Neriv, Heart of the StormNeriv, Heart of the Storm | Art by Victor Adame Minguez

2025 was a year of firsts and broken records for Magic: The Gathering, and saw a huge number of standard legal sets hit store shelves. Let's take a look at each Standard-legal set released this year and rank them in order of quality and impact on the whole world of Magic.

From highest grossing IP crossovers and messy middle-grounds to wistful throwbacks to classic planes and bold new directions. These are the sets of 2025, ranked.

6. Marvel's Spider-Man (Universes Beyond)

Spider-Man was by far the biggest flop of the year in most people's eyes and its position below the rather universally hated Aetherdrift is pretty impressive. But the writing was on the wall for this set before it had even begun to be revealed in spoilers.

The world of Marvel has a tough time fitting in with the swords and sorcery setting of Magic: The Gathering, even if Wizards has been trying to bridge the gap with thematic middle-grounds like Aetherdrift and Edge of Eternities. It wasn't helped by cards that didn't even look the same in paper and online due to strange licensing issues.

But the problem with Spider-Man wasn't just one of aesthetics. A slue of nothing legendaries seem to be bulking out the packs as much as they can in this set. A consequence of a last minute change of plans to distance this set from the commercial flops that were March of the Machine: Aftermath and Assassin's Creed.

The tiny pack sizes we came to expect from those sets were due to rear their ugly heads again with Spider-Man. For better or for worse the set was filled with last minute additions that are incredibly dull (See Guy in the ChairGuy in the Chair or Bagel and SchmearBagel and Schmear). And even then the set wasn't big enough to do a proper draft with, leading to a lot of awkwardness. Like official competitive events drafting Edge of Eternities at Spider-Man-legal tournaments.

A big flop with a few saving graces, and all for a bigger price tag than normal.

Standout card: Superior Spider-ManSuperior Spider-Man

5. Aetherdrift

Aetherdrift, rumored to be an "easy" set for Wizards design to get done so they could focus their efforts on other things, always felt ill-advised. In a year crammed with Universes Beyond sets, established Magic fans were craving something that felt like home to kick off the year. What they got was a wacky racers set.

Filled with cards that didn't feel at home anywhere in Magic's setting or in anyone's decks, it was difficult to get excited about this set. The Draft environment was a little dull, if they fired at all. The cards were filled with Magic's new forced mascot, Loot (maybe you like him; I can't stand the thing). And most people cracking a pack were just hoping for one of the rare lands.

But whilst the set as a whole didn't deliver, there were a few parts of it that introduced fun new bits of support for certain archetypes. Especially Standard. Monument to EnduranceMonument to Endurance is a super fun card to play with in any deck that wants to discard. Stock UpStock Up is an outrageously good draw spell that carries a ridiculous price tag for an uncommon. And the Verge lands are really powerful duals, even if they're just completing the cycle from Duskmourn. 

When you look into the singles of Aetherdrift, you can see the designers attempting to cobble something together from the limited resources and (let's be honest) quite bad idea that they had to work with.

Maybe in another world this set could have crossed the finish line. In truth it never really got its engines started.

Standout Card: Stock UpStock Up

4. Avatar: The Last Airbender (Universes Beyond)

Another new set and another new Izzet () deck is terrifying competitive Magic players everywhere. Avatar: The Last Airbender struggled to compete with the ridiculous sales record set by its UB predecessor, Final Fantasy. That doesn't mean it didn't bring some heat with it though.

The popular Lesson mechanic from Strixhaven returns but in a strange form, as no cards in the Avatar set actually allow you to learn (find a lesson card from your sideboard and add it to your hand). Probably because we've got another Strixhaven set coming up next year. But don't think that the card type is hamstrung because of it.

In fact, Lessons are so souped up by synergistic cards that care about the subtype that they're currently the strongest archetype in Standard. Add to that crazy power outliers like Badgermole CubBadgermole Cub and Wan Shi Tong, LibrarianWan Shi Tong, Librarian and you've got yourself a pretty impactful set.

Save for some anime art styles, the Avatar world fits into Magic's relatively painlessly on an aesthetic level. And the four forms of bending fit gorgeously into Magic's color pie. At least they do for white, blue, red, and green. Black feels a little left behind as a result as you can probably tell by the lack of it in the most valuable cards from the set.

But there's a lot to like in TLA even if it didn't quite reach the heights that may have been expected from it. And some really thoughtful design has gone into translating the setting in the game's rules. Airbending and firebending are a real highlight.

A loving and faithful recreation for fans of the show, that probably won't live too long in the memories of those who aren't.

