The 40 Best Ramp Payoffs in Magic Ranked

Last updated on December 19, 2023

Woodfall Primus | Illustration by John Tedrick

With a name taken from the classic card Rampant Growth, ramp decks focus on accelerating their mana in the early turns to enable casting very expensive spells ahead of time.

In the last decade or so, ramp decks have gone from a fringe strategy to the forefront of multiple formats, and part of that is the quality of the payoffs that have been printed.

As a self-described ramp player myself, I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are the best ramp payoffs ever printed.

What are Ramp Payoffs in MTG?

Part the Waterveil | Illustration by Titus Lunter

Ramp payoffs are cards that reward you for either having a large amount of mana or a large number of lands. Traditionally, these are cards that cost at least 6 mana. They’re usually cards that you wouldn’t choose to play in a deck without some mana acceleration. For this list, I’ve used a few rules to define them:

• Most X spells are disqualified because they don’t just pay you off for having lots of mana but also for infinite mana. A spell-like Banefire is less of a ramp payoff and more of a win condition for a combo deck that can produce infinite mana.
• Expensive spells that naturally cost less are also disqualified. This isn’t just a list of big mana spells, otherwise ridiculous cards like Murktide Regent or Dig Through Time would be on it.
• Big permanents that are almost never cast and always cheated into play aren’t on this list, so no Archon of Cruelty or Blightsteel Colossus.
• There are lots of expensive cards that are played in Commander, but that’s because most Commander decks naturally run mana acceleration. Any Commander-centric cards that appear on this list have to be quite a bit more expensive than the others.

#40. Voracious Hydra

What’s always great about Voracious Hydra is that you can play it on four mana as a great tempo play, but also play it for 6, 7, or more mana to put down a game-winning threat.

#39. World Breaker

If you get to play World Breaker around turn four or five, exiling a land can be back-breaking to lots of decks. It can also really help you to keep pace with decks that didn’t spend their early turns accelerating their mana. The fact that World Breaker has the ability to just keep coming back if it dies makes it incredibly tough for most decks to play against.

#38. Genesis Ultimatum

Only one of the original cycle of ultimatums was actually good, so the pressure was on for the new cycle in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. Genesis Ultimatum immediately stood out. It’s always just a draw five, but you also get to cheat out any of the permanents you draw. This was a powerful Standard card, and it’s still something that I’d love to cast in a game of Commander.

#37. Part the Waterveil

We’ve had all sorts of cool Time Walk variants over the years, but this one stood out when it was around in Standard as a great payoff for ramp decks. You can just cast it as a simple Time Warp for six mana, but a Time Warp on a 6/6 creature for nine mana (or ten if you want the land to be able to attack that turn) is a very easy way to win a game quickly.

#36. Pelakka Wurm

Pelakka Wurm saw a little Constructed play, but the main reason I have it here is for how much of a ridiculous bomb it is in Limited. Limited has been full of all sorts of obscenely good bomb rares, and this is on par with the best of them, except it was originally an uncommon. This is one of the best ramp payoffs in my Peasant Cube and a personal favorite.

#35. Annoyed Altisaur

Another Limited bomb, and it’s one I’ve been particularly impressed by. Annoyed Altisaur was first printed in Commander Legends, where it doesn’t particularly shine, but its reprint in Double Masters 2022 showcased it in a whole new context. Seven mana for a big creature alongside a free spell from your deck is just awesome, and it swings lots of games into your favor.

#34. Woodfall Primus

Woodfall Primus is a classic payoff at this point. There are so many annoying things you can blow up with its ability, and getting a second shot at it thanks to persist pushes it over the top.

#33. Primal Surge

This is a hilariously dumb card to cast. The ideal is for Primal Surge to be the only card in your deck that’s not a permanent. Then, casting it lets you take your entire library and put it onto the battlefield in one go. That’s clearly a ridiculous effect that you can presumably turn into an instant win.

#32. Gishath, Sun's Avatar

Gishath, Sun's Avatar is a perfect ramp payoff if you set it as your commander. You can focus on ramping in the early turns knowing that you always have access to a powerful 8-drop when you get there, and casting it often puts you very far ahead in the game.

#31. Casualties of War

Casualties of War was a particularly annoying card when it was legal in Standard. While it found a home in midrange decks very easily, some noted that if you simply ramp into it and blow up your opponent’s lands, that’s a surefire way to set your opponent back. Not only that, but you also get to answer threats with it to push them even further back.

#30. Maelstrom Wanderer

I love the cascade mechanic, so Maelstrom Wanderer is a natural fit for me. It makes for a very powerful commander, and it’s something that I’ve slotted into decks wherever I can. The double cascade is a huge bonus on any board, and I’ve even managed to cast this in Legacy (believe it or not).

