The 41 Best Red Enters the Battlefield Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on March 16, 2026

Dockside Extortionist | Illustration by Forrest Imel

There are WAY too many good enters-the-battlefield effects (ETBs) in Magic to have them fit in a single list, but today we will do it specifically for red cards.

While creatures will be our biggest focus, we will also rank other permanent types, such as enchantments and artifacts.

Intrigued by the best red ETB effects in MTG? Let’s dive right in!

What Are Red Enters the Battlefield Cards in MTG?

Cavalier of Flame | Illustration by Wesley Burt

As the name suggests, red “enters the battlefield” (ETB) cards are the ones known for triggering powerful effects when they hit the battlefield. While there are many strong red cards that enable ETB triggers from other creatures, like Terror of the Peaks or Mana Echoes, they don’t have an ETB effect themselves and won’t be included on this list.

Also note that cards whose color identity is outside of red will be excluded, meaning some powerful ones like Etali, Primal Conqueror will not be featured. With that out of the way, let’s jump into the list.

#41. Cheap Token Makers

There is a BIG list of cheap cards that let you put a wide variety of tokens into play. Instead of talking about them separately, I decided to put the most popular of the cheap red token generators on the same list, which includes:

• Mogg War Marshal / Goblin Instigator (creature token)
• Voldaren Epicure (Blood token)
• Charming Scoundrel (role token)
• Wily Goblin (Treasure token)

#40. Mindclaw Shaman

Long-time Commander players know Mindclaw Shaman’s effect as one of the better ones around for its ability to “steal” and cast an opponent’s spell for free. Of course, the hope is to cast an Emergent Ultimatum, but that's pretty much the best-case scenario.

#39. Combustible Gearhulk

Combustible Gearhulk is proof that punisher effects are just fine if both options are beneficial to you. Do you really care if you give up three cards if it means you've got a shot at doming the opponent for 10-15 damage? And the reverse is true, too, giving you ETB card draw that would make a blue deck blush. This gearhulk is a prime target for reanimation, copy effects, blink, and so on.

#38. Goblin Goliath

Goblin Goliath has a similar ability to other very good cards like Siege-Gang Commander or Beetleback Chief that can put tokens on the field, perfectly suited for goblin and token archetypes. On top of that, it can double the damage those tokens and other damage sources you control deal to your opponents.

#37. Spiteful Banditry

Spiteful Banditry’s effect reminds me of what The Meathook Massacre does but in a less powerful way. The difference is that this board wipe does damage rather than giving -X/-X to creatures, and you don't gain or lose life; rather, you get a treasure token whenever one or more creatures die. This last bit would be extremely good, but it only triggers once per turn.

#36. Clive, Ifrit’s Dominant / Ifrit, Warden of Inferno

TheFinal Fantasy set added to the depth of MTG by creating interesting playstyles inspired by the games. Creatures that transform into sagas, like Clive, Ifrit's Dominant, have many upsides. The ETB trigger can be crucial card draw in the late game, and once transformed, the legendary saga provides ramp to sling a ton of spells.

#35. Obsidian Charmaw

I don’t usually like land destruction effects as they are somewhat expensive. Still, Obsidian Charmaw is a dedicated hate piece against Eldrazi decks that, more often than not, only run cards that could produce colorless mana, and you will find yourself casting this card for a mere 2 mana most of the time.

#34. Thundermaw Hellkite

Thundermaw Hellkite is a beast when it comes down flying across the sky, as its enters the battlefield ability will let you tap each flying creature your opponents control while also pinging them. If you manage to give it deathtouch before the ability resolves, you can then kill each flying creature instead. Still, on its own, it's a fierce dragon that hits hard and fast.

#33. Goblin Recruiter

The key here is to just set up your hand in a way where you can use Goblin Recruiter to stack your deck with key goblins, like Goblin Matron to tutor for specific pieces, and Goblin Ringleader to draw a ton of goblins. This creates a chain of card advantage, allowing you to flood the board with goblins and overwhelm your opponents quickly.

#32. Goblin Bushwhacker

Goblin Bushwhacker used to be a menace when paired with Kuldotha Rebirth in Pauper, as for 3 mana you get 8 attacking power from one turn to another. This pattern is not unknown, as it was previously used during Rise of the Eldrazi with cards like Devastating Summons to finish games in a blink of an eye. Similar effects exist, but this at common is truly a powerhouse.

#31. Pain for All

As a red deck player, don’t you want pain for all? Pain for All is an aura that works as removal and as an aggro rattlesnake. When this card enters, you can remove an opponent’s creature, and the damage trigger also provides a ton of value for aggro decks that can be a headache for any opponent that needs to block a threat.

#30. The Rollercrusher Ride

The Rollercrusher Ride was introduced in Duskmourn, and provides not only a solid red board wipe but also a solid way to double damage once delirium is up.

#29. Tersa Lightshatter

Tersa Lightshatter works as a graveyard filler and aggro card. This red creature can help you get the cards you need early, or fill up your graveyard for reanimation or threshold effects. On top of this utility, once its threshold-like requirement is satisfied, you can get a ton of value back from your graveyard. Tersa fits perfectly into many different decks’ curves.

