Whir of Invention

As of Aug 8, 2026, the cheapest tracked printing of Whir of Invention is $4.97 (AER #49), and the most expensive is $57.08 (SPG #96, Borderless, First Place Foil). The benchmark price (cheapest playable nonfoil) is $5.39, down 12.6% over 7 days, down 2.7% over 30 days, up 3.1% over 90 days. All-time tracked high: $9.13 (2026).

Whir of Invention has 7 tracked printings across 5 sets, in nonfoil, foil and first place foil finishes, including borderless, promo pack and prerelease treatments.

AER #49

$4.97

CK $7.99 / $4.00 20%

MP $5.18 52 avail

PLST #AER-49

$5.39 +8%

CK $7.99 / $4.00 26%

MP $5.35 22 avail

PAER #49p Promo Pack

$6.75 +36%

CK $9.99 / $5.00 26%

MP $8.39 5 avail

SLD #311 Borderless

$9.13 +84%

CK $10.99 / $6.40 30%

MP $9.35 13 avail

SPG #86 Borderless

$9.25 +86%

CK $10.99 / $6.40 31%

MP $8.33 21 avail

SLD #311 Borderless Foil

$10.05 +102%

CK $15.99 / $6.50 35%

MP $9.82 9 avail

AER #49 Foil

$13.17 +165%

CK $15.99 / $6.40 51%

MP $12.49 16 avail

SPG #86 Borderless Foil

$13.27 +167%

CK $17.99 / $9.00 32%

MP $13.02 6 avail

PAER #49p Promo Pack Foil

$16.51 +232%

CK $24.99 / $15.00 9%

MP $15.48 1 avail

PAER #49s Prerelease Foil

$18.18 +266%

CK $15.99 / $7.25 60%

MP $12.94 4 avail

SPG #96 Borderless First Place Foil

$57.08 +1048%

CK —

Card Kingdom currently pays $15.00 cash for PAER #49p (Foil); the retail-buylist spread on that printing is 40% (normal).

• Feb 9, 2017 Because improvise isn't an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.
• Feb 9, 2017 Equipment attached to a creature doesn't become tapped when that creature becomes tapped, and tapping that Equipment doesn't cause the creature to become tapped.
• Feb 9, 2017 If an artifact you control has a mana ability with {T} in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with improvise will result in the artifact being tapped when you pay the spell's costs. You won't be able to tap it again for improvise. Similarly, if you sacrifice an artifact to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with improvise, that artifact won't be on the battlefield when you pay the spell's costs, so you won't be able to tap it for improvise.
• Feb 9, 2017 Improvise can't be used to pay for anything other than the cost of casting the spell. For example, it can't be used during the resolution of an ability that says "Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}."
• Feb 9, 2017 Improvise can't pay for {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, {G}, or {C} mana symbols in a spell's total cost.

Whir of Invention has been reprinted 11 times.

Set	Date	Rarity	Treatment
SPG #86	2024-08-02	Mythic	Borderless
SPG #96	2024-08-02	Mythic	Borderless
SPG #86	2024-08-02	Mythic	Borderless
PLST #AER-49	2022-04-29	Rare	Standard
SLD #311	2021-06-21	Rare	Borderless
SLD #311	2021-06-21	Rare	Borderless
PAER #49s	2017-01-20	Rare	Prerelease
AER #49	2017-01-20	Rare	Standard
AER #49	2017-01-20	Rare	Standard
PAER #49p	2017-01-20	Rare	Promo Pack

Showing the 10 most recent of 11 printings.

Whir of Invention is the #1,310 most-played card on EDHREC, down 3 places over the last 30 days.