After a questionable standing, Standard seems to be back as one of MTG’s flagship formats. Tons of support and more Standard sets than ever before have made it clear that, for Wizards, Standard is a priority. While the current state of Standard is in dire need of repair, that’s not stopping MTG players from opening packs.
More often than not, especially with all of the great commons and uncommons being printed right now, there is more money in these packs than you may think. Here are the top 10 most expensive Standard legal Commons and Uncommons.
Not Included: Promo Printings, Foil Printings or Full Art Cards
Due to how powerful some of the commons and uncommons are in recent Standard sets, promo printings can fetch a pretty penny. Because these are premium printings of commons and uncommons you can already open in the main set, these will not be included.
While Bonus Sheet cards are technically found in Standard legal packs, since they aren’t legal for Standard play, we won’t be including those, either.
Foil printings are another way that prices can be manipulated outside of this article’s desired purpose, but this was a larger issue before the era of Collector Boosters. Regardless, we will be using nonfoil pricing for these cards only.
10 | Withering Torment
Price: $2.64
It is very difficult for black to remove enchantments. At the time of writing, Withering Torment may be the best way to do so. This uniqueness causes Withering Torment to see lots of Commander, cEDH, and Duel Commander play in decks whose color identities don’t provide colors with strong enchantment removal attached.
The card otherwise sees fringe constructed play in black decks when bad matchups arise that utilize enchantments. The versatility of Withering Torment makes sure that you won’t get stuck with it in your hand, but if you’re just looking for creature removal, there are better options out there.
9 | Spelunking
Price: $3.00
Spelunking is one of the most impactful cards on this list from a competitive standpoint. Revolutionizing lands decks across all formats, Spelunking now makes common appearances in Amulet Titan and Pioneer Scapeshift Combo. Spelunking otherwise appears in cEDH Lumra, Bellow of the Woods decks.
Allowing any land to enter untapped breaks a lot of cards that used tapped lands as a safety valve. Suddenly, Scapeshift turns into a massive ritual and tutor wrapped in one. Primeval Titan can combo off without its partner-in-crime Amulet of Vigor, and Aftermath Analyst can create infinite loops with its activated ability. Spelunking now creates some of the most convoluted infinite combos that Magic has ever seen. Pretty crazy for a Standard legal uncommon!
8 | Bolt Bend
Price: $3.00
Bolt Bend creates a few interesting trends that we’ll see in this list. The card was reprinted in MTG Foundations, making it Standard legal. That said, like some other cards on this list, Bolt Bend is not actually found in the draftable set. It is instead part of the Starter Collection, where a variety of cards were reprinted for Standard use.
Like another card on this list, Bolt Bend excels in competitive and non-competitive Commander formats thanks to its ability. Thanks to the trend of creating massive stacks, Bolt Bend can act as both a counterspell by redirecting various cards in a big stack, or it can repurpose opposing removal spells into two-for-ones.
Notably, the cheapest printing of Bolt Bend from The List is being used. The MTG Foundations variant of this card goes for $3.50.
7 | Cid, Timeless Artificer
Price: $3.51
Cid, Timeless Artificer certainly deserves a spot on this list, but where is a bit controversial. Going all in on Cid’s appearances across every Final Fantasy game, there are 15 different variants of this card available. The most expensive variant lands Cid at the top of the entire list! The least expensive one is what we ultimately decided to use, which puts Cid in seventh place.
Cid’s most expensive variant retails for about $10, giving the cards quite a price range. Cid doesn’t see play anywhere outside of some Commander decks built around it, which is typical for cards that have the unlimited number of copies gimmick. The players who want Cid want dozens of copies, making the demand for this card rather bizarre.
6 | Sheltered by Ghosts
Price: $3.72
Sheltered by Ghosts is one of the most powerful Auras ever printed. You get an absurd amount of value for two mana, but thanks to the nature of Auras, there is a downside attached. Exiling something in play while granting your creature Lifelink and protection is incredible against any aggressive deck, but if your opponent expects Sheltered by Ghosts and removes the creature you’re trying to enchant, you’ll get blown out.
Sheltered by Ghosts is currently seeing play in Duel Commander, Pioneer, Historic, and Standard. It sees most of its play in Standard, even though Vivi rules over the format. Once Vivi is banned in November, this card’s price could easily hit new highs as more players adapt it.
5 | Boros Charm
Price: $4.35
Another unusual inclusion, Boros Charm is a classic card that commonly appears in Modern Boros Aggro decks. The card got reprinted in MTG Foundations, and now occasionally appears in Standard aggressive decks, as well. Burn isn’t a competitive archetype in any MTG format outside of Pauper at the moment, but Boros Charm does make occasional appearances in Standard, Modern, and Pioneer anyway.
Notably, because Boros Charm wasn’t printed in the main MTG Foundations set, its recent reprinting didn’t help supply much. That may have an effect on the card’s overall price. The price used is the cheapest market average of all Boros Charm’s copies, which currently originates from Gatecrash.
4 | Patchwork Banner
Price: $4.53
Patchwork Banner offers two effects that are interesting for many Commander decks. Combine them together, and you have a slam dunk inclusion for any Typal deck. An anthem for your creatures for three generic mana is something that many Typal decks would consider running already, but add in its versatility as a mana-fixing mana rock, and you have a super staple for Typal Commander decks everywhere.
Read More: Why isn’t this Fan-Favorite Unfinity Spoiler Eternal Legal?
3 | Untimely Malfunction
Price: $4.63
While the top two cards on this list are no-brainers, Untimely Malfunction is a bit shocking. Despite seeing little competitive appeal, this card’s versatile toolbox makes it a hit in Duel Commander, cEDH, and casual Commander. Deflecting Swat needs little introduction to many Commander players, and Untimely Malfunction doubles as a two-mana target-switching effect that occasionally blows up a threatening artifact.
2 | Into the Flood Maw
Price: $5.27
Into the Flood Maw is now one of the best ‘get out of jail free’ cards in all of Magic: The Gathering. It’s not uncommon to find a one-mana instant that can bounce a creature, but Into the Flood Maw can bounce anything. This is an absurdly powerful effect that can get rid of any lock pieces that might be hindering your strategy, allowing the card to see play in almost every MTG format.
Sure, your opponent gets a Fish for their troubles, but the token rarely makes an impact on any game where it’s created. The reward far outweighs the risk with Into the Flood Maw, making its Gift downside rather irrelevant.
Whether you’re bouncing a Temporary Lockdown, Trinisphere, or are just slowing your opponent’s creatures down, Into the Flood Maw is one of the most powerful one mana instants ever printed. This being an uncommon is honestly kind of baffling.
1 | Stock Up
Price: $7.36
Considering how much Stock Up’s reputation precedes it, you may be surprised to find this card’s price so low. Stock Up’s market average currently looks like Mount Everest. While it had a massive peak at $12, the card has since come down to a price point somewhere between $7 and $8. This matches the card’s overall play rate, which, while still incredibly impressive for a Standard uncommon, has waned a bit.
Once upon a time, Stock Up saw play in every format from Standard to Vintage. Now, Stock Up is only seeing play in formats with small card pools, like Standard, and excellent fast mana, like Legacy and Vintage. Casting a Stock Up on turns 1-2 can easily and consistently set players up for a win on the next turn in faster formats. In other formats, however, the card is starting to be pushed out for Edge of Eternities’ Consult the Star Charts, and instant speed card advantage option that is a bit more flexible than the uncommon king.
Even though Stock Up has come down in price a bit, it remains an absolute monster in competitive Magic. Stock Up is a great example of not counting out a card just for its rarity.
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