Following the strategy I proposed a month ago, the time to acquire M15 rares has come.

Since the end of August, the total value of the M15 set has increased by about 20%. This increase is mostly due to an increase of mythic prices propelled by the redemption of the M15 set being now available. As mythics constitute the majority of the core set value, this little bump was anticipated and is normal.

Nonetheless, the big winner of M15 so far is a rare--Goblin Rabblemaster. 0.5 Tix two months ago its value has been already more than multiplied by 10. This guy clearly didn't fit my predictions and the strategy I intended to apply to invest in M15 rares. Too late to jump in or not? I'll expand more on Rabblemaster's case bellow.

As for the other rares, although they have gotten cheaper on average since their release, a lot of M15 rares still retain a significant, above bulk, value. At least twice as many rares as in M14 are at 0.3 Tix or more as of now.

Historically, and for several reasons discussed in previous articles, core sets mythics and rares have always been a good place to invest your Tix in. Now with M15 prices clearly on the rise, and with several rares promising to be a great financial investment, it's time to take positions.

Current State of M15 Rares

Similarly to previous years, the average of the core set rares have heavily dropped since their release. After a peak of several cards last week, every card is either back to normal or continues to fall. All but Goblin Rabblemaster.

Pro Tour M15 and the StarCityGames Invitational have shaken things up a bit and prices are now stabilizing according to their expected trend. Release of Khans of Tarkir is only two weeks away, and with the spoilers list being closer to completion, first brews of new standard decks will follow soon after.

The following cards are on my radar now and are likely to be in my portfolio by the end of this week, before M15 rares prices bounce back.

The only card truly on the rise even after last week's bump is Goblin Rabblemaster. Should you skip it or buy it? I'll discuss the pros and cons bellow.

These cards have been mostly flat for a month now. I don't expect them to drop further in the coming days and I would acquire them this week.

These card are in a slightly downward trend. Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, Obelisk of Urd, Hornet Queen, Phyrexian Revoker and Chief Engineer are diving under the 0.2-0.3 Tix price range. As I think they hold some value for the next Standard season, I'll be buying them for sure but I'll wait several more days to see how low they can go. At 0.05 Tix, they are an instant snap buy.

If you haven't bought any of these yet, your patience is going to pay off as we enter the best time to buy core set rares.

The Goblin Rabblemaster case

A 2000% Gain In Less Than Two Months

Alongside Nissa, Worldwaker, Goblin Rabblemaster is the other hyped card of M15. From a 0.3 Tix entry price late July, the Goblin is now walking on water with a price tag above 6 Tix.

Since M12, this is the first time a rare has seen such a spike between July and September while Standard is about to rotate. The reason why? Because of Pro Tour M15, the popularity of Mono Red decks on MTGO and because Goblin Rabblemaster is a good card.

Summers are usually a rather quiet period for speculators and players. Prices of cards about to rotate out of Standard are slowly but surely spiraling down with no big events ready to disrupt this ritual. This year was different. We had a Standard Pro Tour right after the release of the core set, injecting new cards into an almost dead format.

Almost dead but still alive. Several cards from the Return to Ravnica block surged one last time, reaching their all time high for some, delaying their inevitable fall to an all time low when rotation comes.

In the wake of Tom Ross "Boss Slight", which made Legion Loyalist spike by more than 1500% overnight, Rabble Red decks were one of the new toys at Pro Tour M15. After its initial spike early in August, the Goblin sustained a 3-4 Tix price range given the popularity of mono red decks on MTGO. It spiked again two weekends ago after Tom Ross and his Rabble Red deck finished strong, again, at the StarCityGames Invitational.

Clearly Goblin Rabblemaster is a serious threat if not answered quickly, leaving behind some little friends when finally killed while also being lethal in combination with Legion Loyalist.

In it's most popular shell--Rabble Red--Goblin Rabblemaster is surrounded by a lot of red creatures (at least half the deck's creatures) about to rotate out of Standard.

