Top 10 Magic Cards You Can Really Handle (2023) (2023)

Picking out the top ten cards from the thousands of cards released for Magic over the past nearly 30 years is quite a challenge. Figuring out what "better" means is an entirely different challenge. When you can add them to your deck and actually use them, you're more likely to find a Black Lotus in your cereal box.

With all this in mind, we've set ourselves some limits when choosing the top ten MTG cards listed below. You see, if we only list the most powerful cards in MTG, we basically take a power of 9 and randomly roll another card. For those unaware, Power of the Nine is widely regarded as the "best" card in MTG in terms of pure gameplay, priced in proportion to its high rating and extreme rarity.

However, it's not really worth the investment as you can buy most of the house. Instead, this list should help you learn about the cards you really want - and can - get your hands on. We've highlighted the best cards you can buy from MTG, and most won't break your bank.

Best Magic: Party Cards

  • Brainstorming (Fifth Edition):The advantage of the card is the king.
  • Death Horseman (Revisit Ravnica):Planeswalker fee.
  • Lightning (alpha):Three (damage) is the magic number
  • Summer Veil (2020 Core Set):Say no to counter-curses.
  • Solar Ring (alpha):When one plus one equals four.
  • Demon Mentor (Alpha):Whatever you want, baby.
  • Balance sheets (alfa):It's not fair when you're in control.
  • Eye, Crown Stealer (Throne of Eldraine):Your monster is now an elk.
  • Jess, Mind Sculptor (World Awakens):I'm in control here.
  • Digging in Time (Khans of Tarkir):Help you find what you need.

All of these cards are powerful in their own way. Each of them is a great option in almost any situation, and getting to know them a little better will make you a better player. Some of these formats are twisted (some of which still exist), but they all pack a ton of power into a small piece of cardboard, and they're all worth your time if you like playing competitive magic.

1. Brainstorm (Fifth Edition)

What a brainstorm. Where would we be without you, remind us how good the blue card draw is. Brainstorm, for those unaware, is a blue one-mana moment that allows you to draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.

There are several things to do here. First, it's one mana, only one. This means you can play it in the first round and it will help you fix your hand. Second, it's instant, which means you can cast it at the end of your opponent's turn and then immediately remove one of the two cards. These are good points, but it still has "Draw Three Cards" written on it. Knowledge is very powerful in MTG, and being able to set the next two draws and fix your hand at any time for such a low cost? Well, it's a city of values.

2. Death Ritual Shaman (Return to Ravnica)

Planeswalkers are considered one of the most powerful card types in Magic. This is partly due to the options each presents. Card flexibility is often lacking; if not, it usually breaks the game.

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Deathrite Shaman isn't officially a Planeswalker, but basically he is. It is a single mana creature, either green or black, that can help repair your mana, gain life, or drain life from an opponent. It's a fun card and not expensive to buy.

3. Radius (alpha)

There's nothing complicated or flashy about Lightning, that's fine. For one red mana, you can deal three damage to any target. It's also instant, meaning you can keep it until the last second when you really need it.

This means you can kill an enemy mob, defeat a planeswalker, take the enemy's last few hitpoints, or, this is my favourite, strike yourself with lightning and make the enemy unsatisfied with defeating them. You.

4. Summer Veil (2020 Core Set)

This is one of the newer cards on this list, but it definitely deserves its spot. Summer Veil is a green one mana instant with too much text. Basically, protects you and any permanents you control from being attacked by blue and black spells for one turn. Also prevent spells under your control from being countered this turn. It also allows you to draw a card if your opponent casts a blue or black spell this turn.

All this means is that if you cast it in response to a counterspell, it can't be countered and you've drawn a card and they can't stop you. So presumably you can just go crazy and laugh at them and their poor attempts at interaction.

5. Solar Ring (alpha)

Our last one mana rotation on this list is of course Sun Ring. Ring of the Sun is a one mana artifact that costs two mana. This means that when it takes two turns and you play a land, you get double the amount of mana you should have gotten from the card.

As such, it is one of the most popular commander cards and is present in virtually every deck of this format. In fact, if you don't have a Sun Ring in your commander deck, fix it now. The rest of the item can wait, but the mana boost can't.

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6. Demon mentor (alpha)

Demonic Tutor costs two mana, one of which is black, to allow you to search your library for a card and then put that card into your hand. In short, it allows you to pay two mana to exchange it for any card in your deck.

That is, if you want it, it is land; if you want it to attack, it's a creature; if you want, it's a planeswalker; if you need it, it's the final spell. Few things in life can truly be what you want, but the Demon Mentor handles it admirably.

