First released in 1993, Magic: The Gathering is the progenitor of modern trading card games as we know them. In its nearly thirty-year history, over twenty-two thousand unique cards have seen print across ninety sets, with new cards introduced to the game every few months. With such a massive volume of cards, Magic’s game pieces range greatly in their in-game power and rarity. While modern sets feature special alternate art versions of key cards, they don’t even scratch the surface of the rarest and most valuable cards in the game’s history. So today, we’re going to examine the rarest and most valuable Magic: The Gathering Cards!
Before we begin, we should note that we are only including cards that were made properly available to the public, and will therefore not be including “Heroes of the Realm” cards only available to Wizards of the Coast employees, as well as one-time printings such as the 1996 World Champion card. Additionally, for reference, we will be using pricing based on the most expensive printings in near-mint quality of each respective card on cardkingdom.com.
Additionally, the entries in this list were chosen by examining which cards are the most expensive in the game based on their cheapest printings, then factoring in the most expensive versions of said cards. For example, while a near-mint Alpha Shivan Dragon is currently valued at $11,999.99, the card did not make this list due to its most recent printings costing a fraction of a dollar.
15 Candelabra of Tawnos - $1,199.99
Candelabra of Tawnos is among the strongest artifacts in Magic’s history, easily enabling infinite mana generating combos and perfect mana fixing for multicolored decks, all for one mana. Once in play, this one-mana artifact totes an activated ability for X mana, allowing X lands to be untapped. At its worst, Candelabra of Tawnos can allow a multicolored deck to untap lands that produce needed mana of a given color to cast key spells.
However, if paired with lands such as Bounce Lands, a Cabal Coffers, or a Gaea’s Cradle that are capable of producing more than one mana, Candelabra of Tawnos can easily provide its controller with massive sums of mana. As this card remains legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage and was only ever printed in Antiquities, it currently holds a price tag of $1,199.99.
14 Chains of Mephistopheles - $1,499.99
Perhaps the most complicated and wordy card on this list, Chains of Mephistopheles is an efficient black enchantment for two mana that excels at cutting off opponents from their card draw.
As long as this enchantment is in play, whenever an opponent would draw a card save for the first they draw during their draw step, they instead discard a card, then draw a card. However, if that player has no cards in their hand and is unable to discard a card from this effect, they instead mill a card. When paired with cards that can force an opponent to discard cards from their hand, Chains of Mephistopheles can cut off an opponent from their deck, preventing them from casting spells. As this oppressive card sees play within the Commander, Legacy, and Vintage formats and was only ever printed in Legends, it demands a price of $1,499.99.
13 Moat - $1,499.99
Simple yet incredibly effective, Moat is an enchantment that can prevent many aggressive decks from being able to attack at all. For four mana, as long as this white enchantment is in play, creatures without flying are incapable of attacking. A powerful asset in any deck looking to lock down opponents and prevent them from attacking, such as Stax decks, Moat remains legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage.
Unfortunately for those looking to utilize the effect, Moat has only seen a single printing in Legends, with near-mint copies selling for $1,499.99. While not quite as powerful as Moat, those looking to utilize a comparable effect can potentially include the creature, Magus of the Moat in their deck.
12 Imperial Seal - $1,499.99
Imperial Seal is a stellar black sorcery for one mana. An incredibly efficient tutor, Imperial Seal is comparable to Vampiric Tutor, allowing its controller to search their library for a card and put it atop their library at the cost of two life.
Unlike Vampiric Tutor which has seen several reprints, Imperial Seal’s only non-judge gift printing was within Portal Three Kingdoms. Due to its lack of accessibility and its legal status in the Commander format, the card demands a price tag of $1,499.99.
11 Library Of Alexandria - $1,999.99
Banned in every format save for Vintage, the Library of Alexandria is easily among the most powerful lands in all of Magic. Capable of being tapped to produce one colorless mana, Library of Alexandria’s alternate activated ability can be used to allow its controller to draw a card as long as they have exactly seven cards in their hand.
While the instances in which this card draw can be accessed are limited, this is free card advantage attached to a land, offering an impressive upside for little inventment. As this card is on the Reserved List and only had a solitary printing in Arabian Nights, near mint copies of the card are valued at $1,999.99
10 Juzám Djinn - $2,799.99
While easily one of the weakest cards on this list, Juzám Djinn is an incredibly iconic card that was notably potent at the original time of its printing. A black 5/5 for only four mana is still respectable by modern standards, despite the fact that this card deals one damage to its controller at the beginning of their upkeep. Due to the card having only ever been printed in the incredibly limited printed Arabian Nights and the fact that it cannot be reprinted due to its status on the Reserved List, A near mint copy of this iconic card is currently valued at $2,799.99,
9 Bazaar Of Baghdad - $3,199.99
Bazaar of Baghdad is an incredible land on the Reserve List, only having been printed in Arabian Nights. While it can’t be tapped for mana like a conventional land, it can be tapped to have its controller draw two cards, in turn discarding three. Due to the card’s combination of power and lack of availability, near mint copies currently sell for $3,199.99.
