Magic the Gathering (MTG) Stock Watch - Nettle Sentinel from Eventide

by Richard Rowell, Gaming Successfully Staff

Nettle Sentinel from Eventide has long been a highly sought after common due to just how good it is in Elf decks. It was strong in Standard, and is still played often in Modern and Legacy in top 8 finishing Elf decks. On Magic Online, it’s a staple in one of the best decks in the Pauper (all-common) format, Stompy. A 2/2 for one mana that is easily untapped in an Elf deck is solid enough. But there are other shenanigans that involve tapping down Elves, such as the mana ramping abilities of Heritage Druid and Birchlore Rangers. Since ramping into a Craterhoof Behemoth as quickly as possible is the primary win condition of many Elf decks, Nettle Sentinel is a very valuable piece to their overall strategy.

Long a $2 common, Nettle Sentinel has been on a slow, steady rise towards its current price of $2.50. To keep up with the steady increase, a couple of buylists have risen from the typical $0.50 buy price to over $1. Channel Fireball is offering $0.75 cash a piece. While you don’t have to rush out and buy Sentinels in preparation for a sudden price spike, it’s good to keep this card in mind when sifting through old boxes and as equalizers in trades. Having a card that you need 4 of in a top Eternal deck with only printing that shows steady price gains is always a good target in trade. It's also a solid pick-up for when you need a couple extra dollars to get free shipping from a vendor or a use for small amounts of store credit.

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