7. Balance (alpha)

Balance is a rare card, another one with a lot of text. It's a double mana spell, one of which is white, and is used as part of so many strategies that are somewhere between fun and frustrating that you'll never want to play MTG again.

Basically, you balance the lands, creatures, and cards in your hand to match the one with the lowest number. You can use it by playing cards as artifacts, sacrificing your cards, or discarding them when it resolves. This effectively destroys all of the opponent's resources and leads to fairly one-sided victories.

8. Orc Crown Stealer (Throne of Eldraine)

Okay, it's hot. This has nothing to do with the card, just stating facts. It is also a planeswalker consisting of three drops, one of which must be blue and the other green. He is also one of the healthiest and cheapest wanderers in the world, has a loyalty of four (basically wanderers' health) and can instantly increase loyalty to six.

Of course, his abilities make him so powerful. His first ability allows him to create a food token that can be sacrificed in exchange for health. His second ability changes any artifact or creature to 3/3 without an ability. This is really powerful as it effectively neutralizes any threats you cannot deal with. His last ability allows him to exchange an artifact (such as a food token) or a creature you control for a creature your opponent controls with power 3 or less. A good reader does everything.

9. Jess Mind Sculptor (World Awakens)

Of course, the only other Planeswalker on our list is Jace the Mind Sculptor. He's the face of MTG for a reason: it's definitely not his personality. It costs four mana, two of which are blue, and lands with three loyalty points.

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Its level 1 ability allows you to control your or your opponent's card draw by changing the top card of your library. You can brainstorm. His third ability removes the creature from the board, and his last ability banishes the entire deck, removes it from play, and turns the player's hand into his deck. This usually wins the game on the field.

10. Digging in Time and Space (Khans of Tarkir)

The last entry is the extraction time. This card is funny. It is a card with eight mana, two of which are blue. This may seem like a lot, but you can exile cards from your graveyard to pay for six of them, which usually means an immediate two mana cost.

It allows you to look at the top seven cards of your library and choose two to put in your hand. This is usually the better quarter of your deck, meaning you'll always find at least one card you really need at any given time. It's ridiculous and almost all formats are banned, but it deserves respect.

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FAQs

What is the most op card in Magic? ›

Emrakul is the most directly powerful creature in magic full stop with his only opponent being ulamong the ceaseless hunger an 11/11 or 10/10 with the ability every time you attack exile the top 20 cards of your opponents deck.

What is the 7 card rule for Magic? ›

Each player has a maximum hand size, which is normally seven cards. A player may have any number of cards in their hand, but as part of their cleanup step, the player must discard excess cards down to the maximum hand size.

Is it bad to have more than 60 cards in a Magic deck? ›

You can play as many cards as you want in a Magic deck. So why don't people generally play more than the minimum? After all, playing more gives you access to additional different cards and can even prevent decking if the game comes down to that. It's all about card quality.

What is the weakest card in MTG? ›

1. Sorrow's Path. You know it, you love it, there's no card quite like it: Sorrow's Path is, quite simply, the worst Magic card in existence.

What are the rarest cards in MTG? ›

The 13 Most Rare and Expensive MTG Cards of All Time
  • 7 – Shivan Dragon.
  • 6 – Vesuvan Doppelganger.
  • 5 – Timetwister.
  • 4 – Lord of the Pit.
  • 3 – Black Lotus.
  • 2 – Shichifukujin Dragon.
  • 1 – 1996 World Champion.
  • 0 – The One Ring.
May 5, 2023

Is Black Lotus banned? ›

Not long after the initial release of Black Lotus in 1993, it was swiftly restricted and subsequently banned from all but MTG's Vintage format, making one solitary appearance in the 1994 MTG Championships before never being seen again.

What is the most powerful card? ›

The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries.

Can you have 100 cards in a magic deck? ›

With the exception of Commander and Brawl, which each have a maximum (and minimum) deck size of 100, your deck has no maximum hand size. In theory, you can put as many cards in your deck as you want!

What is the rule of number 9 in Magic? ›

The sum of the digits of the number added to 9 is always equal to the sum of the digits of the result. Take any four digit number and try the trick.

What is rule 514 in Magic The Gathering? ›

514.1 First, if the active player's hand contains more cards than their maximum hand size (normally seven), they discard enough cards to reduce their hand size to that number.

What is the best 5 cards rule? ›

The best five cards, are simply the five cards that make your best hand. Pairs are better then ace high, two pairs are better then one, three of a kind beat two pairs, straights beat three of a kind, flushes beat straights, full houses beat flushes, four of a kind beat full houses, straight flushes beat four of a kind.

What is the best number of cards for a Magic deck? ›

Prerelease is a Sealed format event, so it has a 40-card minimum. You can have more, but I recommend sticking as close to 40 cards as possible while aiming for a ratio of 24 playable cards to 16 lands, adjusting for your curve as you see fit.

