Oversoul
The Tentacled One
Welcome to my seventh annual article summarizing my year in EDH. This project began with the relatively short-lived West Coast Commander League (2019–2020). Since then, it has taken on a kind of life of its own. I play a lot of EDH and, compared to most players, I build a lot of different decks.These reports give me a fun outlet for exploring the statistics of those decks, food for thought when I consider what I want my future decks in the format to look like. Here are links to see those results.
Although the aforementioned League is long-gone and there’s no external constraint tying my EDH decks to calendar years, I’ve continued using this system. I find that it works well enough for my purposes and that it gives each annual refresher a kind of New Year’s Resolution flavor.
Separately from these annual reports, I’ve had the long-term goal of eventually building an EDH deck helmed by each of the original legendary creatures from Legends, the 55 “Legends legends.”With 14 (or arguably 15) of these commanders still left for me to check off before the year started, I decided to make the completion of this project my theme for deckbuilding in 2025. While I was short of the mark on that as a goal, I made a lot of progress, and that’s a topic I’ll cover in more depth later. For a brief summary, I’ll say that life got in the way of deckbuilding somewhat, but also that at some point I deliberately elected to hold off on completion of the project because I didn’t want to compromise deck quality by forcing myself to complete decks for all of those remaining legends.
I logged 21 different decks for 2025. Technically, there were also 4 decks from 2024 that saw some gameplay this year, but which I never updated to create 2025 lists, but because I focus on analyzing decks either built or updated within the calendar year, I won’t be including those ones in my statistical analyses. For the sake of being thorough the 4 carryover decks from last year were:
Maelstrom Wanderer: “Hypergenetic Eureka”
Torsten, Founder of Benalia: “Unsavory Deeds 2.2: Can’t Stop the Dredge”
Tobias Andrion: “Bad Advice”
Tor Wauki: “Kid Gloves”
Halfdane: “Halfdane’s Utility Belt”
Saheeli, Radiant Creator: “Nuclear Energy”
Betor, Kin to All: “Kin to Walls”
Princess Lucrezia: “Princess Lucrezia’s Bouncy Castle”
Jasmine Boreal: “Paint it Green”
Joshua, Phoenix's Dominant: “Phoenix Down”
Mm'menon, Uthros Exile: “Mmmbop”
Hunding Gjornersen: “Sharing Companion”
Kei Takahashi: “Selesnya Loam, Now in Space”
Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade: “Iron Suit Riot”
Ramirez DePietro: “Halloween Pirate Party 2025”
Pashalik Mons: “Goblin Lives Matter”
Sol'kanar the Swamp King: “I’m Swamped”
Riven Turnbull: “Destroy the Bureaucreats”
Iroh, Tea Master: “Thanksgiving Tea Time 2025”
Nicol Bolas: “Not the Bolas (But my Commander is)”
Chromium: “Metallic Spite”
There were 5 card swaps across those 21 decks. Last year, I swapped out 66 cards across 30 decks. And the previous year, when I chose revision as a specific area of focus, I swapped out 110 cards across 30 decks. That means not only did I build fewer decks this year, but I also devoted less time to editing them.
In 2019, I used 1,360 unique cards across 4,160 total card slots. So my decks were about 32.7% unique.
In 2020, I used 677 unique cards across 1,460 total card slots. So my decks were about 46.4% unique.
In 2021, I used 700 unique cards across 1,500 total card slots. So my decks were about 46.7% unique.
In 2022, I used 1,719 unique cards across 5,405 total card slots. So my decks were 31.8% unique.
In 2023, I used 1,485 unique cards across 3,110 total card slots. So my decks were 47.7% unique.
In 2024, I used 1,426 unique cards across 3,026 total card slots. So my decks were 47.1% unique.
This year, I used 1,034 cards across 2,105 total card slots. So my decks were 49.1% unique.
While that is a record, it comes with the caveat that uniqueness trends downward with total decks. If I’d built 30 decks, as was the case in 2023 and 2024, it’s quite possible that uniqueness would be below the number for those years. Still, it is a record. Hooray!
Since I dedicated so much attention to the original 55 legends, the distribution of color identity for my decks this year reflects that.
