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- /u/Stolen_Goods' Reserved List analysis.
- ABU cards and Revised duals are not included here (frankly, after having finished this massive list, Legends and Arabian Nights shouldn't have been either). Everything below is my personal opinion.
- Last Updated: 1/22/2021
- Glossary:
- Z - Zero playability. Trash.
- F - Fringe. Trash in almost every scenario, but has one thing going for it that means it could possibly spike under the correct circumstances. Effect is almost always unique and weird.
- K - oKay. A reasonable, playable card. Not going to break down anyone's doors, but has its place.
- S - deck-Specific. Very good but only in one, maybe two narrow deck archetypes. Often lives and dies by its enablers. Not all S ranks are created equal.
- W - Widely playable, generically good, fantastic in pretty much any deck you jam it in. A Winner.
- L - Legendary.
- A - Art or artist is particularly significant (often one of the original 25 Alpha/Beta/Unlimited artists).
- O - Lore significant. Usually stops mattering for more expensive cards.
- T - Tribe significant. Not necessarily a good card but possibly collectible.
- Q - Otherwise significant. e.g. Ante.
- + - I personally own more than one of these specifically as a spec.
- Just because a card is a Z does not mean it is necessarily worthless. Many cards are expensive due to buyouts (e.g. Winter's Night, Pyramids), scarcity (Legends, Arabian Nights), or collectability (tribes such as Angels, specific artists, lore).
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- What I'm invested in.
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- Jungle Patrol - FT+. Creates Wall tokens for 1G, and sacs them for R. A little costly but if WUBRG Wall/Defender tribal is a thing, I think it'll take its token generation where it can get it. IMO will see a modest bump when WOTC farts out another Wall/Defender tribal support card in these colors. I got a set.
- Amulet of Quoz - ZAQ+. Art by Dan Frazier. Ante. One of the cards I expect to be uber-banned for "racial insensitivity." If Cleanse can get banned for that reason, this absolutely can.
- Righteous War - K+. Giving a vast swath of your creatures protection from a color (or two) for three mana seems just dandy to me. Own several sets. IMO going up is a matter of when, not if.
- Wall of Kelp - S+. Spiked once before when Arcades was spoiled, it pulls its weight in Wall/Defender decks. It'll spike again when WOTC farts out another Wall/Defender tribal card. As a sub-$5 RL spec, I like it a lot.
- Hall of Gemstone - S+. Multicolor deck hoser at a reasonable cost. I like it a lot. It's mean.
- Anvil of Bogardan - S+. Most graveyard decks want this, Rielle turned it into a draw three each turn and caused it to spike. Great card. I can see it going up more. I have like two.
- Treachery - W+. How this card isn't >$100 already is beyond me. It's a net-zero mana Control Magic, and can net you 13 mana with 5 lands and High Tide. It doesn't cut the mustard for cEDH, but for pretty much any other power level, it's an absolute all-star in just about every deck you can run it in.
- Other cards I like right now include: Corpse Dance, Shallow Grave, Firestorm, Abeyance, Koskun Falls, Carnival of Souls, Carrion, Seeds of Innocence, and Metalworker.
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- Starting from $.50 Market
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- Rogue Skycaptain - Z. Playable for Zedruu-like decks. But not really.
- Marjhan - Z. Art's cute though.
- Beast Walkers - Z.
- Mystic Might - Z.
- Hazduhr the Abbot - ZLA. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Emberwilde Caliph - Z.
- Splintering Wind - ZA, but so bad and weird it's almost hilarious. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Rock Basilisk - Z.
- Kookus - Z. Funny name though, and has a partner in Keeper of Kookus.
- Spirit Shield - Z.
- Mammoth Harness - Z.
- Cycle of Life - ZA. Art by Chippy.
- Avizoa - F?O. Skips untap step at will. Also references Tahngarth and Squee.
- Aegis of the Meek - Z. Pendelhaven but on a 3 mana artifact.
- Veldrane of Sengir - ZLO. References Sengir.
- Sworn Defender - ZA. Art by D. Alexander Gregory.
- Sawback Manticore - Z. Hilariously bad.
- Gargantuan Gorilla - Z. References snow.
- Baki's Curse - Z. Technically unique effect but drastically outclassed by now.
- Phantasmal Sphere - ZA. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Mercenaries - Z. Hilariously bad.
- Illusionary Presence - ZA. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Vodalian War Machine - ZT. Merfolk Wall.
- Trailblazer - Z.
- Barreling Attack - Z.
- Yare - Z
- Warping Wurm - Z.
- Morinfen - ZLO. References Crovax.
- Elven Lyre - ZA. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Balm of Restoration - Z.
- Aysen Highway - Z. Infamously bad.
- Ogre Enforcer - ZA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Malignant Growth - ZA. Art by Scott Fischer.
- Keeper of Tresserhorn - ZO?A. References Tresserhorn. Art by D. Alexander Gregory.
- Daughter of Autumn - ZLO. References Serra.
- Tourach's Gate - Z.
- Icatian Skirmishers - Z.
- Gravebind - ZA. Art by Drew Tucker.
- Flow of Maggots - ZA. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Dwarven Sea Clan - ZT. Dwarf.
- Goblin Flotilla - ZT. Goblin.
- Discordant Spirit - Z.
- Benthic Djinn - Z.
- Tornado - Z. Weird one but I don't think it's even fringe playable.
- Storm Spirit - ZA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Mountain Titan - Z.
- Heart Wolf - ZT. Dwarf
- Formation - Z.
- Auspicious Ancestor - Z.
- Subterranean Spirit - Z. Cheeky art.
- Ivory Gargoyle - ZA. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- Fyndhorn Pollen - ZA. Art by Phil Foglio.
- Soldevi Golem - ZA. Untapping opponents' creatures is unique but I don't think it's good. Art by Anson Maddocks.
- Draconian Cylix - Z.
- Mesmeric Trance - ZA. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Lightning Cloud - Z.
- Gallowbraid - ZL.
- Acidic Dagger - Z.
