I was browsing Reddit last week when I came upon a discussion about an article I had written a few years ago regarding the value of Tarmogoyf. Within a day, there’d been over 200 comments on this thread! The majority of discussion turned to the purpose of mythic rares – a topic I haven’t really visited in a few years.
When mythic rares were first announced, Mark Rosewater wrote an in-depth article discussing which types of cards will or won’t be mythic rares. The key two paragraphs from this article (with the most important parts in bold):
"This now leads us to the next question: how are cards split between rare and mythic rare? Or more to the point, what kind of cards are going to become mythic rares? We want the flavor of mythic rare to be something that feels very special and unique. Generally speaking we expect that to mean cards like planeswalkers, most legends, and epic-feeling creatures and spells. They will not just be a list of each set’s most powerful tournament-level cards.
We’ve also decided that there are certain things we specifically do not want to be mythic rares. The largest category is utility cards, what I’ll define as cards that fill a universal function. Some examples of this category would be cycles of dual lands and cards like Mutavault or Char. That also addresses a long-standing issue that some players have had with certain rares like dual lands. Because we’re making fewer cards per set, in the new world individual rares will be easier to acquire because each rare in a large set now appears 25% more often."
There is now five years’ worth of data on mythic rares. Let’s take a look set-by-set to see how the current iteration of mythic rares holds up against the initial article written by Mark!
Shards of Alara Block
Shards of Alara
Ajani Vengeant
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Empyrial Archangel
Godsire
Hellkite Overlord
Kresh the Bloodbraided
Lich’s Mirror
Mayael the Anima
Prince of Thralls
Rafiq of the Many
Sarkhan Vol
Sedris, the Traitor King
Sharuum the Hegemon
Sphinx Sovereign
Tezzeret the Seeker
About half of the Mythics in this set could potentially be rares if the block were more about legendary creatures (for instance, compare cards like Kresh / Sphinx Sovereign to the rare guild Champions in Dragon’s Maze), but this was WotC’s first go at mythic rares. There doesn’t seem to be any particularly egregious choices here.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 15/15
Conflux
Apocalypse Hydra
Child of Alara
Conflux
Ethersworn Adjudicator
Maelstrom Archangel
Malfegor
Mirror-Sigil Sergeant
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Progenitus
Thornling
I’d argue that Ethersworn Adjudicator should not be a mythic—this seems like a concession more for Limited play than for set construction. The other nine cards in this set fit the definition of mythic rares.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 9/10
Alara Reborn
Defiler of Souls
Dragon Broodmother
Jenara, Asura of War
Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund
Lord of Extinction
Maelstrom Nexus
Sen Triplets
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Thraximundar
Uril, the Miststalker
I’ll give a pass to Jenara, Asura of War since by definition in 2008 "most Legends" were going to be mythic. I don’t think this ended up being the case by the time Return to Ravnica block hit, but definitions are definitions.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 10/10
Shards of Alara Block Total: 34/35
Zendikar Block
Zendikar
Chandra Ablaze
Eldrazi Monument
Eternity Vessel
Felidar Sovereign
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet
Lorthos, the Tidemaker
Lotus Cobra
Mindbreak Trap
Nissa Revane
Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
Obsidian Fireheart
Rampaging Baloths
Sorin Markov
Warren Instigator
Lotus Cobra is the first mythic that the majority of the community agrees probably better fits the definition of a rare than a mythic rare. Rampaging Baloths could also have easily slotted into the rare slot of a set and nobody would have blinked an eye.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 13/15
Worldwake
Abyssal Persecutor
Admonition Angel
Avenger of Zendikar
Comet Storm
Dragonmaster Outcast
Eye of Ugin
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Novablast Wurm
Omnath, Locus of Mana
Wrexial, the Risen Deep
Ten of out ten mythics that feel like mythics gets WotC back on track. Eye of Ugin is one of two lands ever printed at mythic rare, and it certainly fits the definition of an "epic-level" card (and not a utility land by any means!)
