<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marang River Regent|tdm|378" href="#" target="_blank">Marang River Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Valeza</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emergency Eject" href="#" target="_blank">Emergency Eject</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/leontukker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leon Tukker</a></span></i></span></p>
<h2>What Makes Instants So Good?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Josh Lee Kwai, of Command Zone fame, is infamously connected to his pet card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vedalken Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Vedalken Orrery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, noting how he often signs copies of it at events. As someone with a pet card myself, in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I can certainly relate to someone proselytizing a card others overlook. The Orrery lets its controller cast all spells at instant speed, which enables flexibility; breaking the rules of <em>Magic</em> is a powerful thing to be able to do, and timing restrictions are often built to limit the power of otherwise broken cards.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a multiplayer game, playing reactively is very difficult, which makes control and tempo tough to play. Tapping out on your own turn means telegraphing to the table that your shields are down for their turns, and threats will often go unanswered. The easiest maxim to remember for running these archetypes is this: “It’s not my problem unless it’s coming at me.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can try making deals, as Josh would attest. That requires trust on both sides: Will the deal be honored, and is there an ulterior motive that is being allowed by agreeing? It’s easier to just leave mana up and decide on the opponent’s turn. Instants tend to sacrifice some power, utility, or mana cost in order to make up for the strength of flexibility.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With that preamble out of the way, let's look at the best MTG instants for Commander in 2025!</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bounce Off" href="#" target="_blank">Bounce Off</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bounce Off"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course I’m starting with a bounce spell. Would you expect anything else from a dude called the Unsummoned Skull? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seriously though, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is already a strong tempo card to protect threats or remove them in a non-threatening way, and being able to bounce Vehicles, whether crewed or not, is an added bit of tech, especially for the same cost.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duty Beyond Death" href="#" target="_blank">Duty Beyond Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duty Beyond Death"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Given the Jeskai proclivity for showing their prowess, it stood to reason that the return to Tarkir would bring some strong noncreature spells. This card doesn’t disappoint; it protects and grows our board, just like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbreakable Formation" href="#" target="_blank">Unbreakable Formation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but without having to be cast on our turn, and for one fewer mana, and at the cost of one creature. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Token strategies and Aristocrats will love this, as will other go-wide strategies.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heritage Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Heritage Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heritage Reclamation"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While it doesn’t come with a sage body, this card can help to reclaim a game getting out of hand. Modal spells have gotten a lot of support recently, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riku of Many Paths" href="#" target="_blank">Riku of Many Paths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in <em>Thunder Junction</em>, and for good reason. Instants are powerful because of their flexibility, and being able to do several different things based on the situation doubles down on this. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naturalize" href="#" target="_blank">Naturalize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fused with a cantripping piece of graveyard hate is almost always going to be relevant, even if we’re just exiling something inconsequential to dig.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moogles&#039; Valor" href="#" target="_blank">Moogles&#039; Valor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moogles&#039; Valor"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While this may seem to be another board protection spell, it's actually a potent win-con. The order of the abilities is important: it makes a lifelinking token for each creature we control and then protects our board, so we don’t just laugh off a board wipe, we emerge even stronger. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">White</span>'<span style="font-weight: 400;">s been eating good with board protection spells, and the downside of this is the cost: leaving up five mana is a bit of a red flag.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Self-Destruct" href="#" target="_blank">Self-Destruct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Self-Destruct"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I mean…the spell won a Pro Tour, so the card’s pedigree is pretty well-known. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is already a hilarious way to end a game, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a known commodity for base-red decks. