The Most Powerful Planeswalker Cards In Magic: The Gathering 

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I feel like the fact that Oko ended up banned in every format besides Vintage and Commander (where PW's are generally really bad) means it should automatically be #1.

That “I know what burn needs: Oko” into a 5-0 screen is fucking hilarious. Mono red player splashes 2 additional colors for one 4x and fucking 5-0s immediately. Oko is love. Oko is life. Free Oko!

Still failed to convince me that Oko isn't the strongest in history. It's true most of the formats he was banned in are ones where Comet and Minsc were never legal, and would've gotten banned if they had been, but Oko WAS also banned in Legacy where Comet and Minsc are both still allowed to exist. Yes, Comet and Minsc's suites of abilities are more impressive, but they also cost a mana more.

"Gristlebrand, but they pay" is a great description. And Comet may be broken, but it's hella funny to play in cube.

I played against comet once. First roll was a six. The two rolls from that six were a six. At this point we gave the guy playing it different dice. He rolled another six. Ever since its been on sight for that dog.

Was waiting for Deathrite Shaman to be mentioned but I realized it's technically not a planeswalker. I think. I may be wrong.

"Has only been around for a few months." Professor, Unfinity came out in October 2022. It's been over a year.

Professor actually knows the "little a salami" meme better than most others. Many people just say "a little salami" instead, completely missing the point.

I’m personally a big fan of Urza academy master. The guy gets literally every planeswalker ability in the game.

a shame that all they took from minsc& boo is "sacrificial rage-hamster". Dude was a kind-hearted ranger.

"Players often call it Microsoft Lettuce" That player is either you or Crim. I have never heard it called that before this video. Pretty good though, but this sounds 1000% like a Crim thing.

Oko elks The One Ring, he’s the real hero.

Can’t help but feel like this is “Planeswalkers that suck to play against/Prof doesn’t like them” rather than most powerful. Oko is still pretty clearly #1.

Legends tell that at one point in time oko, 4 color omnath, urza and mox opal were all modern legal together for extra fun

I disagree with Comet being stronger than Oko. Comet has only ever seeing play in Jeskai control, while the format warped to the point when Oko was legal, that the only viable deck was 4-5c blue green Snoko

Oko still seems the most powerful of those by far to me - and honestly, I don't find the last two problematic. Having a different design space than the typical planeswalker set is great, at a certain point the complaint that they all were going off the same template was very much becoming true. The power level on Minsc and Boo in particular might be high, but that's a different concern from the design complaints.

One of my all time craziest magic moments was opening a foil Jace, the Mind Sculptor at the Worldwake prerelease as a 15 year old. It was the only copy I had for like 8 years!

One of the main problems with planeswalkers has always been wizards fear of printing planeswalker specific removal. They existed unfettered by removal for FIVE years before they printed dreadbore. And most times when they do print removal, it's not that great and certainly isn't accessible in all colors. And before anyone says anything no I'm not counting blanket removal like vindicate or beast within because those target anything

I remember pulling a Jace the mind sculptor from the world wake prerelease and since then it's taken the #1 spot on my list of planswalkers. Ugin from fate reforged is next but mainly due to pulling a foil copy from a booster box. Good times.

If you don’t have comet in the Mr House deck you are missing out Prof.

I actually really like that comet is legal in commander, because I put him in a plainswalker deck as a joke and immediately the first game I used him and rolled a six 3 times in a row. That led to someone yelling “KILL THE DOG!” And the table ganging up on me and I lost. It was still hilarious though.

Minsc can deal the damage to himself with his -2, drawing a card and putting him back in the command zone (-2 and 1 dmg). If you have infinite mana you can recast him and keep drawing til you’re happy or win.

Comet in a Mr. House deck is amazingly fun. Rolled a 6, roll 2 more times and make a treasure and a 3/3 bot. Rolling a 1/2/4/5/6 gives you tokens.

fun little detail about comet: opponents don't get priority once an ability is resolving, so if theres a chance that 4-5 roll would kill a creature of yours you have to decide if you want to use a card to protect it or not when the "roll a 6 sided die" ability is put onto the stack, you can't wait to see what the results are first. neat.