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 10/10
Rise of the Eldrazi
All Is Dust
Cast Through Time
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Gideon Jura
Hellcarver Demon
Kargan Dragonlord
Khalni Hydra
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Lighthouse Chronologist
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Nirkana Revenant
Sarkhan the Mad
Transcendent Master
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vengevine
Do any cards in Magic better fit the original intent of mythic rares than Emrakul, Kozilek, and Ulamog? Huge, non-utility, epic-feeling legendary creatures are exactly what mythic rares are all about! Nirkana Revenant could have been slotted as a rare. I just point to Crypt Ghast—a Mana Flare effect for black with a second ability—that was printed as a rare. All of Dust also could have been a regular rare if the entire block were based around artifacts (Mirrodin-level of artifacts), but in a block of three sets that were not based around a ton of colorless cards, I totally agree with it being a mythic rare in this set. If Kargan Dragonlord had a level-up ultimate of 6/6 instead of 8/8, I’d argue it as a rare (Shivan Dragon with trample), but I’ll give benefit of the doubt since it grows really, really large.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 14/15
Zendikar Block Total: 37/40
Scars of Mirrodin Block
Scars of Mirrodin
Elspeth Tirel
Geth, Lord of the Vault
Indomitable Archangel
Koth of the Hammer
Liege of the Tangle
Lux Cannon
Mindslaver
Molten-Tail Masticore
Mox Opal
Platinum Emperion
Quicksilver Gargantuan
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
Sword of Body and Mind
Venser, the Sojourner
Wurmcoil Engine
There’s a debate about whether a card named "Mox" will always ben slotted as a mythic rare. Mox Opal feels mythic to me—it’s a zero mana artifact that can tap of any color of mana, but it’s specific to be used in an artifact-heavy deck. The metalcraft keyword is what keeps it from being a utility card compared to Chrome Mox, which I’d argue should be rare because it is more universally playable.
With that said, I feel there are three cards worth looking at in this set: Indomitable Archangel, Lux Cannon, and Quicksilver Gargantuan.
The clone ability of Quicksilver Gargantuan is a mechanic that is clearly established as a rare effect. Does the ability to stay a 7/7 (or for blue to get a 7/7 for seven) make this card go from a rare to a mythic rare? I say no—this could have been a rare because the effect does not really feel that different to me than a normal clone effect.
Lux Cannon’s ability feels more rare than mythic to me, but I also think this was a concession to Limited play more than top-down set building. I still count this one as a card that could have been rare (by definition of mythic rares), especially since it is a utility card that could be played by any deck.
I also think Indomitable Archangel could have been a rare. However, I understand that granting shroud to an entire class of cards (artifacts) is debatable as a rare-slot ability. In the end, I’ll give this one a pass as a mythic rare—between being an Angel (which tend to be promoted upwards in rarity), being a role-playing card, and having an ability that effects a whole class of cards, I don’t feel strongly enough about this being a mythic rare or regular rare to call shenanigans on WotC.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 13/15
Mirrodin Besieged
Blightsteel Colossus
Consecrated Sphinx
Glissa, the Traitor
Hero of Bladehold
Hero of Oxid Ridge
Massacre Wurm
Praetor’s Counsel
Sword of Feast and Famine
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Thrun, the Last Troll
Hero of Bladehold and Hero of Oxid Ridge are both cards I feel could have been regular rares. Hero of Oxid Ridge compares to other red-centric four-drop beaters like Hellrider (rare), Archwing Dragon (rare), Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch (rare) and less so like Olivia Voldaren (legendary Vampire), which is the only mythic that fits this slot.
Hero of Bladehold is likewise a card with two abilities that have appeared on both uncommon and rare cards for White, and there’s nothing particularly epic feeling about it. Yes, it’s good, but mythics by definition "aren’t just a list of the set’s most powerful cards"
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 8/10
New Phyrexia
Batterskull
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Etched Monstrosity
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Karn Liberated
Phyrexian Obliterator
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Sword of War and Peace
Urabrask the Hidden
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
The only card I have an issue with in this set is Urabrask the Hidden—I think Fervor / Kismet on a single creature could be a rare effect. However, Urabrask is part of a cycle of legendary creatures that fit into the flavor of the new Praetors that have taken over Mirrodin (now New Phyrexia), so we’ll give this one a pass for flavor reasons!
Mythic Rares that work under WotC’s definition: 10/10
Scars of Mirrodin Block Total: 31/35
Innistrad Block
Innistrad
Angelic Overseer
Army of the Damned
Balefire Dragon
Essence of the Wild
Garruk Relentless
Geist of Saint Traft
Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
Grimoire of the Dead
Liliana of the Veil
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Mirror-Mad Phantasm
Olivia Voldaren
Past in Flames
Reaper from the Abyss
Skaab Ruinator
Tree of Redemption
I’d like to examine three cards from Innistrad’s mythic rare list: Balefire Dragon, Reaper from the Abyss and Skaab Ruinator. I have no problem with the other thirteen mythic rares from this set!
