The most expensive cards in March of the Machine may surprise you. Having officially launched on April 21st, 2023, March of the Machine has now been out for a little while. This obviously means players have had plenty of time to get their hands on, and crack into packs. As any MTG players will know, this is undeniably a good time, especially since March of the Machine features some seriously valuable cards.
This is, primarily, thanks to the Multiverse Legends bonus sheet, and the return of serialized MTG cards. As enticing as these cards are, these value bombs have already been the focus of a list of their own. Subsequently, it’s now time for the main March of the Machine set to take center stage as we look over the set’s most expensive cards.
Since we first wrote this list around Prerelease Weekend, it’s safe to say prices have changed significantly. After all, the set has now been properly released, allowing players to open a litany of packs. In turn, this has caused huge spikes and dips in the market, pushing several new cards into this top 11 list! Subsequently, we’ve got a lot to go over, however, first, it’s time for some ground rules!
The first and most important of these rules is that, for this list, we’ll be using the TCGplayer Market Price. This means that sometimes, cheaper copies of these cards will be available due to their condition. For the second rule, we mostly won’t be considering any special variants of cards or Booster Fun treatments. This might seem boring, however, it saves this list from being several copies of the same card over and over again.
Now, with all those boring ol’ rules out of the way, let’s get into the most expensive cards in March of the Machine!
Most Expensive Cards in March of the Machine: Honorable Mentions
In a twist from our usual honorable mentions section, where we might highlight a card that narrowly missed out on the list, this time around, we’re doing something a little different. Namely, in this section, we’ll be showcasing the cards that used to have a spot on this list before being bumped off. So far, only four cards have received this dubious honor. Here’s how much they used to be in the last version of this list, and how much they’re worth now.
- City on Fire | Previously: $7.78 | Now: $4.26
- Archangel Elspeth | Previously: $7.88 | Now: $5.85
- Thalia and The Gitrog Monster | Previously: $8.67 | Now: $6.78
- Jin-Gitaxias | Previously: $9.05 | Now: $7.74
11 | Invasion of New Phyrexia | $9.07
To state the obvious, kicking off this list, we have Invasion of New Phyrexia. On both faces, the other being Teferi Akosa of Zhalfir this card synergizes heavily with Knights. Allowing you to create them, buff them, protect them, and use them as removal, this Battle card does it all! Since all this can come at the cost of just three mana, so long as you flip the battle, it’s no wonder this card is in demand.
Predominantly, Invasion of New Phyrexia sees play within the most popular and tribal-loving format: Commander. An obvious inclusion in Knight-themed decks, this card can effectively do no wrong. That is, of course, so long as you don’t get yourself into political trouble with this Battle card. Outside of Commander, Invasion of New Phyrexia currently seems minimal play in both Pioneer and Standard. While useful in Azorious control decks, this inclusion hasn’t broken either format. Nevertheless, thanks to the demand for this useful Commander card, it still boasts a respectable $9.07 price tag.
10 | Vorinclex | $10.48
Previously only valued at $9.88, since the inception of this list, Vorinclex has slowly risen in value. While it’s unclear if this price will climb any higher, Vorinclex is still worth getting excited about as a card. After all, while they may not have Jin-Gitaxias’ game-ending potential, Vorinclex is nevertheless a strong threat in their own right. That is, so long as you can flip them over, as otherwise, Vorinclex is just Primeval Titan at home.
Should you be able to the hefty 6GG entry fee to flip Vorinclex however, then you get The Grand Evolution. Similarly to The Great Synthesis, this saga is packed full of goodies, perfect for a stompy green deck. Allowing players to find, buff, and fight with some of their deck’s biggest creatures, The Grand Evolution should be a lot of fun. How much this giant green menace will actually get played, however, remains to be seen. After all, mono-green decks are rarely at the top of the competitive pecking order.
9 | Sword of Once and Future | $11.03
Once valued at $17.12, the Sword of Once and Future has fallen from grace somewhat compared to its pre-order pricing. This isn’t all too surprising, as it’s safe to say hype for this sword was at an all-time high going into March of the Machine. Finishing off the decades-old Sword of X and Y cycle, players couldn’t wait to get their hands on this card. There were some doubts about whether or not the card was actually good, however. While prices have fallen, indicating it was a tad overhyped, this sword isn’t just an enticing name. Instead, Sword of Once and Future is fairly powerful too and certainly destined to see Commander play.
