The 49 Best Green Card Draw Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on February 18, 2024

Sylvan Library | Illustration by Yeong Hao Han

Green was the worst color in the game for a while in Magic’s history, something that’s usually said of white these days. Green didn’t have removal, card draw, or even consistent lifegain.

The last six to seven years saw this being steadily corrected and now green is hated because it does, well, everything. Today I’ll be analyzing green card draw in Magic, as well as ranking the better spells that will give you a stream of card advantage.

Let’s get started!

What is Green Card Draw in MTG?

Werewolf Pack Leader | Illustration by Miranda Meeks

I’m considering spells that are green or multicolor including green and can draw you more than one card for the purpose of this list. I’m not considering cards like Elvish Visionary that draw a card when it enters the battlefield because you only get one card.

I’m also not considering cards that have you “look at the X top cards of your library and put X cards in your hand. Although it’s similar to card draw, this isn’t considered drawing a card so it won’t trigger “whenever you draw a card” effects.

With those restrictions in mind, let’s see the best green card draw spells ranked!

#49. Citanul Woodreaders

Outdated as hell, but still, Citanul Woodreaders was the closest thing to Mulldrifter you could play with Forest mana at a time when green had scarce card advantage. But yes, it’s easier to splash blue for the real one.

#48. Bequeathal

Bequeathal is an insurance policy to put in your best threat. Better still if it has hexproof.

#47. Camaraderie

If you’re playing Selesnya () and you don’t have lots of creatures, what are you doing? In those perfect scenarios you can draw a lot of cards with Camaraderie as well as distribute some counters.

The problem is when you have an empty board. That’s why cards like this aren’t very reliable. It’s sad to pay six mana to cantrip a spell.

#46. Inspiring Call

One of the best incentives to play around with +1/+1 counters, Inspiring Call can draw you lots of cards as well as protect your creatures from a wrath or combat situations.

#45. Runic Armasaur

Runic Armasaur got a lot of hype when it was released because it’s a true hate card for a lot of activations like fetch lands, manlands, and creatures with mana sink abilities in older formats. And a 2/5 for three mana is a good defender, not to mention that it has dinosaur synergies.

#44. Abzan Beastmaster

Abzan Beastmaster shines in a more defense-oriented decks with lots of defenders, and probably in a Doran or Arcades list. It’s also a bomb in Limited. Either way it’s easy to sculpt a situation where you’ll draw two cards a turn with this.

#43. Elemental Bond

A cheaper and less powerful alternative to Garruk's Uprising, but Elemental Bond still works. It’s also less restrictive in what triggers it.

#42. Ripjaw Raptor

Ripjaw Raptor is a good card to have against aggressive and midrange decks. You draw a card each time the Raptor is damaged. Red removal or fighting effects can’t remove it cleanly. It also synergizes with the enrage mechanic from Ixalan.

#41. Keen Sense

Curiosity-style cards are always interesting and playable in blue, and Keen Sense is like that but in green. The difference is that green usually doesn’t play this style of deck with fliers and counterspells.

#40. Moldervine Reclamation

Moldervine Reclamation can draw you lots of cards in aristocrats and tokens strategies. And it says “whenever a creature dies” without restrictions like one per turn or on your turn only.

#39. Abzan Charm

Although you can only draw two cards with Abzan Charm, the flexibility made it a powerhouse in Constructed formats. Sometimes you just need to win combat or remove your opponent’s best threat.

#38. Vraska, Golgari Queen

Vraska, Golgari Queen was a solid planeswalker in its time in Standard. You can sacrifice a smaller creature or a land to draw extra cards and gain life with its plus ability. And its -3 can answer a lot of different enemy permanents.

#37. Momentous Fall

A fine way to make up for the opponent playing removal on your big threat, Momentous Fall has you draw some cards and gain life to make sure you won’t die anytime soon.

#36. Regal Force

Regal Force can draw a ton of cards in elfball and token decks. It’s just sad on an empty board.

