Sadly, as fun as it is to play, it’s no secret that MTG is a very expensive game. This has only become more true thanks to Universes Beyond massively increasing the game’s popularity. Now, even a basic Standard deck can set you back around $500, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Thankfully, there is one class of cards that tends to be pretty affordable. As you’d expect given their name, commons are, well… common. Due to how often these cards appear in packs, they tend to be on the cheaper side, in most cases. Thanks to high demand and low supply, even common MTG cards aren’t immune to being expensive.
This begs the question, however, what are the most expensive common cards in MTG? Thankfully, we’ve got the answer to that very question. Whether you’re digging through your collection for value or are just curious, we’ve got you covered. Here are the most expensive commons in MTG. Notably, for this list, we’ll be looking at the cheapest printing of each common.
Honorable Mention: Zodiac Rat
Price:
As is often the case in MTG, many of the most expensive cards in any given category are the oldest. This is largely thanks to print runs being significantly lower back in the day, rather than their actual strength. For better or worse, this is exactly why Zodiac Rat is expensive, as this common MTG card is terrible.
In theory, having Swampwalk can make Zodiac Rat situationally viable against the right opponent, but even then, it’s incredibly weak. Without tons of extra support, a 1/1 for one just doesn’t cut it nowadays, even in the pauper format. Despite this, the remarkable scarcity has turned Zodiac Rat into a collectible, making it expensive in turn.
Currently, Zodiac Rat is the most expensive common in MTG, as near-mint copies are selling for $49. This price point, however, is just due to the card’s collectible nature, rather than any gameplay value. While this detail doesn’t change it’s price, it does make the list of most expensive commons in MTG rather dull.
Since there are tons of old collectible commons that don’t see any play, they’d take up the majority of spots on this list. Due to this, going forward, we’ll be removing them from the list. If you’re still curious about these cards, however, worry not, as we’ve got the top ten cards in this category right here.
- Yellow Scarves Cavalry: $9
- Zodiac Goat: $10
- Zodiac Dog: $11
- Riding Red Hare: $12
- Zodiac Snake: $13
- False Defeat: $19
- Zodiac Rabbit: $21
- Army of Allah: $25
- Zodiac Rooster: $28
- Zodiac Rat: $49
10 | Mental Note
Price: $7.67
First printed in Judgement, Mental Note is a cheap and effective self-Mill card, especially in pauper. In this format, this card is a staple in Terror decks, using the titular Tolarian Terror. Here, the combined self-Mill and card draw ensures you can get the Terror down as quickly as possible, and steamroll from there.
On top of being hugely popular in Pauper, Mental Note also sees a strong amount of Commander play. While it’s not quite as good in the format thanks to its slower pace and singleton nature, some self-Mill decks do still run it. Thanks to this, demand for Mental Note is surprisingly consistent, keeping prices high.
Speaking of prices, the cheapest printing of Mental Note is currently the reprint from The List. This variant sells for around $7.67 right now, while the original Judgment printing sells for a touch over $9.
9 | Pyroblast
Price: $7.75
Seeing strong play in Pauper, Premodern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander, Pyroblast is a true multiformat staple. This staple status is very much deserved, too, as it’s the best anti-blue card in the entire game. Able to remove or counter a blue card for just one mana, Pyroblast more than deserves its outstanding play rate.
Thankfully, to combat its insane play rate in multiple formats, Wizards has reprinted Pyroblast a few times. Appearing in 5th Edition, Eternal Masters, and most recently in Mystery Booster 2, copies aren’t impossible to come by. For better or worse, while these reprints have kept the price of Pyroblast down, it’s not a cheap MTG card.
Currently, the cheapest version of Pyroblast is the Mystery Booster 2 variant. Not only is this the most recent printing, but it’s also in the futureshifted frame, which isn’t to everyone’s tastes. Thanks to this, near-mint copies of this variant sell for around $7.75 at the time of writing. If you’re after a default farme copy, however, the Fifth Edition variant sells for $8.93.
8 | Kark-Clan Shaman
Price:r $7.85
On the surface, Krark-Clan Shaman might seem like a pretty bad card in the grand scheme of MTG. While it can technically wipe a board full of non-fliers, the chances of this happening are exceptionally low. In Pauper, however, the card works wonders as a removal piece, thanks to the power of Deathtouch.
Alongside Toxin Analysis, for instance, Krark-Clan Shaman turns into a deadly board wipe for just two mana. As if that weren’t good enough, the Shaman can naturally kill smaller creatures like Voldaren Epicure, Sneaky Snacker, and many Elf Typal creatures in a pinch. Thanks to this, the card sees strong play in Pauper, especially within Affinity and Wildfire decks.
This healthy play rate, combined with the lack of any reprints, has Krark-Clan Shaman selling for $7.85 right now.
7 | Helm of the Ghastlord
Price: $7.98
Unlike the majority of cards on this list of the most expensive commons in MTG, Helm of the Ghastlord doesn’t see Pauper play. Instead, this card is popular thanks to its appeal in Commander, as it can supercharge Dimir creatures. Offering a nasty discard effect on top of card draw, slapping this on an evasive or unblockable creature is downright mean.
