The 30 Best Blue Pump Spells in Magic Ranked

Mordenkainen's Polymorph | Illustration by Oriana Menendez

While not common in blue, pump spells do exist in Magic: The Gathering—and they come with a unique twist. Unlike the straightforward buffs you see in red or green, blue pump spells often protect your creatures, change their form, or tilt combat in your favor in sneaky ways.

Today, we rank the best blue pump spells that not only give your creatures extra strength but also help you to win battles through clever, untraditional tricks.

Intrigued by what this list looks like? Let’s dive into it!

What Are Blue Pump Spells and Buff Spells in MTG?

Serpentine Ambush | Illustration by Jokubas Uogintas

Blue pump spells and buff spells in MTG are effects that temporarily increase a creature’s stats, give it new abilities, or change its form. Unlike green or red, where pump spells are all about raw power and toughness, blue’s versions are more about surprise and utility. They might turn a small creature into a big evasive threat, give hexproof to dodge removal, or even transform a creature into something completely different like a dragon or serpent. Because of this, blue pump spells are usually found in tempo decks.

Honorable Mentions

Blue doesn’t just rely on tricky spells to boost creatures—it also has a handful of typal lords that count as anthems in their own way. Take Lord of Atlantis, for example. It gives all your merfolk +1/+1 and makes them basically unblockable against anyone playing islands. Or Supreme Phantom, which turns a small flock of spirits into a real airborne threat. Even artifact decks get a boost with Master of Etherium, which not only grows with every artifact you play but also powers up the rest of your metal army.

There are plenty of other blue lords out there, but for now, it’s enough to say that while these cards fit the pump theme, they really belong in the “blue lords” conversation.

#30. Relic’s Roar

Turning the smallest thing on your board into a real threat is what makes Relic's Roar such a fun combat trick. For just 1 mana, it temporarily reshapes a creature or even an artifact into a 4/3 dinosaur artifact. Your harmless utility pieces suddenly become attackers, or your little creature becomes a serious problem in combat. Drop it on something unexpected like a Treasure Map to really catch an opponent off guard.

#29. Behind the Mask

Behind the Mask is one of those quirky blue tricks that temporarily changes a creature into something completely different. Normally, it turns an artifact or creature into a 4/3 artifact until end of turn, but if you collect evidence, it shrinks instead into a fragile 1/1. It’s flexible as both pump and debuff, and it’s especially fun in decks that play with graveyard fuel like Strategic Planning.

#28. Gift of Tusks

Sometimes the best tricks are the ones that completely rewrite what a creature is, and Gift of Tusks does exactly that. For just 1 mana, it strips away every ability and reshapes a creature into a plain 3/3 elephant until end of turn. You can downgrade an opponent’s giant, indestructible monster into something easy to handle, or even turn one of your tiny tokens into a surprisingly solid attacker. It’s a clever little spell with a lot of flexibility.

#27. Burden of Proof

Burden of Proof is an aura that plays double duty. On your detectives, it’s a sweet buff that gives +2/+2, but on any other creature, it locks them down as a 1/1 that can’t block detectives. This card shines in “clues and crime” style decks, where detectives and Clues are everywhere and Burden of Proof turns your opponents’ creatures into liabilities.

#26. Mordenkainen’s Polymorph + Dance of the Skywise

If you want to drop a surprise dragon mid-game, these spells deliver. Mordenkainen's Polymorph can turn any creature into a 4/4 flying dragon, which lets you upgrade tokens or strip away types. Dance of the Skywise is limited to your own creatures but goes further because it makes them a 4/4 dragon illusion that loses all abilities.

#25. Serpentine Ambush

Sometimes all it takes is a little shape-shifting to flip the game in your favor, and Serpentine Ambush does just that. For 2 mana, it temporarily transforms any creature into a 5/5 serpent, so a small token or utility body suddenly swings in as a massive attacker or stands tall as an unexpected blocker. It’s a straightforward, aggressive trick that can catch opponents completely off guard.

#24. Mercurial Transformation

Mercurial Transformation is a lesson spell that lets you turn a permanent into either a tiny 1/1 frog or a beefy 4/4 octopus. That flexibility makes it useful both offensively and defensively to shrink enemy threats or upgrade your own. Since it’s a lesson, it’s easy to grab from the sideboard, so it’s a great toolbox option.

#23. Startling Development

Startling Development is both a combat trick and a cycling card. It turns a creature into a 4/4 serpent for the turn, but if you don’t need that effect, you can just cycle it away for to draw a new card. That flexibility makes it great in decks that value having options, especially control builds that want to keep the hand full.