- Thelon's Curse - Z. Almost fringe but nah.
- Tainted Specter - ZA. Art by Chippy.
- Floodwater Dam - ZA. Art by Randy Gallegos.
- Chaos Harlequin - Z.
- Lichenthrope - ZT. Fungus.
- Ring of Renewal - ZA. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Kjeldoran Phalanx - ZA. Art by Richard Kane-Ferguson.
- Torrent of Lava - Z.
- Timmerian Fiends - ZQ. Ante. Art's also funny.
- Thelonite Monk - Z.
- Reveka, Wizard Savant - LZT. Dwarf.
- Implements of Sacrifice - Z.
- Amulet of Unmaking - ZA. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Rysorian Badger - Z. Art's cute.
- Fungus Elemental - ZT. Fungus.
- Vodalian Knights - ZT. Merfolk.
- Mwonvuli Ooze - Z.
- Infernal Denizen - Z.
- Hot Springs - Z.
- Dwarven Pony - ZT. Dwarf.
- Telim'Tor - LZA. Art by Kev Walker.
- Divine Retribution - Z.
- Xanthic Statue - Z.
- Razor Pendulum - Z.
- Homarid Shaman - ZA. Art by Amy Weber.
- Bogardan Phoenix - ZT. Phoenix.
- Zhalfirin Crusader - Z.
- Royal Decree - ZA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Urborg Stalker - ZAO. Art by Cliff Nielsen. References Urborg.
- Grandmother Sengir - LZO. References Sengir.
- Misfortune - ZA. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Blizzard - Z. Snow.
- Zelyon Sword - ZT. Depicts Angel.
- Icatian Lieutenant - ZA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Hivis of the Scale - LZ.
- Canopy Dragon - ZT. Dragon (and a green one at that).
- Purraj of Urborg - ZL.
- Jungle Patrol - FT+. Creates Wall tokens for 1G, and sacs them for R. A little costly but if WUBRG Wall/Defender tribal is a thing, I think it'll take its token generation where it can get it. IMO will see a modest bump when WOTC farts out another Wall/Defender tribal support card in these colors. I got a set.
- Emberwilde Djinn - Z.
- Citanul Centaurs - Z.
- Lightning Blow - Z.
- Thran Tome - ZO? References the Thran.
- Call to Arms - ZA. Art by Randy Gallegos. Interesting effect but also trash compared with Crusade and Honor of the Pure.
- Snowblind - ZA. Art by Douglas Shuler. Snow.
- River Merfolk - ZTA. Merfolk. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Firestorm Hellkite - ZA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Brand of Ill Omen - ZA. Art by Rob Alexander.
- Spectral Guardian - Z.
- Sidar Jabari - Z.
- Aysen Crusader - Z.
- Wave of Terror - Z.
- Delif's Cube - ZA. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Fatal Lore - Z.
- Anaba Ancestor - ZT. Minotaur.
- Prismatic Lace - Z. Better color changers exist. I guess it's a Lace, which are infamously bad?
- Minion of Tevesh Szat - ZO. References Tevesh Szat. And also Lim-Dul.
- Teferi's Imp - ZL. References Teferi.
- Pillar Tombs of Aku - ZA. Art by Terese Nielsen.
- Kjeldoran Knight - ZA. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Hakim, Loreweaver - ZL.
- General Jarkeld - ZLO. It's Jarkeld.
- Zephid - Z.
- Faerie Noble - ZT. Faerie. Also a green flyer.
- Leeches - Z. Removing all poison counters is novel, but this card's bad and will only get worse as WOTC prints even more player counter removal.
- Katabatic Winds - Z.
- Exalted Dragon - ZT. Dragon.
- Ashnod's Cylix - ZL. References Ashnod.
- Ventifact Bottle - ZA. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Spoils of War - ZAL? Art by Pete Venters. Depicts Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician.
- Dwarven Armorer - ZT. Dwarf. Novel counters.
- Mindbender Spores - ZT. Fungus Wall.
- Energy Vortex - Z.
- Black Carriage - ZO. References Baron Sengir.
- Jabari's Influence - Z. White uber-conditional Control Magic. Debt of Loyalty this is not.
- Heart of Bogardan - ZA. Art by Terese Nielsen.
- Suleiman's Legacy - ZA. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Sheltered Valley - ZA. Art by Rob Alexander. Land.
- Chromatic Armor - ZA. Art by Mark Poole.
- Earthlink - ZA. Art by Richard Kane-Ferguson.
- Paupers' Cage - Z.
- Land Cap - Z. Land.
- Phyrexian Negator (Duel Decks) - ZQ. Notable for being a Reserved List break.
- Aeolipile - Z.
- Misers' Cage - ZA. Art by Jeff Miracola.
- Amulet of Quoz - ZAQ+. Art by Dan Frazier. Ante. One of the cards I expect to be uber-banned for "racial insensitivity" If Cleanse can get banned for that reason, this absolutely can.
- Escaped Shapeshifter - ZA. Art by Douglas Shuler. What is this art?
- Mystic Decree - Z. World Enchantment.
- Timberline Ridge - ZA. Art by Jeff A Menges. Land.
- Autumn Willow - ZLO. References Grandmother Sengir.
- Lava Tubes - Z. Land.
- Veldt - Z. Land.
- Ritual of Subdual - Z.
- Ertai's Familiar - ZO. References Ertai. Fun art.
- Balduvian Hydra - ZT. Hydra.
- Thrull Champion - F. Thrull lord and can gain control of Thrulls.
- Energy Bolt - Z.
- River Delta - Z. Land.
- Kaervek's Spite - FO. An infamous way to get rid of your board and hand on the (relatively) cheap. Combos with Barren Glory and Academy Rector. References Kaervek.
- Inner Sanctum - ZAO. Art by D. Alexander Gregory. References Starke.
- Farmstead - ZA. Art by Mark Poole. Infamous for being just about the worst ABUR rare.
- Brushwagg - ZT. It's Brushwagg! Could go up just as a meme, whenever this creature type pops up again.
