The Magic: The Gathering card Leyline of Anticipation has risen in price over the last month thanks to synergy with a top Avatar commander. Most versions of this oft-reprinted card are trending upwards, but in particular, the Magic 2011 version has seen a major jump - going from $3.30 to $14 since late November.
Wizards of the Coast has printed close to 20 of these leyline cards over various MTG sets, so most long-time players are used to them by now. But, really, they are pretty weird cards: breaking the fundamental rules of Magic by (potentially) starting out on the battlefield.
Leyline of Anticipation also changes the rules its owner must follow, letting them cast all spells as though they had flash. It's a powerful ability, especially useful alongside commanders that want to cast spells every turn like Tuvasa the Sunlit.
But in this case, Leyline of Anticipation is spiking, not because it lets you play spells on your opponents' turn, but because it lets you cast non-instants during combat. That's strong alongside the new firebending ability, which makes temporary mana you need to spend in combat, before your main phase.
But it's especially good when used with Firelord Azula, the most popular MTG commander from the Avatar set, with 14,300 decks logged on EDHREC so far. Azula not only grants you firebending mana, she lets you copy spells cast while she is attacking.
Without Leyline of Anticipation, you'd usually be limited to copying instants, getting more mileage out of removal or card draw. But if you have the Leyline or Vedalken Orrery (which has doubled in price) on the field, you can cast and copy anything, getting token versions of your best permanents.
The chance to have two Sol Rings for one mana or clone important creatures like Archmage Emeritus is too good to miss, which is why Leyline of Anticipation finds a home in more than half of Azula decks.
With so many copies taken out of circulation, it's not hard to see why the card is spiking, though it should be noted that the versions from Magic 2011 and Battle for Baldur's Gate have seen the most pronounced price change. This may simply be because those packs are harder to come by, or perhaps fans simply prefer the artwork by Charles Urbach - only found on the pricier versions.
If you spot a price spike or an infinite combo worth sharing, let us know over at the Wargamer Discord server.