@TolarianCommunityCollege Hey Prof, Did you know the wording "When you do" on Minsc's downtick creates a reflexive trigger on the stack? Did you know that reflexive trigger can be copied with Radiant Performer to make it hit every legal target and DRAW CARDS FOR ALL OF THEM. Lets arbitrarily say Boo is a 4/4, there's 4 players, 5 creatures on board and minsc himself (after the downtick). Thats 10 legal targets. That's 40 cards drawn. Minsc and Boo is even better than people think, and no-one knows about it. The number of Minsc and Boo Decks running Radiant Performer on EDHRec? 4 out of 5279.

Where our Prof, The Mind Sculptor Secret Lair, Wizards?!

Comet and Minsc & Boo both have one fatal flaw. They don't pitch to Force of Will.

Liliana Dreadhorde General is one of my personal favs. Such a staple IMO in an aristocrat styles deck. Another Pet Card Planeswalker of mine is also OG Gideon Jura. First Planeswalker I ever pulled from a pack of M12.

@TolarianCommunityCollege @23:50 I believe that the other Professor misspoke when he said that the Minsc and Boo (Planeswalker) can die due to a lightning bolt when Minsc and Boo has it's loyalty ability activated. Since loyalty counters are part of the activation costs and opponents cannot respond to it, Minsc and Boo will have a loyalty counter of 4 even before the lightning bolt resolves. (If an MTG judge disagrees, please explain why, since Rules 606.4 states: "The cost to activate a loyalty ability of a permanent is to put on or remove from that permanent a certain number of loyalty counters, as shown by the loyalty symbol in the ability’s cost." Therefore, based on the rules, the cost is paid (add loyalty counter) regardless whether the loyalty ability resolves. It's like how dark ritual resolves (paying for spells) regardless of whether the spell using the mana from dark ritual resolves.

*see Teferi, Hero of Dominaria* Me: *having flashback when this is Standard and screaming in my mind*

What people who’ve never played with comet don’t understand is that 1/2 is one of the best rolls. People keep suggesting to use Barbarian Class to increase the likelihood of 6, but that makes 1s and 2s unlikely. Creating two 1/1s with haste is exceptionally good, as it can take the monarch and initiative (the reasons to play expenses Boros cards in Legacy) out of nowhere, or god forbid protect both Comet and the initiative.

I love Comet in my Rin and Seri deck. It's a doggy that bites, digs up the yard, and chases squirrels!

Comet can theoretically kill an opponent at any life total with insane dice rolling luck so personally I think it has a strong case for number 1 but I understand if people value consistency of Mimsc and Boo .

Damn, thank you for calling me an old-timer as we planeswalked into the video. I've only started seriously gaming MtG during Phyrexian All Will Be One, but I played a few hours of some Duels of Planeswalkers game on PlayStation 3 many years ago. And I complain heavily about planeswalkers.

Sorry, but the randomness of Comet detracts from its usefulness. No way is it better than Oko.

What an absoulutly great video! Just to point out tho that atv15:42 he repeats his line🙃

Great video, I had a very similar list. My list of strongest Planeswalkers was: Oko > KGC > Wrenn/6 > 3feri > Comet/Boo with Honorable mentions of Valki/Tibs. My reasoning was the top 4 are each Banned or restricted in at least one format due to power level. Comet and Boo, who fill a very similar roles as powerful as 1of finishers, but they are often plan Bs and are legal in all formats they were printed into. Also I feel like Valki//Tibalt deserved an honorable mention as a planeswalker so powerful they changed the rules of the game to nerf it.

Minsc and Boo is an great addition to my borborygmos commander deck, Throwing my commander is one of my favorite things to do when I need to wrap up a game.

