Hidden Gems

[WWolfe]

Saw this thread on another forum and thought it would make for an interesting discussion here...

What are some hidden gems you've found for your decks? This will probably center mostly around EDH, but if you've found a gem in another format, post that too!

Bitter Ordeal - great combo with Armageddon, or even after a board wipe against any creature heavy or token deck.

Submerge - someone pointed this card out on another forum, I'd never heard of it. Clearly you'll have an Island and most playgroups have a lot of green in them so usually it'll be cast for free.

Soul Exchange - another decent reanimator spell, plus who doesn't love the rare +2/+2 counters!

Koskun Falls - Propaganda in black.

Primal Growth - in reanimator decks it's essentially a free sac engine in addition to netting you two basics that come into play untapped.

Teferi's Veil - great for protecting creatures that would be targets on other players turns, especially since Phase has been errata'ed to allow tokens to be phased. A great way to 'cheat' the system and keep those angel tokens from Geist of Saint Traft as well.

Sudden Death & Wipe Away - other split second cards that should probably see more play.

Cannibalize - another good card in reanimator decks. Put one of your creatures in the graveyard and two +1/+1 counters on another...or do it to an opponents creature.

Credit to NoNeedtoBragoBoutit on MTG Salvation forums for a good deal of these.

[homietre]

Voracious Cobra

Island of Wak-Wak

Scorched Ruins

Riftsweeper

[Soren841]

Ad Nauseam?

[Morganator 2.0]

All of mine are commander gems, that should definitely see more play.

Generator Servant and Bloodlust Inciter: two really good haste enablers. Generator Servant also works as ramp, and Bloodlust Inciter can be used to help a teammate.

Mirrodin's Core: an absolutely underated land. Enters untaped, and has the potential to be tapped for colored mana.

Sentinel Totem: instant speed grave-hate is much better than sorcery speed grave-hate (looking at you Bojuka Bog). And, this thing let's you scry... all for one generic mana.

Caustic Caterpillar: It works at instant speed, and can be used a turn earlier than Reclamation Sage.

Manglehorn: while we're talking about artifact destruction, this guy also works as a nice stax effect. Now your opponent's Winter Orb and Sol Ring enter tapped.

Pain lands: They enter untaped, and you'll likely only use them for colored mana twice (at most). Price wise, they range from $0.70 (Battlefield Forge) to $5.50 (Brushland).

Praetor's Grasp and Extract: We all know those people that use Paradox Engine, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, or Laboratory Maniac as their win-con. Show them who's boss.

[Mostlynotgay]

Oh man I have a bitter ordeal deck that uses the heartless summoning/Myr Retriever combo to... well... you get it.

Mana tithe is a hidden gem I love. Nobody plays it.

Also, one of my favorite cards, that I built my first pure homebrew deck around, is Warped Devotion. So fun

[WWolfe]

LOVE Mana Tithe! Had it in my Azorius EDH when Daxos was the commander. Was set up around Isochron Scepter and counter spells to protect my board.

[Firegriff]

Personal Sanctuary and Manabarbs. It is an interesting pairing of enchantments used together.

[Mostlynotgay]

LOVE Mana Tithe! Had it in my Azorius EDH when Daxos was the commander. Was set up around Isochron Scepter and counter spells to protect my board.

I run it in every deck I have that runs white. It's the best "gotcha!" Card because I find that people always tap out, even when they know it's in your deck. My Boros deck has taken so many games with it. Actually, that reminds me of another one:

Deflecting Palm.

[Morganator 2.0]

I remembered a few more Commander gems.

Rishkar's Expertise: Draw lots of cards, and then cast one for free. Absolutely amazing.

Notion Thief: It has flash, so it really catches people by surprise.

Mental Misstep: every one mana spell in commander is worth countering. Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Elvish Mystic, Serra Ascendant, all of them.

Siren Stormtamer: This card is a new favorite of Azami, Lady of Scrolls and Edric, Spymaster of Trest. See also: Judge's Familiar.

Gideon of the Trials: His emblem can be activated immediately, so he prevents game winning combos right away.

Call to the Kindred: tribal decks have always been popular, and this card fits right in.

Sudden Death, Sudden Spoiling, Sudden Shock, Trickbind: I don't think people really understand how important split second is (most green decks use Krosan Grip, so that's good). You are stopping someone's combo, and they can't do anything in response.

Tragic Arrogance: you get to chose what stays and what goes. You leave your opponents with the worst stuff (like a goblin token) and you get to keep your best stuff.

Goblin Sharpshooter: This guy tears through the board. Deal one damage to Elvish Mystic, it dies, Sharpshooter untaps, so you can do it again. You can destroy anything with one toughness at no consequence.

Defense of the Heart: This card very obviously wins games, so why is it in so few decks?

Chancellor of the Annex: there was a full cycle of Chancellors, and this is the only good one.

Spreading Plague: this will mess the whole board up, and force people to really think about what they're going to play.

[WWolfe]

Rebuild - Nice little effect, there's other cards that do this but this one also has cycling. I love cards that have multiple uses.

Shivan Harvest - Free sac outlet that also nets you destroying that troublesome Maze of Ith, Reliquary Tower, etc.. Pretty good in a Rakdos deck that wants to sac permanents anyway.

Praetor's Grasp - Another card with multiple functions...either take away a combo piece from an opponents deck just so they can't play it or take a card that you want to play such as a ramp piece (Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, etc.)

Braid of Fire - while the mana can only be used during your upkeep, the right deck with good instants (Cyclonic Rift, etc.) love this.

Reap - Another good recursion spell, this time in green but that cares about black permanents.

[Soren841]

Braid of fire is good for paying other cumulative upkeep costs

[WWolfe]

Reconnaissance - pretty nice ability that not many people even know exist.

[CardAgain Sweater]

Reconnaissance - pretty nice ability that not many people even know exist.

Very nice, count me among those who were unaware. A lot of powerful abilities are triggered on attack, and often given to creatures 'not-exactly-built-for-combat'.  A terrible example would be Tilonalli's Summoner, I'm sure there are more powerful examples. Exert is another way Wizards nerfs powerful standard abilities, and Reconnaissance gets around that as well; perfect for EDH or casual.

Thanks for the hidden gem!

[WWolfe]

You're welcome! 

A few more....

Collective Restraint - Really good in a three or more color deck.

Sage's Knowledge - Only gets sorceries but a good card...bring back Bitter Ordeal or Exhume for instance.

[WWolfe]

Noxious Revival - A recursion spell or way to postpone an opponents reanimation. For 2 life or one green.

Head Games - Can be quite funny. Wait for someone to tutor, cast this then replace his hand with x lands or whatever screws them up.