The Phyrexians are back with a vengeance.

Magic: The Gathering’s latest Standard set, Dominaria United, was released on September 9th, and takes players back to the plane of Dominaria, a place filled with familiar tribes, locations, and planeswalkers. Between 41 legendary creatures, returning mechanics, and the beginning of a four-set story arc, Dominaria United offers players a bevy of exciting and flavorful cards.

It’s no coincidence that Wizards of the Coast chose to release Dominaria United alongside the kickoff for MTG’s 30th-anniversary celebration. Lost Legends, Legends Retold, and the return of Phyrexians connect Dominaria United with beloved Dominaria-centric sets throughout MTG’s rich history. Anticipation for Dominaria United’s release only increased as card inclusions were revealed during its spoiler season.

Dominaria United contains several excellent cards for players to experiment with in Constructed formats, including Commander. Prices for many playable cards found in Dominaria United fluctuated considerably heading into release weekend. Since release, a handful of Dominaria United cards maintained premium price points compared to the rest of the set. Let’s review the ten most expensive regular version cards from Dominaria United.

#10 Plaza of Heroes

Plaza of Heroes

Dominaria United, Rare

Commander players are already aware of Plaza of Heroes, which has amassed over 4,000 decklist inclusions (and counting) on EDHREC. Plaza of Heroes offers a ton of value for a low barrier of entry. It can tap for one colorless mana, one mana of any color to cast a legendary spell, and one mana of any color among legendary permanents you control. In addition, you may pay three mana and exile Plaza of Heroes to give a target legendary creature hexproof and indestructible until the end of the turn. Plaza of Heroes is an acceptable inclusion in two-color Commander decks, and even better in three to five-color decks.

#9 Shivan Devastator

Shivan Devastator

Dominaria United, Mythic

Shivan Devastator is MTG’s first Dragon Hydra with an average market price of around $7. Shivan Devastator is an aggressive creature for XR with flying and haste that gets +1/+1 counters equal to X mana paid when cast. The scalability of Shivan Devastator enables it to be an early attacker or late-game closer. Currently, Standard players are testing Shivan Devastator in Mono Red and Gruul Counters decks. While black decks now dominate Standard’s post-rotation, Shivan Devastator has the opportunity to become a Standard all-star in time.

#8 Karn’s Sylex

Karn’s Sylex

Dominaria United, Mythic

Karn’s Sylex is one of Dominaria United’s legendary artifacts. For three mana, Karn’s Sylex enters the battlefield tapped and prevents players from paying life to cast spells or activate non-mana abilities. By paying X, tapping, and sacrificing Karn’s Sylex at sorcery speed, you can destroy each nonland permanent with mana value X or less. 

Nevinyrral’s Disk

Commander Masters, Rare

Karn’s Sylex looks similar to Nevinyrral’s Disk, with the addition of a static ability. Although Karn’s Sylex requires time and mana to destroy nonland permanents, its flexibility as a colorless artifact means it can slot into many decks. Preventing players from using life to cast spells or activate non-mana abilities is likely to become more relevant in Standard as The Brothers’ War, Phyrexia: All Will Be One, and March of the Machine release.

#7 Vesuvan Duplimancy

Vesuvan Duplimancy

Dominaria United, Mythic

Vesuvan Duplimancy is a four-mana blue enchantment with an impressive copy ability: whenever you cast a spell that targets only a single artifact or creature you control, create a token that’s a copy of that artifact or creature — except it’s not legendary. Note that Vesuvan Duplimancy’s ability triggers off any single target spell, including instants, sorceries, and enchantments.

Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief

Dominaria United, Rare

Dominaria United’s Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief feels designed to pair with Vesuvan Duplimancy. Making a token copy of Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief with Vesuvan Duplimancy’s ability doubles Ivy, Gleeful Spelltheif’s triggered ability when spells target another creature you control. Spells like Endless Evil, Bear Umbra, and Ancestral Mask are outstanding with Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief, Vesuvan Duplimancy, and another creature on your battlefield.

