What Are The Best MTG Cards To Test Before Buying?

TLDR

The best MTG cards to test before buying are expensive staples, cards that change your deck’s power level, cards that may annoy your playgroup, and narrow build-arounds that might not fit after a few games.

Start with mana bases, tutors, fast mana, protection spells, value engines, and pricey Commander staples like Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, Cyclonic Rift, Force of Will, Ancient Tomb, fetch lands, shock lands, and Reserved List cards. Proxies are especially useful for casual Commander, Cube, and playtesting where your group allows them.

Introduction

Some Magic cards are easy buys. You need a Sol Ring for Commander, you buy a Sol Ring. No great mystery there.

But other cards are different. A card might cost enough that you want to know it actually works in your deck before spending real money. It might be powerful but awkward. It might make your deck too strong for your table. It might look perfect on EDHREC and then sit in your hand doing nothing because your deck does not support it well enough.

That is why the answer to “What are the best MTG cards to test before buying?” is not just “the most expensive cards.” The best cards to test are the ones with the biggest gap between how good they look and how good they feel in your actual games.

For casual playtesting, Commander nights, and Cube building, MTG proxies can help you make smarter buying decisions. A site like ProxyMTG is built around proxy and playtest cards for casual use where proxies are allowed.

Just keep the basics clear: proxies are for testing and casual play where allowed. They are not counterfeit cards, and they are not for sanctioned tournament play.

Start With Your Mana Base

Mana bases are the first cards I would test before buying because they affect every game.

A good mana base makes your deck feel smooth. A bad one makes the whole deck feel worse than it really is. The problem is that premium lands can get expensive fast, especially in three-color, four-color, and five-color Commander decks.

Good lands to test before buying include:

Fetch lands: Polluted Delta, Misty Rainforest, Scalding Tarn, Verdant Catacombs, Marsh Flats
Shock lands: Watery Grave, Breeding Pool, Blood Crypt, Temple Garden, Steam Vents
Original dual lands: Underground Sea, Volcanic Island, Bayou, Tropical Island, Tundra
Utility lands: Ancient Tomb, Urza’s Saga, Cavern of Souls, Boseiju, Who Endures
Commander lands: Command Beacon, Mana Confluence, City of Brass, Reflecting Pool
Tribal lands: Cavern of Souls, Unclaimed Territory, Secluded Courtyard

The key question is not “is this land good?” Most of these cards are clearly good. The better question is: does this deck need this much fixing?

For example, a three-color deck with a low curve may benefit a lot from fetches and shocks. A slower casual deck with green ramp may be fine with cheaper dual lands, basics, and a few utility lands. Testing helps you see whether the expensive upgrade actually changes your win rate or just makes the deck look cleaner on paper.

Test Expensive Tutors Before Buying

Tutors are powerful because they turn one card into the best card in your deck for the situation. They also change how a deck plays.

That is why tutors are some of the best MTG cards to test before buying. A deck with several tutors can become more consistent, but it can also become repetitive. Some playgroups enjoy that. Some do not.

Cards worth testing include:

Demonic Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
Imperial Seal
Enlightened Tutor
Worldly Tutor
Mystical Tutor
Gamble
Finale of Devastation
Chord of Calling
Green Sun’s Zenith
Eladamri’s Call

Before buying expensive tutors, ask what the tutor usually finds. If it always finds the same combo piece, that may push the deck toward a higher-power style. If it finds different answers, protection pieces, or value engines, it may make the deck more flexible without making it stale.

A tutor is not just another card. It is a copy of your best card, at least in the games where you draw it. That is worth testing.

Test Fast Mana Carefully

Fast mana is one of the easiest ways to change a deck’s power level.

It can make a deck feel cleaner, faster, and more explosive. It can also make games less balanced if the rest of the table is not playing at the same speed. This is especially important in Commander, where the social contract matters as much as raw card quality.

Cards to test include:

Mana Vault
Chrome Mox
Mox Diamond
Mox Opal
Grim Monolith
Lotus Petal
Jeweled Amulet
Ancient Tomb
Gemstone Caverns
Lion’s Eye Diamond, in formats and decks that can use it

Be careful with legality here. Some famous fast mana cards are not legal in Commander, including Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus. Always check the current banned list before buying, especially if you are making a Commander purchase.

The test is simple: play several games with the fast mana and several games without it. If the card creates exciting starts without ruining the table’s power balance, it may be worth buying. If it turns your deck into something your group does not enjoy, save your money.

Test Value Engines Like Rhystic Study And Smothering Tithe

Some expensive cards are not combo pieces. They just generate so much value that they become hard to ignore.

These are great cards to test because they can be strong in one deck and merely fine in another. They can also draw a lot of table attention.

Good value engines to test include:

Rhystic Study
Mystic Remora
Smothering Tithe
Esper Sentinel
Sylvan Library
Necropotence
The One Ring
Black Market Connections
Trouble in Pairs
Guardian Project
Beast Whisperer
Phyrexian Arena

Rhystic Study is a good example. It is powerful, popular, and annoying in the exact way Commander players recognize immediately. If your deck wants a steady flow of cards and can protect the enchantment, it may be excellent. If your table attacks the Rhystic player on sight, it may not live long enough to justify the purchase.