WUG: 0
UBG: 0
WU: 2
BR: 1
RG: 0
WUB: 2
WRG: 0
W: 0
R: 1
WG: 3
UB: 3
UR: 1
UBR: 2
WUBRG: 0
U: 0
UG: 0
BG: 0
WBR: 0
UBRG: 0
B: 0
G: 0
WB: 0
WR: 2
WUR: 0
WBG: 1
URG: 2
BRG: 0
WUBR: 0
WUBG: 0
WURG: 0
WBRG: 0
C: 1
Total: 21
That includes a whopping 3 decks each for both the Dimir and Selesnya color identities, all of which were decks helmed by Legends legends. Also, Izzet and Jund have both been neglected by my deckbuilding since 2022. So I really need to make a return to those. But let’s move on to everyone’s favorite part of the report: top cards by category.
Among basic lands, islands are on top, with plains right behind them. There’s a bit of a gap between those and mountains in third place, but more significant divides before we get to swamp, followed by forests. Not sure what to make of that. Out of the original 55 legends, I guess I’d already demonstrated a bias toward the green ones, so there were very few left to build by the time I got to 2025.
Basic lands
Island: 85
Plains: 78
Mountain: 77
Swamp: 56
Forest: 32
Snow-Covered Forest: 7
Snow-Covered Plains: 6
Snow-Covered Island: 1
Snow-Covered Mountain: 1
Wastes: 1
For non-basic lands, the usual suspects are back. Maze of Ith and Wasteland get a bit depressed in the results here, as I own fewer copies of the cards that I’d run simultaneously if I could. Notably, Flooded Strand is also a victim of this effect.
Non-basics (that appeared more than twice)
Marsh Flats: 16
Strip Mine: 16
Scalding Tarn: 15
Arid Mesa: 14
Bloodstained Mire: 14
Wooded Foothills: 14
Polluted Delta: 13
Verdant Catacombs: 13
Flooded Strand: 12
Ancient Tomb: 10
Maze of Ith: 10
Windswept Heath: 10
Misty Rainforest: 9
Reliquary Tower: 9
Prismatic Vista: 7
Underground Sea: 7
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth: 7
Watery Grave: 7
Otawara, Soaring City: 6
Volrath's Stronghold: 6
Wasteland: 6
Buried Ruin: 5
Inventors' Fair: 5
Steam Vents: 5
Volcanic Island: 5
Cavern of Souls: 4
Crystal Vein: 4
Fabled Passage: 4
Gaea's Cradle: 4
Hallowed Fountain: 4
Savannah: 4
Temple Garden: 4
Tundra: 4
Academy Ruins: 3
Badlands: 3
Blood Crypt: 3
Boseiju, Who Endures: 3
Branch of Vitu-Ghazi: 3
Glacial Chasm: 3
Godless Shrine: 3
Karn's Bastion: 3
Mishra's Workshop: 3
Phyrexian Tower: 3
Scrubland: 3
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire: 3
Tranquil Thicket: 3
Treasure Vault: 3
Urza's Saga: 3
As usual, my “top ten” lists for different categories aren’t all exactly the same length. Because of ties, sometimes a “top ten” is just 10 cards, and other times is 11 or more. For instance, here are my top 12 artifacts for 2025. Sol Ring has disappeared entirely. Although I started omitting it from my decks on principle last year, it was very late in the year that I made the change. But this year, the change manifests itself.
Artifacts
Ashnod's Altar: 8
Conjurer's Bauble: 6
Lightning Greaves: 6
Lion's Eye Diamond: 5
Mana Vault: 5
Mox Diamond: 5
Sensei's Divining Top: 5
Skullclamp: 5
Solemn Simulacrum: 5
Grim Monolith: 4
Memory Jar: 4
Mox Opal: 4
My top 10 white cards have a bunch of familiar pieces. Swords to Plowshares is back on top.
