Why was Ragavan banned in Legacy?

A one-mana threat that generates mana and card advantage on every connect proved too efficient for Legacy's red tempo decks, warping the format around answering it on sight. It was banned in 2022.

Is Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer good in Commander?

It's a fine mono-red or Treasure-themed commander and a solid early play in aggressive decks, but it's far less dominant in multiplayer, where a 2/1 body ages quickly. Its reputation was built in one-on-one Modern.

How many copies of Ragavan do Modern decks play?

Almost always four. The card is the reason to be in red in many Modern shells, and drawing multiples is fine since dash lets extras attack immediately.

Which Ragavan printing is most valuable?

The premium Modern Horizons 2 treatments — the borderless sketch and retro-frame versions, especially in foil — typically sit above the regular printing. Check the live price table for the current spread.

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer: Modern's Defining One-Drop

Prices from cards tracked on RareWell — updated daily. Last updated August 7, 2026. Format legality changes — verify against the current official banned & restricted list.

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is a one-mana 2/1 legendary Monkey Pirate from Modern Horizons 2 that creates a Treasure and steals the top card of your opponent's library every time it connects — and it is widely regarded as the best one-drop creature ever printed for Modern.

Since its 2021 debut it has been the face of the format's red tempo and midrange decks, and it has held its value the way few modern-era cards do.

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer (Multiverse Legends)

Why Ragavan Is So Good

The rate is absurd. A 2/1 for one red mana is already fine; one that generates a Treasure token and exiles the top card of the defending player's library — which you may cast that turn — turns every unanswered attack into card advantage and mana advantage at once.

Dash for one generic and a red is the finisher. Dashing Ragavan gives it haste and returns it to hand at end of turn, letting it attack the turn it arrives while dodging sorcery-speed removal entirely. Against an open board, dash-Ragavan on turn two is one of the most reliably punishing lines in the format.

From Token to Mythic

Ragavan didn't start as a card. He is Kari Zev's monkey companion from the Kaladesh block, where he first existed only as a 2/1 token created by Kari Zev, Skyship Raider. Modern Horizons 2 finally gave the character his own card in 2021 — and made him a mythic that instantly outshone his owner.

Printings and Treatments

Modern Horizons 2 shipped Ragavan in several treatments: the regular frame, a borderless sketch version showing the unfinished artwork, and an old-border retro frame variant, with foil options across the set's boosters. The sketch and retro treatments have their own followings and typically command premiums over the base version.

Supply is concentrated in that one 2021 release, which matters for price. Modern Horizons sets are premium products that get opened far less than Standard sets, so a four-of mythic staple from one of them stays in demand long after packs leave shelves.

Format Standing and Value

In Modern, Ragavan has anchored the format's premier red decks since release — most famously the Izzet tempo shells and black-red midrange lists that defined multiple metagame eras. Decks that play it almost always play the full four copies.

Legacy told the opposite story: Ragavan proved so dominant there that it was banned from the format in 2022. It remains legal in Modern, Vintage, and Commander. That resume — four-of Modern staple, banned-for-power in an older format, single premium printing — is exactly the profile of a card that holds value, and it has consistently ranked among the priciest cards in Modern Horizons 2. The live prices below come from collections tracked on RareWell.

Modern: format-defining staple, usually a four-of
Legacy: banned in 2022 for dominance
Vintage and Commander: legal
Primary printing: Modern Horizons 2 mythic (2021)

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer printings tracked on RareWell

Printings of Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, priciest first
Card	Set	Rarity	Price
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Multiverse Legends	mythic	$945
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Multiverse Legends	mythic	$125
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Modern Horizons 2 Promos	mythic	$94
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Modern Horizons 2	mythic	$60
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Modern Horizons 2 Timeshifts	mythic	$59
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Multiverse Legends	mythic	$46
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Modern Horizons 2	mythic	$42
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Final Fantasy: Through the Ages	mythic	$42

Collections featuring Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

1 public collector has this card on RareWell — tap through to see it in their collection.

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See every copy on RareWell →

Frequently asked questions

Why was Ragavan banned in Legacy?: A one-mana threat that generates mana and card advantage on every connect proved too efficient for Legacy's red tempo decks, warping the format around answering it on sight. It was banned in 2022.
Is Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer good in Commander?: It's a fine mono-red or Treasure-themed commander and a solid early play in aggressive decks, but it's far less dominant in multiplayer, where a 2/1 body ages quickly. Its reputation was built in one-on-one Modern.
How many copies of Ragavan do Modern decks play?: Almost always four. The card is the reason to be in red in many Modern shells, and drawing multiples is fine since dash lets extras attack immediately.
Which Ragavan printing is most valuable?: The premium Modern Horizons 2 treatments — the borderless sketch and retro-frame versions, especially in foil — typically sit above the regular printing. Check the live price table for the current spread.