- Tolarian Serpent - ZO. References Tahngarth.
- Rainbow Efreet - ZO. References Teferi.
- Corrosion - Z.
- Reflect Damage - ZA. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Quirion Druid - Z. Better ways to animate lands exist.
- Orim, Samite Healer - ZLAO. Art by Kaja Foglio. It's Orim.
- Leering Gargoyle - Z.
- Narwhal - Z. It's a Narwhal I guess? And a blue first striker???
- Wellspring - Z. One of a few Control Magics for lands.
- Viashivan Dragon - ZT. Dragon, and one that makes reference to Shivan Dragon too.
- Soul Echo - ZA. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Elkin Lair - Z. World Enchantment.
- Preferred Selection - ZA. Art by Kev Walker.
- Hand of Justice - Z.
- Energy Storm - Z.
- Afiya Grove - Z.
- Aku Djinn - ZO. References Kaervek, Mangara.
- Winter Sky - ZF. Coin flip for R. Doubt it cuts the mustard though.
- Mist Dragon - ZT. Dragon.
- Ring of Gix - ZAO. Art by Mark Tedin. References Gix.
- Forbidden Ritual - ZA. Art by Christopher Rush. Notable for letting you destroy your board.
- Taniwha - ZL.
- Fungal Bloom - F. Spore counters. Very slowly.
- Argothian Wurm - ZA. Art by Kev Walker.
- Phyrexian Marauder - ZO. Phyrexian.
- Chronatog - FAT. Art by Christopher Rush. Once upon a time, Chronatog Stasis was a thing. Also, Atog.
- Serra Aviary - ZO. References Serra, Feroz, Taysir.
- Aboroth - ZO. References Gerrard.
- Eye of Singularity - Z. World Enchantment. Unique effect but nah.
- Weatherseed Treefolk - Z.
- Opal Archangel - ZAT. Art by Jeff Miracola. Angel.
- Telim'Tor's Edict - ZF?A. Art by Kev Walker. Weird effect and I can't imagine what circumstances would have to arise for it to be playable, but it's unique and efficient?
- Reality Twist - F. Cheeky effect, shared with Naked Singularity. Why did they print these two effects in the same set?
- Darkpact - ZAQ. Art by Quinton Hoover. Ante.
- Silver Wyvern - Z. Precursor to Spellskite, I guess?
- Kudzu - ZA. Art by Mark Poole. Revised. Kinda weird and interesting but I don't think it works.
- Bone Mask - ZA. Art by D. Alexanger Gregory.
- Willow Priestess - ZT. Faerie.
- Soraya the Falconer - FL. Short for Falcon Lord.
- Musician - Z. Tabernacle effect on individual creatures.
- Mudslide - F. Weird red creature stax effect.
- Shauku, Endbringer - ZLA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Omen of Fire - F?A. Island and white hate in one card. Art by Pete Venters.
- Maraxus of Keld - ZL.
- Guiding Spirit - ZAT. Art by Terese Nielsen. Angel.
- Demonic Attorney - ZQ. Ante. Revised.
- Pygmy Hippo - Z? I'm pretty sure it doesn't work well, in much the same way that Mana Web isn't as good as it might look at first.
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- >$2 Market
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- Avenging Angel - ZT. Angel.
- Masticore (FTV) - ZQ. From the Vault foil with unique art.
- Heart of Yavimaya - ZA. Land. Art by Pete Venters.
- Phyrexian Tribute - F?O. Black artifact destruction and sac outlet. References Phyrexia.
- Phyrexian Portal - ZOA. References Phyrexia. Art by Pete Venters.
- Commander Greven il-Vec - ZLOA. It's Greven. Art by Kev Walker.
- Anaba Spirit Crafter - ZT. Minotaur half-lord, but too expensive to be worth it.
- Balduvian Trading Post - Z. Land.
- Bazaar of Wonders - Z. World Enchantment. Surgical Extraction is just better.
- Veteran Bodyguard - ZA. Art by Douglas Shuler. Revised.
- Chain Stasis - Z.
- Mangara's Tome - ZO. References Mangara.
- Conch Horn - ZA. Art by Phil Foglio.
- Gustha's Scepter - F? 0 mana artifact.
- Wandering Mage - ZA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Triangle of War - Z. Colorless fight.
- Nature's Wrath - Z. Fun blue/black hate effect but overcosted.
- Halls of Mist - ZA. Art by Mark Poole. Land.
- Roc of Kher Ridges - Z. Revised.
- Catacomb Dragon - ZT. Dragon.
- Phyrexian Negator - ZLT? Phyrexian.
- Krovikan Horror - ZA. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Soldevi Digger - F?A. Bad Grenzo tech. Art by Amy Weber.
- Apocalypse Chime - ZAOQ. Art by Mark Poole. References Grandmother Sengir. One of the three expansion hosers.
- Winter's Chill - Z. Snow.
- Purgatory - Z. Close but no cigar.
- Circle of Despair - ZA. Significantly worse Martyr's Cause. Art by Scott Fischer.
- Zuberi, Golden Feather - FLT. Griffin lord and legendary.
- Harbinger of Night - Z.
- Skeleton Ship - ZATO. Legendary skeleton. Art by Amy Weber. References Lim-Dul.
- Lodestone Bauble - FA. 0 mana artifact, and for that alone it gets an F. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Elvish Farmer - FAT. Spore counters, makes and sacs Saprolings, is an Elf. Art by Richard Kane-Ferguson.
- Contract from Below - ZAQ. The strongest Ante card and would-be Power if it weren't illegal in everything. Revised. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Three Wishes - Z. Would've been alright once upon a time, but impulse draw three for three isn't something blue wants.
- Heat Stroke - K. "Everything has deathtouch in combat" is an actually halfway-decent red aggro card for EDH.
- Ebon Praetor - Z. Notable for it's crackhead art and for being a Praetor.
- Dominating Licid - Z. It's cute, but bad.
- Teferi's Realm - FO. World Enchantment. References Teferi. I don't know how I'd use it or in what deck, but it's a dramatic effect for 3 mana. Might go up a little.
