The 28 Best White Ramp Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on October 10, 2023

Mox Pearl (Ultra Rare Cards) | Illustration by Raoul Vitale

Magic is a complex and strategic collectible card game that's been enjoyed by millions of players for over a quarter of a century. One of the critical components of a successful deck is ramping, or generating mana more quickly than your opponents.

Some colors excel at this, like green, while others aren’t typically considered one of the most vigorous colors for the task, like white. But there are still some valuable spells that can provide mana acceleration for a white deck, so it’s time to look at the best white ramp spells in the history of the game.

What are each spell's mechanics, strengths, and weaknesses, and how can they be incorporated into a white deck to help you gain an advantage? Intrigued? Let’s get started!

What Is White Ramp in MTG?

Smothering Tithe | Illustration by Mark Behm

Before we move forward, let's keep in mind that white isn’t typically considered one of the strongest colors for ramping. Some white spells can provide mana acceleration if needed, though.

I'm not taking mana rocks that adds any color of mana or cards like Extraplanar Lens that can make your lands produce more than one mana into account for these rankings because they can work for either color and aren’t exclusive to white. Other cards are still worth mentioning that almost do the job, but they require another color or can search for any other than white mana.

Honorable Mentions

Spoils of Victory and Farseek can search for Plains, but they can also search for other land types. If that’s not enough, they’re green.

I was debating whether to include Krosan Verge as an honorable mention. In the end I decided to put it here because it also searches for a Forest and isn’t exclusive to white mana.

#28. Minimus Containment

The thing with Minimus Containment is that it turns a permanent into a Treasure. You can target one of yours and add mana.

Not the most effective use of a card, but hey, it's a ramp at the end of the day.

#27. Buy Your Silence

Buy Your Silence is the same scenario as Minimus Containment.

#26. Excavation Technique

Like the previously mentioned cards, you can destroy your permanents and add more mana with Excavation Technique. In some narrow scenarios it can act as a hard-to-cast Cultivate if you control and target an indestructible nonland permanent.

#25. Giada, Font of Hope

Giada, Font of Hope is a powerhouse in decks dedicated to it. It serves not only as a pseudo-ramp spell but also an enabler to play bigger angels every turn.

It's not higher on the list because of how narrow it is, but it’s a mana rock with legs at worst.

#24. Thunder Totem

It could be better, but Thunder Totem can act as a mana rock that can later become a creature. I’d run it in an Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite deck, for example.

#23. Gold Myr

Why would I rank Gold Myr higher than Giada, Font of Hope? Simply put, it's because it doesn't add any restriction on how you can spend your mana.

#22. Scouting Hawk

Scouting Hawk is just the first of a long list of creatures that ramp you if your opponents control more lands than you.

#21. Cartographer's Hawk

I like this cheap creature because you can keep replaying Cartographer's Hawk and attack different opponents each time depending on whether they have blockers for it.

#20. Space Marine Scout

Space Marine Scout is another creature that puts lands onto the battlefield if you’re behind. The good part is its main abilities: vigilance and first strike.

#19. Loyal Warhound

A 3/1 for two mana creature is already a good aggressive one. The added ability to tutor for lands if you’re behind is a plus in Loyal Warhound’s favor.

#18. Scholar of New Horizons

Scholar of New Horizons is a fun card to play and potentially build around. You can also add it into counter-themed decks where you can activate its ability more than once.

#17. Stoic Farmer

What makes Stoic Farmer stand out from the previously mentioned cards is that it always searches for one regardless of your opponent's lands. The difference is that the land goes into your hand if no one controls more than you, similar to Scholar of New Horizons.

#16. Kor Cartographer

Unlike the rest, Kor Cartographer always puts a Plains in play. It even gives white the ability to tutor for Triomes or dual lands if you got it right.

#15. Knight of the White Orchid

Knight of the White Orchid is higher than the rest because of pure nostalgia. It was one of the first cards I played with, and it reminds me of those times. It also searches for Plains.

#14. Boreas Charger

Despite the mana cost I like Boreas Charger a lot because it can fetch more than one land. On top of that, one comes into play and the others go to your hand. It helps with catching up or playing against a dedicated ramp deck.

