These 15 Avatar x MTG Cards Are Shockingly Expensive, One Ultra-Rare Pull Is Worth Over $5,000
Although there will be another big release for Magic: The Gathering on December 5, for now, all eyes are peeled on the new Avatar set, how powerful its cards are, and which are the biggest hits to pull. This is true for most new sets, but there is a certain level of hype surrounding MTG‘s Avatar set that has a lot to do with the quality of the cards and how the IP blends with the existing multiverse and high-fantasy setting of the TCG. There is also a lot of discourse surrounding how OP MTG‘s Badgermole Cub is in Standard, to the point that some players are preemptively calling for a ban ahead of tournaments.
Considering the hype and gameplay value of some cards, it doesn’t come as a surprise that many new Magic: The Gathering cards from the Avatar set are reaching pretty high prices across the board. In the case of Avatar, the 15 most expensive cards would cost an eye-watering $4,230 to purchase, and that’s just one copy each — and without considering the most expensive card of the bunch, which goes for a staggering $5,300 on its own. These are the 15 most expensive Avatar cards in MTG, from the cheapest to the priciest.
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15
15 – Redirect Lightning
Redirect Lightning is a particularly powerful card to collect, and it’s already being included in various decks and formats. MTG‘s Redirect Lightning fills the niche of a 1-mana target swap for Red, making it incredibly useful and potentially game-breaking in some decks. Considering that Red mainly has interaction in the form of direct damage, artifact removal, and the like, a 1-mana redirect is nothing to scoff at, and this is evident in Redirect Lightning’s costs.
Redirect Lightning’s Value in MTG
14
14 – Fated Firepower
Another powerful Red card in MTG‘s new set, Fated Firepower is an enchantment that costs 3 Red and X. It has flash, meaning it can be played like an instant, and it enters with X fire counters on it based on the mana spent to play it. Then, it allows sources controlled by the owner that deal damage to an opponent or permanent to deal that much damage plus the number of fire counters of Fated Firepower, meaning that 3 counters would make a 1/1 creature deal 4 damage, instead. This is very strong and comes in three versions.
Fated Firepower’s Value in MTG
13
13 – The Legend of Roku // Avatar Roku
The third Red card in a row, The Legend of Roku is actually a saga. While The Legend of Roku is not extremely powerful on its own, allowing you to play the top three cards of your library on the first turn and adding one mana of any color to your pool on the second turn, it transforms into Avatar Roku on the third turn. This is a 4/4 creature with firebending 4, meaning it adds 4 Red mana when attacking, and or 8 generic mana, you can create a 4/4 dragon creature token with flying and firebending 4. This is basically an outlet for firebending mana in MTG, and it can start ramping infinitely the more dragons you create.
The Legend of Roku // Avatar Roku’s Value in MTG
12
12 – The Walls of Ba Sing Se
A popular card ahead of Avatar’s release due to the combos with MTG‘s precon Commander deck for Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Abzan Armor, and other cards that use a creature’s toughness in creative ways, The Walls of Ba Sing Se is actually a strong mythic rare. It costs 8 mana for a 0/30 creature with defender that also makes your other permanents indestructible, so it can be quite a pain to deal with for opponents. There are many ways to make this card become a huge threat, like Arcades, the Strategist, Doran, the Siege Tower, and Bedrock Tortoise.
The Walls of Ba Sing Se’s Value in MTG
11
11 – The Legend of Kyoshi // Avatar Kyoshi
Much like The Legend of Roku and its Avatar Roku flipside, The Legend of Kyoshi // Avatar Kyoshi is a saga that transforms into a legendary creature in MTG. The former has a powerful, classic effect for Green cards, drawing you cards equal to the greatest power among creatures you control on its first turn, and on the second, it earthbends X, where X is the number of cards in your hand. The land chosen for earthbending also becomes an Island. Finally, on the third turn, it becomes 5/4 Avatar Kyoshi, which gives your lands trample and hexproof, and then it can also be tapped to add X mana of one color based on the greatest power among creatures you control.
The Legend of Kyoshi // Avatar Kyoshi’s Value in MTG
10
10 – Fire Lord Azula
One of the main villains in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Zuko’s own sister, Azula appears in various ways in the Avatar set, like the returning lesson cards in the form of Azula Always Lies, and as a creature whose story arc reaches its climax with Fire Lord Azula. This Grixis card is a 4-CMC 4/4 creature with firebending 2 and the ability to let you copy any spells you cast while Fire Lord Azula is attacking. This naturally combos with firebending, and it can be very powerful in formats where cards like MTG‘s Lightning Bolt are legal.
Fire Lord Azula’s Value in MTG
9
9 – Appa, Steadfast Guardian
The main subject of the so-called Appa lands in Avatar’s MTG set, Appa is a beloved character from the series. In Magic, it’s a 4-CMC 3/4 creature with flash and flying, and it also has the ability to airbend any number of other nonland permanents you control, which can be a great defensive tool against a board wipe or a combat trick of sorts. On top of that, it also makes you create a 1/1 creature token whenever you cast spells from exile, which is the point of airbending. This mechanic can also be used offensively to slow your opponents down, but Appa’s ability is only defensive in this specific case.
Appa, Steadfast Guardian’s Value in MTG
8
8 – Ozai, the Phoenix King
Ozai, the Phoenix King is a Rakdos card in MTG that costs 6 mana total (2 generic, 2 Black, 2 Red) for a 7/7 creature with trample, haste, and firebending 4. Additionally, unspent mana becomes Red, instead, and Ozai gains both flying and indestructible if you have six or more unspent mana. With firebending, this can become a powerful creature on its own, and it technically repays for 66% of its mana cost the turn it’s played, as it costs 6 mana but generates 4 with firebending. While it may not see as much play as other cards on this list, it’s still quite powerful in the right decks.
Ozai, the Phoenix King’s Value in MTG
7
7 – Badgermole Cub
Already a breakout card in the meta after MTG‘s ban of Vivi Ornitier and other cards on November 10, Badgermole Cub is proving to be an extremely powerful pick in most decks and formats. It can give fetchlands a lot more value by earthbending them, making them return to play for incredible landfall combos, and it can make mana dorks and earthbent lands very efficient for otherworldly mana ramp. It’s simply one of the best cards in the entire set, if not the single best, and it’s already quite hard to come by with a rising price on all sites.
Badgermole Cub’s Value in MTG
6
6 – Wan Shi Tong, Librarian
Another potential candidate for best card in the set, and certainly among the top 5, is Wan Shi Tong, Librarian. This card is simply wonderful to use in various decks and formats thanks to its flash, flying, and vigilance keywords, as well as the fact that it can act as a draw engine that becomes more powerful over time if opponents use tutor-like abilities. MTG‘s Wan Shi Tong, Librarian decks mostly use it as a stax piece of sorts that can also easily attack and block when it becomes more powerful. This is unbelievably easy to achieve in formats like Modern and Commander, with the latter even having a turn cycle that comprises 4 people, meaning that Wan Shi Tong can become a powerhouse if left unattended.