MTG Kaladesh Inventions | Aether Revolt
For graded card investors eyeing the MTG realm, the Kaladesh Inventions stands as a distinctive prospect. Launched in 2016, this series, though stemming from the Kaladesh and Aether Revolt expansions, carves its independent identity. Comprising 54 exceptional foil cards, it’s neither technically part of Kaladesh nor Aether Revolt.
Artistically, it mirrors the vibrant world of Kaladesh
The Inventions line serves as a standalone series of boosters, unleashing potent artifacts into the MTG universe. Artistically, it mirrors the vibrant world of Kaladesh, weaving Arabic-influenced aesthetics and steampunk elements, offering both collectors and Planeswalkers a mesmerizing visual treat. As a gem in the Masterpiece Series, the Inventions not only bolster a player’s game arsenal but do so with unparalleled artistic panache.
Their allure is undeniable.
While not as elusive as the premium mythic rares, these Masterpiece Series artifacts grace only 1 in 144 booster packs. This rarity makes them prized possessions, yet their playability is confined to specific legal circuits. Their shimmering foil finish heightens their artifact semblance, adding depth to gameplay.
But the critical question for potential investors: which of these unique cards hold the most investment potential, both as collectibles and strategic game-changers? Which are the crown jewels worth chasing?
Without any further ado, let’s jump into this list!
#10. Kaladesh Inventions – Static Orb Foil #26
- Card Name: Static Orb
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $420
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
Static Orb Utility
“Static Orb” is an artifact card with a long history in MTG. Its primary ability hinders players from fully untapping their permanents during their untap steps, thus serving as a potent control element in gameplay. Given its tactical significance in the game and its visually appealing design in the Kaladesh Inventions set, it’s a desirable card for both players and collectors.
Static Orb Value
PWCC Auctions sold the PSA 10 example shown above at auction in August 2023 for $420. Currently there are 36 PSA 10s in supply.
#9. Kaladesh Inventions Aether Revolt – Sword of Body & Mind Foil #50
- Card Name: Sword of Body & Mind
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions Aether Revolt
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $420
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
The Sword of Body & Mind Utility
“Sword of Body & Mind” is an equipment card in MTG that, when equipped to a creature, grants it +2/+2, protection from green and blue, and two potent abilities upon dealing combat damage to a player: creating a 2/2 Wolf creature token and forcing the opponent to mill ten cards from their library.
These dual effects not only strengthen the battlefield presence with an additional creature but also expedite the depletion of an opponent’s deck, offering a two-pronged approach to pressuring opponents both in terms of board state and resources.
The Sword of Body & Mind Value
PWCC Auctions sold the PSA 10 example above in August 2023 for $420. Currently there are a total of 16 PSA 10 examples of the Sword of Body & Mind.
#8. Kaladesh Inventions – Crucible of Worlds Foil #11
- Card Name: Crucible of Worlds
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $432
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
The Crucible of Worlds Utility
“Crucible of Worlds” is an artifact card in MTG that permits its controller to play land cards from their graveyard. This unique ability ensures a consistent land drop each turn, even after lands have been destroyed or discarded.
In decks that employ land destruction or self-milling strategies, or in games with prolonged land battles, “Crucible of Worlds” offers a significant advantage by optimizing land resources and facilitating combo plays that revolve around specific lands.
The Crucible of Worlds Value
PWCC Auctions sold the PSA 10 example above in August 2023 for $432. Currently there are a total of 15 PSA 10 examples of the Crucible of Worlds.
#7. Kaladesh Inventions Aether Revolt – Ensnaring Bridge Foil #37
- Card Name: Sword of Feast & Famine
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions Aether Revolt
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $492
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
Ensnaring Bridge Utility
“Ensnaring Bridge” is a key control card in MTG that restricts creatures with high power from attacking based on the number of cards in its controller’s hand. The fewer cards the player holds, the more creatures it restricts.
Artwork
The artwork by Florian de Gesincourt puts a mechanical spin on the prior edition’s more plant-like appearance. But at the end of the day, Ensaring Bridge remains one of the best late-game defensive tools.
Ensnaring Bridge Value
This dynamic makes it a potent defensive tool, especially in decks designed to maintain a low hand size. By limiting opponents’ ability to attack with their strongest creatures, “Ensnaring Bridge” offers a tactical advantage, often stalling opponents long enough for the controlling player to execute their win condition.
#6. Kaladesh Inventions – Sword of Feast & Famine Foil #28
- Card Name: Sword of Feast & Famine
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $750
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
The Sword of Feast & Famine Utility
The “Sword of Feast and Famine” is a powerful equipment card in MTG, offering equipped creatures protection from black and green. Its true strength lies in its dual effects when the equipped creature deals combat damage: forcing opponents to discard and allowing the player to untap all lands.
This combination disrupts opponent strategies while doubling resources, making the card highly versatile and a strategic asset in decks emphasizing consistent combat damage and high-cost spells or abilities.
The Sword of Feast & Famine Value
PWCC Auctions sold the PSA 10 example above in August 2023 for $750. Currently there are a total of 19 PSA 10 examples of the Sword of Feast & Famine.
#5. Kaladesh Inventions – Mox Opal Foil #28
- Card Name: Mox Opal
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $810
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
Mox Opal Utility
“Mox Opal” is a zero-mana artifact in MTG that can be tapped to produce one mana of any color, given you control three or more artifacts. This card provides a fast mana acceleration, especially in artifact-heavy decks, making it a highly sought-after piece in competitive play.
Mox Opal Artwork
The art for “Mox Opal” has been praised for its intricate design, and it’s crafted by the talented artist Volkan Baga, who is known for his detailed and realistic style, contributing to the visual appeal of many MTG cards.
