The visual aesthetics of a game is usually a hot topic among the players. Having an aesthetically pleasing game is almost as important as having great gameplay itself. In MTG Arena, these aesthetics are brought about by the animations that play when certain cards enter the battlefield. Since the Arena lacks the interaction that we get when playing paper MTG, the animations help break the monotonous vibe of the game, allowing it to look more interactive. 

We scoured the internet to find which card animations the players really like and which are flat out horrendous. This list is a curation of player’s opinions as well as mine.

15. Thassa, Deep-Dwelling

Thassa, Deep-Dwelling is a key piece in Yorion decks that feature cards with ETB (enter the battlefield) effects. At the end step, you can exile a creature and bring it back again, allowing you to get an additional ETB trigger. 

It is a simple animation but if you are piloting a Yorion deck, you will love seeing this as it means you already have a great advantage on the board. Compared to the other gods in the set, Thassa has the best animation, which is helpful since this card is more played than the others. 

14. Brazen Borrower

A staple card in both control and flash decks, Brazen Borrower helps hinder your opponent’s strategy by bouncing a permanent they control. It can also bring a good threat to the air with it being a 3/1 flier. 

In terms of the aesthetic it brings, Brazen Borrower’s adventure part, Petty Theft summons a faerie that flies around. It is a cool animation that is kinda unique since there is a sense of movement rather than the usual pop up and dive in animations of other creatures. 

13. Thousand-Year Storm

A literal storm that is crucial in spell-based decks, Thousand-Year Storm is an enchantment that will copy your instants and sorceries, allowing you to dish out damage out of nowhere. 

12. Settle the Wreckage

One of the most annoying cards for creature players back then, Settle the Wreckage turns all the attacking creatures to dust. MTG’s equivalent to Thanos’s snap.

11. Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge

If you like playing with big, shiny robot things, you probably love this card. Tezzeret benefits from having a lot of artifacts on the board, making it a great fit in affinity decks. 

10. Lazav, the Multifarious

For just a blue and black mana, Lazav, the Multifarious, is a great card that capitalizes on having creatures in your graveyard. You can quickly change it to any creature in your graveyard even at instant speed, allowing you to have a multitool of some sort at your disposal. 

The animation when you cast this card is really amazing since, unlike the other cards, the animation spawns at your graveyard. This is a unique one that gives animations a different view. It also shows how Lazav can shapeshift which is also a good element that allows the players to know exactly what this card can do. 

9. Verix Bladewing

Getting two bodies in one card is always a great option especially if you have enough mana to pay for the Kicker cost of this card. Verix can summon another 4/4 dragon, Karox, into the battlefield to help dish out double the damage in the air. 

The animation, is as what you’d probably expect, is a dragon that settles down and breathes fire. Yeah, very common, I know. What’s great about this, though, is that if you pay the Kicker cost, there will be two dragons in the battlefield, one on the actual card, and one on the token, representing both Verix and Karox Bladewing entering the battlefield. If you thought one dragon is scary enough, what more if there are two of them. 

8. Niv-Mizzet Reborn

If you’re playing a five-colored deck and not running copies of Niv-Mizzet Reborn, what’s the point of playing five colors? This dragon is a very powerful card both as a body in the battlefield and as a value engine as it can give you cards off the top of your library as well as help you filter out your deck. This massive 6/6 dragon is a very powerful card in MTGA in the right deck. 

Just like Lazav, Niv-Mizzet’s animation is also unique as it does not randomly appear in the middle of the battlefield or on top of the card. A huge dragon head appears at the bottom-right side of your screen as you pick the cards you want to keep. 

7. Massacre Wurm

Massacre Wurm is a great one-sided removal against decks that utilize small creatures. A really nice late-game piece, it can dish out lethal damage if your opponent has a loaded board as it also deals two damage every time an opponent’s creature dies. It is also a massive body that can attack and block easily.

This is personally one of my favorite animations. Slamming a Massacre Wurm in a board filled with your opponent’s creatures is already a very nice thing, but seeing the wurm run over all the opponent’s creatures is probably one of the most satisfying things you can experience. Add the fact that after it runs over the creatures, you get possibly a million triggers that puts the icing on the cake. 

6. Questing Beast

Green is known for big creatures that will steamroll the blockers. Questing Beast is a big creature but it does not steamroll blockers since it does not have trample. Instead, it runs through the blockers. You can’t chump block a Questing Beast due to its ability. If you leave this unblocked, however, you can just say goodbye to your planeswalker since whatever damage it deals to your opponent, will also be dealt to one of their planeswalkers. 

