The Pokemon TCG’s Legendary Collection released in May 2002 and featured r??eprints of famed cards from the game’s first four sets: Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket. While many of the cards from those first sets are among the most valuable Pokemon cards of all time, Legendary Collection featured one card in each pack with a special foiling method �deemed “Fireworks�by fans and collectors �that are supremely valuable and scarce.

This foiling method is quite striking, and even common-rarity cards with this treatment, such as Abra or Dratini, are worth well over $40. In fact, the lowest-priced fireworks reverse holo card from Legendary Collection is the rare Trainer card Pokemon Breeder at a cool $28 median value. But what are the most valuable cards from this cherished Pokemon TCG set? Let’s dive in.

Note: All prices are via PriceCharting and reference ungraded copies of the card; graded copies of any of these cards are worth significantly more. All prices are subject to change based on market conditions.

20. Charizard �Holo

Market Price: $116.70

The only non-fireworks card on this list i?s, unsurprisingly, another version of one of the most iconic Pokemon cards ever: Base Set Charizard. Seeing as Legendary Collection is home to reprints of th?e most popular and famous cards from previous sets, finding Base Set Charizard in the set is to be expected.

With tremendous and immediately recognizable art from legendary Pokemon TCG illustr??ator Mitsuhiro Arita, this Legendary Collection version of Charizard looks no different than the Base Set one, but because it hails from an exceedingly rare and highly sought-after set, rising tides (or in this case flames)?? lift all boats, so this card is worth well over $100 on the secondary market.

19. Jolteon �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $124.25

This striking Jolteon originally released as part of the TCG’s second-ever set, Jungle, which debuted the beloved Basic Pokemon Eevee and its (at the time) three evolutions: Flareon, Jolteon and Vaporeon. Since Generation One, five more Ee??veelutions have been unveiled and have become major chase cards throughout the game’s history, with Umbreon in particular being a fan-favorite with numerous big-money cards.

With the lovely fireworks holo finish that is Legendary Collection’s trademark and strong artwork from Kagemaru Himeno of a rosy-cheeked Jolteon with its tongue sticking out delivering some sort of electricity-based attack, this card is a real beauty and represents the second-most valuable Eeveelution card from this set behind�/p>

18. Flareon �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $125.00

Eevee’s Fire-type evolution card from LC is worth just a hair more than its Electric-type sibling, and it’s easy to see why: the artwork! Originally released in the Jungle set, this Flareon card features a gorgeous representation of Flareon, once again ?by Kagemaru Himeno, set against a bejeweled, rainbow-colored background.

??The combination of the glitzy fireworks holo pattern and Himeno’s memorable artwork make this card a hot ticket among Flareon collectors, and it remains one of the top five most valuable Flareon cards ever released over 20 years after it debuted ?in this set.

17. Bulbasaur �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $127.77

The Kanto starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle) a?re among the most notable Pokemon of all time, so it’s no surprise to see all three starters on this list in their fireworks reverse holo guises. The first Pokemon ever (according to Pokedex number at le?ast), Bulbasaur, kicks things off.

With another brilliantly illustrated card from Mitsuhiro Arita, first debuting in Base Set, and the truly singular fireworks holo finish, seeing this ultra-rare Bulbasaur card be worth nearly $130 on the secondary market is no surprise, and it remains the single-most valuable Bulbasaur Pokemon TCG card (non-Topps variety, that is).

16. Squirtle �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $128.75

Following up the first-ever Grass-type starter Pokemon in the franchise’s history is the first-ever Water-type starter, Squirtle. This beloved shell-bound cutie is using one of its attacks, Bubble, in yet another wonderfully illustrated card from Mi??tsuhiro Arita �who was responsible for six of the nine cards in Base Set that make up the Kanto starter evolutionary lines.

Much like Bulbasaur’s Legendary Collection fireworks card, this Squirtle card is the most valuable one featuring this fan favorite from the TCG �not counting the Pokemon Snap Best Photo Contest promo card, of which only?????????????????????????? 20 copies were ever created. The fireworks pattern, in this Pok??emon trainer’s opinion, looks stupendous on Water-type cards and especially good when paired with the best Kanto starter (don’t @ me).

