Back in the day I sometimes bought multiple copies of a card (e.g. several Strionic Resonators and about six copies of Rhystic Study for 50 cents apiece), but these days, I rather opt to play as many different cards in my decks as possible. For instance, I have 16 decks, but only play 3 Solemn Simulacrums, 3 Rhystic Studys and a single copy of Cyclonic Rift or Consecrated Spinx among all of them. I only run Sol Ring in non-green decks. Rite of Replication is good in every blue deck, but I only run it in my Riku Copy/Clone deck. The list goes on. There are very, very few cards that I (almost) automatically include, such as Cultivate and Kodama's Reach in green decks.
I find this makes for a more interesting and fun deckbuilding and playing experience, and it lets me avoid to a certain degree the price increase due to the ever increasing popularity of the format. However, I still notice that it got more expensive to build strong EDH decks than in the past. But this goes of course both ways: For example, I recently removed my two copies of Tooth and Nail from my decks because it is simply a boring card. I will sell one of them and use the money to buy new, more exciting - and cheaper - cards.
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
I just wanted to add to what others have mentioned, if you are starting out in the format you don't need to buy more than one of each staple card. Set yourself up with a staples folder, and use proxies in the decks. You won't risk damaging your expensive cards, but you still get to play with your expensive card on the field.
Wish that I had thought of this when I started out a decade or so ago. "Wasted" a lot of $ on multiples of cards between my EDH decks. Not actually "wasted", those cards have increased in value, but I bought those cards instead of others that are now well out of my price range (e.g. Gaea's Cradle). Overall, I have a narrower card base because of it.
I just wanted to add to what others have mentioned, if you are starting out in the format you don't need to buy more than one of each staple card. Set yourself up with a staples folder, and use proxies in the decks. You won't risk damaging your expensive cards, but you still get to play with your expensive card on the field.
Wish that I had thought of this when I started out a decade or so ago. "Wasted" a lot of $ on multiples of cards between my EDH decks. Not actually "wasted", those cards have increased in value, but I bought those cards instead of others that are now well out of my price range (e.g. Gaea's Cradle). Overall, I have a narrower card base because of it.
Hindsight bias. I wish I had known the lottery numbers last week etc. I feel the same way about some cards, especially with all the recent buyouts. My cousin bought a Judge Survival of the Fittest for 20 Euros three years ago. As of last week, the card is at 400 euros here in Europe. But well. I try to think of it this way: all the cheaper cards I bought brought me lots of joy during actual gameplay, more than a single copy of some Reserved List bomb would have. After all, I am buying cards in order to have fun playing them, not as a financial investment. If I cared about investment, I should have sold all my cards two years ago and put everything in Bitcoins. But then I would never have had all these good times with my friends during epic commander games.
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
Maze of Ith was reprinted two years ago and is available for about $10. WotC has been doing a decent job of pushing out reprints in the last few years. Scryfall turns up 1473 non-RL cards worth more than $5 and 864 worth more than $10 - there's no way that they can realistically reprint cards at a fast enough rate to keep prices at the levels you're talking about. If you want multiple copies of cards, pick them up as they're printed/reprinted. If you're not willing to do that, play with single copies, proxy, or find replacements.
I'm sympathetic to new players who never had the chance to pick up some of the cards that have come to define the format. It's a lot harder to be sympathetic when the issue is that you only bought 1-2 copies when the prices were 1/10 of what they are now.
Not to pull up a comment you wrote almost a month ago but I find that I buy things when I need them but beyond that I buy up copies of things when they get reprinted. I owned two copies of Mana Crypt for a good long while but then when it got reprinted and dropped to the $50 range I bought myself another pair of them. I owned one copy of Mana Drain for years but when it was reprinted and dropped to the $50-60 range I bought another pair of them.
Picking up cards when they are at good prices is a big part of playing commander if you ask me. If you need a copy of something then the going price is the going price but if the prices suddenly become good then perhaps you should pick up more copies in the case you need more later.
Also as a side note I find that if I need something that is like $1 or less and it seems like a good card I might use again I usually do buy a few extra copies. This is not me throwing out a few extra $20 bills but sometimes the cost to ship something is not worth not having a few spare on hand. I remember doing things like this for Ashnod's Altar and others back in the day where a $0.50 card has turned into several dollars per.
