Modern Horizons 3 is on its way, and one of the prevailing themes in the set is Energy. For those unaware, Energy is a player counter resource that can be used to pay for effects on various cards. The mechanic first appeared in Kaladesh and quickly started causing issues. Some Energy cards were so powerful that several were banned before the format’s much-needed rotation.
The mechanic can be quite powerful, but since Kaladesh and Aether Revolt, Energy hasn’t received a ton of support. While the mechanic did return in Fallout, Modern Horizons 3 is the first non-Commander set in quite some time to host the Energy mechanic.
Since Energy will receive a ton of support, interest in the mechanic is going to rise heavily. If you want to create an Energy Commander deck, or simply figure out what some of the best Energy-related effects are, here are the most expensive Energy cards for Commander!
As a note, we will not be including prerelease prices for cards from Modern Horizons 3, as those are bound to be incredibly out of whack. That said, we will be sure to update this article once Modern Horizons 3 is on shelves everywhere.
5 | Greenbelt Rampager
Price: Less than a Dollar
Greenbelt Rampager is your classic overstatted creature with a downside. You need to pay two Energy to keep this card around. If you can’t, Greenbelt Rampager bounces to your hand and gives you an Energy. To be clear, you need to pay the two Energy if you have it.
While this card isn’t worth much now, it could increase in price. Energy-related leaks from Modern Horizons 3 suggest this card may be able to go infinite before too long. Unfortunately, we can’t confirm whether or not this will happen until the leaks have been legitimized.
For now, Greenbelt Rampager isn’t even worth a dollar. Despite this, it is one of the most expensive Energy cards out there, which could be rather shocking to many.
4 | Demon of Dark Schemes
Price: $1.86
Demon of Dark Schemes is rather expensive but does a bunch of different things. This card can help stabilize against faster strategies with lots of smaller creatures by giving all other creatures -2/-2 on entry. Alongside this, other creatures dying give you energy, which can eventually enable the Demon to return creatures from players’ graves to the battlefield! Scheming indeed!
Sadly, six mana is generally too expensive for an effect like this, which has caused Demon of Dark Schemes to rot in bulk piles everywhere. The card only goes for about $1.60, seeing little to no play outside of Energy-focused strategies in Commander.
3 | Lightning Runner
Price: $2
Lightning Runner is a Mythic rare Energy payoff from Aether Revolt. The body itself is not too impressive, offering what is essentially a 4/4 Haste for five mana. What is interesting, however, is the ability to repeat combat phases.
If you have enough Energy, Lightning Runner can create an infinite number of combat phases. Unlike most cards that offer additional combat, Lightning Runner is not limited to using the effect once per turn. As long as Lightning Runner is attacking and you have eight Energy, you can activate this effect as many times as you want, regardless of whether you’re in an extra combat step or not.
While the potential for raw power is here, Lightning Runner doesn’t really see much play anywhere. Lightning Runner has spiked in price a bit but is only worth about $2. Similar to other cards on this list, only one copy of this card has ever been printed, and it’s as a Mythic rare from an older set.
Read More: New Thunder Junction Cards Prove Their Worth In Commander!
2 | Aetherworks Marvel
Price: $8
Aetherworks Marvel is definitely the scariest Energy payoff as far as constructed goes. Paying six Energy allows you to spin the wheel, cheating in any card on the top six cards of your library. This could be something as devastating as Omniscience or as unassuming as Llanowar Elves.
The potential of this card is massive. As many may imagine, multiple constructed strategies have been created around this card. While Aetherflux Reservoir was capable of cheating in threats like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger during its time in Standard, it fell off somewhat after it rotated out. Regardless, the potential to cheat in something massive screams Commander, so the Reservoir still sees play there.
Similar to our top pick, only one printing of this card exists, and it’s at a Mythic Rarity for an older set. This means that any demand that the Reservoir experiences will cause prices to soar. Aetherflux Reservoir is going for about $8 at the time of writing.
1 | Gonti’s Aether Heart
Price: $12
The most expensive Energy-related card in Magic is currently Gonti’s Aether Heart. This Energy payoff from Aether Revolt finds itself at the center of a series of infinite combos. The Aether Heart is a rather popular upgrade to the Mishra’s Burnished Banner deck for easily going infinite with the face Commander of the deck.
Any card that can easily make copies of the Aether Heart can go infinite with it. Having two of these in play plus another artifact entering the battlefield generates eight Energy. That’s enough to exile your copy and take an extra turn. As long as you can repeat the process, you’ll have infinite turns on your hands!
Gonti’s Aether Heart is worth about $12, which is expensive for a niche infinite combo piece. The Aether Heart only has one printing from Aether Revolt, which means that any increase in interest that this card experiences will have a magnified effect on the card’s overall price.
Expect Big Changes!
While Energy payoffs may have been power creeped out of relevance for now, this may not last forever. There are some seriously powerful Energy cards coming out in Modern Horizons 3, and one of the four Commander precons launching alongside it is based around the Energy mechanic! I would not be surprised if this entire list has changed in about a month’s time.
Read More: Commander’s Newest MTG Staple Just Hit $25!