How many Magic cards is too many? ›

Is there an official rule for how many is too much in a standard magic deck? Most formats don't have a maximum card limit, but for most formats the minimum card limit is 60 and most people choose to have 60 card decks unless there is a very good reason not to.

What are the odds of drawing a king out of a deck of 52 cards? ›

Hence for drawing a card from a deck, each outcome has probability 1/52. The probability of an event is the sum of the probabilities of the outcomes in the event, hence the probability of drawing a spade is 13/52 = 1/4, and the probability of drawing a king is 4/52 = 1/13.

What is the strongest MTG color? ›

Blue is defined by knowledge and intellectualism, and it has the signature ability to draw and manipulate cards. This is among the most powerful things you can do in competitive Magic and has made blue historically the strongest color (which becomes more apparent in formats where cards from the 1990's are legal).

What is the weakest color in MTG? ›

Through Magic's history, white is the worst, with green just edging it out. Blue is the best by a mile, then black and red (not sure about the order). All of this is true. (But Black's been better than Red, no question.)

What is the shortest card name in MTG? ›

The Shortest and Longest Names in Magic

Before Unglued came out, the record for the shortest name was three letters (such as Fog or Web). Unglued broke that record with the card Ow, which only had two letters.

What is the rarest card in existence? ›

The Shichifukujin Dragon, created to celebrate the opening of the DCI Tournament Center in Tokyo, Japan, is also the only one of its kind in existence. In Japanese mythology, 'Shichifukujin' is the name given to the Seven Deities of Good Fortune.

Are any uncommon MTG cards worth money? ›

Chase uncommons worth over $1 do occasionally appear in sets — Solve the Equation and Storm-Kiln Artist are two uncommons from Strixhaven: School of Mages that sell for greater than $1. Interestingly, some uncommons printed over the last few years are more valuable than most rares from the same set!

Why is Black Lotus so expensive? ›

First off, Alpha and Beta copies of Black Lotus are worth quite a bit more than Unlimited copies. It isn't just the look, either—it's scarcity. We have pretty good intel stating that there were only ever 1,008 copies of every Alpha rare even printed, and only 3,025 copies of each Beta rare.

How many black lotuses still exist? ›

Its Alpha and Beta versions in particular are considered to be extremely valuable, due to the more limited print runs and black borders of those sets. The Alpha version of Black Lotus is the rarest and most sought-after, with an estimated 1100 ever printed, followed by the Beta version, with 3300 ever printed.

What card did post Malone buy? ›

'” Post Malone is certainly no stranger to showing off his love for Magic: The Gathering. He had previously spent $800,000 on an Alpha Black Lotus Card, the rarest and most valuable MTG card available, signed by Christopher Rush.

How many Black Lotus cards still exist? ›

Like the card in the present auction, it was given a perfect Gem Mint 10 rating for its condition by the Professional Sports Authenticators, and its case was signed by the card's illustrator Christopher Rush. Only six PSA 10 Black Lotus cards exist.

Why is the Ace of Spades the death card? ›

Producing counterfeit cards was a capital offence resulting in death by hanging. You fake an Ace of Spades stamp, you get caught, you die. As such, the Ace of Spades spelled out death to many people and this connotation was hard to shake off.

What is Yugi's favorite card? ›

The Dark Magician has been a part of Yugi's deck since the very first episode of the series, and has solidified itself as the true ace card of Yugi's deck. It has won him countless fights and duels, and always had a trick up its sleeve to defeat its opponents.

Why is Ace of Spades special? ›

The ace of spades is the most powerful card in a deck of playing cards. It symbolizes power, luck, and triumph. Aces are considered to be lucky because they are high up on the list of possible outcomes for rolling dice or drawing from a deck of cards (1/6th chance).

How many legendary cards can you have in Magic? ›

While you can have four of any legendary in your deck, don't forget that if you already have a legendary card of the same name out, you will have to choose one to sacrifice. So if you have another copy in your hand, you effectively have a dead card that probably should not be played while the other is out.

Can vigilance block flying? ›

Elder Gargaroth's ability is triggered by it attacking and blocking, which is where vigilance really elevates this card. Because it doesn't tap to attack, Elder Gargaroth can always block on your turn. With reach, it can even block flying creatures right out the gate too.

How many pounds is 1000 Magic cards? ›

Easy Magic Dimensions Tables. 1 magic card weighs 1.775 grams. 1000 magic cards weighs 1775 grams, or 3.9 lbs.

