The Magic: The Gathering card Valakut Exploration has seen a pretty significant price rise. One month ago, the card cost $1.50, but that has since ratcheted up to $5.30, and the value continues to soar.
This red enchantment card came out in the fairly recent MTG set Zendikar Rising, and despite occasional fluctuations has remained pretty cheap ever since. This is the first time it's seen an increase of over 100% in a month.
Valakut Exploration is a lands-matter enchantment spell that's also a source of impulse draw. When a land enters under your control, you can exile the top card of your library and play it that turn. However, it also doubles as a way to deal damage. If there are still cards exiled with Valakut Exploration at the end of your turn, you pop them in your graveyard, and zap your opponents.
Valakut Exploration seems to have gotten pricier thanks to standout landfall MTG commanders from the Edge of Eternities set. Amusingly enough, these don't include the World Shaper precon's face commander, but rather the deck's alternate leader Hearthhull, the Worldseed alongside Tannuk, Memorial Ensign.
With Tannuk, the synergy is pretty obvious. The entire deck is based around turning land drops into noncombat damage, and Valakut Exploration is just another way to do that. For Hearthhull, I think it comes down to the fact that this deck is dumping tons of lands into the graveyard and it most likely wins the game by bringing them all back in one go - using a card like Splendid Reclamation - for a mass of triggers.
Valakut Exploration helps this gameplan in two ways. Firstly, it sends unplayed exiled cards to the yard, which will undoubtedly include some lands. And secondly, it can deal a massive burst of damage to all players when you do finally reanimate your lands, which could be game-winning if everyone's low on life.
While we've focused on the regular versions of Valakut Exploration for this story, there are other variants available that haven't moved up in price by as much. There's a promo card variant with the Magic logo stamp, for instance, which has understandably remained cheap. But interestingly enough, the showcase version of the card with alternate art is also easier to get hold of, costing only $3.
Valakut Exploration isn't the only card that's spiking thanks to the combined influence of these commanders. Check out this Bloomburrow elemental that's also on the rise. You can also find more price stories with our list of the most expensive MTG cards, or check out the Wargamer Discord to meet a lovely bunch of likeminded tabletop nerds.