Boasting a synergistic Surveil 2 ability that’s followed up by letting you cast an Instant or Sorcery from your graveyard, Sword of Once and Future can be an incredibly useful tool. As interesting as it seems, however, this card certainly isn’t going to dethrone the Commander favorite Sword of Feast and Famine. Currently costing $40 on average, this beloved sword is certainly some strong competition, to say the least.
8 | Faerie Mastermind | $11.31
Another new entrant to this list, Faerie Mastermind is one of two rare cards good enough to make the cut. Interesting, however, it’s not the most expensive rare card around. This is quite a surprise, considering that Faerie Mastermind is so strong it’s practically broken! Boasting Flash, Flying, and the ability to leech off your opponent’s draw, Faerie Mastermind is an incredibly useful card. In fact, this card is so good that we deemed to be the best Commander card in the entire set, and it wasn’t even close.
Alongside being an obvious staple in Commander, Faerie Mastermind is also a powerhouse in multiple other formats. According to MTGDecks.net, Faerie Mastermind is currently most used in the Pioneer Dimir Rogues deck. Once a rather middling archetype, this card has practically brought this deck back to life.
More impressively than its Pioneer performance, however, Faerie Mastermind is also a powerhouse in Legacy. Fueling a recent Legacy Challenge win, Faerie Mastermind keeps up the pressure while providing fuel in this incredibly fast format. Subsequently, it’s no wonder that this card is one of the most expensive in the entire set.
7 | Wrenn and Realmbreaker | $13.00
From the moment they were revealed, many MTG players have expected Wrenn and Realmbreaker to be seriously expensive. They are, after all, a three-mana Planeswalker, which often seems to be the sweet spot for power. Alongside having this favorable mana cost, Wrenn and Realmbreaker also provides a lot of utility, especially to five-color decks. More than just allowing lands to tap for any color, Wrenn and Realmbreaker also effectively protects themselves, which is always a potent ability.
Using this protective ability, coupled with the presence of Proliferate within recent sets, activating Wrenn and Realmbreaker’s ultimate is surprisingly easy. This makes them a seriously worryingly threat as suddenly removal becomes a whole lot less effective. At the end of the day, it doesn’t appear Wrenn and Realmbreaker is going to utterly ruin formats like Oko, Thief of Crowns. That being said, however, they’re nevertheless a powerful card that’s more than deserving of a decent price tag. Previously, Wrenn and Realmbreaker used to be worth around $19. In recent weeks, however, that value has fallen somewhat, with the price now sitting at just $13.19
6 | Invasion of Tarkir | $13.14
Once worth just $8.21, Invasion of Tarkir has steadily been increasing in value over the past few weeks. Considering the card isn’t just good, but also a whole lot of fun, this isn’t too much of a surprise. It is, after all, practically an auto-include within any Dragon-themed MTG deck.
Even if you don’t manage to defeat and flip this battle card, its opening effect is seriously potent. As, with enough dragons in hand, Invasion of Tarkir can be a devastating burn spell against creatures and opponents alike. Should you manage to flip this 5-defense battle, things get even better, as Defiant Thundermaw comes out to play.
Making each of your attacking dragons deal 2 damage to any target, Defiant Thundermaw facilitates some truly devastating swings. Subsequently, this card is likely going to see extensive play within the Dragon tribal archetype in Commander. Considering this deck is one of the most popular tribal choices in Commander, the $13.14. value is very understandable!
5 | Invasion of Ikoria | $13.52
Another new addition and the last rare card on this list is Invasion of Ikoria. In case you haven’t picked up on the running theme of this list so far, this card is rather powerful. Boasting an expensive but nonetheless powerful tutor effect, Invasion of Ikoria works wonders in Commander. As if that wasn’t good enough, once defeated, this Battle can be recast as Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria who is quite the threat.
Beyond just being a good card to include in any big green stompy Commander deck, Invasion of Ikoria facilitates some interesting combos. The main one of these involves Vampire Hexmage. By activating this card’s abilities, you can quickly defeat the Battle, allowing for an almost instantaneous re-cast. Not only does this put a giant threat on the board, but it also only costs four mana! Subsequently, it’s no wonder that plenty of players are enjoying this card, keeping demand, and prices, up!
