Magic: The Gathering · starter
Cruel Bargain
Portal · #86 · rare · 1997
Sorcery
Listings
No active listings
From
—
Market reference
$6.39
TCGPlayer
Current listings on The Game Traders
No active listings for this card right now.
Card facts
Quick reference for collectors and graders.
- Collector number
- 86 / 257
- Release year
- 1997
- Rarity
- rare
- Illustrator
- Adrian Smith
- Colors
- B
- Frame
- 1997
- Border
- black
- Finishes
- nonfoil
- Printed
- 1997-05-01
Card analysis
Computed from this card's stats and text — not a reposted price.
- Primary role
- Draw
- Mana value
- 3
- Type
- Sorcery
Also does
Strategy & play
How Cruel Bargain plays — derived from its stats and the rules of the game, not an opinion.
- Not a main attacker — its job is card draw. Run it as a consistency hub and protect it, because opponents will target the engine.
How to beat Cruel Bargain
- KO it to choke their draw / search engine.
Budget alternatives
Cheaper cards that fill a similar role in Standard decks. Reference prices — most-played option first.
More by Adrian Smith
This card was illustrated by Adrian Smith.
About this card
Mana cost: {B}{B}{B}
Type: Sorcery
Draw four cards. You lose half your life, rounded up.
Tournament legality
Current legal status across competitive formats.
Pricing reference
Latest snapshot from the upstream catalog. Actual marketplace prices fluctuate by condition, edition, and grade — use this as a reference, not a quote.
Scryfall pricing
| Variant | Price |
|---|---|
| USD (non-foil) | $6.39 |
| EUR (non-foil) | €6.47 |
Frequently asked
How can I tell if my Cruel Bargain is real?
Cruel Bargain is not on our list of commonly-counterfeited cards, but counterfeits exist across every set. Check the print quality and cardstock (real cards have a distinctive blue inner core visible from the edge), the rosette pattern on the back, the security stamp on planeswalker / mythic cards from recent sets, and confirm the collector number and set code match the official Scryfall record. For high-value copies we recommend submitting to a professional grader (PSA, BGS, CGC) for tamper-evident authentication.
What is Cruel Bargain worth?
As of the latest data, the current market reference price for Cruel Bargain is $6.39; there are no active listings on The Game Traders right now. Actual value depends on condition, grading, edition and printing variant — graded high-condition copies (PSA 9–10) trade at a substantial premium over raw copies.
What set is Cruel Bargain from?
Cruel Bargain is from the Magic: The Gathering set "Portal" in the starter series, released in 1997.
What rarity is Cruel Bargain?
Cruel Bargain is a rare card in the Portal set.
Other Cruel Bargain printings
Same Magic: The Gathering card across other sets and rarities.