Balefire Dragon: I could easily see this slotting in as a rare in the set. From a flavor perspective, there were only three Dragons in Innistrad block: Balefire Dragon in Innistrad (mythic rare), Moonveil Dragon in Dark Ascension (mythic rare), and Archwing Dragon in Avacyn Restored (rare). Given that Innistrad Block was a top-down design (flavor first!), I’m willing to give Balefire Dragon (and Moonveil Dragon) a pass because from a flavor perspective WotC is showing just how unique an appearance of a Dragon is for this world setting.
Reaper from the Abyss: The effect here seems rare to me—nothing really epic feeling about the ability, the creature isn’t legendary, and this type of body/ability shows up in the rare slot more often than not.
Skaab Ruinator: I understand what WotC was going for here by making this card a mythic rare. It’s a three-mana 5/6 flyer that is difficult to cast because whether you’re casting it from your hand or your graveyard you need to exile the three cards from your graveyard. Unfortunately, alternate casting condition cards are not the sole province of mythic rares. Again, another creature like Reaper from the Abyss that doesn’t feel particularly epic to me.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 14/16
Dark Ascension
Archangel’s Light
Beguiler of Wills
Drogskol Reaver
Elbrus, the Binding Blade
Falkenrath Aristocrat
Havengul Lich
Helvault
Huntmaster of the Fells
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Moonveil Dragon
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Vorapede
Archangel’s Light is a card that by Mark Rosewater own admission could have been a rare, so that’s a no-brainer for this list. Permanent, repeatable creature stealing also has shown up in the blue rare slot, and there’s nothing that epic feeling about Beguiler of Wills, so that’s another strike against mythic rares on this list. I’d also say Vorapede, while being a semi-large green creature, doesn’t really feel all that mythic.
Mythic Rares that work under WotC’s definition: 8/11
Avacyn Restored
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Bonfire of the Damned
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Craterhoof Behemoth
Descent Into Madness
Entreat the Angels
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Griselbrand
Malignus
Misthollow Griffin
Primal Surge
Sigarda, Host of Herons
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Temporal Mastery
Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded
In my opinion, Avacyn Restored is the set with the second most mythic-feeling mythics next to Rise of the Eldrazi! A lot of these spells are of the epic-level variety, and the legendary creatures are more legendary feeling than the average legendary creature. Misthollow Griffin is the only card I’d say doesn’t really fit the definition of a mythic rare—yes, the effect is fairly unique, but it’s not of the epic-level scope that the other fourteen mythic rares (or most other mythic rares) are.
Mythic Rares that work under WotC’s definition: 14/15
Innistrad Block Total: 36/42
Return to Ravnica Block
Return to Ravnica
Angel of Serenity
Armada Wurm
Epic Experiment
Isperia, Supreme Judge
Jace, Architect of Thought
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Necropolis Regent
Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
Rakdos’s Return
Rakdos, Lord of Riots
Sphinx’s Revelation
Trostani, Selesnya’s Voice
Utvara Hellkite
Vraska the Unseen
Worldspine Wurm
The structure of Return to Ravnica’s mythics is semi-cyclical—each got a guild leader and a guild spell:*
Azorius: Isperia, Supreme Judge; Sphinx’s Revelation
Golgari: Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord; *
Izzet: Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius; Epic Experiment
Rakdos: Rakdos, Lord of Riots; Rakdos’s Return
Selesnya: Trostani, Selesnya’s Voice; Armada Wurm
I put a star under Golgari because Vraska (planeswalker) slots in here as the mythic for Golgari that is missing from this cycle. Without this cycle, I’d put both Sphinx’s Revelation and Armada Wurm as rares—neither is a particularly mind-blowing (or rare) effect, but top-down structure makes them fit in this block. Necropolis Regent doesn’t get such a pass, and I’d count this one as a card that could have been rare without much eye blinking.
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 14/15
Gatecrash
Aurelia’s Fury
Aurelia, the Warleader
Borborygmos Enraged
Deathpact Angel
Domri Rade
Duskmantle Seer
Enter the Infinite
Giant Adephage
Gideon, Champion of Justice
Hellkite Tyrant
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
Lord of the Void
Master Biomancer
Obzedat, Ghost Council
Prime Speaker Zegana
Continuing the guild leader/guild spell trend from Return to Ravnica:*
Boros: Aurelia, the Warleader; Aurelia’s Fury
Dimir: Lazav, Dimir Mastermind; Duskmantle Seer
Gruul: Borborygmos Enraged; *
Orzhov: Obzedat, Ghost Council; Deathpact Angel
Simic: Prime Speaker Zegana; Master Biomancer
The * in this case is Domri Rade, which is Gruul colors without the Gruul watermark. Unlike Return to Ravnica, I’d also feel comfortable with all ten of these cards being a mythic even outside of the guild structure.
