MTG Top 10: LAMEST Mythic Rares | Magic: the Gathering | Episode 247 

"What if we put Disperse on the Adventure side of a creature? A flying creature, that can't block things on the ground." "Give it Flash and make it Mythic."

I disagree with putting Linvala on this list. The only other permanent that stops all creatures from activating their abilities is Cursed Totem, a really powerful old stax card, and unlike Cursed Totem, Linvala doesn't stop you from activating your own abilities, and she's a legendary creature that's a decent flying threat on her own. There are lots of cards that stop artifacts from being activated, but not so much for creatures.

I have a video idea. What about: "Old rare cards that would be Mythic Rare if the rarity existed when they were printed"...or, a more succinct title: "Cards that would be mythic if printed today". Worldgorger Dragon, Hypnox, and Eye of the Storm come to mind.

"the world's largest acidic slime" cracked me up

I think one of the things that makes Worldbreaker more mythic than rare is because it’s a cast trigger, which you can’t just counter with an essence scatter. But I still agree with your sentiments

You know, I can't even possibly think of a segue into "Top 10 VIntage Cards (Minus Power 9)". So I'm not going to bother. What I will say, is that I'm definitely going to run as many of these cards as possible in EDH as well as a bunch of various other boring spells. I'll probably use Golos as my commander, since he's pretty lame.

When I heard the description of a lame mythic rare, I immediately thought of Brazen Borrower. Sure, it's a good card...but it should be a Rare.

I would have included Brazen Borrower on this list. Extremely efficient, but honestly pretty uninteresting. I remember being baffled at the fact that it was mythic when it was first spoiled.

If you asked me if I thought Glorybringer was more mythic than Thundermaw Hellkite, I would not say yes. Glorybringer can allow you to take out one of your opponent's flying blockers, but if it's big enough it can survive and if they have multiple you have to wait an extra turn for it to untap. Thundermaw Hellkite acts as an amazing finisher and provides a lot of value when you compare it to cards such as Skarrgan Hellkite and Volcanic Dragin and in my opinion that makes it deserving of mythic.

Dude this list is the best premise in a while. Also, top ten combo cards

Eldraine was the set when they decided to completely go back on what they initially said about not making mythics constructed 4-ofs. Now every Standard deck except for UW control has 4x at least one mythic.

I think Linvala is pretty mythic feeling since she shuts down mana abilities which doesn't happen much these days. Also Skargan hellkite ,though pretty good, doesn't seems like a unique enough or powerful enough effect to be mythic so imdont know why it didn't make the list over something like thundermaw hellkite.

The masticore is MR because its a crazy bomb in limited. Its in my cube for a reason.

I also disagree with linvala being here. That effect is only on one other card, cursed totem, an old artifact, except hers is better since it's asymmetrical.

Linvala's ability is far too powerful at 4 mana not to feel like a mythic, and Thundermaw Hellkite feels extremely mythic as I have seen extremely few red cards that mass tap creatures.

I find the inclusion of Thundermaw to be a little bit confusing, I mean back when he was in standard his unique or game changing effect was the ability to extend the count on how late into the game an aggro deck could pull a win out from a wildly control/mid-range heavy format, I mean it wasn't every time, but it was often enough that when it hit the table it felt pretty mythic

Finally a top 10 I can get behind

Thundermaw Hellkite is still a pretty huge bomb and an exciting card IMO. They took a relatively powerful red card for limited that typically costs 4 (see Cosmotronic Wave), made it a little weaker and stuck it on a hasty 5/5

Linvala has a huge lockout effect and makes a fucking massive impact immediately while having a great flying body. One of my favorite cards in the game and definitely doesnt belong here

Brazen Borrower is the biggest example of a lame mythic rare for me. It's just an extremely efficient Man O' War, nothing special. It could have easily been a rare and no one would have cared.

IMO, for this list i think you ignore the flavour of cards, some cards ARE only mythic because of their name

I understand what you are saying about the Protean Hydra, but as far as I have found it unique. The closest hydra I have found to the Protean is the Rock Hydra. If you have a static +X/+X permanent on the battlefield, Protean Hydra is really hard to kill with damage. An example could be either Gaea's Anthem, Leyline of Vitality, or Gideon's +1/+1 emblem. Based on the text, if the Hydra had 2 +1/+1 counters and a Leyline of Vitality, you could nuke it for 20 damage and it would survive, then become bigger because it prevents the damage then removes counters, so the 20 damage would be negated, then you remove 20 counters, it only has 2, making it a 0/1. At the end of turn, you put 2 +1/+1 counters for each one it lost, so it would become a 4/5 at end of turn. This also works on lifelink and deathtouch, blocking your opponents lifelink with the Protean Hydra means they don't gain life, and deathtouch doesn't kill them as they reduce the damage to 0. Being green means you could easily add something to save the Hydra from kill spells with things like Asceticism and cards like it.

