Magic: The Gathering possesses numerous unique and distinct formats that players can play. One of the most fine-tuned and competitively charged of these formats is Modern. Allowing any cards to be played that have been printed in standard legal sets and possess the modern card frame.
Modern is a diverse format brimming with countless powerful deck archetypes for players to utilize. However, with Modern's vast card pool of over thirteen-thousand cards, it's often difficult to figure out which cards are worth including. So today, we're going to examine the ten most efficient creatures in Modern!
10 Delver Of Secrets
While not as much of a dominant force in Modern as it is in Pauper, Delver of Secrets is still an incredible one drop that sees its fair share of play.
Entering the battlefield as a 1/1 for one blue mana, at the beginning of it's controller's turn, that player may look at the top card of their library. If that card is an instant or sorcery, they may reveal that card and transform Delver of Secrets. Once transformed, Delver of Secrets becomes the Insectile Aberration, a 3/2 with flying that only cost it's controller a single mana!
9 Arcbound Ravager
Arcbound Ravager is one of the strongest artifact creatures in the Modern Format and provides an incredible amount of value and versatility for two mana of any color. A 0/0 with modular 1, Arcbound Ravager enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it, and can move its counters onto another creature when it dies.
This pairs quite well with its second ability which allows its controller to sacrifice an artifact to put +1/+1 counters on it. In response to blockers declared, a player can sacrifice artifacts to buff this creature, or even have it sacrifice itself to move its counters to an unblocked creature!
8 Glistner Elf
Infect is one of the most polarizing abilities in all of Magic, allowing a player to only need to put ten poison counters on an opponent to win. While simple and straightforward, Glistner Elf is one of the most optimal creatures to include in a Modern infect deck.
A green 1/1 with infect for one mana, an unanswered turn one Glistener Elf can be disastrous for one's opponent, as it can attack and be buffed as early as turn two.
7 Slipper Bogle
Like Glistner Elf, Slippery Bogle is a simple yet incredible creature that provides a great deal of value for a single mana.
Costing a hybrid green and blue mana, Slippery Bogle can flexibly be used in decks of varying color and can reliably be cast turn one. A 1/1 with Hexproof, Slippery Bogle is incredibly difficult for foes to deal with due to the fact that it can't be targeted by opponent's spells and abilities. This makes Slippery Bogle an excellent target for numerous potent auras, building the Bogle into an unstoppable monster.
6 Thalia, Guardian Of Thraben
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is an excellent mono white creature for the low cost of two mana and is one of the most heavily played legendary creatures in Modern.
A 2/1 with first strike for two mana, Thalia causes all non-creature spells to cost one more mana to cast. This universal effect can be a notable hinderance on opponents, throwing of their tempo and taxing everything removal spells, to artifacts, to enchantments. While Thalia's controller also suffers from this effect, a deck that Thalia is present in often includes very few cards that would be impacted by her ability.
5 Spellskite
Like the previously mentioned Arcbound Ravager, Spellskite is an artifact creature that costs two colorless mana to cast. A 0/4 Spellskite has an activated ability that costs one phyrexian blue mana to activate, meaning it can be activated for no mana at all if its controller pays two life!
When this ability is activated changes a target of target spell or ability to itself. This can forcibly take the brunt of an opponent's removal or even potentially steal the effects of helpful auras.
4 Goblin Guide
Goblin guide is one of the most popular and widely played red creatures in Modern and for good reason. A one mana 2/2 with haste is an ideal inclusion in any aggressive deck that features red.
Goblin Guide does have a noteworthy downside, causing a defending player to reveal the top card of their library, putting it in their hand if it's a land. Despite this, as long as the top card of an opponent's library isn't a land, this ability is of little to no consequence.
3 Death's Shadow
The largest creature in Magic that can be cast for a single mana, Death's Shadow is a 13/13 for one black mana that has a namesake deck in the Modern format. Death's Shadow hinders and balances itself by giving itself -X/-X where X is equal to its controller's life total.
Despite this, Death's Shadow decks bear this in mind and feature ways to deal damage to itself for additional benefit. Additionally, they often include cards like Phyrexian Unlife that allow its controller to continue to play after their life total reaches zero.
2 Snapcaster Mage
Snapcaster Mage is without a doubt one of the most iconic and commonly played cards in Modern. While Snapcaster's combative stats of a 2/1 for two mana leave some to be desired, it's abilities are stellar.
Possessing flash, upon entering the battlefield, Snapcaster Mage bestows an instant or Sorcery spell in its controller's graveyard with flashback until the end of turn, allowing them to be cast again. Snapcaster Mage can be used to recur a myriad of spells such as low costed removal such as Lightning Bolt!
1 Tarmogoyf
Like Snapcaster Mage, Tarmogoyf is a creature that is synonymous with Modern.
A green creature, Tarmogoyf is the empitome of an unsuspectingly powerful creature and was not viewed as useful until well after it was printed. It's power is equal to the number of card types in its controller's graveyard, while it's toughness is equal to that much plus one. This allows this creature to sustain itself and be played while its controller's graveyard is empty.
While the way in which it grows may appear weak at first, by simply casting an instant and a sorcery, it becomes a 2/3. Then if a fetch land is sacrificed, it becomes a 3/4. As a game progresses, A Tarmogoyf will naturally grow into a larger and larger threat that only cost its caster two mana.