#35. Garruk's Uprising

Garruk's Uprising rewards you for steadily playing creatures. You get to draw a card each time you play a creature, and they have trample to boot.

#34. Beck // Call

The Beck side of Beck // Call is just a fixed Glimpse of Nature, but it’s possible to draw some cards depending on your turn. Combining with the Call side, this can get you at least four cards.

#33. Biomantic Mastery

The floor is low on Biomantic Mastery, but the ceiling is also very high. You can draw anywhere from 2 to 10 cards with this spell. Even more with commanders that specialize in reducing the cost of spells or copying them.

#32. Guardian Project

In any singleton format like EDH, Guardian Project reads “cast a creature spell and draw a card.” Any creature. It’s a little harder to make it work in Constructed formats like Standard, but even then you’ll still draw some cards.

#31. Tamiyo, Field Researcher

Tamiyo, Field Researcher got a lot of hype as the first Bant () planeswalker, and you can draw a lot of cards with it. It’s possible to draw two cards a turn if you have two evasive creatures, or even more if one of them has double strike.

#30. Garruk, Primal Hunter

A planeswalker that can steadily build an army of 3/3s while plusing is already powerful, and Garruk, Primal Hunter’s minus ability can draw three cards or more if you have at least two big creatures.

#29. Setessan Champion

Setessan Champion draws extra cards if enchantments are cast. Not to mention that it also grows, which can pressure your opponent on top of drawing some more cards.

It’s interesting to build a big creature with auras alongside the Champion so that your opponent is forced to choose what card to target with removal.

#28. Chevill, Bane of Monsters

You’ll love Chevill, Bane of Monsters if you play removal tribal. It’s playable in some Constructed formats, and the play pattern is simple: mark a creature or planeswalker for death, kill it, then gain some life and draw some cards.

#27. Damia, Sage of Stone

Damia, Sage of Stone refills your hand to seven every turn. So Damia makes up for it if you played cheap spells or a lot of ramp to get to it. It’s not unusual for a deck built around this card to draw three or four cards a turn.

#26. Fathom Mage

Although fragile, evolving Fathom Mage nets you a +1/+1 counter and a card. There are lots of ways to put +1/+1 counters on your creatures, and you get to draw a card for each counter every time the Mage gets one. You can double the number of counters and draw a lot with cards like Vorel of the Hull Clade.

#25. Elder Gargaroth

A 6/6 reach and vigilance for five mana can do it all. Elder Gargaroth blocks fliers and attacks for six while triggering three different but supplementary abilities. Either draw a card, make a 3/3, or gains life.

Unfortunately decks with lots of removal can kill this before the first trigger (it dies to Doom Blade), but it can be the nail in the coffin against aggro decks.

#24. Beast Whisperer

Beast Whisperer is a nice way to recover from a board wipe since you’ll keep playing creatures and drawing cards. It’s no wonder that the Whisperer is one of the most played green creatures in EDH. It’s also an elf which works with all elf commanders.

#23. The Great Henge

Another draw effect in the adventure or big creature decks, The Great Henge seems expensive to cast but is actually very cheap alongside Questing Beast, Lovestruck Beast, and similar big creatures. From there you get a mana boost, extra life, and cards, which is very hard to beat if the Henge isn’t removed from the game.

#22. Tatyova, Benthic Druid

Tatyova, Benthic Druid does what Simic () is known for: drawing cards. But this comes with a consequence of ramp which is well into Simic department. So play lots of lands and Cultivate effects to be rewarded.

#21. Edgewall Innkeeper

A Throne of Eldraine card that rewards you for playing with adventure cards, Edgewall Innkeeper is the cornerstone of a deck filled with adventures. You’ll usually draw two or three cards per game if everything goes your way.