Linvala, Keeper of Silence feels like a mythic rare because she silences all creatures your opponents control all the time. She even stops mana abilities. There's no other similar effect that's even close to as strong, especially not an asymmetrical one that works even when it isn't your turn.

Linvala is fine, put Rowdy Crew on instead

*listens to intro* Brazen Borrowers on the list isnt it?

When you said "big dragons aren't special", I was afraid you were gonna put my favorite creature ever on this list...which also happened to be the card to debut Mythic Rarity as a concept: Hellkite Overlord. One of my favorite multiplayer decks I've ever played was an extreme mana ramp UBRG deck that I just call "Overlord". It's based around getting Hellkite Overlord onto the field with a card like Elvish Piper (or hard-casting if need be) and then cloning it in some way (my favorite being a kicked Rite of Replication...with one particularly ridiculous example just for the fun of it being a kicked Rite of Replication which I Twincast...10 Hellkite Overlord tokens + the original. Huge multiplayer games are a lot of fun sometimes).

Sphinx Sovereign was part of a mythic cycle from the set, which had expensive creatures that could be cheated out with an uncommon and other creatures of the other colors. Makes sense to me why it’s mythic in context.

I disagree about the Protean Hydra. It grows 2 Head counters, as Rock Hydra so informatively tells us, at the end of every turn for each that it lost. And that's pretty flavorful and faithful to the original myth, much more than most other MTG hydra and their fixed heads. As for Sphinx Sovereign, well it does have one thing going for it, it is one of the few cards that is referenced by name by another card, that being Sphinx's Herald, so it's got that. But the aspect of the card that makes it mythic, not being visible when looking at the card itself does understandably make it seem less mythic.

I remember going to a card store back in the days of starting MTG (Kaladesh Standard for me) and finding that Akoum Firebird was worth only a few cents. I had to rub my eyes to make sure that I wasn't seeing things.

The biggest con that Wizard's has ever pulled on the MtG community was the idea that there needs to be a strong correspondence between rarity and playability. That is to say, Wizard's circa about 1997 began pushing hard on the idea that a card could be a little more efficient if it was a little less rare, and the community began to accept the idea that most good cards should be rare and that commons could be mostly trash. That is to say, the community began to accept the idea that commons and uncommons could and should have not only consistently less powerful effects but consistently higher mana costs to achieve the same effect. That wasn't always obviously true. At one time the game was quite approachable to players that only had a pile of decent commons and uncommons. Certain types of decks required rare cards and many rare cards could be good build arounds because of their game changing effects, but at one time commons and uncommon were priced for their effect competitively with rares. Likewise, as late as 2003, Wizards was vowing never to introduce a rarity level above rare. Yet the community has come to accept mythic rares as well. These days, pretty much all competitive decks feature 30 or more rare cards, and it's not unusual for a deck to have no common cards at all aside from basic lands. Since 1997 when the 'collectors' won the war for the future of magic, MtG has pretty much been increasingly about nothing but money. It's the ultimate pay to win game. Gone forever are the days when someone can just understand the game better than someone else and play a Sligh deck made up of cards that no one is considering but which just work well and can be piloted well. In most board states, there are very few choices and very few ways to misplay that don't involve simple forgetfulness. That doesn't stop it form happening, but the quality of play from players is no longer even remotely higher than the luck of the draw. The game has become incredibly simple to play at the very same time that the cards have become so complicated in their effects, their triggers, their interaction, and their demand for reshuffles that the game increasingly is only reasonable to play on a computer. And we the community continue to validate that.

This is a fantastic idea for a Top 10 lol!

As a man who makes customs in his spare time, I love these things. Underwhelming mythics are fine to keep balance on curve, it keeps mythics from becoming the only power house cards

I feel you are unfair to the Thundermaw Hellkite. When it came out it felt mythic as it changed the current meta of standard. If you ignore that aspect of the card then your list needs to be a heck of a lot larger as a lot of mythics no longer feel mythic after "their time in the sun".

I definitely agree about Sphinx Sovereign.

What are your thoughts on Lotus Cobra? It's landfall makes mana which is cool, but it only really shines with fetchlands, and is otherwise just an overcosted Birb of Paradise.

Good list but I'm a bit surprised that lotus cobra didn't make the cut.