#22. Water Wings

Giving your creature wings for the turn can be a game-changer, and Water Wings pulls it off perfectly. Not only does it pump your creature into a 4/4 flier, but it also grants hexproof until end of turn to let you dodge removal while you push damage through the air. You can drop this on something like an unflipped Delver of Secrets to turn it into a sudden aerial threat that can close out games fast.

#21. Wings of Velis Vel

Wings of Velis Vel is a shapeshifting trick that grants a creature all creature types and flying, and makes it a 4/4 until end of turn. Because it counts as every creature type, it fits into typal decks and combos beautifully with cards that care about certain types. Imagine using it in a faerie deck with Scion of Oona—your opponent won’t know what hit them.

#20. Zhalfirin Shapecraft

Zhalfirin Shapecraft is a clean little trick that sets a creature’s stats to 4/3 until end of turn and draws you a card. That “replace itself” factor makes it very playable since you don’t fall behind on resources. In tempo decks that want to keep applying pressure while they dig through the library, this fits right in.

#19. Dreadful as the Storm

Turning any creature into a 5/5 for the turn, Dreadful as the Storm packs a serious punch while also it tempts you with the Ring. That double effect makes it more than just a combat trick—it also pushes your Ring-bearer plan forward. You can flip the game fast if you drop this mid-combat, since you can let a small attacker suddenly swing big while it picks up powerful abilities from The Ring.

#18. Phantasmal Form

Phantasmal Form is a flexible blue instant that can transform up to two creatures into 3/3 flying illusions while drawing you a card. It’s perfect for combat blowouts since it lets smaller creatures suddenly dominate the skies. In token decks, turning something like a pair of 1/1s into flying 3/3s is a massive upgrade.

#17. Suit Up

If you’re into vehicles and don’t always have a way to crew them, Suit Up pulls double duty by turning one into a 4/5 artifact creature for the turn while also drawing you a card. It’s just as good for forcing through surprise damage as it is for punishing opponents who block a tiny creature. In Pauper especially, you can make it shine even brighter if you pair it with cards like Ninja of the Deep Hours.

#16. Piracy Charm

Piracy Charm is one of those flexible 1-mana instants that can do a little bit of everything. It can give a creature islandwalk to sneak past an opponent with islands, shrink something by -1 toughness while adding +2 power to push through damage, or even force a player to discard a card. That kind of versatility makes it handy in both aggressive decks that look for surprise damage and control shells that value disrupting an opponent’s hand.

#15. Distortion Strike

Turning any creature into an unblockable threat for just 1 mana is already strong, but rebound makes it even better since you get the effect again for free on your next upkeep. Distortion Strike is especially sneaky in infect decks, where even a small pump can turn into a lethal hit once your creature can’t be blocked. With this in the mix, cards like Glistener Elf suddenly become terrifying win conditions out of nowhere.

#14. Soulblade Djinn

Casting a steady stream of non-creature spells can turn into a win condition when Soulblade Djinn is on the battlefield. Every instant or sorcery you play gives your entire team +1/+1 until the end of turn, which means even a small army can grow into a lethal threat in a single turn. Pair it with cheap spells like Ponder or Chart a Course, and suddenly your opponents are staring down way more damage than they expected.

#13. Aspirant’s Ascent

Aspirant's Ascent gives a creature +1/+3, flying, and toxic 1 until end of turn. This makes it a tricky little pump spell that works both as protection and as a way to sneak poison counters onto your opponent. In toxic decks, it’s a low-cost way to push your creatures through and speed up the clock.

#12. Favorable Winds

Boosting every flier you control for just 2 mana, Favorable Winds is the definition of efficiency. What starts as a handful of harmless 1/1s quickly turns into a sky full of serious threats once this enchantment hits the board. Decks built around spirits, faeries, or even thopters love the anthem effect, and with cards like Lingering Souls or Spectral Sailor, the pressure adds up fast.

#11. Scuttletide

Scuttletide lets you churn out 0/3 Crab tokens by discarding cards, which can be handy for fueling graveyard strategies. Once delirium is online, all your crabs get +1/+1 and start to swing as real blockers or attackers. It pairs well with self-mill cards like Thought Scour to fill your graveyard quickly while keeping the board stocked with tough little crabs.

#10. Sunken City

Sunken City is an old-school anthem that boosts all blue creatures with +1/+1. The catch is that you have to keep paying each upkeep or it disappears, which makes it riskier than modern options. In decks with plenty of islands, though, it can act as a powerful but temporary way to give your whole team a lift.