- Asmira, Holy Avenger - ZLA. Art by Rebecca Guay.
- Spoils of Evil - ZAO. It's a weird ritual/lifegain hybrid, and while it's cool, it's almost definitely not worth playing over other rituals. References Lim-Dul. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- Sedge Troll - ZA. Revised. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Sustaining Spirit - ZAT. Angel. Art by Rebecca Guay.
- Null Chamber - ZA. World Enchantment. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Forsaken Wastes - ZA. World Enchantment. Art by Kev Walker.
- Righteous War - K+. Giving a vast swath of your creatures protection from a color (or two) for three mana seems just dandy to me. Own several sets. IMO going up.
- Dystopia - F. Affordable white/green hate. Not great, as opponents choose what they sac, but not terrible?
- Covetous Dragon - ZAT. Dragon. Art by rk post.
- Granite Gargoyle - ZA. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Natural Balance - F? I don't know what to make of this but it's a dramatic effect for 4 mana. Not amazing but cheeky.
- An-Zerrin Ruins - ZO. References Sengir.
- Lightning Dragon - ZAT. Dragon. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Dwarven Thaumaturgist - ZT. Dwarf. Cool art.
- Equipoise - F. It's not great but it's potentially a neat political card.
- Wall of Kelp - S+. Spiked once before when Arcades was spoiled, it pulls its weight in Wall/Defender decks. It'll spike again when WOTC farts out another Wall/Defender tribal card. As a sub-$5 RL spec, I like it a lot.
- Unfulfilled Desires - ZA. Art by D. Alexander Gregory.
- Glacial Crevasses - FO. Repeatable snow fog in red? Alright. References Lim-Dul. IMO might spike.
- Ice Cauldron - ZA. I have no idea why this spiked - it looks horrible. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Flooded Shoreline - F. Playable in Patron of the Moon.
- Wormwood Treefolk - ZA. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- Tidal Control - FA. Shuts down red/green spells for a few turns. Seems alright. Art by Randy Gallegos.
- Rashida Scalebane - ZFA. Related to dragons. Art by Randy Gallegos.
- Infernal Tribute - ZA. Card bad, but Art by Terese Nielsen.
- Shimmer - F. Okay arbitrary land type hate.
- Sarcomancy - F. We have 1 mana zombies already, but you can blink/sac the enchantment. Very fringe.
- Sands of Time - F. Used to have a stack of these and cashed out. It's a neat card.
- Recycle - ZA. Colorshifted in Planar Chaos. Art by Phil Foglio.
- Crovax the Cursed - ZAOT. It's Crovax. He's a vampire. Art by Pete Venters.
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- >$5 Market
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- Rock Hydra - ZAT. Hydra. Art by Jeff A. Menges. Revised.
- Kaysa - ZAL. Art by Rebecca Guay.
- Lord of Tresserhorn - Z. Notable for it's funky P/T.
- Martyrs of Korlis - Z.
- Seeds of Innocence - KL+ It's a playable artifact wipe, and in green. References Jolrael. I'm not confident that WOTC won't powercreep it (not like it doesn't already have competition now).
- Niall Silvain - ZA. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Frenetic Efreet - S. Reasonably costed and in the right colors, lets you put an arbitrary amount of coin flip triggers on the stack, sometimes just winning you the game as a result in combination with other coin flip synergy cards. Could easily spike again when WOTC farts out more coin flip cards.
- Teeka's Dragon - ZT. Dragon.
- Ritual of the Machine - FO. Black Control Magic with caveats. References Arcum and Phyrexia(?). IMO steady and probably powercreeped soon.
- Psychic Allergy - ZA. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Phyrexian Purge - F?O. Barely playable multi-target removal. Maybe good in suicide decks? References Phyrexia.
- Kukemssa Pirates - FT. Pirate that steals artifacts if unblocked. Eh. It's something. Probably not going up though.
- Grim Feast - F. It's not the worst lifegain I've ever seen, and the downside is negligible.
- Polar Kraken - ZA. Notable for being really big. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Marton Stromgald - FAL. Fragile but effectively gives a Craterhoof effect on attack/block for 4 mana, so not the worst? Art by Mark Poole.
- Selenia, Dark Angel - STO. The premier suicide commander. Also an angel. Also lore-significant for cursing Crovax.
- Lure of Prey - Z. I don't know why it's $6. It's not playable or played in anything.
- Chaosphere - F. World Enchantment. Swaps flying and non-flying. Not great but it does what it does. Awesome art.
- Political Trickery - F. Switcheroo for lands. Very situational but it does what it does.
- Hidden Path - ZA. You thought Aysen Highway was bad... Art by Rob Alexander.
- Urborg Justice - FO. Single-target, one-time Dictate of Erebos for 2 mana. Playable. References Crovax, Urborg.
- Varchild's War-Riders - F. Give your opponents 1/1s at a record pace. Synergizes quite well with Varchild and spiked before as a result. IMO might still go up again.
- Spirit of the Night - ZAL. Awesome art by Cliff Nielsen.
- Teferi's Isle - ZOL. Land. References Teferi.
- Oath of Ghouls - F. Raise Dead each turn for each player without the least number of creatures in their yard. It's playable, although I don't think it'll go up much.
- Tolarian Entrancer - FO. Low-cost and steals everything with Lure. References Ertai.
- Demonic Hordes - ZA. Art by Jesper Myrfors. Revised.
- Bosium Strip - Z. Cool art. Bad card.
- Cadaverous Bloom - F. Would be exponentially better if it didn't cost 3BG. Fringe as-is.
- Bubble Matrix - FAO. It does what it does, I guess, but I don't see it growing outside of a buyout. References Hanna. Art by Brom.
- Diamond Kaleidoscope - ZA. Nah. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Breathstealer's Crypt - F. Pseudo-telepathy, mediocre tax/drainer.
- Temporal Apeture - F. Not the worst, not the best.
- Scarwood Bandits - ZA. Art by Mark Poole.
