All 30 Heroes of the Realm Cards in MTG

Last updated on February 23, 2026

Kharis & The Beholder | Illustration by Joe Slucher

Today I have the pleasure of sharing one of the coolest things in all of Magic with you. Heroes of the Realm is a batch of cards that many players have never even heard of, let alone seen or physically touched. They’re trophies of sorts for people who work for Wizards of the Coast, but they’re also premium examples of what a card designer can create when the gloves come off. Oh, and they’re wildly expensive.

Let’s take a look at all the Heroes of the Realm cards in print, talk about why they’re printed in the first place, and see how many limbs you’d have to sell to get ahold of one for yourself.

What Are Heroes of the Realm Cards in MTG?

Byode, Inverse Sun | Illustration by Dominik Mayer

Heroes of the Realm cards are physical Magic cards designed and printed by Wizards of the Coast to be handed off internally as rewards to various teams and individuals within the company, usually to commemorate some sort of big success for Magic: The Gathering. These are extremely scarce, unique cards that often bend the rules of Magic Un-set style and show off mechanics and references that wouldn’t work on a typical Magic card.

Who Receives Heroes of the Realm Cards?

Heroes of the Realm cards are given to individuals or teams within Wizards of the Coast. We’ve seen these cards awarded to everyone from the team that worked on the War of the Spark cinematic trailer to the Customer Service team at WotC.

These can extend beyond the scope of just Magic: The Gathering as well. Heroes cards have been awarded to teams within WotC that work on other games, like the Transformers trading card game and Duel Masters.

They often correlate with big milestone events in Magic, like the launch of Secret Lair or successes with Universes Beyond, and we’ve even seen Heroes cards given to the teams that work on digital clients like Magic: Online and MTG Arena.

All Heroes of the Realm Cards

2016

• Chandra, Gremlin Wrangler
• Dungeon Master
• Nira, Hellkite Duelist

2017

• Diabolical Salvation
• Inzerva, Master of Insights
• M’Odo, the Gnarled Oracle

2018

• Kharis & the Beholder
• Optimus Prime, Inspiring Leader
• Sol, Advocate Eternal
• The Legend of Arena (two versions)

2019

• Collectigull
• Keeper of the Secret Lair
• War of the Spark
• Champions of Archery
• Myntasha, Honored One
• The Cinematic Phoenix
• Fabled Path of Searo Point

2020

• Euroakus
• Mountain Mover
• The Secret Lair

2021

• Andrios, Roaming Explorer
• Arteeoh, Dread Scavenger
• Byode, Inverse Sun
• Ersta, Friend to All

2022

• Treizeci, Sun of Serra
• Elusen, the Giving
• Heroes of Kamigawa
• Svega, the Unconventional
• Wizard from Beyond

2023

• Ormacar, Relic Wraith

The Best Heroes of the Realm Cards Ranked

Ranking these cards is kind of a wash, since they bend the rules of the game in various ways. This is less of a power level ranking and more just a collection of Heroes cards that I think are super sweet.

#6. Fabled Path of Searo Point

I’m not sure what Fabled Path of Searo Point references, but this just seems like it’d be a strong card if given a wide print-run. It’d be locked to 5-color decks that don’t need any additional help, but making a whole team of creatures unblockable is no joke, especially on an untapped land that still taps for colored mana.

#5. Dungeon Master + Kharis & the Beholder

I really enjoy the Heroes cards that give a nod towards D&D mechanics. Dungeon Master uses dice-rolling mechanics to determine its loyalty and the effectiveness of its planeswalker abilities, while Kharis & the Beholder's charisma check feels like something we could see in a future D&D crossover.

#4. Champions of Archery

Adding a commander to the game sounds nutty, especially when you can do it multiple times if you can recast the adventure on Champions of Archery. This sounds like a blast to play alongside backgrounds and other cards that benefit your commanders, like Myth Unbound and Tome of Legends.

#3. Wizard from Beyond

I’m obsessed with the cards that mess with the fundamental rules of Commander, and Wizard from Beyond lets you turn any creature into a commander. And a 5-color one, at that. It’s the ultimate Rule 0 card, and it even spots you the Panharmonicon effect if you want to go all in on party creatures.

