A chivalry of Knights and a vexing Vampire leads the charge.
Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming Standard expansion, March of the Machine, drops globally on April 21st, 2023. March of the Machine is the conclusion of a multi-set storyline that started with Dominaria United. Will Chandra, Teferi, Koth, and other Planeswalkers save the multiverse from a Phyrexian invasion? The answer to this question and more is available in March of the Machine’s ten-episode story.
Market Price: $10.70
March of the Machine’s main set contains over 200 cards, including new Battle cards. Players can find full-art lands, Borderless Planeswalkers, and traditional foil cards in Draft, Set, and Collector Booster. 65 Multiverse Legends also appear in March of the Machine boosters. However, Collector Booster are the only place to find Halo Foil and Serialized cards.
As with any Standard release, new-to-MTG cards may synergize with cards from previous sets. For instance, Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir provides a new three-color Commander option for Knights-themed Commander decks. During March of the Machine spoiler season, several cards spiked in price. Let’s review some notable price spikes caused by March of the Machine.
The Red Terror
Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 | Rare
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Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 consists of four Commander Precons, including Tyranid Swarm. Inside the Tyranid Swarm Commander Precon is The Red Terror, a 4/3 Legendary Tyranid possessing an excellent ability. Whenever a Red source you control deals damage to one or more permanents and (or) players, put a +1/+1 counter on the Red Terror.ARTICLE SPOTLIGHTWhich Cards Spiked Because of Phyrexia: All Will Be One?Cloudy with a chance of MyrLandon Crispens2/7/2023Players may be familiar with The Red Terror as it spiked from bulk pricing to a few dollars following the spoiling of Phyrexia: All Will be One. A two-card infinite damage combo forms by dealing damage to a permanent player with The Red Terror and All Will Be One under your control.
Market Price: $14.52
Market Price: $11.46
Amazingly, March of the Machine’s Call for Backup Commander Precon contains Shalai and Hallar, a Legendary Creature creating a two-card infinite damage combo with The Red Terror. Shalai and Hallar has an ability that says whenever one or more +1/+1 counters get put on a creature you control, Shalai and Hallar deals that much damage to an opponent. An additional enabler for a two-card combo with The Red Terror likely caused its average market price to spike again.
The above chart for The Red Terror shows sales volume by date across the bottom, and the blue line shows the average price sold. The Red Terror’s average market price climbed from $3 to $10, or 233%, following Shalai and Hallar’s spoiling. The Red Terror’s price movement from $0.25 to $10 over the past four months is impressive. Also, The Red Terror’s price point should remain over $5 for the foreseeable future with the introduction of another two-card combo enabler.
Kinsbaile Cavalier
Duel Decks: Knights Vs. Dragons | Rare
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Morningtide’s Kinsbaile Cavalier is a 2/2 Kithkin Knight for four mana that grants all Knight creatures you control double strike. In Commander, Kinsbaile Cavalier features in Knight-themed decks led by Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale and Aryel, Knight of Windgrace. Kinsbaile Cavalier’s average market price hovered at $4 until players saw the decklist for March of the Machine’s Cavalry Charge Commander Precon.
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Commander: March Of The Machine | Mythic
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Cavalry Charge’s Commander Precon contains many Knight creature cards. However, Kinsbaile Cavalier is not in the ninety-nine of Cavalry Charge. As a result, Kinsbaile Cavalier’s demand and price point increased dramatically.
Organic demand is the driving force behind Kinsbaile Cavalier’s sudden buyout of available copies. Kinsbaile Cavalier’s average market price catapulted from $4 to $17 or 325% after Cavalier Charge’s decklist got spoiled. Although Kinsbaile Cavalier’s average market price should trend downward in time, it will take a reprint of Kinsbaile Cavalier to push its price point below $5 again.
Cavalier of Dawn
Core Set 2020 | Mythic
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Market Price: $14.23
Core 2020’s Cavalier of Dawn is another Knight creature absent from Cavalier Charge. Cavalier of Dawn is a five-mana 4/6 Knight Elemental with vigilance and two valuable abilities. Cavalier of Dawn swaps an opponent’s nonland permanent for a 3/3 Golem artifact creature token upon entering the battlefield. When Cavalier of Dawn dies, you may return an artifact or enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
Over the past thirty days, Cavalier of Dawn’s average market price increased from $4 to $7 or 75%. Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir synergies with Cavalier of Dawn since Sidar can return any Knight card, regardless of casting cost, from your graveyard to the battlefield when he deals combat damage to a player. Also, Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir’s Eminence ability can put Cavalier of Dawn into your graveyard to ultimately cheat onto the battlefield. Anyone looking to grab a copy of Cavalier of Dawn for a Commander deck may save money by waiting a month or two for its average market price to stabilize further.
Hex Parasite
New Phyrexia | Rare
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Hex Parasite caught players’ interest due to the spoiling of March of the Machine’s Battle cards. One mana gives you a 1/1 Insect artifact creature with an ability that removes X counters from a permanent. Hex Parasite’s activated ability requires X plus one black Phyrexian mana or two life and is repeatable. The allure of removing defense counters from Battle cards with an activated ability rather than attacking them caused Hex Parasite’s average market price to spike.
A gigantic spike in average unit sales for Hex Parasite occurred on March 29th. As a result, Hex Parasite’s average market price rose from around $4 to $7. Players are interested in playing Hex Parasite alongside battle cards in Commander, as most sales transactions in April are for one copy. With a single printing in New Phyrexia, it is not likely that Hex Parasite’s price point will drop back to $4 anytime soon.
Vampire Hexmage
Double Masters | Uncommon
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Vampire Hexmage is a two-mana, 2/1 Vampire Shaman with first strike and a helpful ability. Sacrificing Vampire Hexmage allows you to remove all counters from a permanent. Legacy players are keenly aware that Vampire Hexmage’s sacrifice ability can remove all ten counters from Dark Depths to create Marit Lage, a Legendary 20/20 Black Avatar creature with flying and indestructible.
Excitingly, March of the Machine provides players with other excellent targets for Vampire Hexmage’s sacrifice ability. Battle cards are permanents that enter the battlefield with defense tokens. Since Vampire Hexmage can remove all counters from any battle card on the battlefield, player interest in Vampire Hexmage increased dramatically.
Vampire Hexmage’s average market price was bulk before March of the Machine spoiler season. Although copies of Vampire Hexmage continue to be available for under a dollar, its average market price increased across multiple versions as individuals purchased available copies.
Vampire Hexmage – Zendikar
Vampire Hexmage – Double Masters
Speculative transactions with over ten copies of Vampire Hexmage likely influenced the card’s price spike. Double Masters and Zendikar versions of Vampire Hexmage jumped from $0.25 to $0.50 or 100%. Although a $0.25 price increase may not seem like much, it is still a double-up in value.
Vampire Hexmage – Time Spiral: Remastered
Fascinatingly, Time Spiral: Remastered retro-framed versions of Vampire Hexmage saw a significant rise in its average market price in April. The retro-framed version of Vampire Hexmage spiked in price from $1 to $3 or 200%. Unit sales and limited listings suggest that players are willing to pay a premium for a particular variant of Vampire Hexmage. It will be interesting to see if Vampire Hexmage and Battle cards impact Commander and other MTG formats.