#28. Firebender Ascension

Firebender Ascension focuses on attacking triggers, but still provides a nice enters trigger as well. This card wants to get four quest counters to double all of your attack triggers. As support for this goal, it provides a creature token with firebending. This red enchantment pairs quite well with cards like Fire Lord Azula and Firebending Student.

#27. Cavalier of Flame

The enter the battlefield effect on Cavalier of Flame is similar to others that let you rummage cards away. That said, the upside is that when it dies it deals damage to your opponents based on the numbers of lands you have in your graveyard.

#26. Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms

Naming an influential character after the first mythical hero, nice job, Final Fantasy. Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms is a great creature for samurai and equipment decks. This may sound too specific, but these decks are quite effective and popular. When this card enters, you can throw equipment onto the battlefield and even equip one of them to a samurai you control. This card will make it into many, many samurai decks going forward.

#25. Trumpeting Carnosaur

Since Etali, Primal Conqueror is not viable on this list with green as part of its color identity, the next best thing you have is Trumpeting Carnosaur, with its obvious downsides. That said, you can use it as removal in tough spots and later reanimate it with other spells.

Similar cards like this exist in Geological Appraiser, with discover working a lot like cascade on ETB rather than when the spell is on the stack.

#24. Experimental Synthesizer

Experimental Synthesizer is a critical part of recent mono-red Pauper decks and it was a critical piece on Rakdos Anvil ones in both Alchemy and Pioneer, allowing low-curve decks to have the critical card advantage they need in longer games.

#23. Goblin Chainwhirler

I bet you have used Goblin Chainwhirler to kill random elves or cheap tokens as part of your sideboard strategy, but have you ever used it along with Call of the Death-Dweller to kill your opponent's entire board? Let us know in the comments!

#22. Goblin Ringleader

Goblin Ringleader’s effect is very similar to Muxus, Goblin Grandee in the sense that you get goblins from the top of your library, but with a much weaker effect as those only go to your hand rather than to the battlefield. Still, I remember a time where Goblins was a terrific Legacy deck, and this card was a key piece for them.

#21. Overlord of the Boilerbilges + Inferno Titan

Overlord of the Boilerbilges and Inferno Titan are the top end of creatures that deal damage when they enter the battlefield, with the former being flexible due to its impending cost. I remember playing Inferno Titan as a win condition in Wolf Run Standard decks as Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle rotated from the format.

#20. Goblin Matron

While Goblin Matron has seen play in many MTG formats such as Legacy, Historic on MTG Arena, and even Modern, it shines in Pauper as a tutor for the infamously-named “Moggwarts”, where the plan is to tutor for either Skirk Prospector or Putrid Goblin (whichever is missing) to go infinite along with First Day of Class. If you’re also missing the winning piece, you can tutor for Flamewave Invoker as well.

#19. Depthshaker Titan

Depthshaker Titan is a killer red artifact creature that turns your noncreature artifacts into an army. Not only does this card animate your noncreature artifacts when it enters, it also pumps them full of great attacking keywords. I especially like melee to help you end multiplayer games. Seven mana is steep, but it's dangerous with noncreature artifacts like treasure tokens, or with cards like Weapons Manufacturing.

#18. Embercleave

Embercleave is the ultimate last-resort card to swing and win games you’d normally have no business winning. Its power level in aggro decks is undeniable. Flashing it in for a reduced cost during combat can catch opponents off guard, equipping a creature with double strike and trample, often turning a close game into an instant victory.

#17. Muxus, Goblin Grandee

Muxus, Goblin Grandee is a total beast in typal goblin archetypes as more often than not, once it's resolved it usually means game over. For 6 mana, Muxus lets you reveal the top six cards of your library and put all goblins with mana value 5 or less onto the battlefield, often flooding the board with a horde of creatures. On top of that, Muxus gets a power boost based on the number of goblins you control, making it a massive threat itself.

#16. Imperial Recruiter

Imperial Recruiter is the red counterpart of Recruiter of the Guard, as it can fetch creatures with power 2 or less. It’s one of the best tutors in Commander across the board, especially in red decks where tutoring options are usually limited.

#15. Ox of Agonas

Ox of Agonas is one of the most annoying creatures you don’t want to see on your opponent’s side of the field in the late game, or in a top deck war. It’s a key piece in lategame graveyard decks to escape from behind during grindy match ups.

#14. Cemetery Gatekeeper

Red usually lacks the graveyard hate seen in others colors like green or black. Because of this, Cemetery Gatekeeper is so high on the list as it's one of the few red cards with dedicated hate against reanimation strategies and other decks that rely on the graveyard to execute their plan.

#13. Godo, Bandit Warlord

Godo, Bandit Warlord gives birth to a combo that only requires itself, Helm of the Host, and mana. The idea is to attack with it once you have searched and attached Helm of the Host to it, and after that, you'll have infinite extra combat phases.