'minsc and boo goes absolutely berserk if you dont answer him immediately' I see what you've done there

oh no Carmen Klomparens what have you done the Professor with memes is too powerful he might even be able to win a game of magic the gathering now :o

Even though you brought up Ugin, I think the Spirit Dragon is a top tier Walker, just because it can go into any deck

Can't stop hearing Wheeler and Ben singing Jace The Mind Sculptor Better Than All for this year valentine special

25:34 Teferi, Temporal Archmage with the recent Eldrazi precon. Untap mana rocks. Teferi, Temporal Archmage can be your commander. 4BB 5 Loyalty (Paraphrasing): +1 Look at the top two of your library. Put one in hand and one on the bottom. -1 Untap up to four target permanents. -10 Emblem: "You may activate loyalty abilities of any Planeswalker you control on any turn at instant speed." Kaya the Inexorable 3WB 5 Loyalty (Paraphrasing): +1 Put a Ghostform counter on a creature. When it dies or goes to exile, create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token. -3 Exile target nonland permanent. -7 Emblem: "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may cast a legendary spell from hand, graveyard, or exile you own for free." Partner with tutors and/or "Ignite the Beacon," "Yawgmoth, Thran Physician," "Vraska, Betrayal's Sting," "Vorinclex, Monstrous Rider." Get Kaya's emblem the same turn she's cast. Ignite the Beacon 4W Instant (Paraphrasing): Search for two Planeswalkers. Reveal. Put them in hand. Shuffle. Yawgmoth, Thran Physician (Paraphrasing; skipping one ability): 2BB 2/4 Legend BB, Discard a card: Proliferate Vraska, Betrayal's Sting (Paraphrasing; omitting two abilities): 4B (B or 2 life) (6 or 4 loyalty if B or life was paid) 0: Draw a card. Lose 1 life. Proliferate. Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider (Paraphrasing; skipping one ability): 4GG 6/6 Trample, Haste If you would put one or more counters on a permanent or player, put twice that many of each of those kinds of counters on that permanent or player instead.

It definitely says something that I have a fan made shirt with a big elk-shaped logo, and surrounded by "Festival of the Banned", like a music festival poster, starring all the cards in the banned list as of Eldraine.

Holy cow. Describing M&B as 'Grislbrand but they pay' is absolute FIRE.

He got that jobbythehong theme 11:17

16:25 say hello to Mr. House's favorite dog

Minsc's signature move is literally throwing Boo. You play Minsc & Boo, and creating the token means Minsc throws Boo.

You missed to mention that Stellar Puppet gets improved by all red or artifact based cards that multiply dice rolls or improve the result

Jace, The Mind Sculptor was the card responsible for me giving up on playing Magic in 2011 after almost a decade playing. I only started playing Magic again last year after the LOTR collection.

I've done the math with 100,000,000 trials in MATLAB, and Comet, on average, during the first turn you have him out, will summon 1 Squirrel, will return 0.25 cards from your Graveyard to your hand (provided there is one there always), will deal 2.75 damage divided among however many targets, will have you use his 0 ability 1.5 times, and will die 0.0005 times (will die 0.05% of the time). He will, on average, also not gain or lose any loyalty after the first activation. I am not exactly confident in my coding ability, however. The most times he activated was 55, summoning 24 Squirrels, bringing back 5 cards from the GY, and dealing 256 damage. He deals >= 20 damage on the first activation 0.48% of the time, and >= 10 damage 4.58% of the time.

I use psychic paper with minsc and boo in my durnan gruul exile deck. The paper is mainly for the unblockable so my commander can attack for a trigger and not die, but sacing a Ghalta hamster for 12 cards is a cute trick that catches people off guard

I think there's a very important planeswalker that you missed for this list, at least for the honourable mentions, and that's Tibalt. The new Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor, which was supposed to cost 7 mana but because of the way modal DFCs worked could be cheated into play for free with Cascade as long as you had a card that could hit the 2 mana Valki side, and dominated the game so hard that it was what got that rule changed, it would easily be stronger than anything on this list if you could still cheat it into play with Shardless Agent.

My heart still belongs to Nissa Who Shakes the World. Getting a Forest-doubler as the static is incredible, I cannot count the # of times I’ve turned a land into a 5/5 body w/ Hardened Scales effects, and her Ult isn’t just a game-winner. It lets me select the doom of my choice for the pod. I really dig nearly all the Nissas, TBH. She’s even got a version that’s simultaneously a flavor win and fairly broken combo, (Untapping four creatures of your choice that Ashaya conveniently turned into Forests). I’ve made great use of various Nissas in a bunch of different decks, though it’s probably Nissa, Voice of Zendikar I get the most regular use from. (I play a LOT of +1/+1 counters stuff, OK? Getting a mass counter-add for -2 is nearly always a great deal.) And of course Ascended Animist is great, too.

