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Syr Gwyn Promo Art Magic Throne of Eldraine
Image via Wizards of the Coast Magic: The Gathering
Category:
MTG

Here are the Magic: The Gathering Standard 2020 cards on the rise

These are the hottest cards in Magic right now.
Image of Danny Forster
Danny Forster
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Published: Oct 23, 2019 01:33 pm

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

Following the ban of Field of the Dead and the first major Magic: The Gathering tournament of Standard 2020, several cards are quickly rising in value.

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From the new Pioneer format to Standard, the Magic meta is adjusting at a rapid rate. Cards that had previously underperformed in archetypes like aggro and midrange are on the rise, while the top performers are becoming even more popular.

Bant Golos and Simic Ramp/Food were the two most-played decks at Mythic Championship V. But with Javier Dominguez winning the championship by playing a Gruul Aggro deck and the recent ban of Field of Dead, the Standard metagame is changing once again.

Here are the top cards on the rise in Standard 2020 and other Magic formats. 

Oko, Thief of Crowns

A new set is coming to Magic: The Gathering in the Standard format, full of folklore spells and fairy tale creatures that are worthy return on an initial investment. The Throne of Eldraine (ELD) set releases on Oct. 4, and with it comes Standard rotation. Containing 269 cards, the set features new styled cards and spells with the potential to cause a major metagame shift. Also included in ELD are Adventure creatures, a Food mechanic, and lots of Knights. Because Throne of Eldraine is releasing at the same time as fall rotation in Standard, many of its cards have the potential to be worth more. In addition, the set includes special art and borderless cards that will also have an increased value on the open market. For now, however, here are the top 10 ELD cards that are valued at and up. Oko, Thief of Crowns (Mythic Rare) Leading the pack in the number one spot of ELD cards worth money is Oko, Thief of Crowns. With only three planeswalkers in the set (not including planeswalker decks), it’s not a surprise to find Oko valued at around right now. Whether Oko Thief of Crowns will remain this high is unknown to the little value (other than creating Food tokens) he has as a planeswalker. Questing Beast (Mythic Rare) Questing Beast is one of the best Standard cards in the ELD set. Likely to overtake Oko at some point, it’s valued at around . Able to fit into a variety of archetypes, Questing Beast should hold its value post-release. Brazen Borrower (Mythic Rare) Flash decks are hot in Standard and Brazen Borrower is a solid Adventure three-drop, or two-drop should a player choose to cast Petty Theft. Valued at around , the faerie rogue has dropped slightly in price as the release of ELD gets closer. Brazen Borrower might drop some more but should remain in the top ten. The Royal Scions (Mythic Rare) On the battlefield, it’s unknown if The Royal Scions will have an impact on Standard. As a Mythic Rare planeswalker, however, the twins are valued at around for now. The ELD card seems like a bust at first glance but could find its worth once the set is fully released. Garruk, Cursed Huntsman (Mythic Rare) Garruk, Cursed Huntsman is likely the best planeswalker in the ELD set. With the MTG community waiting for Garruk to return to Standard for some time now, his valued price at around should remain consistent. Once Upon a Time (Rare) Considered the best card to come out of the Throne of Eldraine set, Once Upon a Time will see play in a variety of MTG formats. Because of this (and being a Rare) it’s valued at around and could climb higher post-release. Murderous Rider (Rare) A Knight tribal theme is a definite possibility, especially in Mardu, and Murderous Rider is an Adventure card that will find a spot in several Knight decks. As a three-drop that is removal (including planeswalkers) and/or a creature with lifelink, Murderous Rider is priced appropriately at around . The Great Henge (Mythic Rare) In a “go-wide” or Green stompy deck with plenty of mana dorks, The Great Henge will likely see a decent amount of play in Standard. Able to cantrip and add counters, expect the Great Henge to grow past its value of around . Plus, it can also tap for an additional two mana while providing lifegain as well. Robber of the Rich (Mythic Rare) Robber of the Rich has a decent amount of potential in Standard. It’s valued at around and should remain above post-release. Despite its minor restrictions, Robber of the Rich is a versatile card. It can steal an opponent’s card off the top of their library, and it has Reach and Haste as a two-drop 2/2 creature. Fabled Passage (Rare) As the new Evolving Wilds in Standard, Fabled Passage has value due to the reduced number of dual lands and mana dorks (Llanowar Elves). Not only will it get played in Standard but other MTG formats, like Commander. Fabled Passage is valued at about but could climb higher in the coming weeks.
Image via Wizards of the Coast Magic: The Gathering

A majority of players in MTG Arena are reverting to various Simic builds following the Field of the Dead ban, with Oko, Thief of Crowns being the most-used card in Standard. But he’s also being played in other formats, such as Pioneer, Modern, and Vintage. 

Embercleave

Embercleave MTG Throne of Eldraine
Image via Wizards of the Coast Magic: The Gathering

The Throne of Eldraine Artifact Equipment, Embercleave, is on the rise thanks to Domiguiz’s win at Mythic Championship V. It’s seeing Standard play in Mardu Knights and Gruul Aggro, along with Jund Midrange and possibly even in the new Pioneer format.

Vivien Arkbow Ranger

Vivien Arkbow Ranger MTG Core Set 2020
Image via Wizards of the Coast Magic: The Gathering

The planeswalker Vivien, Arkbow Ranger was in the deck that Chris Kvartek played at MCV, in which he dominated the field during day one. And with Field of the Dead out of the picture, Vivien is getting used a lot more in Simic and Jund Adventure decks via Magic Arena and in tabletop. 

Kvartek’s Simic deck at MCV has also brought about an increase in various Food decks within MTG Arena. By using previously-unplayed cards, like Animating Fairie and Curious Pair, in combination with Wicked Wolf and Oko, players are expanding on what Food can do in Standard. 

Fabled Passage 

Image via WotC Magic: The Gathering

Creatures and artifacts aren’t the only hot cards in Magic right now. Fabled Passage is finding a home in many of the new Pioneer decks being created, along with Brawl and Commander. Once Upon a Time is also being used in Standard, Modern, and Pioneer. 

Related: Magic: The Gathering Pioneer format reveal causes major price spikes

As the meta continues to adjust and adapt across various Magic formats, players can expect to see tweaked versions of existing top decks, along with a variety of newer builds using cards that were previously thought to be worthless. 

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Image of Danny Forster
Danny Forster
Danny has been writing for Dot Esports for over five years, first as a freelancer and now as a staff writer. He is the lead beat writer for Magic: The Gathering and Teamfight Tactics. Danny is also a solid Monopoly GO player, having beaten every main event without spending a dime. When Danny isn't writing or gaming, he's chilling by the water in Spacecoast Florida with his family and friends. He's always got a tan, because touching grass is important, and loves playing strategic digital and tabletop games. Past outlets Danny has written for include TheGamer and ScreenRant.
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