#12. Headliner Scarlett

I was not high on Headliner Scarlett at first simply because I didn't read it fully. The thing is that for 4 mana, this card can serve as a stall-breaker and a game finisher on its own. On top of that, in the off-chance your opponent survives, you'll still get the card advantage this provides at the beginning of each of your upkeeps.

#11. Seasoned Pyromancer

Seasoned Pyromancer is an extremely versatile red card for multiple decks and archetypes. For instance, it can be a key component for reanimation decks that want to bin their win conditions, or in convoke decks where you need a good density of creatures to cast others for cheap. You can also just use it while you have no cards in hand to draw two more, making it an excellent card in late-game scenarios.

#10. Emberwilde Captain

The monarch and the initiative are powerful mechanics on 1v1 and fair ones in multiplayer formats. For this list, I wanted to include one of each and Emberwilde Captain is the best mono-red creature with the monarch ability.

#9. Dire Fleet Daredevil

Dire Fleet Daredevil is an excellent card for late game plans as it’ll let you steal a card from your opponent’s graveyard and use it in your favor. The 2/1 first strike body is good as well if you ever need to cast it in the early stages of the game.

#8. Caves of Chaos Adventurer

Initiative is one of the most broken 1v1 mechanics, and Caves of Chaos Adventurer represents it. The card's pretty powerful even if you never complete a dungeon.

#7. _____ Goblin

Banned from Pauper, Legacy, Vintage, and even Oathbreaker, _____ Goblin is a powerful creature that generates massive amounts of mana as it’s essentially a 2/2 creature that refunds its own mana most of the time, and provides even more mana if you’re lucky. One might say that Priest of Urabrask is a more “fair” option.

#6. Amped Raptor

Not so long ago, energy was a forgotten mechanic that was not used in any format. That quickly changed with Modern Horizons 3, and Amped Raptor is one of the best energy cards as this dinosaur basically lets you cast two cards for just 2 mana. On top of that, this creature has first strike, making it a pain to pass in the early stages of the game.

#5. Pyrogoyf

While there are other creatures that deal damage once they enter the battlefield, such as Flametongue Kavu or Flametongue Yearling, Pyrogoyf is clearly a better card overall, as its ability also triggers once other lhurgoyfs enter the battlefield. On top of that, its power and toughness increase based on the number of different card types in all graveyards, similar to the classic Tarmogoyf.

#4. Dualcaster Mage

Dualcaster Mage has been a key component for multiple combo strategies to copy spells repeatedly, but once in a blue moon, it can also be used to “fizzle” counterspells.

#3. Fury

While I’ve already mentioned cards that deal damage to other targets such as Pyrogoyf, they are not nearly at the level of what Fury does, as it can virtually be cast for free. On top of that, you can use some “tricks” to bring it back for as little as 1 mana as seen in “Scam” decks where the idea is to pair them with the likes of Not Dead After All to return them to the field and retrigger their abilities.

#2. Goblin Engineer

Goblin Engineer’s entomb effect is mainly seen in black, so having it in red is a big plus if you're into reanimation strategies, usually involving Sword of the Meek or Painter's Servant.

#1. Dockside Extortionist

Recently banned from Commander, Dockside Extortionist was one of the best creatures with an ETB ability in multiplayer games. For 2 mana, you could create multiple Treasure tokens that ramp you ahead, often enabling powerful strategies or even combos to take out opponents. While I don’t think the ban was bad overall, it certainly stirred up a lot of feelings within the community. Some players felt it removed a critical tool for certain decks, especially in treasure-heavy archetypes, while others welcomed the change, seeing Dockside as warping the format by enabling too many fast and degenerate plays.

Best Red ETB Payoffs

There are a couple of cards that come to mind if you're trying to exploit red ETBs, such as Panharmonicon to double these triggers, or ways to essentially reuse, creatures like Norin, Swift Survivalist and Airbender Ascension.

Of course, abilities that let you copy creatures such as Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker or the infamous Splinter Twin are excellent additions.

Other cards, such as Heat Shimmer, Molten Duplication, and Twinflame will let you do this one time, and Devastating Onslaught can do this multiple times.

Outside of doubling or blinking ETB effects, we can look at some goblin payoffs, as there are a ton of goblins on this list. Goblin cards like General Kreat, the Boltbringer, any version of Krenko, and Grub's Command can greatly benefit alongside the goblin ETB effects from these rankings.

Wrap Up

Spiteful Banditry | Illustration by Manuel Castañón

ETB effects are strong in MTG. Whether they boost your strategies, fetch the cards you need, or blow up opponents’ game plans, ETB effects provide a ton of value. Red decks clearly benefit immensely from the cards above, but make sure to also check out the overall best ETB cards, and you can find the best ETBs in other colors as well: White, Blue, Black, Green, Colorless.

What was your favorite ETB effect? I tried to cover as many as I could, but obviously I may have missed some. Were there any you would have loved to see on the list? Let us know in the comments or on the Draftsim Discord!

As always, take care, and we will meet again for my next article.