Welcome, Magic players, to my latest Top 10!

It’s a great time to be playing Magic and Khans of Tarkir is a big reason why. This new wedge set has some great new cards for us to start brewing with. Despite first appearances, there is a lot of depth to this set. While there are cards that stand above the rest, the overall power level of the set is high. Many of the cards in this set that have their full wedge colors in them are pushed to new heights of power.

One interesting part about tri-colored blocks like this is that deciphering which cards are the most powerful or even which cards are good enough to see play in Standard is challenging. Not only is it difficult to determine which cards are good enough, there has to be enough other cards that also pair well with them in order to make a wedge viable in the Standard metagame.

Take Anafenza, the Foremost for example. This card is crazy high powered. Not only does it do a great Loxodon Smiter impersonation at parties, but it also pumps your other creatures.

The problem arrises when trying to put together a solid Abzan deck. This creature is good but does it have a home? The same can be said of many cards from this set. Working Shards of Alara into Constructed play took some time and I expect the same for Khans. There is a whole list of cards similar to Anafenza in this set so the brewers of the world need to get right to work and start trying to crack this nut open.

Aside on Wedges

Throughout the course of this and future articles I will be referring to each wedge by its new name. After being a bit grumpy about the plane specific names of the wedges, I came to a realization. Everyone will start using these five new names almost as a necessity. Not everyone knows the names yet, but referring to cards from this block will become more and more difficult for those players who refuse to use the names of the wedges.

Once I realized that we would all eventually adopt the names, I gave up on fighting the inevitable. We will all start saying Temur, Abzan, Mardu, Jeskai, and Sultai as a normal progression from playing with the set, so start now and make the transition easier. Even if we all don’t care for the new names, at least we have them now. It’s been far too many years of players struggling to name their wedge decks. At least now we have something to go by.

Alright, now back to our regularly scheduled top 10!

Honorable Mentions

Hooded Hydra is one of my favorite cards in the new set but how good it is depends on the format surrounding it. If not many players are killing your creatures and they are relying on evasion or cards like Banishing Light to get the job done, then the newest hydra won’t be important.

I suspect that there will be many versions of midrange control, most likely in the Abzan and Temur wedges, and that they will be packing the most efficient removal spells their color combinations have to offer. Hooded Hydra fights against those decks extremely well. I think this green token-making machine will fit right into a mono-green Nissa, Worldwaker deck and start showing off how tricky morph creatures can really be.

I already spoke about Anafenza, the Foremost in my intro but the card does deserve mention again. The first ability to pump another creature you control pairs perfectly with Elvish Mystic, but even if you don’t have an ideal draw, you can always play another creature before you attack so that the counter has somewhere to go.

The second ability intrigues and terrifies me all at the same time. There are a surprising number of creatures with effects that trigger upon death and this efficient beater allows you to sidestep all of them. In addition, there is an obvious graveyard deck that is viable in Standard and Anafenza stands in the foremost position to lay down some serious disruption. All of these things combine for one stellar Magic card that should see play.

Even though all these abilities are stuck to one card, it still seems innocent and under the radar to me. We are getting too used to three-mana 4/4’s with abilities for my liking and this card is a great example of that power creep.

Like Phantasmal Image and Phyrexian Metamorph before him, Clever Impersonator is here to remind us how good clones can be. The problem with clone effects is that you never want a lot of them in your deck. I could see every controlling type of deck running one or maybe two copies of this card for the duration of Khans in Standard. I can’t in good conscience include a card in my Top 10 that will only ever see play as a one-of though.

Crackling Doom is definitely good, but how good will depend on what the metagame looks like. If everyone is trying to go fast and win the game, getting rid of creatures that cost less than this three mana spell is a recipe for disaster.

Against the midrange decks though, this spell is the actual best. This Mardu removal spell is like Devour Flesh that always hits their best creature. Sure they will keep their Sylvan Caryatid, but it will kill their giant monster that they are trying to beat you with. If the format shapes up as I think it will, this card should see play but it may reside primarily in sideboards.

There are many other powerful cards in the set. Here are some of the ones that were up for consideration in this article.

• Grim Haruspex
• Arc Lightning
• Tri-Lands
• Charms
• Ascendancy’s
• Hordeling Outburst
• Murderous Cut
• Mindswipe
• Jeering Instigator (other morphs?)
• Ponyback Brigade
• Tormenting Voice
• Valley Dasher

All of these cards are solid choices for constructed except maybe Ponyback Brigade. I’m a sucker for a token maker, but six mana is a lot for this type of card. You can morph it for three and then unmorph for five so it might be good enough but I found it intriguing enough to consider. Valley Dasher seems like a great two-drop for any aggressive deck and I’m surprised it hasn’t gotten more attention. Most of these cards should see play in some fashion throughout their time in Standard.