All of the other mythics in this set (Enter the Infinite, Giant Adephage, Gideon, Hellkite Tyrant, Lord of the Void) feel mythic to me as well—15 out of 15!
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 15/15
Dragon’s Maze
Blood Baron of Vizkopa
Council of the Absolute
Deadbridge Chant
Legion’s Initiative
Master of Cruelties
Maze’s End
Progenitor Mimic
Ral Zarek
Reap Intellect
Savageborn Hydra
Voice of Resurgence
Each guild gets one mythic in this set, and Maze’s End is the other "mythic" that appeared in the land slot. I’d consider Maze’s End (Thawing Glaciers effect) to be rare, not mythic, even with the "you win the game clause" (the majority of alternate win condition cards that read "you win the game" appear at rare). Council of the Absolute feels like a rare white card (see Grand Arbiter Augustin, which appears as a rare in Modern Masters). Reap Intellect is a Lobotomy effect, which has appeared in the rare slot in most recent sets (Slaughter Games, Thought Hemorrhage).
Mythic Rares that work under WotC’s definition: 8/11
Return to Ravnica Block Total: 37/41
Core/Reprint Sets (Ones That Appeared in Booster Packs)
M10
Ajani Goldmane
Baneslayer Angel
Bogardan Hellkite
Chandra Nalaar
Darksteel Colossus
Garruk Wildspeaker
Jace Beleren
Liliana Vess
Master of the Wild Hunt
Platinum Angel
Protean Hydra
Sphinx Ambassador
Time Warp
Vampire Nocturnus
Xathrid Demon
Planeswalkers all get a pass here, and the reprinted cards that were shifted to mythic rare (Bogardan Hellkite, Darksteel Colossus, Platinum Angel, Time Warp) all feel like mythic cards. Given that Protean Hydra was reprinted as a rare in M11, I’m counting that card against the mythic count for M10. As a Vampire lord, Vampire Nocturnus could easily slot in as a rare and would fit in with countless other tribal lords that have come before.
Mythic Rares that work under WotC’s definition: 13/15
M11
Ajani Goldmane
Baneslayer Angel
Chandra Nalaar
Demon of Death’s Gate
Frost Titan
Gaea’s Revenge
Garruk Wildspeaker
Grave Titan
Inferno Titan
Jace Beleren
Liliana Vess
Platinum Angel
Primeval Titan
Sun Titan
Time Reversal
The Titans are the very definition of a mythic rare-type big bruising creature, so they are all good here. The only other new cards are Demon of Death’s Gate (feels mythic to me), Gaea’s Revenge (same), and Time Reversal (could have been a rare—the effect isn’t that game breaking or mythic feeling).
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 14/15
M12
Angelic Destiny
Bloodlord of Vaasgoth
Chandra, the Firebrand
Frost Titan
Furyborn Hellkite
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Gideon Jura
Grave Titan
Inferno Titan
Jace, Memory Adept
Primeval Titan
Primordial Hydra
Sorin Markov
Sun Titan
Time Reversal
Strike one is against Time Reversal for the same reasons I listed in M11. Angelic Destiny could have been a rare and was likely boosted to Mythic out of power level concerns more than because of feeling like a mythic. Bloodlord of Vaasgoth is another Vampire lord that could easily have been a rare creature.
Mythic Rares that work under WotC’s definition: 12/15
M13
Ajani, Caller of the Pride
Akroma’s Memorial
Chandra, the Firebrand
Elderscale Wurm
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Jace, Memory Adept
Liliana of the Dark Realms
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Omniscience
Primordial Hydra
Serra Avatar
Sublime Archangel
Thundermaw Hellkite
Vampire Nocturnus
Worldfire
Again, we’ll exempt planeswalkers from this list—they are always mythic so far in Magic (as long as there have been mythic rares, that is!). Primordial Hydra is a carryover from M12 and was fine as a mythic there. Vampire Nocturnus I felt could have been rare in M10, and the same holds here.
All five of the new cards (Elderscale Wurm, Omniscience, Sublime Archangel, Thundermaw Hellkite, Worldfire) feel like they should be mythic, so they are all a thumbs-up! Akroma’s Memorial and Serra Avatar both also have epic-feeling effects, so it looks like the mythics of M13 were a big success on the "mythic or not" scale!
Mythic rares that work under WotC’s definition: 14/15
Modern Masters
Dark Confidant
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Jugan, the Rising Star
Keiga, the Tide Star
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Progenitus
Ryusei, the Falling Star
Sarkhan Vol
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Tarmogoyf
Vedalken Shackles
Vendilion Clique
Yosei, the Morning Star
Modern Masters is the first set at the booster pack level where all fifteen mythic rares are reprints, and as such I’d like to examine all fifteen cards.
