Exalted SunbornExalted Sunborn | Art by Scott M. Fischer

Hello everyone. I'm Jonathan and today's article's title is pretty self-explanatory: I'm ranking the top 10 best cards from Edge of Eternities with the warp ability.

Now, while the premise is pretty simple, there are some details I'd like to discuss before going into the details of the actual list.

What Is Warp?

Well, it's one of the new mechanics introduced in Edge of Eternities, Magic's latest set. This keyword allows us to cast a (permanent) spell at a discounted cost from our hand, but it's exiled at the beginning of the following end step. Additionally, we can cast it from exile on a later turn for its full mana cost.

In this case, MechanozoaMechanozoa (which sadly didn't make it onto the list, but I wanted to include it nonetheless because I love me some giant Robot Jellyfish) can be cast for , then it gets exiled and we can later cast it for its full from exile.

In sum, it's evoke and plot's secret child.

What Are We Looking for in a Good Warp Card?

To answer this question, we first need to discuss the elephant in the room: FlickerFlicker effects. In fact, by casting something like EphemerateEphemerate on our beloved MechanozoaMechanozoa, we'll get double its effect as it enters two times, while also cancelling out the downside of the warp cost.

So, what we really want to see on warp cards are good abilities triggering when the permanent enters, considering how this mechanic leads us towards playing a certain number of Flicker spells in order to access a way higher quantity of value.

Obviously, the effect per se still needs to be good because, once again asking our friendly JellyfishJellyfish to work as an example, not all of them will be worth investing multiple cards on. Additionally, as we'll see in a moment, some of the best cards on the list don't even need to synergize with this kind of effect at all, because being able to play them for their warp cost is such an added bonus.

Now, with all of this out of the way, let's start this countdown list!

#10: Starfield ShepherdStarfield Shepherd

This is a nice card that does its job and does it well. For only two mana we get either a land drop or a small creature (I'm looking at you Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel), both of which are pretty good effects in the early game.

There are two clear clauses that limit this card. First, its true mana cost is very high for what it does, meaning that we're basically forced to EphemerateEphemerate it if we want to get something good out of it. Then, even in this scenario, we're not getting that much value, all things considered - just the right amount to make it an ok inclusion in many blink decks without regrets.

#9: Starbreach WhaleStarbreach Whale

This card is somewhat of a pet pick of mine, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. It too synergizes positively with FlickerFlicker effects, allowing us to look at four cards off the top of our library in addition to a 3/5 flying body.

This is a pretty promising start, but also the end of it, thus the low ranking on the list. Still, I think this card will have its niche in blue/white/x decks that want to both have permanents enter the battlefield and fuel their graveyard - maybe something like Sefris of the Hidden WaysSefris of the Hidden Ways.

#8: Codecracker HoundCodecracker Hound

First and foremost: it's a good boi

Then, this card does more or less the same as the previousthe previous, although with a very important difference: it draws a card.

This means that not only will it replace itself in our hand when it enters, but it will also replace every FlickerFlicker effect we cast on it, and all of this with a sprinkle of card selection on top.

Yes, the statline is smaller, it doesn't fly, and we're not really getting any discount on its cost, but all of this is balanced by the sheer fact that we're never down on cards with this one.

Did I mention how it is a very good boi?

#7: Pinnacle EmissaryPinnacle Emissary

Now this is where the level starts to grow quite a bit. Whenever I read "Whenever" on a Magic card, my attention rises. And if that card doesn't have any restriction on this effect, it rises even more. And this 2025 version of Sai, Master ThopteristSai, Master Thopterist did not miss in this department.

The triggered ability is strong and it will work magnificently in artifact-heavy decks. The only doubts I have on this card are that it doesn't synergize at all with FlickerFlicker, which isn't mandatory but it'd still be a pretty good point in its favor, and, most importantly, that it seems weird to place in a deck's curve. What I mean is that, if you're paying the full three mana for it, there are better options to include in your list before looking at this one.

Nonetheless, redundancy is very important in Commander, so it will never hurt to slot in an additional copy of this effect. But then, if you want to capitalize on its warp upside, you need quite the setup to start chaining artifact spell after artifact spell.

All in all, Pinnacle EmissaryPinnacle Emissary is a good card, no doubts about it, it just doesn't rank any higher because it's hard for me to imagine it as a first or second option in the same slot.

#6: Mightform HarmonizerMightform Harmonizer

This Insect Druid shares some features of the previousprevious: Both of them fit within a very popular and established archetype, but they also don't have any triggered ability when they enter. So, what does give thisthis the edge on the otherthe other?

Well, it's simply way smoother to play. In a standard game, you want to warp it on turn four, play your land for the turn, perhaps have a one-mana play to make and then swing with a pumped-up creature. Then, on the following turn, you can replay it, hit another land drop and attack with another buffed creature. The three-mana warp into four-mana cast one-two punch works extremely well with a fair amount of mana, making Mightform HarmonizerMightform Harmonizer very good in linear, aggro decks.

Now then, if this is the baseline, just imagine for a second how it will play in a dedicated Landfall deck.

First, it'll probably be warped earlier, thus permanently hitting the battlefield sooner too. Then, you'll have access to multiple triggers on each of your turns, hence shining even more in the aforementioned linear, aggro decks.

All things considered, it's a very low mana investment for how well it synergizes and interacts with the decks that want to include it.

#5: Loading ZoneLoading Zone

We've made it to the middle of the list - and here's where things start to get serious. Loading ZoneLoading Zone is the 2025 amped-up set-themed version of Branching EvolutionBranching Evolution, and we all already know how good these kinds of effects are.

Doubling the number of counters put on any of the permanent types it mentions is a straight up strong effect; there's no denying that. So, considering how visible its strengths are, why isn't it ranked any higher?