Hindsight bias. I wish I had known the lottery numbers last week etc. I feel the same way about some cards, especially with all the recent buyouts. My cousin bought a Judge Survival of the Fittest for 20 Euros three years ago. As of last week, the card is at 400 euros here in Europe. But well. I try to think of it this way: all the cheaper cards I bought brought me lots of joy during actual gameplay, more than a single copy of some Reserved List bomb would have. After all, I am buying cards in order to have fun playing them, not as a financial investment. If I cared about investment, I should have sold all my cards two years ago and put everything in Bitcoins. But then I would never have had all these good times with my friends during epic commander games.
Some things also come down to just being lucky. Buy what you want and will use and don't invest in magic for the sake of investing unless you want to go real deep into it (and then I still don't advise but at least know what you are doing please). I have bought a lot of things over the years that have paid off. I traded out of standard and bought a Tabernacle of Pendril Vale when it was a $300 card. Now it has become 5x+ more expensive than when I got mine back in 2013.
I try to think of it this way: all the cheaper cards I bought brought me lots of joy during actual gameplay, more than a single copy of some Reserved List bomb would have. After all, I am buying cards in order to have fun playing them, not as a financial investment.
But thats the thing. i bought into legacy (and thus, reserved list staples) to have fun, and i do. i didn´t do it as an investment, but i am glad it turned out to be one. People opposing to that always act like it is one or the other, when in reality, its both.
Oh no, that's not what I was trying to say. Sorry! ;-) I absolutely think it can be both. Many cards that I bought increased in price over the years, and of course that is nice both because now I don't have to spend the money and can still play with them and the thought that I could theoretically sell these without losing money gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. So of course playing and collecting MtG cards is not mutually exclusive at all. All I am saying is: if your budget is limited, there can be a trade-off. For example, if you have the choice to either spend your entire available budget on a single card or to build three to four complete EDH decks with the same amount of money, I personally would go for the latter. Sure, the expensive RL card might be the better investment, but just that single copy of a card will be useless for me without any decks that can play it. (obviously this is an extreme example, but I hope you get my point)
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
I've played for nearly 25 years now. The primary factor that has kept the game alive is that it's collectible and profitable for many different actors in the supply chain - and there's not going to be any way around the value of cards until the whole game is no longer printed. There's other - arguably better - ccgs and lcgs out there that haven't survived or don't have the popularity - largely because there's no secondary market for those games. What I'm saying is that the very thing you're complaining about is one of the major factors that's kept the game alive.
Maybe you should take note and act on historical lows for cards like blood moon, flusterstorm and imperial recruiter and make the system work to your advantage.
Maybe you should take note and act on historical lows for cards like blood moon, flusterstorm and imperial recruiter and make the system work to your advantage.
I own the cards I want, and the ones I don't I can purchase them, the "system" won´t ever work on my advantage while people can't afford the cards to play what they want because of lacking reprints.
I didn't mean to imply that it was at a record low.
And as someone who's been playing since the tail-end of unlimited, the only players who got to "play what they wanted" were the players that worked for it - either by paying cash for cards (presumably from their job), those that were savvy traders or those that won through tournaments.
As far as I've been aware, playing anything you want in this game or any other is end-game content. If you want it sooner, the reality is that you will have to make some sacrifices.
I didn't mean to imply that it was at a record low.
And as someone who's been playing since the tail-end of unlimited, the only players who got to "play what they wanted" were the players that worked for it - either by paying cash for cards (presumably from their job), those that were savvy traders or those that won through tournaments.
As far as I've been aware, playing anything you want in this game or any other is end-game content. If you want it sooner, the reality is that you will have to make some sacrifices.
That pretty much covers it. I played for a little while towards the end of revised and don't remember being able to afford anything near what we might call a staple these days. Sure, when I quit I sold off my cards and to this day rue getting rid of Reanimate and Hermit Druid. Other than that, the only people who could afford Sylvan Library, Land Tax, the tutors and such were people putting down a decent bit of coin or those winning tourneys. So the story hasn't changed, it's just the level of money that has.
I still think that, for the most part, having these staples really doesn't matter too much. If you're having to buy them to compete in your meta, ask to proxy or find a new meta. Or buy one copy and switch between decks. There'e plenty of options. Really, only the most cutthroat of metas absolutely need multiple reserved list staples, and even then that's debatable.
