The Top 20 MTG Cards to Proxy First
Table of Contents
If you build more than one deck (or you’re updating a Cube), the real cost isn’t just money — it’s the constant “Where did my Rhystic Study go?” scavenger hunt. The fastest way to get out of that loop is to proxy a reusable staples pool: cards that slot into a ton of decks, stay strong across metas, and remove friction every time you brew.
Here are 20 that give you the most “I can build anything now” value.
Sol Ring
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Artifact
Description:
: Add 
.Flavor Text:
"Meadowlarks sing in sun-touched skies
And breezes kiss where Eirdu lies."
—Verselet of Lorwyn
And breezes kiss where Eirdu lies."
—Verselet of Lorwyn
How these 20 were picked
- Reusable across lots of decks (not just one archetype)
- High leverage (they change games when drawn)
- High friction to own multiples (price, scarcity, or always being “borrowed” from other lists)
- Covers the core needs: ramp, draw, interaction, protection, and consistency
What you’ll end up with (at a glance)
| Bucket | What it solves | Cards from this list |
|---|---|---|
| Universal mana | Start playing Magic sooner | Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Ancient Tomb |
| “Oops, I drew 12 cards” engines | Keep your hand full | Rhystic Study, Mystic Remora, Esper Sentinel, The One Ring, Sylvan Library |
| Big-time interaction | Stop disasters / reset boards | Cyclonic Rift, Toxic Deluge, Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting Swat |
| Protection & insurance | Don’t lose to one wipe | Teferi’s Protection, Lightning Greaves |
| Consistency tools | Find the right piece | Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Enlightened Tutor, Worldly Tutor |
| “Money” value engines | Turn the table into resources | Smothering Tithe |
Check out these proxy bundles. They are great for jump starting your proxy collection.The Top 20 cards to proxy first
Sol Ring
Sol Ring
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Artifact
Description:
: Add .Flavor Text:
"Meadowlarks sing in sun-touched skies
And breezes kiss where Eirdu lies."
—Verselet of Lorwyn
And breezes kiss where Eirdu lies."
—Verselet of Lorwyn
The most universal early-game accelerant. Even if you own real copies, having a consistent “staples pool” copy saves you from deck-to-deck shuffling.
Arcane Signet
Arcane Signet
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Artifact
Description:
: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.Flavor Text:
Eirdu's adherents invoke its blessings with jingling bells and dancing feet. Where there is joy, there is the warmth of the sun.
Clean, painless fixing in basically any multicolor Commander deck. It’s boring in the best way: it just works.
Fellwar Stone
Fellwar Stone
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Artifact
Description:
: Add one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce.Flavor Text:
"What do you have that I cannot obtain?"
—Mairsil, the Pretender
—Mairsil, the Pretender
Two-mana rock that often taps for what you need in multiplayer. It’s one of the best “generic” mana rocks after Signet-tier staples.
Ancient Tomb
Ancient Tomb
Rarity: Rare
Type: Land
Description:
: Add . This land deals 2 damage to you.Flavor Text:
There is no glory to be gained in the kingdom of the dead.
—Vec tomb inscription
—Vec tomb inscription
A huge upgrade to any deck that wants to jump from 2 → 4 mana quickly. You’ll feel it immediately in opening hands.
Rhystic Study
Rhystic Study
Rarity: Rare
Type: Enchantment
Description:
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may draw a card unless that player pays .
.Flavor Text:
Friends teach what you want to know. Enemies teach what you *need* to know.
The blue card that turns every turn cycle into value. Even in pods that “pay the one,” it warps decisions and slows opponents down.
Mystic Remora
Mystic Remora
Rarity: Rare
Type: Enchantment
Description:
Cumulative upkeep (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, you may draw a card unless that player pays
.
(At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, you may draw a card unless that player pays
.One mana, massive upside. It turns early noncreature-heavy starts into card advantage (or forces opponents to play awkwardly).
Esper Sentinel
Esper Sentinel
Rarity: Rare
Type: Artifact Creature — Human Soldier
Description:
Whenever an opponent casts their first noncreature spell each turn, draw a card unless that player pays 
, where X is this creature's power.
, where X is this creature's power.Flavor Text:
The more Esper changes, the more he refuses to.
White’s best “keep the cards flowing” option. It’s splashable, it scales, and it punishes opponents for simply playing the game.
The One Ring
The One Ring
Rarity: Mythic
Type: Legendary Artifact
Description:
Indestructible
When The One Ring enters, if you cast it, you gain protection from everything until your next turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each burden counter on The One Ring.
: Put a burden counter on The One Ring, then draw a card for each burden counter on The One Ring.
When The One Ring enters, if you cast it, you gain protection from everything until your next turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each burden counter on The One Ring.
: Put a burden counter on The One Ring, then draw a card for each burden counter on The One Ring.Colorless draw engine that fits nearly anywhere. If you’re building multiple decks, this is one of the easiest “proxy first” includes.
