The 40 Best Colorless Card Draw Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on December 26, 2024

Tome of the Guildpact | Illustration by Randy Gallegos

Magic is a game where whoever has more resources most likely wins, making card draw one of the most important mechanics in the game. With card draw being as prevalent as it is powerful, choosing the right sources of card advantage can be tough.

With that in mind, what are your options if you don't want to commit to a color in particular? Are there any colorless cards that can provide you with card advantage? Today I'm going over the best of them and ranking them both on raw power and efficiency.

Want to know which ones those are? Let's find out!

What Is Colorless Card Draw in MTG?

Bonder's Ornament | Illustration by Lindsey Look

Colorless card draw is just a source of card draw without any color associated with it. Simple as that. Lots of cards have “draw a card” in their text, but for today's list I’ll only rank those that give you positive net card draw advantage with the exception of one or two.

This means that cantrips (cards that just draw you one card) are excluded, though repeatable loot/rummage effects are included.

Honorable Mentions

“Colorless” Lands

Lands that can technically draw multiple cards but don't have a fully colorless color identity weren't added to the list. A card like Blighted Cataract is colorless in game, but has a blue color identity, and we're focusing on cards that could be played in a colorless Commander deck.

Cantrips

Even if cantrips aren't part of today's rankings, they're still worth mentioning since they all see play in their respective formats. Remember, a card has to be able to draw at minimum two cards on its own before we'll call it “card draw.”

• Chromatic Sphere
• Chromatic Star
• Conjurer's Bauble
• Urza's Bauble
• Mishra's Bauble
• Relic of Progenitus
• Solemn Simulacrum

#40. Network Terminal

While it technically doesn't provide you with any card advantage per se, Network Terminal makes the last slot of the list because it can be used to smooth your draws. And you can use it multiple times a turn if you manage to untap it.

Imagine a combo involving Displacer Kitten, Tezzeret the Seeker, and some other cards to set up a board state where you can draw your entire library and win with the likes of Thassa's Oracle. You can probably come up with some other similar combos with your imagination.

#39. Bazaar of Baghdad

Bazaar of Baghdad is actually card disadvantage, but if that’s the case, why am I even mentioning it?

For starters, there are some mechanics like madness that can be used along with it, as seen with the famous Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis deck that runs Basking Rootwalla and Blazing Rootwalla, along with filling your graveyard as part of its plan.

Unearth and embalm are other keywords that can be used in Bazaar of Baghdad decks, but the real MVPs are decks focused on reanimate effects from with the likes of Living Death.

#38. Mikokoro, Center of the Sea

On the net positive card draw cards we have Mikokoro, Center of the Sea, which is often used in group hug Commander decks. In some very narrow scenarios you can mill someone by forcing them to draw a card. This might hold someone from going off with Thassa's Oracle, for example.

#37. Font of Mythos

Another excellent group hug card is Font of Mythos. This can be tricky to play since you don't get any positive card advantage on the turn it lands, which can lead to the nightmare scenario of passing the turn, giving your opponent two cards, and getting your artifact killed.

But it's rarely destroyed at a Commander table.

#36. Temple Bell

Unlike Font of Mythos, Temple Bell gives you the choice of when to activate it, avoiding the scenario of everyone getting a card except for you. That’s why it’s ranked one higher.

#35. Howling Mine

Like Font of Mythos, Howling Mine is another card that gives everyone an extra card on their draw step, with a catch. It turns into a one-sided card draw engine if you have a way to tap it on your upkeep.

#34. Sea Gate Wreckage

Sea Gate Wreckage can be useful if you repeatedly run out of cards in hand, but it won’t do anything if you happen to be in a situation where you’re looking for a land with cards still in hand.

#33. Library of Alexandria

We have Library of Alexandria on the other side of the spectrum. It may seem like it's the opposite of Sea Gate Wreckage, but don't be fooled! Its power level is such that it's banned in almost every sanctioned format except Vintage, where it's restricted.

Library of Alexandria would be ranked higher on the list if it weren't banned everywhere.

#32. Roadside Reliquary

Roadside Reliquary can provide you with some cards when mana is no longer relevant if you meet both conditions. You’re usually looking for answers or a way to finish the game, and having access to this card was why mono-red was very successful in Neon Dynasty Limited.

#31. Zenith Chronicler

Mileage will vary on Zenith Chronicler. Face off against a multicolor deck or even a deck that just happens to have plenty of multicolor cards and you'll be rewarded in spades. Other players will draw cards too, but that's only fair on a 2-drop creature. Just make sure you're not the one casting all the 2+ color cards.