#6 Leyline Binding

Leyline Binding

Dominaria United, Rare

Leyline Binding is a white enchantment with flash and a current average market price of about $10. Typically, paying six mana for an enchantment that exiles a nonland permanent an opponent controls until it leaves the battlefield is a lackluster deal. However, the casting cost of Leyline Binding can get reduced to W if you control lands representing the five basic land types.

Market Price: $11.49

Market Price: $16.82

Market Price: $18.33

Excitingly, Triomes from Streets of New Capenna count as three basic land types. Having just one Triome under your control will reduce Leyline Binding’s casting cost to a reasonable three mana. Four and five-color decks such as Standard’s 5 Color Kami War and Modern’s Temur Creativity can cast Leyline Binding for one or two mana. If Leyline Binding continues to see competitive play, don’t expect its average market price to drop below $5 soon.

#5 Silverback Elder

Silverback Elder

Dominaria United, Mythic

Silverback Elder is a 5/7 Ape Shaman with an average market price of $10. Whenever you cast a creature spell with Silverback Elder on the battlefield, you get to choose one of three effects:

• Destroy Target Enhancement or Artifact.
• Look at the top five cards of your library. You may put a land card from among them onto the battlefield tapped. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
• You gain 4 life.

Incremental value from Silverback Elder’s ability can run away with the game if left unchecked. Silverback Elder fits nicely in Mono-Green and creature-heavy Commander decks. If you want a sizable threat with a powerful creature-centric ability, consider trying Silverback Elder.

#4 Serra Paragon

Serra Paragon

Dominaria United, Mythic

Hovering above a $15 price point is Serra Paragon, a four-mana mythic rare Angel in Dominaria United. Serra Paragon resembles Linvala, Keeper of Silence with its 3/4 body, flying ability, and casting cost. What sets Serra Paragon apart from other Angels is its ability that says once during each of your turns, you may play a land card from your graveyard or cast a permanent spell with a mana value of three or less from your graveyard. Whenever you utilize Serra Paragon’s ability, the land or permanent gains “When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it and you gain 2 life.”

Standard

Mardu Midrange

Market Price:$537.09

Maindeck, 60 cards

Sortsort deckCreature (14)

• 1Archangel of Wrath
• 4Bloodtithe Harvester
• 2Henrika Domnathi
• 1Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
• 2Serra Paragon
• 3Spirited Companion
• 1Tenacious Underdog

Planeswalker (3)

• 1Elspeth Resplendent
• 2The Wandering Emperor

Instant (6)

• 1Cut Down
• 3Infernal Grasp
• 2Voltage Surge

Artifact (1)

• 1Reckoner Bankbuster

Enchantment (11)

• 4Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
• 3The Meathook Massacre
• 4Wedding Announcement

Land (25)

• 4Caves of Koilos
• 1Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 4Haunted Ridge
• 3Plains
• 4Shattered Sanctum
• 3Sulfurous Springs
• 3Sundown Pass
• 2Swamp
• 1Takenuma, Abandoned Mire

Sideboard (15)

• 2Banishing Slash
• 2Burn Down the House
• 2Duress
• 1Edgar, Charmed Groom
• 2Farewell
• 1March of Otherworldly Light
• 2Reckoner Bankbuster
• 1Sanctuary Warden
• 2Temporary Lockdown

Serra Paragon works well in Midrange strategies, since its ability wants you to already have lands or permanents in the graveyard when it enters the battlefield. The above Mardu Midrange Standard decklist highlights a few outstanding permanents to cast from your graveyard. Fable of the Mirror-Breaker and Wedding Announcement are enchantments you may want to cast multiple times in a game. Re-casting Spirited Companion nets you an additional card and a blocker. Using the channel abilities of Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire and Takenuma, Abandoned Mire to later play as lands with Serra Paragon is useful.

