While it’s been building up a sizable in-universe rogue’s gallery for years, it wasn’t until Spider-Man that Magic officially introduced the Villain creature type. Now that it’s here, the type is attached to some of the most iconic characters in pop culture history, many of which make excellent cards to boot. As you’d expect, some of the most powerful MTG Villains are also very expensive, demanding a high fee before they’ll help you out with your latest wicked scheme.
8 | Green Goblin, Nemesis
Price: $13.94
As with all the Green Goblin cards released as part of Spider-Man, Nemesis is a dedicated discard-support piece. Much like Surly Badgersaur or Bone Miser, it offers small advantages each time you pitch a card, turning spells like Faithless Looting into potential value swings. The Treasure generation here is the big draw, but the Goblin-specific buffs give it play in Typal decks like Grub, Storied Matriarch too.
While it’s certainly a solid card, a lot of Green Goblin, Nemesis’s price tag comes from the fact that it’s a Scene Box exclusive. This naturally compresses supply on the card when compared to other Villains you can open in booster packs.
7 | Ultron, Artificial Malevolence
Price: $14.87
As one of the best new Commanders from Marvel Super Heroes, it’s not surprising to see Ultron, Artificial Malevolence commanding a weighty price tag. Villain type line aside, the card is simply a great new option for artifact decks, both in the command zone and the 99. You can use it to copy mana rocks like Sol Ring early, or to take over games by doubling down on cards like Portal to Phyrexia.
Ultron also enables a range of infinite combos, in a similar vein to classic copy engine Mirrorworks. With Myr Retriever and Krark-Clan Ironworks, for example, Ultron can create an infinite death loop for an instant Altar of the Brood win. With applications in a wide range of decks, both fair and less so, Ultron is undoubtedly one of the best Villains Magic has seen so far.
6 | Norman Osborn//Green Goblin
Price: $17.36
While all of the Spider-Man MDFC legends were fun, Norman Osborn//Green Goblin was a clear cut above. This card is viable on the cheap front side alone, as a scaling evasive threat that enables synergies with cards like Monument to Endurance. Factor in the explosive back side, which makes powerhouses like Underworld Breach even scarier, and this is a Commander with legitimate legs all the way up to cEDH.
With Villains like Doctor Doom, King of Latveria and Leader, Super-Genius all but confirming a discard focus for the type, Norman Osborn is an essential piece for any dedicated Villains deck going forward. Factor in the low popularity of Spider-Man, which means supply of this mythic is relatively low, and its current $17.36 price tag makes perfect sense.
5 | Sauron, Dino Devotee
Price: $23.30
Though it’s undoubtedly wild to see the words “Cure Cancer” on a Magic card, the more interesting part of Sauron is actually its other ability. Buffing the base stats of a creature to 5/5 is a great way to turn your early utility creatures, like Llanowar Elves, into serious threats later on.
While Sauron can see some play in Dinosaur Typal decks as a result, the card generally feels pretty underwhelming, offering little to the majority of green decks. Thanks to the product delays with Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart, however, where Sauron can be found exclusively, it’s a fairly expensive card for now. As the supply issue gets fixed, it’s fairly likely that Sauron’s price will decline.
4 | Molecule Man
Price: $25.49
As the definitive standout of the Doom Prevails Commander precon, Molecule Man turns Magic’s Miracle mechanic up to 11. Getting a free spell on each of your turns can get out of hand quickly, especially in decks like Glarb, Calamity’s Augur where you can manipulate your draws. Throw in cards like Faerie Mastermind that let you draw on opponents’ turns, and the potential value here is absurd.
While it’s pricey at six mana, Molecule Man’s colorless nature makes it immensely splashable. We’re seeing this already, in fact, as the card is showing up in decks ranging from Zhulodok, Void Gorger to Lorehold, the Historian. Heck, it even makes a pretty solid Commander itself if you stuff your deck with powerhouse Eldrazi like Emrakul, the Promised End. All of that power, plus precon exclusivity, equals a very pricey Villain indeed.
3 | Ultron The Annihilator
Price: $57.42
Ultron’s Jumpstart variant is a perfect example of the ‘self-contained engine’ school of modern Magic design. Not only does it produce tokens itself, but it also rewards you for losing them, whether in combat or otherwise. This immediately makes it fantastic in decks like Breya, Etherium Shaper, where sacrificing artifacts is the order of the day.
Since Ultron also triggers when artifacts hit your ‘yard from elsewhere, it functions like a type-shifted take on Commander superstaple Syr Konrad, the Grim. While this makes the card a powerful addition to artifact typal decks, Ultron’s current price point may be rather inflated. Thanks to Jumpstart product delays, this card is likely far more expensive than it should be. While strong, Ultron probably isn’t worth spending $50+ on.
2 | Doctor Doom, Unrivaled
Price: $68.36
It’s not every day that Magic introduces a new alternate win condition, but Doctor Doom, Unrivaled is just that. While it’s slower than Thassa’s Oracle, it’s also legendary, which means you can run it straight out of the command zone. With early rituals and Demonic Consultation, Doom can net you fairly consistent turn-two wins, which is spicy enough to get the cEDH community talking.
Outside of these ideal scenarios, Doom is great on lists like Rograkh/Silas, which already use Thoracle, as extra redundancy. Even at its floor as a Phyrexian Arena on a body, it’s pretty solid in any kind of Midrange deck. While some of Doom’s current $68 price tag is undoubtedly down to the Jumpstart delays, the card could continue to sport a high price tag even after the supply issue is fixed.
1 | Loki, Lord Of Misrule
Price: $70.63
While Loki’s main set variant is already taking names in MTG events, it’s the Jumpstart one that’s really pulling in the big bucks. Loki, Lord of Misrule is a unique new Commander, serving as a repeatable Mirrorweave that dodges the legend rule. Even in Mono-Blue, the potential for shenanigans here is huge, whether it’s creating a lethal board of Blightsteel Colossus or drawing a ton of cards with Enduring Curiosity.
Loki is also a potent combo enabler, opening up infinite turn lines with cards like Timestream Navigator. This is to say nothing of the card’s potential in the 99, where it’s already seeing play under the likes of Edea, Possessed Sorceress. Despite all this, Loki’s price tag is also inflated by the scarcity of Marvel Jumpstart, and even after this is fixed, he could easily remain the most expensive Villain in MTG.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew, and our brand new MTG Rocks Podcast!