Today i am going to discuss some cards that lose value once a Limited format is reaching towards its dusk and end of the format. These are cards that derive some of their value from their surprise factor and thus lose value once people are more aware of their existence.

A classic exampe is Aethertow from shadowmoor.

3 U/W (hybrid) Instant. Conspire (You may tap 2 creatures that share a color with this card. if you do, copy it)

 Put target attacking or blocking creature on top of its owners library.

At the prerelease and the first weeks of the format, this card was often a massive blowout. People didnt read the signals when their opponent left 2 creatures untapped and 4 mana. A double timewalk was the result. Once people were avare of it, they played around it by only attacking with one creature, not attacking at all, or bouncing opps creature precombat  more aggressively.

Some example from Amonkhet/Hour of Devastation.

Sandblast/Impeccable timing/ FarmMarket

These cards are still fine, but especially timing and sandblast are more telelegraphed now and you can sometimes just avoid an attack altogether or just attaxck with creatures that survive them. They were way better when your opponents always walked into them.

Aven Reedstalker:

People rarely gets their 2/2:s ambushed with this card nowadays, when their opponent is showing a blue mana and 3 generic open. if they atatck into it, they usually have a response.

The Torment cards: If you play against black, its often wise to hold some lands in your hand for the scenario when your opponent casts one of these. Also, people have now surely realized that you can sacrifice cartouches attached to the creature thats gets killed by Torment of Venom. Again, its not like these cards have suddenly become bad, just lost some of their value.

Appeal//Authority: Great card, Still, whenever i play against green/white, i usually trade creatures way more aggresively that against other color combinations because of this card. It makes it lose value. It also makes me think twice about racing against Green/White.

Conclusion: Spells that are somewhat situational lose some of their value later in a format. Creatures usually are unaffected by this.