Last updated on March 14, 2024

Linden, the Steadfast Queen - Illustration by Ryan Pancoast

Linden, the Steadfast Queen | Illustration by Ryan Pancoast

Getting into Explorer from scratch can be daunting. There are so many sets with powerful cards, and most of those will be missing from your collection if you haven’t been playing on Arena since its release.

But there's hope. You can always upgrade some of your Standard decks into Explorer versions, and for that you need to know the staples and where to find them if you opt for the pack-cracking route.

Ready to level up? Let's get started!

Which Sets Are on MTG Arena?

Shark Typhoon - Illustration by Caio Monteiro

Shark Typhoon | Illustration by Caio Monteiro

Explorer is basically Pioneer restricted to sets found only on MTG Arena. For that, we’ll need to list all the sets that are legal for Explorer. Here they are:

As more and more sets are added to MTG Arena, they’ll also be legal in Explorer. WotC already signaled their plan to converge Explorer and Pioneer by releasing the remaining sets on Arena. Until then we’ll address only the sets and cards that are already on Arena.

So, which of these sets have the most important staples that you must have in order to enjoy the format?

Honorable Mention: Explorer Anthologies 1-3

All these cards are seeing medium to heavy play. I'd highlight cards like Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Elvish Mystic, and Eidolon of the Great Revel since they're great in their own decks. The other cards are more roleplayers, but they're still important in tier 1 and 2 decks.

#28. March of the Machine: The Aftermath

March of the Machine: The Aftermath is a set of only 50 cards, a weird experiment from WotC. Tranquil Frillback and Coppercoat Vanguard are two of the cards that are seeing some play, and one of them isn’t even rare. Some cards have potential to see future play, but as it stands, it’s the weakest set overall for Explorer.

My top picks are:

#27. Core Set 2019

Core Set 2019 is may be the next weakest set in terms of cards for Explorer, and one that doesn’t offer very much. Aside from Supreme Phantom and Stitcher's Supplier, which both see moderate play, the cards themselves are weak and there isn’t a reason to open M19 boosters. A card that’s seen more play is Metamorphic Alteration because it provides a game-winning combo with Archfiend of the Dross. Alpine Moon also sees some play in the sideboard against decks that want to cheat with nonbasics like Lotus Field. I love Nicol Bolas, the Ravager, but it doesn’t have a home… yet.

Here are my top cards from Core Set 2019 for Explorer:

#26. Strixhaven: School of Mages

I haven’t seen much from Strixhaven: School of Mages in Explorer. The lesson/learn package, which was certainly playable in its Standard, didn’t make the jump to Explorer so well, and the cycle of dual lands from this set are among the worst possible to play. On the bright side, Strict Proctor sees play as a way to negate the downside on Lotus Field or to hate ETB effects.

Here are my top cards from Strixhaven:

#25. D&D: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms

Sadly for fans of D&D and its MTG mashup, this set doesn’t offer a lot. It has some useful tools in the form of Portable Hole and Deadly Dispute. Green has its staples with Prosperous Innkeeper and Werewolf Pack Leader, and each color gets its manland, which you usually don’t need more than one of per deck.

Here are my top cards from Forgotten Realms:

#24. Rivals of Ixalan

Rivals of Ixalan has support for tribes like vampires and dinosaurs, but that’s about it. There are some important dinosaurs here too, and cards that are not only good in dinos but in other decks too. The other cards here fill in special roles, and can shut down entire strategies.

My top cards for Rivals of Ixalan are:

#23. Ixalan

Ixalan wasn’t a good set on a power level basis, even during its time in Standard. The set doesn’t offer much for Explorer aside from some dinosaurs and vampires.

The reason why it’s better than Rivals is that it offers the allied cycle of check lands, which see guaranteed play in almost any deck you want, including top tier decks. And important cards for control like Search for Azcanta and Settle the Wreckage are here, as well as blue staples like Dive Down, Chart a Course, and Siren Stormtamer.

Here are my top cards from Ixalan for Explorer:

#22. Core Set 2021

Core Set 2021 continues the trend of Core Sets having low power in the Explorer format, but there are some interesting cards here. Powerhouses like Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Elder Gargaroth for decks interested in big mana spells, Peer into the Abyss for the mono-black devotion deck, and eternal format staple Scavenging Ooze.