#30. Bonders' Enclave

Bonders' Enclave’s value is higher than that of the other lands I mentioned because it stays on the field after drawing a card unlike Roadside Reliquary. And its activation cost isn’t so hard to meet as long as it's in the right deck.

#29. Arch of Orazca

Arch of Orazca is here because getting the city’s blessing is pretty easy to achieve on a lot of board states. Five mana seems like a lot, but it's worth it once you get to the late game.

#28. Dreamstone Hedron

Dreamstone Hedron is a mana rock that ramps you further into the game and also lets you draw cards if you don't need it anymore. Mind Stone doesn't qualify for the list, but three Mind Stones in a trench coat counts.

#27. Hedron Archive

Hedron Archive is very similar to Dreamstone Hedron with the difference being that its cost is reduced by 2, and you only get to draw two cards. It's always easier to pay 4 mana instead of 6, and this is an excellent way to go if you want to ramp from turn 4 to turn 7.

#26. Staff of Nin

This is an all-time favorite of mine. Staff of Nin was used as a pseudo-card advantage tool for control decks when it was in Standard, and it deals with small creatures in the best-case scenario. At worst it can ping an opponent.

#25. Staff of Domination

Used fairly, Staff of Domination is a cool but cumbersome artifact. But no one's using this fairly. Staff of Domination is a combo piece for decks that can generate infinite amounts of mana. Since it can untap itself, infinite mana allows the Staff to draw your entire library, on top of gaining infinite life. Not too hard to win from there.

#24. Well of Lost Dreams

If it isn’t already in the 99 of your Oloro, Ageless Ascetic deck, Well of Lost Dreams is worth considering. It can also be run in any other dedicated lifegain-themed decks.

#23. Tome of Legends

Tome of Legends puts in good work with cheap commanders or decks with two partners. Every ETB or attack from your commander is worth a card eventually, the activation cost is reasonable at just 1 mana, and the Tome even spots you the first draw up front.

#22. Kozilek, the Great Distortion

While Kozilek, the Great Distortion may be a bit expensive to cast, its draw potential is insane since it can go from drawing one card to refilling your entire hand. Things get better if you happen to run it as your commander because you can spend all your cards on cheap mana rocks and refill your hand with it when you cast it.

#21. Kozilek, Butcher of Truth

The difference between Kozilek, the Great Distortion and Kozilek, Butcher of Truth is that the latter always provides you with the same number of cards, and it's the cheapest of two. Like the other Kozilek, the Butcher can also be used as your commander.

#20. Treasure Map

The number of sequences you can craft with Treasure Map is absurd. Not only does it improve your draws, it also ramps you and draws you a card when you need it for just a Treasure token. This card is a perfect fit if you happen to have a deck that can create multiple Treasure tokens.

#19. Sword of Fire and Ice

Sword of Fire and Ice is the best of the swords for a couple of reasons. But the main thing is that it can provide you with a reliable way to get through your opponent’s creatures while giving you a card.

#18. Mask of Memory

Mask of Memory is very similar to Sword of Fire and Ice. What separates one from the other is the mana and equipment cost. Sure, you don’t get the other benefits that the Sword provides, but a low mana cost is usually better than a high payoff.

#17. Memory Jar

This one may look similar to the other group hug effects, but trust me when I tell you that Memory Jar is in a league of its own.

Its power comes from its combo potential. A typical play pattern back in the day was casting your first Jar, finding a second copy of it, casting it again, and then killing your opponent with the help of Megrim.

Fun fact: Memory Jar is restricted in Vintage and banned in Legacy. This alone is a sign of how powerful this card is.

#16. Mazemind Tome

Getting to pay 10 mana to draw four cards (and gain 4 life) may seem excessive at first glance. But getting to pay that cost over the course of several turns and being able to scry every turn is why Mazemind Tome is so high on the list.

#15. Reckoner Bankbuster

Similar to Mazemind Tome, Reckoner Bankbuster lets you use it even after the counters are expired. You can always threaten an unexpected attack or block when deemed necessary.

#14. Tome of the Guildpact

Tome of the Guildpact can be a combo piece in a dedicated deck. Being a mana rock is a plus.

#13. Smuggler's Copter

The Looter Scooter demonstrated how overturned some of the original vehicles from Kaladesh were, though Smuggler's Copter has since been reintroduced into Pioneer/Explorer. This 2-drop vehicle is still surprisingly effective in Commander, where it dodges most sorcery-speed board wipes, swings for reasonable damage in the air, and shapes up your hand on offense or defense.

