Monument to EnduranceMonument to Endurance | Art by Victor Sales

Hey, everyone! We're wrapping 2025 up here at EDHREC, and as the person writing the articles on the most played cards across various categories, I'm bringing you the top 10 most played cards from 2025! I'm splitting this topic into two lists; this way, I get to cover more cards and give legends and non-legends equal coverage.

Here are the sets that released in 2025 containing new cards:

• Avatar: The Last Airbender + Eternal
• Marvel's Spider-Man + Eternal
• Edge of Eternities and its Commander set
• Final Fantasy + Commander
• Tarkir: Dragonstorm + Commander
• Aetherdrift + Commander

Now, who doesn't love a utility spell? Let's find out which cards made the year-end list — EDHREC Wrapped, if you will!

10. Midgar, City of MakoMidgar, City of Mako - 64,137 decks

This Town was already on deckbuilders' radars in August when I wrote my list on most played cards from Final Fantasy. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Lands that are also spells are so important in Commander, because they make decks more consistent and less prone to flooding. They also give you more opportunities to leverage your skill and experience in the format, because more things to do means more decisions.

Adventures like Midgar's Reactor Raid are literally spells, but utility lands with activated abilities like Abandoned Air TempleAbandoned Air Temple, Fire Nation PalaceFire Nation Palace, and Ba Sing SeBa Sing Se count as quasi-spells as well.

In fact, I expect these cards' stocks to rise once more people get their hands on Avatar.

9. Herd HeirloomHerd Heirloom - 66,929 decks

This is a different kind of mana generator, but an important one for the format all the same. Heirloom is like a Garruk's UprisingGarruk's Uprising or Lifecrafter's BestiaryLifecrafter's Bestiary (a personal favorite of mine. Does anyone else call it Pokédex?) that also gets you closer to casting giant monsters!

That's a heck of a card, and don't sleep on it granting trample as well! It tends to see play in Temur-flavored decks () like Ureni of the UnwrittenUreni of the Unwritten or Eshki, Temur's RoarEshki, Temur's Roar where every bit of text on this artifact gets to shine.

8. Buster SwordBuster Sword - 71,616 decks

Not to be confused with the Umezawa's JitteUmezawa's Jitte reskin Cloud's Buster SwordCloud's Buster Sword, this iteration excels in a variety of Final Fantasy character-led decks, like Cloud, Ex-SOLDIERCloud, Ex-SOLDIER, Lightning, Army of OneLightning, Army of One, and Cloud, Midgar MercenaryCloud, Midgar Mercenary (more on him next time) because red, white, and to some extent green, all cared a lot about Equipment.

Of course, Equipment is a card subtype that has received a ton of support over the years. It's a popular archetype with a ton of options for commanders: Captain America, First AvengerCaptain America, First Avenger, Syr Gwyn, Hero of AshvaleSyr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale, and partners Ardenn, Intrepid ArchaeologistArdenn, Intrepid Archaeologist and Rograkh, Son of RohgahhRograkh, Son of Rohgahh all reward you heavily from playing a bunch of weapons.

You can learn more about how to build a deck around this theme here.

7. Nature's RhythmNature's Rhythm - 74,211 decks

If it's good enough to be the best card with the harmonize mechanic, according to Jonathan Zucchetti, it's surely good enough for the deckbuilding community. Similar cards Finale of DevastationFinale of Devastation, Green Sun's ZenithGreen Sun's Zenith, and Chord of CallingChord of Calling all see play in between 150-300k decks, so Nature's RhythmNature's Rhythm is a welcome bit of redundancy for green decks looking to play virtual extra copies of their creatures.

This version is a bit more restrictive, but what it lacks in timing windows and finishing power, it makes up for in letting you double dip, like a GSZ that you magically draw the turn after you shuffle it into your deck!

6. Monument to EnduranceMonument to Endurance - 78,508 decks

This handy artifact is a great way to turn discarding cards into an advantage — not that Commander lacked engines, but it's nice to get more power and redundancy! You can build around discard as a theme with a commander like Kefka, Court MageKefka, Court Mage, Hashaton, Scarab's FistHashaton, Scarab's Fist, or Captain Howler, Sea ScourgeCaptain Howler, Sea Scourge.