15. Mewtwo �Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $129.91

The first of four Box Topper cards featured here was originally printed as a non-holo Black Star Promo (#12) with artwork from legendary Magic: The Gathering illustrator Christopher Rush, who was responsible for the artwork on instantly recognizable cards like Black Lotus, Lightning Bolt, Mana Leak and Rod of Ruin. This was the only card that Rush illustrated for the Pokemon TCG.

Box Topper cards were bonus cards introduced in Legendary Collection that were inserted into sealed booster boxes and featured larger dimensions than regular cards (126.5 × 90.0 mm vs. 87.0 × 63.0 mm), but smaller dimensions than jumbo cards (205.5?? × 145.5 mm). Box Toppers would become standard-sized promo cards starting with 2004’s Team Magma vs. Team Aqua release.

14. Dark Raichu �Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $146.56

This larger-scale version of Dark Raichu represented a special reprinting of the first secret rare in the TCG’s history. Somewhat surprisingly, the standard fireworks reverse holo of Dark Raichu is not one of the most valuable cards from Legendary Collection, only clocking? in with a value of $87.04.

The Box Topper version, however, is quite the chase card, as collectors and fans first had to obtain a booster box of this product �not as common back then as it is today �and then pull one of four ??options for the Bo?x Topper. The larger size of this card makes it an intriguing curio for fans.

13. Alakazam �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $156.38

The final evolution of Abra will always hold a special place in the Pokemon TCG canon as it’s the first card (by set number) in the game’s history when it debuted as a holofoil in Base Se??????????????????????????t all the way back in 1999.

Alakazam has a number of big-money cards on the secondary market, including this one, though this Psychic-type’s m??ost valuable cards hail from the e-Card series of sets: Exp??edition, Aquapolis, and Skyridge. Still, the fireworks reverse holo version of ‘Zam is striking and it’s understandable that it’s worth over $150 on the secondary market.

12. Dark Blastoise �Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $158.76

The second-most valuable Box Topper out of four in LC is the dark variant of Squirtle’s final form, Blastoise. Dark Pokemon in the TCG were introduced in the Team Rocket expansion and represent corrupted versions of Pokemon that were raised negligently by their trainers (think about the hard-hearted way Silver treats his ‘mon in the early goings of Pokemon Gold & Silver).

Once again, the lar??ger scale of this card coupled with the singular reverse holo pattern found on the earliest Box Toppers (a variant of the “cracked ice?�holo method) make it a top choice for Blastoise fans. Curiously, unlike Dark Raichu, the Box Topper version of this card is actually not as valuable as the standard fireworks reverse holo.

11. Dark Dragonite �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $165.55

Another dark Pokemon variant that originally released in the beloved Team Rocket expansion, this card transformed?? the Pokemon universe’s first pseudolegendary Pokemon (aka Powerhouse Pokemon, the of??ficial name) from a gentle, sweet-looking creature into an angry, vengeful beast.

The Pokemon TCG would revisit Dark Dragonite as a Darkness-type card instead of a Normal-type one in 2004’s Team Rocket Returns expansion, which is a highly sought-after set with a supremely high median value that sometimes actually outpaces the amazingly pricey Le?gendary ??Collection.

10. Mewtwo �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $170.00

A normal-sized version of the aforementioned Box Topper reverse holo Mewtwo, this card once again features the amazing, and unusual, artwork of Christopher Rush of Magic fame. While the Box?? Topper version of this card might be far rarer, ??the standard version is actually the more valuable one.

Why is that? It’s likely due to the fact that this card simply has more sales data than the slightly larger Box Topper version. As such, graded copies of this card can tr??uly break the bank, with cards graded with a nine reaching a price tag close to $700. If you can manage to grade this card out at a 10, you’re looking at over $3,000 ??�though those only come along roughly once a year.