Cards that were previously printed as mythic rares: Elspeth, Progenitus, Sarkhan Vol – These three are all fine because there was no shift in rarity between their original printing and current printing.
Sword of Fire and Ice / Sword of Light and Shadow – The other three elemental swords (From Scars of Mirrodin block) were all printed as mythic rares, so there’s a precedent for this exact cycle of cards to be at mythic rare. Another check mark here.
Legendary Dragon Cycle: Jugan, Keiga, Kokusho, Ryusei, Yosei – I understand making these mythic because they are big Dragons. For instance, if you were going to reprint these as the "large" creatures for each color in a core set (M14), you’d have no problem sticking them at the mythic slot like you did with the Titans (a cycle of 5/5 flying creatures for six with effects versus a cycle of 6/6 creatures for six with effects). Yes, I know it’s not popular with a lot of players that these ended up as mythics, but the decision is totally defensible.
Legendary Creatures: Kiki-Jiki and Vendilion Clique – Kiki-Jiki’s effect is unique enough that I consider him a good choice to shift up to mythic rare. Vendilion Clique isn’t really flashy enough (despite having flash!) to be a mythic rare, so I would have left it as a rare.
Dark Confidant – I’d have put this at the rare slot. In recent sets, Blood Scrivener, Bloodgift Demon, Dark Tutelage, and Underworld Connections are all rares, and these are all descendants of Dark Confidant / Phyrexian Arena.
Tarmogoyf – Tarmogoyf is a bigger toss-up to me than Dark Confidant. There’s a precedent for cards that care about cards in both graveyards (Lord of Extinction) to be mythic rares. However, other Lhurgoyf creatures (Cantivore, Cognivore, Detritivore, Lhurgoyf, Magnivore, Mortivore, Terravore) would all be regular rares. Because of this, I’d say that Tarmogoyf also would fit better as a rare than as a mythic rare.
Vedalken Shackles – A color-centric way to repeatedly Control Magic is also an effect that fits more with rares than mythics under the current Magic thinking.
Mythic Rares that work under WotC’s definition: 11/15
Core Set/Modern Masters Total: 64/75
Modern Masters ends up as the set that did the worst in terms of mythics-to-rares ratio. I believe a large part of this was marketing based on value more so than ability on the card (Tarmogoyf, Dark Confidant, Vendilion Clique).
In the end, here’s where WotC ended up:
There have been 268 mythic rares in regular sets (sets that have randomized booster packs) since mythic rares were introduced. In my opinion, 239 of those cards fit the definition of "mythic rare" as set forth by WotC (planeswalkers, most legends, and epic-feeling creatures and spells). This is 89% of all mythics that have been printed, which is a really high percentage in my eyes!
More importantly, I feel that the spirit of mythic rares that people are most concerned about is WotC’s promise to keep utility cards out of the mythic slot. (We’ve also decided that there are certain things we specifically do not want to be mythic rares. The largest category is utility cards, what I’ll define as cards that fill a universal function.) In this regard, I believe there is only a small handful of cards that are utility cards printed at mythic rare:
Dark Confidant
Hero of Bladehold
Hero of Oxid Ridge
Lotus Cobra
Lux Cannon
Tarmogoyf
Of these, three of them likely were put at mythic rare for balance in Limited play (Hero of Bladehold, Hero of Oxid Ridge, Lux Cannon), and two are cards that were originally rare and were shifted to mythic in Modern Masters (Dark Confidant, Tarmogoyf). This leaves Lotus Cobra as the sole card that I look at and say, "Man, this really should have been printed as a rare."
All other misses are cards I feel are niche cards that could have been printed as rares instead of mythics without people batting much of an eye or cards that once were mythic and were shifted down to rare after the fact. So in the end, I’d say there are only six "true" mistakes out of 268 mythic rares, or only 2% of all Mythics printed should absolutely have been made rares by my count.
All in all, I’d have to conclude that Wizards of the Coast has done an extraordinary job of keeping to their promise about mythic rares! I know that there is some matter of opinion about what "feels" mythic and what does not, but I think there are few utility-level cards (I only counted six) that ended up as mythic rares—and even those have only one glaring standout of the bunch.
So to Wizards of the Coast, hats off for keeping your promise about the use of the mythic rare slot for Magic sets. I hope to continue to see the trend where mythic rares are epic-level spells and not Utility cards/universally functional spells.
- Ben Bleiweiss
- General Manager, StarCityGames.com