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since the creature deals the damage, this works with infect, and since the creature damages itself, this can do some funky things with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archenemy&#039;s Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Archenemy&#039;s Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archenemy&#039;s Charm"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archmage&#039;s Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Archmage&#039;s Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archdruid&#039;s Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Archdruid&#039;s Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> set the bar pretty high, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archenemy&#039;s Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Archenemy&#039;s Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>...would be a lot better if it didn't have the other two to compare against. Again, modal instants are especially useful, and this combines removal, card advantage, and power. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Downfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, double <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raise Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Raise Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a pump effect coupled with lifelink are all solid, but the key is finding a deck that wants all three.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hide on the Ceiling" href="#" target="_blank">Hide on the Ceiling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hide on the Ceiling"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another board protection effect, this time in blue. While board protection spells tend to lean white, this spell…also probably could be white. It exiles however many creatures or artifacts, owned by anybody, and then returns them to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blink decks will absolutely love this, and it's perfect with Allies, right in time for Katara, the Ally <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="School Daze" href="#" target="_blank">School Daze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="School Daze"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Five-mana instants are risky, as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moogles&#039; Valor" href="#" target="_blank">Moogles&#039; Valor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showed, but blue can get away with it in a way that white often can’t. The card is also able to be fired off at end of turn to draw cards, which gives extra utility for controlling decks and cascade. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s that can be cast normally for value have been explored quite a bit recently, and this one drawing cards regardless of mode gives it a good amount of use.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuko&#039;s Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Zuko&#039;s Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zuko&#039;s Exile"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last time Lessons were used, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Introduction to Annihilation" href="#" target="_blank">Introduction to Annihilation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> became a staple in decks that sought to answer problem permanents. This card does a similar job, giving colors the ability to check threats they usually can’t, and delays the card draw by giving a Clue instead of a card outright.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elemental Teachings" href="#" target="_blank">Elemental Teachings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elemental Teachings"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystical Teachings" href="#" target="_blank">Mystical Teachings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this is an instant-speed tutor, this time for lands. It operates on a similar axis to the Game Changers <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gifts Ungiven" href="#" target="_blank">Gifts Ungiven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crop Rotation" href="#" target="_blank">Crop Rotation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, with the added bonus of feeding strategies that got a lot of support recently, in Deserts and Gates. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This will pair nicely with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which essentially turns this into a five-mana find any four lands.</span></p>
<h2>Honorable Mention: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka&#039;s Haiku" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka&#039;s Haiku</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka&#039;s Haiku"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look, I had to shout out the coolest design of the year, possibly my favorite-designed card of all time. I mean, the rules text <em>is</em> a Haiku! How cool is that?</span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instants have been a bit of a mixed bag; there have been a lot of cool utility pieces, but not many big, splashy spells. It seems like those have been mostly relegated to sorcery-speed recently, and I can’t say I blame the powers-that-be. What these instants lack in excitement they more than make up for in utility.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many decks will be after what these cards do, and they fit a wide variety of decks and playstyles.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what instants have <em>you</em> excited? And what are the cards you’re looking to pick up?</span></p>
<h3>More 2025:</h3>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-new-commanders-of-2025</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-enchantments-of-2025-for-commander</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-new-artifacts-of-2025-for-commander</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-nonlegendary-creatures-of-2025-for-commander</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-mtg-sorceries-of-2025-for-commander</p>