Love your list. 2 thoughts. I hated that Deathpact Angel. Wish I could've seen that on the list and Linvala, I thought, was unique due to her ability stopping mana producing effects like on Llanowar Elves, and Thundermaw being able to tap down all opponents' flyers

3:57 one of the best sentences ever uttered by Nizzahon

I wasn't playing Magic when Thundermaw Hellkite was first printed but I did play a lot of Amonkhet limited. One of the common complaints about that format was that Glorybringer was way too powerful a card to be printed at rare, given that it frequently won games by itself and would reliably show up in every other draft pod. With that in mind, I'm kind of glad that Wizards erred on the side of caution with the Hellkite because that card probably would have been similarly obnoxious in limited had it been printed at rare.

Most enjoyable as always :)

Linvala, keeper of silence is a card I've always wished to own. I think it's got a unique enough effect for mythic. Shutting down opponent's stuff isn't new, but none (to my knowledge) shut down what she does and it can be back breaking for them in some scenarios. However, totally agree on all the others and this list is a fun idea!

So what you're saying is I should totally build a deck around these 10 Mythic rares thank you for the advice ive been waiting to build the right deck...

Im surprised carnage tyrant isnt on here, sure its good but its just an efficient creature with two keyword abilities.

Good list but Rowdy Crew has to be the ultimate number one here, come on.

So what about a list for combos that end the game in a draw, this usually happens when an endless loop happens on the stack that neither player can break. As a example if a player donates lich's mirror to there opponent then gives that opponent 10 poison counters the game will end from a draw because how lich's mirror triggers from the state based action of your opponent losing.

Rowdy crew from Ixilan is probably the most disappointing mythic I've pulled.

Great video

Guessing that Thundermaw is mythic because it can be used as a 'kill shot' when you have other creatures plus itself in a surprise attack. You could argue that considering its flying, haste, and 5/5, the tap effect is practically free.

Sphinx Sovereign would need two activated abilities to make it playable (but still not good). Also they would fit with the card's theme. Pay 3 life: Untap Sphinx Sovereign Pay 3 life: Tap Sphinx Sovereign

Especially comparing Sphinx Sovereign to Sphinx of the Steel Wind, you can see the difference in Esper mythic sphinxes.

Mythic rare: I'm unique and such Also mythic rare: spend 6 mana for a 3/3 flying haste

Realm-Cloaked Giant Gets far on my list. Its a wrath on a 7/7 vigilance, that's it. Another is Kargan Dragonlord, while level up is somewhat unique it levels up to shivian dragon basically....

Been playing World Breaker in EDH for years now. Literally didn't realize it was a mythic until this very moment.

Wow, expected Archangel's Light to be #1. This is going to be a rough ride.

I do agree with your #2 card however to say it isn’t unique at all isn’t exactly true. Protean hydra was the only mono green hydra that gained heads (counters) through combat. With any buffs stacked on the hydra it becomes a strictly better phytohydra that has better synergy with token doubling effects. Phytohydra takes 5 damage adding 10 counters with a doubling effect. Protean hydra takes 5 damage adding 20 counters with a single counter doubling effect.

Do you give the points to card that are in the deck list or only if the card has actually entered the battlefield?

Avacyn’s light would have been much better with the phrase “each player shuffles”. That would gain you a ton of life on a casual table.

My 1st mythic I ever pulled was Ancient Helkite it makes me think of the rare dragons it's still has a place in my heart and I play him in dragon edh deck.

Surprised at the lack of brazen borrower. Costed slightly differently, that card could be a common by complexity standards

Sphinx is probably there because it's part of the cycle isn't it? Definitely the most forgettable member when compared to the prince and godsire and things

I'd like to see you do: "Top 10 cards from Fallen Empires". ;)

Calling that the one Archangel’s life gain shuffle thing is going to be #1 Edit: Oh jeez I don’t know what I’m getting into now

My only ever foil mythic I have ever pulled is Urzas Rage.

Top 10 idea I have no idea how you'd look for cards for; Cards with text everyone forgets about. Examples being baneslayer angel's protection form demons and dragons(halo hunter anyone), questing beast's damage prevention, nameless inversion removing creature types, I'm sure a "cannot be countered" clause on something fits here

4:10 Quicksilver Gargantuan should have had something like "2U, TAP: Q.G. becomes a copy of another target creature, except it's a 7/7 and has this ability." Also, M:tG has the almost unique mechanics of TAPping stuffs, why they didn't use it so much? D: You could do an update video :D and maybe, as someone else suggested, a "Rare that would be mythic if printed today" :D

Excellent examples of cards that are in the mythic slot because of draft and limited restrictions.

I would give honourable mentions to: THE Embercleave and THE Questing Beast. Both would have sound much bad ass with that add-on.

As an avid red player, the mythic have been a little weak. BUT! I do feel that thundermaw feels mythic to me, but so does glorybringer, following the lineage of stotmbreath and its ilk.

