Zendikar rising was the latest expansion for standard. It was the last set of the year that will impact the arena going forward. While we wait for next year to come around, let us examine some of the best cards to come out of this set. Zendikar rising brought with it a new mechanic called party, but also the return of landfall. Let us go on an adventure to party in the plane of Zendikar, here are the top 25 cards in the set.
25)Luminarch Aspirant
Image
Rally to the cause
Mono white weenies have their champion. For only two mana, place counters every combat.
What is great about this card?
2 mana to cast
Counters on any creature you control
Can target itself with the ability
24)Jwari Disruption
Image
Counter it unless you pay 1
Do you need a land? play this card. Do you need a counter spell? This card can do that too.
What is great about this card?
Double faced card
Can be a counterspell
Is also a land if you need mana or landfall triggers
23)Mind carver
Image
A great name for a metal band
Equipment always is useful for aggro decks. With the knight support from Eldraine this card performs well in standard. Throw this on any knight or use it in a mill deck for extra damage
What is great about this card?
Costs a single mana
High mill synergy
Attach it as it enters to any creature you control
22)Demon’s Disciple
Image
Would you like to talk about our lord and savior?
Cleric tribes received major benefits from this set. The disciple can be very useful with the right timing and extremely profitable in the right deck.
What is great about this card?
Forces each player to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker
Efficient removal
Can sacrifice itself for the trigger
21) Tajuru Blightblade
Image
Stick them with the pointy end
To fill the party up this is a great start. An excellent turn on play that can kill anything it touches
What is great about this card?
It has deathtouch
Costs only 1 mana
Fills up the rouge slot in your party
20) Roiling Regrowth
Image
Call forth the power of the roil
Searching for lands in this set is extremely powerful. Two is always better than one and that's what this card allows you to do.
What is great about this card?
Search for two lands
The lands enter the battlefield
Play this at instant speed
19)Marauding Blight-Priest
Image
What an exquiste ability
Cards like this enable life drain in life gain decks. With enough lifelink on board this card will become a threat faster than anyone sees it coming.
What is great about this card?
Whenever you gain life each opponent loses 1 life
Can be used as a blocker if needed
Enables amazing combos
18) Scion of the Swarm
Image
Ajani's pridemate in the air
Clerics gained massive support in this set and Ajani’s pridemate needed a replacement in standard.
What is great about this card?
Gain power for gaining life
It has flying
Starts out as a 3/3
17) Deadly Alliance
Image
Mortal Kombat refrence?
A great removal spell for planeswalkers and creatures. The larger your party the greater the value
What is great about this card
Party members reduce the spell’s cost
Can target creatures and planeswalkers
Common rarity so it is easy to get
16)Spikefall hazard
Image
Look out for the rocks
Double faced card that can be used to deal an extra point of damage when needed. It can also be a land
What is great about this card?
Instant speed damage
Is also a land
One drop spell
15)Oran-rief Ooze
Image
icky sticky ooze
Green and stompy just how we like it. Let the ooze squeese value onto your creatures
What is great about this card?
Can place counters on itself
Places counters every single combat
When it attacks it gives more counters to creatures that already have them
14)Cleric of life's bond
Image
Cleric tribal synergy incarnate. Gain life and counters what more could clerics need?
What is great about this card?
Whenever clerics enter the board you gain a life
The first time you gain life it gets a counter
Only 2 mana drop
13)Orah,Skyclave Hierophant
Image
calling all Clerics
A cleric commander who has the support it needs. It is also a healer, as all good clerics should be
What is great about this card?
It has lifelink
Allows you to respawn other clerics from the grave
Is a 3/3
12)Soaring Thought Thief
Image
Mill em all to death
Mill has become a nuisance because of cards like this. If you want to mill, play this card.
What is great about this card?
It has flying
It has flash to be played at instant speed
Whenever one or more rouges attack your opponent mills two cards
11)Ruin Crab
Image
A card loving crab
More mill support for the decks that love to watch cards fill the graveyard. Watch it all disappear in the hands of this carb.
What is great about this card?
Turn one play
landfall forces your opponent to mill 3 cards
Is a bulky boy with 3 toughness
10)Merfolk Windrobber
Image
As god is my witness i did not think merfolk could fly
The mill support just keeps coming. With the low cost of it to it is no wonder it is one of the best decks out there right now.
What is great about this card?
It has flying
Costs just one mana
Makes your opponent mill whenever it deals combat damage
9)Roil Eruption
Image
Erupt with the rage of the roil
Mono red aggro always has a spell like this for quick damage. Say hello to the two drop that can kick your deck into gear
What is great about this card?
Deals three damage for 2 mana
Can be kicked to deal 5 damage instead
Common level rarity so it is easy to get a play set of
8)Akoum Hellhound
Image
Hot diggty
Man’s bestfriend always has a home in this game. Giving it landfall just made it a standard aggro staple
What is great about this card
Buffs itself with the landfall trigger
Costs only one mana
The more lands you play the more damage it can deal
7)Leyline tyrant
Image
Tyrants love mana
Dragons soar through Zendikar with devastating power. Losing mana is unfit for the ancient flying serpents.
What is great about this card?
Allows you to keep red mana you don’t use
It has flying
If it dies you can take all that mana you have stored up and use it to deal damage
6)Brushfire elemental
Image
We demand a shrubbry
We have hit the aggro support portion of this list. Gruul cards always give us solid,fast, damage dealing beauties to shake up standard
What is great about this card?
It has haste
The landfall trigger makes it more threatening
Only costs 2 mana
5)Zareth San, the Trickster
Image
Do you smell tuna?
This is a tricky fish indeed. With his own ability to sneak onto the board, he deals damage that nobody can see coming.
What is great about this card?
It’s ability allows it to pop onto the board and swap places with unblocked creatures
Whenever it deals damage to an opponent you can steal a permanent from their grave
It has flash
4)Ashaya
Image
The trees are alive with the power of mana
One of the best legendary creatures in the set and an amazing commander. The power it offers is something needed to keep pace with a lot of threats out in the arena right now.
What is great about this card?
Turns every creature into a land
It’s power and toughness are equal to the amount of forests you control
6 mana to cast
3)Ancient green warden
Image
This card is expensive to cast but once it is out the land will rise to compensate. Doubling value is always a great way to earn one of the top 5 cards in the entire set
What is great about this card?
Doubles landfall triggers
It has reach
It is a 5/7 tank of a creature
2)Scute Swarm
Image
I really hate bugs
The insect that is so good it should be banned. Look at that effect and imagine it gets doubled.
What is great about this card?
Spawns in hoards of tokens with landfall
Can be mutated to make even stupider overpowered tokens
The tokens are exact copies that are extremely difficult to stop without a board wipe
1)Lotus Cobra
Image
My cobra don't want none unless you play a land hun
The best card in this set is a mana generator. You can’t have any of these bombs go off without the mana to cast it.
Avid gamer, casual planeswalker and occasional cunning linguist. James is an encyclopedia of comic book heroes,anime superpowers, video game trivia and grammar when it counts.
