Running Tally: Dark Ascension -- Update 10/17/12

[Thrillho]

Welcome to the running tally thread for Dark Ascension. Here we're discussing prospective prices, trends, and current values for cards from the Dark Ascension expansion. Please keep comments and discussion topical. If you quote prices, please cite where you're getting those prices from (SCG NM, eBay, MOTL, your local game store).

Here are the highest value cards at the lowest price available in 4 or more copies NM on TCGPlayer:

1. Falkenrath Aristocrat (M) -- 18.95
2. Huntmaster of the Fells (M) -- 16.46
3. Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (M) -- 13.99
4. Gravecrawler (R) -- 11.77
5. Geralf's Messenger (R) -- 9.99
6. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (R) -- 4.35
7. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (M) -- 2.99
8. Vorapede (M) -- 2. 85
9. Havengul Lich (M) -- 2.63
11. Drogskol Reaver (M) -- 1.99
11. Predator Ooze (R) -- 1.99
12. Hellrider (R) -- 1.85
13. Vault of the Archangel (R) -- 1.64
n14. Grafdigger's Cage (R) -- 1.49
15. Lingering Souls (U) -- 1.29
16. Elbrus, the Binding Blade (M) -- 1.13
17. Increasing Savagery (R) -- 1.00
19. Dungeon Geists (R) -- 0.99
19. Increasing Confusion (R) -- 0.99
20. Increasing Devotion (R) -- 0.90

There's a huge drop off from high to low value cards in the set. Also, who'd have thunk Aristocrat would be a $20 card?

Mythics take up the lion's share of card value in the set, though Zombie cards and Thalia -- the multi-format all star -- offset some of that.

Long term, I would stock up on Lingering Souls, Grafdigger's Cage, Huntmaster, and Thalia. Mikaeus may be a good EDH card possibly one day, but also I don't really know anything about EDH.

Increasing Savagery has risen 400% from release. Dungeon Geists has done the reverse. Hellrider, Vault of the Archangel, and Zombie cards are the most-likely-to-be-stable-or-go-up cards for the foreseeable future, unless some crazy hate comes up. Tokens are starting to become a thing in Standard,
so prepare for Hellrider.

Sorin has gradually risen, also worth noting.

[Thrillho]

Geralf's Messenger is starting to shamble, as zombies are prone to do, into Modern Jund builds, replacing Kitchen Finks to make for a more aggressive strategy. Such a deck was piloted to the top 4 of this past weekend's Pro Tour by David Ochoa, who had one of the best constructed finishes for the weekend.

Coincidentally, the card is my favorite of the set. I would keep this in mind if at any point Messenger's value drops during a non-Modern season.

[Thrillho]

Thalia is approaching $6 ($5.55)

Hellrider is almost sold-out on TCGPlayer at $3 (a number of stores have single copies up for around $3, with some foil copies bleeding into those prices) and is sold out at SCG for the same price. The next lowest value is $4.55 and up. If you've been hoarding them, now is a good time to consider selling.

Grafdigger's Cage has risen by a quarter to $0.30

Vault of the Archangel is a full $2.

Increasing Savagery is approaching $2.

Increasing Devotion and Confusion have risen to $1.50 each, roughly, likely due to the introduction of the Epic Experiment deck.

Not much more price shifting has gone on in Dark Ascension.

[Thrillho]

Hellrider is blowing up. It is currently just under $6 at low NM.

[Manasjap]

Expected to keep going up?

[Thrillho]

4 copies on tcgplayer are currently $8.99 as of last night, so unless Gatecrash has no support for token decks in a set with focus on WR and WB guilds, I would at least expect stability in prices.

[Thrillho]

Huntmaster is nearly $20 as 3-4 "value" midrange decks are currently the Standard trend.
Aristocrat has remained stable after falling slightly due to variance in popularity of BR Zombies/Rakdos
Sorin is similarly $20. A Junk Tokens deck is peripherally popular and should gain popularity in some BWx iteration come Gatecrash, so $20 may not be the limit for Sorin and it is probably a good idea to hold onto him until after Gatecrash.
Hellrider, as raised the other day, is at $9 and in short supply at that "low" price. It may actually not be idiotic to hold onto copies and see if the wave builds at all (but this is coming from someone who has accrued many when it was $1, so don't hold me to that).
Increasing Savagery has gone up to $1.25 as I bide my time and cross my fingers that the card explodes one day.

Other values have remained fairly consistent. Thalia at $5-6 is holding strong and I don't expect
her to lose from that position but she may gain.

[Thrillho]

Huntmaster is $25 presently and the next set is going to have Stomping Ground.
Sorin is stable.
Aristocrat is $20.
Hellrider fell a dollar but is firmly back up to $9.
Gravecrawler is $9.
Thalia is approaching $7 but is still available for under $6.50.