4 | Urabrask | $14.95
As we covered in our article all about this often disappointing Praetor, Urabrask is poised to be an absolute powerhouse. Even their creature side has a seriously powerful ability that recoups the cost of spells while also providing ping damage. From there, things get even better, as The Great Work is an awesomely powerful Saga.
Kicking things off with a three-damage board wipe, The Great Work can quickly devastate your opponent’s plans. From here, The Great Work then provides you with a trio of treasure tokens that can soon be put to good use. As, in keeping with the rest of the cycle, The Great Work’s final ability is exceptionally strong. Allowing you to cast Instant or Sorcery spells from any graveyard while flipping back over to Urabrask, this final ability is a devastating win condition. So much so that Urabrask is likely going to see play within a number of burn-focused mono-red decks.
3 | Elesh Norn | $19.23
Formerly the most expensive card on this list, the value of Elesh Norn has taken a bit of a hit in recent weeks. That being said, however, it is still one of the most expensive cards in the entire set, and more than deserving of its price tag.
In keeping with the tradition set by past Elesh Norn cards, this card is seriously powerful and incredibly annoying to play against. This is evident even on their front face, as Elesh Norn has the ability to completely stall a number of aggressive decks. Forcing opponents to pay with life or mana after dealing damage Elesh Norn nullifies wide aggressive strategies effortlessly.
As if that ability wasn’t good enough, Elesh Norn also flips into The Argent Etchings. While this transform ability may not be the cheapest, it’s certainly worth doing, as, once again, this Saga is brutal. Producing, at least, five 2/2 tokens, these tokens quickly become a serious threat. As, in the next turn, The Argent Etchings gives your board +1/+1 and Double Strike. If that didn’t win the game, The Argent Etchings finishes off with a board wipe that kills every non-Phyrexian.
As someone who’s been utterly crushed by this saga on multiple occasions, let me tell you it’s certainly not a fun time to play against. Subsequently, Elesh Norn is more than deserving of its $19.23 price tag.
2 | Sheoldred | $20.13
Formerly sequestered down at the number 5 spot on this list, Sheoldred is doing rather well for themselves nowadays. Considering that they’re one of the best cards in the set, however, this might not come as a huge surprise. On their front face, Sheoldred isn’t all too much to write home about. Just offering decent stats and a sacrifice trigger, Sheoldred is good but not game-breaking. Once they flip over, however, then the party really gets started…
Transforming into The True Scriptures for 4B, this Saga once again has some truly devastating effects. At first, things start off rather tamely by just destroying a creature or Planeswalker from each player. Following this, things get slightly better as your opponents are forced to discard, and then mill three cards. For the last step, however, The True Scriptures goes all out, reviving all creatures from all graveyards under your control. As you can imagine, this effect is pretty darn powerful, so expect to see Sheoldred popping up all over the place.
1 | Knight Token | $34.50
While technically not a traditional MTG card, we would be remiss to not mention the Japan-exclusive March of the Machine tokens. After all, not only are these cards the most expensive on TCGplayer, but they’re also absolutely gorgeous.
As the name suggests, these tokens are only available in Japan and must be acquired through a promotion at participating stores. To get a token, players must purchase “8 packs of March of the Machine Set Booster.” While this might not be the most insurmountable hurdle for avid MTG players, this detail, and the region exclusivity, has nevertheless made these cards expensive. So much so, in fact, that they’re worth almost $15 more than any other card in the set!
When it comes to understanding the price of these cards, it’s all down to their rarity and desirability. After all, these are just boring ol dime a dozen tokens that could be acquired anywhere else. Due to the gorgeous art, however, these plastic tokens are much beloved by MTG fans, often being snapped up as soon as they are listed online.
0 – Serialized Praetors
To cap off this list, we would be remiss not to talk about the Serialized Praetors within March of the Machine. While they’re only able to be found within Collector Boosters, these cards are expected to be tremendously expensive. Especially copies of the most lucrative Praetor: Elesh Norn. So far, several of these cards have already been found by Local Game Stores opening up product prior to release. One of these has even sold on eBay already for $999.99: Urabrask #018. With prices like these expected to continue, it’s no wonder this cycle of Praetors is topping the list.
Read More: MTG March of the Machine Commander Upgrades Quadruple in Price!