#20. Rishkar's Expertise

The nice thing about Rishkar's Expertise is that you’re not falling behind on tempo since you’re drawing some cards and then you can cast a spell that costs five or less for free. The only risk is getting your biggest creature removed in response (or power shrunk, but no one plays that effect, right?).

#19. Keruga, the Macrosage

Before the companion nerf it was normal to cast some adventures and some creatures or planeswalkers and then bam! Keruga, the Macrosage hits the table as a big creature that draws lots of cards.

After the companion nerf it basically vanished from Constructed formats. Keruga goes well with any blink strategy since you get value from your big creatures entering the battlefield on top of drawing more cards from Keruga.

#18. Arcades, the Strategist

Arcades, the Strategist is here because it draws lots of cards when defender creatures enter the battlefield. It’s also one of the most popular commanders out there and can attack and deal damage with toughness. Which was, like, Doran, the Siege Tower’s specialty. And in better colors.

#17. Tovolar, Dire Overlord / Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge

A much-needed juice to wolf/werewolf strategies in Standard and older formats, Tovolar, Dire Overlord is just powerful. Surrounding it with wolves and werewolves means you’ll draw lots of cards, easily transform the werewolves into their more powerful side, and put a fast clock on your opponents.

#16. Prime Speaker Zegana

How many cards do you want to draw? Prime Speaker Zegana combines +1/+1 counters with big creatures and card draw. It’s also a merfolk which can lead to some tribal decks.

Pair Zegana with some +1/+1 counter and merfolk synergies and you’ll have a big creature that enters and draws you a lot of cards. I heard Vorel of the Hull Clade may be interested, too.

#15. Edric, Spymaster of Trest

Although we have arguably better stuff to do in MTG today, it was easy to overload on creature tokens when Edric, Spymaster of Trest was released. You could cast it and draw tons of cards.

A Cube and Eternal format staple until recently, Edric is a powerhouse when it does its things.

#14. Harmonize

Some effects changed in the color pie when Planar Chaos came out, and Harmonize is basically the green “draw three cards.” Also instant speed. This is one of the few draw effects in green that isn’t tied to creatures in any way.

#13. Toski, Bearer of Secrets

As a 1/1 indestructible, Toski, Bearer of Secrets is very hard to deal with. Few decks can. It’s uncounterable. But The Meathook Massacre dwindled Toski’s numbers a bit.

As a commander, Toski being only “exile-able” helps it stick a lot, and there are plenty of green creatures floating around. You’ll be drawing cards from Toski itself or it’s army (of squirrels, probably) if it sticks.

#12. Fall of Gil-galad

Fall of Gil-galad is a new saga that lets you scry 2, distribute some +1/+1 counters, and draw two cards after a certain creature dies following a fight trigger. It's a lot of green value packed into one card, and it does it quick at a mana value of .

#11. Werewolf Pack Leader

Werewolf Pack Leader became a staple in green decks because a 3/3 for two is already efficient, and one that can draw extra cards when you attack is even better. It even works in multiples. And it has the activated ability so that it can almost trigger itself.

#10. The Gitrog Monster

I love The Gitrog Monster. It’s such a cool design. You need to sacrifice lands for it and then you’ll draw extra cards, but then you can abuse your fetch lands to draw more cards. Other combos that require you to sacrifice a land like Harrow work too. It even works with self-mill.

#9. Hydroid Krasis

Another EDH and Constructed powerhouse, Hydroid Krasis does what you want when you have excess mana: draws cards and gains life. On top of being a huge threat that flies and tramples, of course.

You can never go wrong by casting a huge Krasis since the casting trigger happens even when the spell is countered, barring special stuff like Flusterstorm, Whirlwind Denial, etc.

#8. Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

One of the powerhouses of Constructed formats like Historic, Explorer, and Pioneer, Korvold, Fae-Cursed King enables a sacrifice strategy all by itself by drawing extra cards and getting +1/+1 counters. Jund () colors allow a Korvold player to play aristocrats strategies. Even casting Prossh, Skyraider of Kher in the same deck is a huge benefit.

