The Rising Cost of Standard
Since the Standard format has a much smaller pool of cards compared to other formats like Modern, Commander, and Legacy, new set releases have a significant impact on the metagame. With the release of the newest Standard set, Aetherspark, the metagame will shift toward more powerful cards and strategies. At the end of last year, Wizards of the Coast announced that they would no longer support Pioneer as a competitive format, pushing players with Pro Tour aspirations to focus on Standard in 2025. In response, local game stores have transitioned to Standard for their weekly leagues, further increasing the format’s popularity.
Because of these factors, Standard has become significantly more expensive. As always, multi-format all-stars—cards that see play in Standard, Modern, and Commander—are among the most expensive. Overlord of the Balemurk ($37) and Ketramose, the New Dawn ($35) are prime examples. While these cards have yet to establish themselves in the Standard meta, they are being played extensively in the new Modern Orzhov Ophelia deck. With Aetherdrift having just been released on Magic Arena and MTGO this week, the format is still far from solved. It’s possible that a top-tier Standard deck featuring these powerful cards could emerge in the near future.
Duskmourn: House of Horror currently has the highest expected value among Standard sets, with six cards priced over $10. The popularity of Azorius Aggro—a deck that aims to fill the graveyard in the first few turns and then reanimate Abhorrent Oculus or a massive Haughty Djinn as early as turn three or four using cheap reanimation spells—has driven up the price of Abhorrent Oculus to $35, making it one of the most expensive cards in the set. Additionally, Overlord of the Balemurk, one of the best mill cards in Standard, has recently surged in price and now sits at around $30. Meanwhile, Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, a staple in Dimir Aggro decks, is currently priced at approximately $20.
The old adage holds true: just like in real life, land in Magic: The Gathering is always a good investment. This remains the case in Standard, where lands are among the most expensive cards in the format. Typal lands like Cavern of Souls ($35) and Three Tree City ($25) are currently the priciest, despite not seeing widespread play. As more sets are released this year, there’s a strong chance a top-tier deck will emerge that makes use of these lands. Personally, I’m looking forward to playing a Dragons deck after the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm.
Verges continue to be the all-stars of the two-color format, with most selling for around $7 on the market. Gloomlake Verge is the most expensive at $10, thanks to the popularity of Dimir Aggro and Bounce decks. Meanwhile, Fomori Vault ($15) has begun appearing in some Artifact Affinity decks following the release of Aetherspark. If this deck gains traction after the Standard Pro Tour, the price of Fomori Vault could rise significantly due to its limited availability.
After receiving negative feedback from players about the March of the Machine: The Aftermath 50-card supplemental set, Wizards of the Coast decided to take a different approach by introducing a 30-card supplemental sheet, Outlaws of Thunder Junction: The Big Score. These cards are technically part of the Outlaws of Thunder Junction set and are Standard-legal but feature a different set symbol. All 30 cards are Mythic Rares and replace regular Mythics in booster packs, making them particularly rare. As a result, some singles from this set have become quite valuable.
Following the full preview of Aetherspark, there was widespread speculation that an Azorius Artifact deck would become a top-tier strategy in Standard. This anticipation caused the price of Simulacrum Synthesizer to spike from its already high price of $25 to its current $50. Meanwhile, Vaultborn Tyrant, a powerful dinosaur combo piece, is sitting at around $40, despite not yet being a major player in Standard. Additionally, Pest Control has surged in price to between $25 and $30, depending on the version, due to its effectiveness against the popular Dimir and Esper Enchantment Bounce decks.
With the exception of Foundations, Standard sets remain in the format for only three years. As a result, many cards that are popular in Standard experience significant price drops when they rotate out. This can lead to a substantial financial loss for players who hold onto these cards too long. For this reason, Standard is an ideal format for using proxies. Purchasing proxies allows players to test decks and participate in local play without breaking the bank.