When it comes to Magic: The Gathering, it's hard to narrow down what the best cards are in the game. Many cards are good situationally, and powerhouses in some formats are useless in others. That being said, there are some evergreen cards that can be used in pretty much any Magic deck that allows them.
Though not all cards can be used in every format, some cards are so universally good that they will be included in most decks they are allowed to be in. Magic is considered the most mathematically complex game ever created, so it's nice for new players to narrow down the massive card pool by keeping track of the ones that can go in any deck.
10 Sol Ring Instantly Puts Its Caster Two Turns Ahead
Mana something any deck needs to operate well. Because Sol Ring allows players to pay one mana and gives them access to two, it is one of the best ways for players to get ahead of their opponents. Sol Ring can be activated immediately, meaning it technically doesn't set players back to play it.
On subsequent turns, Sol Ring becomes even more powerful since the player who cast it on their last turn is now essentially two turns ahead on the amount of mana they can produce. An early Sol Ring can be a powerful way to get ahead in Magic for any player.
9 Lotus Petal Is A One-Time Boost
Zero-cost Magic cards, also known as Cheerios for the shape of their mana cost, are some of the most powerful in the game. These cards can easily go in any deck, since there are no casting requirements. This also makes them fast resources for players to use. Lotus Petal is one such card that can be useful in any deck.
Though Lotus Petal doesn't stick around, it can give players a one-time mana boost. In many situations, having one extra mana is all players might need to make the difference between a win and a loss. Since Lotus Petal makes mana of any color, it will be helpful in paying any costs needed to cast a card.
8 Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves Protect Creatures
Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves are similar enough to be nearly interchangeable. They are both equipment designed to give one creature haste and keep them safe from opponents. Commander players will find these especially helpful in keeping the cornerstone creature of their decks on the field.
While there are a few other cards in Magic that do similar things, what makes Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves the cards of choice is their relatively inexpensive costs. Players can get these on the field early so by the time they're ready to cast a powerful creature, they have their equipment to back it up too.
7 Jeweled Lotus Leads To Turn One Wins
Since the original Black Lotus, Magic players can assume any card that features a lotus of any kind is going to be pretty good. Jeweled Lotus gives players very fast extra mana, allowing them to cast their commanders as early as turn one.
At its best, Jeweled Lotus can be used to enable a variety of turn-one combos in Commander that allow players to win without their opponents taking turns. However, this card is good for decks that are casual and competitive alike. Any player is going to want quick access to their commander, or help paying for its increasing cost later in the game. Jeweled Lotus can help any Commander player keep their games more consistent.
6 Urza's Saga Helps Get Good Cards Faster
Plenty of the cards that work for every deck are 1 or 0 cost artifacts. After two turns, Urza's Saga allows players to find one of these artifacts from their deck and put it directly on the field. Its second ability can be useful for artifact-focused decks, but it really is the third one that makes this a card that's good for any deck.
Magic cards that fetch other cards from a player's deck can be very helpful because they make decks operate more efficiently. Using an Urza's Saga to find another card not only gives players a powerful game piece on the board but makes their draws on each turn more likely to give them something else useful.
5 Gerrard's Hourglass Pendant Shuts Down Infinite Turns
Plenty of Magic players have lost a game due to their opponent taking one or more extra turns. A decent amount of players have also lost games to a card that destroys the entire board. Gerrard's Hourglass Pendant can protect players from both of these and can be played in any deck.
Shutting down an extra turn or an infinite turn combo at instant speed is powerful, doing it for only one mana is even more powerful. That alone could make Gerrard's Hourglass Pendant a smart card to include in any deck. On top of that, the pendant's second ability can leave a player as the only one with threats still on the board. This can keep a player in a game or even win it for them in the right circumstances.
4 Mana Crypt Gives Its Caster Mana Advantage
Often, players might just need a few extra mana to cast a spell that will win them the game or at least keep them from losing. Mana Crypt can give players exactly that, at absolutely no up front cost.
Because Mana Crypt doesn't cost anything to play, it allows players to increase their mana production the same turn it's cast. While some players might be nervous about including Mana Crypt, due to the chance of dying to unfortunate coin flips, the extra mana will often be worth taking some damage. A two-turn jump ahead will often put players at a huge advantage over their opponents.
3 Black Lotus And The Moxes Are Magic's Best Mana Rocks
Mana of different colors is, by design, a restriction to casting different types of spells in Magic. Black Lotus can help players create mana of any color, regardless of their land base, at no cost. Similarly, there are five Mox cards for the five colors of Magic, each free to play and each producing a different color. For example, Mox Emerald taps for green mana.
Any deck can benefit from having a free source of extra mana, and cards that provide colored mana are even better as they allow players to cast a wider range of cards. Unfortunately, while Black Lotus and the Moxes are great for any Magic deck, players will need to shell out thousands of dollars for any one of these cards.
2 Nevinyrral's Disk Is A Board Wipe For Any Deck
Board wipes are powerful tools in Magic. By destroying all cards of one or more types on the field, players can slow things down and give themselves a chance to catch back up. While certain colors in Magic have better board wipes, Nevinyrral's Disk can go in any deck since it is colorless.
Because Nevinyrral's Disk only costs generic mana, decks of any kind can include it without worrying about its cost or format-specific deck restrictions. For players playing green or blue, two colors that don't have many conventional board wipes, Nevinyyral's Disk can be a great way to even the playing field against other decks.
1 Sword of the Animist Is Ramp Without Green
Magic players all, except for very rare circumstances, need lands to make their decks work. While some colors have specific cards they can use to help find extra lands, Sword of the Animist is one of the best cards for finding lands that decks of any color can play.
Sword of the Animist is one of the best ways to find extra lands that only costs generic mana. It is especially helpful to players that don't use green mana because they won't have as many resources that do so. However, even players in green might want to run this card as it can really put them ahead on mana.