#13. Aerial Surveyor

Cards that tutor for lands when they attack are rare, so Aerial Surveyor gets onto the list for that reason.

#12. The Restoration of Eiganjo

It's weird to see The Restoration of Eiganjo on the list, but here’s the logic: in theory you can discard the Plains you searched for in the first chapter and return it to play with its second one. It technically works as a ramp spell if you have another land card in hand.

#11. Keeper of the Accord

Keeper of the Accord is a versatile creature that can provide lots of value for a white-based deck. Its token-generating ability and ramp potential make it a valuable addition to any strategy that involves creating an army of tokens.

It fits into the white ramp category for the purposes of this list.

#10. Archaeomancer's Map

Archaeomancer's Map is a good card that searches for lands on its own. In some scenarios it can act as a ramp spell. It also plays exceptionally well with Endless Horizons because you’re guaranteed to have land each turn.

#9. Deep Gnome Terramancer

I like Deep Gnome Terramancer a lot because it's a creature with a static ability. It doesn't matter if it happens in later portions of the game, the Gnome will pseudo-tax your opponents as long as it’s in play.

#8. Battle Angels of Tyr

Battle Angels of Tyr has a lot of text on it, but the important part about its ability is the clause that gets you a Treasure token if your opponents control more lands than you once they receive damage from this creature. It may be hard to pull off, but it provides more value than just the Treasure depending on the situation.

#7. Master of Ceremonies

The more opponents on the table, the better Master of Ceremonies becomes. You can get up to three Treasure tokens with it. In some cases that may be better for your opponents rather than giving you some creatures or extra cards from your library.

#6. Monologue Tax

Monologue Tax is a card that’s more balanced than the ones below. It can punish decks that run cheap spells, or that aim to cast multiple ones during a single turn.

#5. Smuggler's Share

I like static effects that punish your opponents every turn, and Smuggler's Share is no exception. For as little as three mana this enchantment can replenish your hand, ramp you ahead, or just slow down your opponents.

As its flavor text says, “One way or another, everyone gets paid what they’re owed.”

#4. Mirari's Wake

Mirari's Wake is a powerful enchantment that doubles the amount of mana produced by each of your lands. It doesn't add mana itself, but it allows you to create a large amount of mana quickly (hello, expensive spells).

It also acts as an anthem effect for your creatures, making them more challenging to remove from the battlefield and critical in token-based strategies.

#3. Karametra, God of Harvests

Karametra, God of Harvests is the only white commander that lets you ramp in the form of lands. While it's not entirely white, being two colors enables a wider variety of cards to add.

#2. Smothering Tithe

It's to no one’s surprise to see Smothering Tithe in this spot. It quickly became one of the most hated Commander cards to play against after its introduction and remains so to this day.

#1. Mox Pearl

Mox Pearl is the cheapest (in terms of mana) and priciest (in terms of money) way to generate white mana for a white deck.

There’s a reason this Mox isn’t legal in any format other than Vintage, where it can be used only as a one-of. It takes the deserved spot of the #1 white ramp spell because of this.

Best White Ramp Payoffs

There are different ways to abuse these white ramp spells, especially the ones that have a creature attached. Let's start with the most obvious ones.

The most apparent reason you’d want to have white ramp spells is to cast the ones requiring tons of mana. White Sun's Zenith is an example that can be used as a finisher at the end of any opponents' turn. The more mana you spend, the more Cats you get.

The second reason you’d want ramp spells is to cast your commanders ahead of time, like Zetalpa, Primal Dawn or Elesh Norn.

It may seem counterintuitive, but hear me out. In Armageddon’s case, cards outside of lands ramp you, like Smothering Tithe or mana rocks. This way you can cast your land to destroy effects and be the only one to keep playing their spells for a while.

Wrap Up

Knight of the White Orchid | Illustration by Mark Zug

White may not be the strongest color for ramping in Magic, but it still has some valuable options for mana acceleration. Smothering Tithe and Knight of the White Orchid (among others) are some spells that can help a white deck ramp up its mana development and gain an advantage over your opponents, or just play the catch-up game in terms of resources.

What do you think? Did you find a new card you didn't know about previously, or are there any important one I missed? Please let me know in the comments below or over in the Draftsim Discord.

Thank you so much for reading, and we'll meet again in the next one!