9. Dark Blastoise �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $177.00

Much like the standard-sized Mewtwo fireworks reverse holo, the normal Dark Blastoise reverse holo is worth more than the unusually sized Box Topper version. Though Mewtwo cards are hot tickets, they often don’t quite re??ach the cache that cards featuring the final forms of the original Kanto starters reach.

Though many of the cards on this list were never major competitive threats in the early days of the TCG, Dark Blastoise was an exception, as it served as a strong finisher in Rain Dance decks that employed Base Set Blastoise’s eponymous Pokemon Power: Rain Dance. Seeing as the cards had different names, decks of this ilk could feature up to four of both standard Blastoise and Dark Blastoise. While Blastoise boasted more HP and the deck’s namesake, Pokemon Power: Rain Dan?ce, Dark Blastoise was able to up the maximum damage from 60 to 70, making it a more effective finisher for the archetype.

8. Pikachu �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $199.99

Starting a run of three consecutive cards that were of the common rarity when they were originally printed is one of the most recognizable characters across all of gaming. Of course, it’s Pikachu. The mascot of the Pokemon franchise is this adorable little electric mouse, who saw printings in two straight sets at the TCG’s origins: Base Set and Jungle.

This fireworks reverse holo version is a reprint of the Jungle printing, which is a good thing, as it was the better card all-around. As someone who traded Pokemon cards on the playground (where I spent most of my days) as a wee lad, the Base Set Pikachu was not regarded highly, as its artwork was not quite as clean and recognizable as Ken S??ugimori’s from Jungle. Still, seeing a card that was originally a common hit nearly $200 on the s?econdary market is fairly surprising �but that shows the scarcity and wide appeal of the one-off fireworks reverse holo pattern.

7. Eevee �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $199.99

One of the most valuable common cards from Legendary Col??lection, as well as one of the most valuable common Pokemon cards of all time, is this printing of Eevee. Seeing as how Pokemon has turned this Normal-type into a nominal second mascot for the franchise, this repri??nted fireworks reverse holo version of Eevee’s first card from Jungle being worth just a hair under $200 makes perfect sense.

Of course, Eevee and its evolutions have long been fan favorites �both in the TCG and in mainline Pokemon games �so this card being extremely valuable is no surprise. What is somewhat of a shock is that this card is worth more than its Eeveelution counterparts. Perhaps the Normal-type coloration simply looks amazing as a fireworks holo, or perhaps it’s the sheer novelty of having a card featuring ??one of the most famous Pokemon of all time from one of the game’s rarest sets.

6. Charmander �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $203.84

The most valuable re??printed Kanto starter in Legendary Collection is, unsurprisingly, Charmander, the ever-popular Fire-type. While the original Base Set printing can be had for a rela??tive pittance (sub-$2 per PriceCharting), the fireworks reverse holo version is worth over $200.

With memorable, pastoral artwork from Mitsuhiro Arita that shows Charmander seemingly surprised that its flaming tail has set a tuft of grass alight, this card looks lovely in the fireworks reverse holo finish, and seeing as Charmander and its evolution line is among the most famous in Pokemon history, it’s fitting to see it rank as the most valuable ??common card from L?C.

5. Snorlax �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $222.91

Snorlax is a beloved Normal-type Pokemon that originally debuted as part of the original 151 Pokemon from the Pokemon Red and Blue games. In the TCG, Snorlax didn’t get released until the Jungle expansion, and this LC card is a reprint o?f that one with the unique and beautiful fireworks holo pattern. Much like Eevee before it, the Normal typing lends itself to this foiling method.

Featuring original Pokemon designer Ken Sugimori’s classic art?work that shows this beefy ‘mon giving viewers a bemused wave, this card is an amazing chase rare from LC, and even heavily played versions go for well over $100 on the secondary market. If you want a highly graded copy of this card, such as one with a grade of nine, expect to shell out anywhere from $600 to $800.

4. Venusaur �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $233.80

Despite Venusaur likely being ?the least popular final evolution of the Kanto starters, its Legendary Collection fireworks holo clocks in with a far higher price point than Blastoise, thou?gh nowhere near Charizard (more on that later). Why is that? It’s likely due to the fact that the Blastoise card found in LC is not the original Base Set printing, but rather the less recognizable Dark Blastoise variant from Team Rocket.

As such, Venusaur slots into the number-four spot on this list with a healthy price tag of over $230 on the secondary market over 20 years after this set released. While not as iconic as Base Set Charizard or as powerful as Base Set Blastoise, Base Set Venusaur retains a certain cache among collectors since Venusaur has long been a competitive powerhouse in mainline Pokemon games.

3. Gengar �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $360.63

Gengar cards are among the most popular and valuable throughout the history of the TCG, so it’s somewhat surprising that Pokemon TCG didn’t release its first Gengar card until the game’s third set, Fossil, released in October 1999. While the Gengar VMAX full art card from Fusion Strike continues t??o climb to obscene heights in terms of value, this LC Gengar is no slouch in that area.

With a price tag well above $350 and striking computer-generated artwork from original Pokemon TCG illustrator Keiji Kinebuchi, this card is a defin?ite classic �and it looks especially beautiful in its fireworks reverse holo guise. While there are more valuable Gengar cards out there, this o?ne is surely a spectacular addition to any collectors of cards featuring the game’s first final-stage ghost.

2. Charizard �Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $571.88

As you might expect, the two most valuable cards from Legendary Collection are both variants of the original printing of Charizard from Base Set, which is one of the most recognizable cards across the entire spectrum of collecting �not just Pokemon TCG collecting.

This version of the card is, once again, the fireworks reverse holo rendition, which looks absolutely stupendous next to the brilliant original artwork from Mitsuhiro Arita that shows the fire lizard spew??ing out flames at its foe. While ungraded copies of this card approach a $600 median value, if you get this card graded out a nine, it’s worth about $3,500. And if you’re lucky enough to have over $15,000 lying around, you c??ould be the lucky owner of one with a 10 grade.

1. Charizard �Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $672.50

And here we have it: the Box Topper reverse holo Charizard is the most valuable card from Legendary Collection. Seeing as Box Topper cards were randomized and only one could be found per booster box of LC, it’s no surprise that this card is wor?th nearly $700 on the secondary market.

?While you’d think that same logic would apply to grading this card, the Box Topper version of LC Charizard is actually, somehow, less valuable in a PSA 10 than the standard version of the card ($7,600 vs. over $15,000). That’s something of a curiosity, but, either way, if you happen to have a shoebox full of Pokemon cards in the closet of your childhood home, be sure to crack it open when you visit your folks. You might find this card and discover that you’re sitting on a goldmine if you were into Pokemon during this era.

The post Pokemon TCG: 20 Most Valu??able Legendary Collection Ca??rds appeared first on Destructoid.

The Wizard creature type is a populous one across the history of Magic: The Gathering. Debuting in Magic’s first s?et, Alpha, in 1993 with the ever-present and not-quite-omnipotent “Tim�(aka Prodigal Sorcerer), Wizards have since become something of a mascot creature type for the gam??e.

With over 1,000 Wizards now populating Magic, blue dominates the type with over 500 Wizards in their ranks. Green brings up the rear in terms of sorcerous sundries with only 32 Wizard creatures. But all colors feature at least 30 Wizards, so it’s?? a creature type that you’re sure to run into when playing Commander �but what are the best Wizard cards for the format?

Grab your floppy pointed hats, a wand, a staff, a spellbook, or whatever talisman you need to help hone your spellcasting abilities, ??and let’s explore? the finest Wizard cards for Commander.

Honorable Mentions

Voidmage Prodigy

A revelatory card upon release, as well as Magic Hall of Famer Kai Budde’s Invitational card, this Wizard lord turns all of your Wizards into walking Counterspells (the capitalization is merited, as the activation cost for the ability is double blue. While ?the game has seemingly passed this card by, as a player who came of age during the release of Onslaught, I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least mention this mighty morphing powerhouse Wizard.

Arcanis the Omnipotent

Speaking of Onslaught and powerful Wizards, how does Omnipotence sound? No, not the one you’re thinking of. This legendary Wizard from Onslaught has a pretty bad rate (five mana for a 3/4 with no evasion), but the bonus is that you can tap it whenever you want to Ancestral Recall yourself. Again, the power level of this card is not ultra-high, but it did retain its rarity upon being reprinted in 2024’s Foundations, and it also makes for a great reanimation target for the first card on our li??st proper.

Top 20 Wizards for Commander

20. Bloodline Necromancer

While the majority of this? list will feature blue creatures, we’ll kick things of??f with a premier black Wizard. Combining the black element of reanimation with the wizarding element of necromancy, this Vampire Wizard made its debut in the Commander 2017 release.

While five mana is fairly steep for a mere 2/2 flyer, it’s t??his creature’s triggered ability that really sings, especially when paired with cards that duplicate triggered abilities such as Panharmonicon. Simply gently place a threatening, mana-intensive Wizard or Vamp in your graveyard, then play this nifty little Wiz to get it back �no questions asked. Pairs well with beefy Wizard lords such as Cyclone Summoner and Galecaster Colossus.

19. Talrand, Sky Summoner

This legendary Merfolk Wizard hails from the core set Magic 2013, and it has long be?en a f??avorite for spellslinging Commander decks. While this card has become a bit obsolete �cards are far stronger now than they were in 2012 when this card debuted �the rate of producing a 2/2 flying Drake token for every instant or sorcery spell you play is still a nifty payoff for Wizard decks.

Talrand really shines when paired with cards that double (or even triple) your token generation, as well as cards that double up your triggered abilities, of which Wizard decks can happily apply multiples of. Still, this is an iconic card that can still be an important cog in spellslinger Commander deck archetypes. Also, this card simply has a great name, and "Sky Summoner" is an objectively cool title. It also happens to accurately describe this fishy fellow's creature-generating ability. When form meets fun??ction, one can't help but smile.

18. Niv-Mizzet, Parun

There have been a total of seven Niv-Mizzet iterations over the years, with four them being Izzet-colored and ?the other three costing WUBRG (all five colors). This version of Ravnica’s legendary Dragon Wizard hails from 2018’s Guilds of Ravnica. This card is a Commander classic, as it lets you draw a card whenever ??any player �not just you �plays an instant or sorcery.

This should activate quite frequently for ??you if you’re the owner of this card, and this beefy Parun makes for an excellent option as your Izzet commander. Beyond that, multiple different variants of Niv-Mizzet go infinite with one another as well as with Curiosity-style effects that draw ?you cards upon damaging foes.

17. Docent of Perfection / Final Iteration

The only true typal “lord�found here is this five-mana transforming Insect Horror from Eldritch Moon. While the front side of this card is certainly spicy for spellslinger Wizard deck variants, it’s actually the card’s backside (Final Iteration) that delivers a truly impressive boost to power and toughness for your myriad Wizards on the battlefield, including the ones that are produc??ed whenev?er you cast an instant or sorcery spell.

Beyond the Docent’s sheer power, this is a singularly flavorful card that directly references �and e??ven features �a renowned card from a prior related set. Delver of Secrets remains a favorite archetype in the high-powered Legacy format, and its flipside, Insectile Aberration, is shown here as the upgraded Docent, and then, ultimately, the Final Iterat?ion, completing the Delver’s transformation from devious Wizard to all-consuming Insect god.

16. Step Through

While not a Wizard creature, this five-mana sorcery features a spicy little activated ability that is perfectly suited to Wizard-focused Commander decks. Sometimes, there’s a specific Wizard you’re looking for, and you simply haven’t been able to find it through the various card-drawing mechanisms you have in place throughout your well-brewed Wizard deck. Enter Step Thro??ugh’s wizardcycling ability.

Pitching this card fr??om your hand ?and paying two mana to nab any Wizard you want from your library is tremendous utility, and keeping this card in hand for special occasions can sometimes spell the difference between utter defeat and clean victory. Furthermore, it also works as an emergency double bounce spell as a last resort, but you’d definitely prefer to use it as a two-mana tutor spell.

15. Goblin Electromancer

A staple Goblin Wizard in Wizard decks and spells-matter decks of all stripes is this Izzet card that originally released in 2012 as part of the Return to Ravnica set. While it might not be the most overpowered card in the history of Magic, the ability to simply lower the cost of all of your instant and sorcery spells by one colorless?? mana is often enough to transform Wizard decks from plodding, finicky piles to well-oiled machines.

Wizard decks are often focused on reaching a critical mass of spellcasting, and even if they’re not, the ability to lo??wer th??e cost of counterspells, bounce spells, or other more control-oriented plays makes this two-mana Wizard a jack-of-all-trades that fits neatly into almost any deck that features its colors.

14. Flame of Anor

Introduced in Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings from 2023, this card represents one of Gandalf’s finest moments: his defeat of the Balrog after the Fellowship traipsed through the Mines of Moria. Seeing as Gandalf is among the most powerful and iconic Wizards throughout pop culture history, it’s no surprise to see one of his signature moments captured with a terrific Magic instant.

Of course, Gandalf being the adept Wizard that he is, this card’s mod??ality is more effective when you control a Wizard as you cast it; instead of choosing one of three options, you get to choose two of three options �a supreme upgrade, especially when one of the options is drawing two cards. The most used modes chosen in Commander are likely to be drawing two cards and dealing five damage to target creature, though the artifact destruction is also a nifty option if one of your opponents has a particularly annoying trinket on the board.

13. Balmor, Battlemage Captain

Wizard decks have gotten many boosts over the years, especially ones that spe?cialize in c?asting instant or sorceries. Cards with prowess, or cards that provide +1/+1 counters whenever you cast an instant or sorcery are perfect fits within a “spells matter�Wizard shell. One card that was first printed in 2022’s Dominaria United that perfectly fits into this theme is Balmor, Battlemage Captain.

This Izzet Bird Wizard gives all of your creatures trample and a +1/+0 boost whenever you cast an i??nstant or sorcery. The trample addition is key here, as simply boosting power and toughness is often not enough for a gang of Wizards to get over the finish line �unless they have flying, of?? course. Balmor also serves as a terrific budget option as a Wizard deck commander, as it’s only an uncommon and was also reprinted in Foundations.

12. Wizards of Thay

An intriguing and highly synergistic Human Wizard, Wizards of Thay hails from the Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate set, which unveiled the entire team that was featured in the award-winning RPG from Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3, alongside this 3/3 Wizard with the quite rare myriad keyword (only 32 cards in Magic’s history feature this ability).

Debuting in Commander 2015 on the card Broodbirth Viper, this ability ??allows the creature that hosts the ability to duplicate itself and attack each other player in your Commander pod. With Wizards of Thay, this is especially useful, as that means it can lower the cost of your instant and sorcery spells by a whopping four colorless mana. Oh, and this card also allows sorcery spells to be cast at instant-speed. As such, combat can truly become a nightmare for foes to deal with when you’re swinging away with Wizards of Thay.

11. Archmage Emeritus

This card originally released in Strixhaven: School of Mages from 2021, and it features the magecraft ability. Unlike many other Wizard cards, magecraft allows players to benefit from not only casting spells, but also from copying them. This is a notable bonus, ??as othe??r Wizards on this list as well as a bevy of spells can copy your instants and sorceries with ease.

Being able to draw cards upon playing or ??copying your spells is big game, as Wizard decks always want to have several answers in hand lest their foes aim to quash their well-laid plans. Recently reprinted in Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander, this card is gearing up to be a Commander staple, as it??s average price point above $4 across all printings indicates.

10. Ertai Resurrected

Ertai has been a notable part of Magic lo??re for decades, and his name is featured on a total of seven cards, including three distinct cards of the man himself. While the original Ertai card, Ertai, Wizard Adept from Exodus, is somewhat underp??owered by today’s standards and his follow-up card, Ertai, the Corrupted from Planeshift is only a niche Commander option, it’s 2022’s Ertai Resurrected from Dominaria United that truly shines across multiple formats.

While a 3/2 for four mana isn’t great, the ability to counter a wide range of effects (spells, activated abilities and triggered abilities) or destroy a creature or planeswalker when Ertai enters makes this card an amazing Swiss Army ?knife that can answer a number of “kill-on-sight�threats, often in a surprising way, as the fact that this card counters triggered abilities can really stymy a foe’s game plan in unexpected ways.

9. Thassa’s Oracle

While Laboratory Maniac is also a Wizard, it’s this two-mana Merfolk Wizard that deserves a spot on this list. Sure, the abilities a?re similar, but Thassa’s Oracle allows you to have at least a few cards in your library for its instant-win scenario, whereas the Maniac leaves you completely denuded of anything in your li??brary.

Beyond that, if your ?board is littered with a lot of blue pips after playing cards such as Future Sight, Arcanis the Omnipotent, Azami, Lady of Scrolls or any other cards with blue in their casting cost �which, if you’re playing Wizards, will likely be most of them �then the ability to win the game on the spot becomes even easier, making this tricky little Merfolk an unassuming yet powerhouse threat for Wizards.

8. Basalt Ravager

This fun finisher hails from the Kaldheim set, which introduced a number of Giant typal synergies. Of course, this Ravager just happens to be a Giant Wizard, so this card’s ability can also be used to brilliant effect in?? Wizard decks t?hat want to stack the board with Wizard tokens or other inexpensive Wizard cards.

The real fun of this card is if you can duplicate the ability with cards such as Naban, Dean of Iteration, Harmonic Prodigy, or Strionic Resonator (or, if you really want to get crazy, all three). Being able to blast any target �likely an opponent �for, let’s say, eight damag?e three or four times will almost certainly be enough to finish them off. This card is a ravager, indeed.

7. Riptide Laboratory

Another way to re-trigger some of your Wizards�best abilities is with this nifty little utility land. Originally releasing amidst the typal cornucopia of 2002’s Onslaught, this nonbasic allows you to tap it and pay one colorless and one blue mana to return any one of your Wizards to your ?hand. Of course, this can be used to save that creature from removal, or to simply ambush your foes with the various strong ETB effects that Wizard cards are home to.

For example, return your?? Ertai Resurrected to your hand for future countering abilities. Or bring back your Basalt Ravager to dome your foe for big damage based on the number of Wizards you have. Or return your Bloodline Necromancer to your hand to reanimate another big-time threat from your graveyard. The possibilities are nearly endless, so toss this land in your next Wizard-based Commander deck and don’t look back.

6. Adeliz, the Cinder Wind

With an ability similar to Balmor, Adeliz is actually the slightly stronger option, though she lacks the beneficial trample keyword, and she is only limited to boosting Wizards ?�not all creatures. Still though, in a Wizards typal deck, that should be pretty much all your creatures anyway, so that limitation shouldn’t adversely affect the impact this uncommon Izzet legendary from the Dominaria set has on the game.

This card having haste makes it quite the potent threat, as you can throw it down and then immediately attack. Then, next turn, the fun can really begin. Whether you have a deck full of powerhouse red combat tricks or other fun shenanigans, all of your Wizards going forward will get a +1/+1 boost whenever you play an instant or sorcery. Combine that with cost-reducing cards like Wizards of Thay or Goblin Electromancer, and you’ve got t??he makings of an unstoppable freight train that your opponents better act quickly to stop or they’ll be toast.

5. Dualcaster Mage

This fun three-mana Human Wizard debuted in the Commander 2014 s??et and is a notable piece of tech for spellslinger decks, especially those that employ a critical mass of Wizards. This card is notable for being able to go infinite in a variety of ways,? like with Twinflame, Molten Duplication and even Saw in Half from the “Un-set�Unfinity.