#29. Velomachus Lorehold

Velomachus Lorehold didn’t stand out at first among the five elder dragons of Strixhaven, but coming into the Historic format at the same time as Time Warp catapulted right to the top of the metagame. Ramping into an early Velomachus and chaining Time Warps together quickly became the best combo deck in the format and led to Time Warp’s ban there.

#28. Genesis Hydra

I didn’t include Genesis Wave on this list because it felt like it mostly gets cast when you use combos to generate absurd amounts of mana, but Genesis Hydra is a whole different story. This was in Standard at the same time as Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, where it could often be cast for X=10 and cascade into your choice of some other awesome payoff.

#27. Tooth and Nail

Tooth and Nail basically just reads as a 9-mana sorcery that wins the game on the spot, assuming you have two creatures in your deck that combine into a win. You could do Avenger of Zendikar + Craterhoof Behemoth or even Deceiver Exarch + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Whatever you go for, this is a payoff worth ramping into.

#26. Inferno Titan

The cycle of M11 titans was full of hits. You’re hard pressed to find another cycle where all five members have seen as much play as this one. Inferno Titan saw lots of Standard play as a great 6-drop to ramp into as well as an alternate win condition for a variety of other decks in the format.

#25. Wurmcoil Engine

Wurmcoil Engine has seen a ton of play in all sorts of formats. It was a house in Standard, it saw play for many years in Modern Tron decks, and you can also play it in wishboards for Karn, the Great Creator.

#24. Cultivator Colossus

It’s a little surprising to me that Cultivator Colossus hasn’t seen much play yet, but it has slotted well into a couple of powerful Modern combo decks. Especially in Modern’s Amulet Titan decks, which already play a ton of lands and often end up drawing you a full grip of new cards when you play it.

#23. Agent of Treachery

Agent of Treachery is one of my favorite Commander cards. I once played a 5-player game during which I ended up controlling four of the table’s commanders at once. Agent really shone though in Standard, where ramp was once the best deck in the format and Agent allowed you to steal your opponent’s lands to keep them from hitting their plays on curve. Especially since you could also steal their Field of the Dead.

#22. Avenger of Zendikar

Avenger of Zendikar saw a little bit of play in Standard, but it has evolved into a busted Commander card. It does a lot of things that Commander decks are interested in and forms a powerful 2-card combo with Craterhoof Behemoth.

#21. Dragonlord Atarka

This is the card that’s responsible for my best tournament finish ever. Dragonlord Atarka on turn four can absolutely devastate your opponent’s board. It’s an incredible play against all sorts of decks, and that led it to be something worth building an entire deck to enable.

#20. Expropriate

Expropriate screams Commander to me, as someone who’s played a lot of spell-based Izzet decks in the past. Taking one extra turn and stealing three permanents is just crazy. All you need is one traitor at the table willing to allow you a second turn, and you’re even better off than a Time Stretch.

#19. Etali, Primal Conqueror

Etali, Primal Conqueror hasn’t been around for long, but it has already made its presence known. Standard has a very strong ramp deck in it, and Etali is one of the main reasons. There are few stronger plays than a 7-drop that double cascades, even if one of them is from your opponent’s deck.

#18. Emergent Ultimatum

While this card was in Standard, Kaldheim gave us huge mono-colored threats to cast: Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider, Alrund's Epiphany, and Valki, God of Lies. Getting these three cards gave your opponent no good choice of what to give you, which immediately made up for the card’s inherent downsides. It has also found a home in Pioneer, where Lotus Field makes it a lot more castable.

#17. Nexus of Fate

Nexus of Fate headlined a unique “ramp” deck in Standard that used Wilderness Reclamation to untap your lands in your end step. You could put the trigger on the stack, float mana, then untap your lands and cast a bigger spell. This meant you could cast a Nexus off just four or five lands. It was a really dumb deck, but this card is the main reason it was so good.

#16. Cityscape Leveler

Cityscape Leveler has been a welcome addition to Modern Tron decks. The ability to destroy any nonland permanent is a nice curve to follow on from your turn three Karn Liberated. I wouldn’t be surprised if this saw some Standard play before it rotates.

#15. Sylvan Primordial

Sylvan Primordial is a big, explosive play in a game of Commander. In a typical 4-player game, destroying three problematic permanents and accelerating you even further into the late game. Or at least, it would do that, if it weren’t banned in the format.

#14. Finale of Devastation

Finale of Devastation is a little stronger than your average creature tutor. Not only can you search up whichever creature you need, but you can also work towards the huge X=10 mode which gives you a ridiculous Overrun for free.

#13. Apex Devastator

I’ve already mentioned a couple of times that I love to cascade. A double cascade is also really nice. What the heck does a quadruple cascade do? I have so far not been able to cast this, but I want to. It sounds amazing. I might have an inflated opinion of Apex Devastator, but look at it! It looks so damn good!

