Ambition's Cost

Ambition's Cost was released in 1999 as part of the Portal Three Kingdoms expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. This set was unique in its historical focus, drawing directly from the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, depicting key figures and events from that era. Designed primarily as an introductory set for the Asian market, the cards featured simplified rules text and a distinct aesthetic, though they have since become highly sought after by collectors for their historical flavor and limited distribution outside of their original release regions.

The card features artwork by artist Zhaohua Ma, who contributed significantly to the set's thematic cohesion. The illustration captures the intense and dramatic nature of the political maneuvering central to the Three Kingdoms period, emphasizing the thematic cost of power. While initially viewed as a niche product compared to standard expansion sets, the set's rarity and the specific mechanics introduced within it led to a significant reassessment by the player base, eventually cementing its status as a cornerstone of vintage Magic: The Gathering collecting.