Now that we’re finally into August, the release of Dominaria United is closer than ever. In fact, it’s quite literally getting closer every day. Once it finally arrives, Standard players won’t just be inundated with new cards to enjoy, as four sets are also rotating out of Standard. As a result, there’s no better time than now to scour your collection for the most expensive cards in Standard. After all, their price may be about to dramatically change.
Before diving into the list, we must clarify a few things. Firstly, the prices in this article are based on TCGplayer’s Market Price, rather than a card’s absolute maximum or minimum. Additionally, we’ll only be focusing on the basic version of the card, rather than any showcase frames or foilings.
Without any further ado, let’s get into the top 10 most expensive cards in Standard right now!
Honorable Mention | Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos (Neon Red) – $1,351.18
While we did say that we won’t be covering showcase frames or foils, this Honorable Mention is the exception to that rule. Coming in at over $1300, it’d be rude if we didn’t talk about this unfathomably expensive card. By only being found in roughly %1 of Boosters, Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos’ Neon Ink treatments all demand an exorbitant price. Even more incredibly, the basic version of Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos is barely a bulk rare, only costing $0.53 on average.
10 | Sea Gate Restoration – $16.12
As one of Zendikar Rising’s Modal double-faced land cards, it’s incredibly easy to include Sea Gate Restoration in your deck. In Standard, the spell’s seven mana cost leaves a lot to be desired, however, in Commander this isn’t a problem. As a result, Sea Gate Restoration’s price has been steadily climbing over the past few months. Due to it mostly seeing play in Commander, we don’t expect its price to dip much after Standard rotation.
9 | Chandra, Dressed to Kill – $18.34
Similar to Sea Gate Restoration, this Standard playable card isn’t often played in Standard. Instead, Chandra, Dressed to Kill has found its home in Pioneer aggro decks. With plus abilities that add red mana and deal damage, or exile a card from your library to play this turn, Chandra, Dressed to Kill can give red aggro decks plenty of gas. Along with their ultimate ability, Chandra, Dressed to Kill can be a serious threat, if they ever make it out of the sideboard.
8 | Cultivator Colossus – $18.37
Continuing the trend of Standard cards not played in Standard is Cultivator Colossus. Instead of being found in Standard, Cultivator Colossus is commonly found in Amulet Titan modern decks. With power and toughness equal to the number of lands you control, Cultivator Colossus synergizes perfectly in a deck that aims to cast Primeval Titan as soon as possible. As if that wasn’t enough, Cultivator Colossus lets you play additional land from your hand when it comes into play.
7 | Ledger Shredder – $22.68
Once again, Ledger Shredder is another Standard card that doesn’t see much play in Standard. Instead, Ledger Shredder is found in the dominant Izzet Murktide Modern deck, and various Izzet builds in Pioneer and Legacy. In this deck, Ledger Shredder isn’t just a threat on its own; it’s also a vital engine that provides plenty of fuel to Murktide Regent. Thanks to Leger Shredder’s potency in Modern, we expect it to remain one of the most expensive cards in Standard.
6 | Boseiju, Who Endures – $24.29
Four entries in, and we’re finally at a card that sees play in Standard. Boseiju, Who Endures does a lot more than just see play in Standard, as almost every format has a use for this powerhouse of a card. With the ability to destroy an Artifact, Enchantment, or Nonbasic land, Boseiju, Who Endures’s Channel ability is useful in almost every deck. As a functionally better Forest, albeit without the name, there’s rarely a reason not to include Boseiju, Who Endures in your deck.
5 | Goldspan Dragon – $24.62
It’s taken half the list, but we’re finally at a card primarily played in Standard; Goldspan Dragon. By generating Treasure tokens and doubling their worth, it’s no wonder Goldspan Dragon is played in various decks. Mercifully, Goldspan Dragon’s time in Standard is soon drawing to a close. As a result, you might want to sell your copies of Goldspan Dragon before rotation in September.
4 | The Wandering Emperor – $25.30
Found in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, and even Legacy, The Wandering Emperor is an absolute powerhouse of a card. With Flash, and the ability to exile a target creature, create a Samurai token, or put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature, it’s no wonder that The Wandering Emperor is found in several control decks.
3 | Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider – $31.02
With its ability to double the number of counters produced, and prevent your opponents from getting as many, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider can be incredibly powerful. Despite this, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider predominantly only sees play in Commander. Vorinclex has a similar function to Doubling Season, another Commander menace that threatens to create Planeswalkers that can use their Ultimate abilities on entry. These combos can win games outright, immediately justifying the high price tag on Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider.
2 | Old Gnawbone – $41.33
For this list’s second to last entry, we’re back to another card that doesn’t see much play in Standard. Instead, the price of Old Gnawbone is predominantly driven by the treasure-hungry format of Commander. By creating many Treasure tokens, Old Gnawbone can pay for itself and anything you may want to cast in the future. This has made Old Gnawbone a Commander powerhouse. As a result, its price shouldn’t take much of a hit once it rotates out of Standard in September.
1 | The Meathook Massacre – $45.32
Read More: The Top 10 MTG Most Expensive Standard Commons/Uncommons
