Following the release of Khans of Tarkir, the most sought after cards in the set were obvious: the five reprinted fetchlands.  These rare lands were staples in Legacy and would be a welcome addition to both the Standard and Modern formats, so much so that every other rare in the set fell behind them.
 
Since the set’s release, a number of high profile events have taken place including Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir and the TCGplayer Standard State Championships.  These events were a great indicator of what we should expect going forward with the latest large set.
 

Top 25 'M:TG--Khans of Tarkir' Cards by Dollar Volume

$ Vol.

Rank

Card Name

Average

Price

1

Dig Through Time

$9.35

2

Polluted Delta

$18.92

3

Flooded Strand

$17.42

4

Sorin, Solemn Visitor

$24.84

5

Windswept Heath

$15.76

6

Siege Rhino

$7.27

7

Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

$34.31

8

Wingmate Roc

$15.22

9

Wooded Foothills

$14.61

10

Bloodstained Mire

$13.29

11

Mantis Rider

$6.38

12

Jeskai Ascendancy

$5.59

13

See the Unwritten

$4.19

14

Rakshasa Deathdealer

$2.74

15

Pearl Lake Ancient

$2.02

16

Anafenza, the Foremost

$5.81

17

Bloodsoaked Champion

$4.33

18

Monastery Swiftspear

$2.01

19

Utter End

$3.93

20

End Hostilities

$3.12

21

Butcher of the Horde

$3.99

22

Clever Impersonator

$8.03

23

Rattleclaw Mystic

$4.32

24

Ashcloud Phoenix

$6.05

25

Deflecting Palm

$2.48


As you can see, the entirety of the Standard format has begun to take shape in the past few weeks.  Where once the Top 5 cards were dominated by some relatively unexcited lands, only three of those lands now remain in the Top 5: the "UB Control" enabling "Polluted Delta," which is arguably the most popular of the lands in older formats; the Jeskai aligned "Flooded Strand;" and the Abzan enabling "Windswept Heath."  The fact that Jeskai and Abzan decks are some of the most powerful in the format right now is a great explanation for these lands are standing out, but their applications in older formats should not to be overlooked.
 
The remaining two cards in the Top 5 are "Dig Through Time" and "Sorin, Solemn Visitor."  "Dig Through Time" has proven to be the premier card drawing spell in the format, and has the ability to be cast for a mere two mana thanks for the delve mechanic.  "Sorin," while thought to be underwhelming at first, has become one of the most popular planeswalkers in the format.
 
The remaining Top 10 cards, while two of which are indeed fetchlands ("Wooded Foothills" at #9 and "Bloodstained Mire" at #10), offer an accurate look at where the format currently sits.  "Siege Rhino" is one of the most aggressively costed creatures out there for the abilities that are tacked on.  It’s a current staple in every version of Abzan deck available.  "Wingmate Roc" is a similar powerhouse reminiscent of the earlier card "Broodmate Dragon."  Providing two 3/4 fliers for five mana and the potential for life gain is some very big game.  The last card in the Top 10 is the remaining planeswalker in the set: "Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker."  This red mythic is being seen in every deck that has to ability to cast him and, based on his power level, I don’t anticipate that stopping in the near future.
 
The events of the past two weeks have definitely given the Khans of Tarkir Standard format some shape, and I for one can’t wait to see how it evolves at this weekend’s TCGplayerMaxPoint $50,000 Championship.
 
--Frank Lepore is the editor of Magic.TCGPlayer.com.  TCGPlayer.com is the largest collectible card marketplace on the web, with hundreds of brick and mortar sellers listed.
 
--The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com