If you’re looking to win games of Magic: The Gathering, you’re going to need some MTG card draw cards. It doesn’t matter what amazing haymaker cards are in your deck if you aren’t able to actually draw them. That’s especially true for EDH, where games stretch long and you’ll run out of resources long before your foes run out of life. Here we’ll look at five essential MTG card draw cards – one for each color of mana. We’ll also examine how each color draws cards.
When you’re building a Magic: The Gathering deck, it’s important to know that all your bases are covered. Card draw is one of the key foundations on which a successful deck is built, so whatever MTG commander you pick, it’s going to need a healthy serving of MTG card draw cards to succeed. You can check out our guide on how to build an MTG Commander deck to see how much to stick in there, as well as how many MTG lands, removal, or MTG mana ramp cards you should include.
Some MTG colors struggle with drawing cards a bit more than others. Green card draw may be more incremental. White draw cards are often more political and can benefit the table as well as yourself. In this article, and go over a key piece of card draw for each color, so no matter the deck you’re running – or its MTG color combination – you’ll be able to draw cards with the best of them.
Red MTG card draw cards
Red does have some card draw, but it relies more on exiling cards from your library for temporary use rather than drawing them to your hand. This is known as ‘impulse draw’ as you have more card selection, but a limited time to use it, perfect for the hot-headed red mage.
Wrenn’s Resolve is an awesome new draw card from MTG March of the Machine. For two mana we get to look at two cards, which is a great rate. You get a full two turns to play these cards so the impulse effect is fairly lenient and because at the time of writing this card has been recently printed, it’s very accessible too, much cheaper than the identical Reckless Impulse. If your resolve matches Wrenn’s, then a little impulse won’t hurt from time to time.
Black MTG card draw cards
Phyrexian Arena is a staple MTG draw card and embodies everything that makes a good Black mage. Black mana will reward you immensely if you’re willing to give a little bit of yourself along the way.
For one life per turn, Phyrexian Arena will let you draw an extra card every turn. While the initial impact of this card isn’t as huge as say, Wrenn’s Resolve, Phyrexian Arena can stick around and benefit you for the entire game. Life is a resource in Magic: The Gathering, like anything else, so be sure to spend it if you feel like it will draw you into your game-winning card or combo.
At time of writing, Phyrexian Arena has had a relatively recent reprint in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, so grab your copies soon because this card sees a lot of play in casual Commander.
Blue MTG card draw cards
Every color has a strength in Magic: The Gathering and Blue’s is drawing cards. Blue is a color that embodies knowledge, and drawing cards is equivalent to having more knowledge at your disposal. So it’s no surprise that Blue is arguably the best color for card draw.
And as MTG blue card draw goes, Rhystic Study is arguably one of the best. Every time your opponent casts a spell, you’re able to draw a card unless they pay a tax of one additional generic mana. This card is backbreaking and can propel you immeasurably ahead of your opponents.
Be warned, a card this powerful can put a target on your head. However, with Rhystic Study on your side, you should have no trouble drawing into an answer for whatever new threats are sent your way.
This card hasn’t seen a reprint since Jumpstart 2022 and it commands a high price tag. Play it in a game once, though, and you’ll see it’s worth every penny. Some have even argued it should be on the MTG Commander banlist.
White MTG card draw cards
Where there must be a best color at card draw, there must also be a worst. White is on its way up, receiving incremental support from every recent MTG set, but it still lags behind other colors, with staple draw cards ending up expensive due to the lack of choice.
With that being said, we’ll lean into White’s strength here with Cut a Deal. Cut a Deal might not seem very strong, as it allows your opponent to draw cards too. You’re always going to draw more cards than your opponents, however, meaning while they’re up one card, you’re up three in an average game of Commander.
Where a Blue player casting Rhystic Study immediately makes themselves a threat, a White card draw option like Cut a Deal reminds the table that you’re there to benefit them. This can be used politically to allow you to get away with playing a powerful creature or asking for a favour from an opponent. White might not be the most powerful at drawing cards, but in a world of Rhystic Studies, it might be the fairest.
Green MTG card draw cards
Green draw cards are often conditional. They’re generally asking you to do something else, like cast a creature and get rewarded with a card for doing so. Now, Green excels at playing some of the best and most impactful creatures in Magic, so you’re not exactly going out of your way here.
MTG Green draw cards like Garruk’s Uprising will allow you to play into your strengths. Just keep casting your big creatures and so long as they have power 4 or greater, you’ll be able to draw a card when they enter the battlefield. Effectively, for each card you spend, you get one to replace it.
The best thing about an MTG draw card like Garruk’s Uprising is it helps advance your board state as well as drawing cards. Giving all of your creatures trample is powerful, and allows you to keep pushing damage through over your opponents’ blockers. It’s not all about being the best at drawing a bunch of cards all at once, just stick to your game plan and Green has your back.