Universes Beyond has so far given us cards from a myriad of different crossover IPs – some loved, and some less so. The advent of UB has undoubtedly changed Magic, but some cards have done so more than others. Which have been the strongest, most impactful cards from Universes Beyond so far?
10. PROSPER, TOME-BOUND
One of the first major Universes Beyond releases was Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, and it kinda doesn’t feel like that was the case, because of how D&D is a Wizards property, and – with it being high fantasy – it kinda fit right in.
Prosper made waves in Commander by being a really consistent value engine. And when I say really? I mean really. It was kinda wild that Prosper had deathtouch and four toughness, because it meant that your value engine Commander could also block for days, heading off the early chip damage pressure that can soften you up. Stuffing the deck full of impulse draw ensures that he effectively allows you to shave off hybrid red/black from every spell you cast.
Prosper was the canary in the coal mine of what to expect going forward.
9. OLD GNAWBONE
Old Gnawbone is one of the most powerful bombs in green right now, and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. It doesn’t need to survive a rotation provided you have a board to swing in with, and should you connect, well… you’re off to the races, even if you don’t get to keep your green Dragon.
Old Gnawbone was a decisive point of power and speed creep, giving green decks unprecedented access to treasure tokens. It prompted a lot of community uproar at how green “shouldn’t” get access to that level of efficient treasure production. Whether you agree that it should or not, this Dragon paved the way for future nonsense.
8. TIAMAT
Tiamat is another of the AFR cards, and like Old Gnawbone, it had a big impact on the Commander format. Dragons are one of the most popular tribes in Magic, and Tiamat served them up a super strong tutor card that is also a Casual gamer’s idea of fun and powerful.
Dragons are the most popular tribe in Commander, and any time they get more support, this card just gets more and more popular. Whether its tutoring up any manner of combos, in the command zone, or just pulling out some fun haymakers, Tiamat changed how five-color Dragons decks operate.
7. NUKA-COLA VENDING MACHINE
Nuka-Cola Vending Machine is a combo piece that the Clues, Foods, and Treasures decks love. It goes off with a bunch of easy to deploy combos. It’s one of the more expensive cards in the Fallout precons, and for good reason.
This card is a kind of poster-child of the potential for artifact tokens to be easy to break. Along with the likes of Time Sieve and Academy Manufactor, it’s made the archetypes range from friendly Bracket 2 fun, to focused kill-it-with-fire combo decks. The issue with this kind of card is that it accidentally combos in an otherwise “fair” kind of build.
6. RICK, STEADFAST LEADER
Rick burst onto the scene in The Walking Dead Secret Lair, which was infamous for being in short supply, sold in fewer territories than SLD is now, and also containing entirely unique (and strong) cards legal in Commander and Legacy.
Rick was played in Legacy for a time (and still sees some play today as a one or two of), but is more widely popular in Commander, where players aren’t too hot on including a “random guy in a jacket and jeans” in their Soldier typal decks that otherwise comprise armored, sword wielding folks.
Luckily we later got a Universes Within reprint, Greymond, set on Innistrad. But not all Secret Lair products will receive this treatment, and not much supply of this card is in the wild.
Greymond and the other reprints have people demanding more of the same, and it’s not clear if Wizards will – or can – capitulate.
5. SEPHIROTH, FABLED SOLDIER // SEPHIROTH, ONE-WINGED ANGEL
Sephiroth has shot up to be one of the most brewed Commanders of the past few weeks, and the past few months. He trails behind only Ysh’tola and Vivi Ornitier, but I think he has way more potential to outlast either of them as a popular Commander.
Sephiroth is iconic, and he is the face of Final Fantasy, the most popular Universes Beyond product yet. We’ve had personalities and Youtubers from all types of content community cracking open Final Fantasy for fun, which just goes to show the reach of this iconic crossover. I was not expecting to see Pete “PremierTwo” opening some FF cards.
Sephiroth is probably going to stay as a popular Commander for years, and has brought many folks back into the hobby.
4. BROTHERHOOD REGALIA & EXCALIBUR SWORD OF EDEN
I have #4 as a tie between to hugely impactful Equipment cards: Brotherhood Regalia and Excalibur. The former has all but replaced Trailblazer’s Boots and is a staple in any equipment deck, and the latter? Well, ditto, but for replacing Blackblade Reforged.
These cards signify a huge shift in potential and power for a historically maligned archetype. It’s now hard to build a bad equipment deck, and these two cards have a lot to do with why.
3. VIVI ORNITIER
People haven’t called out for a ban as much, or as soon, as since Tales of Middle-earth. Vivi Ornitier is already making waves in multiple formats, and this little Wizard is going to have people talking for some time. Folks want it as a Game Changer in Commander, folks want it banned in Modern and Standard, folks think it’s a mistake.
It’s also a watershed moment in card design, having mana generation and win conditions on the same card. And notice I said conditions, plural: Vivi can hit like a truck, and ping your opponents.
2. ORCISH BOWMASTERS
Many cards have changed Modern and cEDH, but it’s hard to point to one that made as many waves as Orcish Bowmasters in the past few years. Bowmasters has changed the landscape in both formats, changing how viable mana dorks and smaller bodies are, and teaming up with Sheoldred the Apocalypse to bring the pain.
Bowmasters is infamous, too, for being such a “forgettable” character within the IP. It’s just some… orcs. One of the most powerful cards in LTR, and it’s just some orcs.
1. THE ONE RING
I think you’ve guessed it by now, but #1 on this list is of course, The One Ring. Tales of Middle-earth changed forever the collectability aspect of Universes Beyond sets by offering such a ridiculous chase card.
It also gave us an extremely powerful splashable card that had to be banned in Modern.
The One Ring will probably remain the most impactful card from crossover sets for a long time. It’s just that strong, and that iconic.
END STEP
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Kristen is Card Kingdom’s Head Writer and a member of the Commander Format Panel. Formerly a competitive Pokémon TCG grinder, she has been playing Magic since Shadows Over Innistrad, which in her opinion, was a great set to start with. When she’s not taking names with Equipment and Aggro strategies in Commander, she loves to play any form of Limited.