IMO most of the cards presented here were printed in the Mythic rarity flavourwise for example Linvala, some of them also could cause a somewhat unhealthy draft enviroment od printed at a lower rarity. For the number one, well SOA was the first expansion to include Mythic rarity, so i wouldn't be so criticall about it. I get why it's number one of the lamest Mythic cards, still they just started printing Mythics so we can only be grateful most Mythics have more impact on the game than said cards.

We need more B&R list!!!

I would have replaced Linvala and Thundermaw with Baneslayer Angel and Carnage Tyrant; both are just some keywords stapled onto an efficient body. But still, great list overall.

Man, I still recoil when I remember trading away a Nykthos for a Thundermaw Hellkite, thinking I was getting a good deal due to the disparity in rarity. Luckily the other trader was willing to reverse the trade, but still

This video could also be called “the mythic rares I pull out of booster boxes”. To everyone who pulls Mana Crypts, Mana Drains, Atraxas, Sheorolds, Jewelled Lotuses, and so on: you’re welcome.

Possible addition this list is the newly spoiled "Aragorn and Arwen, Wed"

You also have to keep in mind that Mythic rarity can be important for Limited balance reasons, but honestly I agree with most of this list. My personal addition would be Comet Storm. It's so close to Fireball, Rolling Thunder, Blasphemous Act, Starstorm, etc. that it doesn't feel mythic at all. Add in the fact that's it's often worse than most of those cards and I feel like it's a good candidate for this list. Or maybe I'm just bitter opening one in MM2 instead of, you know, anything else.

I agree that Archangel's Light should be bumped down in rarity. However, it can be an AMAZING card, especially against mill decks Good list!

Any toughness buffs can break protean hydra. It isn't affected by death touch or infect, and it's unkillable.

For the 300th episode you could do an Top 10 Top 10's...

Carnage Tyrant? I love the card and its impact against control, but it feels like with a few more mana in its cost, it could be uncommon

I forgot how cool the mythic colored Dark Ascension symbol looked.

I was expecting Uncaged of the Menagerie. Similar to Green Suns Zenith, but it requires a lot more mana and gets creatures to hand rather than Battlefield. Thought it was a rare if that. Granted, still really like it for EDH.

I feel like there are several mythics that are far more underwhelming than Thundermaw or Linvala. The Wolf of Devil's Breach Skargann Hellkite Bone Dragon Armada Wurm (Desolation Twin does the same thing at rare) Etched Monstrosity Hydra Omnivore Kargan Dragonlord

Current Standard: Robber of the Rich. Highly meta-dependent 2-drop that does nothing that other red 2-drops don't generally also do. It's only mythic to swindle some wildcards out of F2P players who want to rank up quickly with mono-red.

I disagree with your number two since it's the most accurate hydra to represent hydra mythology. It's literally the mythological hydra or Greek lore

It's not that I disagree that most of the creatures on the list are a bit underwhelming as mythics, but they seem like they're a long way from the most underwhelming. If Worldbreaker is doesn't make the cut, Angel of Sanctions isn't even close. Protean Hydra at least has the wacky removing +1/+1 counters when damaged and adding back double at end of turn; Savageborn Hydra just has a bunch of +1/+1 counters and the ability to add more.

6. Hellkite... O_o that guy spanked in standard

Sphinx sovereign has the sac three creatures summon it from your deck creature doesn’t it?

Mythic rare are also place for limited all-stars, to prevent it from appearing too often in the format. My choice of lame is Skysovereign, which is crushing in limited.

Brazen borrower would fit in this list too

Think the reason Sphinx Sovereign was mythic was because it was a part of the "totally not a legendary creature but still a very important creature" cycle that could be tutored alongside Prince of Thralls and Godsire.

i think if they made archangel's light shuffle away your cards that are in exile it too it wouldve been cool at least

I think we can agree that Brazen Borrower should have made this list, but honestly I'd like to hear why it didn't.

Thundermaw seems pretty mythic to me, honestly - 5/5 flying for 5 *feels* more mythic than the 4/4 - and even if the ability doesn't hit much normally, it has the potential for a big splash and feels much more like a game ending dragon even compared to Glorybringer, even if they're pretty similar. Obviously "feel" is very subjective, which is the point I suppose.

sphinx sovereign can be tutored in if you have sphinx's herald

hellkite clears the skies with the tap effect tho, great finisher imo

To be fair the number one would be worthy of mythic in my opinion if its ability actually did both things at the end step, basically just a siege rhino ETB trigger at the end of each of your turns. It wouldnt see play in modern/legacy/vintage but would pretty much be a staple in any UB commander deck just for being able to hit each opponent.

I saw the thumbnail and saw one of my fav cards

Erebos' Titan and Armada Wurm are a couple cards that I don't think really encompass being mythics.

thundermaw hellkite is an insane card in mono red....

The angel and hydra seem pretty cool though