The set also marked a brand new card type that has never before been seen... technically. Magic Origins introduces legendary double-faced creatures (last seen in Innistrad block) that, when you fulfilled a certain criteria, transform into planeswalkers! They're quite exciting from a gameplay perspective and players are eager to get their hands on them in order to see how well they perform in-game.
Before the pre-release for Magic Origins (which ran up through July 11th) a number of cards stood out as the chase cards for the set.
|
Top 10 'Magic Origins’ Cards by Dollar Volume [Prerelease time period.] |
||
|
$ Vol. Rank |
Card Name |
Average Price |
|
1 |
Nissa, Vastwood Seer |
$20.46 |
|
2 |
Goblin Piledriver |
$14.20 |
|
3 |
Liliana, Heretical Healer |
$18.95 |
|
4 |
Languish |
$5.97 |
|
5 |
Days Undoing |
$16.62 |
|
6 |
Kytheon, Hero of Akros |
$16.32 |
|
7 |
Archangel of Tithes |
$15.22 |
|
8 |
Jace, Vryns Prodigy |
$12.75 |
|
9 |
Harbinger of the Tides |
$4.32 |
|
10 |
Exquisite Firecraft |
$3.15 |
This is a pretty interesting list for one specific reason: only four of the set's brand new planeswalkers are on it! While Nissa, Liliana, Kytheon, and Jace all found their way onto the list, Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh is markedly absent. This is quite the unique scenario for a cycle of equally unique planeswalkers as one would expect them all to grace the set’s initial Top 10 sales. It's also fascinating seeing Goblin Piledriver so close to the top--in the number two spot to be exact--when the powerful goblin is both a reprint and also available as an alternate art promo. This just goes to show how deep the love for tribes are in Magic as players do love their goblins. This tribal love is also evident in the fact that Archangel of Tithes and Harbinger of the Tides are both present on the list: the set's token angel and merfolk creatures respectively, both of which were expected to make a competitive splash when released.
|
Top 10 'Magic Origins’ Cards by Dollar Volume [After Prerelease] |
||
|
$ Vol. Rank |
Card Name |
Average Price |
|
1 |
Goblin Piledriver |
$13.32 |
|
2 |
Nissa, Vastwood Seer |
$25.91 |
|
3 |
Liliana, Heretical Healer |
$21.45 |
|
4 |
Languish |
$8.26 |
|
5 |
Jace, Vryns Prodigy |
$12.72 |
|
6 |
Kytheon, Hero of Akros |
$14.86 |
|
7 |
Archangel of Tithes |
$13.59 |
|
8 |
Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh |
$9.65 |
|
9 |
Evolutionary Leap |
$4.78 |
|
10 |
Abbot of Keral Keep |
$2.53 |
Our post pre-release list may contain the most movement we've ever seen after a Prerelease. Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh has thankfully made it onto the list, but three of our initial cards have been bumped off for Evolutionary Leap, Abbot of Keral Keep, and the aforementioned hot-headed planeswalker. Noticeably absent are Harbinger of the Tides, Exquisite Firecraft, and Day’s Undoing--a card honoring the highly sought after member of the Power 9, Timetwister. And if you thought Goblin Piledriver had a commanding showing in the second place slot, you’ll be surprised to find out that he has now jumped into the driver's seat at first place.
Overall Magic Origins looks to be an incredible set with a ton of new and powerful toys for every type of player. With Pro Tour Magic Origins coming up in less than two weeks on July 31, it's only a matter of time before we see which of these cards will truly shine in the Standard format.
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.