The release of the Phyrexia: All Will Be One set for Magic: The Gathering is drawing near, and introduce some new and exciting cards. Some cards stood out from the rest, as they are so powerful that they can be the key to winning matches. Here are the 10 best ranked from worst to best.
Related: How the Corrupted mechanic works in Magic: The Gathering
Sword of Forge and Frontier
Sword of Forge and Frontier has a ton of utility packed into a single equipment card, as it’s a +2/+2 that protects from red and green. Additionally, when a creature using the Sword of Forge and Frontier deals combat damage, the player exiles the top two cards of their library and can play them that turn, one of which can be an additional land.
While not quite as good as Sword of Feast and Famine from Mirridan Besieged, Sword of Forge and Frontier is still an excellent card, especially with red getting a lot of equipment support in Phyrexia: All Will Be One.
All Will Be One
One of the main gimmicks of Phyrexia: All Will Be One is counters, as poison counters, oil counters, and the proliferate mechanic is a huge part of the set. A card that makes the most of these additional assets is All Will Be One, which can deal a ridiculous amount of damage through spawning oil counters on cards, leaning into red’s theme of directly striking an opponent.
Thrun, Breaker of Silence
There are few cards as safe to play in Phyrexia: All Will Be One than Thrun, Breaker of Silence. This is because Thrun can’t be countered, is immune to the opponent’s nongreen spells, and is indestructible on its user’s turn. The addition of Trample damage makes Thrun even better, especially when coupled with a Sword of Forge and Frontier or a creature that grants Toxic, such as Plague Nurse.
Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler
Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler, is a cheap Planeswalker with some equally low-cost effects. First, Tyvar has a built-in Thousand-Year Elixir effect, where creatures can use abilities as if they had Haste, his +1 untaps a creature, and his -2 Mills three and revives any two mana creatures among them. Tons of combos can be used with these effects, with Tyvar being a master of swarm and elf decks in Magic: The Gathering, where lots of low-cost ability monsters rush the field.
The Eternal Wanderer
The Eternal Wanderer is one of the best Planeswalkers in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, especially as its built-in ability ensures that it can only be attacked by one creature per turn, allowing it to stay on the field for longer. In terms of its abilities, The Eternal Wanderer has a cheap bounce effect and the ability to spawn 2/2 samurai tokens, but it’s the ultimate that shines, as it can cause a near-board-wipe in a single action, which can be performed without needing to buff up the Loyalty count.
Mondrak, Glory Dominus
In Phyrexia: All Will Be One, white decks have access to lots of 1/1 Mite tokens with Toxic 1, which can be spawned through effects like Skrelv’s Hive. These tokens are doubled when Mondrak, Glory Dominus is on the field, thanks to its effect, allowing for a wave of poison counter-generating Magic: the Gathering monsters to hit the field.
Mondrak’s second ability stands out, as it can gain Indestructible for the cost of one mana, two Phyrexian mana, and two artifacts or creatures, making it difficult for the opponent to clear it from the field.
Blue Sun’s Twilight
Phyrexia: All Will Be One has a different Sun’s Twilight card for each color, but the blue version is easily the best, as it can take control of a single weak creature, and paying a higher mana cost allows the card to steal a powerful monster and duplicate it. This means that blue players can rob and copy the late-game creatures their opponent has been preparing to use all game.
Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut
The token and swarm players have received a powerful late-game ally in Phyrexia: All Will Be One in the form of Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut. This artifact creature might cost eight mana to summon, but it’s well work it, as bringing it to the field will set the stats of all of the user’s creatures to 5/3, and they must attack if able. This means that the swarm of mites or wolves has suddenly turned into a force that can win the game in a single rush attack.
Nissa, Ascendend Animist
Nissa, Ascended Animist, is a fantastic Planeswalker with many terrifying abilities. Nissa’s first ability creates a Phyrexian Horror token with stats equal to her Loyalty, which means she spawns increasingly powerful creatures each turn, while her second ability destroys an artifact or enchantment for only a single Loyalty.
Nissa’s ultimate can easily win in a single action, giving all creatures +1/+1 for each Forest and Trample. This makes her an incredible choice for solo green Magic: The Gathering decks, as few opponents could survive a late-game onslaught from Nissa.
Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
It’s only fitting that Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s best card be the current Praetor of New Phyrexia, as Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines, is incredible, especially as a Commander. Simply put, Elesh Norn lets the player’s permanents use their trigger ability twice in response to another permanent entering the battlefield, while enemy permanents cannot use their trigger abilities when Elesh Norn’s user summons their permanents. These abilities allow Elesh Norn to slow the opponent to a crawl, as many of their creatures’ tricks are taken from them. The fact that Elesh Norn is relatively cheap and has a high Toughness means that she will be an incredibly important card going forward.
