angus mackenzie
8, Aug, 22

Commander Players Can Now Win MTG's Most Expensive Card!

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Article at a Glance

It’s no secret that Commander is the most popular format in the world’s most popular card game. MTG’s secondary market warships even its slightest whims whenever known personalities highlight another card that no one knew about. Almost every player nowadays has at least one deck they can whip to play amongst friends. An MTG celebrity is hosting the largest Commander tournament the game has ever seen. Those brave enough to pay the insane entry fee can play for their chance to win an Unlimited Black Lotus, amongst other prizes!

The Largest MTG EDH Tournament Ever!

Those who are familiar with the Command Zone know who Cassius Marsh is. This NFL Linebacker was drafted into the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. After making bank, as most NFL players do, Cassius started showing up in a bunch of MTG content for Commander. Since then, Cassius has opened his card shop named Cash Cards Unlimited, one of the sponsors for this event. If anything is evident by watching Cassius play MTG, he, like another famous MTG celebrity, loves to bling up his Commander decks.

This may be the largest tournament in MTG history that is open to the public. There have debatably been larger MTG tournaments at a pro tour level back in the day, but to participate in those, you need to win supplementary tournaments. For those who are brave enough to pay the $300 entry fee (basically putting a Dual Land up for Anti), you can win tens of thousands in prizes. Prizing for this tournament is a little unusual, with multiple Single cards up for grabs. These are some of the most expensive Commander staples in history, with first place taking home the most costly MTG card of all.

MTG Unlimited Black Lotus

black lotus unlimited

Technically, there are more expensive MTG cards out there. That being said, an Alpha edition Black Lotus is the most expensive MTG card in existence. This cheaper Black Lotus still retails for a staggering $10$15,000 in heavily played condition, with near mint copies going much higher. This card is part of the Power Nine, a set of illustrious MTG cards heralded by the player base as the most powerful cards ever printed. These are all on the Reserved List, meaning that Wizards of the Coast has verbally promised they will never be reprinted.

While you will own the most famous card in MTG, it will be tough to play with it. Black Lotus is banned in everything except for Vintage. Unfortunately for our winner, this includes Commander. Players that want to use their Black Lotus badly enough can play Garth, One-Eyed as a Commander. Garth allows you to create token copies of Black Lotus. Why use a stand-in when you own the real thing?

MTG Metalworker

metalworker

If this weren’t enough, this is only part of the prize that the illustrious first-place player will walk away with. In addition to the most coveted card in MTG existence, they will also walk away with a Foil Metalworker. Old Foils are generally incredibly expensive, and Metalworker doesn’t disappoint. This MTG menace retails for about $180 Near Mint in its non-foil version. A foil Metalworker will run you almost ten times that amount at anywhere between $1100 to $1300. Any artifact player wants a copy of this in their collection as, like Black Lotus, Metalworker is capable of providing a massive mana advantage. Metalworker is also a Reserved List card but is not banned in Commander.

angus mackenzie

Finally, first place will receive an Angus Mackenzie Commander Slab (another Reserved List card), a Liliana Statue valued at $1800, and an MTG Mystery Cube. While we don’t entirely know what these are, a Mystery Cube likely alludes to an out-of-box custom MTG experience where players arrange and draft packs like they would if playing Limited. This is a fantastic option for players who want access to a unique Limited game they can play whenever they want without having to pay for the card packs each time.

MTG Timetwister

timetwister

The second-place winner of this tournament will receive a Timetwister. Another one of the Power Nine, Timetwister is considered the weakest of the most powerful cards in the game. Unlike the rest of the Power Nine, Timetwister is legal in Commander. We do not have which set this Timetwister is a part of, which gives it a vast range of potential worth. Depending on the set and condition, this Timetwister could be worth anywhere between $6000 and $20,000! However, it is doubtful that the Timetwister will be worth more than an Unlimited Black Lotus.

sliver queen

Alongside another piece of the Power Nine, second place will receive a Commander Slab of Sliver Queen from CGC Grading and a prize that is still to be determined.

Judge Promo Gaea’s Cradle

gaea's cradle

Another highly sought-after Commander Staple, the Judge Foil Gaia’s Cradle, is the only copy of this foiled Reserved List card you can get. Valued between $1800 and $2500 pending condition, this land can quickly generate a ton of mana. This is one of the few Reserved List cards that saw a reprinting caused by a loophole that Wizards of the Coast plugged shortly after.

Godzilla fans will be excited about some additional prizes being awarded to third place. Ikoria Collector Boosters feature a ton of skinned Godzilla cards that make even the biggest fan giddy. These don’t have a comparable asking price to the card singles being offered, but an Ikoria Collector Box still goes for about $250. Third place will be receiving two of these.

edgar markov

Finally, third place will take home an Edgar Markov Commander Slab from CGC Grading.

imperial seal

Finally, fourth place will receive a Portal Three Kingdoms Imperial Seal. Don’t let the recent reprinting of this card fool you! Imperial Seal’s original printing is incredibly scarce and still goes for a hefty $1700 in good condition. Demand for this specific card is pretty low, so selling them is tricky. A much more reasonable selling point is about $700 as a result.

Will You Participate?

The entry fee may be high, but the prizes are worth it! The best cEDH players in the whole world may gather here for these insane prizes, so bring your A-game if you’re going to attend! Some Redditors interested in the tournament worry that player collusion may be an issue. With the recent problems caused in competitive tournaments by the lack of professional judge personnel, getting a grip on cheaters in these multiplayer matches will become incredibly important. Hopefully, instead of being a milestone, Cassius’s crazy tournament will begin a series of exciting events with illustrious prizing, just like the good ol’ days.

For those interested in participating in the tournament, information can be found in the pictures listed near the top of this article. The original Facebook post for this event can be found here.

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