<p>Two things affect the price of a card.</p>
<p>The card utility, and the card rarity.</p>
<p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Noble%20Hierarch">Noble Hierarch</a> has very few copies in circulation relative to <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Birds%20of%20Paradise">Birds of Paradise</a>.  So that will affect the price.  Additionally, Exalted is hugely important in a number of decks.  Most notably infect.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:10:36.953Z
Damn, Jefromi types way faster than me...
John
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:10:17.827Z
2016-04-28T18:10:17.827Z
John
<p>It wins goyf (i.e. <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Tarmogoyf">Tarmogoyf</a>) battles. Something that birds of paradise does nothing for. In the Abzan mirror for instance it is crucial in getting your goyfs over your opponents creatures.</p>
<p>Goyfs have one toughness more than their power so they can easily have a staring contest where it makes no sense to attack into one (With your own.) The exalted trigger breaks the stalemate.  Your goyf will kill your opponent's if he blocks and if he doesn't and there are no other creatures in play you are winning the race.</p>
<p>It does not really ramp per se in these decks. It does help fixing a bit but still that free exalted triggers is crucial in getting your creatures trough.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-29T09:37:27.310Z
2016-04-29T12:30:26.803Z
2016-04-29T12:30:26.803Z
Neil Meyer
<p>Look at how much each has been printed. <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Noble%20Hierarch">Noble Hierarch</a> was printed in Conflux and Modern Masters. <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Birds%20of%20Paradise">Birds of Paradise</a> was printed in Alpha/Beta/Unlimited/Revised, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th edition, Magic 2010, 2011, 2012, and Ravnica. There are just way, way more copies out there.</p>
<p>And by the way, Exalted can be quite relevant. The most obvious example is Infect (<a href="http://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/modern#paper" rel="noreferrer">quite popular</a> and <a href="http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=101065" rel="noreferrer">can win tournaments</a>), which is likely to play only Noble Hierarch and not Birds of Paradise. It doesn't need the other colors of mana, flying isn't that important, but an extra poison counter here or there is a huge deal. But this is true even for decks that aren't as all-in on single creatures. For example, <a href="http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/daily-deck/modern-naya-zoo-2015-11-06" rel="noreferrer">this Zoo list</a> plays Noble Hierarch and not Birds of Paradise. It has plenty of other ways to get the red mana, and even if sometimes it attacks with multiple creatures (missing out on exalted), the extra damage on the turns when it only has one creature to attack with can make a huge difference.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:11:00.313Z
Beat me by a minute, better answer to boot.
Robert Wertz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:08:37.467Z
2016-04-28T20:41:49.043Z
2016-04-28T20:41:49.043Z
Cascabel
<p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Noble%20Hierarch">Noble Hierarch</a> costs {G}, is a 0/1 Human Druid with exalted, and taps for {G}, {W}, or {U}.</p>
<p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Birds%20of%20Paradise">Birds of Paradise</a> costs {G}, is a 0/1 Bird with flying, and taps for one of any color.</p>
<p>Noble Hierarch is $40-$50, Birds of Paradise is $5.</p>
<p>Why? The birds have flying, and can tap for {R} or {B}.</p>
<p>The exalted doesn't seem like it would be applicable here.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:08:14.853Z
What do you mean with "The exalted doesn't seem like it would be applicable here."?
Hackworth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:12:10.083Z
In most decks, the objective is lots of creatures swinging with each. I didn't consider Infect.
xornob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:16:36.913Z
That is a very narrow view of Magic. If you look at the 12 most common Legacy decks, for example, only 6 of them work like that, if you're counting generously.
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T18:50:08.787Z
@murgatroid99 how does one determine the 12 most common legacy decks?
John
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-28T20:30:44.413Z
I looked at the [mtggoldfish Legacy metagame page](http://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/legacy#paper).
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-29T12:01:13.467Z
I remember a time when Birds of Paradise was a lot more expensive. Prices can change for a number of reasons.
Dennis_E
<magic-the-gathering>
Why is Noble Hierarch so expensive?
xornob
# Why is Noble Hierarch so expensive?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-28)

[Noble Hierarch](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Noble%20Hierarch) costs {G}, is a 0/1 Human Druid with exalted, and taps for {G}, {W}, or {U}.

[Birds of Paradise](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Birds%20of%20Paradise) costs {G}, is a 0/1 Bird with flying, and taps for one of any color.

Noble Hierarch is $40-$50, Birds of Paradise is $5.

Why? The birds have flying, and can tap for {R} or {B}.

The exalted doesn't seem like it would be applicable here.

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What do you mean with "The exalted doesn't seem like it would be applicable here."?  
> **username_0**: In most decks, the objective is lots of creatures swinging with each. I didn't consider Infect.  
> **username_2**: That is a very narrow view of Magic. If you look at the 12 most common Legacy decks, for example, only 6 of them work like that, if you're counting generously.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 how does one determine the 12 most common legacy decks?  
> **username_2**: I looked at the [mtggoldfish Legacy metagame page](http://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/legacy#paper).  
> **username_4**: I remember a time when Birds of Paradise was a lot more expensive. Prices can change for a number of reasons.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2016-04-28. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

Look at how much each has been printed. [Noble Hierarch](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Noble%20Hierarch) was printed in Conflux and Modern Masters. [Birds of Paradise](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Birds%20of%20Paradise) was printed in Alpha/Beta/Unlimited/Revised, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th edition, Magic 2010, 2011, 2012, and Ravnica. There are just way, way more copies out there.

And by the way, Exalted can be quite relevant. The most obvious example is Infect ([quite popular](http://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/modern#paper) and [can win tournaments](http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=101065)), which is likely to play only Noble Hierarch and not Birds of Paradise. It doesn't need the other colors of mana, flying isn't that important, but an extra poison counter here or there is a huge deal. But this is true even for decks that aren't as all-in on single creatures. For example, [this Zoo list](http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/daily-deck/modern-naya-zoo-2015-11-06) plays Noble Hierarch and not Birds of Paradise. It has plenty of other ways to get the red mana, and even if sometimes it attacks with multiple creatures (missing out on exalted), the extra damage on the turns when it only has one creature to attack with can make a huge difference.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Beat me by a minute, better answer to boot.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-04-28. Score: 1

Two things affect the price of a card.

The card utility, and the card rarity.

[Noble Hierarch](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Noble%20Hierarch) has very few copies in circulation relative to [Birds of Paradise](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Birds%20of%20Paradise). So that will affect the price. Additionally, Exalted is hugely important in a number of decks. Most notably infect.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Damn, Jefromi types way faster than me...  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-04-29. Score: 0

It wins goyf (i.e. [Tarmogoyf](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Tarmogoyf)) battles. Something that birds of paradise does nothing for. In the Abzan mirror for instance it is crucial in getting your goyfs over your opponents creatures.

Goyfs have one toughness more than their power so they can easily have a staring contest where it makes no sense to attack into one (With your own.) The exalted trigger breaks the stalemate. Your goyf will kill your opponent's if he blocks and if he doesn't and there are no other creatures in play you are winning the race.

It does not really ramp per se in these decks. It does help fixing a bit but still that free exalted triggers is crucial in getting your creatures trough.


---