The Best MTG Instants of 2025 for Commander

The Most Underplayed Commander Cards in 2025

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starfield Vocalist" href="#" target="_blank">Starfield Vocalist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/ninesicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nathaniel Himawan</a></em></p>
<p>I had a blast this year with <em>Magic</em> mechanics. When I saw that EDHREC was looking for an article like this, I pounced. Even though I think the amount of sets released this year is exhausting, there are some that floated to the top, far beyond the rest. There are more than 15 new mechanics. I really wracked my brain on my top five.</p>
<p>The way I decided on these are strictly on their versatility and power in their respective strategies. They're all mechanics that were introduced for the first time this year. Some mechanics have roughly existed before, but hadn't been named, like mobilize, void, or job select. They're not exactly one-to-one compared to what existed before, but were close. I won't be including those in this list, not because they're not relevant, but because I ended up finding a reason other mechanics were better.</p>
<p>Lastly, there were a lot of really cool mechanics this year that I couldn't give time to. Here are some honorable mentions that were good, but not top 5:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lander tokens</li>
<li>Harmonize</li>
<li>Exhaust</li>
<li>Saga creatures</li>
<li>Endure</li>
</ul>
<p>All of these mechanics are worth taking a look at and running in strategies that need them. I just had to pick the best, and these didn't make the cut. Now that the housekeeping is done, lets get into the top five best new <em>Magic</em> mechanics of 2025.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zurgo Stormrender"></div></div>
<h2>5. Mayhem - <em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em></h2>
<p>Mayhem reads: "You may cast this card from your graveyard for its mayhem cost if you discarded it this turn. Timing rules still apply." I know what you're thinking: "You said you weren't covering mechanics that are close to existing mechanics." Isn't this exactly like madness? Hear me out! It's the timing restriction. I was spooking around the comprehensive rules and the timing rules on madness.</p>
<p>702.35a states "Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with madness is in a player’s hand. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. 'Madness [cost]' means 'If a player would discard this card, that player discards it, but exiles it instead of putting it into their graveyard” and “When this card is exiled this way, its owner may cast it by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If that player doesn’t, they put this card into their graveyard.'"</p>
<p>This is a triggered ability that ignores timing restrictions. Some cards that allow you to discard a card have a timing restriction though. You may have to discard at your upkeep, on cast, or on enter. With madness, a mechanic that I rather like a lot, you have the pay the cost to cast it right then for its alternate casting cost. Sometimes that makes things a little tricky. You might not be able to sequence the way you'd like. Maybe you want to play a land or Wrath the board before resolving your trigger.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Norman Osborn"></div></div>
<p>With mayhem, you only have to consider that it has been discarded this turn, and often times it gives you a great reduction in its cost. In some ways, it's an improvement on madness. In one respect madness is something you can do at instant speed, because of the trigger. I've only found two cards that could make mayhem work at instant speed: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norman Osborn" href="#" target="_blank">Norman Osborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swarm, Being of Bees" href="#" target="_blank">Swarm, Being of Bees</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Green Goblin giving nonland cards in your graveyard mayhem (meaning they would still need to be discarded that turn, but still) can allow instants to be cast, and Swarm having flash.</p>
<p>Compared to most mechanics this year, I find it so interesting. Discard strategies could use it a ton. There aren't that many cards that have the ability, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norman Osborn" href="#" target="_blank">Norman Osborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very playable. He's even cEDH viable because of how insane he is. It's also the sort of mechanic I think they'll use again. It doesn't seem too tied to the <em>Spider-Man</em> IP. It's cool and powerful, and worthy of a spot in the top 5.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swarm, Being of Bees"></div></div>
<h2>4. Station - <em>Edge of Eternities</em></h2>
<p>Station reads: "Station is an activated ability. 'Station' means 'Tap another untapped creature you control: Put a number of charge counters on this permanent equal to the tapped creature’s power. Activate only as a sorcery.'" <em>Again?! </em>I'm doing it to you all again? Well, crew is a very popular mechanic with its strengths and weaknesses.</p>
<p>Station usually gives you effects when it's fully or partially stationed. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evendo, Waking Haven" href="#" target="_blank">Evendo, Waking Haven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at 12+ charge counters gains the ability: "<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>: Add <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> for each creature you control" Which is crazy! Station is permanent, unlike crew - though I don't think the effect is necessarily better than crew, just different - which means you only have to be shields down for a little while.</p>