Why is 73 a magic number? ›

“The best number is 73,” Cooper explained in the episode. “Why? 73 is the 21st prime number. Its mirror, 37, is the 12th, and its mirror, 21, is the product of multiplying seven and three ... and in binary, 73 is a palindrome, 1001001, which backwards is 1001001.”

Why is 37 a magic number? ›

Its magic constant is 37 x 3 = 111, where 3 and 37 are the first and third decimal unique primes (the second such prime is 11). In base-ten, 37 is a permutable prime with 73, which is the 21st prime number.

What is Rule 707.10 MTG? ›

707.10 If a face-down permanent becomes a copy of another permanent, its copiable values become the copiable values of that permanent, as modified by its face-down status. Its characteristics therefore remain the same: the characteristics listed by the ability or rules that allowed it to be turned face down.

What is Rule 111.5 MTG? ›

111.5. This is the rule that says if a token can't enter the battlefield, it isn't created. Some added words here cover the case where you would make a token that is a copy of an instant or sorcery card. As you might expect, that token also won't be created.

What Magic cards are banned in all formats? ›

Magic: The Gathering – Every Card Banned In Vintage, And Why
  1. 1 Shahrazad.
  2. 2 Chaos Orb. ...
  3. 3 Falling Star. ...
  4. 4 Conspiracy Cards. ...
  5. 5 Cards Mentioning Ante. Cards with ante were introduced in the first set of the game. ...
  6. 6 Banned In All Formats. Disallow by Min Yum. ...
Mar 20, 2023

What is the 52 card rule? ›

52 is a two player-card game using a standard 52-card deck without jokers, in which the objective is for the player to get the higher score with all five cards being in the same suit. It doesn't matter which suit you choose. In this game, an Ace is worth 1; Jack, Queen, and King are 11, and 2-10 are worth face value.

What is the 7th card rule in 29? ›

You cannot lead the seventh card (except to the very last trick, when you have no other card). If the suit of the seventh card is led by another player before trumps have been declared, you must follow with a card of this suit from your hand if possible.

What is the card rule 21? ›

If the dealer goes over 21, the dealer pays each player who has stood the amount of that player's bet. If the dealer stands at 21 or less, the dealer pays the bet of any player having a higher total (not exceeding 21) and collects the bet of any player having a lower total.

What is a rare MTG card? ›

Rare is one of the four rarities of Magic cards. Cards that are of the rare rarity are often referred to as "rares." Rares have been identified by a gold-filled expansion symbol since the Exodus expansion. In sets printed before Exodus rarity was not denoted on cards.

What is the most romantic MTG card? ›

1) Proposal. The ultimate romantic gesture! Proposal is an extremely rare Magic card that was created by Richard Garfield (the creator of Magic: the Gathering) when he proposed.

What is annihilator 6? ›

What Does Annihilator 6 Mean? If a creature has “annihilator 6” then whenever a player is attacked by that creature they have to sacrifice six permanents. It's a triggered ability that doesn't target a specific player and has to resolve before blockers can be declared.

How many Black Lotus cards exist? ›

The Alpha version of Black Lotus is the rarest and most sought-after, with an estimated 1100 ever printed, followed by the Beta version, with 3300 ever printed.

What is the strongest card combination? ›

Poker-hand rankings: from strongest to weakest
  1. Royal flush. The royal flush is the best hand available in poker. ...
  2. Straight flush. Any five cards of successive values in the same suit that's not a royal flush is a straight flush. ...
  3. Four of a Kind. ...
  4. Full house. ...
  5. Flush. ...
  6. Straight. ...
  7. Three of a kind. ...
  8. Two pair.
Jan 19, 2023

What are the most complex playing cards? ›

Citizens Citizens are the most intricate, breathtaking playing cards we've ever produced. Illustrated in America by Kevin Cantrell, every aspect was handcrafted.

What's the most powerful card? ›

The most powerful credit card in the world is the Centurion® Card from American Express, which is famously known as the "black card" and seen as a status symbol for rich and influential people.

Can menace block menace? ›

A creature with menace can't be blocked by just one creature during combat. This means that if you swing at your opponent with a creature with menace, they'll have to block using two or more creatures to deal with the incoming attack.

What is permanent MTG? ›

PERMANENT. A card or token on the battlefield. Permanents can be artifacts, creatures, enchantments, or lands. Once a permanent is on the battlefield, it stays there until it's destroyed, exiled, sacrificed, or otherwise removed according to the game rules.

Who are the Eldrazi Titans? ›

The Eldrazi titans are monstrous beings that roam the desolate spaces between worlds. They devour the mana and life energy of any plane they encounter before moving on to the next. Three ancient Planeswalkers—Ugin, the Spirit Dragon; Nahiri, the Lithomancer; and Sorin Markov—took action to stop those first Eldrazi.

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