Mox Opal Value
PWCC Auctions sold the PSA 10 example above in August 2023 for $810. Currently there are a total of 31 PSA 10 examples of the Sword of Feast & Famine.
#4. Kaladesh Inventions – Mana Vault Foil #17
- Card Name: Mox Opal
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $1,050
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
Mana Vault Utility
“Mana Vault” is a one-mana artifact in MTG that can be tapped to add three colorless mana to your mana pool, though it doesn’t untap during your next untap step. Instead, you can pay four mana to untap it during your upkeep, or it deals 1 damage to you if it remains tapped. Essentially, it’s a powerful mana accelerator that provides a substantial boost early in the game, but with a drawback if not managed properly.
Mana Vault Artwork
The artwork for “Mana Vault” has varied across its printings, but each rendition captures the essence of a mystical and potent artifact, adding to the card’s allure. Admittedly, the art in Kaladesh Inventions doesn’t quite live up to Mark Tedin’s original design from ’93. Still, it’s an update to a classic that reminds players that MTG continually reinvents itself while continuing with a defined tradition.
Mana Vault Value
A PSA 10 example sold by PWCC Auctions in August 2023 ended at $1,050. The value is up considerably from selling for $409 in October 2020. Currently there are 19 of the Mana Vault cards graded PSA 10.
#3. Kaladesh Inventions – Lotus Petal Foil #15
- Card Name: Lotus Petal
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $1,470
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
Lotus Petal Utility
“Lotus Petal” is an artifact in MTG that costs zero mana to play. Upon being tapped and sacrificed, it generates one mana of any color, mimicking the one-time-use functionality of the famed “Black Lotus,” albeit on a smaller scale. This provides players a burst of colored mana early in the game, allowing for potentially explosive starts.
Lotus Petal Artwork
Slawomir Maniak’s artwork gives us a detailed glimpse at the artifact, which combines the botanical and the mechanical into a true work of art and a fitting image from Kaladesh’s many intricate machines. The flavor text also gives a great peek inside Kaladesh’s complex energy technologies.
Lotus Petal Value
PWCC Auctions sold a PSA 10 recently in August 2023 for $1,470. There are currently 23 of the Lotus Petals graded PSA 10 gem mint condition.
#2. Kaladesh Inventions – Mana Crypt Foil #16
- Card Name: Lotus Petal
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $1,530
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
Mana Crypt Utility
“Mana Crypt” is a zero-cost artifact in Magic: The Gathering. When tapped, it produces two colorless mana, offering a significant boost to a player’s mana pool early in the game.
However, it comes with a drawback: at the beginning of the player’s upkeep, they must flip a coin. If they lose the flip, they take 3 damage. This embodies the card’s high-risk, high-reward nature, as it provides substantial mana acceleration but at the potential cost of player life.
Mana Crypt Artwork
The artwork typically showcases a mystical and arcane object, symbolizing the ancient and volatile power contained within the crypt. The card represents the age-old adage of great power coming at a price.
Mana Crypt Value
PWCC Auctions sold a PSA 10 recently in August 2023 for $1,530. The value is up by 200% selling for $760 in October 2020. There are currently 29 of the Lotus Petals graded PSA 10 gem mint condition.
#1. Kaladesh Inventions – Sol Ring Foil #24
- Card Name: Sol Ring
- Year: 2016
- Release: Kaladesh Inventions
- Grade: PSA 10
- Sale Date: August 2023
- Sale Price: $2,400
- Auction House: PWCC Auctions
Sol Ring Utility
“Sol Ring” is a staple artifact card in Magic: The Gathering, costing one colorless mana to cast. Once on the battlefield, it can be tapped to add two colorless mana to a player’s mana pool, granting an immediate and recurring advantage in terms of mana acceleration. The iconic card is renowned for its straightforward power and efficiency, making it a desired inclusion in many Commander and other casual format decks.
Sol Ring Artwork
Volkan Baga’s illustration masterfully showcases the radiant might of the card, with the ring floating majestically above a golden, intricately designed pedestal. The accompanying flavor text adds further depth. Traditionally, the “Sol Ring” art presents a glowing ring emitting a powerful aura, embodying its essential and formidable mana-generating capabilities.
Its longstanding popularity and frequent play make a gem mint “Sol Ring”, especially from earlier sets, highly valuable. Both collectors and players revere the card for its legendary presence in the MTG world.
Sol Ring Value
PWCC Auctions sold a PSA 10 recently in August 2023 for $2,400. A PSA 9 mint condition example sold in July 2023 for $720. Overall, Sol Ring is one of the most valuable cards in the Kaladesh Inventions MTG set.
Final Thoughts
Marking a distinctive chapter in Magic: The Gathering’s quarter-century saga, the Kaladesh Inventions shine uniquely. As illustrious foil boosters, they enhance MTG’s celebrated legacy of intricate art and strategy. This set, while breathing life into novel concepts, also pays homage to cherished classics.
It aptly demonstrates the Inventions’ role in diversifying the intricate planes of the Multiverse. While debates on their play legality ensue, their intrinsic value remains unquestionable. It’s noteworthy that within a mere two years post its 2016 debut, select cards from this set witnessed a significant appreciation in value.
From a young age, Matt dove deep into sports card valuation, turning to esteemed price guides like Beckett and Tuff Stuff. Eventually he extended to Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. With a vision to sustain and nurture the hobby he loved, Matt established the ‘Graded Card Investor’ YouTube channel and website. He aims to foster a healthy community and offer invaluable insights to those entering the world of sports cards and TCGs. His depth of understanding, from the card market’s 2020 pinnacle to its 1990s valleys, is consistently fortified by meticulous research.