#9. Infiltrator’s Magemark

Infiltrator's Magemark is an aura that turns your enchanted creatures into slippery threats. Any creature you enchant not only gets +1/+1 but also becomes unblockable by anything but defender creatures. It’s a sneaky way to push damage through in aura-heavy decks, especially when you stack it with cards like Curiosity or Ethereal Armor.

#8. Gravitational Shift

Gravitational Shift is a unique anthem that flips the board dynamic. Fliers get +2/+0, while creatures without flying are weakened with -2/-0. It’s perfect for decks that rely on evasive fliers to win the game, completely tilting combat in your favor. Play it in decks filled with cards like Spectral Sailor or Stormbound Geist and watch the skies dominate.

#7. Saiba Cryptomancer

Sometimes the best defense is a surprise, and Saiba Cryptomancer delivers exactly that. With flash and backup, it can enter at instant speed to give another creature a +1/+1 counter, and more importantly, hexproof until end of turn. It’s a fantastic way to protect a key threat from removal or a combat trick that lets your attacker or blocker survive when your opponent thought it was doomed. Even as a 0/1 body afterward, it still did its job to keep your board intact, plus you can slam some auras on it to make it a terrifying threat.

#6. Rookie Mistake

Rookie Mistake is a clever little combat trick that buffs one of your creatures with +0/+2 while it shrinks another creature with -2/-0 until the end of turn. This lets you both protect your blocker and weaken your opponent’s attacker, which often flips combat math in your favor. It offers surprising versatility for just 1 mana.

#5. Triton Tactics

Triton Tactics offers a ton of utility for 1 mana. It gives up to two creatures +0/+3, untaps them, and then freezes any enemy creatures they block until the opponent’s next untap step. It’s a combat trick, a protection spell, and a tempo swing all in one, and it pairs beautifully with cheap blue creatures like Cloudfin Raptor.

#4. Dive Down

Dive Down is one of the most efficient protection spells in blue. For just 1 mana, it gives your creature +0/+3 and hexproof until end of turn to save it from removal while you make it tougher in combat. It shines in tempo decks where protecting a single threat like Tolarian Terror can win the game outright.

#3. Mizzium Skin

Mizzium Skin is another protective trick that grants +0/+1 and hexproof until end of turn, but what makes it special is its overload ability. For , it can shield all your creatures at once, blanking damage sweepers or targeted removal. In decks that go wide with creatures, this card can be a lifesaver.

#2. Valley Floodcaller

At first glance, this isn’t a traditional lord, since Valley Floodcaller doesn’t provide a static buff. Instead, it rewards you every time you cast a noncreature spell by giving your birds, frogs, otters, and rats +1/+1 and untapping them. By chaining together cheap spells, you can quickly turn a small board into a massive threat. It’s also a bit of a hidden gem in cEDH, where the instant-speed triggers make it a sneaky enabler for powerful combo lines.

#1. Shore Up + Magic Damper

Sometimes the best blue “pump” spells are really about keeping your creatures alive. Both Shore Up and Magic Damper give your creature hexproof while they add a little stat boost, and they even untap it to surprise your opponent. Whether you protect a key threat from removal or set up an unexpected blocker, these tricks do a lot for just 1 mana. Especially in tempo decks, they make it almost impossible for opponents to safely interact with your win conditions.

Best Blue Pump Spell Payoffs

The best payoffs for blue pump spells usually come from decks that care about speed, evasion, or surprise. Tempo decks are a perfect example, since they want to protect small creatures while they also turn them into real threats. A spell like Shore Up keeps your creature safe from removal while suddenly making it big enough to swing back in combat.

Flying decks are another strong payoff. When you already attack in the air with evasive creatures, blue pump spells push that clock even faster. Cards like Favorable Winds or commanders that care about fliers turn even small tokens into a serious army once you mix in combat tricks.

Infect and poison strategies also love blue pump effects. Giving an infect creature a sudden boost in power or evasion can end a game on the spot. A single Aspirant's Ascent can sneak through poison counters and speed up the win dramatically.

Spellslinging commanders that reward cheap instants like Talrand, Sky Summoner or even Pauper threats like Nivix Cyclops make blue pump spells do double duty. You don’t just buff a creature—you also generate tokens or power up a finisher while you keep the pressure on.

Wrap Up

Phantasmal Form | Illustration by Steve Argyle

Pump spells in blue play a little differently than in other colors. While they shine in tempo decks, the right commander can make a wide mix of them worth running. Hopefully I gave you some new ideas to try out!

Which blue pump spells do you run, and in which decks? Let me know in the comments below.

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