<p>What I love about station is that, similar to crew, your creatures can station the turn they come out. It's the ability of the Planet or the Spacecraft tapping, versus the creature tapping itself. If you have value creatures you won't be blocking with, it's a great opportunity to station. It's at sorcery speed, which means you can't be tricky and elusive with it, but honestly the only thing balancing this mechanic is the fact that it's only at sorcery speed. It would be so pushed otherwise.</p>
<p>And most of the effects of station are worth the investment. Certain Spacecrafts benefit from not being a creature too; they become harder to remove. I think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> utilizes this ability a lot.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evendo, Waking Haven"></div></div>
<p>Some weakness to this strategy is that it's very shields down. You invite Aggro strategies to come in for damage. Once you station you can't block if you suddenly need to. Also usually the amount you need to invest over turns to station something is very slow. Producing 12 power over the course of a few turns is tough in a lot of strategies. And again you have to put your big tough creatures sideways to station it faster.</p>
<p>Ideally it's the sort of thing you either go all in on a turn or not. It can be strategic, but I do think it's a bit slow. It's very strong if you can manage it.</p>
<h2>3. Airbend -<em> Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></h2>
<p>Airbend reads: "A keyword action that exiles one or more permanents and/or spells. The owner of each card exiled with airbend may cast it from exile by paying <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> rather than paying its mana cost."</p>
<p>Before I get into all the things I love about this mechanic, I really need to stress how sad it makes me that this ability is likely locked to the <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> IP. It's a such a cool mechanic that could never be evergreen in <em>Magic</em>. It's a little salty of me, but I wished they kept all of their crazy good ideas for in-universe sets so we could see them again, but I know that's not sustainable or even the point. We want all sets the be fun and cool, but again, I'm devastated that this effect is locked to <em>Avatar</em>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avatar&#039;s Wrath"></div></div>
<p>I was sort of asleep on airbending until I saw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar&#039;s Wrath" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar&#039;s Wrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That card reads: "Choose up to one target creature, then airbend all other creatures. (Exile them. While each one is exiled, its owner may cast it for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> rather than its mana cost.). Until your next turn, your opponents can’t cast spells from anywhere other than their hand. Exile Avatar’s Wrath."</p>
<p>You know a card is cracked when they make you exile the card as it resolves. I'd thought airbend might be good for Blink strategies until I understood it as disruption. With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar&#039;s Wrath" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar&#039;s Wrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> you can lock people out of recasting the spells that were airbended, but they can't recast their commander, or play from the top of their library, graveyard, or exile. It's insane.</p>
<p>You can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monk Gyatso" href="#" target="_blank">Monk Gyatso</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> too as protection and re-enters and re-cast triggers with airbend. It's so versatile. I feel like it would have been a staple for this archetype. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Appa, Steadfast Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Appa, Steadfast Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a must-include in decks running Blink. So many of the cards with this mechanic feel so playable beyond the meta of <em>Avatar</em> and into many different strategies. This fact is not common in all <em>Magic</em> mechanics.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Appa, Steadfast Guardian"></div></div>
<h2>2. Earthbend - <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></h2>
<p>Earthbend reads: "A keyword action that causes a land to become a 0/0 creature with haste in addition to its other types and puts a number of +1/+1 counters on it. When that land dies or is put into exile, return it to the battlefield tapped under your control."</p>
<p>Let me tell you, if I thought I was devastated that airbend was likely to never return, I was downright on the brink of collapse when I found about earthbending. Landfall decks have always eaten good, but this is eating great. Good protection for land creatures for once in <em>Magic</em> history? Sign me up. Multiple <em>landfall</em> triggers when earthbended lands die? <em>Oh My God</em>!</p>
<p>Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashaya, Soul of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Ashaya, Soul of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moraug, Fury of Akoum" href="#" target="_blank">Moraug, Fury of Akoum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> go infinite with a ham sandwich and earthbending. I've been watching a lot of <em>Magic</em> content for <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> and players are stumbling into infinite combos in Landfall decks. So many things make this mechanic insane.</p>
<p>You saddle this up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, the First Metalbender" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, the First Metalbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and soon artifact and land synergy become insane. Sacrificing artifacts over and over and <em>landfall</em> triggers over and over? I'm telling you it would be so insane to keep this mechanic in the game. It's so powerful. I wish it would make an appearance in another set.</p>
<p>While this isn't number one on this list, it was really close. It's ceiling for power is so high.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashaya, Soul of the Wild"></div></div>
