Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Death-Greeter's Champion: Print Run Rumblings for the MOC Commander Set
For set collectors and speculators alike, Death-Greeter's Champion is a compelling case study in how print runs, rarity, and set positioning interact in the Magic universe 🧙🔥. This red-hot rare from March of the Machine Commander (MOC) sits at the crossroads of tempo, value, and niche EDH viability. Its nonfoil finish and a collector number of 30 in a 60-card Commander-focused set hints at deliberate distribution choices: you’ll likely see this card pop up in more decks than a few niche legends, but it isn’t flooded into every preconstructed list either 💎⚔️. The current price tag, hovering around a modest USD 0.32 and EUR 0.22 with a Tix floor around 4.88, reflects a card that’s promising for a long game but not a slam-dunk unicorn in the short term 🎲. If you’re chasing set completeness or trying to time a pickup for a future reprint window, this little red spear is worth a closer look.
At a glance: what this card is and where it lives
- Name: Death-Greeter's Champion
- Set: March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
- Rarity: Rare
- Mana cost: {2}{R}
- CMC: 3
- Type: Creature — Human Warrior
- Color: Red
- Legal formats: Commander, Legacy, Duel, etc.
- Abilities: Dash {3}{R} (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.) Backup 1 — When this creature enters, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If that's another creature, it gains the following ability until end of turn. Double strike
- Artist: Jason Rainville
- Collector number: 30
In the lore-forward vibe of the set, this card leans into the chaos of a mechanized world where death and momentum collide. Its name—Death-Greeter's Champion—hints at a figure who commands respect at the threshold between life and the machine’s cold precision 🧙🔥. The art and flavor support a design philosophy that loves tempo plays, aggressive starts, and surprising blowouts when backups meet doubles on the battlefield ⚔️. The package is distinctly red: fast, punishing, and built around turning your early tempo into late-game inevitability 🎨.
Why this card stands out for gameplay and deck-building
Death-Greeter's Champion isn’t just a flashy ability soup; it’s a thoughtful intersection of dash tempo and instant combat shenanigans. The dash cost reintroduces the card in a red deck’s curve with haste, letting you push extra damage or force an opponent to commit answers on tempo you’ve already established 🧙🔥. When you flash it in for dash, you’re not just swinging once—you’re setting up a moment where it can threaten a second strike if you manage the board wisely.
“Backup 1 on a red human-warrior is a built-in tutor for a single-piece combat trick, and Double strike makes that trick lethal when paired with the right target.” — a seasoned EDH player and tempo enthusiast 🧙🔥
The Backup mechanic is the real kicker here. When Death-Greeter's Champion enters, you put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature; if that creature is another creature, it gains a new ability until end of turn. In practical terms, you can pump a sturdy creature to grow into a threat or grant a temporary double-strike window to your best attacker. It’s the kind of interaction that invites careful timing and board-state reading—perfect for players who love puzzle-pieces snapping into place mid-combat 🎲. And let’s not ignore the dash’s rule nuance: you can set up a repeatable, aggressive line of play by recasting the Champion from the command zone with haste—fling it into action, then have it back in hand for another round if your mana and situation allow ⚔️.
Print run speculation: what affects the value trajectory?
Commander sets are famous for sculpting print runs that balance novelty with practicality. Death-Greeter's Champion belongs to a 60-card Commander-focused product line within March of the Machine, which means there’s a built-in expectation of a solid, but not infinite, supply for nonfoil prints. Its status as a nonfoil rarity enhances accessibility for casual players and budget-conscious collectors, but it also raises questions about future reprint risk. If Wizards of the Coast decides to revisit red-powered backups or dash mechanics in a future set, a reprint could cool the current market spike. For now, the absence of a foil print (foil: False) and its early-number placement (collector_number: 30) suggest a calculated distribution that respects both playability in EDH and collectibility for the dedicated set crew 🧙🔥💎.
From a collector’s lens, the card’s long-term potential hinges on a few factors: Red’s ongoing presence in commander tables, the card’s ability to support high-tempo builds, and how often it will show up in popular precons. The price data—USD around 0.32, EUR around 0.22, and a Tix value of 4.88—points to a niche demand: not a must-have for all players, but a compelling target for serious red-focused EDH lists and price-sensitive collectors who enjoy tracking set-to-set shifts. In the grand tapestry of MTG print runs, this card sits in a sweet spot where it’s accessible now but could gain surprising traction if it remains un-reprinted in upcoming commander-dedicated sets 🧙🔥.
Value, playability, and the collector’s mindset
- Playability: A solid tempo option in red that rewards thoughtful sequencing and board development. Dash gives you immediate pressure and a fallback plan, while Backup 1 can animate your team for a surprise swing.
- Collector’s angle: Early-set rarity with a notable commander niche; nonfoil finish helps accessibility, but a potential reprint could cap price growth. Collector numbers and the card’s place in the set’s early lineup add a historical micro-story to your binder 🧙🔥.
- Investment caution: Like many EDH staples, it’s more about long-term mana in a red deck’s arsenal than “flip-and-forget” value. Keep an eye on how often red-focused EDH players reach for backup-doubles and haste shenanigans in the meta ⚔️.
As you curate your collection, note how the card’s mechanical identity— Dash, Backup, and Double Strike—maps onto larger themes in the MOC Commander product line: a blend of aggressive tempo plays, interactive combat tricks, and memorable, flavorful names that spark conversations around the table 🧙🔥. This is the kind of card that often earns a spot in a well-tuned red EDH list because it offers both immediate impact and tempo-based resilience, even when the board state is messy and uncooperative 🎲.
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