by Johnny Cycles, November 7th, 2025
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Honorable Mention
Allies
Avatar brings with it a whole slew of new and powerful Allies to add to a tribe that already has almost 100 members.
Will the likes of South Pole Voyager, Earthen Ally, Suki, Courageous Rescuer, and Momo, Friendly Flier be enough to make an Ally Tribal deck competitive in Modern?
Probably not, but it may be enough to make for a fun jank brew!
#10
FirebenderAscension
Firebending has the potential to be a really busted mechanic. Will it be? I’m not sure, but I do think this card will play a role if it does.
It also combos very nicely with The Last Agni Koi and Ozai the Phoenix King, though this last one is too pricey to see play in Modern.
Other cards that play well with firebending? Ashling, Flame Dancer and Leyline Tyrant.
#9
Abandon Attachments
Lessons matter for a lot of cards in this set and this is one of the best ways of getting a lesson in your graveyard. And even if you’re not trying to take advantage of lessons, a 2-mana instant speed discard, draw two can fuel a lot of strategies.
#8
Energybending
Decks that get hosed by Blood Moon can turn to this card out of the sideboard to get out from under it for a turn. Amulet Titan decks don’t really need it, but it’s a great option for other multi-color decks. And since it’s a cantrip, it’s not ever really a dead card.
#7
Zhao, the Moon Slayer
This is an aggressively costed tax piece that I see being good out of the board of Mono Red and Izzet decks or in the main of a Boros Death and Taxes deck, like the one I played last month.
I’m not even considering the 7 mana it takes to turn him into a Magus of the Moon. If you ever get to that point, then I’m sure it’ll be good.
#6
Mai, Scornful Striker
At #6 we have another taxes piece, this time for Black. I like this in the various Rakdos Aggro and Midrange decks that either don’t care about their life total (Death’s Shadow) or plan on gaining back a bunch of life (Sheoldred, the Apocalypse).
#5
Obsessive Pursuit
I love the Aristocrat archetype, and I see this card being a great value piece for a Rakdos or Mono Black deck looking to sac Treasures or creatures.
It could possibly find a home in the Grixis or 4-Color Affinity deck I built a few months ago using Weapons Manufacturing. Note that you get counters put on the attacking creature, not an until end of turn pumping.
Getting a Clue every turn for no further mana investment is great value, as well.
#4
Badgermole Cub
Earthbending is an interesting mechanic that Wizards has done a good job of making viable, since the creature land comes back as a land if killed or exiled.
This 2-mana 2/2 is 2 for 1 the moment it resolves. Its upside is huge. I’m not sure what deck I’m going to build around this mythic, but I think it has a ton of potential.
#3
Redirect Lightning
Nerfing a kill spell is often enough in the kind of tempo deck that will play this card. Getting to redirect that spell to an opponent’s permanent is just gravy.
It’s possible I’m a little too high on this card, since there will be times when you don’t have a legal target to change your opponent’s kill spell to. It can also redirect abilities, which is pretty sweet.
#2
Sokka, Bold Boomeranger
Remember Fable of the Mirror-Breaker? Then Wizards started giving us 3-mana creatures that also let us discard and draw, like Tersa Lightshatter and Kiora, the Rising Tide.
Now we get a 2-mana creature that does the same thing AND that grows very fast in a deck like, say, Izzet Affinity.
#1
Wan Shi Tong, Librarian
This card is busted. Its floor is a 2 mana 2/2 flying vigilant creature that draws you a card. Its ceiling is so much more. Think Consult the Star Charts. It’s great for Control strategies looking to refill their hand while also presenting a powerful threat (and blocker). And it’s great for Tempo strategies or X/U decks just looking to gain value from all that fetching people do in Modern, all on the back of an evasive threat.
What do you think? What cards have I overlooked that you think will be good? Let me know in the comments!
