Over the years, you’ve probably overheard players mention the MTG Power Nine in some capacity. This group of cards remain some of the most iconic in existence, despite first being printed over 30 years ago. In fact, on MTG Arena and coming soon to paper in Mystery Booster 2, there’s a card called Oracle of the Alpha that Conjures the Power Nine into your library!
This is very cool, but to newer players, may sound like a foreign concept. With this in mind, today, we’re going to talk about the Power Nine and its role in MTG. These cards are all insanely powerful, so let’s take a closer look at them.
What is the MTG Power Nine?
The MTG Power Nine refers specifically to nine incredible rares that first appeared in Alpha back in 1993. Each of these cards have been printed in Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited. These remain the only sets where players can obtain tournament-legal versions of the Power Nine. These cards are on The Reserved List, meaning they won’t be receiving tournament-legal reprints.
The nine rares in question are Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Timetwister, as well as the five original Moxen (Mox Emerald, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Mox Jet, and Mox Pearl). The main reason these cards are so significant is that they are absolutely broken in Constructed play. The only major Constructed format where players can utilize these cards is Vintage. Even there, players are restricted to only playing one copy each.
The only small exception is that Timetwister is legal in Commander. Timetwister, generally considered the weakest of the Power Nine cards, doesn’t see as much Vintage play as the other Power Nine members.
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How Much Do The Power Nine Cards Cost?
As you might expect, because these cards are both in low supply and are absurdly strong, they are worth quite a bit of money. The Alpha versions of each card generally sell for more than Beta variants, which typically sell for more than Unlimited counterparts. This is due to the fact that Alpha had the smallest print run.
That being said, card condition matters a ton when figuring out the value of these elite collectibles. Let’s take Black Lotus, for example. Black Lotus is on average the most expensive piece of the Power Nine. Just recently on August 7, 2024, a damaged copy sold for $8,500 on TCGPlayer. A few weeks prior, a lightly played copy went for $14,500. Beta versions often sell for $20,000+, while Alpha variants can go for significantly more.
Most copies of Black Lotus you’ll see nowadays, though, are not in top-notch condition. This means that highly graded copies can go for a ton more money. To put this in perspective, back in April 2024, an Alpha Black Lotus that received a perfect Pristine 10 rating from CGC cards, sold for a whopping $3,000,000! For reference, this is more than the one-of-one Serialized copy of The One Ring sold for. As you can see, the upper limit on Power Nine sales is through the roof.
Nonetheless, if condition isn’t a major concern, you can pick up Unlimited copies of the Power Nine cards for much less money. Recent sales of Unlimited Ancestral Recalls went from $3,000 to $5,000, while the most recent Unlimited Time Walk sale was for just over $2,000. Most Unlimited Moxen sales have been between $1,000 and $4,000.
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Appearance on MTG Arena
Interestingly, the iconic Power Nine cards are all on MTG Arena thanks to the presence of Oracle of the Alpha. Oracle of the Alpha appeared as part of the Alchemy: Dominaria release. This implementation gives newer players the chance to get a feel for how incredible these cards are in a digital setting without spending a fortune. Since then, some other cards, such as Ruby Collector, have appeared on MTG Arena that also reference The Power Nine in some capacity.
With Oracle of the Alpha coming to paper in Mystery Booster 2, though, players may have the opportunity to utilize these broken cards in a draft environment. It’s cool to see this collection of iconic designs continue to have an influence on MTG.
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