#7. Chulane, Teller of Tales

Chulane, Teller of Tales allows you to do the two most powerful things in EDH: card draw and ramp. And you only need to cast a creature.

Any creature becomes an Explore effect for free. Not to mention that it’s in the beloved blue and green colors. The ability to recover any creature and cast it again helps with ETB effect abuse.

#6. Last March of the Ents

Last March of the Ents is an incredibly expensive sorcery out of LotR: Tales of Middle-earth that not only cannot be countered but also draws a ton of cards. It's dependent on having a beefy creature with high toughness, but that's basically a non-issue in green.

The cherry on top of this card is that after you draw your cards, you get to put any number of creatures onto the battlefield from your hand. It's absolutely explosive, and it has potential even if your board was just wiped if your hand is already full of cards. It's sort of like a stronger Tooth and Nail.

#5. Thrasios, Triton Hero

One of the most popular commanders for a lot of reasons, Thrasios, Triton Hero can add to any other commander with the partner mechanic. It also has a mana sink to convert mana to cards, and infinite mana equals infinite cards.

#4. Glimpse of Nature

A card banned in multiple formats because it’s so easy to win after you cast it, Glimpse of Nature will draw you a card when you cast a creature. Ideally you’ll have cheap creatures that can also generate mana. Elves are ideal.

A finisher like Craterhoof Behemoth will get the job done after drawing lots of cards and getting plenty of elves into play.

#3. Sylvan Library

Sylvan Library is a relic of MTG’s past, and one of green’s only card selection and advantage tools. You basically draw two extra cards on your draw step and you can then choose between paying four life for each card or returning them to the deck. So it’s a kind of scry 2 effect before you draw.

And you can really choose what you’re drawing next if you combine it with shuffling effects from fetch lands or cards like Ponder. You can very well pay the life if you have it to spare, like against control and combo decks.

#2. Leovold, Emissary of Trest

Leovold, Emissary of Trest was one of the most popular () commanders before it was banned. Coupled with wheel effects, you draw seven cards and everybody discards their whole hand.

And no one can easily targeting your permanents since you’re drawing more cards this way. At least you get to draw a card if they kill your Leovold.

#1. Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath

Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath does it all. It ramps, gains life, and draws cards. It’s also never really dead since you can escape it almost indefinitely.

A card that stabilizes your board, grants you card advantage, and attacks for six is surely going to be on the top of the list This versatility had Uro banned in a few formats from Standard to Modern.

Best Green Card Draw Payoffs

Card draw is one of the better ways to ramp and fix your mana since you get more options per turn. It’s easier to play a land every turn and find the right color you’re looking for.

Expensive cards and cards that have mana sinks (i.e., activated abilities that allow you to spend excess mana) go well with card draw. And the more card draw you have, the easier it is to find narrow cards or assemble synergies and combos.

Lorescale Coatl is a Simic card that grows anytime you draw a card.

Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix can generate a ton of mana if you’re drawing extra cards. It’s also in the right colors since Simic is the king of card draw. It’s even got partner to pair with other colors.

There are also tons of combos that generate infinite mana and allow you to draw your entire deck, eventually finding the combo that will win the game.

Wrap Up

Camaraderie | Illustration by Sidharth Chaturvedi

Card draw is a tool to keep playing the game, overcome variance, and avoid falling behind. Green started to get more and more card advantage tools in 2017 since MTG’s color design philosophy elected green to be the color with more access to card advantage behind blue.

The interesting part is that green’s card advantage is tied to its creatures, caring about them dealing combat damage or their power. This makes it more relevant against small creature decks and less relevant against control decks that can leave the board clean with removal and wraths.

What’s your favorite green card draw that you won’t play a green Commander deck without? How many cards is your record with a green card draw spell? Let me know in the comment section below or over in the Draftsim Discord.

That’s all from me for now. Stay safe, stay healthy, and wash your hands!