#12. Atraxa, Grand Unifier

It seems like Atraxa, Grand Unifier is the new big bad of Magic. It has shown up in nearly every format as something that can be easily reanimated for a good amount of value, but in the slower Standard format it can also be a potent ramp payoff. You have some good ramp spells legal right now, and Atraxa and Etali are some excellent payoffs for doing so.

#11. Hydroid Krasis

Hydroid Krasis saw play as soon as it was printed. It’s just good at every point in the ramp curve. Even on four mana, it’s a 2/2 flier that draws a card and gains a life. It just keeps getting better and better as you get more mana into play, which is exactly what ramp decks like to see.

#10. Nissa, Who Shakes the World

The best way of enabling Hydroid Krasis happened to be this brutal Nissa. Nissa, Who Shakes the World was absolutely dominant in Standard. It was an incredibly good planeswalker by making a 3/3 vigilance each turn, but doubling the mana of all of your Forests, including Breeding Pool and Overgrown Tomb, just enables further plays turn after turn.

#9. Craterhoof Behemoth

I’ve already mentioned the hoof a couple of times, so let’s talk about it. Craterhoof Behemoth is one of the best possible win conditions for a variety of big green decks. Any Commander deck that goes wide with lots of creatures wants this. Legacy elves decks even use this as a win condition that’s easily castable.

#8. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Ugin, the Spirit Dragon is the joint most expensive planeswalker in the game and one of the biggest plays you can make for eight mana. Its -X to wipe out the entire board is enough to get started, but the +2 Lightning Bolt is also absurd. It has high loyalty and can win a game in short order, a perfect combination for any planeswalker.

#7. Golos, Tireless Pilgrim

Golos, Tireless Pilgrim is a really absurd card. Not only can it ramp you to enable a variety of strategies, but its activated ability is yet another payoff on top of that. All five colors can be tricky to get, but lots of decks enable this by having Golos fetch up a Cascading Cataracts.

#6. Karn Liberated

Hearing you could cast a Karn Liberated on turn three was a milestone moment in Modern’s history. The mono-green Tron deck first appeared in some Magic Online events around 2012, and it was revolutionary. Karn was the entire reason the deck worked so well, being the perfect aim for the deck to cast on turn three. To this day, the deck still runs this explosive planeswalker.

#5. Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

At 15 mana, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is the most expensive spell in Magic (Draco is 16, but it basically always cost less). You absolutely get rewarded for it, since you basically win the game for casting it. Though 15 mana sounds nearly insurmountable and Emrakul mostly gets played in decks that can cheaply cheat it into play, it’s definitely something you can do in the right deck. This is also a similar placeholder for fellow titans Kozilek, Butcher of Truth and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, who also saw varying amounts of play before the next card was printed.

#4. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger

Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger immediately usurped the original titans as the most powerful ramp payoff for a deck with absurdly large amounts of mana. More castable than Emrakul and being able to exile any two permanents often makes this the best choice in decks like mono-green Tron, where it tops the deck’s curve and is one of the most devastating plays the deck can make.

#3. Scapeshift

Once thought to be an awful bulk rare, Scapeshift exploded onto the Magic scene with the printing of Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle. Scapeshift can turn seven lands into one Valakut and six Mountains. The Valakut sees all the mountains entering and triggers six times, giving you 18 damage. That’s usually enough to finish a game, and you can always throw in an eighth land if it’s not. Scapeshift even made a resurgence in Standard with the printing of Field of the Dead. This is a spectacular card that’s often described as a one-card combo.

#2. Primeval Titan

Primeval Titan needs no introduction at this point. It’s banned in Commander and has been seen in nearly every competitive format getting all sorts of combinations of lands. From Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle with some Mountains to Inkmoth Nexus and Kessig Wolf Run. From Eye of Ugin and Eldrazi Temple to Boros Garrison and Slayers' Stronghold. There are so many uses for the titan, and it has been used everywhere it possibly could be.

#1. Karn, the Great Creator

A 4-mana card? The best ramp payoff ever? Yes, that’s right. Karn, the Great Creator is one of the best planeswalkers ever printed and is so flexible. You can fill your sideboard with just about anything you need. Everything from big artifact win conditions like some of the ones already on this list, to combo win cons like Pestilent Cauldron or Mycosynth Lattice, to cheap, disruptive cards like Pithing Needle and Grafdigger's Cage. Of course, you can just go for The One Ring. You really need a lot of mana to make the best use of Karn and these days, this is the first card I think of wanting in my ramp decks.

Wrap Up

Cultivator Colossus | Illustration by Antonio Jose Manzanedo

I have pretty much always been a ramp player. I played a Scapeshift deck in my first ever competitive event, a PTQ back in 2010. I played Valakut ramp at UK Nationals the following year. I then played red/green devotion ramp at my first Grand Prix in 2015 and got into the top 16. I love the playstyle of the deck, and I hope you enjoyed this journey through the archetype’s best-ever payoffs.

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