Magic: The Gathering Hot/Cold List for the Week of March 2, 2026

Sergeant John Benton

Sergeant John Benton has experienced a trajectory that can only be described as astronomical. Previously, a bulk rare valued at roughly $0.35, the card underwent a massive spike in a single week, peaking at around $10 before settling into a more sustainable range.

The driver here is the card’s Share Intelligence ability, which allows both the controller and an opponent to draw cards equal to the damage dealt.

While players originally dismissed this as a Group Hug mechanic that helped opponents too much, the community has pivoted toward a more aggressive, political interpretation.

In the current Commander landscape, players are using Benton as a political tool, choosing exactly which opponent to reward with card draw to form temporary alliances against a common threat.

When paired with pump spells like Invigorate or Giant Growth, Benton becomes a lethal draw engine that can fill your hand with 10 or more cards in a single combat step.

*Buy Sergeant John Benton cards and Universes Beyond: Doctor Who booster boxes on eBay or Amazon.

Faces of the Past

While the Sergeant’s rise was a speculative buyout, the movement for Faces of the Past is a direct consequence of the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed.

This blue enchantment from 2003’s Scourge set has climbed this week, moving from $2 to roughly $15.

The reason for this spike is its terrifyingly efficient synergy with Ashling, the Limitless, a standout Elemental commander.

The mechanical loop is simple, whenever a creature of a certain type dies, Faces of the Past untaps all other creatures of that type.

By using Ashling’s Evoke ability to sacrifice Elementals, players can repeatedly untap mana dorks like Flamebraider or Smokebraider to generate infinite mana or chain through their entire deck.

Because this card has not seen a reprint in over two decades, missing even the recent inclusions in The List, the supply of near-mint copies is remarkably thin, making it highly susceptible to these nostalgia trip spikes.

*Buy Faces of the Past cards on eBay or Amazon.

Tyvar the Bellicose

Rounding out our Hot List is Tyvar the Bellicose from the Aftermath set. This is a fascinating case of rarity meeting relevance.

Aftermath was not a hit set, leading to fewer boxes being opened and a genuine scarcity of its mythic rares. As the Elf Renaissance sparked by Lorwyn Eclipsed takes hold, Tyvar has surged this week, moving from roughly $15 toward the $20 mark.

Tyvar is an essential piece for the new Blight archetype introduced in Lorwyn Eclipsed. He gives your attacking Elves deathtouch, but more importantly, he allows your mana-producing Elves, like Marwyn, the Nurturer or Priest of Titania, to scale their power to the amount of mana they produce.

When paired with the new High Perfect Morcant, which allows you to proliferate counters by tapping Elves, Tyvar transforms your utility creatures into massive beaters that can end games in a single swing.

*Buy Tyvar the Bellicose cards and March of the Machine: The Aftermath boxes on eBay or Amazon.

Prosper, Tome-Bound

Prosper, Tome-Bound has been a gold standard in Rakdos Commander for years, but this week it finally saw a significant cooling effect, dropping to around $19.

This movement is an example of wallet fatigue and meta diversification.

As players look toward the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set and the crunchier mechanics of Lorwyn Eclipsed, the sheer ubiquity of Prosper is starting to wane.

Players are increasingly trading in their standard treasure-themed decks for newer, more synergistic strategies like the Blight or Mutant typal decks.

If you have been waiting to pick up a copy of this Warlock, the current nosedive represents the most affordable entry point we have seen in months.

*Buy Prosper, Tome-Bound cards on eBay or Amazon.

Lutri, the Spellchaser

Finally, we have the magical otter, Lutri, the Spellchaser. After the initial explosion following its unbanning as a commander (but not as a companion) on February 9, the market finally began to stabilize.

The Halo Foil versions, which peaked with a massive $25 gain, saw a drop this week, settling at a market price of $10.

This cooling is expected as the supply trickle catches up with the initial demand surge. Most Commander players only require a single copy for their 99-card pile, and the initial rush of speculators has moved on to the next big buyout.

*Buy Lutri, the Spellchaser cards and Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths booster boxes on eBay or Amazon.