<h2>1. Warp - <em>Edge of Eternities</em></h2>
<p>Warp reads: "Warp represents two static abilities that function while the card with warp is on the stack, one of which may create a delayed triggered ability. 'Warp [cost]' means 'You may cast this card from your hand by paying [cost] rather than its mana cost' and 'If this spell’s warp cost was paid, exile the permanent this spell becomes at the beginning of the next end step. Its owner may cast this card after the current turn has ended for as long as it remains exiled.'"</p>
<p>I am obsessed with this mechanic. It is so versatile.</p>
<p>Being able to warp in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exalted Sunborn" href="#" target="_blank">Exalted Sunborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> for a turn and making tokens with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myrel, Shield of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Myrel, Shield of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is insane. It could be game changing for the less mana.</p>
<p>So many of the cards that use warp, abuse it in a such a cool synergistic way. It's useful in so many strategies. Warping in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starfield Vocalist" href="#" target="_blank">Starfield Vocalist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> alongside an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is crazy work. These cards are far more readily available than the other cards in my list as they have a lot more cards with the ability.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starfield Vocalist"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, I find that there might be more opportunities for <em>Magic</em> to return to using this mechanic in other sets. It might if we ever return to the Edge, but perhaps they'll bring it back for <em>Star Trek</em> in 2026. A girl can hope.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I had a lot of fun going over all the cool mechanics of the year. Just because it didn't make the list doesn't mean it isn't a cool and cracked mechanic in certain strategies. I'm looking for power and versatility across the whole game.</p>
<p>And again, those are just my thoughts. I want to hear yours! I'm <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strixhavendropout.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@strixhavendropout on Bluesky</a>.</p>


The Top 5 MTG Mechanics of 2025

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmogoyf" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmogoyf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.rahnart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Rahn</a></em></p>
<p>Flavor text is one of the most quietly important parts of <em>Magic</em>. Beyond what the card <em>does</em> (which makes it a functional part of a game) and its art (which starts the worldbuilding immediately and provides a fantastic showcase for talented artists), flavor text—the italicized words at the bottom of a card after the "rules text"—helps make the <em>Magic</em> universe deeper, adds an extra dimension to the characters, or provides a moment of levity or emotion to what can be a complex, math-laden, 1s-and-0s game.</p>
<p>Flavor text has been around since <em>Alpha</em>, introducing us to characters, describing the action being taken in the context of the game's universe, and occasionally utilizing poems or other real-world flavor text to bring the fictional world of <em>Magic</em> closer to ours. (As a writer myself, I appreciate all good flavor text, but have a special affinity for the last category—wish they did that more nowadays—but that's beside the point.)</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rancor|ULG|110"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shock|ONS|227"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pendelhaven|LEG|305"></div></div>
<h2>Flavor Text in 2025</h2>
<p>So what does flavor text look like in 2025? There were well over a thousand cards with flavor text printed this year—more than I thought there would be. Given how wordy the average card has become, I expected a very small portion of new cards to have any, and I'm happy to have been mistaken. There's definitely more than I remember, but I do fear that part of the reason most flavor text is glossed over lately is that...the average passage isn't particularly memorable.</p>
<p>Kind of by default, there's enough room for one, maybe two lines of text on most cards, and while you don't need a ton of room to make good flavor, only having a few words to work with can be challenging. That's why we get a lot of bland quips or generic flavor that doesn't relate to or add much to the card it's on.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All-Fates Stalker|EOE|3"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vnwxt, Verbose Host|DFT|73"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sage of the Skies|TDM|22"></div></div>
<p>It could also be that the ever-accelerating release schedule leaves less time for focusing on flavor text during development. So it is a bit of a double-edged sword—there are more cards with flavor text than ever, but we also have the worldbuilding equivalent of draft chaff in many cases. And don't even get me started on the <em>Aetherdrift</em> "rude riders," who bear the most soul-deadening puns I've ever seen passed off as flavor text.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mindspring Merfolk|DFT|335"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burnout Bashtronaut|DFT|340"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guardian Sunmare|DFT|334"></div></div>
<p><em>*shudder*</em></p>
<p>That said, why focus on the negative? There were still plenty of great flavor texts in <em>Magic</em> this year, full of humor, pathos, depth, and unique perspective.</p>
