Magic: The Gathering · expansion
Read the Runes
Onslaught · #104 · rare · 2002
Instant
Listings
No active listings
From
—
Market reference
$0.63
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
- 104 / 351
- Release year
- 2002
- Rarity
- rare
- Illustrator
- Alan Pollack
- Colors
- U
- Frame
- 1997
- Border
- black
- Finishes
- nonfoil · foil
- Printed
- 2002-10-07
Card analysis
Computed from this card's stats and text — not a reposted price.
- Primary role
- Draw
- Mana value
- 1
- Type
- Instant
Also does
Strategy & play
How Read the Runes 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 Read the Runes
- KO it to choke their draw / search engine.
More by Alan Pollack
This card was illustrated by Alan Pollack.
About this card
Mana cost: {X}{U}
Type: Instant
Draw X cards. For each card drawn this way, discard a card unless you sacrifice a permanent.
""The world is a puzzle, and the mind is its key.""
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) | $0.63 |
| USD (foil) | $8.39 |
| EUR (non-foil) | €0.73 |
| EUR (foil) | €7.17 |
| MTGO tix | 0.02 |
Frequently asked
How can I tell if my Read the Runes is real?
Read the Runes 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 Read the Runes worth?
As of the latest data, the current market reference price for Read the Runes is $0.63; 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 Read the Runes from?
Read the Runes is from the Magic: The Gathering set "Onslaught" in the expansion series, released in 2002.
What rarity is Read the Runes?
Read the Runes is a rare card in the Onslaught set.
Other Read the Runes printings
Same Magic: The Gathering card across other sets and rarities.
