Currently, Wizards of the Coast adapts a sort of ‘buffet’ strategy when creating their products. Magic has a lot of different players that like to engage with the game in unique ways. Some like to play Limited, some play constructed, others play Commander.
The Commander preconstructed decks, in particular, are very exciting for Commander players. Each deck offers a unique experience right out of the box and, thanks to mechanically unique cards commonly getting introduced through these products, they can be quite valuable!
Here, we’ll be listing out the most valuable Commander Pre-con decks on the secondary market. Notably, this is not the same as the most expensive ones. We’re interested in the current secondary market value of each individual card in the deck, not the price of the deck itself. Heavenly Inferno, one of the first EDH pre-con decks, for example, costs $300 or more, but only contains $70 of secondary market value.
Before we jump into things, I feel its important to state that we will not be including Commander’s arsenals in this review. These aren’t really Commander decks and, as such, we’ve decided not to include them.
We also won’t be including Brawl decks because, well, they’re not Commander pre-cons.
Prices will be derived from MTGgoldfish.com using the cheapest reprints of each card in the deck. This means that decks that have special variants of MTG cards, the Secret Lair EDH pre-cons in particular, may have more value than what this article suggests.
Additionally, we will not be including the Collector Decklists from the Warhammer 40,000 Commander expansion. The normal variants of these decks, while not making the list, did count.
Finally, we will not be including The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander decks in this list. Secondary market prices for the unique reprints from this deck are still disproportionately high, giving them, in my opinion, an inaccurate secondary market price. That said, they will still be included in our price roundup at the end.
Here are the most valuable EDH pre-cons on the secondary market right now!
#6 Hosts of Mordor (Lord of the Rings)
Hosts of Mordor has survived its brief test of time on the secondary market, maintaining a value of $119 for its reprints.
All of the Lord of the Rings Commander decks remain a decent deal, promising reprint value north of $100. While this may not seem too impressive considering how recent they are, consider that only one of the Commander Masters decks retained a value of over $100, and that only one of the Doctor Who decks has a value at $100.
Hosts of Mordor, in particular, is the strongest Commander deck out-of-box for The Lord of the Rings and is, arguably, the strongest Commander preconstructed deck out-of-box of all time. Only Necron Dynasties seems to compete for this slot, and that Commander deck’s reprint value did not place it on this list.
In terms of cards to watch out for, The Hosts of Mordor deck doesn’t have any incredibly expensive ones. The biggest standout is a reprint of
Reanimate
Reanimate
Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. You lose life equal to that card's mana value.
, worth about $15. Otherwise,
Cavern-Hoard Dragon
Cavern-Hoard Dragon
This spell costs {X} less to cast, where X is the greatest number of artifacts an opponent controls.
Flying, trample, haste
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you create a Treasure token for each artifact that player controls.
, a card unique to this deck, has a decent secondary market value of $10.
The Black Gate
The Black Gate
As The Black Gate enters, you may pay 3 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.
{T}: Add {B}.
{1}{B}, {T}: Choose a player with the most life or tied for most life. Target creature can't be blocked by creatures that player controls this turn.
also has a notable secondary market value of about $8.
Otherwise, Hosts of Mordor has a ton of cards worth just a few dollars, but all of those add up. Considering that this deck’s performance is so powerful, I would personally recommend it to anyone that wants to play a deck right out of the box.
Currently, Hosts of Mordor costs between $75 and $100 on TCGplayer. Sales range heavily.
If you want to read more about Hosts of Mordor, take a look at our review!
#5 Eldrazi Unbound (Commander Masters)
Considering how much players were charged for the Commander Masters decks, one appearing on this list is not too surprising. The price points for these decks in comparison to their reprint value was a heavily controversial topic in the MTG community.
Perhaps shocking, however, is that, after a few months have passed, Eldrazi Unbound is the only Commander deck whose secondary market reprint value has aged well. All of the other Commander Masters decks are now south of $100. If anything, this may suggest that players should stay away from the other Commander Masters decks unless they can get them for a cheap price.