- Volrath's Shapeshifter - FAO. Notable for being one of the few cards that cares about the top of your graveyard. Art by Ron Spencer. References Volrath.
- Ancestral Knowledge - FO. Kinda mediocre but technically playable. Depicts Sisay.
- Lurker - Z.
- Tracker - ZA. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Rainbow Vale - SA. Played in Zedruu. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Carrion - K. Sac a creature and get 0/1s equal to its power. It's a fine way to get lots of tokens fast, IMO. Might go up.
- Sorrow's Path - Z. Notable for its crackhead art and for being a terrible card for you, and having a hilariously convoluted combo that involves you giving it to your opponent and turning their creatures into copies of it.
- Second Chance - FAO. Another card just waiting for a home. I'm not confident it'll find one anytime soon. Depicts Urza. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Masticore - Z.
- Reparations - KAQ. Decent effect. Art by Douglas Shuler. A card I can see possibly being uber-banned over racial insensitivity.
- Mightstone - ZAO. Important artifact in the Brothers' War lore. References Mishra, Tocasia, Urza. Art by Pete Venters.
- Carnival of Souls - F. Yet another card just waiting to be broken. I think it'll happen eventually, but idk when. I sold outta the two sets I had during the last spike.
- Nameless Race - Z. Notable for having no creature type. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- Meditate - FO. Turn skipper, but not repeatable like Chronatog (and it doesn't stop you from decking either). Past that, the use case where you're not abusing the "skip your next turn" clause seems real bad. I don't see any growth here unless something new is printed that can very pointedly abuse this. References Ertai, Barrin.
- Goblin Bomb - SA. Coin flip every upkeep for 1R. I like the Djinn more, but this isn't bad either. I see this moving alongside that when new coin flip cards are printed. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Herald of Serra - ZT. Angel.
- Bone Dancer - FT. Zombie. Another rare "top of yard matters" card, and not a terrible one either if you can get it to work.
- Apocalypse - F. Played in Jhoira of the Ghitu (right before your suspended Eldrazi resolve). It does its job.
- Well of Knowledge - FA. Not great but playable and a solid mana sink. Art by D. Alexander Gregory.
- Femeref Enchantress - FA. Alas, it can't be run in Ghen EDH decks. One day! Art by D. Alexander Gregory.
- Knights of Thorn - ZAO. Very goblin-related. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Zirilan of the Claw - FL. It's a surprisingly solid dragon for Mirage.
- Weakstone - Z. Notable for its Yu-Gi-Oh-ass art.
- Powder Keg - FA. Extremely fringe alternative to Engineered Explosives et al in cube and legacy. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Donate - FA. Playable in Zedruu. Later colorshifted into Harmless Offering. Art by Jeff Miracola.
- Grave Robbers - ZA. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- Worms of the Earth - Z.
- Powder Keg (MPR) - FA. Notable for being a Reserved List break.
- Yawgmoth's Bargain - ???O. The card is bonkers, but it's not legal in anything. Perhaps it'll see growth a la Tolarian Academy? References Yawgmoth, and is a notorious card in general.
- Liege of the Hollows - FA. A low-tier RL Squirrel card is still a RL Squirrel card, so even if it's not great it'll still spike. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Winter's Night - ZA. World Enchantment. This getting bought out was a big meme. Art by Rob Alexander.
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- >$10 Market
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- Jester's Mask - K?A. "6: Give target opponent a hand of land next turn" is comparable with Mindslaver? Kinda? I'm personally kinda curious to try this out with Daretti now. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Phelddagrif - SAOL. Everybody's favorite group hug hippo commander. References Richard Garfield. Art by Amy Weber.
- Morphling - FA. Unfortunately not the beast it used to be, now that damage doesn't use the stack and two and a half decades of Magic have happened. Still, an iconic card, kinda playable in cube, and has U: Untap Morphling which is sometimes abusable.
- Koskun Falls - KA. World Enchantment. Black Ghostly Prison with negligible downside. I've played it. It's fine. Art by Rob Alexander.
- Retribution of the Meek - K. The board wipe for Wall/Treefolk tribal. It's okay, but it's getting competition.
- Pendrell Mists - F. Tabernacle on a 3U enchantment is substantially worse than Tabernacle itself, but it's also not garbage.
- Imprison - ZA. Art by Christopher Rush. We're getting into the crappy Legends rares now.
- Eternal Flame - ZA. Art by Mark Poole.
- Abeyance - SO. A very solid Silence effect. I see it going up soon. References Ertai.
- Damping Field - F? It's not a great stax effect but maybe just barely playable? Probably not, but just maybe.
- Altar of Bone - F. A worse, second copy of Eladamri's Call. I'm not confident that this won't continually be outclassed and eventually nobody will want it even as "the second copy."
- Thought Lash - FA. Combos with Lab Man and Thassa's Oracle, and played in Zedruu. It's fringe but plays a solid role. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Debt of Loyalty - FAO. White ""Control Magic"", but realistically a three mana conditional reanimator. It's fine. References Gerrard et al. Art by Pete Venters.
- Baron Sengir - ZOATL. Big daddy Sengir himself. Art by Pete Venters.
- Haunting Wind - FA. Expensive but almost halfway-decent in group slug decks. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Kjeldoran Outpost - FA. Outclassed by Castle Ardenvale by now, but eh. I guess Soldier tribal likes it. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Illusions of Grandeur - FA. Played in Zedruu. No idea why this is blue and not white. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- Cursed Scroll - ZA. Art by D. Alexander Gregory. I don't know why this is $12.
- Soldevi Excavations - FA. Three mana to scry 1 isn't great, but some people seem to like this for some reason. Art by Liz Danforth.
- Citanul Druid - FA. One of the few pauper-legal RL cards. Very meta-dependent, but it might have its day in the shade. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Karn, Silver Golem (FTV) - FOLQ. It's Karn, from the Vault.
- Phyrexian Negator (Judge) - ZQ. Relatively cheap RL judge promo.