White
Swords to Plowshares: 8
Enlightened Tutor: 6
Academy Rector: 5
Generous Gift: 5
Kami of False Hope: 5
Aura of Silence: 4
Idyllic Tutor: 4
Karmic Guide: 4
Solitude: 4
Sun Titan: 4
With the exception of the asterisk that marks Persistent Petitioners, my 10 blue cards are all recurring favorites. Rhystic Study’s demotion continues. I did use it in a single deck this year, but Sol Ring isn’t the only staple I’m looking to keep out of my decks.
Blue
Persistent Petitioners: 30
Arcane Denial: 9
Mana Drain: 9
Brainstorm: 8
Force of Will: 8
Cyclonic Rift: 7
Mystical Tutor: 7
Echo of Eons: 6
Windfall: 6
Time Spiral: 5
I believe this is the first year for which black had to dip down to 3-deck inclusions to scrape together a top 10 while white was able to stick with 4 or higher. Weird. Anyway, here are my top 12 black cards.
Black
Demonic Tutor: 9
Vampiric Tutor: 9
Victimize: 8
Dark Petition: 7
Ever After: 7
Toxic Deluge: 6
Dark Ritual: 4
Decree of Pain: 4
Reanimate: 4
Damnation: 3
Dread Return: 3
Oversold Cemetery: 3
As usual, I can’t do this for red without dipping into cards I only used twice. I used to think it was just because I don’t play red enough. But it’s more like I have a lot of favored “best-in-slot” staples in most colors, but not so much for red. Wheel of Fortune is always the standout card here, and a few other noteworthy staples are showing up 3 or more times. Here are the top 13 red cards.
Red
Wheel of Fortune: 9
Chaos Warp: 7
Faithless Looting: 4
Goblin Bombardment: 4
Anger: 3
Blasphemous Act: 3
Humble Defector: 3
Kik-Jiki, Mirror Breaker: 3
Atsushi, the Blazing Sky: 2
Cathartic Reunion: 2
Demand Answers: 2
Disrupt Decorum: 2
Thermopod: 2
See, here’s what I mean about red. My use of green was unusually low for this year, so low that I had to dip down to cards I only used twice to make this list, just as happened with red. But while red contributes 13 cards that I used twice or more, and seems to have contributed more total card slots, green has a bunch of staples I used twice. Behold, my top 28 green cards for the year.
Green
Harrow: 4
Regrowth: 4
Beast Within: 3
Disciple of Freyalise: 3
Eternal Witness: 3
Life from the Loam: 3
Seasons Past: 3
Terastodon: 3
Abundance: 2
Aftermath Analyst: 2
Azusa, Lost but Seeking: 2
Bala Ged Recovery: 2
Burgeoning: 2
Crop Rotation: 2
Earthcraft: 2
Endurance: 2
Far Wanderings: 2
Genesis: 2
Greater Good: 2
Lumra, Bellow of the Woods: 2
Nyxbloom Ancient: 2
Ramunap Excavator: 2
Six: 2
Spike Weaver: 2
Springbloom Druid: 2
Sylvan Library: 2
Ulvenwald Hydra: 2
World Shaper: 2
Unsurprisingly, with only 21 decks this year, I don’t quite have a full top ten for gold cards. There were only seven that I used more than once (it was just 6 in 2023, despite the higher number of total decks).
Multicolored
Lim-Dul's Vault: 5
Heartwarming Redemption: 2
Knight of the Reliquary: 2
Mirari's Wake: 2
Prosperous Partnership: 2
Sterling Grove: 2
Whispering Madness: 2
The list of my top 16 creatures for 2025 is dominated by white cards. Well, technically those pesky Persistent Petitioners top the list, but those were all in a single deck. Such is the nature of so-called “relentless” cards.
Creatures
Persistent Petitioners: 30
Academy Rector: 5
Kami of False Hope: 5
Solemn Simulacrum: 5
Karmic Guide: 4
Solitude: 4
Sun Titan: 4
Anger: 3
Disciple of Freyalise: 3
Eternal Witness: 3
Humble Defector: 3
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker: 3
Mother of Runes: 3
Myr Retriever: 3
Scrap Trawler: 3
Serra Ascendant: 3
Terastodon: 3
There were 24 enchantments that I used more than once this year. Notably, Rhystic Study was not one of them. Only four enchantments were used more than twice, and one of those was Urza’s Saga anyway.
