Tom Bombadil’s Price Spike Explained: Building a Saga Deck on a Budget
“Tom Bombadil is the Master.” Those words have echoed through Magic: The Gathering circles since The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set arrived. Many players are mixing Final Fantasy Summons, five-color synergy, and Saga support to create one of the most interesting Commander decks around. And if you’re hunting for the best online MTG proxy shop, we at ProxyKing.biz have your back.
In this article, we’ll look at why Tom Bombadil is such a key Commander for Saga-based strategies, how Final Fantasy Summons brought new attention to this five-color legend, and what his sudden price spike means for you. We’ll also touch on helpful support cards, Proliferate tricks, and the different card variants on the market. Along the way, we’ll offer insights for building your own Saga deck or simply adding Tom Bombadil to an existing Commander roster.
Why Tom Bombadil Stands Out as a Saga Commander
Tom Bombadil is the only true five-color Saga-themed Commander. Sure, cards like Narci, Fable Singer and Satsuki, the Living Lore offer interesting abilities and synergy. But Tom does it all with full access to every color of mana. This is vital for a Saga deck because you can include powerful options from across the color pie.
When you resolve a Saga’s final chapter under Tom Bombadil’s watch, his ability lets you search your library for another Saga and put it right onto the battlefield. This puts you at a huge advantage. You keep the Saga “engine” rolling and maintain a steady stream of triggers and effects.
Tom Bombadil also becomes Hexproof and Indestructible once you have enough Sagas with different chapter numbers. This isn’t hard to achieve in a dedicated Saga deck. Suddenly, your Commander is tough to remove and can deal serious Commander damage if you choose to go on the offensive.
The Impact of Final Fantasy Summons
The new Summons from the Final Fantasy crossover gave many players a reason to revisit Saga-based decks. These Summons, like traditional Sagas, create incremental value and then transform into temporary creatures. Their flavor is a big draw for Final Fantasy fans, and they blend well with Tom Bombadil’s ability.
Each Summon often has powerful final chapters before it becomes a creature. That’s perfect for Tom Bombadil. You trigger a Summon’s final effect, and Tom’s ability finds you another Saga right away. This synergy is flexible and fun. It also pushed more players to build Saga-heavy decks, leading to renewed interest in Tom Bombadil himself.
Proliferate and Extra Saga Value
Tom Bombadil’s one-per-turn Saga replacement is strong, but you can push it further with Proliferate. Cards like Steady Progress, Serum Snare, or Brokers Confluence let you tick up your Sagas on an opponent’s turn. This often triggers Tom Bombadil’s search ability again.
For instance, if you cast a Proliferate spell in response to a trigger on your turn, you move a Saga from chapter two to chapter three. Then you replace it with a fresh Saga once the final chapter resolves. If you have a second Proliferate effect in another turn cycle, you can keep the chain going. What else.
There’s also something interesting about double-sided Sagas. Some of them don’t sacrifice themselves at the end, yet Tom Bombadil only cares about you completing the last chapter. This means you can keep that permanent on the battlefield while still benefiting from Tom’s search ability.
The Tom Bombadil Price Spike
For a long time, Tom Bombadil was cheap. Normal copies hovered around a dollar or two. But as more players realized how essential he is for Saga-based Commander decks, his price started to climb.
- Main Printing: Went from about $1.80 in early May to $5.09.
- Showcase Variant: Leaped over 300%, jumping from $1.59 to $6.61.
Some near-mint listings on the market might still hover around $5 or $6. But once those get bought, you’ll see higher prices become standard. If you prefer special variants, you can find options like the Showcase Scrolls version or Surge Foils. Those often carry much higher price tags. The rarest version, a Borderless Poster treatment, can go for well over $100.
Supply, Demand, and the Universes Beyond Factor
Initially, Tom Bombadil stayed cheap because The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set was opened a lot. Many copies flooded the market, suppressing Tom’s price. At the same time, Saga-based decks remained a niche archetype, keeping demand somewhat limited.
That changed when new Sagas, especially Summons from the Final Fantasy collaboration, hit the scene. Demand for Tom went up, but supply wasn’t increasing at the same pace. This caused the spike we see now.
Tom Bombadil may also be hard to reprint. He’s a Universes Beyond card tied to The Lord of the Rings license. Wizards could release a functionally identical version under a different name, but that’s not as common. This brand crossover sometimes restricts reprint options, which adds to Tom’s long-term value.
Building and Upgrading a Tom Bombadil Deck
If you’re interested in Commander and love Sagas, Tom Bombadil is a great choice. You’ll want to include a lot of strong Sagas across all five colors. Here are a few ideas:
- The Eldest Reborn (Black) – Forces each opponent to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker and eventually reanimates something.
- Elspeth Conquers Death (White) – Slows down opposing noncreature spells and brings back a creature or planeswalker.
- Showdown of the Skalds (Red/White) – Can boost your board and provide temporary card advantage.
- Fable of the Mirror-Breaker (Red) – Well-known for token generation and a strong flip side.
- The Kami War (Five-Color) – High-impact Saga that transforms into a large creature with removal capabilities.
Mix these Sagas with Proliferate spells, ramp cards, and protective effects. You can also use enchantment support like Setessan Champion, Archon of Sun’s Grace, or Calix, Destiny’s Hand for added synergy.
Why Proxying Can Help
Sometimes the best cards in a Saga deck, including Tom Bombadil, can get expensive. It’s normal to want a powerful deck but feel wary of high costs. That’s where proxies can help. Our shop, ProxyKing.biz, is the best online MTG proxy shop. We focus on making great-quality proxies that let you test decks, join casual Commander games, or experiment with various builds before buying the real copies.
Proxies give you a chance to see if Tom Bombadil’s Saga synergy fits your play style. You might find that Summons from the Final Fantasy set transform your deck into a powerhouse. If you decide you love the build, you can gradually add real copies. If not, you can pivot to another Commander without sinking too much money.
Conclusion
Tom Bombadil’s price spike reflects his status as the top Saga Commander in Magic: The Gathering. People love building around him, especially now that Final Fantasy Summons add flavor and power. From Hexproof and Indestructible synergy to constant Saga searching, Tom delivers loads of value.
If you want to try him out without emptying your wallet, consider getting some high-quality proxies from ProxyKing.biz, the best online MTG proxy shop. You can test your deck ideas, see how the Summons feel in practice, and decide if you want the official versions later.
With plenty of new Sagas on the horizon, Tom Bombadil’s future looks bright. Demand will likely keep his price from dropping too much. If you enjoy Saga-based Commander decks, now might be the time to explore his potential. There’s something special about watching your Sagas unfold each turn, only to replace them with another. It feels like an adventure every time. And for many Magic fans, that’s what the game is all about.