#2. Ormacar, Relic Wraith

Again, fooling around with the command zone. Ormacar, Relic Wraith looks like tech I’d expect to see in Commander some time soon, especially with the way Wizards have built on the partner mechanic lately. All the nods to The One Ring are really fun here, too.

#1. Byode, Inverse Sun

You know that whole joke that every Universes Beyond set needs a 5-color commander that lets you play everything from the IP in one Commander deck? Byode, Inverse Sun covers that for every IP, letting you cheat on color identity specifically for UB cards. I also sincerely hope this is a Dimir card on purpose, since people often get UB () confused with UB (abbreviation for Universes Beyond).

Are Heroes of the Realm Cards Expensive?

Source: AncestralMTG

Yes, Heroes of the Realm cards are quite expensive. Very few of these are printed to begin with, and even fewer end up in the hands of the public where they can be bought and sold. You’re unlikely to find most Heroes cards (if you find them at all) for less than $10,000, and people have been known to ask 6-digit figures for some of the older or more exclusive ones.

If you want a sense for how much you might spend to acquire one of these cards, check out the Heroes cards that AncestralMTG has for sale. The cheapest option they have is listed at $9,500, which should tell you something about the average price of these cards. Notably, they're all graded and slabbed, guaranteeing their authenticity.

Where to Buy Heroes of the Realm Cards

AncestralMTG is the best place to find Heroes of the Realm cards. Not only do they have one of the largest stocks of these cards—the eight cards they have available at the time of writing are actually pretty expansive for collector’s items like these—but they’re also a highly reputable buyer and seller of high-end Magic collectibles. If you happen to own one of these cards and want to sell instead, AncestralMTG is your best bet, since they specialize in valuable Magic oddities.

This is where I’d normally tell you to check out Amazon, eBay, TCGplayer, etc. for alternatives, but that’s honestly not really an option here. These cards are so scarce that you’re not going to see them pop up on the usual marketplaces, and if you do, they’d probably be bought up immediately. AncestralMTG really is the only place you’ll regularly find these.

These cards do go up for auction from time to time. Heritage Auctions is known to handle expensive Magic collectibles, but there’s no way to anticipate a Heroes of the Realm card sale, since that would require a Wizards employee to part ways with the card willingly, which just doesn’t happen that often.

Are Heroes of the Realm Cards Tournament Legal?

No, Heroes of the Realm cards aren’t tournament-legal. They’re not silver-bordered or acorn-stamped or anything like that, but they’re clearly marked “Heroes” in the bottom left corner and have a completely different Magic card back.

Can You Rule 0 Heroes of the Realm Cards?

You can Rule 0 these cards as long as your play group approves of them, and as long as you’re not trying to play them in a sanctioned event. Note that some of these have Un-set-like qualities, so just make sure they make sense during gameplay before trying to Rule 0 one. Also note that they’re not all commanders, so you’ll need to let your playgroup know ahead of time if you plan to use these in the 99 as well.

Is Wizards of the Coast Still Making Heroes of the Realm Cards?

The last Heroes of the Realm card was a single print in 2023, and none were released in 2024 or 2025, so it looks like the initiative is on pause. There’s no word as to whether Heroes of the Realm has been discontinued completely, or if WotC has just decided to skip a few years for some reason.

Wrap Up

Myntasha, Honored One | Illustration by Liiga Smilshkalne

Cool, right? As far as Magic oddities go, Heroes of the Realm cards are some of the most interesting out there. They’re often extremely fun designs that highlight key moments for Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Gathering, which makes them equal parts cool collectible and memorabilia. I can’t imagine how awesome it must be to receive one of these, or better yet, actually play with one you’ve received.

Assuming you don’t work at Wizards of the Coast and haven’t been handed one of these cards at some point in your life, you can still maybe get your mitts on one with the right connections and a handful of money. AncestralMTG is your best shot to buy one, though a little proxying never hurt anyone, either.

Were you aware of Heroes of the Realm before reading this? If you could get your hands on just one of them, which one would it be? Let us know in the comments below or over in the Draftsim Discord.

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