I’m probably pretty biased, but I’m surprised Nicol Bolas, The God Pharaoh hasn’t even gotten an honorable mention in this or The Command Zone’s video. Being able to grab cards off of other people’s libraries to protect itself or generate value, quickly destroy their card advantage by exiling cards from their hand (with a plus ability which is insane), blow things up or deal direct damage, and then the ability to just wipe everyone’s boards with the ult? Seems really strong. Used to play it in every deck I could and would get so much hate for it lol

The Prof: 2:35 "planeswalkers that were designed to serve as a commander were excluded from consideration" Also prof: chooses minsc and boo as #1 Someone please tell me I'm misunderstanding.

I come for Prof’s insight, I stay for the outro music

those hands are the mind sculpter

I love how Prof always says "hip and with it" because that's a reference to Dr Evil, who is not from a new movie by any means.

I remember when Sorin Markov was a go to include in EDH. Because making someone lose 3/4ths of their starting life total was insane. Now he's barely anything but a mid card. Magic the Powercreep

I would've considered Tibalt, Cosmic Imposter as an honourable mention; considering it was the straw that broke the camels back on WotC changing the Cascade Ruling on MDFCs. And even then, it can still be cheated out with Bring to Light.

Well now I just want to make Commander Minsc & Boo and fill it with changelings to yeet at people "Vhen all you have is Minsc & Boo, everything looks like Miniature Giant Space Hamster, no?"

Obviously it's very dependent on format and context, but I really agree with the top 3 at least in a vintage cube context where all the greatest hits reside. Among planeswalkers, minsc and boo probably the highest pick followed by oko then comet. Oko might be above minsc in constructed though since he's in blue green and 1 mana cheaper, etc. The other two in the top 5, w6 and karn really shine in constructed where you can have karn wishboard or w6 fetches. Despite their power, because of legality restrictions or format, the top 3 don't really see that much play in constructed. Hmm, also as I'm typing this, I think maybe mini teferi, narset, and jace (both JVP and JTMS) might be better more often than wrenn6 when cubing unless you manage to snag fetchlands or strip mine of course that the video mentioned. Actually I don't think the video even mentioned the busted value of channel lands.

The best thing I ever did with Teferi, Time Walker was cash in my prerelease stamped copy at a convention to buy a wooden laser-cut sculpture for a then-friend.

Minsc and Boo with Rukarumel, Biologist as commander in a sliver deck. Or any deck. Everything nontoken is now a Hamster!

I'm from two years in the future, here's the current top 5 planeswalker list: 5: John Cena, the Champ! (Mana cost of 0 means no one ever sees him coming) 4: Mark Rosewater (Only on number 4 because he would look at you in disappointment if you use him in degenerate decks) 3: Yugi Muto, King of Games. (Forcing your opponents to read three novels worth of small-font card text is way too strong an ability to just be his plus 1) 2: The Spanish Inquisition (Their greatest weapon is surprise, surprise and a -1 ability to play themselves back from the graveyard. No, wait their two greatest weapons are...) 1: Nicol Bolas, the Another One (Technically, this is a Fortnite Crossover event)

I never even knew that a card like Comet existed! I'm gonna get 4 copies; thanks Professor!

17:25 simple, it's because Mark Rosewater couldn't handle the fact that his pet project keep underperforming

14:36 the bit is meant to be ironic but the fact you correctly quote it as "little a" tells us you are a real one

see now I want to play the Prof with my Comet deck to show him how fun it can be

If you included ones that are meant to be a commander Freyalise and Daretti would be near the top imo, those precons were some of my favorites

I completely agree with prof at the end with Comet and Minsc and Boo not really counting as planeswalkers. When I saw Oko at 3rd, I couldn't think of another possible planeswalker that is better...until Comet, a joke card from Unfinity showed up. At least now they aren't printing so many planeswalkers (as of WOE) and they aren't that good.

minsc and boo will always one of the coolest play patterns on a highly competitive card

I had an idea to use Minsc and Boo with Gishath, as thats 3 +1/+1s instantly onto the big dino summoner

Minsc and boo is one of my strongest commander decks. one on one its almost undefeated. such good value and power, im glad the professor saw sense! lol

I run a Minsc and Boo commander deck, people always laugh at the hamster until they die by the hamster. I run stuff like tinder wall and orcish lumberjack along with fast mana rocks to drop minsc early, boo gets big quick and with an ozolith can be right back next turn just as big!!!!!