- Multani, Maro-Sorcerer - ZOL. References Urza, Multani, and Mark Rosewater.
- Hall of Gemstone - S? Multicolor deck hoser at a reasonable cost. I like it a lot. It's mean.
- Great Whale - F? Outclassed by Palinchron.
- Infinite Authority - ZA. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Tombstone Stairwell - K?T. World Enchantment. Makes lots of zombies. Cool art. Playable in most aristocrats and zombie decks.
- Spiritual Sanctuary - ZA. Great art by Amy Weber. Garbage card. It's from Legends though, so it's $15.
- Exorcist - ZA. Art by Drew Tucker.
- Typhoon - F?A. Barely playable in a color/land hoser tribal deck.
- Cleansing - ZA. It's Armageddon but bad. Not even Angel of Jubilation can save this one. Art by Pete Venters.
- Phyrexian Devourer - FAO. Combo card with Necrotic Ooze. Art by Mark Tedin. References Phyrexia.
- Psychic Vortex - FO. I don't know what to make of this. It's interesting, and I don't doubt that there's some deck out there that can abuse it well. Great art too. References Ertai.
- Ertai, Wizard Adept - KAOTL. Repeatable counter on a stick. Wizard. Ertai himself. Art by Terese Nielsen.
- Frankenstein's Monster - Z. Notable for being a flavor break and having weird counters.
- Griffin Canyon - FT. Griffin/Changeling card. IMO quite overrated, and I'd be dumbfounded to see it go any higher right now.
- Elder Spawn - ZA. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- Karn, Silver Golem - FOL. It's Karn! He does Karn things.
- Cleanse - ZAQ. Art by Phil Foglio. Uber-banned for """""racism"""".
- Ur-Drago - ZAL. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Peacekeeper - KAO. Actually a good card, IMO. References Sisay. Art by Donato Giancola.
- Quarum Trench Gnomes - ZA. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Opalescence - FA. Infamous for funky rules interactions with Humility. Art by John Avon.
- Paradigm Shift - FAO. Used with Thassa's Oracle. References Ertai. Art by Cliff Nielsen.
- Gosta Dirk - ZL.
- Martyr's Cry - ZA. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
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- >$20 Market
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- Firestorm - SAO. Played with Rielle, the Everwise to great effect. I figured it was only a matter of time before something broke this, and I still think it'll get better with time. References Squee. Art by Jeff Miracola.
- Mold Demon - ZA. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- City of Solitude - K? It's City of Solitude. It's fine.
- Wood Elemental - ZZZZZ. One of the most aggressively bad cards ever printed.
- Shallow Grave - K. Cube staple, performs decently in EDH. I like it.
- Rapid Fire - Z.
- Forethought Amulet - Z.
- Reverberation - Z.
- Corpse Dance - K. This seems better in EDH, while Shallow Grave is better in constructed.
- Tuknir Deathlock - Z.
- Urza's Miter - ZO. References Urza, who was the Pope, I guess.
- Jacques le Vert - Z.
- Lifeline - KA. Good aristocrats card. Art by D. Alexander Gregory.
- Alchor's Tomb - ZA. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- Barrin, Master Wizard - F?OTL. It's Barrin. He's a Wizard. I don't particularly like the card but I'm sure it has some use somewhere. Don't think he should be as expensive as he is though.
- Undiscovered Paradise - FO. Land. Landfall decks miiiiight want it but I still think it's pretty bad and would never consider it. References Jolrael.
- Squandered Resources - S. Combo card for The Gitrog Monster, alongside Splendid Reclamation. It does its job.
- Bartel Runeaxe - ZL.
- Thawing Glaciers - K?A. Land. Probably fringe but can theoretically go into almost any deck with decent results. Repeatedly untap it to win a prize. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Stone Calendar - ZA. Art by Amy Weber.
- Lifeblood - Z?A. It's not the worst lifegain I've seen while making this list. Still not great. Art by Mark Tedin.
- North Star - ZA. Laughably bad. Good art by Kaja Foglio.
- Powerleech - Z?A. Again, not the worst lifegain I've seen today. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Boris Devilboon - ZAL. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- Firestorm Phoenix - ZAT. Phoenix. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Dream Halls - FO. Strong but narrow. Depicts Karn.
- Radiant, Archangel - ZOTL. It's Radiant. She was an important Serra Angel before Urza turned Serra's Realm into his car battery. Expensive from buyouts, Angel collectability, and her getting a new card in Commander Legends.
- Lady Caleria - ZL.
- Halfdane - ZL.
- Hatred - FO. Flashy and risky finisher, good in suicide decks. References Greven and Gerrard, presumably depicts Greven idk.
- Life Matrix - ZA. Art by Amy Weber.
- Anvil of Bogardan - S+. Most graveyard decks want this, Rielle turned it into a draw three each turn and caused it to spike. Great card. I can see it going up more. I have a couple.
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- >$30 Market
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- Spinal Villain - Z. Cool art.
- Winding Canyons - FA. Land. Decent but not many decks could or would want to make room for it. Kruphix, I guess? Art by John Avon.
- Braingeyser - KA. Revised. Still a fine card to this day, but it's gotten a lot of competition over the years. Finale of Revelation is almost strictly-better, Pull from Tomorrow is a popular alternative due to being an Instant, and other cards like Gadwick and Blue Sun's Zenith have also pushed the envelope.
- Nova Pentacle - Z.
- Didgeridoo - FT. Minotaur/Changeling tribal card. I think it's overhyped.
- Lotus Vale - ZA. Land. Outclassed by Lotus Field, but it has Lotus in the name so it's expensive. Art by John Avon.
- Scorched Ruins - FA. Land. It's very vulnerable to target land destruction, and it's very hard on your colors, but it's "free" ramp nonetheless. Art by John Avon.
- Mana Web - F. Effectively a colorless, less good City of Solitude. It's...whatever.
- Tithe - K. It's not Land Tax, and frankly nothing else should be. It's pretty alright, if you don't go first.
- Season of the Witch - FA. Black hyper-aggro. Iconic. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- Ring of Immortals - Z.