I just wanted to add to what others have mentioned, if you are starting out in the format you don't need to buy more than one of each staple card. Set yourself up with a staples folder, and use proxies in the decks. You won't risk damaging your expensive cards, but you still get to play with your expensive card on the field.
Wish that I had thought of this when I started out a decade or so ago. "Wasted" a lot of $ on multiples of cards between my EDH decks. Not actually "wasted", those cards have increased in value, but I bought those cards instead of others that are now well out of my price range (e.g. Gaea's Cradle). Overall, I have a narrower card base because of it.
I dislike using proxies, and I don't feel any regret for things like my 2x Mishra's Workshop, or my 8x Gaea's Cradle. I acknowledge that I have a larger disposable income than many people, but that wasn't always true and my pattern of behavior hasn't really changed in this regard. As my available funds went up, I simply included more expensive cards in my decks, and built more of them. And now I've got decks with cards that cost me hundreds of dollars, and even one deck with 48 Expedition/Masterpiece/Invocations, 23 foil promos/FTV/CMA, 27 regular foils, 1 Alpha card, and 1 non-blinged card.
I just wanted to add to what others have mentioned, if you are starting out in the format you don't need to buy more than one of each staple card. Set yourself up with a staples folder, and use proxies in the decks. You won't risk damaging your expensive cards, but you still get to play with your expensive card on the field.
Wish that I had thought of this when I started out a decade or so ago. "Wasted" a lot of $ on multiples of cards between my EDH decks. Not actually "wasted", those cards have increased in value, but I bought those cards instead of others that are now well out of my price range (e.g. Gaea's Cradle). Overall, I have a narrower card base because of it.
I dislike using proxies, and I don't feel any regret for things like my 2x Mishra's Workshop, or my 8x Gaea's Cradle. I acknowledge that I have a larger disposable income than many people, but that wasn't always true and my pattern of behavior hasn't really changed in this regard. As my available funds went up, I simply included more expensive cards in my decks, and built more of them. And now I've got decks with cards that cost me hundreds of dollars, and even one deck with 48 Expedition/Masterpiece/Invocations, 23 foil promos/FTV/CMA, 27 regular foils, 1 Alpha card, and 1 non-blinged card.
Firstly, that deck sounds beautiful.
Secondly, I agree with that assessment. I don't like using proxies either. If I really have to to keep up with my meta, I guess I would. I'd look for other options first though. My expenditure has increased with my salary too - I'll probably never have a collection like yours, but it does alright. I don't think there's any major cause for complaint among current players as to what is and isn't available, either. There's a reasonable enough number of reprints and functionally similar reprints that we can compete at most levels. Which, to be fair, isn't really what EDH should be about anyway (competition).
lol Alexev gets his wish with Battlebond. So many top-tier reprints so far. Hopefully he buys a few boxes.
I k now at least I will be buygint every land tax I can get my hands on
To be honest I'd be really surprised if there were a massive price drop for Land Tax - I hope there is, but at mythic in what will likely be a limited run, it'll probably still cost a bit. I'd love a couple copies myself, so here's hoping!
Who can say? There's some really strong reprints for EDH, but whether that translates to further sales remains to be seen. 2HG isn't the most well-supported format, so to me it's a coin toss. That the cards aren't standard legal doesn't bode well for multiple print runs.
but except the efreet all should drop a tiny bit after the hype jump basicly be patient protean hulk price dropped quite a bit after the hype (and yes this was before the reprint)
Sadly the Sliver doesn't work, due to its 'If this permanent is on the battlefield' clause. Specifically, from the rulings:
2/1/2007 For any given Sliver, this ability can be activated numerous times in response to itself, but the end result is that only one coin will be flipped for that Sliver.
Sadly the Sliver doesn't work, due to its 'If this permanent is on the battlefield' clause. Specifically, from the rulings:
2/1/2007 For any given Sliver, this ability can be activated numerous times in response to itself, but the end result is that only one coin will be flipped for that Sliver.
I know that sadly that's why I said only budget option the efreet jumped in price and that's on the reserve list
I know the thumb a the chance encounter will drop a little bit eventually after the hype stock but the reserve list stuff barely ever drop.
