September 23, 2024
A Deck Can Have Any Number of Possibilities
Is there an old deckbuilding approach on the rise that people are overlooking for months or even years?
I made this speculation in a few weeks before Hare Apparent was previewed. I did not update the content of this post on purpose so you can see how this speculation was initially planned.
2004 was a challenging year for Magic: The Gathering.
With Arcbound Ravager, Skullclamp, and artifact lands all legal in Standard, the Affinity deck dominated the format.
The release of Fifth Dawn added Cranial Plating to the mix, while the appearance of Relentless Rats in the same set went largely unnoticed.
With Arcbound Ravager, Skullclamp, and artifact lands all legal in Standard, the Affinity deck dominated the format.
The release of Fifth Dawn added Cranial Plating to the mix, while the appearance of Relentless Rats in the same set went largely unnoticed.
Wizards of the Coast eventually addressed the Standard imbalance through key bans, but the game was much more changed by the growing popularity of EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander), now known as Commander.
Many players began building decks around specific themes and incorporating roleplaying elements. These players often imposed self-restrictions to enhance the flavor of their decks.
Sure, you could add few Bat creatures to your Marrow-Gnawer deck — but a Wizard? Perhaps a grim warlock could join such a force, but definitely not a traditional wizard.
In this deckbuilding culture, Relentless Rats was thriving.
The flavor of swarming your opponent with a horde of rats is captivating.
The idea of an unstoppable pack growing stronger with each addition plays into a fantasy that many players enjoy. It's thematically satisfying and makes for fun, memorable games.
Another reason for Relentless Rats' popularity is its unique deck-building potential.
At first, the idea might seem odd.
Adding around 30 identical cards to your deck drastically limits space for other strategies and synergies. But it's precisely this approach that makes these decks truly unique.
Many players began building decks around specific themes and incorporating roleplaying elements. These players often imposed self-restrictions to enhance the flavor of their decks.
Sure, you could add few Bat creatures to your Marrow-Gnawer deck — but a Wizard? Perhaps a grim warlock could join such a force, but definitely not a traditional wizard.
In this deckbuilding culture, Relentless Rats was thriving.
The flavor of swarming your opponent with a horde of rats is captivating.
The idea of an unstoppable pack growing stronger with each addition plays into a fantasy that many players enjoy. It's thematically satisfying and makes for fun, memorable games.
Another reason for Relentless Rats' popularity is its unique deck-building potential.
At first, the idea might seem odd.
Adding around 30 identical cards to your deck drastically limits space for other strategies and synergies. But it's precisely this approach that makes these decks truly unique.
OG Rat Commander
Marrow-Gnawer is still popular even after 20 years from it's first print (EDHREC Rank #99)
Over time, we saw exponential growth in cards with the same mechanic, allowing players to include any number of these cards in their decks.
Total cumulative amount of unique relentless cards
Such rapid growth often signals a trend, so I decided to speculate on cards that support these strategies.
Imagine if Wizards prints two or three more cards with a relentless mechanic in near future. New players might join the archetype, likely purchasing the same cards that previously supported Relentless Rats.
Imagine if Wizards prints two or three more cards with a relentless mechanic in near future. New players might join the archetype, likely purchasing the same cards that previously supported Relentless Rats.
If it worked for Relentless Rats, why wouldn’t it work for something like Templar Knight?
I began my speculation with artifacts, as they can be used in any color combination, giving them broader appeal and potentially higher demand.
Thrumming Stone
That's the biggest payoff a relentless deck can have. Ripple also triggers from revealed cards, so theoretically, you can dig through your entire deck.
The card spiked to almost $60 before its only reprint in Double Masters 2, then dropped to $3 to nowadays. It's iconic in all relentless decks and will almost certainly be reprinted again. I expect to have enough time to sell this beauty before the next reprint.
As a result, I'm building a significant position in these cards with the idea to dump in next spike. I've acquired every available printing in varying quantities, including two foil copies from Coldsnap.
The card spiked to almost $60 before its only reprint in Double Masters 2, then dropped to $3 to nowadays. It's iconic in all relentless decks and will almost certainly be reprinted again. I expect to have enough time to sell this beauty before the next reprint.
As a result, I'm building a significant position in these cards with the idea to dump in next spike. I've acquired every available printing in varying quantities, including two foil copies from Coldsnap.
Locket of Yesterdays
This is a hidden gem. The card offers a strong effect for a low cost, can be tutored in various ways, and has the potential to shift the pace of the game if played early.
I only purchased foil copies because they are exceptionally rare and would likely only experience a slight dip in value after a potential reprint. This makes it a card I can hold onto indefinitely, waiting for someone to break it.
