The Magic: The Gathering community has seen a huge 450% increase in the value of its Fortnite-themed card, the Battle Bus. According to MTG Goldfish, this card’s initial price of $5.50 has skyrocketed to $30 in just one week, with its foil versions now fetching a staggering $80.
The Battle Bus card, a part of the Fortnite MTG Secret Lair released in 2022, is essentially a reskinned version of the infamous Smuggler’s Copter. This price surge is particularly intriguing, as it doesn’t stem from new strategies or deck innovations but rather from fan speculation regarding imminent changes to MTG’s ban list.
Wizards of the Coast, the creators of Magic: The Gathering, are set to announce modifications to the banlist for formats like Modern and Pioneer. Amidst this, there’s a growing consensus among fans that Smuggler’s Copter might get unbanned in Pioneer, leading to a frenzy over its Fortnite-themed variant.
Smuggler’s Copter was originally banned due to its high efficiency and colorless nature, making it a universally fit card for virtually any deck. It offers both card filtering and a formidable flying attack, all for a modest two-mana cost. Its impact on deck diversity was akin to that of Reckoner Bankbuster, another card banned in Standard earlier this year. While Reckoner was a staple in midrange or controlling decks and Smuggler’s Copter favored aggro decks, both stifled deck variety in their respective environments.
The current state of Pioneer, where aggro decks aren’t particularly dominant, suggests that unbanning Smuggler’s Copter might be a safe move. This sentiment was echoed in a Reddit poll last year, where fans voted it as the card they most wanted to see unbanned.
While the regular versions of Smuggler’s Copter also experienced a price increase, rising from $1 to $4, the Fortnite variant’s surge is more pronounced. This trend highlights the collectible appeal of crossover cards, despite initial skepticism from fans about the Magic-Fortnite partnership. These Secret Lair variants, being rarer than standard copies, have now become a coveted item for collectors and players alike. Some fans see the humor in using Fortnite-themed cards, adhering to the adage that tragedy plus time equals comedy.