Sylvan Library
Sylvan Library
Rarity: Mythic
Type: Enchantment
Description:
At the beginning of your draw step, you may draw two additional cards. If you do, choose two cards in your hand drawn this turn. For each of those cards, pay 4 life or put the card on top of your library.
Two mana for elite selection (and often extra cards). Great in fair decks, great in busted decks, great basically always.
Smothering Tithe
Smothering Tithe
Rarity: Mythic
Type: Enchantment
Description:
Whenever an opponent draws a card, that player may pay . If the player doesn't, you create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
. If the player doesn't, you create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")Flavor Text:
"I await your donation."
—Dasha, Orzhov priest
—Dasha, Orzhov priest
It doesn’t just ramp — it changes how the whole table sequences spells. It’s one of the biggest “resource engines” you can proxy early.
Demonic Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Rarity: Mythic
Type: Sorcery
Description:
Search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, then shuffle.
Flavor Text:
Beware the generosity of demons.
The gold standard for “find what you need.” Whether it’s a board wipe, a win condition, or a land drop, it makes decks feel smoother.
Vampiric Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
Rarity: Mythic
Type: Instant
Description:
Search your library for a card, then shuffle and put that card on top. You lose 2 life.
Flavor Text:
True power is achieved through blood and sweat. But mostly blood.
Instant-speed setup that turns end steps into inevitability. It’s one of the most efficient consistency upgrades you can make.
Enlightened Tutor
Enlightened Tutor
Rarity: Rare
Type: Instant
Description:
Search your library for an artifact or enchantment card, reveal it, then shuffle and put that card on top.
Flavor Text:
"Organization is often undervalued but rarely unjustified."
—Frasio, royal archivist
—Frasio, royal archivist
Finds the two card types that often matter most in Commander: artifacts and enchantments. If your decks run engines, this finds them.
Worldly Tutor
Worldly Tutor
Rarity: Rare
Type: Instant
Description:
Search your library for a creature card, reveal it, then shuffle and put the card on top.
Flavor Text:
"All of us, from the tiny leaf-mite to the towering baloth, are vital threads in the weave of life."
Creature toolbox decks love it, combo decks love it, midrange decks love it. If your plan involves “the right creature,” this does the job.
Cyclonic Rift
Cyclonic Rift
Rarity: Mythic
Type: Instant
Description:
Return target nonland permanent you don't control to its owner's hand.
Overload
(You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")
Overload
(You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")Flavor Text:
The Izzet specialize in unnatural disaster.
The cleanest “reset everyone else” button in blue. It’s not subtle, but it wins games by turning a losing board into a winning tempo swing.
Toxic Deluge
Toxic Deluge
Rarity: Rare
Type: Sorcery
Description:
As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay X life.
All creatures get -X/-X until end of turn.
All creatures get -X/-X until end of turn.
Flavor Text:
"It's a difficult task to quarantine a plague that moves with the clouds."
—Esara, healer adept
—Esara, healer adept
One of the best sweepers because it answers weird boards (indestructible, huge creatures, etc.). Flexible, efficient, and always relevant.
Fierce Guardianship
Fierce Guardianship
Rarity: Rare
Type: Instant
Description:
If you control a commander, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost.
Counter target noncreature spell.
Counter target noncreature spell.
Flavor Text:
"Hunt somewhere else. This is your only warning."
—Gavi, nest warden
—Gavi, nest warden
Protection that lets you tap out and still say “no.” If you play higher-powered pods, this is one of the first blue interaction upgrades.
Deflecting Swat
Deflecting Swat
Rarity: Rare
Type: Instant
Description:
If you control a commander, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost.
You may choose new targets for target spell or ability.
You may choose new targets for target spell or ability.
Flavor Text:
Archmage attacks are little more than annoyances to Kalamax.
Red’s best “actually, that targets something else” trick. It protects your commander, breaks removal, and snipes key spells.
Teferi’s Protection
Teferi's Protection
Rarity: Rare
Type: Instant
Description:
Until your next turn, your life total can't change and you gain protection from everything. All permanents you control phase out. (While they're phased out, they're treated as though they don't exist. They phase in before you untap during your untap step.)
Exile Teferi's Protection.
Exile Teferi's Protection.
The ultimate insurance policy. It saves you from wipes, alpha strikes, and surprise lethal. If you hate rebuilding, proxy this early.
Lightning Greaves
Lightning Greaves
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Artifact — Equipment
Description:
Equipped creature has haste and shroud. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Equip
Equip
Flavor Text:
After lightning struck the cliffs, the ore became iron, the iron became steel, and the steel became greaves. The lightning never left.
Fast protection + haste in one card. It makes commanders safer, turns engines on immediately, and forces opponents to have the right removal.
What to proxy next (once these are done)
- Your mana base package for your colors (fetches/shocks/triomes or whatever your group prefers)
- The best 2–3 removal spells per color you play most (so every deck starts with a reliable interaction shell)
- Your signature win lines (the 3–8 cards you keep rebuilding around)