You can also slot Monument into decks that discard less as a central game plan and more as a means to an end. Temmet, Naktamun's WillTemmet, Naktamun's Will plays in the Zombies space, which as a theme tends to utilize discard. Raffine, Scheming SeerRaffine, Scheming Seer meanwhile can discard a ton of cards with various goals: aggression, finding Echo of EonsEcho of Eons and other "wheel" spells, or putting creatures in the graveyard to ReanimateReanimate.

Monument helps keep your hand stocked with options, bumps your mana generation capabilities, and threatens a decent amount of damage as well. Great card.

5. Starting TownStarting Town - 80,821 decks

Is this a better Mana ConfluenceMana Confluence? It certainly could be, given that you can make mana without the "ouch." The downside is that it has a high chance of entering tapped, which is kind of a no-no for Commander, though this is mitigated by the fact that it comes into play untapped when it usually matters the most.

Starting TownStarting Town has emerged as a staple for multicolor decks alongside Confluence and other options like City of BrassCity of Brass, because you don't need to pick just one!

4. Icetill ExplorerIcetill Explorer - 81,844 decks

This Oracle of Mul DayaOracle of Mul Daya variant (and in many cases, upgrade) was the most played card from Edge of Eternities (only outplayed by the nonbasic land cycle taken as a whole) when I covered that set in September. Explorer has retained its top ranking, and why not? It ramps you, let's you reuse Strip MineStrip Mine, Cephalid ColiseumCephalid Coliseum, and Urza's SagaUrza's Saga, and even nets you card selection with its mill effect.

There are also a ton of combos you can assemble that Explorer even helps you set up with its ability to get lands into the 'yard, like this one:

3. Voice of VictoryVoice of Victory - 126,311 decks

This is another card that earned places on both our lists of best cards with each new ability this year and of the most played cards from Tarkir: Dragonstorm.

Voice of VictoryVoice of Victory is the complete package for just two mana. It attacks well with three toughness and three power spread out across three bodies. Those tokens can be sacrificed for more value. And, even when it's not attacking, it gives you complete protection on your turn from opponents' interference.

It slots into a variety of decks, from all-out aggro decks with some potential sacrifice flavor like Zurgo StormrenderZurgo Stormrender, to more combo or synergy-oriented piles like Isshin, Two Heavens as OneIsshin, Two Heavens as One or Najeela, the Blade-BlossomNajeela, the Blade-Blossom.

2. Mistrise VillageMistrise Village - 163,323 decks

I've covered how incredible utility lands are in Commander, and Mistrise VillageMistrise Village is probably the most powerful one to come out of this year. Not everyone plays blue, but at a multiplayer table the chances of someone packing counterspells to ruin your day can be pretty high. Village is the ultimate insurance for that kind of calamity.

It will almost always come into play untapped in the decks built to support it, it produces colored mana - which already makes it better than a whole host of other nonbasic lands - and it can neuter an entire game plan for a large swath of decks in the format.

This is basically the GOAT card of 2025 on power level alone.

1. The Verges from Aetherdrift

While no single card saw more play out of 2025 than Village, the half of the Verge cycle from 2025's first set, which complemented the ones released in Duskmourn: House of Horror, together see play in hundreds of thousands of decks (with some overlap in multicolor builds, of course). While they're not as good as the Shockland cycle (Watery GraveWatery Grave and the others) or the Fetches (Polluted DeltaPolluted Delta and company), they come into play untapped, produce colored mana up front, and are ridiculously easy to turn into dual lands. Put these in your decks!

You Wanted a Fight. Now You've Got TwoYou Wanted a Fight. Now You've Got Two

Congratulations to all the awardees! It was a close race and there were only so many trophies we could hand out. To Full ThrottleFull Throttle, Restoration MagicRestoration Magic, and Summon: BahamutSummon: Bahamut: you may have lost the battle, but you may win the war and eventually overtake this batch of top 10 cards.

Stay tuned for the main event next week: the most-played legends of 2025!