As Magic: The Gathering gears up for its next set release, Innistrad Remastered, it’s the perfect time to take a look back at the most iconic cards printed in Innistrad-based sets.
Arguably Magic’s most popular plane, Innistrad has been the setting for seven major releases to date:
- Innistrad
- Dark Ascension
- Avacyn Restored
- Shadows Over Innistrad
- Eldritch Moon
- Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
From card design and quality to flavor and world building, these seven sets have contributed an immeasurable amount to Magic over the years, and with so many incredible cards to choose from, narrowing down to just 10 is a daunting task.
After sifting through the multitude of cards, it was clear there was no shortage of powerful options to choose from, but power-level isn’t the only criteria to consider when ranking iconic cards. Power-level, Constructed viability, staying power, flexibility, Commander and Limited appeal, and even artwork were all taken into consideration when selecting the Top 10.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best Innistrad has to offer, starting with a few honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
A case for a spot in the Top 10 could be made for any of the cards above, but the competition is incredibly stiff and thus they fell just short in one area or another.
With the precedent set, let’s move onto the Top 10.
#10 – Champion of the Parish
Starting off our list is the little Human that could — Champion of the Parish. First printed in Innistrad, Champion of the Parish was both a Standard and Modern staple in the decade following its release.
While the viability of Human typal strategies has decreased in recent years, the legacy of Champion of the Parish perseveres. The iconic one-drop has been printed three times, with a possible fourth coming with the release of Innistrad Remastered, and even received life-after-death in the form of Champion of the Perished in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt.
#9 – Emrakul, the Promised End
Printed in Eldrich Moon, Emrakul, the Promised End is the only card from recent Innistrad sets that was iconic enough to make the Top 10.
While Eldrich Moon and Shadows Over Innistrad suffered from sequel syndrome and were met with lackluster reviews from the community, the delirium mechanic and Emrakul, the Promised End are recognized as two brightest spots from that era of Magic.
In Standard, players found numerous ways to employ Emrakul, the Promised End as their top-end threat. Some opted to play a long, grindy game that culminated with the hard-casting of a discounted Emrakul, while others used the energy package with cards like Aetherworks Marvel to cheat it into play, sometimes as early as Turn 4.
With those days behind us, Emrakul, the Promised End has settled into both Modern and Pioneer, where it remains a solid, albeit niche game-ending threat.
#8 – Craterhoof Behemoth
When it comes to win conditions for green decks, few are more iconic than Craterhoof Behemoth. Unlike many of the cards on this list, Craterhoof Behemoth had a limited-impact on Standard, but was instead picked up by big mana and typal enthusiasts (primarily Elves) in Modern, Legacy, and Commander.
Simple and straight-forward, Craterhoof’s ability activates when it enters the battlefield as opposed to being cast, giving green decks a win condition that could either be hard-cast or cheated it into play with cards like Natural Order or Tooth and Nail.
Since its printing in Avacyn Restored, Craterhoof Behemoth has become one of Magic’s most iconic finishers and remains popular among both competitive and casual players.
#7 – Olivia Voldaren
Cunning, conniving, and deadly, Olivia Voldaren is one of Innistrad’s most prolific figureheads.
Following the debut of her self-titled card in Innistrad, Olivia quickly became a Standard powerhouse that saw play in numerous Rakdos-based aggressive and midrange decks.
Praised for her design, Olivia Voldaren’s abilities were not only powerful, but also packaged with subtle flavor that reflected her character’s personality in the story. Her two-mana ability, which deals one point of damage, will destroy one-toughness creatures, reflecting Olivia’s disdain for the weak, but should a creature survive, it becomes a Vampire and Olivia grows stronger. Then, if an opposing creature is a Vampire or has been made one, Olivia’s five-mana ability can be used to take control of it for as long as she remains in play – a subtle nod to her power and influence over Innistrad’s Vampires.
After her time in Standard came to an end, Olivia Voldaren failed to find success in other constructed formats, and has since faded from the spotlight and settled into a more casual role in Commander.
#6 – Faithless Looting
While Dark Ascension is considered the weakest set among the original Innistrad block trio, it was still packed with plenty of standout cards. Take Faithless Looting for example; For just one mana, this cheap sorcery provides card draw, a discard outlet to fill your graveyard, and can be played again later at an increased cost thanks to flashback.