And now, the Khans of Tarkir Top 10!

10. Ashcloud Phoenix

At this point, if Chandra doesn't control it, no phoenix is taken seriously. Many players saw the name of this card and passed it by after reading the name, but I think it's one of the most underrated cards in the set.

It's well known that I'm a sucker for creatures that replace themselves. When Wizards prints cards like Xathrid Necromancer, Voice of Resurgence, or the newest addition Ashcloud Phoenix, they have my attention.

There may be too many exile effects in Standard for the new Phoenix to take flight, but I don't think every deck is going to be packing Magma Spray, Utter End or Silence the Believers. As long as other removal spells are the most commonly played, I'll be sure to summon my phoenix buddy and watch him rise from the ashes over and over again.

This is my sleeper pick from the set. I do like Hooded Hydra quite a bit, but I think that we could see a big jump in price from Ashcloud Phoenix. I never got around to preordering either of the two mythics like I wanted to, but I think both have a lot of room for growth.

9. End Hostilities

Wrath of God may not cost four mana in Standard but that doesn't mean it won't be an important card in the format. When I see a card that completely invalidates a block's central mechanic, I don't see it sitting on the sidelines for long.

As soon as the bestow creatures start showing up, other player will bring out End Hostilities to ruin their day. We need to work with the tool we are given. Even if control decks look a little different, that's okay. This card is good and I expect to have to play against it regularly in Standard.

8. Bloodsoaked Champion

Just like our wrath effect got a makeover, so did our friendly neighborhood Gravecrawler. This time around, there is no tribal requirement for Bloodsoaked Champion, but we do have some hoops to jump through.

First of all, the ability costs two mana instead of one. I certainly would have paid more if Gravecrawler cost two mana and I didn’t need another zombie in play to bring him back. The other ability of having to attack with another creature is a hefty fee. This typically means that it takes an extra turn to bring back your champion.

This new Savannah Lion rewards you for playing cheap creatures with haste because instead of waiting for the following turn, you can bring him back the same turn your haste creature is played. The two stipulations on this aggressive new black card are steeper than the last incarnation, but still well worth it. I expect it to see a lot of action during its time in Standard.

7. Rattleclaw Mystic

The first time I saw Rattleclaw Mystic, I was unimpressed. The more I’ve seen the other cards in Khans though, the more I’ve gotten on board with this card. It’s not that it is overwhelmingly impressive, but rather just a solid card. This Golden Hind upgrade has stats that allow the user to attack when necessary and generate mana the rest of the time.

This card reminds me more of Noble Hierarch than traditional mana accelerants like Sylvan Caryatid. Not only does it produce mana, but it functions well in a variety of situations. This type of versatility has not been seen in Standard for quite some time. The three ways to play this creature give it a diverse skill set that isn’t comparable to any other card.

First it has a normal mana accelerant role. You can just play it as a guy that generates mana. Second, if you are willing to be a bit more patient, you can generate an extra two mana. Jumping up in mana from four to six mana on turn four is acceleration we haven’t seen since Lotus Cobra was in Standard. This may be a slow progression for the game to take so many turns to increase your mana and it may be easily disruptable, but it’s well worth doing in some situations.

Thirdly and finally, just using Rattleclaw as a Grizzly Bear some of the time is okay too. He has power and toughness for a reason and it’s okay to use him to put some pressure on your opponent. Final verdict: Solid role player that will definitely see play.

6. Surrak Dragonclaw

The combination of abilities on Surrak Dragonclaw is impressive to say the least. Despite how many awesome abilities this card has, it’s taken me some time to get on board with it.

Flash on such a huge body is unprecedented and you will be able to ambush your opponents attackers just like with Restoration Angel or Plumeveil. Tacking on the Root Sliver ability of not being able to counter the creature or any future creatures is certainly powerful as well. Finally, there’s no need to play Nylea, God of the Hunt when you can just get the other creatures gain trample ability as an added bonus.

Maybe I’m relying on an invalid argument, but my fear is that Hero's Downfall and similar cards will be too much for this card and will push it out of the format. There is no doubt that the combination of abilities is unparalleled, but since any removal spell can take out Mr. Surrak Dragonclaw, I don’t know how much he will be played in Standard. Evaluating it on its own merits, the card is amazing and something to be feared.

5. Sidisi, Brood Tyrant

If you read my article on updating G/B Dredge and turning it into Sultai Dredge, then you know that I am high on this card right now. I know that self-mill seems like a part of the game designed for casual players but you need to know that it’s real and very powerful.