I only purchased foil copies because they are exceptionally rare and would likely only experience a slight dip in value after a potential reprint. This makes it a card I can hold onto indefinitely, waiting for someone to break it.
Spellweaver Helix
This card offers so much synergy that I bought it immediately, without a second thought. When your deck runs 20+ copies of the same sorcery, every other imprint provides enough advantage to justify a deck slot for Helix.
Twinning Glass
That {4} in the top-right corner makes the card seem expensive under current conditions. But who says those conditions will stay the same? Imagine a relentless card with a CMC above 3 — suddenly, Glass becomes so much better.
The tipping point for buying was the fact that it’s had only one printing, in Lorwyn. That was 16 years ago📠. It just needs a small spark to ignite the fire.
The tipping point for buying was the fact that it’s had only one printing, in Lorwyn. That was 16 years ago📠. It just needs a small spark to ignite the fire.
Mirror Box
It's like a Coat of Arms but cheaper, both in mana cost and price. Additionally, this card serves a dual purpose and already has some demand due to its ability to break the legend rule. Foil versions are definitely a buy for me.
These cards offer soft combo potential, built-in advantage, and cost less than a dollar. The downside? Their supply is catastrophically high. I often make such purchases, underestimating supply out of greed.
Take Secret Salvage as an example. It accounted for just 1% of my Relentless speculation budget. Yet, five similar speculations would consume 5% of my budget on cards with minimal reward potential.
Take Secret Salvage as an example. It accounted for just 1% of my Relentless speculation budget. Yet, five similar speculations would consume 5% of my budget on cards with minimal reward potential.
I believe it’s better to spread bids across various $1 foil rares rather than going all-in on a single card. However, perhaps the better decision is to skip all such cards entirely. That’s something I’m considering trying as well.
Remembrance
This is great example of a powerful effect when you are running ±30 copies of the same creature. Single print 25 years ago makes this card very vulnerable to any increase in demand.
Mass resurrection effects
I'm surprised these cards are so cheap. They enable full recovery for swarm decks and cost under $3. High supply keeps prices low, but I believe they're undervalued across many decks, not just in relentless ones.
Bloodbond March
This card started it all.
While brewing around Shadowborn Apostle, I discovered Bloodbond March by searching "with the same name" on Scryfall, and I was amazed by its effect. I envisioned casting Shadowborn Apostle every turn, reviving its siblings, and repeatedly searching for a demon, all with no extra setup required after the initial one.
However, I stopped brewing the deck when I discovered the price of the enchantment. With only a single printing in the original Ravnica set and foil copies priced below $5, I couldn’t resist. I picked up 10 copies and began exploring other cards with strong potential for relentless decks.
While brewing around Shadowborn Apostle, I discovered Bloodbond March by searching "with the same name" on Scryfall, and I was amazed by its effect. I envisioned casting Shadowborn Apostle every turn, reviving its siblings, and repeatedly searching for a demon, all with no extra setup required after the initial one.
However, I stopped brewing the deck when I discovered the price of the enchantment. With only a single printing in the original Ravnica set and foil copies priced below $5, I couldn’t resist. I picked up 10 copies and began exploring other cards with strong potential for relentless decks.
And now I come to the biggest financial decision regarding this speculation: should I invest in premium versions of Shadowborn Apostle and Relentless Rats?
I believe that the Shadowborn Apostle is increasing in power every day due to Power Creep effect. Now, you can fetch incredible demons like Be'lakor, the Dark Master from Warhammer 40k or the latest big toy, Valgavoth, Terror Eater. Someday we might even see boss demons from a Magic x Dark Souls crossover.
I also believe Shadowborn Apostle has collecting potential with so many unique and rare prints.
But what about the Rats? I purchased thirteen promotional Ratti Spietatti to pay my respects.
I also believe Shadowborn Apostle has collecting potential with so many unique and rare prints.
But what about the Rats? I purchased thirteen promotional Ratti Spietatti to pay my respects.
What a clever way to increase sales! Customers had to buy a special pack at Italian stores to obtain the card. Each additional pack was improving the strength of your ratto deck.
After completing my purchases, I created a pie chart to analyze my investments and identified some mistakes in this speculation attempt.
Spend share by card name
I probably overspent on rare versions of Shadowborn Apostle and Valgavoth, Terror Eater. I expect quite long turnover for them and would be happy with 20% share in these cards instead of actual 34.5%.
I also may have gone too deep into some bulk rares. However, I remain confident in the Relentless trend overall.
I also may have gone too deep into some bulk rares. However, I remain confident in the Relentless trend overall.
