8 Best Competitive Cards in MTG Murders at Karlov Manor Expansion

Magic: The Gathering players are hype for the upcoming Murders at Karlov Manor expansion. But will it shake up the competitive scene? Here are the cards that might.

Murders at Karlov Manor is the first standard Magic: The Gathering expansion of the year and it's looking to shake up the meta before the Pro Tour. Releasing on February 9, this dynamic expansion has a few competitively viable cards that players will want to get their hands on. Here are the best cards in Murders at Karlov Manor.

Murders at Karlov Manor is a highly anticipated set thanks the return of many iconic characters from Ravnica and the mystery to solve. The debut of the Play Booster is also quite interesting. Some cards are more desirable than others, however. Here are the best cards from Murders at Karlov Manor. 

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Vannifar, Evolved Enigma

This card embraces a new mechanic introduced in Murders at Karlov Manor: Cloaking. This essentially allows you to to surprise opponents with creature effects. Vannifar lets you do this for free at the beginning of combat on your turn if you choose to cloak a card from your hand. You can also opt to put a +1/+1 counter on each colorless creature you control, which includes every facedown creature.

Conspiracy Unraveler

This Sphinx Detective is a seven-mana 6/6 with Flying that can change the rules of Magic entirely with the right deck. Instead of paying the mana cost for casting spells, you can "collect evidence 10," meaning you can exile cards that equal a total of 10 mana or greater. This could help you win the game very fast if you play your cards right. 

Undergrowth Recon

Undergrowth Recon lets you return lands from your graveyard for free at the beginning of your upkeep. Getting to put one extra land into play every turn is definitely a game changer. Combine this card with lands that let you fill your graveyard to create synergy.

Delney, Streetwise Lookout

This anticipated Mythic Rare is great for Commander play because it creates a great line of defense. Creatures you control with a power of 2 or less will have their triggers go off an additional time. These same creatures can't be blocked by creatures with 3 or greater power. You'll definitely find uses for this card. 

Anzrag, the Quake-Mole

Anzrag, the Quake-Mole is one of the most desirable competitive cards from Murders at Karlov Manor. First of all, the 4 mana cost and 8 power is already quite awesome. But what really makes Anzrag viable is the synergy it has with other cards. Combined with any symmetrical Fog effect, you can take infinite combat steps. You can also have infinite mana or infinite damage depending on the cards you pair with Anzrag. The infinite possibilities with Anzrag make it undoubtedly one of the most-wanted cards in the expansion. 

Massacre Girl, Known Killer

This Human Assassin is ready for competitive play. She adds wither to creatures you control and you can draw a card whenever a creature an opponent controls dies if its toughness was less than 1. That draw power is quite desirable in Magic and you'll definitely see her in competitive decks. 

Archdruid's Charm

This versatile card can come in handy during every stage of a match. You'll find it in Constructed and Commander decks. It lets you search for a creature or land, reveal it, and put it onto the battlefield tapped. You can instead choose to put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature you control. Lastly, chose to exile a target artifact or enchantment. 

Insidious Roots

While Uncommon, this card has potential as a competitive card. For two mana, Insidious Roots can do quite a good amount, especially for Aristocrat and Reanimator decks.