The Magus Cypher vs The Resurrection of Shen
Rubick Arcana or Vengeful Spirit Arcana? Price on four markets, a year of Steam prices, rank, sales and release, side by side.
Kevin: The Resurrection of Shen is cheaper ($14.66 vs $24.29) and ranks higher. That is not a close one.
Steam price, last year both arcanas, same axis
The Magus CypherThe Resurrection of Shen
Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’26Oct ’26
The Magus Cypher vs The Resurrection of Shen: which arcana should you pick?
In the popularity duel The Resurrection of Shen wins 6 to 1: it ranks #1 in the Dota2Arcana Rank against #10 for The Magus Cypher, with 4,296 copies sold on Steam in 30 days against 1,133. Rubick is picked in 1.9% of public matches, Vengeful Spirit in 1.0%. On price, The Resurrection of Shen is the cheaper one at $14.66 (DMarket), $9.63 under The Magus Cypher at $24.29. The Resurrection of Shen is both the more popular and the cheaper arcana, which makes this an easy call on the numbers.
About The Magus Cypher
The Magus Cypher is the Rubick Arcana, released on Dec 19, 2018 (Frosthaven (Frostivus 2018) event; TI8 / 2018 Arcana vote winner). Replaces Rubick's model with a levitating one, adds 115 custom stolen-spell effects unlocked by winning games as Rubick, dynamic cape colours and a remastered take on the late Barry Dennen's voice performance. Originally: Dota Store purchase of The Magus Cypher Bundle (Exalted if bought before 2019-01-21) for $34.99. Today the cheapest offer is $24.29 on Lis-Skins, with 225 copies listed across the markets we track. It sits at #10 of 25 in the Dota2Arcana Rank with 1,133 copies sold on Steam in the last 30 days. It has 41 styles and 4 set pieces.
The Magus Cypher: prices, styles, 3D view →
About The Resurrection of Shen
The Resurrection of Shen is the Vengeful Spirit Arcana, released on Apr 18, 2024 (Crownfall Act I (The Markets of Midgate)). All-new winged model and item set with new pedestal, effects for Magic Missile/Wave of Terror/Nether Swap, a custom Vengeance illusion skin, custom Force Staff/kill/deny effects and two unlockable alternate styles. Originally: Dota Store / Crownfall store purchase; Crownfall Coins could reduce the price (reported USD 8 off, to about USD 27). Today the cheapest offer is $14.66 on DMarket, with 592 copies listed across the markets we track. It sits at #1 of 25 in the Dota2Arcana Rank with 4,296 copies sold on Steam in the last 30 days. It has 3 styles and 4 set pieces.
The Resurrection of Shen: prices, styles, 3D view →How to get The Magus Cypher and The Resurrection of Shen
The Magus Cypher
Tradable: buy it on the Steam Community Market or on a third-party market (see the price comparison above).
Buy for $24.29 →The Resurrection of Shen
Tradable: buy it on the Steam Community Market or on a third-party market (see the price comparison above).
Buy for $14.66 →Prices, supply and history
Every number side by side. Prices from Oct 9, 2026; the better value in a row is marked.
| The Magus Cypher | The Resurrection of Shen |
|---|
| Cheapest offer | $24.29 · Lis-Skins | $14.66 · DMarket |
| Steam price | $30.29 | $16.64 |
| 7 days | -29.2% | -19.0% |
| 30 days | -25.9% | -23.4% |
| 1 year | -11.3% | -12.8% |
| Sold on Steam, 30 days | 1,133 | 4,296 |
| Listed now | 225 | 592 |
| All-time high | $35.20 · Feb 2019 | $20.69 · Aug 2025 |
| First week on Steam | $27.87 · Feb 2019 | $14.70 · Apr 2025 |
| Released | Dec 19, 2018 | Apr 18, 2024 |
| How it came out | Dota Store purchase of The Magus Cypher Bundle (Exalted if bought before 2019-01-21) | Dota Store / Crownfall store purchase; Crownfall Coins could reduce the price (reported USD 8 off, to about USD 27) |
| Launch price | $34.99 | – |
| Styles | 41 | 3 |
| Set pieces | 4 | 4 |
Price on every market
Lowest offer per market in USD. The cheapest is highlighted; a click opens the offer.
More comparisons
Same attribute or a similar price.
The Magus Cypher vs The Resurrection of Shen: questions and answers
The Magus Cypher or The Resurrection of Shen: which is cheaper?
The Resurrection of Shen (Vengeful Spirit) is cheaper: $14.66 on DMarket against $24.29 for The Magus Cypher, $9.63 less (Oct 9, 2026).
Which one is more popular?
The Resurrection of Shen ranks higher in the Dota2Arcana Rank (#1 vs #10 of 25), which sorts arcanas by copies sold on Steam in 30 days: 4,296 for The Resurrection of Shen.
Which one has more styles?
The Magus Cypher has more: 41 styles against 3 for The Resurrection of Shen. Styles are unlocked in game, not bought; see each arcana page for the unlock conditions.
Which one is older?
The Magus Cypher came out first, on Dec 19, 2018; The Resurrection of Shen followed on Apr 18, 2024.
How does the popularity duel work?
Three rows give points to the better arcana: the Dota2Arcana Rank (4 flames, our ranking by copies sold on Steam in 30 days), the Steam sales themselves (2) and the hero's pick rate in public matches (1, OpenDota). The higher rank therefore always wins; sales and pick rate show how clear it is. Rows with missing data give no points.
Can I compare other arcanas?
Yes, every pair of the 25 arcanas has its own page. Pick two at the top of this page.
