Here are the best MTG Wilds of Eldraine cards for the Standard format, from aggressive red creatures to grindy Golgari cards, to a new cycle of lands that we can’t wait to close out some games with. There are tons of good Standard MTG cards in Wilds of Eldraine, but these are eight of the best.
The first MTG set on this plane, Throne of Eldraine, was chock full of powerful cards that defined the best MTG Arena decks for months. Some were even relegated to the MTG banlist before they could cause too much mischief.
We’ve been assured that Wizards of the Coast has put a lot of effort into balancing the current set, in an effort to avoid repeating past mistakes. That said, there are plenty of cards that are no slouches. Take a look below at some of the top MTG Wilds of Eldraine cards to consider when crafting your Standard decks.
Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator
There’s only one MTG planeswalker in Wilds of Eldraine, a pattern that head designer Mark Rosewater has said is destined to continue for a while. Lucky, then, that this is an exceptionally intriguing planeswalker.
Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator provides card draw and poops out loads of tokens that can grow really large over the course of a longer game. We foresee them slinking into Dimir midrange, the current reigning champion when it comes to Standard deck archetypes. Notably, Ashiok synergises well with all the new Adventure cards in Standard, as each time you cast an Adventure, you exile its card.
Virtue of Loyalty
Virtue of Loyalty looks great in aggressive White decks. It provides a top-end enchantment that will buff your whole board for as long as it sticks around, and the knight you can make with its Adventure ensures you don’t risk missing your two-drop by including it.
Actually, the entire cycle of Virtue cards looks set to be impactful, and it’s a toss-up whether to put the white one (Loyalty) or black one (Persistence) on this list. Ultimately, the five-cost enchantment narrowly wins out over the seven, since it’s likely to make it into play far more often.
Beseech the Mirror
Psst, hey you. Wanna have eight Sheoldred’s in your mono Black deck?
Questing Druid
Combine a Wrenn’s Resolve and Quirion Dryad and you get Questing Druid. Two medium spells stuck onto one card make something far more impactful. If there’s an Adventure deck in Standard once Wilds of Eldraine comes out, Questing Druid is likely to be part of it.
Decadent Dragon
In a similar vein, but better – providing card advantage and an effective creature – is Decadent Dragon. Decadent Dragon does something quite similar to Goldspan Dragon when it comes down, ramping you out of control, while also dishing out significant damage.
While it doesn’t ramp quite as well the Zendikar card, Decadent Dragon demands an answer, and its Adventure, Expensive Taste, is pretty wonderful, letting you steal your opponent’s cards. You don’t even have to be playing Black to run Decadent Dragon, since you can use its treasure to pay for the Adventure side.
Mosswood Dreadknight
Certainly the best Golgari card in the set, could Mosswood Dreadknight bring Green back into Standard? Mosswood Dreadknight will be a dreadful pain in the ass for your opponents, swinging for damage or providing an effective blocker, and then giving you card advantage again and again, until it gets exiled.
Charming Scoundrel
Usually Charming Scoundrel will be a two-mana 2/2 with haste, a vital card for mono Red aggressive decks. Not only does the Wicked role token provide an extra bit of damage (and reach) once the creature dies, this dashing dame also has tons of versatility, letting you sacrifice the extra point of toughness for some ramp, or to filter cards. Expect to see it in the majority of red decks going forwards.
The Restless Lands
Lands that turn into creatures have historically been super impactful in the Standard format – essentially serving as an ‘extra’ creature. And while the cards in this cycle enter the battlefield tapped, they have the added benefit that they provide mana for two colors. We’ll be surprised if they aren’t a consideration for every deck in their colors that can afford a tapped land.
Notably, the Restless manlands don’t quite fit in any of the top Standard decks right now – there isn’t one for Dimir or Rakdos for the midrange decks, nor Azorius for the soldiers strategy, nor one for Selesyna’s enchantment deck. Perhaps these nifty manlands are going to inspire a sea change for Standard. It’d be about time.
That brings us to The End of our look at Eldraine’s top Standard cards, but before we say happily ever after and part ways, consider taking a look at our shortlist of best Wilds of Eldraine Commanders.
You should also check out the MTG release schedule for 2024, if you’re at all unsure about what’s coming next year. We also have a guide to all the free MTG Arena codes, so you can make sure you’ve cashed them all in.