OMG i heard the song and thought i was about to see a Kill Count featuring the Professor

you should now do a video where you talk about your top 5 fav planeswalker?please

Absolutely agree with your number one. It's powerful in the 99, but as your Commander it's extremely frustrating to deal with.

I liked planeswalkers, I liked the lore and impact of them whether on the field or in the story. Now since everyone can go anywhere I feel as though their meaning has diminished. Also the Behind the Campus video, I'm waiting for it.

Wrenn and Six also powered up blue decks in Legacy by allowing you to always have a fetch available for your brainstorm shuffle. That was a hidden power that was probably even more egregious than the wasteland looping.

I like the idea behind minsc and boo's design, but even played without any buildaround its overtuned.

Professor: *says Planeswalkers desigend to be the Commander won't be considered Also Professor: number one Planeswalker on the list can be the Commander

Minsc & Boo is my favorite planeswalker card, and favorite commander.

Respectfully, i dont understand why you listed a card which is legal in legacy but sees no play (comet) as more powerful than two cards which are banned in legacy (wrenn and oko) If it's so powerful, more powerful than Oko, which dominated every format it was legal in except vintage, why doesn't it see play?

Unfinity lost me as a customer as the set was anounced to have legal cards ...

I’ve been playing tron for 10 years. It’s crazy that Karn liberated has been reduced to a 1 of as removal in most decks

25:46 he never points in the right spot 😂

Jace the Mind Sculptor better than all.

I understand the frustration from unfinity but I think Comet and the attractions were awesome. It’s what got me into playing magic because it’s goofy. The sticker mechanic definitely could have been done better.

"Though powerful, these cards do not really feel like planeswalkers, slowly providing an advantage over the course of several turns. They're kind of just boulders that you push down the hill once and they take care of the rest for you." I couldn't have said it better myself. These two cards single-handedly steamroll an entire game whenever they hit the table in my friend's powered cube. Also holy heck Comet was a $3 card for the longest time, and it just recently spiked to $25?? What the fuck happened 💀

Throwing in my vote for the Alchemy version of Tasha (Unholy Archmage). Especially in an era of broken creatures and hasty creatures with a toughness of 1, Tasha puts in absolute work. It’s a shame the paper version of Tasha (the Witch Queen) is not nearly as powerful (though still good depending on the matchup).

I feel just looking at Comet has gotten worse with the introduction of Mr House from the Fallout. If you roll a 6, you now also can create a 3/3 robot, a treasure token and get to do it again.

Canonically? Nicol Bolas, no question. Card? Depends on how good your deckbuilding is

The justification for Unfinity being partially legacy legal makes perfect sense. Back when Unsets were invented there is a much starker line between casual and tournament play, so players would reasonably see SB cards as valid. Now, for the cards to see play even at kitchen table, they need to be black-border. Plus, magic has gotten way more wild and joking and immersion breaking, so good jokes are now fine. And lastly, due to D&D and other sets most un-mechanics work. The set had problems but legacy legality wasn't one of them. If it was Unstable I think people would love it.

I remember there's one game that during our EDH game, two player has Karn, liberated on the field. There's the other guy who play colorless artifact deck, he's super upset cos Karn basically lock almost everything from him and Two of them? He was like you guys has insulted my Artifact honor. So he drop Mycosynth into the field and locked all of us up loool. Then he said HOW YOU FEEL NOW TO BE LOCKED UP!!!!! So the game end with we count the card in the deck, whoever has the most card in the deck win, which is turn out to me who has nothing to do with any of this lol That was the first time, I realize that Karn and Mycosynth combo exist and also the first time that we all has to count the card on the deck to win the game lol

I have the Minsc and Boo deck box just because... flinging hamsters.

this video makes me feel like i should make a bottled cloister deck.

I remember when Jace the Mind Sculptor was new, great times. Loved the block. Hated the card