Every year, Magic: The Gathering introduces countless new cards to the game, giving players a wide range of new tools to use when building decks. As a collectible trading card game, many of the most useful and rare cards that are released can demand notable price tags on the secondary market. So today, we’re going to examine the most valuable cards that were released throughout 2020!
Before we begin, it should be noted that the price of Magic cards (especially those that have been released recently) tend to fluctuate over time. Bearing this in mind, the prices that appear for the cards on this list are their prices in January of 2021 according to their listings on Scryfall.com. Additionally, this list is only factoring brand new cards that were released in 2020, not preexisting cards that had been reprinted.
10 Sakashima Of A Thousand Faces: $17.00
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces is a blue mythic from Commander Legends and is one of the many partner commanders released in that set. For four mana, Sakashima can enter the battlefield as a copy of any other creature its owner controls, and negates the “Legend Rule” as long as it’s in play. This means that a player can have as many copies of the same legendary creature in play as they want, making it a sought after card for players looking to make a Commander deck around cloning effects.
9 Kroxa, Titan Of Death’s Hunger: $20.00
Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger is one of the two Legendary Elder Giants released in Theros: Beyond Death. A Rakdos creature for only two mana, upon entering the battlefield, Kroxa is immediately sacrificed if it wasn’t put into play using the escape mechanic.
However, as it has an enter the battlefield trigger that causes each opponent to discard a card, this lets it function similarly to a sorcery the first time it is cast. Then once a player decides to play Kroxa from their graveyard using the escape mechanic, they are treated to this trigger again, with the added benefit of a 6/6 creature!
8 Biollante, Plant Beast Form: $21.00
The set Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is one based around massive powerful monsters. It uniquely featured a special crossover with the Godzilla franchise, where players were capable of obtaining alternate versions of cards from the set that changed the card’s art and name while maintaining its original rules text. Many of these cards are quite sought after due to their rarity and the iconography of the Godzilla franchise.
Biollante, Plant Beast Form is one such card, appearing as an alternate version of the card, Nethroi, Apex of Death. An Abzan 5/5 with deathtouch and lifelink for the cost of five mana, whenever this card mutates, it’s controller returns any number of creatures with total power 10 or less from their graveyard to the battlefield!
7 Hullbreacher: $22.00
One of the strongest new cards for the Commander format released in 2020, Hullbreacher is a merfolk pirate for three mana that allows a player to turn an opponent’s card draw into value for one’s self. A 3/2 with flash, Hullbreacher states that if an opponent would draw a card other than their first draw each turn, Hullbreacher’s controller creates a treasure token instead. This card is capable of interrupting an opponent while getting one’s self ahead, making it quite sought after.
6 Rick, Steadfast Leader: $24.00
Rick, Steadfast Leader is one of the cards released as part of Secret Lair: The Walking Dead, one of the most controversial products ever released by Wizards of the Coast. A crossover with The Walking Dead, this was a limited time release that unlike the Godzilla cards such as the previously released Biollante, toted their own unique rules text.
As a card, Rick is a stellar mono-white human tribal card, allowing its controller to chose two of three keywords to provide all of their human with. Additionally, as long as Rick’s controller has four or more humans in play, all humans they control get +2/+2.
5 Deflecting Swat: $32.00
A relatively straightforward card from Commander 2020, Deflecting Swat allows its controller to choose new targets for a spell or ability. While this ability is not one that is brand new to Magic, Deflecting Swat features a clause that states that it may be cast for free if its caster controls their commander! This means that this spell can often be cast completely for free, redirecting powerful auras to one’s own creatures, or turning removal back on an opponent.
4 Ghidorah, King Of The Cosmos: $36.00
Another of the Godzilla variation cards from Ikoria, Ghidorah, King of the Cosmos is an alternate version of Illuna, Apex of Wishes. A Temur 6/6 with flying and trample for five mana, whenever this card mutates, its controller exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile a non-land permanent card. They are then able to put that card directly onto the battlefield! With a strong ability and art of one of the most popular Godzilla characters, it’s not hard to see why this card is currently $36.00!
3 Fierce Guardianship: $36.00
Like deflecting swat, Fierce Guardianship is an instant from Commander 2020 that can be cast for free as long as its caster controls their commander! A counterspell that is capable of countering any non-creature spell, as this card is often castable for free, it is currently viewed as one of the strongest counters in the entire Commander format.
2 Uro, Titan Of Nature’s Wrath: $43.00
Like the previously mentioned Kroxa, Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath is an Elder Giant that is automatically sacrificed if it is put into play without having escaped. While Kroxa’s enter the battlefield trigger causes an opponent to discard a card, this Simic card provides absurd amounts of value, gaining its controller three life, drawing them a card, and allowing them to play an additional land. The sheer unbridled value that Uro provides led to its banning in Standard, though it still sees play in a variety of formats, leading to its $43.00 price tag.
1 Jeweled Lotus: $72.00
The most expensive card in Magic: The Gathering’s history is the iconic Black Lotus. An artifact for zero mana, Black Lotus can be sacrificed to create three mana of any one color, immediately allowing a player to cast costly spells, leaving an opponent in the dust.
Released in Commander Legends, Jeweled Lotus is a card that is quite similar to the original iconic card, but with a major restriction: the mana it creates can only be used to cast a Commander. That said, if this card is in a player’s opening hand in a game of Commander, they gain access to a huge head start!