- Knowledge Vault - ZA. Art by Amy Weber.
- Mana Vortex - SA. It's a solid stax piece, and inexplicably blue land destruction. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Sandals of Abdallah - ZA. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Mind Over Matter - SO. It was designed specifically as a combo piece, and it works. First depiction of Urza (I think).
- Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary - ???L. Rofellos, like Yawgmoth's Bargain, is bonkers, but also banned in every format where he'd matter.
- Merchant Ship - Z.
- Fastbond - SA. Only legal in Vintage, but it works there and the unban caused it to spike. Art by Mark Poole.
- Disharmony - ZA. Art by Phil Foglio.
- Livonya Silone - ZA. Art by Richard Kane-Ferguson.
- Al-abara's Carpet - ZA. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Golgothian Sylex - ZQ. One of the three expansion hosers.
- Rohgahh of Kher Keep - FOTL. Kobold. Not great, but he's a lord, and folks like Kher Keep.
- Deranged Hermit - FA. Squirrel army in a can, and a lord. Art by Kev Walker.
- Helm of Obedience - F. Goes infinite with Leyline of the Void to mill out a player.
- Jovial Evil - ZA. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Master of the Hunt - ZA. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Humility - KAO. It's not played heavily in any one particular deck, but it's a classic. References Karn. Art by Phil Foglio.
- Ragnar - ZL.
- Ramses Overdark - ZAL. Art by Richard Kane-Ferguson.
- Gaea's Avenger - ZA. Art by Pete Venters.
- Eladamri, Lord of Leaves - SOL. Extremely good for Elf tribal. Very fitting lorewise, too.
- Recurring Nightmare - ???O. Extremely good, but banned in everything that matters. References Crovax.
- Palinchron - S. It combos with High Tide, and that's about all it's used for. A narrow S.
- Telekinesis - Z.
- Storm World - FA. World Enchantment. Interesting rack, especially for just R. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Memory Jar - SA. Colorless one-turn draw 7 on an artifact, infamously banned before Urza's Legacy even released. Flexible utility, and being an artifact, it's a recursible wheel. Art by Donato Giancola.
- Treachery - W+. How this card isn't >$100 already is beyond me. It's a net-zero mana Control Magic, and can net you 13 mana with 5 lands and High Tide. It doesn't cut the mustard for cEDH, but for pretty much any other power level, it's an absolute all-star in just about every deck you can run it in.
- Aluren - SO. Basically wins you the game with Chulane as soon as it lands. References Squee and Mirri.
- Vesuvan Doppelganger - KA. Very solid clone. Compare with Cryptoplasm, where you pay 2 extra mana to have it immediately enter as something, rather than waiting a turn. Revised. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- Planar Gate - Z.
- Lightning Dragon (Prerelease) - ZATQ. Dragon. A prerelease foil RL card. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Fork - WA. A classic. Functionally reprinted in the form of Reverberate. Colorshifted by Twincast. Many more fork effects exist out there too, but it's hard to beat the original. Revised.
- Preacher - FA. Unique-ish effect, but not all that good. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- City of Shadows - K? Land. EDH sac decks like it.
- Mana Matrix - ZA. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Kobold Overlord - FT. 1R Kobold that gives your Kobolds first strike. It's dece, although it's funny that it was probably trash back when Kobolds were 0/1s and usually stayed that way.
- Null Rod - WO. Null Rod is a multi-format staple, and although it's had some very strong competition in the form of Stony Silence, Collector Ouphe, and Karn, the Great Creator, it yet prevails. References Gerrard and Hanna.
- Goblin Wizard - FT. Goblin. Largely outclassed by now.
- Gate to Phyrexia - KO. The better black artifact destructor and sac outlet. References Phyrexia.
- Caverns of Despair - F. World Enchantment. Weird red Crawlspace.
- Su-Chi - FA. Sure this was a powerhouse in its day, and it's still alright. Budget, non-RL alternative is Cathodion.
- Pixie Queen - ZAT. Faerie. Art by Quinton Hoover.
- Phyrexian Dreadnought - KAO. Played a bit in Commander, usually with Selvala, Lazav, or Obeka. Art by Pete Venters. References Phyrexia.
- Sword of the Ages - ZA. Art by Dan Frazier.
- Academy Rector - S. Just a good combo card all-around. This is what Kaervek's Spite and Barren Glory were made for.
- Lady Evangela - ZAL. Art by Mark Pool.
- Hellfire - FA. Wacky non-black Damnation that hurts you. Eh. Art by Pete Venters.
- Adun Oakenshield - FAL. Art by Jeff A. Menges.
- Lake of the Dead - SA. Land. This made waves in Legacy for a bit, and is a very nice EDH card. Think it's topped out for now. Art by Pete Venters.
- Yavimaya Hollow - WAL+. A staple EDH utility land. 1G to repeatedly regenerate something, and on a land? There are few decks I can think of that don't want it.
- Copy Artifact - WA. It's the best at what it does. There's competition (Mirrormade, Phyrexian Metamorph, even Sculpting Steel), but it's still king. Art by Amy Weber.
- Gravity Sphere - Z. World Enchantment.
- Volrath's Stronghold - SAO. Land. Particularly good for avoiding Commander tax. Art by Kev Walker. References Volrath. And Stronghold.
- Tetsuo Umezawa - ZOL. The Umezawa line is well-loved.
- Acid Rain - F. All my homies hate green.
- Replenish - S. The decks that want this REALLY want this. It's great.
- Metalworker - SO. Ridiculous rock-on-a-stick for artifact decks.
- Falling Star - ZA. Illegal in everything, but iconic alongside Chaos Orb. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Field of Dreams - ZA. World Enchantment. Strictly worse than Lantern of Insight. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Rasputin Dreamweaver - FL. He's weird and wacky and has his own entry in the Comprehensive Rules.
- Serendib Djinn - Z.
- In the Eye of Chaos - S? World Enchantment. Double the cost of all instants/sorceries for 2U. Seems good.
