The MTG bans that hit earlier this week, on May 18th, look set to shake up several formats. From Cori-Steel Cutter being sliced out of Pioneer, to Undercity Informant getting booted from Legacy. It’s the Modern format, though, that has seen the biggest number of changes. Umezawa’s Jitte and Violent Outburst were unbanned, while Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury, and Lotus Field were hit with the ban hammer. Naturally, in the days since the ban went through, the prices of many of these cards have shifted dramatically.
Umezawa’s Jitte was considered one of the best MTG cards when it was first released in the set Betrayers of Kamigawa back in 2005. It was never legal in the Modern format, as it was on the initial banlist when the format was officially launched in August 2011. Umezawa’s Jitte was valued at roughly $12 (£9) prior to the ban. Post ban, its value has risen dramatically, but is still very much in Flux. MTGGoldfish currently affords it an average price of $44 (£32). Meanwhile, there are listings on TCGplayer ranging from $17.99 (£13.39) to $70 (£52)+. By far the most affordable version of the Jitte is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bonus sheet variant, so if you’re looking to build a deck around it now that it’s legal, that’s your best bet.
Violent Outburst, despite being printed in the set Alara Reborn back in 2009, was only banned in March 2024 because of its ability to flood the board with Rhinos when used alongside the spell Crashing Footfalls. Now, less than two years later, it’s returning to Modern, and its price is surging up pretty violently. After the ban, Violent Outburst became a sub $1 card, but now that it’s usable again, it has risen back into the big leagues. TCGplayer price data indicates that it currently has a $7.28 (£5.42) price tag. This marks a 1248% increase compared to its $0.54 value a month ago.
Unlike the unbanned cards, which have seen their prices soar, Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury has become more affordable since it was banned. TCGplayer records that Phlage’s price has almost halved since the ban on the 18th. It was previously worth $14.89 (£11.08), but today you can pick up a copy for $8.12 (£6).
Finally, Lotus Field’s price has been left broadly unaltered. On the 17th May, its average value on TCGplayer was $5.35 (£3.98), while today it’s worth $5.09 (£3.79). Since Lotus Field sees play in combo decks in a variety of other formats, it’s understandable why its Modern ban hasn’t shaken it too deeply.
If you’re looking to chat about any of MTG’s formats, we’ve always got time to talk over on the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
