand new Standard format as the entire Return to Ravnica block shuffled out (see "Magic: The Gathering: Khans of Tarkir").
 
During the preorder season for Khans of Tarkir (up to September 26) a number of cards stood out as the chase cards for the set.
 

Top 10 'M:TG--Khans of Tarkir' Cards by Dollar Volume [Preview Season thru Prerelease]
$ Vol. Rank	Card Name	Average Price
1	Polluted Delta	$19.80
2	Wooded Foothills	$14.57
3	Flooded Strand	$18.30
4	Windswept Heath	$14.63
5	Bloodstained Mire	$14.09
6	Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker	$20.63
7	Sorin, Solemn Visitor	$11.51
8	Rattleclaw Mystic	$4.22
9	Bloodsoaked Champion	$4.22
10	Butcher of the Horde	$4.33

Aside from the cycle of aforementioned fetchlands, five other notable cards were at the top of the list for most popular: the set's two planeswalkers, Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker; the aggressively aligned Bloodsoaked Champion; the two-mana Rattleclaw Mystic that had immense potential for ramp decks; and the four mana flier looking to fill the hole left by Return to Ravnica's Desecration Demon, Butcher of the Horde.
 
Many of these cards managed to cement their popularity once players had a chance to play with them at Prereleases and see what kind of decks they could utilize them in over the events taking place during release weekend, such as the TCGplayer.com Diamond Open in Waco, Texas.
 

Top 10 'M:TG--Khans of Tarkir' Cards by Dollar Volume [After Prerelease]
$ Vol. Rank	Card Name	Average Price
1	Windswept Heath	$16.12
2	Polluted Delta	$20.81
3	Flooded Strand	$18.13
4	Bloodstained Mire	$15.17
5	Wooded Foothills	$16.45
6	Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker	$24.35
7	Sorin, Solemn Visitor	$16.74
8	Bloodsoaked Champion	$4.78
9	Siege Rhino	$4.07
10	Butcher of the Horde	$4.84

Aside from the fetchlands simply shifting position, a new face appeared after the Prerelease. Some initial deck lists had already reached the Internet, and many contained the midrange powerhouse Siege Rhino, which was an easy explanation for the card’s inclusion in the Top 10 over the former Rattleclaw Mystic.  Aside from shifting positions however, the other nine cards all remained the same: five fetchlands, two planeswalkers, a two mana aggressive creature, and a four mana flier.
 
You should expect all eleven cards among the two lists, however, including the two honorable mentions of Sagu Mauler, a huge, hexproof beast, and Deflecting Palm, an efficiently costed preventative burn spell, to quickly find homes in the new Standard format within the coming months.
 
With the entire Standard format redefined by the loss of the Return to Ravnica block, these trends give us a great idea of what cards players are considering for upcoming events.  And going into a completely unknown format, that kind of information is invaluable.
 
--Frank Lepore is the editor of Magic.TCGPlayer.com.  TCGPlayer.com is the largest collectible card marketplace on the web, with hundreds of brick and mortar sellers listed.
 
--The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.