In terms of lands, besides Fabled Passage, Core Set 2021 offers the cycle of enemy color Temples, which aren’t very good but can function as replacements for dual lands if you have one or more of them.

Here are the best cards from Core Set 2021 for Explorer:

#21. Dominaria

Dominaria’s power level has aged poorly. There isn’t much to see here aside from Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and the enemy check lands. And this set has wizard, goblin, and knight support, so Dominaria can support them well if these tribes ever become a thing. Green staple Llanowar Elves is here, but that's a common and can easily be crafted.

Here are the best cards for Explorer from Dominaria:

#20. Wilds of Eldraine

Wilds of Eldraine has yet to make an impression in the Explorer format. Unlike its predecessor Throne of Eldraine, which is broken as ****** (very broken), Wilds of Eldraine is a much tamer set. Still, there are some cards with potential to see play in Explorer. Cards impacting the format are uncommon cards like Hopeless Nightmare, Up the Beanstalk, and Monstrous Rage. There are also the cycle of enemy-color manlands that see play in decks from their colors. Mosswood Dreadknight, Rankle's Prank, and Beseech the Mirror are played in black midrange decks as well.

My top picks for Wilds of Eldraine are:

#19. Guilds of Ravnica

Here’s a set that was originally a high power level one, but its cards have seen less and less play. Aside from Arclight Phoenix, a card that has created its own archetype, none of the other cards see significant play, and the cards that do like Knight of Autumn are secondary role players. We have the shock land cycle that sees play in the decks that need them, and it’s one of the most positive aspects of the set.

My best cards from Guilds of Ravnica are:

#18. Kaldheim

Here’s where things start to get better for Explorer. Kaldheim finishes the Pathway cycle with four entries, a cycle that sees play in every color combination it fits into. And don’t forget Faceless Haven, which is important in mono color decks.

Speaking of which, green decks have powerful cards here like Esika's Chariot and Old-Growth Troll, while red decks have Goldspan Dragon, Birgi, God of Storytelling, and Magda, Brazen Outlaw. And this set will be a huge support if snow decks ever become a thing.

These are my top cards from Kaldheim for Explorer:

#17. Innistrad: Crimson Vow

Crimson Vow offers a valuable set of lands: the slow lands. There's also got cards that see play in lots of red decks, like Voldaren Epicure, Flame-Blessed Bolt, Abrade, and all-star 2-drop Bloodtithe Harvester.

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is playable in every single eternal format up until Vintage while Sorin and Chandra round out the list.

My top cards from Crimson Vow are:

#16. Zendikar Rising

Zendikar Rising is where things really start to pick up. One of the reasons is the cycle of six Pathway lands. But that’s not all. A lot of decks get better with cards from this set. A lot of the good cards for Dimir () rogues are here, like Soaring Thought-Thief.

White decks got a boost with Legion Angel, Skyclave Apparition, and Luminarch Aspirant. Gruul () aggro decks have some beef with Akoum Hellhound and Brushfire Elemental alongside Wayward Guide-Beast.

The best cards from Zendikar Rising for Explorer are:

#15. Ravnica Allegiance

Rounding out the cycle of shock lands, Ravnica Allegiance has its share of powerful cards. Here we have gates payoff like Gates Ablaze and Gatebreaker Ram, plus powerful instants like Growth Spiral, Absorb, and cards that are important to aggressive decks like Light up the Stage and Skewer the Critics.

My top cards from Ravnica Allegiance are:

#14. Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

Ikoria has power all over the place. We’ve got powerful cards for human decks, like Dire Tactics and General's Enforcer. And the tools are all here if cycling ever gets to be a deck in Explorer, from Zenith Flare to all the cheap cyclers and payoffs.

Shark Typhoon is a blue staple, Winota, Joiner of Forces is one of the most powerful cards (currently banned), and all the companions from Yorion, Sky Nomad to Jegantha, the Wellspring are here too.

The cycle of Triomes supports a lot of decks, especially with enemy colors like Jeskai () and Sultai ().