Despite its common rarity, Faithless Looting has seen extensive play in numerous formats, but really shined in Modern where decks like Storm, Izzet Phoenix, Dredge, Hollow One, and Hogaak/Bridgevine all found success on the groundwork laid by the premier enabler.
Unfortunately, it was this ubiquity that lead to Faithless Looting catching a ban in Modern, but its legacy will live on in graveyard enthusiasts everywhere.
#5 – Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
No list of Innistrad’s best would be complete without Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. The pride and joy of Magic’s fun police, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben single-handedly shuts down any strategy that relies heavily on non-creature spells.
Despite not being considered a main character in Magic’s story, Thalia has protected her home through numerous major events on Innistrad, including the unsealing of the Helvault, zombie outbreaks, invasion of the Eldrazi, an on-going turf war between the plane’s Vampire, Werewolf, and Human factions, and most recently, the Phyrexian incursion.
This enduring spirit is also reflected in Thalia, Guardian of Thraben’s longevity within the game, as she continues to see play in constructed formats to this day.
#4 – Griselbrand
Once the most powerful Demon on Innistrad, Griselbrand went toe-to-toe with the plane’s angelic protector, Avacyn, before being sealed away in the Helvault and later meeting his demise at the hands of Liliana Vess and the Chain Veil. While Griselbrand’s power-level in Magic’s story was impressive, it was amplified ten-fold for his card form in Avacyn Restored.
Griselbrand’s ability to pay seven life to draw seven cards remains one of the most powerful abilities in all of Magic to this day and solidified the eight-drop Demon as a premier target for reanimation decks in any format where he’s still legal. Coincidentally, Griselbrand’s legacy was built primarily in Magic’s Legacy format, where cards like Show and Tell, Sneak Attack, and cheap reanimation spells lead to very fast wins when paired with Innistrad’s greatest Demon.
#3 – Snapcaster Mage
Snapcaster Mage is hands-down one of the coolest card designs in Magic and a clear front-runner for the title of Innistrad’s most iconic. A creature that can enter play at instant speed with an ability that incorporated flashback, one of the set’s major mechanics, Snapcaster Mage spent years driving opposing players mad.
While just a humble 2/1, Snapcaster Mage often plays both offense and defense, while also enabling the reuse of instant and sorcery spells in your graveyard. During its time in Standard, Snapcaster Mage saw play in every blue deck, regardless of the gameplan, and it remained a powerhouse in numerous formats up until recent years.
The final chapter in Snapcaster Mage’s storied history is the iconic artwork, which was made in the image of the 2007 Magic Invitational champion, Tiago Chan, and illustrated by Volkan Baga.
#2 – Delver of Secrets
One-mana creatures have a rich history in Magic. Deathrite Shaman, Monastery Swiftspear, Goblin Guide, Birds of Paradise, and of course, Delver of Secrets. Another Innistrad native, Delver of Secrets is arguably one of the best designed cards in all of Magic.
Don’t let its common rarity fool you, Delver of Secrets spawned its own archetype in multiple formats, including Standard, where it was the format’s best deck, and Legacy and Pauper where it remains popular to this day.
After several years, Wizards of the Coast finally brought players back to Innistrad with the release of Shadows Over Innistrad and Eldrich Moon. While these sets had their ups and downs, an especially bright spot was the inclusion of Aberrant Researcher and Docent of Perfection – the direct successors to Delver of Secrets that pay homage to the original by completing the iconic card’s mini-story.
Besting Delver of Secrets in a competition of icon-status is an incredibly difficult task, but there’s one card that can do so with relative ease. And that card is…
Just kidding.
#1 – Liliana of the Veil
Anyone who is even a tiny bit enfranchised in Magic can instantly recognize Liliana of the Veil. First printed in Innistrad, Liliana of the Veil was an immediate hit with the community thanks to her low casting cost, powerful abilities, and iconic artwork by Steve Argyle.
Over the years, the three-mana planeswalker has become synonymous with black decks in Magic, and has shined at the highest levels of competition. An evergreen reminder of a time when planeswalkers were new and novel, Liliana of the Veil continues to build her legacy – seeing play in nearly every format where she is legal.
Although she may never unseat Black Lotus as Magic’s poster child, Liliana of the Veil is an easy pick for the most iconic card printed in an Innistrad set.
Long live the queen!