Well, first because the remaining cards are even more absurd. Then, because, once again, the timing of this card might be tricky. Of course, warping it for only one green mana is a sweet deal, but, once more, we aren't casting a chain of instants and sorceries, so we might not get all that much value out of it.

I'm not saying this wouldn't be a bad play by any means, only that the card is held back because it might be difficult to capitalize on its upsides, thus leaving us with a slightly overpriced version of this effect.

#4: StarwinderStarwinder

Now here is were we get controversial. When I started writing down the list for this article, StarwinderStarwinder was firmly at number one. But then it started falling down in the rankings, even getting as far as hovering between numbers 5 and 6, before finally ending up in the fourth spot.

Let's get the obvious part out of the way first: The effect on this card is insanely good. It has the potential to draw unholy amounts of cards during each combat step. As an added bonus, it's not all that bad in combination with FlickerFlicker, since we really want it to permanently stick around.

But then, we have to face the harsh truths surrounding this card.

First, it's very mana-intensive for what it does. Four mana is the gold standard for cards like Coastal PiracyCoastal Piracy, which only draw one card per creature, so StarwinderStarwinder clearly has the edge in this sense. But then, you have to pay seven whole mana to get it back onto the battlefield, which is a huge price to pay for a creature with no built-in protection.

Of course, I've mentioned how it's an ok EphemerateEphemerate target, but it's not a primary one, so you might end up having to choose between flickering a card with a good triggered ability and trying to cushion the huge mana investment.

Second, it was quickly mentioned before, but it's worth highlighting how our 11-mana-overall investment is a creature with no protection and an enormous target on its head. To put it in another way, it's basically assured to hit the graveyard within three seconds after being cast. And, while it'll most likely produce an absurd quantity of cards drawn, it's worth considering to what extent we'll be able to use all of those cards, if our resources have to be invested in defending this Leviathan from continuous removal attempts.

Lastly, once again, the cast timing in the curve is extremely awkward. We may want to slam it onto the battlefield early, but then we'd end up with a lot of cards we don't have the mana for. We may want to sandbag it and cast it on a later turn, but then it'd mean the game is ending anyway and its impact would be limited and our mana ill-invested.

In conclusion, this is a very complicated card to evaluate without having casted it at least once. Its effect is stupidly good and no one can say the opposite, thus why I couldn't help myself to put it any lower than fourth on the list. At the same time, it's walking on the thin line between "broken" and "win more," and we all know how bad "win more" cards truly are. Only time will tell.

#3: Starfield VocalistStarfield Vocalist

For the last three cards, I have to say I've gone back and forth a thousand times deciding where to put each of them. I've ended up with this current list, but it's far from a definitive one, and only playing with these cards a certain amount of times will allow for a more precise ranking. So, feel free to imagine these inclusions as any number between 1 and 3, for I've already covered all the possible combinations in my mind at least once.

Now, what was I saying?

Oh, hello there, cornerstone of every Flicker deck from now on, how have you been? This card is simply insane in every deck that wants its permanents to hit and leave the battlefield over and over again. There's really not much to say about it, the design is simple yet powerful and, above all, it clearly synergizes with what I've been looking for in every warp card since the beginning of the article: enter the battlefield effects.

It's cheap, efficient and powerful, everything one'd want from an MTG card. The only downside I see is that it doesn't do anything on its own, which means that, in addition to a big target on its back, even in the perfect conditions opponents-wise, we might end up not casting it because our other cards aren't good enough in that spot.

#2: Exalted SunbornExalted Sunborn

Oh hello there, cornerstone of every token deck from now on, how have you been?

This singular card is the one that made me question the FlickerFlicker synergy criteria, because it doesn't have anything to do with that strategy, and yet it's an absurdly powerful card. It starts as a half-priced Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession, which is extremely powerful on its own, and it also compensates for the one-turn downside naturally, considering how easily token decks can swarm even on limited mana.

Then, it comes back as a slightly more expensive version of the same enchantment, but this time it's also a 4/5 flyer with lifelink. Everything about this card is powerful and the way in which it slots perfectly into the archetype it supports is the icing on the cake.

The downsides are once again pretty clear: for what it's worth, it's not a great FlickerFlicker target, but is also very susceptible to removal and doesn't do a whole lot on its own. Nonetheless, the token-doubling effect has proven to be so good time and time again, to the point that hardly any downside can hold it back.

#1: Anticausal VestigeAnticausal Vestige

This singular card is the reason why I still consider FlickerFlicker synergy a factor when evaluating these cards. The fact is, this card completely shifts the attention of the warp mechanic: We're no longer looking at a card with a strong effect triggered when it enters, but rather it counts on leaving the battlefield over and over again.

And while this extremely strict synergy might have been enough to reserve it a spot on the list no matter the effect, it turns out this funny-looking Eldrazi can count on a huge value-swinging triggered ability as well. This is the epitome of a powerful warp card, because you can either FlickerFlicker it, draw a card and put some big haymaker onto the battlefield for free, or you might want to repeat the same process but add to your land count instead, thus making sure your next go will cheat out the huge permanent you couldn't earlier.

In other words, you simply cannot miss with this card, for every card it puts onto the board will help you out one way or another. And, on top of all of this, it doesn't require any other card to function, as it will also draw you the permanent you need for the second part of its trigger.

In conclusion, while these last three spots are pending a gameplay verification, I felt the most confident putting Anticausal VestigeAnticausal Vestige as the most powerful warp card, simply because I couldn't see any downside.

And now it's on to you. Let me know in the comments if you agree with the list and, if not, what changes you would make, as well as what inclusions you would add. I'll see you next time with another article!

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