Curiously, while Helm of the Ghastlord is good in Commander, it’s by no means a format staple. According to EDHREC, the card only appears in around 24,300 lists at the moment, but that’s still enough to make it expensive. Currently, a near-mint copy of Helm of the Ghastlord will set you back $7.98; however, prices have been fluctuating recently.
6 | Mystic Remora
Price: $9.92
While it sees little in the way of Pauper play, Mystic Remora is a true staple in Commander. Appearing in over 696,000 decks in the format, the demand for this card is absolutely obscene, and it’s easy to see why. So long as you’ve got mana for the Cumulative Upkeep cost, this is one of the best draw engines in the format.
Thankfully, while Mystic Remora sees an insane amount of play, Wizards has given it a fair few reprints recently. Appearing in Dominaria Remastered and then the Avatar: The Last Airbender bonus sheet, prices have been driven down significantly. Now, a near-mint copy of Mystic Remora will set you back just $9.92, with the original Ice Age printing being the cheapest.
5 | Seething Song
Price: $11.17
Much like Mystic Remora, Seething Song hardly needs any introduction. While it’s less popular in Commander, only appearing in around 304,000 decks, it also has a rich competitive history. Thanks to causing shenanigans in Storm decks, Seething Song had to be banned in both Modern and Historic.
Currently, Seething Song only really sees play in Commander and a few fringe Pauper Storm decks. Curiously, it’s also had a fair few reprints over the years; however, none were as high-volume as those Remora received. Thanks to this, even after six unique reprints, not including Secret Lair, it’s remarkably expensive still.
If you’re in the market to pick up a copy of Seething Song, the Commander 2021 variant is your best bet right now. With near-mint copies from this set starting at $11.17, there’s no escaping the fact that this is an expensive common.
4 | Ophidian Eye
Price: $11.40
While it doesn’t sport Helm of the Ghastlord’s discard effect, Ophidian Eye is a hugely valuable card in Commander. On the right creature, this card can provide tons of value over a game, while Flash practically guarantees it from the start. This, along with the lower cost, makes it a compelling choice over Ghastlord; however, color identity arguably plays a bigger role.
Until the hybrid mana rules in Commander get changed, Ophidian Eye is playable in a lot more decks compared to Ghastlord. Not only does this naturally make it more playable, but it also opens up tons of combo potential. With Niv-Mizzet, Parun or Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, for instance, you can draw your entire deck while dealing tons of damage.
With dozens of infinite combos being possible thanks to Ophidian Eye, it’s no wonder it appears in around 83,000 decks. This increased play rate has unsurprisingly pushed prices up; however, Ophidian Eye has been reprinted before.
Following its debut in Time Spiral, Ophidian Eye popped up again in The List before it was cancelled. This reprint is actually the cheaper variant right now; however, near-mint copies are still selling for $11.40. If you are after an original Time Spiral copy, expect to pay a little over $13.
3 | Ashnod’s Altar
Price: $13.72
As we move up into the big leagues of the most expensive commons in MTG, the cards are quickly becoming more and more prolific. This is certainly the case for Ashnod’s Altar, which sees tons of play in Commander, and a fair bit in Pauper too. Considering the fact that Ashnod’s Altar is one of the best free sacrifice outlets in the entire game, its impressive play rate is entirely unsurprising.
Beyond just offering an easy sacrifice effect, getting two mana in return opens up countless combos and synergies. Thanks to this, Ashnod’s Altar is a true staple in Commander and more than deserving of its price tag. Currently, that price is set at $13.72, with the printing from Chronicles being the cheapest.
2 | Cabal Ritual
Price: $13.82
So long as you have Threshold active, Cabal Ritual is one of the best Rituals in all of MTG. Admittedly, this is a pretty big hoop to jump through; however, it’s insanely strong in the decks that manage it. Oops! All Spells, in Legacy, for instance, absolutely loves his card, and it even sees some Premodern and Pauper play too.
Beyond this, Cabal Ritual also sees a good deal of Commander play, being a staple in black-aligned decks. Thanks to this, the card is unsurprisingly expensive, especially since it hasn’t had a widespread reprint. While it did appear in a Secret Lair drop, Mystery Booster 2, and From the Vault: Lore before that, none of these are incredibly widespread.
As a result, a near-mint copy of Cabal Ritual will currently set you back around $13.82 for the cheapest variant. Currently, that honor goes to the Mystery Booster 2 variant with its futureshifted frame. If you’re after a default frame copy, however, the original Torment printing will cost you $17.
1 | Lotus Petal
Price: $33.20
Last, and literally the opposite of least, Lotus Petal is the most expensive common in MTG. With the cheapest examples from Mystery Booster 2 starting at $33.20, Lotus Petal blows the competition out of the water. This isn’t surprising at all, really, as the card sees a ton of play in Commander, Legacy, Pauper, and Premodern.
So good it’s restricted in Vintage, Lotus Petal is literally just free mana. Whether you need fixing or ramp, this card has you covered for the low, low cost of nothing. Well, you don’t have to pay with mana, at least, as financially it’s rather dear. This is especially true for black-bordered default frame copies, like those from Tempest, which sell for $38.
If you really want to show off, however, Lotus Petal has a plethora of fancy printings to admire. Not only are there a suite of bonus cards, which sell for over $190, but there’s a gorgeous Kaladesh Invention too. Currently, this variant is easily the most expensive of the bunch, selling for a staggering $740.
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