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Just like it happened with the first set, most of the Spiritforged metagame mysteries will be unravelled by the time the rest of the world gets to start playing it. Amongst those mysteries is the value of the cards required to play certain strategies, as Riftbound decks quickly started to be worth several hundreds of dollars for the most competitive ones.
There is no point trying to guess the value of these new cards, since we won't be able to purchase them until February. Then, it is likely we will have to play by the rules the Chinese metagame will have established by then. However, we are able to collect the cards from the first set, Origins, and the value of these cards will also be impacted by this new set.
In this article, I will over the cards from the Origins set I believe will have their value most impacted by the release of Spiritforged. I will mostly focus on the cards with a high chance of skyrocketing in value, making them a good purchase right now, before their value increases. Some of the current most expensive cards are bound to lose value, but we need those to play until February, so selling is probably not an option at the moment.
Then, if we can't optimize our sells, let's at least try to save a bit of money with a few smart purchases, especially for those already interested in a specific legend or domain.
Chaos Cards
SFD-185 is the legend with the most hype around it, but the entire crew of legends in the Chaos domain is looking quite good overall. As such, it is very likely the stock of that particular color is bound to rise during the second set of Riftbound. Here are a few synergies to keep in mind :
I am not a big fan of SFD-195 as I expect the Power cost to limit how often we can use its ability, especially in the early stages of a match. However, the synergy with OGN-189 is undeniable.
Their abilities combine so well to push for a double conquer to go from 6 to 8 points, using one to ready the other. The only thing we need is to target OGN-189 to get the loop started, and SFD-196 is the perfect card to do so.
Currently, OGN-189 is very affordable, about $2 due to being a staple in OGN-259. If SFD-195 starts to post results, and she could very well end up as a superior OGN-259, expect the 6-cost unit to become more expensive.
In a similar vein, we could also consider OGN-205 alongside SFD-195. The metagame would have to change quite a bit, as the Power-to-Might ratio is too weak to thrive in my opinion. Yet, the new Chaos-Calm legend should be able to move OGN-205 three times in a turn very easily.
While a bonus 4-Might could win a fight for SFD-185 and allow us to draw, I have my eyes on the hidden keyword synergizing very well with SFD-203. Indeed, the new legend will require us to recycle runes to function properly, which is precisely the cost of hiding a card in Riftbound.
SFD-140 doesn't have a dedicated legend, but will also contribute to raise the value of cheap spells, which most Chaos strategies rely upon. Amongst those spells, OGN-201 already costs a pretty penny. Yet, it could gain even more value as more ways to synergize comes out, and decks try to fit as many powerful cards as possible, reducing the amount of slots available for draw and such support mechanics.
Another synergy to keep in mind alongside SFD-140 is to replay OGN-183, another great Chaos card from the Origins set. Plus, if we increase the amount of times we look into our deck, OGN-194 would also benefit, which is quite likely with SFD-122 added to the mix.
Last, even if they are common, so their price should not rise to anything substantial, expect OGN-172, OGN-168, and OGN-169 to gain value as well. Indeed, SFD-185's ability is stupid from a value standpoint considering winning a combat can also happen as we are being attacked by our opponent. With that in mind, I expect the Chaos cards able to send an attacker back to its base or our opponent hand to be incredible to win fights without actually needing to fight.
Another synergy to consider with Chaos cards is how they interact with Equipments. It is very likely the new synergy will lead to units being quite beefy, thus much more difficult to remove through damage spells.
With that in mind, the likes of OGN-188, OGN-180 or even OGN-203 could gain some appeal as surefire removals, no matter how big a unit gets due to equipments.
Calm and Mind Gears
When your ability is the same as OGN-247 but for a different type of card, you have my attention.
In the Origins metagame, gears struggled to have much of an impact, as OGN-160 attracted all sorts of cards targeting gears in particular. However, even if some are bound to be destroyed by our opponent, some gears will eventually stick to the board as we develop at least one per turn.
Plus, when those gears have the ability to pay for all our power costs in the future if not destroyed, I am more than willing to take that gamble.
At the moment, there aren't that many gears with a power cost attached, only the seals and OGN-063. I have trouble finding a connection with the buff synergy for SFD-189. However, I'm quite certain not being forced to recycle runes is an upside to any deck.
At the moment, both seals cost around $20. If SFD-189 proves to be strong and runs multiple copies of each, expect their value to rise to where OGN-245 or OGN-040 are currently, which is closer to $40.
Mind targeting cards
Choosing enemy units or gears to remove them and limit our opponent's ability to develop is nice, but we also need to progress towards our own agenda. As such, SFD-199 will be looking for three type of cards :
- Those able to select opposing units or gears for as cheap as possible : OGN-095
- Some with the hidden keyword to prepare an effect, but trigger it only when it results in a draw with our leader's ability : OGN-097
- Cards able to target two opposing cards on their own : OGN-105
The first one is already a staple in most Mind decks, so I don't expect its value to change much. However, the other two could become a little pricier if the Prodigal Explorer ends up a competitive pick.
Beefy Fury Units
Drawing whenever you win a combat will likely entice the opponent to commit resources to prevent us from winning too many showdowns. In that regard, finding early or mid-game units with a ton of might for their cost will either lead to us drawing a card, or our opponent emptying their hand to prevent said draw. Both scenarios will build card advantage.
If SFD-185 were to live-up to its hype, OGN-039 will lose a ton of momentum, and possibly a bit of value as well. Indeed, her ability won't be as necessary with a legend able to draw already. In that scenario, the other Fury champion units should gain a lot of appeal, especially those with a lot of might for their cost.
OGN-027 is already a staple inclusion in Fury decks, and I expect it to retain that status. However, if OGN-039 isn't a mandatory inclusion any more, OGN-036 and OGN-028 could gain some appeal.
These likely will remain cheap, but OGN-012 or OGN-016 also make sense in this idea.
4-Might Order and Body Units
The easiest way to turn a unit Mighty is to buff a 4-Might unit for cheap with the likes of OGN-124 or OGN-136.
Obviously, the new legend is going to synergize with OGN-232, as both cards would benefit from the champion unit becoming Mighty. Yet, even if we could just pick OGN-232 to sit next to our deck and be available at any point, there are plenty of other solid targets for the role. In doing so, we could instead pick the new SFD-180 as our chosen champion.
OGN-238 and OGN-155 fit perfectly, while OGN-164 could possibly allow triggering SFD-205 every single turn. Indeed, the card comes in as a 4-Might, but immediately gets buffed, so it becomes Mighty. Then, whenever we spend its buff, it goes back to 4-Might and becomes Mighty again as it gets its +4 bonus.
Closing Words
Most card games are expensive to play, especially if one is aiming to be competitive, or enjoys playing multiple decks. This article was mostly an excuse to discuss the new legends, and their synergies with cards already in the game.
Yet, while these discussions are often just for fun and to share our excitement about the new set, they can also impact our finances quite a bit for those already interested in certain cards. Indeed, because China gets to play for two months before we can join them, the market is almost settled when the products are available to the rest of the world.
With this piece, I hope I could help highlight certain synergies, and maybe save someone a few bucks as they managed to get a future key piece for a discount.
Good Game Everyone