Get your Battle for Zendikar Expeditions now

We all know that MTGO foils look horrible and that they command a lower price than regular cards some of the time, but even then I have gone deep into the Battle for Zendikat Expeditions that form the base of the Modern mana base.

Battle for Zendikar block is no longer the latest cool drafting format. None of these lands are no longer playable in Standard. This means that supply is at a peak and demand is at a low.

There are two types of expeditions that are very interesting to me; Shockland and the ONS Fetchlands.


Shocklands
Shockland prices have not yet come out of the hole the reprint in RTR block dug for them. Have no doubt, without a second reprint they surely will.

When they do I would rather have the full-art EXP versions than the Ravnica blocks versions.

Here is a comparison showing EXP Watery Grave holding its value while GTC Watery Grave is still dropping.

Watery Grave EXP
http://www.mtggoldfish.com/price/Zendikar+Expeditions:Foil/Watery+Grave#online

Watery Grave GTC
http://www.mtggoldfish.com/price/Gatecrash/Watery+Grave#online

Fetchlands
I am not touching the ZEN Fetchlands (Arid Mesa, Scalding Tarn, Misty Rainforest, Marsh Flats and Verdant Catacombs) with a ten foot pole at this point due to risk of reprint. If these are reprinted they stand to lose 75-90% of their value instantaneously.

So to be really clear here I am talking about only the original ONS/KTK Fetchlands; Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Bloodstained Mire, Wooded Foothills and Windswept Heath.

Here is an example of a KTK Fetchland taking off while the EXP has not yet really gone up that much.

I think all the EXP allied Fetchlands are excellent buys right now.

Wooded Foothills EXP
http://www.mtggoldfish.com/price/Zendikar+Expeditions:Foil/Wooded+Foothills#online

Wooded Foothills KTK
http://www.mtggoldfish.com/price/Khans+of+Tarkir/Wooded+Foothills#online


As with any MTG Finance advice, use your own judgment and please remember to never invest too heavily in any single thing on MTGO and use only money you can afford to lose.

Sell your Fetchlands now

You are probably happy that you bought your Fetchlands while KTK was still being drafted. You probably made a ton of profit. But that profit exists only during a brief window. KTK will rotate quite soon due to the new rotation schedule. In fact, the normal behaviour of cards about to rotate is that they start to fall at about this time.

But wait, you say, aren't Fetchlands eternal playable? Well, of course they are. Still, the demand from Modern will not be the same as the demand from Modern PLUS the demand from perfect-mana-Standard that exists right now. They will drop when rotation hits. Everything drops when rotation hits. Even Thoughtseize did.

I think Fetchlands are close to their peak and I am selling mine right now.

If they are not in Battle for Zendikar, where will the Zendikar fetchlands be reprinted?

To my great surprise, Mark Rosewater announced that the Zendikar fetchlands would not return in Battle for Zendikar this fall.

You can read more about that here: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2015/08/no-fetchlands-in-battle-for-zendikar.html

So, if they are not in BFZ, when will they be reprinted?

Wizards of the Coast is probably pretty confident that BFZ will sell well. Zendikar is a beloved plane. Two appreciated mechanics are already known to return - Allies and Landfall. The Eldrazi are scary villains and without Annihilator they will not cause as much grief as they did the last time around.

But what about the next block after that? Maybe it is a new world and they are unsure whether it will be popular or not. What if they put the fetchlands in that set to make sure that it sells? Then they are guaranteed two successful blocks in a row.

The other obvious option is the next Modern Masters set. People generally think about that set as Modern Masters 2017, but both Modern Masters sets have been well received. Maybe the fetchlands will arrive in Modern Masters 2016? When Commander turned out to be a successful set Wizards had no problem making it a yearly thing. Why would they act differently with Modern Masters, a product that I believe is more successful than the Commander sets.

I would be very surprised if we don't see the fetchlands before the end of 2017 but I don't think many people disagree with me on that. The cost of the manabases in Modern is still a barrier to entry in the format.

Special thanks to Ted, who presented this theory to me first.

Why Fetchlands are likely to be reprinted, possibly in Magic 2015

Fetchlands are an extremely dangerous investment right now. They are very likely to be reprinted and possibly soon. Ithink they will be reprinted within two years from now and I think the most likely set to reprint them in is Magic 2015.

Here is why:

1. The cost of Fetchlands are a barrier of entry into the Modern format
2. Only enemy color Fetchlands in Modern makes no sense
3. Great replacement for Shocks in Standard for a year
4. A set with Fetchlands (even only five of them) would be a great financial success for WOTC
5. Three months of Modern mana in Standard would make everyone happy
6. It is very likely that we will return to Zendikar soon. Kiora's story is one hint.

See my full line of reasoning in this video: