Magic: The Gathering cards come in many forms ranging from devastating sorcery spells to helpful artifacts. By and large, the most common and widely played cards in Magic are creatures. Capable of attacking and blocking, many creatures primarily act in combat and are often a deck’s primary source of dealing damage.
Over eleven thousand unique creature cards have been printed throughout Magic’s history, and it is often difficult to gauge just how powerful a given card may be. However, today, we will simplify things by examining the ten creature cards from across Magic’s history with the highest total power.
When considering massive creatures in Magic: The Gathering, Eldrazi often spring to mind as iconic examples. Their colossal size and otherworldly appearance make them stand out in the game’s lore and imagery. Indeed, several Eldrazi creatures make appearances on our list of the most powerful creatures in Magic’s history, showcasing their dominance on the battlefield and their enduring legacy as some of the most formidable beings in the game.
Power as a Measure
As mentioned above, a creature’s power is hardly a great measure of how good the card may be. This goes doubly so in the modern day of Magic, where creatures are often printed with enter the battlefield effects that are much more important than their power and toughness values. Even so, seeing how big Magic creatures can be intriguing.
This list ignores silver-border and acorn cards, such as Infinity Elemental, which has infinite power.
Jokulmorder
First printed in 2006 with the release of Coldsnap, this Leviathan had players turning heads thanks to its sheer size and strange rules text. While Jokulmorder’s mana value is excellent compared to its size, the actual cost of this creature comes alongside the fact that you must sacrifice five lands once it enters the battlefield.
As if that weren’t bad enough, it also enters the battlefield tapped and only untaps once you play an Island. While this design is super flavorful, it results in a highly unreliable creature that’s better off not being cast. Jokulmorder is an excellent measure of just how far creature cards have come compared to the earlier days of Magic.
Ghalta, Primal Hunger
Speaking of how far creature cards have come, Ghalta is a perfect example. This giant Dinosaur can be cast for a measly two-green mana on many board states, which is an absurdly cheap cost for a creature of this size.
That said, Ghalta doesn’t do anything until it enters the battlefield. Furthermore, the fact that its mana discount comes from already having high-power creatures can make this Dinosaur feel a little bit ‘win-more.’ After all, if you’ve already got a board of high-power creatures, you’re doing fine.
Ancient Stone Idol
Meanwhile, this Commander favorite comes with a cost discount that can feel more impactful, even though it may be a bit harder of a requirement to fulfill. Additionally, the fact that Ancient Stone Idol leaves behind a 6/12 token with trample, even if it dies, gives you an insurance policy against opposing removal.
The need to attack with your creatures to receive a cost discount can be a bit awkward, as it may force you to make some less-than-savory trades. However, chances are you’ll be far ahead once you drop a 12/12 trampler onto the battlefield.
Ludevic’s Abomination
Ludevic’s Abomination is a card with a superb design, as it gradually emerges from an egg once you pour enough mana into it. Alternatively, you can cheat this mana cost by using mechanics like proliferate to provide additional hatchling counters without actually paying for them.
A 13/13 Lizard Horror with trample is likely large enough of a creature to end most games in a couple of swings, even if you happen to be playing Commander. The Horror subtype this creature comes with is also becoming more and more relevant as we continue to see additional printings of Horror creatures with each new set. Sadly, the egg side of the creature doesn’t share the Horror subtype.
Krosan Cloudscraper
Due to its mana-intensive nature, Krosan Cloudscraper does not see notable play in any formats. A green 13/13 for ten mana, It has no combat abilities and is little more than a large body on the battlefield.
In addition to its cost of ten mana, the creature must pay two green mana at the beginning of each upkeep or else it is sacrificed. This is another outdated creature completely overshadowed by modern-day Magic cards, but it’s a sweet card nonetheless.
Death’s Shadow
Death’s Shadow is an iconic mono-black creature with a powerful namesake deck in the Modern format. For a single black mana, Death’s Shadow is an enormous 13/13. However, this creature has a drawback: it receives -X/-X, where X is your life total.