#12. Rise of the Eldrazi

The mana cost on Rise of the Eldrazi is no joke, but if you're ever going to cast a 12-mana spell, this is what it needs to look like. An extra turn, four cards, and removing the best permanent in play is a deadly combination of effects, and bonus points for taking all the best abilities from the original cycle of Eldrazi Titans from Rise of the Eldrazi.

#11. Bonder’s Ornament

Bonder's Ornament is one of those cards that can both fix your mana and draw you a card for cheap. Unfortunately its power was such that it proved to be too much for Pauper and was banned.

#10. Nexus of Becoming

At a fundamental level, Nexus of Becoming is 6 mana for an artifact that draws an extra card each turn. Hmm… alright, but what else ya got? How about if you could freely put artifacts and creatures from your hand into play? Sure, they're 3/3s, but they're also free free. This is a neat design from The Big Score, and an interesting way to cheat big permanents into play.

#9. Sensei's Divining Top

Sensei's Divining Top is a classic card advantage engine. It works best in conjunction with shuffle effects, as those empower you to get rid of cards you don't wish to draw, and of course with cards that let you play from the top of your library. It's technically a card draw card as well thanks to its tap ability, which lets you have on-demand access to the top card of your deck.

#8. Idol of Oblivion

I'd normally say Idol of Oblivion should be reserved for token decks, but so many decks can produce incidental tokens these days, so the Idol probably has more homes than it might seem. Sacrificing it for the 10/10 token won't come up too often, but the draw mode should pay dividends in no time.

#7. Palantír of Orthanc

Palantír of Orthanc is a particularly nasty card in 1v1 Magic, where life totals are lower and the punisher effect will always be pointed at the same opponent. The dilemma puts your opponent up against two clocks at once: Either face down the inevitability of an extra card each turn, or the eventuality that the owner mills a chunk of expensive cards and kills you outright. It's a lose-lose situation, and requires careful planning to beat, though it admittedly drops off in multiplayer Magic.

#6. Currency Converter

Currency Converter is another loot machine that filters through cards, but lets you cash in the discarded cards for 2/2s or Treasure tokens. It works with other incidental forms of discard as well, not just the cards being discarded to its own effect. It's innocuous enough that opponents won't snap it off right away, but it's a great attrition piece over time, and a nice secondary target to Sol Ring for the final chapter on Urza's Saga.

#5. The Immortal Sun

The Immortal Sun is very similar to Staff of Nin in the sense that it gives you a card every turn, but the rest of the abilities on it makes this significantly better.

#4. Mind's Eye

Mind's Eye is a must-have in any list. You can at least draw three more cards per turn cycle in EDH with enough mana and a full table.

#3. Horn of Greed

Horn of Greed is a card that can be totally busted in the right deck. The catch is that your opponents can also exploit its ability. You can go off quickly if you pair it up with cards like Oracle of Mul Daya, making it incredible in Commander decks based around lands.

#2. Skullclamp

Are you surprised to see Skullclamp in first place? It may seem like an innocent 1-mana artifact, but don't be fooled by appearances. It's banned from Legacy for a good reason.

Paired with the likes of Bitterblossom you can draw at least two more cards per turn for just 1 mana each time. You can refill your hand with ease if you can create a bunch of X/1 creatures, making Skullclamp one of the best card-drawing artifacts in the game.

Fun fact: Skullclamp was supposed to give the equipped creature +1/+1, but then it was “nerfed” to give it +1/-1. Yeah, Wizards broke a card by nerfing it. Go figure.

#1. The One Ring

The One Ring is about as overpowering in Magic: The Gathering as it was in the actual Lord of the Rings. A problem in just about every format where it's legal, this sort of colorless card draw slots into every deck so easily, and the protection ability all but guarantees you'll have enough time to draw at least the first chunk of cards. It's a liability in the same way Mana Crypt is a liability, which is to say: Win with it before you die.

Wrap Up

Network Terminal | Illustration by Andreas Zafiratos

It's been fun to rank the best colorless sources of card draw out there. As you can see, a lot of them are quite powerful. I also had a blast researching the ones I didn't remember existed.

Which one is your favorite? Are there any excluded that you wanted to see on the ranking? Please let me know in the comments or over on the Draftsim Twitter.

It’s been a pleasure, as always. I hope to see you again in the next ranking session!