Following the release of Magic 2015, chase cards such as Garruk, Apex Predator and Nissa, Worldwaker were the most sought after in the set.  As you can imagine, these two brand new planeswalkers were two cards that players were eager to sleeve up and battle with at their upcoming events. (Garruk, Apex Predator was even the first planeswalker to have four ability since Jace, the Mind Sculptor, and look how that turned out!)
 
Since the set’s release a number of high profile events have taken place, including Pro Tour M15 and dozens of TCGplayerMaxPoint events.  These events showcased the most recent cards from the latest core set that we might see utilized after the Return to Ravnica block rotates out in a couple of months.
 

Top 25 'Magic 2015' Cards by Dollar Volume
$ Vol. Rank	Card Name	Average Price
1	Nissa, Worldwaker	$31.13
2	Garruk, Apex Predator	$21.40
3	Chord of Calling	$10.05
4	Genesis Hydra	$2.92
5	Ajani Steadfast	$14.18
6	Scuttling Doom Engine	$4.08
7	Sliver Hivelord	$11.40
8	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	$5.63
9	Waste Not	$6.35
10	Jace, the Living Guildpact	$9.78
11	Llanowar Wastes	$4.49
12	Sliver Hive	$4.24
13	Shivan Reef	$3.77
14	Soul of New Phyrexia	$7.78
15	Liliana Vess	$6.14
16	Goblin Rabblemaster	$1.27
17	Hushwing Gryff	$3.10
18	Battlefield Forge	$2.74
19	Chasm Skulker	$1.63
20	Yavimaya Coast	$2.95
21	Chandra, Pyromaster	$5.56
22	Perilous Vault	$5.21
23	Chief Engineer	$2.01
24	Polymorphists Jest	$1.18
25	Caves of Koilos	$2.11

 
While there were no breakout decks at Pro Tour M15, the power of certain cards became abundantly clear.  The five pain lands (Battlefield Forge, Caves of Koilos,Llanowar Wastes, Shivan Reef, Yavimaya Coast) all saw play in one form or another, proving that no matter how many reprints a rare land receives, it will still hold its value and find uses.  Nissa, Worldwaker is still commanding top dollar in the set thanks to her inclusions in both the Monogreen Devotion deck as well as the JundSuperfriends deck.  Another card that came as no surprise was Chord of Calling.  Chord of Calling has seen plenty of play in the Modern format, allowing a player to search their library for any creature at instant speed, and its power-level is just as high in Standard.
 
Presently there is a very obvious selection of cards from M15 that seems to be standing out and attracting players.  This selection could undoubtedly change once the Return to Ravnica block rotates out and the fall set Khans of Tarkir rotates in.  While it seems that players have decided which M15 cards are tier one and which cards are less so, soon that could all change when the format gets a rejuvenating shot in the arm; after all, Wizards of the Coast has a knack for printing cards that have synergy with future sets.  Just take, for example, the hybrid cards from the Return to Ravnica block and the devotion mechanic from the Theros block.
 
While Pro Tour M15 didn’t shine the spotlight on any of the new Mythics Souls from M15, you can be sure their popularity isn’t in question.  If they don’t find their competitive homes in the coming months of Standard, they will assuredly see play in Commander decks for years to come.
 
--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.This column follows up Lepore’s earlier look at Magic 2015 sales volume and prices (see “Top 10 'M:TG--Magic 2015' Cards Before and After the Prerelease”).
 
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.