Most of this deck’s secondary market value comes from the exclusive cards that the deck has to offer.
Rise of the Eldrazi
Rise of the Eldrazi
This spell can't be countered.
Destroy target permanent. Target player draws four cards. Take an extra turn after this one.
Exile Rise of the Eldrazi.
, Zhudolok, Void Gorger and
Darksteel Monolith
Darksteel Monolith
Indestructible
Once each turn, you may pay {0} rather than pay the mana cost for a colorless spell you cast from your hand.
all have notable secondary market values. Otherwise,
It that Betrays
It that Betrays
Annihilator 2 (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices two permanents of their choice.)
Whenever an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent, put that card onto the battlefield under your control.
,
All is Dust
All is Dust
Each player sacrifices all permanents they control that are one or more colors.
, and
Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Kozilek, the Great Distortion
When you cast this spell, if you have fewer than seven cards in hand, draw cards equal to the difference.
Menace
Discard a card with mana value X: Counter target spell with mana value X.
are other noteworthy reprints in this deck.
One bizarre aspect about this deck is that the Basic Lands are worth something. Wastes do not get printed often, and therefore are, according to MTGgoldfish, worth about $15 overall. All of this puts the deck’s reprint value at about $121. The current asking price for the deck appears to be just over $100.
If you want to read more about Eldrazi Unbound, look at our review!
#4 Stalwart Unity (Commander 2016)
Commander 2016 introduced the Partner mechanic. This is, arguably, the strongest mechanic that Commander has even seen, which has earned Commander 2016 a few spots on this list.
Stalwart Unity is a four-colored deck that has a bit of a group hug theme. Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis represents the strategy well, offering benefits to everyone at the table. It also happens to be the most expensive card in the deck.
There aren’t many cards in Stalwart Unity that have massive secondary market value, but there are a lot of cards in the realm of $3-4 in this deck. That said,
Kraum, Ludevic’s Opus
Kraum, Ludevic’s Opus
Flying, haste
Whenever an opponent casts their second spell each turn, draw a card.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
,
Swan Song
Swan Song
Counter target enchantment, instant, or sorcery spell. Its controller creates a 2/2 blue Bird creature token with flying.
,
Benefactor’s Draught
Benefactor’s Draught
Untap all creatures. Until end of turn, whenever a creature an opponent controls blocks, draw a card.
Draw a card.
, the Commander itself, and
Lurking Predators
Lurking Predators
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, put it onto the battlefield. Otherwise, you may put that card on the bottom of your library.
are worth a bit more than the rest.
Overall, Stalwart Unity’s secondary market value works out to be about $124. Prices for the deck range heavily, but float between $90 and $130.
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#3 Open Hostility (Commander 2016)
Stalwart Unity and Open Hostility come from the same expansion of Commander decks. Like the other deck, Open Hostility has a lot of cards that float around the $3-5 range. Unlike Stalwart Unity, Open Hostilities does have a clear frontrunner for reprint value:
Tymna, the Weaver
Tymna, the Weaver
Lifelink
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, you may pay X life, where X is the number of opponents that were dealt combat damage this turn. If you do, draw X cards.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
.
Tymna, the Weaver is, potentially, one of the best Commanders period, but this is, in large part, due to her Partner ability. Commonly seen with
Thrasios, Triton Hero
Thrasios, Triton Hero
{4}: Scry 1, then reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped. Otherwise, draw a card.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
, these two Commanders create a powerful four-colored engine that generates value in a variety of different shells. This means that Thrasios and Tymna are one of the best Commander combinations for simply jamming all of the best cards in those four colors into one deck.
Tymna has a secondary market price of about $24.50. Otherwise, Iroas, God of Victory retails for about $13 and Breath of Fury is about $9. This, combined with multiple $3-5 reprints we did not mention here, give this deck a secondary market value of $127. Open Hostility, however, appears not to be worth the asking prices on the secondary market.
