Summons of Saruman: How Reprints Move Card Prices

In TCG ·

Summons of Saruman card art from Tales of Middle-earth Commander — a red-blue spell shaping the battlefield

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Reprints and the Price Arc: A Case Study with Summons of Saruman

In MTG, reprints are the heartbeat of the secondary market, shaping supply, demand, and deckbuilding dreams 🧙‍♂️🔥. When a two-color powerhouse like Summons of Saruman lands in a new print, it often triggers a price swing—sometimes a gentle drift, other times a tidal wave—depending on how many copies enter the wild and how widely players imagine it being used. This rare sorcery from Tales of Middle-earth Commander, with its unique amass-and-mill package and a flashback option, is a perfect lens for examining that dynamic 🧲.

The card costs X mana plus {U}{R}. That X, paired with the two colors, makes it a flexible win condition in multi-player formats, where you might push a big X to amass a formidable Orc Army and then use the free-cast clause to cherry-pick a crucial instant or sorcery from among the milled spells. In real terms, the current price sits around $0.21 USD in non-foil form—a reminder that even rare cards can hover at under a buck when supply stagnates or reprints broaden access 📉. In EUR, it sits around €0.26, mirroring the same market forces across regions 🌍.

“Reprints don’t just flood shelves; they reshape our judgement of value and how we draft around a card.”

Two key mechanics anchor the demand: Amass Orcs X creates a flexible token strategy, while Flashback—{3}{U}{R}—lets you replay a spectrum of spells from your graveyard, provided you exile X cards from your graveyard. The synergy is tasty in Commander, where you’re likely to be milling, digging, and orchestrating a grand battlefield with a chorus of Orc Army tokens ⚔️. The card’s rarity (rare) and two-color identity (red and blue) mean it’s a curiosity for color-balanced decks and a must-have for players who chase multi-color, non-basic strategies 🎨.

Card snapshot for quick reference

  • Card: Summons of Saruman
  • Colors: Red, Blue
  • Mana cost: {X}{U}{R}
  • CMC: 2.0
  • Type: Sorcery
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Set: Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTС)
  • Oracle text: Amass Orcs X. Mill X cards. You may cast an instant or sorcery spell with mana value X or less from among them without paying its mana cost. Flashback—{3}{U}{R}, Exile X cards from your graveyard.

From a gameplay perspective, savvy players look at reprints as both a bargain and a risk. The greater the supply, the more likely the price will dip, especially for cards that slot into themed EDH strategies. However, reprints can also ignite interest in a card that didn’t seem surface-level flashy—perhaps thanks to a synergistic deck idea or a particular commander pairing. In Summons of Saruman’s case, the potential for massed Orcs to form a surprising frontline while you mill and manipulate the graveyard can become a talking point in multiplayer circles, nudging demand even as supply grows 🧙‍♂️.

Collectors—mythic or rare chasers included—often watch the print pathways: whether a card appears in a dedicated Commander deck, a supplemental set, or a crossovers-with-Universes Beyond release. The Tales of Middle-earth Commander version carries a black border and a lore-rich aesthetic, which can influence perceived value even as non-foil copies flood the market. For players with a casual curiosity about the lore behind culling the graveyard for X, this card offers a compelling narrative of Orc armies, strategic flexibility, and a little dragon-fire-flavored cunning. The design embraces a two-color identity that’s approachable for combo- or control-heavy builds, while still offering a spicy edge in more chaotic Commander games 🔥💎.

Strategic takeaways for players and dealers

  • Consider how a reprint lowers barrier to entry for casual budget players, broadening the deckbuilder’s audience and potentially increasing play frequency.
  • Watch related cards that mill or amass, as price movement often tracks across a small ecosystem of synergistic picks rather than a lone card.
  • In EDH, Summons of Saruman can slot into colors with enough mana sustainability to push X, while capitalizing on graveyard-based effects to fuel the Flashback clause.
  • For collectors, the rarity and art direction can offer a value narrative beyond raw gameplay performance, particularly if a reprint encourages a shelf-friendly edition of the card.
  • As a consumer product, keep an eye on cross-promotional releases and special editions; a reprint in a larger product line can stabilize prices but can also spark new demand through wider visibility 📈.

It’s a reminder that MTG prices aren’t merely about power level. They’re about accessibility, storytelling, and the timing of a print run. The same dynamics that fuel market moves for Summons of Saruman also color how you should think about other multi-color spells with flexible costs and graveyard tricks. The next time you see a reprint announced for a favorite two-color spell, you’ll know to expect a blend of cheaper entry points and new tactical conversations at your next kitchen-table league or local game store 🧙‍♂️.

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Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

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