Enchantments
Aura of Silence: 4
Goblin Bombardment: 4
Oversold Cemetery: 3
Urza's Saga: 3
Abundance: 2
Angelic Renewal: 2
Black Market: 2
Browse: 2
Burgeoning: 2
Earthcraft: 2
Greater Good: 2
Manabond: 2
Mirari's Wake: 2
Necropotence: 2
Nyxbloom Ancient: 2
Pariah: 2
Prosperous Partnership: 2
Pure Reflection: 2
Solitary Confinement: 2
Spirit Mirror: 2
Sterling Grove: 2
Sylvan Library: 2
Unnatural Selection: 2
Waste Not: 2
I only used 9 different planeswalkers in my decks this year, so here they are.
Planeswalkers
Tezzeret the Seeker: 2
Dack Fayden: 1
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries: 1
Karn, Living Legacy: 1
Liliana of the Veil: 1
Narset, Parter of Veils: 1
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas: 1
Tezzeret, Artifice Master: 1
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon: 1
My top 14 sorceries are all looking pretty familiar. Notably, Regrowth is the only green card on that list this year. Yeah, I really just didn’t use green as much in my EDH decks in 2025.
Sorceries
Demonic Tutor: 9
Wheel of Fortune: 9
Victimize: 8
Dark Petition: 7
Ever After: 7
Echo of Eons: 6
Toxic Deluge: 6
Windfall: 6
Time Spiral: 5
Decree of Pain: 4
Faithless Looting: 4
Idyllic Tutor: 4
Reanimate: 4
Regrowth: 4
No surprises for my top 10 instants. I was leaning on Cyclonic Rift too much because I knew I was building decks that were otherwise too janky to operate at most tables. With the “Legends legends” nearly complete, I really should purge another cliche EDH staple from my deck construction toolkit.
Instants
Arcane Denial: 9
Mana Drain: 9
Vampiric Tutor: 9
Brainstorm: 8
Force of Will: 8
Swords to Plowshares: 8
Chaos Warp: 7
Cyclonic Rift: 7
Mystical Tutor: 7
Enlightened Tutor: 6
Although the aforementioned League is long-gone and there’s no external constraint tying my EDH decks to calendar years, I’ve continued using this system. I find that it works well enough for my purposes and that it gives each annual refresher a kind of New Year’s Resolution flavor.
Separately from these annual reports, I’ve had the long-term goal of eventually building an EDH deck helmed by each of the original legendary creatures from Legends, the 55 “Legends legends.”With 14 (or arguably 15) of these commanders still left for me to check off before the year started, I decided to make the completion of this project my theme for deckbuilding in 2025. While I was short of the mark on that as a goal, I made a lot of progress, and that’s a topic I’ll cover in more depth later. For a brief summary, I’ll say that life got in the way of deckbuilding somewhat, but also that at some point I deliberately elected to hold off on completion of the project because I didn’t want to compromise deck quality by forcing myself to complete decks for all of those remaining legends.
I logged 21 different decks for 2025. Technically, there were also 4 decks from 2024 that saw some gameplay this year, but which I never updated to create 2025 lists, but because I focus on analyzing decks either built or updated within the calendar year, I won’t be including those ones in my statistical analyses. For the sake of being thorough the 4 carryover decks from last year were:
- “Aurum Astrum” helmed by Eriette, the Beguiler
- “Epic” helmed by Phelddagrif
- “Manifest Destiny” helmed by Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate
- “BMW Shops” helmed by Barrin, Master Wizard
Maelstrom Wanderer: “Hypergenetic Eureka”
Torsten, Founder of Benalia: “Unsavory Deeds 2.2: Can’t Stop the Dredge”
Tobias Andrion: “Bad Advice”
Tor Wauki: “Kid Gloves”
Halfdane: “Halfdane’s Utility Belt”
Saheeli, Radiant Creator: “Nuclear Energy”
Betor, Kin to All: “Kin to Walls”
Princess Lucrezia: “Princess Lucrezia’s Bouncy Castle”
Jasmine Boreal: “Paint it Green”
Joshua, Phoenix's Dominant: “Phoenix Down”
Mm'menon, Uthros Exile: “Mmmbop”
Hunding Gjornersen: “Sharing Companion”
Kei Takahashi: “Selesnya Loam, Now in Space”
Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade: “Iron Suit Riot”
Ramirez DePietro: “Halloween Pirate Party 2025”
Pashalik Mons: “Goblin Lives Matter”
Sol'kanar the Swamp King: “I’m Swamped”
Riven Turnbull: “Destroy the Bureaucreats”
Iroh, Tea Master: “Thanksgiving Tea Time 2025”
Nicol Bolas: “Not the Bolas (But my Commander is)”
Chromium: “Metallic Spite”
There were 5 card swaps across those 21 decks. Last year, I swapped out 66 cards across 30 decks. And the previous year, when I chose revision as a specific area of focus, I swapped out 110 cards across 30 decks. That means not only did I build fewer decks this year, but I also devoted less time to editing them.