Despite this drawback, black has access to many spells that damage your life total for as part of their casting cost. Fetchlands and shock lands can also notably damage your life total to grow your Death’s Shadow. Although a niche case, Death’s Shadow can be paired with an enchantment, Phyrexian Unlife, to allow it to exist without its statistics being hindered.
Withengar Unbound
Withengar Unbound is a terrifying and massive 13/13 legendary Demon with flying, intimidate, and trample. Withengar even has an ability that lends it to be used in multiplayer formats like Commander, as when another player loses the game, thirteen +1/+1 counters are put on the Demon.
Withengar’s drawback is that it is the transformed side of the equipment, Elbrus, the Binding Blade. A seven-man Equipment that only provides an equipped creature with +1/+0, Elbrus’s power lies in its ability to transform into Withengar Unbound if the equipped creature deals combat damage to a player.
Emrakul, The Promised End
Another 13/13, Emrakul, the Promised End is a colorless Legendary Eldrazi for thirteen mana, costing one mana less for each card type among cards in your graveyard. Complimenting its massive scale, Emrakul, the Promised End has flying, trample, and protection from instants, allowing it to efficiently deal damage and protect itself from instant-based removal.
As if all of this weren’t enough, when Emrakul is cast, you can gain control of another player during that player’s next turn. Say goodbye to all of your well-thought-out plans, opponent.
Worldspine Wurm
Printed in Return to Ravnica, Worldspine Wurm is a staggering 15/15 with trample for eleven mana. Much unlike the previously mentioned Krosan Cloudscraper, which offsets its power through a drawback, all of Worldspine Wurm’s abilities are strictly beneficial. Upon dying, Worldspine Worm splits its power into three creatures, creating three 5/5 Wurm tokens.
Furthermore, Worldspine Wurm can’t be kept down for long as if put in its owner’s graveyard from anywhere; it is shuffled into its owner’s library instead. This can make it a key card for decks interested in drawing their entire library.
Emrakul, The Aeon’s Torn
Another iteration of the legendary Eldrazi, Emrakul, the Aeon’s Torn is a creature as massive as it is mana-intensive. Despite being printed quite some time ago, the Aeon’s Torn still maintains its reputation as one of the most fierce creatures in all of Magic.
An uncounterable 15/15 with flying, protection from colored spells, and annihilator 6 for fifteen mana, Emrakul allows its controller to take an extra turn after being cast. Between its absurd offensive potential and the extra turn it provides, it is not uncommon for a game to be won shortly after (if not immediately after) Emrakul, the Aeon’s Torn, is cast. It is so powerful that it is one of a small percentage of cards banned in Commander.
Impervious Greatwurm
Impervious Greatwurm is a mammoth 16/16 indestructible green Wurm for ten mana. The buy-a-box promo of Guilds of Ravnica, Impervious Greatworm possesses convoke, allowing creatures to be tapped to pay for one mana each when a player is casting the Greatwurm.
This allows this creature to be cast at a significantly reduced rate in decks containing large numbers of creatures, such as token decks. Despite its impressive size and defenses, the Greatwurm is susceptible to chump blockers as it needs the all-important trample keyword.
Marit Lage
Marit Lage is not a creature spell itself; it is a legendary black 20/20 Avatar creature token that is flying and indestructible. It can be created using the effects of the cards Dark Depths and Marit Lage’s Slumber. Dark Depths is a legendary snow land that enters the battlefield with ten snow counters, allowing you to pay three mana at any time to remove these counters.
Once no counters remain, Marit Lage will be created. Alternatively, Marit Lage’s Slumber is a blue enchantment for two mana that can create Marit Lage at the beginning of your upkeep if you control ten or more snow permanents.
This land sees play in older formats such as Legacy, and there are ways to cheat the token out in the first few turns of the game by removing the land’s ice counters through alternative means.
