Weekly Update (Jul 06): Big Standard Bannings
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Banned and Restricted Update, June 30, 2025: Standard Shake Up |
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All of the top decks get a hit.Read more
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Finance Update w/ Saffron Olive |
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This week in Magic finance, an old favorite leads the way with Stoneforge Mystic jumping up to $40 a copy. While this may partly be due to new Final Fantasy cards revitalizing Hammer Time in Modern, an even bigger factor is players building around popular new Final Fantasy commanders like Cloud, Midgar Mercenary. If you’re already paying absurd prices for your favorite Final Fantasy cards, what’s another $50 to play Stoneforge Mystic in your Cloud deck?
Equipment cards aren’t the only ones spiking because of new Final Fantasy legends—Nether Traitor has been a popular inclusion in Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER decks. As a result, the recursive two-drop jumped 81% this week to $25, despite having been reprinted just a few years ago in Time Spiral Remastered. Outside of Sephiroth decks, the card doesn’t really see play in any format, so I expect this jump will be short-lived and Nether Traitor will start to trend back down once the Final Fantasy hype recedes. Unlike Stoneforge Mystic in Cloud, which is more or less irreplaceable, there are plenty of recursive creatures you can play in Sephiroth that cost much less than $25.
Finally, Beacon of Immortality shot up 58% this week to just under $20 as one of the best finishers in Hope Estheim Commander decks. The two-drop legend has surprised me with its power, and its combination of lifegain and mill is certainly unique, making it a sleeper hit from the Final Fantasy set. Life-doubling effects are fairly rare in Magic, which helps the Fifth Dawn sorcery hold up more than 20 years after it was first printed.
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Podcast 542: Early Rotation for Standard |
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The crew breaks down today's massive ban list update and answers #MTGFishmail!Read more
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Single Scoop: Don't Let Azorius Control Hit The Ultima Enrage!! |
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Control decks are pretty much raid bosses trying to hit their enrage mechanic. Lets see if the meta can stop Control and it's new tools before they lose!Read more
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This Week in Legacy: Reanimator Lives On |
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Joe Dyer covers the Banned and Restricted Announcement from June 30, 2025Read more
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Against the Odds: I Flip Kefka, Sephiroth, and Emet-Selch for Just Three Mana (Standard) |
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What if you could flip some of the most busted villains from Final Fantasy for just three mana rather than for their absurd transform costs? Let's find out!Read more
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Single Scoop: Zell Dincht Has A Cute Land Loop |
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Zell Dincht can keep looping a land. Is it a win more? Yes. Is it absurdly fun? Also yes.Read more
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Vintage 101: Cats in the Cradle |
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Joe Dyer dives into no changes for Vintage on the June 30 BnR!Read more
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Is that a Sleeveless One Ring?! | Commander Clash S18 E18 |
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This week anything goes, and this includes the sleeves!Read more
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The Power of Pauper: No Bans in Pauper! |
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Joe Dyer talks about no bans in Pauper this past BnR!Read more
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Single Scoop: Jenova is Turning Everyone into Mutants! |
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Jenova loves experimenting and her experiments are going to turn all the cards in our deck to Mutants for absurd value.Read more
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Much Abrew: Sephiroth Aristocrats (Standard) |
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Now that blocking is unbanned in Standard, is it time for Sephiroth and a bunch of janky sac fodder to shine in the format? Let's find out!Read more
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Tournament Center |
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- Gavin Bennett took down F2F Tour Red Deer - Saturday Super Qualifier (modern) with Orzhov Midrange.