In 2019, I used 1,360 unique cards across 4,160 total card slots. So my decks were about 32.7% unique.
In 2020, I used 677 unique cards across 1,460 total card slots. So my decks were about 46.4% unique.
In 2021, I used 700 unique cards across 1,500 total card slots. So my decks were about 46.7% unique.
In 2022, I used 1,719 unique cards across 5,405 total card slots. So my decks were 31.8% unique.
In 2023, I used 1,485 unique cards across 3,110 total card slots. So my decks were 47.7% unique.
In 2024, I used 1,426 unique cards across 3,026 total card slots. So my decks were 47.1% unique.
This year, I used 1,034 cards across 2,105 total card slots. So my decks were 49.1% unique.
While that is a record, it comes with the caveat that uniqueness trends downward with total decks. If I’d built 30 decks, as was the case in 2023 and 2024, it’s quite possible that uniqueness would be below the number for those years. Still, it is a record. Hooray!
Since I dedicated so much attention to the original 55 legends, the distribution of color identity for my decks this year reflects that.
WUG: 0
UBG: 0
WU: 2
BR: 1
RG: 0
WUB: 2
WRG: 0
W: 0
R: 1
WG: 3
UB: 3
UR: 1
UBR: 2
WUBRG: 0
U: 0
UG: 0
BG: 0
WBR: 0
UBRG: 0
B: 0
G: 0
WB: 0
WR: 2
WUR: 0
WBG: 1
URG: 2
BRG: 0
WUBR: 0
WUBG: 0
WURG: 0
WBRG: 0
C: 1
Total: 21
That includes a whopping 3 decks each for both the Dimir and Selesnya color identities, all of which were decks helmed by Legends legends. Also, Izzet and Jund have both been neglected by my deckbuilding since 2022. So I really need to make a return to those. But let’s move on to everyone’s favorite part of the report: top cards by category.
Among basic lands, islands are on top, with plains right behind them. There’s a bit of a gap between those and mountains in third place, but more significant divides before we get to swamp, followed by forests. Not sure what to make of that. Out of the original 55 legends, I guess I’d already demonstrated a bias toward the green ones, so there were very few left to build by the time I got to 2025.
Basic lands
Island: 85
Plains: 78
Mountain: 77
Swamp: 56
Forest: 32
Snow-Covered Forest: 7
Snow-Covered Plains: 6
Snow-Covered Island: 1
Snow-Covered Mountain: 1
Wastes: 1
For non-basic lands, the usual suspects are back. Maze of Ith and Wasteland get a bit depressed in the results here, as I own fewer copies of the cards that I’d run simultaneously if I could. Notably, Flooded Strand is also a victim of this effect.
