The release of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is coming up on the horizon. With it, there are lots of things to look forward to, including a nostalgic return to one of MTG’s most beloved planes.
One of the aspects of the Ixalan plane that is most recognizable is the emphasis on a handful of specific Creature types. Back in original Ixalan block, Dinosaurs, Merfolk, Vampires, and Pirates ruled the environment, and tons of unique typal payoffs were printed.
Based on the focus of the four main Commander decks associated with The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, it appears that these typal themes are being reinvigorated. The Pirate-centric Commander deck seems to feature some really cool ideas This seems to include a Reanimator subtheme, with the goal of putting Pirates in the graveyard and bringing them back bigger. It’s safe to assume that the Pirate-based Commander deck as well as the other typal decks will all provide additional goodies for players to build their decks with.
Of course, not all Pirate cards are created equal when it comes to power level. For players looking to potentially upgrade their Commander decks or build a new Pirate-themed Commander deck, it’s important to know what Pirate cards give you the most bang for their buck. Today, we are going to focus on the most expensive MTG Pirates out there. Notably, we will be using the cheapest variant of TCGplayer market price in our rankings, and won’t be including new Lost Caverns of Ixalan cards because the set has not yet released, making card prices wonky. With that in mind, here are the top five most expensive MTG Pirates.
#5 Talas Warrior- $6.50
Talas Warrior is a rather interesting card to start our list. This is because, frankly, there’s nothing that special about the card. Three-mana 2/2 unblockable Creatures aren’t uncommon to appear in MTG (see Phantom Warrior for example). So why is this card so pricey for such a minimal effect? The reality is that, in addition to overall demand for a card driving up the price, a limited supply can be super important as well.
This card was printed in Portal Second Age in 1998 and has yet to be reprinted since. As such, it holds a relatively hefty price tag for a Pirate. While the card may not be super impactful, it can still help in situations where you simply want to connect in combat with Pirates. Having unblockable makes Talas Warrior a reliable attacker alongside Admiral Beckett Brass as a Commander, for instance. This card is certainly not a major priority for a Pirate Commander, but it has its uses.
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#4 Pirated Copy- $10.50
Pirated Copy is a strong Clone variant from Jumpstart 2022. Much like Clone, you get to copy any Creature on the battlefield. However, not only is the copy a Pirate for necessary synergies, but whenever any Creature with the same name as the copied Creature deal combat damage to a player, you get to draw a card.
Obviously, copying your own elusive Pirates can be strong. Importantly, though, if you copy an opponent’s massive haymaker, if that Creature deals combat damage to any player, including you, you get to draw a card as well. In this sense, you can put an opponent in a bind, since they want to attack but don’t want to let you generate extra card advantage.
Notably, Pirated Copy is yet to see a reprint.
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#3 Pitiless Plunderer- $11 (Heavy Price Drop Incoming!)
Pitiless Plunderer is yet another interesting card to see this high up on the list. This is because the card is just an uncommon from a more modern set. That being said, the card has extremely high potential in EDH, especially in decks with a sacrifice theme. Using Pitiless Plunderer alongside Teysa Karlov, for example, can lead to massive amounts of Treasure production.
One of the absolute best synergies available, though, is alongside Chatterfang, Squirrel General. When you sacrifice a Squirrel for one mana to give a Creature -1/-1, you make a Treasure in the process, which in turn generates another Squirrel. You can then use the Treasure to repeat this process, and mow down all of your opponent’s Creatures as a result. Pitiless Plunderer does a lot for an uncommon and shows off the power and synergy of cards from original Ixalan block.
Pitiless Plunderer is seeing a multitude of reprints in the upcoming Lost Caverns of Ixalan set, including a reprint in the new Ahoy Mateys Commander deck. For that reason, expect this card to drop in price heavily.
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#2 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer- $38
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is an absurdly strong card for only one mana. The card dominated Modern for years, and if it weren’t for the printing of Orcish Bowmasters in the Lord of the Rings set, it would likely still be doing so. Getting to generate Treasure tokens whenever Ragavan connects is already quite strong, since Ragavan only costs one mana.
As if that weren’t enough, though, you get to potentially cast cards from the top of the deck of the opponent who got attacked, providing additional card advantage. Later in the game, Dashing Ragavan is also perfectly reasonable, helping to dodge Sorcery-speed removal. Ragavan is an elite card, and used to be worth a lot more, but its appearance in the March of the Machine Multiverse Legends bonus sheet helped contribute to its drop in price.
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#1 Dockside Extortionist- $64
Dockside Extortionist is the ultimate Pirate for the Commander format. The ceiling on the card is absolutely incredible, as its capable of generating an insane amount of Treasure tokens for only two mana. Given how prevalent mana rocks are in Commander, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The more players playing, the better for Dockside Extortionist.
As a two-mana play, it’s nearly impossible to go wrong with this card. It originally premiered in Commander 2019, but despite being reprinted in Double Masters 2022, still holds a massive price tag. After all, the card is in very high demand as the Commander format has continued to grow in popularity. It’s definitely the best Pirate card out there for EDH at the moment and, for lucky players opening The List for The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, you have a chance of finding it!
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