The market is ready to welcome the newest Magic: The Gathering expansion -- Dominaria. The power level of the set is very high, and there are lots of surprises ahead. For example, you will find some uncommon and rare cards to be more expensive than some of the mythic rares.
But that is only the current reaction of the market to these cards. Only time will tell which ones will actually stay as valuable as they are today. If you want to have an idea of what to expect in this highly volatile environment, then read on for our guide to the 11 most expensive cards in Dominaria.
Damping Sphere
- Current price: $4.39
This little artifact is only an uncommon card, but the potential power level is unbelievably high. Damping Sphere will definitely soar in price after the release due to its ability to counter two of the most powerful decks in Modern: Tron and Storm.
The fact that it's colorless makes it viable in every single deck. You will see all four copies of Damping Sphere in each sideboard. Even Legacy players will have it against decks that run Mishra's Workshop.
All in all, the current price is a bit of a joke because many people still don't believe that a card so strong could exist. But it will go up without a doubt!
Steel Leaf Champion
- Current price: $4.94
Elves in Modern is a very powerful deck in the right hands, and now it can become even faster with the help of Steel Leaf Champion. It can be summoned through Collected Company on turn two already.
There are lots of Elves players, so this card will experience a spike in popularity after the release. But there is also a possibility for revamped Stompy decks -- it's just a perfect card for them.
All these Modern archetypes need something like Steel Leaf Champion, especially against Valakut decks, which can be very hard to deal with. So the solution is in even faster, more aggressive creatures like this one.
History of Benalia
- Current price: $17.45
Here's a card that already makes all Standard players shiver. History of Benalia will bring mono-white decks with knight tokens to a top-tier row. It offers a new level of counter-aggression against all current mono-red and energy decks.
Another good thing about this Saga is that it is not legendary, which means you can stack them. This will lead people to buy as many copies as they can put in one deck, which will result in price spikes.
The foil versions should be super expensive as well due to the mind-boggling art of Noah Bradley.
Karn, Scion of Urza
- Current price: $35.39
Welcome a new Affinity lord in Modern -- Karn, Scion of Urza. This planeswalker is going to be busted in all artifact-based decks. It is currently the most expensive card in the entire Dominaria expansion, and it will only get pricier.
But Modern is not the only option, as Karn will be just as good in Standard. Decks with Tezzeret and Hidden Stockpile will snatch this planeswalker the moment it appears on shelves. So be prepared for some token infestations in this meta.
All this makes Karn, Scion of Urza one of the most investment-friendly cards from Dominaria.
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
- Current price: $13.53
Right now Teferi is priced rather highly for a planeswalker that fits only in control decks. It could go both ways for Teferi, but most likely it'll stay where it's at right now. The card just doesn't have a strong punchline to make it really special.
With all that said, you will still see it in specific builds, including in Modern. Just imagine what it can do in combination with Mana Drain and an instant card draw spell.
It will never be as good as Jace, of course, but it will certainly find its niche in the market.
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
- Current price: $7.49
If you play EDH format, then be sure to buy several copies of Muldrotha as early as possible -- this is going to become a very expensive commander. People are already pre-ordering foils like hot cakes, so Muldrotha is sure to soar up in price.
Sultai decks in Standard will try it too, although there is no definite answer if this is going to perform better than the current graveyard lord, The Scarab God.
It really depends on the quality of the deckbuilding, but for the time being, it's set to be the best commander in Dominaria.
Lyra Dawnbringer
- Current price: $11.44
Angel tribal decks now have a new way to settle the score. Whether it's in Standard, EDH, or Modern, this card will be a number-one choice for your angel-based decks.
It counters Glorybringer and Phoenix in Standard, which will make it a number-one problem for all red decks. However, this will mostly see play in EDH due to a vast number of available angels in the format.
So here's another commander for you, which is worth every penny of your investment.
Mox Amber
- Current price: $27.93
Mox Amber is probably the most controversial card in Dominaria. As of now, it is priced pretty high for a new card, but that's only due to it being a Mox card. But will this perform as well as intended? We'll see.
Zero mana acceleration has always been a tasty choice in Magic, but Mox Amber has a few limitations that cannot be overlooked. You may notice that it fits perfectly into all the Storm decks that run Baral, a blue legendary creature. That's exactly what you need for such a popular deck.
But that's in Modern; while in Standard, you can combine it with Kari Zev. So now it does look very appealing, and it should stay in the current price range or so.
Phyrexian Scriptures
- Current price: $4.49
The second Saga in this list is another Standard bomb, but in a different way than History of Benalia. Where History took an aggressive approach, Phyrexian Scriptures hates on opponent's creatures and their graveyard.
This is an excellent counter against all Gift and Scarab God decks but isn't too good against artifact-based decks. So this is potentially a game-winning sideboard card, which means it won't get too expensive but will remain at a certain price level for the time being.
Jaya Ballard
- Current price: $5.48
Jaya may not be the most powerful planeswalker in the set, but all three of her abilities are super well synergized. Her second ability works especially well with the Hollow One and Drake Haven decks in Standard.
As for Modern, once again it's a perfect fit for the Storm decks. And if the game goes on for too long, then her ultimate ability will perform wonders when casting spells from your graveyard. But that's basically it!
Among all the planeswalkers in Dominaria, Jaya will be the least valuable one for sure.
Shalai, Voice of Plenty
- Current price: $7.19
It's not a surprise that this rare card is more expensive than most mythic rares in Dominaria. Shalai is the ultimate protector! In addition to her incredible abilities, Shalai is also an angel, which makes her a perfect partner for Lyra Dawnguard.
Together these two cards can create an angel tribal deck so powerful that many staple decks in Standard will have no chance against it. But Shalai will work on her own as well.
Modern Burn decks will have no way of removing your creatures from the table, thus rendering them useless. If you're not on board with this card yet, then you should reconsider your values.
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Most prices on these 11 cards will change, but others will stay where they are now. It's hard to predict which ones will grow in price, but you can always wait for the Pro Tour Dominaria and check the resulting prices afterwards. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for all things Magic: The Gathering!
Published: Apr 20, 2018 09:15 am