Block Rotation Shopping List

It is the season of block rotation again! With the introduction of Theros on September 27th, the entire Innistrad block and M13 will be rotated out of the Standard format. As the market will be flooded with these soon to be retired cards, you will have the opportunity to purchase some great singles at a lower price. Today's article will be discussing what "Casual Staples" should be picked up from Innistrad block and M13 Core set.

Casual Staples are the singles that in addition to their low price (ideally $5.00 or under), can also be easily incorporated into different types of decks. If a card can only be used in one type of deck, it is in my opinion not good enough to be considered as a Casual Staple. After all, you want to stretch every single buck you spend on your purchase. With this in mind let us take a look at these Casual Staple candidates:

The Buddy Lands: This new generation of dual land is arguably the second best budget dual land just behind the Pain Lands. Being able to acquire these lands will certainly make the mana base of your deck more consistent and therefore improve the overall efficiency of your deck. The Buddy Lands that are from M13 have been printed four times since M10, as a result they showed an almost 40% price drop since last week. In comparison, the ones that were only printed in Innistrad did not drop as much in terms of value; however, the current price for these lands is still a very good deal.

These Buddy Lands' low price may not stay forever because some of them are currently being used in competitive Modern decks. In order to get the best deal for these cards you will have to make the purchase within the next month or so before the prices on these lands bounce back up again.

Thragtusk: A solid five-drop which also possesses great abilities that trigger both as it enters or leaves the Battlefield. This powerful utility creature is suitable for inclusion in almost all kinds of decks that use green mana. Thragtusk's price should drop even further after the official release of Theros. It is definitely a card that is worth keeping an eye on for its price change. 

Sliverblade Paladin: A creature with double strike while at the same time providing another creature you control the same ability for merely three mana. Currently at around 2.00 dollars, Sliverblade Paladin can be fitted into any white based Aggro deck.

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben: Thalia is commonly used in creature based Aggro decks to slow down Combo decks. This card is played in all of the eternal formats both in main board or as a sideboard card. Thalia is a good card to pick up as the price may not stay low for long due to her impact on the eternal formats.

Craterhoof Behemoth: A popular card that is used in competitive Standard, Legacy and casual decks. Essentially Craterhoof Behemoth makes your alpha strike almost unstoppable, especially for decks that are packed with small mana ramp creatures such as the Elves deck variants. As a Mythic rare with high popularity amongst the casual community, it would be great to acquire a few copies of this card during the block rotation period.

Other than the Mythics and Rares there are also some uncommons that are worth buying.

Strangleroot Geist: This critter hits hard, fast and will come back from the grave to cause your opponent more pain. Strangleroot Geist is a very versatile creature that brings the mono green Aggro decks to a whole new level..

Rancor: A reusable, cheap and powerful aura enchantment that can make even small creatures problematic for your opponent. Definitely worth owning a playset.

Vampire Nighthawk: In addition to being a perfect candidate for a vampire deck, Vampire Nighthawk has the ability to provide both offensive and defensive maneuvers in any black-based decks. It is considered to be one of the best three-drop black creatures.

These are all the cards that I have selected as Casual Staples from Innistrad block and M13.

Until next time, may you find good deals during this block rotation season.