-Cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=570&dpr=1.5)
Sometimes, in Magic: The Gathering, you need to get things done quickly. Time is yet another resource that you have to be mindful of in a game of magic. In short: summoning sickness can be downright frustrating.
However, some creatures transcend this paltry limitation. They prove that, contrary to the saying, haste does not, in fact, make waste. Why wait a turn when you could start wailing on your poor, unsuspecting opponent right away? There’s damage to be dealt, combos to enjoy and value to exploit. Why waste time, when you can charge right in? Here are the best creatures with haste.
10 Goldspan Dragon
This Kaldheim classic shook up Standard in a big way, offering extremely generous mana acceleration on a very tough, flying body. Crucially, by having haste, this creature can generate mana on the turn it hits play, creating all sorts of options for any player lucky enough to resolve it. Your high-end spells need mana, and Goldspan Dragon is here to provide.
Though it doesn’t see much use in Commander outside of the Ur-Dragon deck, this newcomer has earned a place on this list by being an absolute value powerhouse.
9 Edgar Markov
Edgar Markov is the archetypal commander for vampire tribal. He generates vampire tokens then makes all his undead pals bigger each time he attacks. Combine that with haste, and you’ve got a serious threat in your arsenal.
Even from the command zone, Markov can cast quite a shadow. Haste makes him an immediate threat. He can charge out of the command zone and put +1/+1 counters on his fellow vampires at serious speed. The threat that he projects over the game is almost as good as the vampire, himself.
8 Izzet Staticaster
Do token decks annoy you? Though she might not seem like much, if you’re facing hordes of identical creatures, Izzet Staticaster may be just the creature you’re looking for. With flash, she can get the drop on any unsuspecting opponent.
She also has decent toughness, making her a solid blocker if you need time to get your control or combo pieces in order. Though she’s sideboard material in a lot of cases, don’t pass on this excellent pinger; when your opponent’s put together an army of 1/1 vampire tokens, you’ll be glad you had her.
7 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Okay, so this guy doesn’t technically have haste, but he has dash, which is the next best thing. If you’re playing red midrange and want enough gas to make it past the early game, then this is your simian of choice.
By producing treasure tokens to help keep your plays on curve and, if you’re lucky, giving you access to your opponent’s spells, it’s easy to see how Ragavan can be a serious asset to the savvy red player. You can even build a fun commander deck around him, too.
6 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Cards with cloning can be seriously powerful, and this funky little guy is no exception. Since haste allows him to use his activated ability as soon as he hits the battlefield, you’ll be seeing those copies in no time. He also has incredible combo potential. Have Kiki-Jiki copy Zealous Conscripts or Lightning Crafter and, suddenly, you’re in business.
Kiki-Jiki goes incredibly well with anything with an ‘enters the battlefield’ effect. Slot him into your mono red combo deck and get ready for some fireworks. He can even be used to spice up goblin tribal, or as a commander.
5 Goblin Guide
Goblin Guide is a classic. No list of haste creatures would be complete without this little guy. Sure, he gives your opponent a chance to draw into their lands and smooth out their mana base whenever he attacks. However, Goblin Guide is the poster-boy of a certain kind of red aggro deck for a reason: his ability to facilitate classic, unadulterated red aggression.
Goblin Guide is the tip of the red aggro spear. Two damage on turn one is nothing to sniff at, and, if you continue to develop your board on curve, you may well have the game sewn up long before your opponent can even play those extra lands you’ve given them.
4 Monastery Swiftspear
Prowess is one extremely powerful mechanic. Let prowess triggers get out of hand, and suddenly that board of flimsy monks looks a whole lot scarier. Monastery Swiftspear embodies this idea.
What really sets her apart, though, is her toughness. It may not seem like much, but having more staying power means that your opponent has to pour more resources into dealing with her. Heck, even if they do manage to bolt her, cast a couple of spells in response, trigger prowess and wipe that smug grin from your opponent’s face.
3 Arclight Phoenix
Another classic, Arclight Phoenix is a mainstay of Izzet tempo and Izzet control decks across Pioneer, Historic, Modern and Legacy. Simply put: it simply will not stay dead.
Hitting for three in the air is nothing to sniff at, but, it’s the fact that this bird returns from the graveyard to the battlefield after you cast a measly three spells that makes Arclight Phoenix such a powerhouse. This creature puts your opponents under serious pressure, and forces a response.
Though Arclight Phoenix is still vulnerable to exile effects, you can’t ignore the sheer value he offers.
2 Bloodbraid Elf
Bloodbraid Elf is, in many ways, the ideal value card in the mid-game. In Modern, it offers a proactive, rare form of card advantage by allowing you to cascade into cards that’ll put pressure on your opponent. In midrange decks, it can help you sift through your library, getting to those crucial linchpin cards. She's useful across Legacy, Peasant and Vingate. She's also a Modern staple, featuring in the Jund Cascade, Gruul Moon, and Domain Aggro decks.
Like many things in life, what you get out of Bloodbraid Elf depends very much on what you put into it. However, if you can use cascade effectively, the value speaks for itself.
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
You’ve spent time ramping up, developing your mana base and getting your board ready. You’re doing OK, but the board is stalling and you need gas. Then you play Craterhoof Behemoth, and everything changes.
You no longer need to choose between going wide and going tall. Suddenly: wide is tall, and your opponent is about to take some serious damage.
Craterhoof Behemoth embodies the stompy green deck. If the power and toughness buff wasn’t enough, it also gives all of your creatures trample. It wins games and it haunts the dreams of blue players across the world.