The Magic: The Gathering card Sygg River Cutthroat has risen in value over the past week. The cheapest version, from the Zendikar Rising commander precons, has leapt from $2 on May 12 to $8 on May 25, according to the price tracker on MTGGoldfish.
This card, originally released in the 2008 MTG set Shadowmoor, has a pretty simple effect. It lets you draw a card on your end step if an opponent lost three or more life in the turn. At just two mana, that makes it a very efficient card draw engine in the right deck, though of course it’s much more easily blown up than something like Phyrexian Arena.
Like most of the recent price spikes we’ve seen, this 300% rise has been caused by the upcoming MTG Final Fantasy set. In particular, Sygg is a really good upgrade for one of the upcoming Commander precons: Scions & Spellcraft.
You’ll notice when you examine this deck’s MTG commander, Y’shtola Night’s Blessed, that she has a similar effect to Sygg – only she’s both an enabler and a payoff for the life loss theme. With Sygg out on the field, you’ll be drawing twice as many cards on each of your turns, as long as everything’s going smoothly.
And players are particularly likely to be seeking upgrades for Y’shtola because the commander is looking particularly popular, but the Scions & Spellcraft Commander precon deck seems particularly lackluster. Perhaps that’s a little unfair… It’s more that it’s unfocused. There are lots of disparate themes going on, from token making to equipment, and not enough life loss synergy to work with Y’shtola’s whole shtick.
Given that context, Sygg’s spike is easy to understand. He’s a much more sensible card draw spell for the deck than, say, Tome of Legends (one of the easiest cuts to make).
Personally, I’m hoping we get a reprint for this card in the upcoming Lorwyn set next year. I can’t quite remember what’s going on with the MTG plane’s strange cycle between the pleasant Lorwyn and dark Shadowmoor, but I really enjoy the latter’s hideous merfolk. More swamp monster merrow, please!
What Magic content would you like to see on the Final Fantasy set? Best new cards? Precon upgrade guides? Draft tips? You can let me know what would be most helpful via our lovely Discord. And don’t miss out on our other handy Magic guides like our list of the best Standard MTG Arena decks, or any MTG Arena codes still standing.
Source: Wargamer
