10 Best Underplayed Cards in Standars

We recently worked on using the 10 Best Cards in Standard and how to use them. We are still collecting the data on these decks but keep an eye out for that.


Today I would like to talk about 10 cards you probably aren't playing with with maybe you should be.


Here's the list:

10. Calcite Snapper
9. Nature's Claim
8. Leonin Arbiter
7. Terra Stomper
6. Sunblast Angel
5. Spell Pierce
4. Clone
3. Grave Titan
2. Elspeth Tirel
1. Rite of Replication


So we will start at the top:


#10- Calcite Snapper
Ok. I know what you are thinking. But lets examine what blue is missing. Walls and non Jace Beleren 3 drops. This card is essentially both of these things.

I didn't think this card was very good until I started using it against RDW and Elves. This card is in my Pyromancer Ascension sideboard. The landfall abilities "may" trigger allows you to keep your wall or create a beater. Even if you switch the power and toughness this card still can't be bolted. Its power and toughness switch back at the end of turn so it doesn't die to pyroclasm or damage dealing board sweepers.

#9- Nature's Clain
This blog loves Quest for the Holy Relic and Pyromancer Ascension. This card deals with this and while gearing up for what we can only assume will be an artifact heavy metagame in the near future this card deals with it at instant speed.

This card wouldn't have been as good a few sets ago when green decks were playing 3/3s and 4/4s as their beaters. But in todays green decks where playing a 6/6 is your small creature and 15/15 isn't out of the question. But giving your opponent 4 life just isn't that big of a deal.

#8- Leonin Arbiter
I hate this card. As someone who has been playing a lot of ramp recently this card is very hard to deal with. Not only does this card shut down all deck searching until your opponent has at least 2 extra lands, it is a 2/2 for 2 that fits well into U/W Control decks that are lacking early game beaters.

I'm not saying this should be a main deck card. But if you are in white and playing ramp this card should come in. Not only come in but you should have 4 to bring in. I lost a game recently (video to come) to a pair of these that shut down the ramp and beat me in the face.

#7- Terra Stomper
This card is for those people that want to play Gaea's Revenge but don't have it. In a green ramp against control having something that you know will hit the board can be a game changer. Ramp loves trample. I don't like the fact that this card doesn't do anything the same turn as it hits the board but beggers can't be choosers.

Again, probably not a main deck card. But against the control matchup this card runs over Wall of Omens and still hits Jace, Gideon or you opponent.

#6- Sunblast Angel
Apparently I like this card much more than I thought I did. But it just keeps coming up on lists that I write. A great card in control because it wipes boards. But your Wall of Omens live through it. If you are in green and can trap your way into this or playing u/w and can flash it in it it is fantastic. This card may also be on of the best cards to blink with Venser.

#5- Spell Pierce
It seems like most of the Blue or White cards on this list make me mad. This is one of them. Tap out for a Primeval Titan, it gets mana leaked, you are pumped because they have 1 blue left and you have a summoning trap and bam. You are done. This card just wrecks days and until people become more aware of this cards playability it will continue to do so.

#4- Clone
A 4 mana answer. I just reread this card and it doesn't say the all important "Target" so, you can clone cards with protection from Blue. You can clone Frost Titan without paying those dreaded 2 mana. It kills legendary creature through the legened rule. It takes your opponents biggest threat and uses it against them. It also takes your threats and doubles them. 2 Frost Titans sure. More mana from another Primeval Titan. Thank you very much. All of the enter the battlefield triggers happen with this card.

#3- Grave Titan
I really thought this card would be used way more than it is. But I do think it is on the rise. Thanks to the success of UB Mimic Vat control I think this card is going to to reach its potential right along side of Frost Titan. Although the deathtouch abililty seems almost pointless, get and extra 4 power out of each attack is awesome. As far as being attached to Mimic Vat, who wouldn't pay 3 mana to get 2 2/2s?

#2- Elspeth Tirel
I want great things for this card. It is hard for white decks to play it because of the other 3WW drops available. It just doesn't seem as good as Gideon Jura or Baneslayer Angel. I think the deck is coming where this will be a star. GW Tokens is becoming more and more viable. I think the lists need some more work but this card will always be in the lists that are winning.

#1- Rite of Replication
This card is really amazing. Trevor will attest to this. What is scarier than cloning your Frost Titan, how about adding 5 of them. Need mana for your eldrazi, copy Primeval Titan 5 times. The tokens also have the same converted mana cost as the creature they target which is great against Consume the Meek and pretty dang good agains Ratchet Bomb.

Well there you have it. I hope that you all take a look at your deck list and see if these cards could help. Or maybe these cards don't fit your list. But it should get you looking at other cards and hopefully your deck will improve.