This card pairs beautifully with Archmage Emeritus, as you’re able to draw a card on the casting as well as on the copying of the spell you choose to duplicate. It can also put you far ahead on board when paired with another notable legendary Wizard�/p>

4. Naban, Dean of Iteration

One of the best ways to maximize the plethora of ETB triggers that Wizard cards employ is via this legendary Human Wizard from 2018’s Dominaria set. Being able to double up any abilities that pop upon your Wizards entering the battlefield is surely going to be a massive swing in favor within y?our well-crafted Wizards deck.

Do note that this ability includes cards�abilities that are already on the battlefield (such as Docent of ??Perfection’s or Talrand, Sky Summoner’s) as well as cards with the actual ETB ?effect (such as Basalt Ravager or Ertai Resurrected).

3. Azami, Lady of Scrolls

Originally printed in 2004’s Champions of Kamigawa set, this legendary Human Wizard features an amazing activated ability: Simply tap an untapped Wizard you control to ??draw a card�that’s it! This is a brilliant effect, as Wizards often care about drawing a card or feature cards that are able to go infinite via car??d-drawing combos (looking at you, Niv-Mizzet).

Certainly, Azami can go infinite with multiple different cards, such as past fabled combo-enablers like Mind Over Matter and Intruder Alarm, but perhaps Azami’s best infinite combo partner is The Locust God from 2017’s Hour of Devastation�as you can get infinite card draw, infinite draw triggers and other sweet payoffs in combination with a number of cards that play? with creature types.

2. Inalla, Archmage Ritualist

Perhaps the best option to choose as your Wizard commander is this legendary Grixis Human Wizard that was originally released in the Commander 2017 set. Featuring the eminently rare eminence ability (see what I did there?), this Wizard allows you to duplicate any nontoken Wizard that enters the battlefield under your control by paying one col??orless mana, though those tokens are exiled at end of turn.

However, with the right combinations of cards �such as cards with impactful ETB triggers �Inalla can be a nightmare ?matchup. As a commander, Inalla is a top-flight choice for Wizard decks as she opens up the best options in that creature type’s most populous colors: blue, black, and red. Of course, while her eminence ability is the eyebrow-raiser, her other ability is the one that can end games quick?ly with some spicy combos, as tapping five untapped Wizards to force the target player to lose seven life is pretty trivial in the right circumstances.

1. Harmonic Prodigy

Many of the cards on this list feature game-breaking triggered abilities or stupendously powerful ETB abilities and others, like Naban, Dean of Iteration, can double up those triggers so long as they’re ETB abilities. W?hat if there was a two-mana Wizard that could double up any triggered ability, whether they be ETBs or stati??c ones? You’d get Harmonic Prodigy.

This card pulls double duty as an amazing enabler for both Wizard and Shaman typal strategies, but in a Wizard-focused dec??k, Harmonic Prodigy is the engine that make??s your entire deck hum. Want to draw another card via Archmage Emeritus? Sure thing. How about doubling up tokens created by Docent of Perfection, Talrand or Inalla? You got it. Doubling up the power and toughness boost Wizards receive from Adeliz? Harmonic Prodigy’s got you. This card’s supreme utility and power cannot be overstated, and to top it all off, it’s got prowess, so it gets a +1/+1 power and toughness boost (actually +2/+2 because it’s a triggered ability) whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell. An amazing creature from Modern Horizons 2, and definitely the best Wizard card for Commander ever printed.

Wizards For the Win

Perhaps it’s because the Wizard creature type shares a name with the parent company that’s been responsible for Magic: The Gathering since its founding in 1993, Wizards of the Coast. Or perhaps it’s simply that fans of the fantasy genre enjoy a character who can employ magic to succeed. Either way, Wizards will remain a popular and important part of Magic ??forever, and I hope you enjoyed reading about the bes??t studious spellslingers in Commander.

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