Non-basics (that appeared more than twice)
Marsh Flats: 16
Strip Mine: 16
Scalding Tarn: 15
Arid Mesa: 14
Bloodstained Mire: 14
Wooded Foothills: 14
Polluted Delta: 13
Verdant Catacombs: 13
Flooded Strand: 12
Ancient Tomb: 10
Maze of Ith: 10
Windswept Heath: 10
Misty Rainforest: 9
Reliquary Tower: 9
Prismatic Vista: 7
Underground Sea: 7
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth: 7
Watery Grave: 7
Otawara, Soaring City: 6
Volrath's Stronghold: 6
Wasteland: 6
Buried Ruin: 5
Inventors' Fair: 5
Steam Vents: 5
Volcanic Island: 5
Cavern of Souls: 4
Crystal Vein: 4
Fabled Passage: 4
Gaea's Cradle: 4
Hallowed Fountain: 4
Savannah: 4
Temple Garden: 4
Tundra: 4
Academy Ruins: 3
Badlands: 3
Blood Crypt: 3
Boseiju, Who Endures: 3
Branch of Vitu-Ghazi: 3
Glacial Chasm: 3
Godless Shrine: 3
Karn's Bastion: 3
Mishra's Workshop: 3
Phyrexian Tower: 3
Scrubland: 3
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire: 3
Tranquil Thicket: 3
Treasure Vault: 3
Urza's Saga: 3
As usual, my “top ten” lists for different categories aren’t all exactly the same length. Because of ties, sometimes a “top ten” is just 10 cards, and other times is 11 or more. For instance, here are my top 12 artifacts for 2025. Sol Ring has disappeared entirely. Although I started omitting it from my decks on principle last year, it was very late in the year that I made the change. But this year, the change manifests itself.
Artifacts
Ashnod's Altar: 8
Conjurer's Bauble: 6
Lightning Greaves: 6
Lion's Eye Diamond: 5
Mana Vault: 5
Mox Diamond: 5
Sensei's Divining Top: 5
Skullclamp: 5
Solemn Simulacrum: 5
Grim Monolith: 4
Memory Jar: 4
Mox Opal: 4
My top 10 white cards have a bunch of familiar pieces. Swords to Plowshares is back on top.
White
Swords to Plowshares: 8
Enlightened Tutor: 6
Academy Rector: 5
Generous Gift: 5
Kami of False Hope: 5
Aura of Silence: 4
Idyllic Tutor: 4
Karmic Guide: 4
Solitude: 4
Sun Titan: 4
With the exception of the asterisk that marks Persistent Petitioners, my 10 blue cards are all recurring favorites. Rhystic Study’s demotion continues. I did use it in a single deck this year, but Sol Ring isn’t the only staple I’m looking to keep out of my decks.
Blue
Persistent Petitioners: 30
Arcane Denial: 9
Mana Drain: 9
Brainstorm: 8
Force of Will: 8
Cyclonic Rift: 7
Mystical Tutor: 7
Echo of Eons: 6
Windfall: 6
Time Spiral: 5
I believe this is the first year for which black had to dip down to 3-deck inclusions to scrape together a top 10 while white was able to stick with 4 or higher. Weird. Anyway, here are my top 12 black cards.
Black
Demonic Tutor: 9
Vampiric Tutor: 9
Victimize: 8
Dark Petition: 7
Ever After: 7
Toxic Deluge: 6
Dark Ritual: 4
Decree of Pain: 4
Reanimate: 4
Damnation: 3
Dread Return: 3
Oversold Cemetery: 3
As usual, I can’t do this for red without dipping into cards I only used twice. I used to think it was just because I don’t play red enough. But it’s more like I have a lot of favored “best-in-slot” staples in most colors, but not so much for red. Wheel of Fortune is always the standout card here, and a few other noteworthy staples are showing up 3 or more times. Here are the top 13 red cards.
Red
Wheel of Fortune: 9
Chaos Warp: 7
Faithless Looting: 4
Goblin Bombardment: 4
Anger: 3
Blasphemous Act: 3
Humble Defector: 3
Kik-Jiki, Mirror Breaker: 3
Atsushi, the Blazing Sky: 2
Cathartic Reunion: 2
Demand Answers: 2
Disrupt Decorum: 2
Thermopod: 2
See, here’s what I mean about red. My use of green was unusually low for this year, so low that I had to dip down to cards I only used twice to make this list, just as happened with red. But while red contributes 13 cards that I used twice or more, and seems to have contributed more total card slots, green has a bunch of staples I used twice. Behold, my top 28 green cards for the year.
