Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Swashbuckling in Ixalan: Price Trends and Collector Value
If you’ve ever dropped a red aura onto a stubborn attacker and watched it sprint across the battlefield with unbridled haste, you know the thrill of Swashbuckling. This Ixalan enchantment—an Aura with a spicy bite of aggression—packs a practical punch for players who love tempo and quick, chippy plays. At a glance, it’s a budget-friendly yet surprisingly reliable pickup for red-rich decks, a little treasure tucked in a sea of commons. 🧙♂️🔥💎
What the card does and why it matters in play
Swashbuckling is a simple, effective enchantment aura: Enchant creature, and the enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and gains haste. For just two mana—{1}{R}—you can turn a modest beater into a dangerous threat that can swing immediately and push damage through before your opponent can respond. In aggro red shells, this is the kind of tempo swing that can derail a plan or two. It’s also a nice tilt toward “one-shot glory” in certain casual leagues or commander games where you’ve got a pirate or red behemoth you’re buffing for a punchy finish. ⚔️🎲
The card sits in the Ixalan (XLN) set as a common aura with a distinct pirate-flavored font of flavor text: “The pirates of the Brazen Coalition are the descendants of those displaced by the Legion of Dusk, and they are eager for vengeance.” That lore isn’t just flavor—it hints at the deck-building world this card inhabits: fast, pirate-tinged energy with a dash of maritime mischief. In practice, its usability is tempered by the usual aura vulnerabilities—enchant effects can be removed, and a few removal spells can dull the shine—but when you land it on a creature with enough bite, the roar is real. 🎨🧭
Market snapshot: pennies today, pockets for foils tomorrow
- USD (non-foil): around 0.04 dollars — a classic example of a budget staple that finds its way into budget red builds and casual EDH lists.
- USD (foil): around 0.27 dollars — foils have a premium that comes from rarity in foil form, even for commons, and they often catch the eye of players who love shiny decks.
- EUR (non-foil): around 0.09 euros
- EUR (foil): around 0.18 euros
- TCGPlayer/Market stats hint at modest demand, with a long-tail collector interest in “foil-only” copies that pop in EDH and budget-friendly pirate decks.
Price trends for commons like Swashbuckling tend to drift with broader market cycles—when a set ages, non-foils often hover in the pennies, while foils ride the wave of aesthetic appeal and limited print runs. The real value, for collectors, often lies less in immediate price spikes and more in foil availability, condition, and whether a future reprint threatens to dilute the supply. 🔥
From a collector’s lens, Swashbuckling’s value profile is telling but restrained. The card sits at rank 20820 in EDHREC, a figure that mirrors its niche status in commander circles—worth a thumbs-up in pirate-themed or red-centric builds, but not the stuff of chase mythics. Its Penny Rank (~14158) and competitive-tilt foil prices suggest a healthy if unglamorous collector market: plenty of copies in circulation, with foils serving as the door to a little extra shine for the right deck. The story here is not “hidden treasure,” but “steady utility and careful curation.” 💎⚔️
Why this Enchantment holds steady value in Commander and casual play
Red decks craving immediate impact will appreciate Swashbuckling’s raw tempo. In Commander, it’s a neat buff for aggressive generals that like to push damage quickly, or for pirates who want to accelerate their adventuring on turn two or three. It’s not a staple in all red lists, but its presence in Ixalan’s flavor threads—where pirates push beyond the horizon—gives it staying power among budget-conscious players who still want to flex combat prowess. And yes, it’s playable in formats like Modern, Legacy, and various eternal formats where the aura can find a home—though its status as a common means modern price movements tend to be slower and more clumped than high-demand rares. 🧙♂️🎲
Flavor, art, and the collector’s eye
The art by Josu Hernaiz captures the swagger and swaggering zeal of a pirate captain, the kind who would buff a crew with a shout and a smirk. The Ixalan set itself is a treasure trove for fans who love dinosaurs and pirates; Swashbuckling stands out as a practical tool that also carries a dash of sea-salted personality. For collectors, a foil from a well-kept copy pool adds a splash of color to a display shelf, especially when stacked with other Ixalan foils in red-dominated stacks. And if you enjoy the tactile thrill of opening a pack only to glimpse that glint of a foil—that’s the joy this card embodies. 🎨🧭
Practical buying tips for price awareness
- Monitor foil pricing: a healthy foil price often indicates collector interest, beyond mere casual play.
- Be aware of reprint risk: Ixalan has seen reprints in various forms; a sudden reprint could depress non-foil prices but foil premiums may hold longer in some communities.
- Consider format needs: Commander players planning pirate or red-themed lists may pick up Swashbuckling for both utility and nostalgic value.
As you weigh your next upgrade or trade, remember that a small aura with a big swing can reshape a game’s tempo while quietly weaving into the narrative of your collection. The journey from penny to polish is part of what makes Magic the gathering a hobby of constant discovery—and a little luck with a foil can make your display glow with the same swagger you see on the battlefield. 🧙♂️🔥💎⚔️