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#2 Draconic Domination (Commander 2017)
Draconic Domination would have a lot more secondary market value if its Commander weren’t just reprinted in Commander Masters. The Ur-Dragon, for a long time, was a $50 card. It is still the most expensive card in this deck, costing about $20, but there are a few other $10+ reprints available in the deck.
Scalelord Reckoner
Scalelord Reckoner
Flying
Whenever a Dragon you control becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, destroy target nonland permanent that player controls.
demands a hefty secondary market price of $17. This offers some pretty powerful Ward-esque protection for your Dragons, destroying a nonland permanent of your choice under the control of the opponent who decides to target them.
Otherwise,
Utvara Hellkite
Utvara Hellkite
Flying
Whenever a Dragon you control attacks, create a 6/6 red Dragon creature token with flying.
at $11 can put a ton of power on the board in Dragon Typal strategies. The Hellkite triggers on each Dragon that attacks, meaning that, as the Hellkite starts to create Dragons, the amount that it can create each combat can scale out of control.
Otherwise, like the other decks on this list, Draconic Domination hosts a range of reprints that, while under $10, are still quite valuable. Reprints of this nature include
Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Flying
{2}: Search your library for a Dragon permanent card and put it into your graveyard. If you do, Scion of the Ur-Dragon becomes a copy of that card until end of turn. Then shuffle.
,
Lightning Greaves
Lightning Greaves
Equipped creature has haste and shroud. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Equip {0}
,
Kindred Discovery
Kindred Discovery
As this enchantment enters, choose a creature type.
Whenever a creature you control of the chosen type enters or attacks, draw a card.
,
Elemental Bond
Elemental Bond
Whenever a creature you control with power 3 or greater enters, draw a card.
,
Dragon Tempest
Dragon Tempest
Whenever a creature you control with flying enters, it gains haste until end of turn.
Whenever a Dragon you control enters, it deals X damage to any target, where X is the number of Dragons you control.
and more.
Overall the Draconic Destruction’s secondary market value is about $131. With asking prices of about $331, you’re much better off building this deck by buying the Singles.
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#1 Vampiric Bloodlust (Commander 2017)
The 2017 Commander decks have, historically, been known to be both infamously powerful and expensive. Introducing the Eminence mechanic, these Commanders are capable of impacting the battlefield from the Command Zone.
Vampiric Bloodlust, in terms of secondary market value for singles, is definitely a cut above the rest. Edgar Markov, the deck’s Commander, is worth a pretty penny. It is, by far, the best Vampire Commander in all of Magic. Considering that Vampires are the fourth most popular type according to EDHREC, and that Edgar has not had an accessible reprint since 2017, it’s no surprise that Edgar Markov is worth $100 alone.
This, combined with some other notable cards like
Teferi’s Protection
Teferi’s Protection
Until your next turn, your life total can't change and you gain protection from everything. All permanents you control phase out. (While they're phased out, they're treated as though they don't exist. They phase in before you untap during your untap step.)
Exile Teferi's Protection.
,
Skullclamp
Skullclamp
Equipped creature gets +1/-1.
Whenever equipped creature dies, draw two cards.
Equip {1}
,
Door of Destinies
Door of Destinies
As this artifact enters, choose a creature type.
Whenever you cast a spell of the chosen type, put a charge counter on this artifact.
Creatures you control of the chosen type get +1/+1 for each charge counter on this artifact.
,
Captivating Vampire
Captivating Vampire
Other Vampire creatures you control get +1/+1.
Tap five untapped Vampires you control: Gain control of target creature. It becomes a Vampire in addition to its other types.
and more, bring the deck’s secondary market value to $209. Prices for this deck are all over the place but, for the most part, the $300 asking price is simply not worthwhile.
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#0 Secret Lair Commander Preconstructed Decks
The MTG Secret Lair series released three different preconstructed decklists, and they are the most valuable preconstructed Commander decks on the secondary market, by far. They also happen to be very expensive to purchase.