This is certaint: Rabble Red decks as we know them won't be the same post rotation. With Theros block left in the mix, red aggro decks are still viable as we have seen several lists at Pro Tour Journey Into Nyx. This being said, the very same Pro Tour also led to the unchallenged reign of Courser of Kruphix/Sylvan Caryatid mid-range decks.

Goblin Rabblemaster In The Next Standard?

So the real questions are "Will Goblin Rabblemaster be good in the next Standard environment?" and "Is it worth buying it now at 6 Tix or more and after two spikes?"

Goblin Rabblemaster appears to be self-sufficient and doesn't even require you to play a goblin-oriented deck. The Rabble Red decks play merely eight additional goblins.

In addition, the Rabblemaster is also played in other types of aggro/mid-range decks, such as Jund Monsters and WR variants. So no need to play strictly aggro to enjoy the full power of this goblin. With only one colored mana in its casting cost, you can splash it in almost any deck you want to.

Khans of Tarkir's first spoilers revealed that goblin is a creature type in the set/block. Hopefully we'll see one or two goblins that blend well enough with the Rabblemaster, even though we have seen that there's not necessarily a need for a strong interaction with it. And with all of these multicolored spells, Khans of Tarkir seems ready to slow down the format a tiny bit.

Finally, Goblin Rabblemaster has the potential to claim a spot in Modern decks and could contribute to the emergence of a competitive goblin deck in the format.

Now, price wise, is this goblin currently worth the investment?

The last thing to throw in the discussion is the fact that Goblin Rabblemaster is from a core set. As I mentioned in previous articles, rares from core sets are rather limited in supply compared to other block sets. A heavily played card from a core set can easily reach 10 Tix.

If the Rabblemaster is the next core set bomb, 6 Tix is far from being too expensive to jump in. Despite its current popularity, people may have been holding back a little not knowing if this Goblin will make it or not with Khans of Tarkir.

My personal opinion here: Yes, I strongly think Goblin Rabblemaster will still be in demand.

M15 prices have decent room for growth, and, after barely two months of drafting, supplies are going to dry up.

As for all my other Standard specs, Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir will the moment of truth in order to see who's hot and who's not. But I'm pretty sure Goblin Rabblemaster will be under the spotlight next October.

I just don't know if its price will be 6 or 15 Tix. I'm okay with buying it now and taking the gamble.

A Basket of M15 Rares

As I always advise here at QS, buying a basket of cards is highly recommended. Especially since my strategy for investing in M15 rares is strictly based on price trends and not on card power or playability, buying a basket of them is your best insurance for overall profit.

Previously, I had stated that it is worth buying every rare that is at 0.2 Tix or higher by mid-September.

Five special rares--Shivan Dragon, Aegis Angel, Terra Stomper, Nightmare and Mahamoti Djinn--are at an artificially inflated price because they are not present in M15 boosters. I don't plan on buying these even if they are above 0.2 Tix.

Nineteen M15 rares will for sure be in my portfolio-those mentioned above. I'm currently buying the ones that have remained flat for the past few week since I don't think they will get substantially cheaper. I'm watching the prices of the ones still declining carefully, but I'm likely to buy several playsets by the end of the week and get the rest of what I want by next week.

There are other rares likely to be around 0.2 Tix by the end of this week or next and could be worth acquiring. These cards include Hornet Nest and Aetherspouts. Since their Standard playability is uncertain, I'm still hesitant to buy them.

I also suggested betting on bulk rares that could explode at Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir or later. For a small bet of 0.05 Tix or less per card, you could get an incredible return if what happened to Tidebinder Mage happens again. M15 has a lot of these cards. Among the bulk rares I might throw a Tix or two at are Necromancer's Stockpile, Life's Legacy, Preeminent Captain, Return to the Ranks and Cruel Sadist

Hope you'll make some Tix with your M15 rares speculation!

Thanks for reading,

Sylvain