My top cards from Ikoria are:

#13. Theros Beyond Death

Theros Beyond Death offers us a lot of synergies with enchantments. If there’s a powerful deck in Explorer that wants enchantments, then this set will contribute massively.

We already have the cycle of Omens, which are enchantments that stay on the battlefield and generate value to be blinked by Yorion. There are also other powerful hits like Anax, Hardened in the Forge, which is excellent in red aggro decks.

Then there’s a 4-mana wrath in Shatter the Sky and a win condition in Dream Trawler, while Ox of Agonas and Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger have synergy with graveyard decks.

My top cards from THB are:

#12. Core Set 2020

Core Set 2020 is one of the most powerful core sets overall, offering nice sideboard hate options like Aether Gust and Noxious Grasp. Lotus Field has been an important part of the Explorer meta, and naturally, Tale's End is a good counter to its downside. Good black cards overall in Knight of the Ebon Legion and Rotting Regisaur round up the list.

My top cards from Core Set 2020 are:

#11. The Brothers' War

The Brothers' War adds four of the ten pain lands, plus a little extra. Red staple Monastery Swiftspear is here, as well as a good sweeper in Brotherhood's End, which can be a good counterpoint to Anger of the Gods.

You have good removal in Go for the Throat and Soul Partition, as well as good cards with the prototype mechanic to round out the list. Portal to Phyrexia is also a good ramp target.

Here are some good cards for the format:

#10. Dominaria United

Dominaria United has a few powerful cards worth mentioning.

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse is one of the best black cards to be printed in recent times. We have the reprint of eternal powerhouse Liliana of the Veil, which certainly made a mark in the format, and you can round out the color black with cards like Evolved Sleeper and Cut Down.

It also adds six pain lands to the format along with the domain mechanic on cards like Leyline Binding. Serra Paragon adds more juice to midrange white decks, and Combat Research adds redundancy to blue tempo decks.

Here are my top cards from DMR:

#9. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

Let’s talk power in Neon Dynasty. First there’s the cycle of Marches, from March of Otherworldly Light, one of the most powerful and flexible removal spells, to the blue and black Marches that also pull their weight.

Speaking of flexibility, The Wandering Emperor and Farewell add a lot to Azorius () control, which is already a top deck in the format. Fable of the Mirror-Breaker sees play in every midrange deck, and there’s also Greasefang, Okiba Boss, which spawned its own deck.

My top cards from NEO for Explorer are:

#8. Innistrad: Midnight Hunt

This last iteration of an Innistrad set, Midnight Hunt is fantastic. We have the allied slow lands, which are playable in top decks of the format. The quality of the cards is very high and almost all creatures in the Adversary cycle are playable.

Good humans like Adeline, Resplendent Cathar and Brutal Cathar (which happen to be good 3-drops for Collected Company) as well as Tovolar's Huntmaster see play in a lot of decks. The set also has good answers like Fateful Absence, Fading Hope, Infernal Grasp, and Burn Down the House.

Good flashback spells are bound to see play, as is the case with Faithful Mending and Galvanic Iteration. The set is very strong for Explorer overall, and one that you should definitely go after.

My top cards from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt are:

#7. Phyrexia: All Will Be One

We’re getting to the top end with Phyrexia: All Will be One. Not only do we add five very competitive lands in the fast allied dual lands, but we also get cards like Atraxa, Grand Unifier, which became the go-to creature in ramp/reanimator decks. Cards like Phyrexian Obliterator are interesting in devotion decks, while Venerated Rotpriest sees play in heroic/Voltron decks, or decks looking to poison people out. Rounding out the list are very good removal spells in Sheoldred's Edict and Ossification.

Here are my top picks for Phyrexia: All Will Be One:

#6. March of the Machine

March of the Machine is a very, very powerful set, both for Standard and Explorer. Almost all viable archetypes get huge players here. White tempo decks get Invasion of Gobakhan and Knight-Errant of Eos, while red get new options in Chandra, Hope's Beacon, Urabrask and Nahiri's Warcrafting. Invasion of Tarkir is a strong burn spell, and green gets goodies in the form of Polukranos, Reborn and Wrenn and Realmbreaker.

