We’ve spent the past month playing with Ikoria on MTG Arena — diving into the draft queues, brewing up new Brawl decks, and working our way up the Standard ladder, with or without companions. As fun as it’s been, there’s nothing like shuffling up a fresh deck of cards or laying out draft picks on your kitchen table. Now, you can — Ikoria releases tomorrow!
If you’re still unsure which cards from Ikoria to add to your collection, let us be your guide! We called up a few members of the Card Kingdom affiliate network and asked them which cards they’re most excited to sleeve up.
The Professor – Tolarian Community College
Which card from Ikoria got the highest marks from Tolarian Community College? Looks like there are five at the top of the class: the Triomes. Prof praised the alternate-art treatment for these lands and expects them to be a hot commodity in the coming years. (“BUY SOME NOW FROM CARD KINGDOM!” he added. We’re not making that up, we swear.)
Check out Prof’s latest video, “Distance Between the Planes” and see how your favorite Planeswalkers are self-quarantining.
Maria Bartholdi – Good Luck High Five
With the release of Ikoria, Maria found the perfect companion to join her in the red zone. “I love to attack with creatures, and what’s better than doubling attack damage?!” Make way for Maria and Obosh!
Hear more of Maria’s thoughts on companions in this episode of Good Luck High Five!
Sam – Rhystic Studies
“I’ve been enamored by Yidaro since its reveal,” Sam said. “The card is such a wonderful mesh of flavor and function, with mechanical overtones of Greater Gargadon (another one of my favorite cards) and a charming design for the turtle subtype. It’s a lighthearted challenge with a giant eventual reward. What’s not to love?”
We couldn’t agree more!
Sam loves to talk about the tension between flavor and function on his YouTube channel, Rhystic Studies. Watch his magnum opus on the subject, “Framing 25 Years of Magic.”
Michelle Rapp – The Loregoyfs!
Magic lore-keeper Michelle Rapp loves the flavor of Shark Typhoon. “Not only is it a fantastic card, but it combines a level of camp and humor that is hard to find outside of a silver-bordered set,” she said. If you’ve ever wanted to cast literal actual Sharknado, now’s your chance.
Follow along as The Loregoyfs recap the official Ikoria story, Sundered Bond!
Benjamin Wheeler – Twitch Streamer
Ben gave us a few quick bullet points on why he loves Kogla, the Titan Ape:
- “Powerful, flexible and always relevant”
- “Unique and thematic activated ability”
- “Closest thing I’ll get to an Invitational card”
Watch him stream Gladiator — an Arena-exclusive singleton format — on his Twitch channel.
Ashlen Rose – Cosplayer
When she isn’t busy working behind the scenes on Game Knights, Ashlen tries to get in some Commander games of her own. Her favorite card from Ikoria is Nethroi, Apex of Death, a welcome addition to her current favorite Commander deck: Doran, the Siege Tower.
If you’re looking for a new D&D show to binge-watch, check out Ashlen’s work in “The Broken Pact”!
Feeling inspired to build a new deck? Check out our full selection of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoth products!