Smothering Tithe is similar. It can create a mountain of Treasure in the right pod. But in some games, it makes you the problem instantly.

Testing helps answer the real question: does this card help your deck win, or does it just make everyone point their removal at you?

Test Premium Interaction

Interaction is easy to undervalue until you lose to the same combo three times.

Premium counterspells, protection spells, and removal can be expensive, but they often matter in higher-power Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Cube, and competitive casual groups.

Cards to test include:

Force of Will
Force of Negation
Fierce Guardianship
Deflecting Swat
Flawless Maneuver
Deadly Rollick
Teferi’s Protection
Cyclonic Rift
Mana Drain
Swan Song
Veil of Summer
Pact of Negation

These cards are worth testing because timing matters. Force of Will can be incredible if your deck can afford the card disadvantage and has enough blue cards. Fierce Guardianship is much better when your commander stays on the battlefield. Deflecting Swat ranges from cute to brutal depending on your meta.

Cyclonic Rift is another important test card. It is one of the most-played blue Commander cards for a reason, but it also has a reputation. Some tables are fine with it. Others groan the second it gets overloaded.

That does not mean you should never play it. It means you should know what kind of games you are trying to create.

Test Combo Pieces Before Buying The Whole Package

Combo cards can look clean in a decklist and clunky in real games.

Before buying several expensive combo pieces, proxy the package and see how often it actually works. You may find that the combo is strong but boring. Or you may find that it is too fragile, too slow, or too hard to assemble without adding even more tutors.

Cards and packages worth testing include:

Thassa’s Oracle
Demonic Consultation
Tainted Pact
Underworld Breach
Lion’s Eye Diamond
Food Chain
Walking Ballista
Heliod, Sun-Crowned
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Dualcaster Mage
Dramatic Reversal
Isochron Scepter
Ad Nauseam
Peer into the Abyss

The best combo test is not just “can this win?” Most combos can win if left alone.

The better questions are:

How many dead cards does the combo add?
Can the deck still function without the combo?
Does the table enjoy playing against it?
Does it match the deck’s intended power level?
Do you have enough protection to resolve it?
Is the combo legal in your format?

A proxy test can save you from buying a pile of cards that turns out to be the wrong kind of strong.

Test Expensive Commanders And Build-Arounds

Some commanders are expensive because they are popular, scarce, or tied to a specific product. Others are not expensive themselves, but they require expensive support cards to work well.

These are worth testing before you commit to the full deck.

Commanders and build-arounds to test include:

The Ur-Dragon
Edgar Markov
Sliver Queen
Urza, Lord High Artificer
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Atraxa, Grand Unifier
Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Tiamat
Sauron, the Dark Lord
Kenrith, the Returned King

A commander can look fun and still play differently than expected. Edgar Markov is explosive. Urza can become oppressive. Kinnan can jump power levels quickly. The Ur-Dragon can be fun, but the mana base and dragon package can get expensive.

Testing helps you avoid building a deck that is technically good but not enjoyable for your table.

Test Reserved List Cards Before Spending Serious Money

Reserved List cards are some of the most important cards to test before buying because the financial commitment can be high and reprints are not expected under Wizards’ Reserved List policy.

Good examples include:

Gaea’s Cradle
Mox Diamond
Grim Monolith
Wheel of Fortune
Survival of the Fittest
Earthcraft
Serra’s Sanctum
Sliver Queen
Lion’s Eye Diamond
City of Traitors
Intuition

These cards are often powerful, but they are not always necessary.

Gaea’s Cradle is incredible in creature-heavy decks, but underwhelming in a deck that does not flood the board. Wheel of Fortune is strong in decks that can use a fresh hand better than opponents can. Serra’s Sanctum is great in enchantment decks and mediocre elsewhere.

The point of testing is to find out whether the card is a real upgrade or just an expensive flex.

Test Cards That Might Be Too Salty For Your Table

Some cards are worth testing because they may cause social problems, not because they are hard to evaluate.

Commander is a multiplayer format. A card can be legal, powerful, and still wrong for your regular group.

Cards to test carefully include:

Armageddon
Winter Orb
Stasis
Drannith Magistrate
Opposition Agent
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Tergrid, God of Fright
Expropriate
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Cyclonic Rift
Rhystic Study
Smothering Tithe

Testing these cards gives you a chance to read the room before buying into a strategy that your group dislikes.

This does not mean you should never play strong or annoying cards. Every group has its own tolerance. Some tables love high-power interaction and nasty locks. Others want big creatures, swingy turns, and fewer hard stops.

The mistake is buying expensive salt cards without asking what kind of games your group wants.