<p>So I present to you, in no particular order, the ten cards with my favorite flavor text of 2025! Keep in mind, this is my subjective take on the best flavor text; there's no way to objectively say one is better than the other. So sound off on any of your favorites in the comments. But in the meantime, let's all just agree my picks are right. kthx.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmogoyf" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmogoyf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>&gt;Alert: COSMOGOYF</em><br />
<em>&gt;Recommended Action: RUN</em><br />
<em>—PSS </em>Erix<em> shipboard computer, final transmission</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cosmogoyf|EOE|215"></div></div>
<p>Not only did they put a Lhurgoyf in space, but they made a wink toward the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lhurgoyf|ICE|252" href="#" target="_blank">original one&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> flavor text—one of the most famous pieces of flavor in the game: "<em>“Ach! Hans, run! It’s the Lhurgoyf!” —Saffi Eriksdotter, last words.</em>" That text from <em>Ice Age</em> not only gave us a series of cards of Saffi, Hans, and more, but helped spur on the long-running "last words" gag in flavor texts—more on those later.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saffi Eriksdotter|TSP|245"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hans Eriksson|CMR|279"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="&quot;Ach! Hans, Run!&quot;"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundial, Dawn Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Sundial, Dawn Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>“We follow as it walks at the head of the ever-breaking day. Is it leading the dawn, or does it march to some forgotten celestial order? It does not answer our questions, so faith must sustain us.” —Chakshi, Dawnchaser pilgrim</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sundial, Dawn Tyrant|DFT|31"></div></div>
<p>They created an entire backstory and mythos for this thing—a vanilla creature! Sure, it feels like we're being duped into the trope of unduly ascribing emotion to machines, but dang it these two sentences do an excellent job setting up a fascinating world—not just the Construct in question, but the quote being from a "Dawnchaser pilgrim" makes it sound like there's an entire religious sect that stems from Sundial's wanderings.</p>
<p>And this is another example of the art fitting well with the flavor text; the creature looks battered, and it's hard to tell but maybe that left arm is shorter than the other, so it has its own unknown history. The name "Sundial," given the context, is quite fitting, and what makes it a "Tyrant"; its size?</p>
<p>I get the sense from the image that this thing is walking slowly, with measured steps...for a card that is literally just a two-mana 3/3 with no abilities, there's more going on than there has any right to be.</p>
<p>I love it. <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=set%3Adft+is%3Avanilla+type%3Alegendary&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The rest of the cycle of "legendary vanilla" creatures from <em>Aetherdrift </em></a>are pretty cool, too, but Sundial here makes me want to build a deck that somehow makes it wander around the board. If anyone has ideas on how to make that happen, hit me up.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Last Agni Kai" href="#" target="_blank">The Last Agni Kai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>Zuko’s journey began when he refused to duel his father, but it would end dueling his sister.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Last Agni Kai|TLA|144"></div></div>
<p>I will admit that my familiarity with the <em>Avatar</em> show is not very strong (though my interest, like many, has been increased after the excellent set), this passage has a beautiful symmetry to it, a kind of full-circle aspect that piques my interest and makes me want to know more about the characters and their story.</p>
<p>The art heightens the dramatic tension as well, an epic clash of power fitting one of the more potent fight spells we've seen.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beamsaw Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Beamsaw Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>The Kav had learned their lesson about mining too deep. Zern Miffles had not.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beamsaw Prospector|EOE|89"></div></div>
<p>Honestly, I just think the name “Zern Miffles” is extraordinary and I want more people to know it exists. A lot of <em>Magic</em> characters existed first in a flavor text or two, and then years down the road we hear more about them, maybe even get a legendary creature in their honor.</p>
<p>I can't wait for Zern Miffles, Sheriff of the Stars in 2035's fourteenth set.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worthy Cost" href="#" target="_blank">Worthy Cost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>“‘Victory is survival’ is the tenet that guides us. My love, know that I will always ensure your survival.” —Duvir, Mardu warrior, final letter</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Worthy Cost|TDM|99"></div></div>
<p>On the most basic level, it's a touching expression of love and sacrifice that fits the card's function. But it's also a playful inversion of the "last words" trope that I mentioned when discussing the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmogoyf" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmogoyf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> above (<a href="https://commandersherald.com/flavor-of-the-month-last-meal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and that I built an entire deck around for Commander's Herald)</a>.</p>
<p>Traditionally, the "last words" flavor texts were ironic statements made by people about to die due to their own stupidity or poor judgment. Here, the final <em>letter</em> is from someone headed to their end for another reason entirely, willingly, due to their love for another.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sazh&#039;s Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Sazh&#039;s Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>The chick has no name, as voicing the true identity of the animal might trigger ripples of destiny across Cocoon and cause a hurricane in Eden. Either that, or Sazh just hasn’t thought of one yet.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sazh&#039;s Chocobo|FIN|200"></div></div>