Having circled back to the game after a ~2 year hiatus, I couldn't believe how much the price of cards that I used to frequently consider including in deck lists had gone up. Now, granted, these were never exactly cheap cards, but they've gone up 2-4x from already substantial prices:
Vampiric Tutor: was ~$20 last time I looked, now sitting at ~$50. Usually a card I would include in almost every deck that has black in it. Phyrexian Tower and Volrath's Stronghold: were both ~$20 a few years back, now ~$40. Usually cards I would put in any black deck that cares about creatures at all. Chains of Mephistopheles: A more niche card, for sure, but a card with a unique, awesome, and fairly irreplaceable effect. Was ~$80 back when I was playing the most paper EDH (~2010-2012), and ~$180 a few years ago. Going up to ~$750 is quite the leap, and places it in "Nope, not gonna happen" territory for a single card. Nether Void: Another awesome black card that can't be replaced (I get that that's part of the very reason they've gotten expensive). Was ~$175 a few years back, now ~$800. Another "never gonna happen" card now. The Abyss: Was also ~$175 a few years back, now ~$1,200. Man, Legends was the king of black stax cards. Also, screw you no reprint list.
These were just cards that I came across when brewing a mono black deck. Venturing out into other colors brings up things like Survival of the Fittest, which I both bought and sold for ~$22 when I made and later parted out my paper EDH collection. Now at ~$125.
I owned a lot of these specific cards and others of their relative price and rarity (in the paper circulation pool) in the 2010s. Having sold them closer to %25-50 of their current value, though, there's just no way I could convince myself to buy back in at current prices. So... that basically means Cockatrice for me.
I find this makes for a more interesting and fun deckbuilding and playing experience, and it lets me avoid to a certain degree the price increase due to the ever increasing popularity of the format. However, I still notice that it got more expensive to build strong EDH decks than in the past. But this goes of course both ways: For example, I recently removed my two copies of Tooth and Nail from my decks because it is simply a boring card. I will sell one of them and use the money to buy new, more exciting - and cheaper - cards.
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.
Except for Mishra's Workshop. Not that card. Any card but that card.
If I am going to sit down to play a game with you, I want to play against the deck that you want to play, not the deck you can afford to play.
Wish that I had thought of this when I started out a decade or so ago. "Wasted" a lot of $ on multiples of cards between my EDH decks. Not actually "wasted", those cards have increased in value, but I bought those cards instead of others that are now well out of my price range (e.g. Gaea's Cradle). Overall, I have a narrower card base because of it.
Wish I didn't buy like 8x Chromatic Lanterns, or like 5x Seedborn Muse, or all the legendary lands (e.g. Minamo, School at Water's Edge) for each deck, and instead bought a single Gaea's Cradle back when they were less than $100. Hindsight.
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.
Not to pull up a comment you wrote almost a month ago but I find that I buy things when I need them but beyond that I buy up copies of things when they get reprinted. I owned two copies of Mana Crypt for a good long while but then when it got reprinted and dropped to the $50 range I bought myself another pair of them. I owned one copy of Mana Drain for years but when it was reprinted and dropped to the $50-60 range I bought another pair of them.
Picking up cards when they are at good prices is a big part of playing commander if you ask me. If you need a copy of something then the going price is the going price but if the prices suddenly become good then perhaps you should pick up more copies in the case you need more later.
Also as a side note I find that if I need something that is like $1 or less and it seems like a good card I might use again I usually do buy a few extra copies. This is not me throwing out a few extra $20 bills but sometimes the cost to ship something is not worth not having a few spare on hand. I remember doing things like this for Ashnod's Altar and others back in the day where a $0.50 card has turned into several dollars per.
Some things also come down to just being lucky. Buy what you want and will use and don't invest in magic for the sake of investing unless you want to go real deep into it (and then I still don't advise but at least know what you are doing please). I have bought a lot of things over the years that have paid off. I traded out of standard and bought a Tabernacle of Pendril Vale when it was a $300 card. Now it has become 5x+ more expensive than when I got mine back in 2013.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.
Maybe you should take note and act on historical lows for cards like blood moon, flusterstorm and imperial recruiter and make the system work to your advantage.
I own the cards I want, and the ones I don't I can purchase them, the "system" won´t ever work on my advantage while people can't afford the cards to play what they want because of lacking reprints.
