In many ways, Secrets of Strixhaven’s Mystical Archive Bonus Sheet is the absolute headliner of the set. Reprinting many of the best instants and sorceries from MTG history, these Mystical Archive hits can make or break a box opening experience. Sadly, with extremely powerful reprints come lower opening odds.
Thanks to opening rate changes, you’ll generally only find one mythic per Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster box. Considering that all of the most expensive cards in this set are mythics, this certainly makes things a bit bittersweet. Despite this, it’s still well worth looking out for the most expensive Secrets of Strixhaven Mystical Archive cards.
Notably, since Secrets of Strixhaven hasn’t been released yet, only presale pricing is available for the new Mystical Archive cards. Since these prices are rather inflated pre-release, we’ll be looking at the lowest reprint value among existing printings for now.
5 | Cyclonic Rift
Price: $30.41
While you never really want to use the two-mana mode of this card, Cyclonic Rift’s Overload spell is absolutely insane. Sending your opponents back to the Stone Age, while leaving yourself untouched, is often enough to run away with the game. Casting this card at the end of your opponent’s turns makes it even more devastating, letting you untap to cement your advantage further.
Thanks to being one of the most devastating blowout cards in Commander, Cyclonic Rift has become a super staple, seeing play in over 900,000 decks according to EDHREC. Considering this, despite its numerous reprints, it’s no wonder this Game Changer remains a $30 card.
4 | Ad Nauseam
Price: $31.35
Introduced back in Shards of Alara, Ad Nauseam is a card that Commander players will never want to be resolved. Thanks to the format’s higher life totals, this instant can essentially draw half your deck for just five mana. Commander decks tend to have lower curves in higher brackets as well, making Ad Nauseam even more potent.
Thanks to this, Ad Nauseam is one of the best win conditions in all of Commander, cementing its $31 price tag. That said, part of this card’s high value also stems from a lack of reprints, with only two variants of the card available before Secrets of Strixhaven. Thanks to this, there’s a higher chance this card will see a price drop, but it honestly seems unlikely.
While the Mystical Archive variant of Ad Nauseam is currently selling for $20, the low opening rates mean these cards are unlikely to have much impact on the secondary market. While this is a shame, it at least means that there’s a strong chance that Ad Nauseam will remain a good pull in Secrets of Strixhaven packs.
3 | Jeska’s Will
Price: $41.84
Originally released in Commander Masters, Jeska’s Will is one of the best red cards in all of Commander. Offering three Impulse draws, and the mana to cast them, this card is essentially the perfect refill tool, provided you have your Commander in play. The card becomes particularly nasty when casting copies of itself with combo enablers like Underworld Breach.
Frankly, Jeska’s Will is the type of MTG card that makes every red Commander deck better for playing it. Considering this, it’s no wonder the card maintains a $41 price tag, even after being reprinted in multiple Commander precons. Sadly, this means that this reprint is unlikely to make the card any cheaper, either.
2 | Vampiric Tutor
Price: $64.17
As one of the best tutors in Commander, Vampiric Tutor hardly needs an introduction. For just one mana, this card can find the perfect answer to any situation. Considering how powerful this is in a singleton format, it’s no wonder that copies of this card start at a staggering $64.
Notably, Vampiric Tutor’s power supercedes just Commander. While banned in most formats, Vampiric Tutor is restricted in Vintage, where it sees play in combo strategies. While this won’t cause a significant increase in demand for the card, it is a testament to just how powerful Vampiric Tutor really is.
1 | Force of Will
Price: $69.08
Thanks to essentially being a free counterspell, Force of Will warps every format it touches. In many cases, this is for the better, saving formats like Legacy and Vintage from becoming a combo hell. In other cases, the card proves too strong to be included in more balanced formats, earning Force of Will a ban in Duel Commander and Premodern.
Despite this, thanks to its sheer power in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander, Force of Will sees strong demand. While it has four non-premium reprints, the iconic counterspell remains the most expensive card on the Mystical Archive Bonus Sheet. Whether you’re looking to power up your blue Commander deck or bling out your Legacy deck with new art, the $69 Force of Will is the absolute best card to watch for.
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