- Earthcraft - SO. Famously goes infinite with Squirrel Nest, and also turns your creatures into dorks. Compare with Cryptolith Rite. References Eladamri.
- Khabal Ghoul - ZA. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Tolarian Academy - ??? Land. Bonkers but banned in everything.
- Tawnos's Coffin - Z?A. Art by Christopher Rush.
- Intuition - W. cEDH staple, although personally I wonder if eventually A. Intuition will be banned, or B. Gifts Ungiven will be unbanned. I hope it's the latter.
- King Suleiman - ZA. Art by Mark Poole.
- Jihad - FQ. This might(???) be uber-banned for racial insensitivity, but I wouldn't put money on it.
- Divine Intervention - FAT. The cheekiest way to end a game. Depicts Angels. Art by Amy Weber.
- Thunder Spirit - Z. Supposedly good in Old-School but only a couple thousand people pay attention to that meme format anyways.
- Land Equilibrium - SA. Blue land stax piece. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- Elephant Graveyard - FA. The Yavimaya Hollow for Changelings. Art by Rob Alexander.
- Ifh-Biff Efreet - ZA. Notable for being a sizable green flyer. Art by Jesper Myrfors.
- Ring of Ma'ruf - ZA. Art by Dan Frazier. Maybe also uber-bannable.
- Time Spiral - S. Net-zero mana Timetwister that exiles itself. Namesake of the Time Spiral set. It's good. Not all decks would play it over Timetwister/Wheel/Echo of Eons, but it's good.
- Argivian Archaeologist - FA. It's playable, but not good. Art by Amy Weber.
- Old Man of the Sea - Z. Nah. Look at him go, though.
- Yawgmoth's Will - SAO. Multi-format staple. Getting some extremely strong competition by Underworld Breach. Art by Ron Spencer. References Yawgmoth.
- Island of Wak-Wak - ZA. Land. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- City of Traitors - SA. Land. Legacy staple for Sneak & Show.
- Hazezon Tamar - FAL. Sand is cool, and he makes a lot of it. Art by Richard Kane-Ferguson.
- Living Plane - F. World Enchantment. There are better mass land animators out there.
- Serra's Sanctum - S?OL. Land. The ceiling on this is so high, but it's rare that any deck actually makes as much use out of it as Gaea's Cradle or Tolarian Academy. When enchantment tokens (such as Shards) become more prevalent, perhaps Sanctum will reach its full potential. References Serra.
- Survival of the Fittest - WA. Multi-format staple. Turned into a creature in the form of Fauna Shaman. Art by Pete Venters.
- Sliver Queen - SAOL. Few cards make Sliver tokens, nor are they as iconic as this. Slivers will always be popular and this will pretty consistently go up. Art by Ron Spencer.
- Pyramids - ZA. Meme pump-n-dump. Art by Amy Weber.
- Ali from Cairo - FA. Errata this to a legendary already. Art by Mark Poole.
- Gilded Drake - W. Bonkers cEDH card - one of the very best. It speaks for itself.
- Power Artifact - SA. Combo card with the Monoliths, and so on. Art by Douglas Shuler.
- Invoke Prejudice - FQ. Uber-banned for racism (and frankly, rightfully so). The card itself is eh considering it's UUUU.
- Singing Tree - ZA. Art by Rob Alexander.
- Grim Monolith - SA. Great rock, popular combo piece. Art by Chippy.
- Angus Mackenzie - K?L. Fog on a stick, decent Bant commander.
- Gwendlyn Di Corci - FL. Only barely playable by today's standards. It's expensive because it's saucy.
- Trasmute Artifact - S. Good Urza card.
- Mirror Universe - FA. Art by Phil Foglio.
- Shahrazad - ZA. The meme, the myth, the legend. Banned in everything - purely collectible for how stupid it is. Art by Kaja Foglio.
- Wheel of Fortune - W. EDH staple. Many cards have tried to fill its shoes, and none have completely succeeded (or if they have, they're blue). Revised.
- All Hallow's Eve - FA. Frankly I'd prefer Living Death, but not everything can be that. It'd be considered "a good card" if printed today. Dramatic but slow. Art by Christopher Rush.
- City in a Bottle - ZAQ. The rarest of the three expansion hosers.
- Lion's Eye Diamond - S. Black Lotus but worse. But better, because it's legal in things. You build a deck around this specifically, so for that it's Deck-Specific, and how.
- Diamond Valley - F. Land. Used to be used to sac commanders before they'd get tucked into your library, but that rule's been changed now.
- Mox Diamond - SA. It's a Mox and lives up to its name. Widely played in EDH and Legacy. Art by the iconic Dan Frazier. IMO only going up.
- Nether Void - F? World Enchantment. Good stax piece but rarely played due to its prohibitive price. Also by the now-infamous Harold McNeill (artist of Invoke Prejudice).
- Guardian Beast - F? A very unique and potent effect, particularly for black. Prohibitively expensive and rare.
- Eureka - F? Green Show and Tell. Prohibitively expensive.
- Mox Diamond (FTV) - SAQ. Worth noting for its relative rarity, Volkan Baga art, foiling, and breaking the Reserved List.
- Drop of Honey - F. Great card in green, unplayed due to rarity and price. Colorshifted into white in the form of Porphyry Nodes.
- Moat - F. Great card, prohibitively expensive.
- Candelabra of Tawnos - S. Great cEDH card.
- Chains of Mephistopheles - F. Low-cost black anti-draw. Prohibitively expensive.
- Gaea's Cradle - S. Bonkers EDH card.
- The Abyss - K. World Enchantment. Good but prohibitively expensive.
- Library of Alexandria - ???A. Amazing but banned in everything. Art by Mark Poole.
- Juzam Djinn - ZA. Land. Iconic. Unplayable in anything but Old-School. Art by Mark Tedin.
- Bazaar of Baghdad - ???A. Land. Either banned or prohibitively expensive.
- The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale - S. Land. Legacy staple and EDH playable.
- Mishra's Workshop - S. Land. Great in EDH if you can afford it.
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