Since the three decklists released by Secret Lair would take up the top three slots on this list otherwise, we decided to group them all into one slot.
According to MTGgoldfish, these premium Commander decklists all have a secondary market value of over $210! Of the three, the recent Angels deck is worth the most, retailing at a spicy $248 in singles! These prices may not even reflect the unique artworks found in these decks, which could raise the price even further.
With great value, however, does come a higher price tag. This puts these particular Commander decks in a different realm than the others, hence taking the #0 spot in our list.
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Secondary Market Values for Each Commander Pre-Con Deck (November 16)
In order to write this article accurately, I needed to ascertain the secondary market value of each Commander deck. These numbers aren’t going to be entirely accurate, but they are the numbers from mtggoldfish that this list is based off. If you’re curious what your particular pre-con is worth, here are all the pre-cons that qualified for this list, and what their approximate secondary market value is (for all the singles included) as of the date above:
Heavenly Inferno: $70
Mirror Mastery: $68
Counterpunch: $64
Political Puppets: $67
Devour for Power: $70
Eternal Bargain: $60
Evasive Maneuvers $58
Mind Seize $48
Nature of the Beast $48
Power Hungry $59
Built from Scratch $81
Forged in Stone $89
Guided by Nature $84
Peer Through Time $81
Sworn to Darkness $81
Call the Spirits $82
Seize Control $54
Plunder the Graves $79
Wade into Battle $68
Swell the Host $56
Entropic Uprising $108
Open Hostility $127
Stalwart Unity $124
Breed Lethality $81
Invent Superiority $74
Draconic Domination $131
Feline Ferocity $96
Vampiric Bloodlust $209
Arcane Wizardry $46
Exquisite Invention $50
Subjective Reality $37
Nature’s Vengeance $43
Adaptive Enchantment $65
Faceless Menace $61
Mystic Intellect $98
Primal Genesis $68
Merciless Rage $48
Symbiotic Swarm $40
Enhanced Evolution $61
Timeless Wisdom $65
Arcane Maelstrom $64
Ruthless Regiment $56
Land’s Wrath $31
Sneak Attack $36
Reap the Tide: $59
Arm for Battle $45
Phantom Premonition $35
Elven Empire $40
Quantum Quandrix $81
Prismari Performance $77
Lorehold Legacies $71
Witherbloom Witchcraft $88
Silverquill Statement $67
Planar Portal $65
Aura of Courage $75
Dungeons of Death $57
Draconic Rage $92
Coven Counters $34
Undead Unleashed $47
Spirit Squadron $36
Vampiric Bloodline $44
Heads, I win! Tails, You Lose! $210
Upgrades Unleashed $41
Buckle Up $46
Cabaretti Cacophany $58
Obscura Operation $53
Riveteer Rampage $56
Maestros Massacre $50
Bedecked Brokers $54
Party Time $80
Exit From Exile $87
Draconic Dissent $51
Mind Flayarrrs $59
Painbow $48
Legends’ Legacy $68
Forces of the Imperium $91
Necron Dynasties $87
The Ruinous Powers $98
Tyranid Swarm $89
First Flight $28
Grave Danger $26
Chaos Incarnate $43
Draconic Destruction $41
Token Triumph $25
Urza’s Iron Alliance $61
Mishra’s Burnished Banner $66
Rebellion Rising $52
Corrupting Influence $58
Call for Backup $46
Cavalry Charge $48
Growing Threat $46
Divine Convocation $42
Tinker Time $42
Cute to Brute $234
Hosts of Mordor $119
Riders of Rohan $101
Food and Fellowship $103
Elven Council $102
Eldrazi Unbound $121
Enduring Enchantments $85
Planeswalker Party $70
Sliver Swarm $85
Virtue and Valor $47
Fae Dominion $54
Blast From the Past $74
Masters of Evil $82
Paradox Power $62
Timey-Wimey $102
Secret Lair Angels $248
Ahoy Mateys $96
Blood Rites $102
Explorers of the Deep $113
Veloci-Ramp-Tor $103