The Rarest Magic: The Gathering cards

Why does it matter if a card is rare?

You could be sitting on a goldmine! The rarest MTG cards are worth life-changing amounts of money. In most cases, you’d have to have been playing for a long time to have them, but it’s worth having a flick through your collection. Even if you don’t have the rarest MTG cards on this list, you might find some other rarities to cash-in. Thankfully, the impact on players is relatively small; most of these cards are banned across virtually all formats, and in the places where they are legal, the use of proxies is often not just allowed, but encouraged!

What makes a card rare?

There are several factors that impact whether a card is among the rarest MTG cards of all time, from the size of the print run to the grading of the card, autographs to misprints, but the biggest one is the Reserved List. Back in the early days of the game, Wizards of the Coast created a list of cards that they will never reprint to preserve their collectability and value. While the power level of some cards on the Reserved List are laughable by today’s standards, others are among the most powerful in the game. As the number of players grows, the number of Reserved List cards remain static (at best), and prices increase.

The rarest MTG cards (source: MTGGoldfish/Dicebreaker)

As we mentioned earlier, there are several different ways to win in the Pokemon TCG. Before choosing the cards for your deck, it is important to have a strategy for your deck and build around that. Your core strategy may be that you are going to take all 6 prize cards as quickly as possible and so you need a deck which is going to consistently set up.

15. Foil Intuition (Judge Promo) – Peak Price $4,999.99

I remember looking into the price of Intuition recently, and my jaw hitting the floor at the $150 price tag of the Tempest instant. The judge foil – the only foil version of the card – has peaked at almost $5,000. Intuition looks innocuous, but it lets broken things happen; at the end of your opponent’s turn you can search up any three cards, usually the same card, to find your combo piece or whatever else you need. As an investment, we know it’s on the Reserved List so won’t be reprinted, but the fact the cheaper version is available could hold back its growth somewhat.

14. Mox Jet (Alpha) – Peak Price $11,999.99

The first of four Moxes on the list, Mox Jet is the black iteration and, together with the others, are among the most iconic cards in the game. Not only do the Moxes feature on the Reserved List, they make up more than half of the Power Nine. Their power comes from the free mana they provide, while sometimes the fact they are artifacts too is highly relevant, e.g. to sacrifice to Tinker. Those from Alpha typically command the greatest value, and if you’ve the cash to spare and invest, the Moxes will surely be a good investment over the long term.

13. Mox Sapphire (Beta) – Peak Price $14,999

There’s not much to say that’s not been covered above, other than we’re talking about the blue mana here, historically Magic’s most powerful colour, especially in the formats where Mox Sapphire is legal.

12. Timetwister (Alpha) – Peak Price $14,999.99

For a long time Timetwister was the joke of the Power Nine, with a power level considerably lower than the other eight. Commander changed that; with it being the only one of the nine playable in the format, it’s arguably the most playable rare card on this list. Providing an amazing rate of seven cards for three mana, Timetwister leads to very broken plays. A Commander ban would lead to a dip in price, but its use by players is restricted by its scarcity (Reserved List), so I can’t see that happening any time soon.

11. Mox Emerald (Alpha) – Peak Price $16,000

Everything said for the previous Moxes goes for Mox Emerald too. Interestingly this is the only hint of the colour green on the list – forests just weren’t that great back in the day.

10. Underground Sea (Alpha) – Peak Price $16,999.69

The first of two dual lands on the list, Underground Sea is part of a land cycle that’s arguably the most powerful in Magic’s history. Providing two mana types on a single land that comes into play untapped, and has both basic land types, make the original duals the best in the game, and of course it’s the blue ones that are most desired. All duals are on the Reserved List and required for Legacy and Vintage as well as Commander. The duals will surely always be a sound investment.

9. Time Walk (Alpha) – Peak Price $17,000

Time Walk is as exciting to a new player as it is to a seasoned pro, who know that sometimes playing it early and getting a land-drop ahead can swing a game. The card is so iconic that ‘Time-walking’ has become magic slang for anything that negates an opponent’s turn. Even though it’s banned almost everywhere, it’s place on the Reserved List and among the Power Nice means it’s always going to be highly desired.

8. Volcanic Island (Beta) – Peak Price $19,888

The other dual land on the list is of course another blue land. Everything said previously about the duals applies here, with Volcanic Island adding red mana to blue to unlock the powerful combination of burn and counter spells, helping to make Izzet Delver the most powerful deck in Legacy. Fun fact, there was no Volcanic Island in Alpha, so this was its first printing.

7. Ancestral Recall (Alpha) – Peak Price 19,999.99

One blue for three cards is an insane rate. The fact that Brainstorm is a Legacy staple, and arguably even too good for that format, helps demonstrate how ridiculous Ancestral Recall is. Add in that it’s Power Nine and on the Reserved List, it’s not hard to recall why this is one of the rarest MTG cards.

6. Mox Ruby (Alpha) – Peak price: $20,975

Mox Ruby is the third Mox on the list and you’re seeing a theme…

5. Black Lotus (Beta) – Peak price: $81,000

You may be surprised to see Black Lotus at number five but, spoiler alert, it’s not the only time the mana-producing artifact makes the list. This is the Beta version, a little cheaper than its Alpha sibling.

4. Copy Artifact (Beta) – Peak price: $100,000.77

Copy Artifact may look innocuous, but copying the best artifact on the board is powerful, especially in Commander (nice Blightsteel Colossus!). Combine that with it being on the Reserved List, and it’s a solid investment option.

3. Lord of the Pit (Alpha) – Peak price: $105,000

The biggest monster in Alpha, Lord of the Pit is iconic, and as an Alpha rare, there were just over 1,000 copies printed. Investors should be cautious though; Lord of the Pit is not on the Reserved List, it’s not a playable card today, and versions are available for under £10! The context for LOTP reaching this price was its pristine ‘10’ condition – of which there are only three in the world.

2. Mind Twist (Beta) – Peak price: $208,940.97

Mind Twist is depressing for your opponent. Possibly the most powerful discard spell of all time, it was a key part of ‘The Deck’ – the first control deck based around card advantage, with mana accelerants helping to empty your opponent’s hand. Despite being iconic, Mind Twist is not on the Reserved List, and not playable in many places, meaning its peak value is always going to be hindered outside of those in perfect condition.

1. Black Lotus – Peak price: $615,000

It would feel wrong for anything else to top the list and, at least until The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth drops, The Black Lotus is the rarest card in MTG. A powerful artifact that provides a burst of three mana, the Black Lotus allows busted plays to happen. Only around 1,000 were printed in Alpha, and not many of those survived in good condition. An artist proof for Black Lotus from Beta fetched $615,000 in March 2023, becoming the most valuable Magic: The Gathering card ever sold at auction. With an 8.5 grading and autograph by artist Christopher Rush, who passed away in 2026, the fact it’s an artist proof adds to the scarcity.