8 Mishra’s Workshop - $3,999.99
Easily one of the strongest lands to ever see print, Mishra’s Workshop is a land that can be tapped to produce three colorless mana that may be spent only to cast artifact spells.
Legal in both Commander and Vintage, Mishra’s Workshop will never see a reprint due to being on the Reserve List, and due to its high power, has a high demand in artifact-heavy decks in the formats in which it can be played. For these reasons, if a player is looking to purchase a Mishra’s Workshop, they’re going to need to spend upwards of $3,999.99 for a near-mint copy.
7 The Tabernacle At Pendrell Vale - $5,099.99
By and large the most powerful land in Magic that is incapable of producing mana, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale has only seen a single printing, appearing only in Legends.
Often referred to simply as “The Tabernacle,” this card provides each creature with a tax of one mana that must be paid at the beginning of their owner’s upkeep, causing creatures to be sacrificed if the tax isn’t paid. Due to this incredible effect that doesn’t demand any investment of mana to access, near-mint copies of the card are currently worth $5,099.99.
6 Time Walk - $20,999.99
The “Power Nine” is the title given to the nine strongest cards in Magic’s history, each having been printed in the game’s first set, Alpha.
The first member of these nine cards on our list, Time Walk is straightforward and to the point, offering an incredible effect for a minimal cost. A blue two-mana sorcery, Time Walk allows its caster to take an extra turn with no strings attached. Banned in every format save for Vintage in which its restricted, near mint Alpha copies of this card are valued at $20,999.99.
5 Chaos Orb - $21,999.99
Originally printed in Alpha, Magic’s first set, Chaos Orb is a unique and iconic card that requires the card to be physically flipped from above the game table, interacting with cards it physically touches. An artifact for two mana, if an additional one mana is paid via its activated ability, the card is flipped onto the battlefield from at least one foot above the battlefield. If it flips fully at least once before landing on the battlefield, it destroys any non-token permanent it touches. While this flipping element of the card led to its banning in every format in the game, original near mint Alpha copies of the card currently go for $21,999.99.
4 The Five Mox
Five members of the Power Nine, Mox Pearl, Mox Sapphire, Mox Jet, Mox Ruby, and Mox Emerald are each zero-mana artifacts that can be tapped for one mana of their corresponding color, essentially functioning as an additional land that can be played at any time. LIke Ancestral Recall, these five cards are banned in every format except Vintage, in which players can only have one given Mox per deck. While their prices vary, as these cards are so similar, it feels like cheating to allow half of this list to be taken up by the five Mox, so they have been consolidated to one entry. For near-mint Alpha copies of these cards, players can expect to pay the following:
Mox Pearl: $22,999.99
Mox Sapphire: $31,999.99
Mox Jet:$23,999.99
Mox Ruby: $29,999.99
Mox Emerald: $22,999.99
3 Timetwister - $28,999.99
Another member of the Power Nine, Timetwister, is an incredibly powerful sorcery, offering one of the strongest “wheel” effects in the game’s history. For three mana, Timetwister shuffles each player’s hand and graveyard into their libraries, causing them to each draw seven cards. This card is multifarious, offering several impressive uses. As the only member of the Power Nine legal in Commander, the card goes for $28,999.99.
2 Ancestral Recall - $29,999.99
Banned in every format save for Vintage in which it’s restricted, Ancestral Recall is the strongest instant in Magic’s history, drawing its controller three cards for a single blue mana with no downside. Putting every low-cost card draw spell to shame, a near-mint Alpha copy of this member of the Power Nine is currently valued at a staggering $29,999.99.
1 Black Lotus - $149,999.99
By and large the most iconic and powerful card in Magic’s History, the Black Lotus is a zero-mana artifact that can be sacrificed to generate three mana of any color, offering an absurd advantage for virtually no cost. The crown jewel of Magic, while near mint Alpha copies of this card are extremely hard to come by, and are listed to be valued at $149,999.99 on Card Kingdom, earlier this year a graded Gem Mint Black Lotus signed by the card’s artist, Christopher Rush sold at auction for $511,100. In the past, non-signed graded Alpha Lotuses had sold for roughly a quarter of a million dollars, making it the most expensive Magic card by a landslide.