My top picks for March of the Machine are:

#5. Shadows over Innistrad Remastered

Remastered sets have a huge weight in formats like Historic and Explorer on MTG Arena, and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered is no exception. These are very important cards to their archetypes like Spell Queller in spirits, or Pore Over the Pages in Lotus Field combo. Some cards see fringe or sideboard play too.

Here are my top picks for Shadows over Innistrad Remastered:

#4. Kaladesh Remastered

If Temur () energy and Aetherworks Marvel return to top tier someday, Kaladesh Remastered will contribute immensely to Explorer. But I’m rating it solely on the cards printed that are seeing play.

This set has solid cards for Explorer, including removal all-star Fatal Push, control win condition Torrential Gearhulk, and red staples like Chandra, Torch of Defiance and Kari Zev, Skyship Raider. Rounding out the list is the cycle of enemy fast lands, which usually see play in aggro and midrange lists.

My top cards from Kaladesh Remastered for Explorer are:

#3. Amonkhet Remastered

Here we actually have some cheating because there are some cards that were released in this remastered set that don’t belong to the original Amonkhet, and those make this set reach top three.

Pillars of the format like Thoughtseize, Collected Company, and Soul-Scar Mage, along with sideboard stars like Anger of the Gods and Rest in Peace make this set reach the #3 spot.

Here are my top cards for the Explorer format from this set:

#2. War of the Spark

Who would’ve thought that a set with 36 planeswalkers, most of them uncommon, would be a strong set? The list I’m going to put here doesn’t do the set justice. There are just too many good cards here to name. Mono green? You’ve got Nissa. Rakdos () sacrifice? Mayhem Devil itself.

Lots of useful planeswalkers like Gideon Blackblade, Narset, Parter of Veils, and Jace, Wielder of Mysteries make an appearance. What would Greasefang do without its partner in crime Parhelion II? And Feather, the Redeemed decks have Feather and other useful targets.

Here are my top cards from War of the Spark for Explorer:

#1. Throne of Eldraine

Ah, Throne of Eldraine. The set that pushed power level in MTG to the next level. The list of cards that Eldraine contributes to Explorer is massive since lots of adventure cards can be played on their own, and there are plenty of individual power level cards here.

The cycle of Castle lands is excellent, and you should always play one or two from your colors. Cards like The Great Henge and Embercleave can win the game in a hurry. Adventure cards like Bonecrusher Giant, Brazen Borrower, and Lovestruck Beast are among the best creatures ever printed. The Cat/Oven combo can be found here, along with Korvold, Fae-Cursed King. You can’t go wrong with good old Throne of Eldraine.

Here are my top cards for Explorer:

Effectively Increasing Your Explorer Collection

Opening packs in MTG Arena will give you a rare in each pack, but also lots of commons and uncommons, which usually don’t go into many Constructed decks. Especially in older formats which are dominated by rares and mythics. But there are lots of uncommons that fit Explorer decks. Rakdos sacrifice and Izzet Phoenix in particular have a lot of common and uncommon cards in their lists.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a good or easy way to get rare dual lands aside from being lucky and opening them in a booster pack. One tip is to build the deck you want to play and then slowly craft the rare mana base as you can. There are also several viable mono-color decks like mono blue, mono red, and mono green, which only require basic lands and a manland or two.

Another tip is to play events on MTG Arena, namely the Explorer BO1 and BO3 events. These events give gems and booster packs from sets outside of Standard. It’s a way to play the format, test your decks, and get rewards to increase your collection. Not to mention that opening booster packs will eventually net you wildcards, which will help you to complete your Standard, Explorer, or Historic decks.

Wrap Up

Charming Prince - Illustration by Randy Vargas

Charming Prince | Illustration by Randy Vargas

The top sets for Explorer are the remasters of Kaladesh, Shadows over Innistrad, and Amonkhet, along with powerhouses War of the Spark and Throne of Eldraine. Sets that are currently in Standard like Phyrexia: All Will Be One, Midnight Hunt, and March of the Machine are strong in both formats, so you should check them as well.

I hope you’re enjoying the format as much as I am right now. And if you are, you should have a powerful ally in Draftsim’s Arena Tutor. It’ll give you useful stats, track your collection, and use AI to determine what your opponents are probably playing.

That's all from me for now. Thanks for reading!

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