EDH: RWB Edgar Markov The current updated decklist is here
EDH: WUB Oloro, Ageless ascetic The current updated decklist is here
EDH: UWG Phelddagrif, The current updated decklist is here
EDH: WUB Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign The current updated decklist is here
EDH: WUB Alela, Artful provocateur The current updated decklist is here
EDH: GB Hapatra, vizier of poisons The current updated decklist is here
And as someone who's been playing since the tail-end of unlimited, the only players who got to "play what they wanted" were the players that worked for it - either by paying cash for cards (presumably from their job), those that were savvy traders or those that won through tournaments.
As far as I've been aware, playing anything you want in this game or any other is end-game content. If you want it sooner, the reality is that you will have to make some sacrifices.
That pretty much covers it. I played for a little while towards the end of revised and don't remember being able to afford anything near what we might call a staple these days. Sure, when I quit I sold off my cards and to this day rue getting rid of Reanimate and Hermit Druid. Other than that, the only people who could afford Sylvan Library, Land Tax, the tutors and such were people putting down a decent bit of coin or those winning tourneys. So the story hasn't changed, it's just the level of money that has.
I still think that, for the most part, having these staples really doesn't matter too much. If you're having to buy them to compete in your meta, ask to proxy or find a new meta. Or buy one copy and switch between decks. There'e plenty of options. Really, only the most cutthroat of metas absolutely need multiple reserved list staples, and even then that's debatable.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Firstly, that deck sounds beautiful.
Secondly, I agree with that assessment. I don't like using proxies either. If I really have to to keep up with my meta, I guess I would. I'd look for other options first though. My expenditure has increased with my salary too - I'll probably never have a collection like yours, but it does alright. I don't think there's any major cause for complaint among current players as to what is and isn't available, either. There's a reasonable enough number of reprints and functionally similar reprints that we can compete at most levels. Which, to be fair, isn't really what EDH should be about anyway (competition).
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
I k now at least I will be buygint every land tax I can get my hands on
EDH: RWB Edgar Markov The current updated decklist is here
EDH: WUB Oloro, Ageless ascetic The current updated decklist is here
EDH: UWG Phelddagrif, The current updated decklist is here
EDH: WUB Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign The current updated decklist is here
EDH: WUB Alela, Artful provocateur The current updated decklist is here
EDH: GB Hapatra, vizier of poisons The current updated decklist is here
To be honest I'd be really surprised if there were a massive price drop for Land Tax - I hope there is, but at mythic in what will likely be a limited run, it'll probably still cost a bit. I'd love a couple copies myself, so here's hoping!
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
the eyes caused that
chance encounter and Krark's Thumb got hit too (not as bad though)
an actually coin flip tribal came to life
consider Frenetic Sliver as a budget option
but except the efreet all should drop a tiny bit after the hype jump basicly be patient protean hulk price dropped quite a bit after the hype (and yes this was before the reprint)
I know that sadly that's why I said only budget option the efreet jumped in price and that's on the reserve list
I know the thumb a the chance encounter will drop a little bit eventually after the hype stock but the reserve list stuff barely ever drop.
Vampiric Tutor: was ~$20 last time I looked, now sitting at ~$50. Usually a card I would include in almost every deck that has black in it.
Phyrexian Tower and Volrath's Stronghold: were both ~$20 a few years back, now ~$40. Usually cards I would put in any black deck that cares about creatures at all.
Chains of Mephistopheles: A more niche card, for sure, but a card with a unique, awesome, and fairly irreplaceable effect. Was ~$80 back when I was playing the most paper EDH (~2010-2012), and ~$180 a few years ago. Going up to ~$750 is quite the leap, and places it in "Nope, not gonna happen" territory for a single card.
Nether Void: Another awesome black card that can't be replaced (I get that that's part of the very reason they've gotten expensive). Was ~$175 a few years back, now ~$800. Another "never gonna happen" card now.
The Abyss: Was also ~$175 a few years back, now ~$1,200. Man, Legends was the king of black stax cards. Also, screw you no reprint list.
These were just cards that I came across when brewing a mono black deck. Venturing out into other colors brings up things like Survival of the Fittest, which I both bought and sold for ~$22 when I made and later parted out my paper EDH collection. Now at ~$125.
I owned a lot of these specific cards and others of their relative price and rarity (in the paper circulation pool) in the 2010s. Having sold them closer to %25-50 of their current value, though, there's just no way I could convince myself to buy back in at current prices. So... that basically means Cockatrice for me.
R.I.P. Sundering Titan (6/20/12) and Braids, Cabal Minion (9/12/14)