The majority of the time, you will be generating five power for four mana which is on par with Polukranos, World Eater as well as many other solid four-mana threats. If you are able to untap with Sidisi in play, then you can start making a zombie per turn just because you are playing the game the way your deck normally functions. She creates an army of zombies that forms an undead wall that is quite hard for any aggro deck to break through. Unlike most other zombie producers, these tokens don’t come into play tapped and they are ready to get to work right when you summon them. Sidisi has proven herself so far in testing and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a cornerstone of the format.

4. Butcher of the Horde

My original Top 10 for this article did not have Butcher of the Horde this high on the list, but as I’ve seen him in play, he has constantly exceeded my expectations. Some writers have compared this card to Falkenrath Aristocrat, but that does not seem accurate to me at all. I think a more apt comparison would be Baneslayer Angel.

That may seem surprising, but the lifelink ability on this demon as well as his enormous flying power creates a threat that's extremely difficult to deal with. We need to find good creatures to sacrifice. A good place to start would be with Goblin Rabblemaster or Brimaz, King of Oreskos tokens, or possibly the new Bloodsoaked Champion. There is nothing overpowered like Voice of Resurgence or Xathrid Necromancer, but there are certainly still some good options.

Even on his stats alone, a 5/4 for four mana with no drawback is extremely good. Being able to give your Butcher more abilities for the mere cost of sacrificing a creature pushes him over the top. My initial impression is that this Mardu card will be one of the premier threats in the format. If there are profitable creatures to sacrifice, Butcher will be that much better.

3. Savage Knuckleblade

Between Anafenza, the Foremost and Savage Knuckleblade, Wizards is really exploring how pushed they can make a three-mana creature. They’ve taken their rule of the more mana symbols equals more abilities and pushed it to the limits in this set.

Knuckleblade has so many abilities that there isn’t even room for flavor text! This guy attack well, blocks well, and even evades removal well. Three mana is kind of a lot to protect himself but we can hardly ask for this card to be better than it already is. Prepare yourself to get savagely beaten by this card.

2. Fetchlands

This may be an obvious choice but I think the Onslaught fetchlands are important not only for Modern and Legacy, but also for Standard. Once you start playing with them, you will realize quickly how amazing it is to get a land that comes into play untapped. Sure you can’t get a dual land with them, but that’s okay. Each wedge gets one and if you are playing multiple colors these lands will be invaluable.

The real contenders are the green ones though. They are the ones that will be paired with Courser of Kruphix for not only free searching, but also for changing the top of your library. I’ve been doing this for a while in Modern, as have other players, and it’s a potent game plan. Most often you are shuffling away extra lands, but sometimes you are digging for another threat to close the game or a removal spell to prevent you from losing.

Either way, these shuffle effects, combined with Courser, provide a powerful way to have some control over what you draw for the turn. They can impact the game so much that I typically hold them in my hand until I have a Courser in play. Get yours now because they are invaluable to every player.

1. Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

Sarkhan Vol is my favorite planeswalker because his character is sweet and because he interacts with your opponent in multiple ways. When you are controlling the pace of the game he gives your team haste and bonus power. When your opponent tries to disrupt your attack, he clears the way as well as adds to the damage you are dealing for the turn.

Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker is the same way. The difference between five and four mana is a lot but for that mana investment you are getting your money's worth for sure. Wizards has spent many years avoiding creatures as well as planeswalkers that kill creatures when they come into play. The fact that Sarkhan does just that is a big deal. There are creatures with higher than four toughness but the majority of what's out there can be defeated with Sarkhan's might.

Sarkhan has had strong reactions from both sides. Some claim he's overrated and Stormbreath Dragon is still the other way to go. Strong supporters of this new planeswalker think you should sell those Stormbreaths immediately because they are completely invalidated. Those on the fence are advocating for some combination of both cards.

Unfortunately I can't see the future but what I do know is that this combination of abilities makes one great card and and a great new evolution of Sarkhan. As far as this planeswalker goes, my opinion is that it's the best card in the set and the one that will see the most play.

There are tons of great cards in this set and the difference in power level is much less between these cards than I was expecting. The Top 10 were clearer to me than any set I’ve reviewed previously but it was muddy as to what the order should be. In the end, I’m happy with my choices and I think they will prove accurate. What is your Top 10? Did I undervalue or overvalue a card? Did I completely miss something you think should have been on the list? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

Until Next Time,

Unleash the Khans Force!

Mike Lanigan
MtgJedi on Twitter
Jedicouncilman23@gmail.com