Best MTG Cards To Test Before Buying By Category

Category	Cards To Test First	Why They Are Worth Testing
Mana bases	Fetch lands, shock lands, dual lands, Ancient Tomb, Cavern of Souls	Expensive upgrades that affect every game
Tutors	Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Imperial Seal, Enlightened Tutor	Powerful, but can make games repetitive
Fast mana	Mana Vault, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Grim Monolith	Can raise deck power quickly
Value engines	Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, Mystic Remora, Sylvan Library	Strong, but often draw attention
Interaction	Force of Will, Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting Swat, Cyclonic Rift	Great in the right meta, unnecessary in others
Combo pieces	Thassa’s Oracle, Underworld Breach, Food Chain, Ad Nauseam	Can change the deck’s entire play pattern
Reserved List cards	Gaea’s Cradle, Wheel of Fortune, Survival of the Fittest	Often expensive and deck-specific
Commanders	Edgar Markov, The Ur-Dragon, Sliver Queen, Kinnan	May be powerful, pricey, or table-warping

How Long Should You Test A Card?

One game is not enough.

For most expensive cards, test at least five to ten games before buying. That gives you a better sense of how often the card matters, whether it gets stuck in your hand, and whether it changes the table’s response to your deck.

Track simple notes:

Did you draw the card?
Did you cast it?
Did it help you win?
Did it feel dead?
Did it make the deck more fun?
Did it make the table less fun?
Would a cheaper card have done the same job?

The last question matters a lot. Sometimes a $3 card does 80% of what a $60 card does. That may be good enough.

Where Proxies Fit Into The Testing Process

Proxies are useful because they let you test cards in real games before committing to a purchase. That matters most when a card is expensive, narrow, controversial, or likely to change your deck’s power level.

For casual testing, you can build a small batch of proxy cards, sleeve them with the rest of the deck, and run several games with your regular group. This gives you a better sense of how the card plays than goldfishing alone.

You can find proxy options here:

https://proxymtg.com

The main rule is simple: be clear with your playgroup. Tell people what you are testing, make sure everyone is okay with it, and never use proxies to deceive someone into thinking a card is real.

When You Should Just Buy The Card

Not every card needs a proxy test.

If a card is cheap, broadly useful, and clearly fits your deck, just buy it. Testing makes the most sense when the card is expensive, controversial, narrow, or likely to change your deck’s power level.

You probably do not need to test basic ramp spells, common removal, budget lands, or obvious low-cost upgrades.

Proxy testing is best for uncertainty. Use it where the decision actually matters.

A Simple Playtesting Plan

Start with 10 to 20 proxies, not an entire pile of random upgrades.

Choose cards from three groups:

five mana base upgrades
five expensive staples or engines
five deck-specific cards or win conditions

Play several games. After each game, sort the cards into three piles:

buy soon
keep testing
not worth buying

This gives you a clean path. You are not just goldfishing dream hands. You are learning which cards actually improve your deck.

FAQs

Are MTG proxies okay for testing cards before buying?

Yes, proxies are commonly used for casual playtesting where the group allows them. They are not for sanctioned tournament play, and they should never be used to deceive someone or passed off as real cards.

What are the best Commander cards to test before buying?

The best Commander cards to test before buying include Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, Cyclonic Rift, Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting Swat, Teferi’s Protection, Ancient Tomb, fetch lands, shock lands, Gaea’s Cradle, and expensive tutors.

Should I test fetch lands before buying them?

Yes, especially for three-color, four-color, and five-color decks. Fetch lands can improve consistency, but some casual decks do not need a fully optimized mana base to function well.

Should I test banned cards?

Only test cards that are legal in the format you plan to play, unless your casual group has clearly agreed to special house rules. Commander legality changes over time, so always check the current Commander banned list before buying expensive cards.

Are Reserved List cards worth testing first?

Yes. Reserved List cards are often expensive and deck-specific. Cards like Gaea’s Cradle, Mox Diamond, Grim Monolith, Wheel of Fortune, and Serra’s Sanctum should be tested before buying unless you already know exactly where they belong.

How many games should I test a card before buying it?

Five to ten games is a good starting point. You want enough games to see the card in different situations, not just one perfect draw or one bad opening hand.

Conclusion

The best MTG cards to test before buying are the cards that carry real risk. That risk might be price, legality, power level, deck fit, or table reaction.

Start with mana bases, tutors, fast mana, value engines, interaction, combo pieces, Reserved List cards, and expensive commanders. Those are the cards most likely to look obvious online and feel different in real games.

A good proxy test does not just save money. It helps you build better decks. You learn what your deck actually needs, what your table enjoys, and which upgrades are worth owning.

That is the whole point. Buy the cards that earn their slot. Test the rest first.

References

ProxyMTG, Magic: The Gathering Proxy Cards
ProxyMTG, About ProxyMTG
Wizards of the Coast, On Proxies, Policy, and Communication
Wizards of the Coast, Banned & Restricted List
EDHREC, Top Cards
Scryfall, Magic: The Gathering Card Database

Intent Sentence

This post helps MTG players decide which cards to test before buying by explaining which expensive staples, mana base upgrades, tutors, fast mana, combo pieces, Reserved List cards, and commanders carry the most risk, so they can spend money on cards that actually improve their decks.

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What Are The Best MTG Cards To Test Before Buying?

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What are the best MTG cards to test before buying? Start with pricey lands, tutors, fast mana, staples, combo cards, and commanders.

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The best MTG cards to test before buying are expensive staples, mana base upgrades, tutors, fast mana, combo pieces, and commanders that may not fit your deck.

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