Green
Harrow: 4
Regrowth: 4
Beast Within: 3
Disciple of Freyalise: 3
Eternal Witness: 3
Life from the Loam: 3
Seasons Past: 3
Terastodon: 3
Abundance: 2
Aftermath Analyst: 2
Azusa, Lost but Seeking: 2
Bala Ged Recovery: 2
Burgeoning: 2
Crop Rotation: 2
Earthcraft: 2
Endurance: 2
Far Wanderings: 2
Genesis: 2
Greater Good: 2
Lumra, Bellow of the Woods: 2
Nyxbloom Ancient: 2
Ramunap Excavator: 2
Six: 2
Spike Weaver: 2
Springbloom Druid: 2
Sylvan Library: 2
Ulvenwald Hydra: 2
World Shaper: 2
Unsurprisingly, with only 21 decks this year, I don’t quite have a full top ten for gold cards. There were only seven that I used more than once (it was just 6 in 2023, despite the higher number of total decks).
Multicolored
Lim-Dul's Vault: 5
Heartwarming Redemption: 2
Knight of the Reliquary: 2
Mirari's Wake: 2
Prosperous Partnership: 2
Sterling Grove: 2
Whispering Madness: 2
The list of my top 16 creatures for 2025 is dominated by white cards. Well, technically those pesky Persistent Petitioners top the list, but those were all in a single deck. Such is the nature of so-called “relentless” cards.
Creatures
Persistent Petitioners: 30
Academy Rector: 5
Kami of False Hope: 5
Solemn Simulacrum: 5
Karmic Guide: 4
Solitude: 4
Sun Titan: 4
Anger: 3
Disciple of Freyalise: 3
Eternal Witness: 3
Humble Defector: 3
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker: 3
Mother of Runes: 3
Myr Retriever: 3
Scrap Trawler: 3
Serra Ascendant: 3
Terastodon: 3
There were 24 enchantments that I used more than once this year. Notably, Rhystic Study was not one of them. Only four enchantments were used more than twice, and one of those was Urza’s Saga anyway.
Enchantments
Aura of Silence: 4
Goblin Bombardment: 4
Oversold Cemetery: 3
Urza's Saga: 3
Abundance: 2
Angelic Renewal: 2
Black Market: 2
Browse: 2
Burgeoning: 2
Earthcraft: 2
Greater Good: 2
Manabond: 2
Mirari's Wake: 2
Necropotence: 2
Nyxbloom Ancient: 2
Pariah: 2
Prosperous Partnership: 2
Pure Reflection: 2
Solitary Confinement: 2
Spirit Mirror: 2
Sterling Grove: 2
Sylvan Library: 2
Unnatural Selection: 2
Waste Not: 2
I only used 9 different planeswalkers in my decks this year, so here they are.
Planeswalkers
Tezzeret the Seeker: 2
Dack Fayden: 1
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries: 1
Karn, Living Legacy: 1
Liliana of the Veil: 1
Narset, Parter of Veils: 1
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas: 1
Tezzeret, Artifice Master: 1
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon: 1
My top 14 sorceries are all looking pretty familiar. Notably, Regrowth is the only green card on that list this year. Yeah, I really just didn’t use green as much in my EDH decks in 2025.
Sorceries
Demonic Tutor: 9
Wheel of Fortune: 9
Victimize: 8
Dark Petition: 7
Ever After: 7
Echo of Eons: 6
Toxic Deluge: 6
Windfall: 6
Time Spiral: 5
Decree of Pain: 4
Faithless Looting: 4
Idyllic Tutor: 4
Reanimate: 4
Regrowth: 4
No surprises for my top 10 instants. I was leaning on Cyclonic Rift too much because I knew I was building decks that were otherwise too janky to operate at most tables. With the “Legends legends” nearly complete, I really should purge another cliche EDH staple from my deck construction toolkit.
Instants
Arcane Denial: 9
Mana Drain: 9
Vampiric Tutor: 9
Brainstorm: 8
Force of Will: 8
Swords to Plowshares: 8
Chaos Warp: 7
Cyclonic Rift: 7
Mystical Tutor: 7
Enlightened Tutor: 6