As we wind down another year of Magic: the Gathering, we figured it’d be a great time to reflect on the past year. A lot of different products and cards have come out both in paper and in digital. Today we’re going to break down the 10 best cards that have been released during the year. For this list, we’re going to look at the main expansion sets, as well as supplemental sets, but the cards have to be brand new cards, not reprints.
Honorable Mention – Goldspan Dragon
Our Honorable Mention goes out to
Goldspan Dragon
Goldspan Dragon
Flying, haste
Whenever this creature attacks or becomes the target of a spell, create a Treasure token.
Treasures you control have "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add two mana of any one color."
. This powerful dragon was a HUGE player in the Standard game for as long time. It was even the target of the nerfs for the new Alchemy format, and it’s still making a LOT of noise there too.
10. Chandra, Dressed to Kill
Our number 10 card is
Chandra, Dressed to Kill
Chandra, Dressed to Kill
+1: Add {R}. Chandra deals 1 damage to up to one target player or planeswalker.
+1: Exile the top card of your library. If it's red, you may cast it this turn.
−7: Exile the top five cards of your library. You may cast red spells from among them this turn. You get an emblem with "Whenever you cast a red spell, this emblem deals X damage to any target, where X is the amount of mana spent to cast that spell."
. Chandra was the card that a lot of red based aggro decks were looking for. She provides a lot of utility to a deck that goes fast and is very linear. She’s showing up in many decks in Standard, Pioneer and even Modern.
9. Elite Spellbinder
Number 9 is
Elite Spellbinder
Elite Spellbinder
Flying
When this creature enters, look at target opponent's hand. You may exile a nonland card from it. For as long as that card remains exiled, its owner may play it. A spell cast this way costs {2} more to cast.
. This one is Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa’s World’s card, and man did he make a sweet one. It’s been a big player in many formats, being Mono White’s new way to interact and tax their opponents.
8. Alrund’s Epiphany
Now you may be asking why
Alrund’s Epiphany
Alrund’s Epiphany
Create two 1/1 blue Bird creature tokens with flying. Take an extra turn after this one. Exile Alrund's Epiphany.
Foretell {4}{U}{U} (During your turn, you may pay {2} and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)
is only at number 8 on the list. Well, it’s definitely a powerful card. The problem is, it only affected Standard and dipped it’s toes in Historic. It’s still a very strong card in it’s own right, being one of the most played extra turn spells in the year (and yes there were a few of them).
7. Serra’s Emissary
Our number 7 spot goes to
Serra’s Emissary
Serra’s Emissary
Flying
As this creature enters, choose a card type.
You and creatures you control have protection from the chosen card type.
. This card came in and made the “Jeskai Creativity” deck real in Historic, and is a prime target for strategies across all formats. From Reanimator to Oath of Druids, Serra’s Emissary is seeing a lot of play.
6. Expressive Iteration
Now
Expressive Iteration
Expressive Iteration
Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand, put one of them on the bottom of your library, and exile one of them. You may play the exiled card this turn.
may not seem like it’s worth of a number 6 spot, but this card is absurd. 2 mana to effectively draw 2 cards, this has been a main stay in many Izzet based decks since it came out.
5. Dragon’s Rage Channeler
Dragon’s Rage Channeler
Dragon’s Rage Channeler
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, surveil 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.)
Delirium — As long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, this creature gets +2/+2, has flying, and attacks each combat if able.
is our number 5 card. It’s become one of the strongest 1 drop creatures out there, being included in many aggro and midrange strategies across multiple formats.
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4. Murktide Regent
Number 4 is
Murktide Regent
Murktide Regent
Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
Flying
This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it for each instant and sorcery card exiled with it.
Whenever an instant or sorcery card leaves your graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
. Delve has generally be a very strong mechanic in Magic‘s history. When you take a super strong mechanic and put it on a very pushed card, you get a card that’s going to be around in competitive meta for a while!
3. Endurance
Endurance
Endurance
Flash
Reach
When this creature enters, up to one target player puts all the cards from their graveyard on the bottom of their library in a random order.
Evoke—Exile a green card from your hand.
comes in at number 3! This card is seeing a bunch of play across Modern and Legacy, as it’s a free spell to deal with any Graveyard nonsense that our opponents are doing, or a great way to combat Mill. While all of the “hand trap” elementals are seeing a good amount of play, Endurance is the 2nd most played one.
READ MORE: Is Alchemy an Excuse for Overpowered Cards in MTG Standard Play?
2. Solitude
Solitude
Solitude
Flash
Lifelink
When this creature enters, exile up to one other target creature. That creature's controller gains life equal to its power.
Evoke—Exile a white card from your hand.
comes in at number 2 and is the most expensive of the Elemental cycle from Modern Horizons 2. Giving players a basically free
Swords to Plowshares
Swords to Plowshares
Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
is insane. Expect that this will be a powerful card in the coming year as well.
1. Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
I’m sure that everyone saw this one coming, but
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Whenever Ragavan deals combat damage to a player, create a Treasure token and exile the top card of that player's library. Until end of turn, you may cast that card.
Dash {1}{R} (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
is our number 1 pick, and the best card released in 2021. Ragavan is far and away the most expensive card in Modern Horizons 2, and is the best 1 drop creature ever printed. It’s ramp, and card advantage / denial, in one card. This little guy sees play in all formats that he’s legal in, and he’s just strong enough that he’s a major player in those formats, but isn’t breaking them, so expect to see him around for a long time.
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