Let’s not kid ourselves here, Pirates are the coolest thing to ever happen to Magic the Gathering and the fact that they’re the top tribe in Ixalan is a status befitting the glory of every infamous pirate. I’m privileged enough to have spent my childhood gawking at the rotted and water-logged remains of pirate ships at the museum. I also saw almost every Pirates of the Caribbean film on opening weekend. Seeing pirates featured prominently in my favorite card game is a real treat.
Today, to honor the grand history of the pirate and its contributions to both our culture and the culture of Ixalan, we have not one, not two, not even three or four lists of the top pirates in Ixalan: we have five top five lists of pirates, the definitive greatest tribe of Ixalan, greatest sub-type of Magic the Gathering, and greatest gift to human culture.
Honorable Mention: Top Five Non-Ixalan Pirates
- Kari Zev, Skyship Raider—Summons a 2/1 red Monkey creature token. ‘Nuff said, bub.
- Ramirez DiPietro—The OG Pirate. The card says “Summon Legend” and truer words have never been spoken.
- Rishadan Cutpurse—Now you know why Rishadan Port is so good at stealing your mana.
- Smuggler Captain—Surprise! I named Queen Marchesa!
- Cloud Pirates—Look at that artwork. How is that not the best pirate artwork ever?
Credit where credit’s due, I wanted to pay homage to all the pirates who’ve paved the path for Ixalan’s pirates to be the dominant force on that plane. The above list may not be cohesive but it is full of pirates and that’s all that matters. Now, without further ado, the top five Ixalan top five pirate cards!
Top Five Prettiest Pirates on Ixalan
Top Five Pirates to Build a Non-Pirate Deck Around
Just kidding, why would anyone build a non-pirate deck?
Top Five Most Likely to be Pack One Pick One Pirates
Top Five Most Likely to Win the Pro Tour Pirates
Top Five Pirates Who Don’t Take Crap from Nobody on Ixalan
- Kopala, Warden of Waves
- Captain Lannery Storm
- Storm Fleet Arsonist
- Kitesail Freebooter
- Wanted Scoundrels