The animation of Questing Beast is one that can be judged as a common one since the creature simply pops out from the card. However, if you swing with it immediately, the creature also swings with it, making it look like a real beast is attacking the opponent and not just the card. 

5. Realm-Cloaked Giant // Cast Off

Just like a lot of creature cards from the Throne of Eldraine set, Realm-Cloaked Giant also features the adventure mechanic, allowing you two different functions all in one card. Cast off is a great piece of the card since it is a board clear. There are not a lot of Giants that are currently being played in Standard, so playing this card is as good as playing a Shatter the Sky.

Out of all the board clears in the Arena, this one has the best animation, in my opinion. I mean, a giant hand taking away all the creatures? That has got to be the best animation considering it runs well with the theme of Giants. 

4. All Sagas

Sagas, cards that have different chapters, were first introduced in Dominaria. These enchantments are temporary additions in the battlefield that give out increasing rewards the longer they stay in the game. Of course, most Sagas end after three turns while some get to the fourth turn. Some of these cards became part of the meta at that time while the others were not played at all. Some of the most notable Sagas include History of Benalia, Elspeth Conquers Death, The Eldest Reborn, and many more. 

In terms of the animations, these are really at the top of the list, in my opinion. From the unraveling of the scroll to the short pause that features the artwork of the card, the animation is really aesthetically pleasing. Most, if not all, Sagas have very cool art, and being able to feature them like that is the reason why this animation is this high in the list. 

3. Crucible of Worlds

Back when Field of the Dead was still a thing, Crucible of Worlds played a huge role in decks that utilized the land. Being able to play lands from your graveyard also allowed the strategy of imprisoning your opponent by killing off all their lands while you get to play yours from the yard. Pairing this with Scapeshift also creates a cheat code that allows you to thin your deck while still having consistent land drops. 

The artwork displayed in this card’s animation is ethereal. Being able to see the universe in the middle of the battlefield is very astonishing. The depth also gives it a different texture, making it look more three-dimensional. Overall, the aesthetics shown in the animation are all on point. 

2. Mnemonic Betrayal

If you are looking for a jankier way to deal with decks that heavily rely on their graveyard, Mnemonic Betrayal is the way to go. You can exile your opponent’s graveyard, and at the same time, cast their spells. In terms of value, this is better than just dropping a Bojuka Bog since you can steal some of the cards that they are trying to protect in their graveyards. 

As a fan of the Mortal Kombat series, this animation brings back great memories. It has that feel of Fatality or Brutality that we get when playing MK. I enjoy the reminiscent theme of this card’s animation that’s why it ranks high in this list. 

1. Opponent Losing

This is the best animation in all of MTGA, hands down. It is not at all aesthetically pleasing but seeing your opponent’s avatar explode after your wonderful turn is a sight to behold. This animation is something that all MTGA players will never get tired of, that's why it takes the top spot. 

Here are links to where you can find each animation mentioned in this list:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgy_h5bsAOQ

[15]Thassa, Deep-Dwelling (0:28 - 0:32)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdV90CSnJLE

[5] Cast Off // Realm-Cloaked Giant (0:43-0:48)

[14] Brazen Borrower (2:24 - 2:28)

[6] Questing Beast (3:06-3:12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odk5Kkk6EQc

[10] Lazav, the Multifarious (0:58 - 1:04)

[2] Mnemonic Betrayal (1:07 - 1:11)

[13] Thousand-Year Storm (2:06 - 2:10)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHcZsN0mkt8

[11] Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge (+2 Ability) (0:58 - 1:01)

[8] Niv-Mizzet Reborn (3:54 - 4:00)

[9] Verix Bladewing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_l2OoUtMvE (0:15-0:20)

[7] Massacre Wurm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpUqyum-rEE (0:00 - 0:04)

[12] Settle the Wreckage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPrSbOMuCYk (2:46 - 2:50)

[3]Crucible of Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u0P0W51BzE (7:51-7:55)

[4] All Sagas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjzM7BwGGgw (4:25 - 4:30)

[1] Opponent Losing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPrSbOMuCYk (4:54 - end)

Note: We do not own any of the videos and pictures mentioned/used in the article. All credit goes to the rightful owners. 

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