The best Innistrad Remastered cards
If you're aiming to build the best deck, you need these under your command
The best Innistrad Remastered cards are a mixture of pricey reprints and format staples. With the original Innistrad launching over a decade ago back in 2011, this set contains some valuable remasters of old cards, prints from other Innistrad-themed blocks, and just some general cards thrown in for flavour.
Being a draftable set, and one looking upon the history of Magic: The Gathering, it has already proven to be quite popular if price gougers are anything to go by. However, not being purely Innistrad, this is a set that many will prefer for its singles than its boosters, and there are a few cards you'll really want to keep an eye on to get the highest value. If you ask me, these are the best Innistrad Remastered cards overall and well worth prioritizing.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what you think of remastered sets), most of this list comprises classic cards that are just worth looking out for. You likely won't find any picks to be too revelatory, but they will give you another reason to think about where your money and deck-building energy goes when it comes to MTG Innistrad Remastered. Taking into account pricing history, favourability in legacy formats like Commander, and just pure flavour, these are the cards you should keep an eye out for when you visit your LGS.
Edgar Markov
People want him, Commander players fear him. Edgar Markov is the very best vampire Commander, and the single most broken use of the eminence ability. For three colourless, one white, one black, and one red, you get a 4/4 creature that puts 1/1 counters on all vampires every time you attack. This is solid by itself, but he is also not too vulnerable to spot removal because every time you play a vampire spell, you create a 1/1 vampire. This ability happens whether he is on the battlefield or in the command zone. To top all this off, he has first strike and haste, so he can swing immediately for a bunch of damage.
The only real problem with building an Edgar Markov deck is that he previously cost you as much as pretty much any precon by itself. There are four separate versions of this vampire legend in the Innistrad Remastered set so now could be a great time to pick one up.
Emrakul, the Promised End
Emrakul, the Promised End is an absolute showstopper, not only being a 13/13 for 13 mana but also giving you the ability to play your opponent's next turn. Usually, this means fizzling all of their spells and firing all their most important creatures straight into your army of soldiers. With flying, trample, and protection from instants, it is also hard to get off the field once it lands.
However, what often brings this from an interesting card to a quick game-ender is the fact that it costs one mana less for each card type among cards in your graveyard. This means it can cost as little as five in legacy formats and six in draft. If you are playing a graveyard deck all about throwing your own library into the great beyond, you can get this great behemoth out on the field in just a handful of turns.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
The protector of Innistrad, Avacyn, Angel of Hope had an important job in Magic: The Gathering's lore, and she has the stats to back it up. An 8/8 for five colorless mana and three white, she has flying, vigilance, and gives both herself and other permanents you control indestructible. This is excellent for making your creatures better fighters but also gives you particularly good protection from most board wipes and makes her a pain to get rid of too.
There are only really a handful of exile board wipes, and many of them are quite expensive so you either go drastic to get rid of Avacyn, or she stays until the game is finished. She is a great assurance in any white deck and one of the most iconic white creatures ever.
Snapcaster Mage
Hear me out. Snapcaster mage isn't the staple it used to be with MTG's power creep over the last few years, but it's still situationally great and iconic enough in its own right. For one colorless mana and one blue, this flash creature is just a 2/1. Though not very tough, playing Snapcaster allows you to recast any instant or sorcery card in your graveyard. In a control deck, this allows you a lot of versatility and gets a body on the field for blocks. If you've already run through four legal counter spells and your opponents reckon that last card is a bluff, this can catch them by surprise. However, it also shines in singleton formats like Commander.
See, Snapcaster Mage is often better than an extra counter or creature, as it allows you to dynamically react to the battlefield. For just two mana, you get out of committing to a single effect, and now have as many as you have in your graveyard.
Craterhoof Behemoth
A Triumph of the Hordes style effect, this card does what green does best: make creature big and make creature smash. For five colorless mana and three green mana, this 5/5 haste creature gives all your creatures trample and +X/+X, where X is the number of creatures you control. This means that, with just four creatures on your field, all your creatures get +4/+4 and trample. 16 extra damage, this is often enough to win a game right there.
However, being a mono green card, the color identity known for its incredible ramp abilities, you will get up to the eight necessary mana very quick. This is a card that can turn the tide on pretty much any battle and is an awesome way to close out a game.
The Meathook Massacre
Continuing the trend of Innistrad showstopper cards, The Meathook Massacre is a board wipe and win condition in one. For two black mana and X mana, you give all creatures -X/-X until the end of turn. The kicker is that when one of your creatures dies, opponents lose one life, and when an opponent's creature dies, you gain 1 life. This means you can technically place this down where X = 0, just as an assurance against a board wipe. If you have enough minions on board, just letting them die could win the game without you even attacking anyone.
The sequel (creatively titled Meathook Massacre II) launched in MTG Duskmourn but this card gives you the ability to say you "like their early work more" — a joy of many a horror fan.
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James is an experience writer and Magic: The Gathering player who can usually be found dreaming up new strategies for MTG.