The Ancient One
LCIThe Lost Caverns of Ixalan/#319/2023Mythic
Colour IDMV 2
Current paper retail
Card Kingdom$1.99
Cardmarket€1.39
ManaPool$1.01
TCGplayer$2.03
Buylist (dealers pay)
Card Kingdom$0.50
MTGO (Cardhoarder)
retail$0.03 tix
Paper retail history (USD)
3 providers
Latest $1.99High $2.49Low $1.49▲ 33.6%
Market and collecting
Market overview
$2.03TCGplayer, USD, retail, nonfoil
Latest observation: 2026-11-10
7d▼ 0.5%30d▼ 9.8%90d▼ 22.2%
90d high
$2.61
90d low
$1.93
Paper printings priced
4
Currently 2nd
Cheapest paper printing
$1.98
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Promos
- Down 9.8% over the last 30 days on TCGplayer.
- Currently 22% below its 90 day high of $2.61.
- This printing is the 2nd cheapest paper printing currently priced (4 priced in total).
- Foil copies of this printing carry a 133% premium over nonfoil.
Find this printing on eBayView on TCGplayerAffiliate. MTGPrices may earn from qualifying eBay and TCGplayer purchases.
Collect
Play
Compare printings (4 priced)
Gameplay and rules
Legendary Creature — Spirit God
Descend 8 — The Ancient One can't attack or block unless there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
: Draw a card, then discard a card. When you discard a card this way, target player mills cards equal to its mana value.
8 / 8
Keywords
DescendMill
Card capabilities
Derived deterministically from card types, Oracle text and keywords. Not a strategic evaluation.
Format legality
Primary formats
Eternal formats
Rulings (4)
wotc10 Nov 2023
You don't choose a target for The Ancient One's activated ability at the time you activate it. Rather, a second "reflexive" ability triggers when you discard a card this way. You choose a target for that ability as it goes on the stack. Each player may respond to this triggered ability as normal.
wotc10 Nov 2023
Cards with the ability word "descend N" have abilities that care if you have at least N permanent cards in your graveyard.
wotc10 Nov 2023
Once The Ancient One has legally attacked or blocked, removing permanent cards from your graveyard so the descend 8 ability no longer applies won't remove The Ancient One from combat.
wotc10 Nov 2023
Some descend triggered abilities include intervening "if" clauses (i.e. "if you have [four or eight] permanent cards in your graveyard" in the middle of the ability). Each of these abilities checks your graveyard at the moment it would trigger to see if it does. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability doesn't trigger at all. If it does trigger, it will check again as it tries to resolve. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability won't resolve and none of its effects will happen.
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Ranked by shared capabilities, colour identity, mana value and type. Never by strategic judgement.
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Shares Card draw, Creature, Legendary creatureOverlapping colour identity
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About this card
The Ancient One
The Ancient One is a Legendary Creature — Spirit God, with mana cost {U}{B} (mana value 2). Printed 4 times across MTG sets.
Format legality: Commander: legal, Modern: legal, Standard: legal, Pioneer: legal, Legacy: legal, Pauper: not_legal.
Current headline price on TCGplayer: $2.03 (down 9.8% over 30 days).
Frequently asked
The Ancient One FAQ
How much is The Ancient One worth?
The current TCGplayer USD retail price for The Ancient One is $2.03. It is down 9.8% over the last 30 days. Over 90 days it has ranged from $1.93 to $2.61.
What is the cheapest printing of The Ancient One?
The cheapest currently priced paper printing is from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Promos at $1.98 on TCGplayer.
What is the most expensive printing of The Ancient One?
The most expensive currently priced paper printing is from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Promos at $4.27 on TCGplayer.
How many printings of The Ancient One are there?
The Ancient One has been printed 4 times in English paper sets that MTGPrices tracks.
What set was The Ancient One first printed in?
The earliest English paper printing that MTGPrices tracks is from LCI #319, released 2023-11-17.
Is there a foil version of The Ancient One?
Yes. On this printing, foil copies trade at $4.72 versus $2.03 for nonfoil, which is 133% more expensive on TCGplayer.
Is The Ancient One legal in Commander?
Yes, The Ancient One is currently legal in Commander per Scryfall's legality feed.
Is The Ancient One legal in Modern?
Yes, The Ancient One is currently legal in Modern per Scryfall's legality feed.