The Magic: The Gathering card High Noon has seen a big price spike of 335%. When the last set was released at the end of September, the Thunder Junction card was the definition of a bulk rare, costing only $1. Now it’s shot up to a much more respectable $4.35, and still looks to be on the rise, thanks to increased play in Pioneer.
Released in the MTG set Outlaws of Thunder Junction earlier this year, High Noon is a big upgrade on older cards like Rule of Law. It’s a symmetrical effect that stops players being able to cast more than one spell on each turn. If you have red mana available, you can use it as a finisher, killing an opponent once you’ve got them down to five life. If you’re in dire straits, it can even work as very inefficient removal.
The reason this card has spiked is thanks to its important role as a sideboard card in Modern and particularly Pioneer. In Modern, it provides defense against aggro decks and Ruby Storm, but those have been around for ages. What’s changed to drive High Noon’s price steadily upwards, is a shift in the Pioneer meta.
When MTG banlist changes were announced on August 26, two of the three best Pioneer decks – Rakdos Vampires and Amalia Control – were shaken or entirely dismantled by the loss of key cards. This left the other top three deck Izzet Phoenix in a very strong position.
Izzet Phoenix wants to dump phoenix cards in the graveyard, then play a bunch of instants in one turn to revive them. Previously Magebane Lizard surged in price, as it provided a way to punish these decks, and now High Noon is jumping up for the same reason.
We’ve got lots more stories about expensive MTG cards, and if you want to learn what’s coming up for Magic, check out our MTG release schedule guide.
Source: Wargamer