#3 Timeless Lotus

Timeless Lotus

Dominaria United, Mythic

Before Dominaria United’s spoiler season, Mark Rosewater, Head Designer for MTG, dropped a hint about a new Lotus artifact in his Dominaria United teaser. Timeless Lotus is Dominaria United’s Lotus artifact that costs five mana, enters the battlefield tapped, and produces WUBRG.

Untapping with Timeless Lotus in Commander can double your available mana, enabling some explosive plays. Commander players may opt to include Timeless Lotus in their five-color decks led by Jodah, Archmage Eternal, Sisay, Weatherlight Captain, or The Ur-Dragon. New five-color commander options such as Jodah, the Unifier, Jenson Carthalion, Druid Exile, and Jared Carthalion provide more opportunities for Timeless Lotus to shine.

#2 Liliana of the Veil 

Liliana of the Veil

Dominaria United, Mythic

Liliana of the Veil is a 3-mana planeswalker with fantastic loyalty abilities. For +1 loyalty, Liliana of the Veil forces each player to discard a card. Her -2 loyalty ability causes a target player to sacrifice a creature. Liliana of the Veil’s -6 loyalty ability lets you separate all permanents that a target player controls into two piles. Then, that player sacrifices all permanents in the pile of their choice.

Liliana of the Veil’s spoiling in Dominaria United caught players’ attention due to its playability in Modern and a previous average market price of around $70. Reprinting a $70 card in a Standard set will ultimately lower its average market price due to extra supply entering the secondary market. Liliana of the Veil’s average market price did drop considerably post-release of Dominaria United. Still, Liliana of the Veil’s legality in Standard and Pioneer created new demand for the card.

Pioneer

Rakdos Midrange

Market Price:$386.10

Maindeck, 60 cards

Sortsort deckCreature (16)

• 4Bloodtithe Harvester
• 4Bonecrusher Giant// 
• 3Graveyard Trespasser
• 2Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
• 2Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger
• 1Tenacious Underdog

Planeswalker (3)

• 1Chandra, Torch of Defiance
• 2Liliana of the Veil

Sorcery (7)

• 3Dreadbore
• 4Thoughtseize

Instant (5)

• 1Abrade
• 4Fatal Push

Artifact (1)

• 1Unlicensed Hearse

Enchantment (4)

• 4Fable of the Mirror-Breaker

Land (24)

• 4Blightstep Pathway
• 4Blood Crypt
• 1Castle Locthwain
• 2Den of the Bugbear
• 4Haunted Ridge
• 2Hive of the Eye Tyrant
• 2Mountain
• 1Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• 2Swamp
• 1Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 1Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Sideboard (15)

• 1Abrade
• 2Duress
• 2Epic Downfall
• 3Go Blank
• 1Goblin Dark-Dwellers
• 1Lava Coil
• 1Liliana of the Veil
• 2Rending Volley
• 1Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
• 1Unlicensed Hearse

Recent Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO) tournament results show potential for Liliana of the Veil to become a format staple in Standard and Pioneer. It may be too early to conclude if Liliana of the Veil has a home in top-tier Standard and Pioneer decks. However, Liliana of the Veil’s power level and track record in Modern indicate that she could become a mainstay in the competitive metagame.

#1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

Dominaria United, Mythic

Surpassing Liliana of the Veil as the most expensive card in Dominaria United is Sheoldred, the Apocalypse. At four mana, Sheoldred, the Apocalypse comes with a 4/5 body, deathtouch, and exciting abilities. Sheoldred, the Apocalypse’s abilities say that whenever you draw a card, you gain two life; whenever your opponent draws a card, they lose two life.

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse’s potency in Constructed formats was unclear before Dominaria United’s release, since the Phyrexian Praetor does not immediately impact the game. However, doubts about Sheoldred, the Apocalypse’s playability dissipated as black decks including it appear to be dominating Standard. Additionally, Sheoldred is showing up in top-performing Pioneer decklists. Sheoldred, the Apocalypse may not stay a $40 card forever, but current demand shows players are willing to pay the price.