A common topic we report on for MTGRocks is sudden financial shifts. Not only do these give some insight as to what’s going on in the world of MTG, but it can also help players identify when they can turn a card that was rotting away in their trade binders or bulk bin into some cash.
Right now, right before the Prerelease for The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Dinosaurs are all the rage. Players have received some seriously powerful upgrades to their Kindred Dinosaur EDH decks with this set. Whether it’s part of the Jurassic World crossover or the main set, there are a ton of new Dinosaurs ready for players who want to stomp their opponents into the dust.
While we could report on the Dinosaurs going up in price right now (Trapjaw Tyrant and Dinosaurs on a Spaceship), it may be more valuable to simply showcase the five most expensive Dinosaurs in Magic at this point in time.
Do note that we will not be including new cards from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan on this list yet. Because the set has not officially released, these cards are likely still far more expensive than what they will be valued once the set hits shelves. Due to the potentially misleading nature of these prerelease prices, we feel that this could be an inaccurate depiction of what they’re truly worth.
Let’s take a look!
Honorable Mention: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
While these shorter ‘most expensive’ lists tend to be a top 5, there are a ton of different Dinosaur cards that are all floating around the $10-12 mark. For that reason, I decided to instead feature one of the two Dinosaurs seeing a huge secondary market increase at the moment.
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship can be found in the Timey-Wimey Doctor Who EDH deck. Synergizing extremely well with Time Travel, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship may be one of the few cards you actually want to add Time Counters to. Every time a Time Counter is removed from Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, a 2/2 Red and White Dino with Haste and Flying is created.
This puts Dinosaurs on a Spaceship in a weird spot for some EDH decks. Most of this card’s value resides in creating a ton of Dinos and buffing them all on impact. While it can still function as a lord in Kindred Dinosaur decks, $12 can likely be spent on more impactful cards. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was only worth $4 about a week and a half ago.
#4 Gishath, Sun’s Avatar
How the mighty have fallen! Before Gishath, Sun’s Avatar had a reprint announced in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, this Dino was a $40 card! This only draws more attention to just how amazing of a reprint Gishath truly was. With all the attention the Dinosaur archetype is receiving, many MTG players may be eager to try their hand at a Gishath EDH deck, which would have only driven prices further. Good job Wizards!
All Gishath needs to do is connect with an opponent once to unleash hell onto the board. Double Strike is particularly deadly with this card. Embercleave, Duelist’s Heritage, and other similar options can allow you to dig 16 cards (or more) deep into your deck, playing every single Dinosaur you see.
Thanks to the main set reprint of Gishath, Sun’s Avatar in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, the card has a secondary market value floating around $15 at the moment.
#3 Displaced Dinosaurs
Despite this Dinosaur just being an uncommon, it definitely takes a spot on our list. Honestly, the uncommon rarity of Displaced Dinosaurs is a little misleading because this card is part of the Doctor Who Universes Beyond crossover. Found in the Blast From the Past preconstructed deck, considered the best strategy out-of-box for that set, Displaced Dinosaurs can turn any mundane Historic permanent into a scary beater. This, most notably, means that artifact tokens like Treasure Tokens, Food and Clue Tokens will enter as 7/7 creatures.
It’s not just tokens, though! Any Historic permanent, meaning Legendary cards, artifacts and Sagas, will enter as 7/7 creatures. This raw power gives Displaced Dinosaurs a secondary market value of about $16.
Read More: Crazy Second MTG Set Release Creates New $100 Card!
#2 Trapjaw Tyrant
Trapjaw Tyrant wouldn’t have popped on this list prior to The Lost Caverns of Ixalan spoiler season. It has been revealed, however, that this Dino is not seeing a reprint in any way, shape or form. As a result, this Rivals of Ixalan Mythic Rare is seeing a huge spike in price on the secondary market.
Enrage is a central keyword to the Dinosaur archetype. Dealing these Dinos damage without killing them, especially in repeatable bursts, can generate a ton of value. If you want to remove your opponent’s pesky creatures, dealing damage to Trapjaw Tyrant essentially Leyline Binding’s them out of the game until Trapjaw Tyrant is removed.
This is, undeniably, a powerful removal ability when exploited. This, combined with the hype for Dinosaur creatures and the lack of a reprint for Trapjaw Tyrant means that this card is currently selling for $27 on average over on TCGplayer. For reference, Trapjaw was a $9 card two weeks ago.
#1 Polyraptor
There are a few cards in MTG that go infinite if you happen to sneeze the wrong way. Polyraptor is one of those cards.
Whenever you deal damage to a Polyraptor, another copy of the creature is created. This creates a whole bunch of ridiculous hijinks, resulting in Polyraptor being abused a lot. Marauding Raptor, and other effects that damage a creature on entry, will create an infinite number of Polyraptors. Just make sure you have a way to stop the loop. Otherwise, all your work will be for naught, as your game will end in a draw.
One new infinite combo created entirely of Dinosaurs using a new Lost Caverns of Ixalan card manages to create a true infinite that will kill your opponent. You can read about that here.
Despite Polyraptor seeing a reprint in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, it’s as a Mythic Rare on the new Special Guests List reprints. These will likely be exceedingly rare, meaning the card’s $30 secondary market value is unlikely to be affected much.
Read More: Most Expensive List Cards in MTG The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
