Magic: The Gathering's second Commander-focused premier set, Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, released on June 10th, 2022. Battle for Baldur's Gate combines the design of Commander Legends with the flavor of Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. New and returning mechanics such as backgrounds, taking the initiative, and myriad help Baldur's Gate an exciting experience for players.

Baldur's Gate includes 361 new-to-MTG cards and reprints. One of the main focuses of the set is Dragons, best represented by the cycle of five mythic rare Elder Dragon creatures. Additionally, the Elder Dragons are some of the most in-demand and expensive cards in the set! In my latest article, The 10 Most Expensive Cards in Battle for Baldur's Gate, I review the ten most expensive cards included in Battle for Baldur's Gate. While Ancient Brass Dragon and Ancient Copper Dragon are on the list, there are a few cards that may surprise you.

Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate is Magic: The Gathering's second Commander set created by Wizards of the Coast. Baldur's Gate follows in the footsteps of the original Commander Legends set released in November 2020. Some design features in the original Commander Legends trickled into Baldur's Gate, such as the total card count of 361, a partner-like ability, desirable reprints, 20-card Draft Boosters, and multiple Limited archetypes. There are a few differences with Baldur's Gate, including a Dungeons & Dragons theme, the initiative and background mechanics, and a focus on Dragons.  

A premier set released with new cards will likely have synergies with older MTG cards.  Dragon synergies abound in Baldur's Gate thanks to inclusions like Wrathful Red Dragon, Earthquake Dragon, and Lapis Orb of Dragonkind. Dragons are not the only synergistic cards in Baldur's Gate as other new cards led to a handful of older cards spiking in price.

In my article, Which Cards Spiked in Price Because of Baldur's Gate, exclusively available at TCGplayer Infinite, I cover some notable price spikes caused by Baldur's Gate card inclusions. Read the article to find out why players bought copies of Worst Fears, Citanul Hierophants, and other MTG cards from past sets.

Gruul is one of Magic: The Gathering's 10 Ravnica guilds, which represents the color combination of red and green. Gruul if often associated with large and hasty creatures, fight spells, and mana ramp. Players are probably familiar with Gruul's main strategy quickly ramping into large, aggressive creature threats to attack opponents. MTG's Streets of New Capenna set provided Gruul with additional tools for creating Treasure tokens, which synergize well with the aforementioned strategy. 

In my latest article, 10 Gruul Commander Cards You Should Be Playing, I highlight 10 potent Gruul cards to include in GR Commander Decks. Recent printings of new-to-MTG Gruul cards such as Chishiro, the Shattered Blade and Halana and Alena, Partners provide new card options for Gruul to achieve victory. If you are are a fan of Gruul or interested in building a Gruul Commander deck, this article is worth reading. 

Wizards of the Coast releases Magic: The Gathering sets with new cards and mechanics each year. New cards increase MTG's available card pool for players across Commander, Modern, and other MTG formats. Undoubtedly, synergies can arise between old and new-to-MTG cards. Revisiting old planes like Innistrad and Kamigawa may increase the number of synergy opportunities too.

When synergies occur, older cards tend to spike in price as heightened player demand drives purchases of available copies. Individuals usually purchase available copies until a new price point stabilizes. While buying a copy of a card ensures a player has it in their deck, that decision has financial risks. 

My article "  "covers three risks associated with purchasing an MTG card during a price spike. Each risk can potentially decrease the average market value of a card. Also, I provide tips for analyzing a price spike that may save you money when purchasing a card.