Zendikar rising was the latest expansion for standard. It was the last set of the year that will impact the arena going forward. While we wait for next year to come around, let us examine some of the best cards to come out of this set. Zendikar rising brought with it a new mechanic called party, but also the return of landfall. Let us go on an adventure to party in the plane of Zendikar, here are the top 25 cards in the set. 

25)Luminarch Aspirant

Rally to the cause 

Mono white weenies have their champion. For only two mana, place counters every combat. 

What is great about this card?

• 2 mana to cast
• Counters on any creature you control 
• Can target itself with the ability 

24)Jwari Disruption 

Counter it unless you pay 1

Do you need a land? play this card. Do you need a counter spell? This card can do that too.

What is great about this card?

• Double faced card 
• Can be a counterspell
• Is also a land if you need mana or landfall triggers

23)Mind carver 

A great name for a metal band 

Equipment always is useful for aggro decks. With the knight support from Eldraine this card performs well in standard. Throw this on any knight or use it in a mill deck for extra damage

What is great about this card?

• Costs a single mana 
• High mill synergy 
• Attach it as it enters to any creature you control

22)Demon’s Disciple 

Would you like to talk about our lord and savior?

Cleric tribes received major benefits from this set. The disciple can be very useful with the right timing and extremely profitable in the right deck.

What is great about this card?

• Forces each player to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker
• Efficient removal 
• Can sacrifice itself for the trigger 

21) Tajuru Blightblade

Stick them with the pointy end

To fill the party up this is a great start. An excellent turn on play that can kill anything it touches 

What is great about this card?

• It has deathtouch
• Costs only 1 mana 
• Fills up the rouge slot in your party 

20) Roiling Regrowth 

Call forth the power of the roil

Searching for lands in this set is extremely powerful. Two is always better than one and that's what this card allows you to do.

What is great about this card?

• Search for two lands 
• The lands enter the battlefield 
• Play this at instant speed

19)Marauding Blight-Priest 

What an exquiste ability 

Cards like this enable life drain in life gain decks. With enough lifelink on board this card will become a threat faster than anyone sees it coming. 

What is great about this card?

• Whenever you gain life each opponent loses 1 life 
• Can be used as a blocker if needed 
• Enables amazing combos 

18) Scion of the Swarm

Ajani's pridemate in the air

Clerics gained massive support in this set and Ajani’s pridemate needed a replacement in standard. 

What is great about this card?

• Gain power for gaining life 
• It has flying 
• Starts out as a 3/3 

17) Deadly Alliance 

Mortal Kombat refrence?

A great removal spell for planeswalkers and creatures. The larger your party the greater the value

What is great about this card 

• Party members reduce the spell’s cost 
• Can target creatures and planeswalkers 
• Common rarity so it is easy to get 

16)Spikefall hazard 

Look out for the rocks 

Double faced card that can be used to deal an extra point of damage when needed. It can also be a land

What is great about this card?

• Instant speed damage
• Is also a land 
• One drop spell

15)Oran-rief Ooze 

icky sticky ooze 

Green and stompy just how we like it. Let the ooze squeese value onto your creatures

What is great about this card?

• Can place counters on itself 
• Places counters every single combat 
• When it attacks it gives more counters to creatures that already have them

14)Cleric of life's bond 

Cleric tribal synergy incarnate. Gain life and counters what more could clerics need? 

What is great about this card?

• Whenever clerics enter the board you gain a life 
• The first time you gain life it gets a counter 
• Only 2 mana drop 

13)Orah,Skyclave Hierophant

calling all Clerics

A cleric commander who has the support it needs. It is also a healer, as all good clerics should be

What is great about this card?

• It has lifelink 
• Allows you to respawn other clerics from the grave
• Is a 3/3 

12)Soaring Thought Thief

Mill em all to death

Mill has become a nuisance because of cards like this. If you want to mill, play this card.

What is great about this card?

• It has flying 
• It has flash to be played at instant speed 
• Whenever one or more rouges attack your opponent mills two cards 

11)Ruin Crab

A card loving crab

More mill support for the decks that love to watch cards fill the graveyard. Watch it all disappear in the hands of this carb.

What is great about this card?

• Turn one play 
• landfall forces your opponent to mill 3 cards 
• Is a bulky boy with 3 toughness 

10)Merfolk Windrobber

As god is my witness i did not think merfolk could fly

The mill support just keeps coming. With the low cost of it to it is no wonder it is one of the best decks out there right now.

What is great about this card?

• It has flying
• Costs just one mana 
• Makes your opponent mill whenever it deals combat damage 

9)Roil Eruption 

Erupt with the rage of the roil 

Mono red aggro always has a spell like this for quick damage. Say hello to the two drop that can kick your deck into gear 

What is great about this card?

• Deals three damage for 2 mana 
• Can be kicked to deal 5 damage instead 
• Common level rarity so it is easy to get a play set of

8)Akoum Hellhound

Hot diggty 

Man’s bestfriend always has a home in this game. Giving it landfall just made it a standard aggro staple

What is great about this card 

• Buffs itself with the landfall trigger
• Costs only one mana 
• The more lands you play the more damage it can deal

7)Leyline tyrant 

Tyrants love mana 

Dragons soar through Zendikar with devastating power. Losing mana is unfit for the ancient flying serpents.

What is great about this card?

• Allows you to keep red mana you don’t use 
• It has flying
• If it dies you can take all that mana you have stored up and use it to deal damage 

6)Brushfire elemental

We demand a shrubbry 

We have hit the aggro support portion of this list. Gruul cards always give us solid,fast, damage dealing beauties to shake up standard

What is great about this card?

• It has haste
• The landfall trigger makes it more threatening 
• Only costs 2 mana 

5)Zareth San, the Trickster 

Do you smell tuna?

This is a tricky fish indeed. With his own ability to sneak onto the board, he deals damage that nobody can see coming.

What is great about this card?

• It’s ability allows it to pop onto the board and swap places with unblocked creatures 
• Whenever it deals damage to an opponent you can steal a permanent from their grave
• It has flash

4)Ashaya  

The trees are alive with the power of mana 

One of the best legendary creatures in the set and an amazing commander. The power it offers is something needed to keep pace with a lot of threats out in the arena right now.

What is great about this card?

• Turns every creature into a land 
• It’s power and toughness are equal to the amount of forests you control
• 6 mana to cast 

3)Ancient green warden 

This card is expensive to cast but once it is out the land will rise to compensate. Doubling value is always a great way to earn one of the top 5 cards in the entire set

What is great about this card?

• Doubles landfall triggers 
• It has reach 
• It is a 5/7 tank of a creature 

2)Scute Swarm 

I really hate bugs 

The insect that is so good it should be banned. Look at that effect and imagine it gets doubled.

What is great about this card?

• Spawns in hoards of tokens with landfall
• Can be mutated to make even stupider overpowered tokens 
• The tokens are exact copies that are extremely difficult to stop without a board wipe

1)Lotus Cobra 

My cobra don't want none unless you play a land hun

The best card in this set is a mana generator. You can’t have any of these bombs go off without the mana to cast it. 

What is great about this card?

• Landfall ability gives you more mana 
• It is a two drop
• Spectacular piece of ramp 

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