Desperate Ritual
Desperate Ritual Price Summary
As of Aug 8, 2026, the cheapest tracked printing of Desperate Ritual is $6.13 (CHK #163), and the most expensive is $26.28 (CHK #163, Foil). The benchmark price (cheapest playable nonfoil) is $21.08, up 211.4% over 7 days, up 6.5% over 30 days, up 289.6% over 90 days. All-time tracked high: $21.08 (2026).
Desperate Ritual Printings & Prices
Desperate Ritual has 5 tracked printings across 5 sets, in nonfoil and foil finishes, including borderless treatments.
Sell Desperate Ritual: Buylist Offers
Card Kingdom currently pays $24.00 cash for CHK #163 (Foil); the retail-buylist spread on that printing is 60% (wide).
| Buyer | Printing | Finish | Cash offer | Retail | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| starcitygames | CHK #163 | Foil | $25.00 | — | — |
| Card Kingdom | CHK #163 | Foil | $24.00 | $59.99 | 60% |
| CoolStuffInc | CHK #163 | Foil | $22.00 | — | — |
| Card Kingdom | SLD #1984 | Nonfoil | $15.50 | $24.99 | 38% |
| Card Kingdom | SLD #1984 | Foil | $14.00 | $27.99 | 50% |
| CoolStuffInc | SLD #1984 | Foil | $14.00 | — | — |
| CoolStuffInc | SLD #1984 | Nonfoil | $12.00 | — | — |
| Card Kingdom | MMA #110 | Foil | $10.00 | $19.99 | 50% |
| Card Kingdom | UMA #127 | Foil | $8.00 | $15.99 | 50% |
| CoolStuffInc | MMA #110 | Foil | $7.50 | — | — |
Desperate Ritual Rules Text & Legality
Add {R}{R}{R}.
Splice onto Arcane {1}{R} (As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)
Desperate Ritual is legal in Modern, Legacy, Commander and Pauper, and not legal in Standard and Pioneer.
Desperate Ritual Rulings
- Jun 7, 2013 A card with a splice ability can’t be spliced onto itself because the spell is on the stack (and not in your hand) when you reveal the cards you want to splice onto it.
- Jun 7, 2013 Desperate Ritual isn’t a mana ability. When cast, it (or the spell it’s spliced onto) goes on the stack like any spell and can be responded to.
- Jun 7, 2013 If all of the spell’s targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen.
- Jun 7, 2013 You choose all targets for the spell after revealing cards you want to splice, including any targets required by the text of any of those cards. You may choose a different target for each instance of the word “target” on the resulting spell.
- Jun 7, 2013 You reveal all cards you intend to splice at the same time. Each individual card can be spliced only once onto any one spell.
Reprints & Reprint Risk
Desperate Ritual has been reprinted 9 times.
| Set | Date | Rarity | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLD #1984 | 2021-06-21 | Rare | Borderless |
| SLD #1984 | 2021-06-21 | Rare | Borderless |
| UMA #127 | 2018-12-07 | Uncommon | Standard |
| UMA #127 | 2018-12-07 | Uncommon | Standard |
| DDS #14 | 2017-03-31 | Uncommon | Standard |
| MMA #110 | 2013-06-07 | Uncommon | Standard |
| MMA #110 | 2013-06-07 | Uncommon | Standard |
| CHK #163 | 2004-10-01 | Common | Standard |
| CHK #163 | 2004-10-01 | Common | Standard |
SLD #1984 
UMA #127 
DDS #14 
MMA #110 
CHK #163 Desperate Ritual in Commander
Desperate Ritual is the #983 most-played card on EDHREC, up 21 places over the last 30 days.
Desperate Ritual FAQ
How much is Desperate Ritual worth?
Desperate Ritual is worth about $21.08 for its cheapest playable printing as of Aug 8, 2026. Prices range from $6.13 to $26.28 across 5 tracked printings.
Is Desperate Ritual legal in Commander?
Yes — Desperate Ritual is legal in Commander. It is also legal in Modern, Legacy and Pauper.
Has Desperate Ritual been reprinted?
Yes — Desperate Ritual has been reprinted 9 times, with 5 printings tracked on The Index.
Why is Desperate Ritual expensive?
Desperate Ritual holds a $21.08 price because Commander demand is high (#983 on EDHREC) and even with 9 reprints, demand keeps pace with supply.