Standout card: Badgermole CubBadgermole Cub

3. Edge of Eternities

Of all the sets this year, Edge of Eternities felt the most creative. Take a look at all the most valuable singles from the set and you can see a smorgasbord of weird and wonderful tools to add to your deck's arsenal. There are obvious power outliers like the multi-format all-star Quantum RiddlerQuantum Riddler, which became the chase mythic of the set. OuroboroidOuroboroid and Icetill ExplorerIcetill Explorer also added some ridiculously powerful includes for green players.

But there's a host of rather silly and exploratory designs that makes Edge of Eternities all that more special for me. Cards that dare you to play them, or build a deck around them. Combo pieces like Weapons ManufacturingWeapons Manufacturing and Devastating OnslaughtDevastating Onslaught that are primed with potential. Cards like The EndstoneThe Endstone, StarwinderStarwinder, and WeftwalkingWeftwalking that act as powerful payoffs and dangerous hubris machines at the same time.

The draft environment could be a bit of a slog (though I tend to prefer them slower). It might not have been quite as power crept as some of its Universes Beyond siblings. But the warp mechanic is a slam dunk. The art is absolutely tremendous (just check out the illustrations on Tragic TrajectoryTragic Trajectory and GravkillGravkill). Not to mention the original plane that Wizards has created here feels like such an interesting and unique take on fantasy in space.

I think we'll be looking back at the card pool of EoE with fondness for a long time.

Standout card: Quantum RiddlerQuantum Riddler

2. Final Fantasy (Universes Beyond)

With Final Fantasy, everything changed for Standard. Booster prices went up, a certain Wizard became so absurdly overpowered that it warped an entire format, and the first ever Standard-legal set with a non-Magic IP was released. It's hard not to look at Final Fantasy without a little fear and trepidation about what it means for the future of the card game.

It generated $200 million dollars in a single day. The Draft environment was lauded as one of the best since Dominaria United. A huge influx of fans of the original series of JPRGs, who may have never even heard of Magic: The Gathering, bought their first precons. And they were rewarded with a huge pool of powerful and (according to those who know more about the franchise than I do) flavorful cards depicting some of their favorite heroes, villains, and side characters.

Final Fantasy was unabashedly a Universes Beyond set, but it also set a gold standard that UB sets to come will have to match themselves up against. For better or for ill, it's changed what we now expect from a set of Magic: The Gathering. One of those changes, however, came in a dangerous level of power creep.

ViviVivi should never have hit the Standard format. Or at least, not in the form the card ended up taking. It's done irreparable damage to the format that most haven't bothered to return to afterward. At the same time, high powered singles like Vivi, Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER and the Buster SwordBuster Sword tell a tale of singles rising beyond the reach of casual players.

Final Fantasy was a triumph for some and a bad omen for others. But take away all the external factors and most would agree that it was just a very well made set of Magic. even if it did rely a little too much on cards that say, "If you would do something, do it again".

Standout card: Vivi OrnitierVivi Ornitier

1. Tarkir: Dragonstorm

This year's standout set, luckily for purists, was a return to a fan favorite plane. The realm of Tarkir is pretty classic fantasy. Dragons, warring clans, and grand battles. The site of huge, cataclysmic battle scenes and powerful avatars of arcane sorcery. And Tarkir: Dragonstorm does it incredible justice with a set full of gorgeous artwork, strong themes, and powerful cards.

For a year that was set up to be a very big change from the regular for long term Magic: The Gathering fans, Tarkir: Dragonstorm was a breath of fresh air before the storm came. Opening packs was a callback to the classic fantasy and grand sorcery that attracted a lot of us to the game in the first place. Not to mention that it was effectively the only set in the entirety of 2025 that would end up really feeling like that.

Regardless of aesthetics, Dragonstorm was also just a very cool box of cards. Limited games felt crunchy in a way I really enjoy, but without too much standstill due to the prominent threat of aggressive Mardu () decks.

Big rares felt scary and splashy without leaving too much destruction in their wake. Save for the very scary Cori-Steel CutterCori-Steel Cutter that earned itself a Standard ban (which, in hindsight, feels quite tame in comparison to Vivi).

There were some very interesting and clean designs here that are probably still flying under the radar because they don't immediately scream, "I break the game" upon first read. Super elegant and powerful designs like Voice of VictoryVoice of Victory and Mistrise VillageMistrise Village. Big threats that can end games with proper play and not just because they hit the board, like Marang River RegentMarang River Regent.

I truly feel that if more sets were designed in the way that Tarkir: Dragonstorm was, the game we know today wouldn't be quite as big a mess at it is.

Standout Card: Elspeth, Storm SlayerElspeth, Storm Slayer