10. Knight of Meadowgrain (Lorwyn)
“By tradition, we don’t speak for two days after battle. If our deeds won’t speak for themselves, what else could be said?”
9. Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter (Aether Revolt)
“Inspiration is reciprocal: we all have a responsibility to each other to create.”
8. Cruel Ultimatum (Shards of Alara)
There is always a greater power.
7. Worship (Urza’s Saga)
“Believe in the ideal, not the idol.” —Serra
6. Mana Leak (Stronghold)
“The fatal flaw in every plan is the assumption that you know more than your enemy.” —Volrath
5. Squandered Resources (Visions)
“He traded sand for skins, skins for gold, gold for life. In the end, he traded life for sand.” —Afari, Tales
4. Naban, Dean of Iteration (Dominaria)
“Perfect. Now do it again.”
3. Darksteel Plate (Mirrodin Besieged)
“If there can be no victory, then I will fight forever.” —Koth of the Hammer
2. Blood of the Martyr (The Dark)
The willow knows what the storm does not: that the power to endure harm outlives the power to inflict it.
1. Fecundity (Urza’s Saga)
Life is eternal. A lifetime is ephemeral.
Zac Hill is the Chief Operating Officer of The Office of American Possibilities, a venture studio for civic moonshots. OAP’s projects have included initiatives like Welcome.us, the COVID Collaborative, and 24/7: The People’s Filibuster for Gun Safety. A Pro Tour mainstay for a decade, Zac scored a Top 8 at Pro Tour Honolulu 2009 before heading in-house to become a Lead Game Designer of Magic: The Gathering and Magic: Duels. He returned to the Pro Tour in the broadcast booth from 2011-2014. Zac’s writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The Believer, The Huffington Post, DailyMTG, StarCityGames.com, and The New Atlantis. He lives in Washington DC.