<p>While I've dabbled in a few <em>Final Fantasy</em> titles, I haven't played XIII, so I have no idea if this is a direct quote from the game or if it was made up for this card (a card which has been terrorizing me along with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mossborn Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Mossborn Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa Lockhart" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa Lockhart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in Standard, by the way).</p>
<p>Either way, this is classic <em>Magic</em> humor. High-stakes, high-grandeur fantasy punctured by an Occam’s razor of a punchline.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hymn of the Faller" href="#" target="_blank">Hymn of the Faller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>“Does truth lie in the void between stanzas?” </em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hymn of the Faller|EOE|107"></div></div>
<p>Maybe this one is just cheating, because as a poet, whenever I see a word like "stanza" in <em>Magic</em>, I get excited. But the flavor does fit with the card—what is left behind when the things we focus on leave or are no longer in focus (or in case of this card, are "warped" or die/are exiled).</p>
<p>And it's a nice reminder in this age of excess—especially in a game that's going through rapid expansion in both player base and product release—of the value of negative space. Like in a poem, what is not said can be just as important as what is.</p>
<p>Fun fact: did you know "stanza" is an Italian word for "room"? So in the house that a poem is, the stanzas are the rooms, and the act of reading is walking through the house and experiencing a part of the life of the person who lives there (the author who wrote the piece). Walking room to room is not being stationary, it's learning, being curious, seeking out others.</p>
<p>So someone with an artistic inclination would answer the question of this flavor text with a resounding "Yes."</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wickerfolk Indomitable" href="#" target="_blank">Wickerfolk Indomitable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>Some horrors are created. Others are the recognition of a possibility that has always existed.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wickerfolk Indomitable|DFT|109"></div></div>
<p>This is just a shorthand, terrifying way of saying, "You should be way more scared of everything, because the worst thing you can imagine is not as bad as the things you can't imagine but are very real and possibly very nearby to you in space or time, and the longer you don't know what they are, the closer they come."</p>
<p>Or is that just the way <em>my</em> brain works? Fellow folks with Lots of Anxiety, this one's for you.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heritage Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Heritage Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>With an echoing crash the effigy fell, the symbol of Atarka’s tyranny expunged from Temur lands.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heritage Reclamation|TDM|145"></div></div>
<p>Statues of leaders being torn down is an act of rebellion that carries a lot of weight across not just <em>Magic</em> and other properties, but in real life. Tyrants often fall, and like in <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46565/ozymandias" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ozymandias</a>, the objects that serve as symbols of oppression fall with them too, either over time or all at once.</p>
<p>Not always can heritages be reclaimed as cleanly as this text suggests, but it's a worthwhile sentiment. I enjoy the weight of the word choices in this passage; "expunge" is a powerful verb, and the crash "echoing" reflects the impact such actions can have beyond their immediate area. The symbol being an "effigy" of Atarka, rather than a "statue" or "depiction," is a flavorful choice, too.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if the art came before the flavor text or vice versa, since the object coming down in the image definitely does look like a wooden effigy, but great job to the whole team on this one.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth|tdm|138" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>“Some days, you wish you were fighting a dragon.” —Eshki Dragonclaw</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth|TDM|138"></div></div>
<p>This is intended to be funny on its face, and I guess it kind of is, but the reason I'm including this flavor text in this list is that it's a nice meta wink to the card's pedigree. The 'Hoof has a long history in <em>Magic</em>, both back during its first Standard run and serving as the default green finisher in Commander since then.</p>
<p>I find it amusing that the thing you'd least like to see across the table from you in TDM Limited or your Commander pod is not a Dragon—probably the most iconic, badass, and awe-inspiring creature across not just <em>Magic </em>but every fantasy property that includes them—but this old standby.</p>
<p>Welcome back, buddy.</p>
<h2>All the Flavor That’s Fit To Print</h2>
<p>Welp, them there're my picks for the best of the best when it comes to flavor text in this year's crop of <em>Magic</em> sets. What did I miss? I did read well over a thousand pieces of flavor text for this article and these are the ones I found scribbled on my notepad when I came out of that fugue state, so I admit that there's a <em>possibility</em><em> </em>I left off a good one.</p>
<p>I've been Brandon Amico, reminding you that if the text isn't italicized, you can feel free to ignore it until a judge intervenes.</p>
<p>Till next time.</p>


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