A 23-year-old Magic: The Gathering card, Caller of the Claw, has seen a significant surge in popularity and price due to its synergy with the popular Commander Beorn the Fierce. Originally released in the 2003 Legions set, Caller of the Claw provides a crucial defensive and offensive option for Beorn the Fierce decks, which often find themselves vulnerable to board wipes that clear creature-heavy fields.
Beorn the Fierce, a prominent commander from The Hobbit crossover set, is a five-mana 6/6 creature with trample that buffs other bears and draws cards when at least three bears are controlled. Its popularity stems from its inherent combat strengths and draw engine, making it an ideal choice for bear-typal decks. However, Beorn's strategy relies on building a board full of creatures, leaving it susceptible to mass removal spells like Blasphemous Act or Toxic Deluge.
This is where Caller of the Claw, a three-mana 2/2 with flash, becomes invaluable. When it enters the battlefield, it creates a 2/2 green bear creature token for each nontoken creature that has been put into a graveyard from the battlefield that turn. In a scenario where an opponent wipes Beorn's army, casting Caller of the Claw can instantly rebuild the board. For example, if Beorn and five other nontoken creatures are destroyed, Caller of the Claw can generate six 2/2 bear tokens, effectively replacing the lost board presence.
Once Beorn is recast, these new bear tokens can become formidable threats. With Beorn's ability, the six 2/2 bears can become 4/4s, and Beorn can even transform Caller of the Claw into another bear, further bolstering the army. This allows Beorn decks to quickly recover from devastating board wipes and re-establish a powerful offensive. The synergy is further enhanced by cards like Doubling Season, which can exponentially increase the number of tokens, or Yedora, Grave Gardener, which can return creatures to the battlefield as forests.
Caller of the Claw's effectiveness is primarily tied to replacing nontoken creatures, meaning it won't directly benefit existing bear tokens. Players also need to have the card in hand and three untapped mana available when a board wipe occurs. Furthermore, it is ineffective against effects that exile creatures rather than sending them to the graveyard.
Despite these limitations, Caller of the Claw offers a unique advantage over general protection spells like Heroic Intervention, as it actively benefits from creature loss by converting fallen allies into a new army. This makes it particularly effective against Toxic Deluge, a spell that reduces creature toughness to zero, which bypasses indestructible or hexproof effects but still sends creatures to the graveyard for Caller of the Claw to utilize.
Many generic bear creatures, such as Alpine Grizzly, Balduvian Bears, Bear Cub, Forest Bear, Golden Bear, Grizzly Bears, Ordinary Bear, and Runeclaw Bear, gain additional value when Caller of the Claw is present. These creatures, buffed by Beorn to 4/4s, can return as 2/2s from the graveyard, offering a significant advantage over tokens. Cards like Ruxa, Patient Professor, which grants abilities to creatures with no abilities, and enchantments like Muraganda Petroglyphs can further amplify the power of these resurrected bear armies, potentially turning the 2/2s into 7/7s under ideal conditions.
The increased demand for Caller of the Claw has led to a substantial price jump. Its market price, which previously hovered below $1.50, has risen to $15 or more in recent weeks. The Commander 2015 printing alone saw an increase of over 200%, climbing from approximately $3.22 to $9.88. This price surge, while significant, is partly attributed to the card's older printing and relatively limited supply, meaning even a moderate increase in sales can drastically affect its price.
Caller of the Claw's renewed relevance demonstrates its long-standing utility for creature-heavy decks. In combination with Beorn the Fierce, it transforms a potential setback into a powerful comeback, allowing players to reassert dominance after their board has been cleared.