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. 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 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. 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 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. 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 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 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. 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 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.
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2. Solitude
Solitude 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 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 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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