Locations
We've previously gone over some of the best (or at least some of my favorite...) two-drops and four-drops. Today we're going to look at some of the best and most iconic three-drops to ever grace the game. To once again clarify, we're only looking at permanents in these lists, so things like creatures, planeswalkers, enchantments, etc.
Just like last time, in no particular order...
Psychatog
Let's start with the granddaddy of all three-drop creatures. Psychatog, also affectionately known as Dr. Teeth in his hayday, was an absolute monster, which should be evident from his art.
Back in the day, players would amass cards in their graveyard and hand with spells like Deep Analysis and Fact or Fiction, then they would reset the entire board with Upheaval. They would then recast a Psychatog off of mana they floated, only to kill the opponent on the following turn, who has no board themselves, with a lethal Psychatog.
Psychatog was a helluva creature, and was the primary inspiration for the more recent format-warper, Psychic Frog!
Teferi, Time Raveler
Hoo boy, this guy.
This is one of the strongest planeswalkers in the game, so much so that Teferi was even banned in Pioneer. He was an absolute menace in Standard when he was legal, and people still hate him in Modern. His static ability of turning off the opponent's ability to cast cards at instant speed is just brutal, and any card that redefines how an opponent must play the game (like Narset, Parter of Veils denying additional card draws) is almost always worthy of a second look. In Teferi's case, he also got a third, fourth, and fifth look. In fact, legend has it that players are still looking to this day...
Oko, Thief of Crowns
Hoo boy, this guy: Part Two.
While Teferi is bad, he awkwardly doesn't even hold a candle to Oko, who was not only banned in Standard, but is also currently banned in Pioneer, Modern, and Legacy, which is an insane number of formats to be banned in. When it came to powerful planeswalkers, Oko pushed the envelope a bit too far. One of the things I remember reading was that, in testing, Wizards neglected to realize that his +1 ability would so often be used on artifacts and creatures the opponent controlled, thus negating some of their most powerful and strategic threats.
Oops.
Rhystic Study
I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest Commander guy, but even I know this card is the most busted three-drop in the format. So much so that a pretty mediocre Prophecy common has been upshifted to a rare and nearly every copy now goes for over $50. If you're playing Blue, you're likely running Rhystic Study, unless you have an agreement with your playgroup prohibiting the card, which you very well may.
Swords of X and Y
Swords or X and Y, such as Sword of Fire and Ice or Sword of Truth and Justice, have been hugely popular since they first appeared in Darksteel back in 2004. Each Sword caters to a different two-color combination, with some being better (or much better) than others. The cycle of all 10 swords was just recently completed (compleated?) in March of the Machine, in 2023, with Sword of Once and Future. It only took 19 years, but we now have a sword that grants protection from every two-color combination!
To be honest, it's kind of sad that the journey is over. It was always fun to have new swords to look forward to, yet never knowing when the cycle would be complete.
Metalworker
Metalworker is another classic that feels like the Grim Monolith of three-drops. This guy was played and prominent at the same time and was often used to cheat humongous artifacts into play. While his requirement (holding a bunch of artifacts in hand) was a bit more of an ask than something like Thran Dynamo or Grim Monolith, his upside was as well...
Liliana of the Veil
When it comes to planeswalkers, Liliana of the Veil is another classic that does it all. Liliana kind of redefined how good a three-mana planeswalker could be.
While her first ability is often card neutral, it's very common to build around Liliana to take advantage of this. Cards with flashback or creatures that can be brought back are the most common things to discard. Her second ability then does the same thing most planeswalkers want to do: it protects her by getting rid of an opposing creature. In a perfect world, the opponent will only have one available to sacrifice at such an early point in the game.
Liliana's ultimate isn't unreasonable to reach either, and I've been able to activate a surprising number of times. I'm sure you'll be surprised to know that it is also quite good.
Necropotence
I nearly forgot about this guy, but it's an absolute classic. Necropotence single handedly both defined Magic for months and redefined how resources worked within the game. Before Necropotence, people were not inclined to see their life totals as a resource. In fact, when Necropotence was first previewed, it was kind of poo-poo'd on, because people thought trading life for cards was a ridiculous premise. Eventually, the smarter players among us would show us how wrong we were. I'm pretty sure Necropotence is responsible for players eventually realizing that our life total can be just as much of a resource as our cards in hand or our lands in play. And now Necropotence is banned in Legacy and restricted in Vintage!
Thanks for reading and I'll catch ya next time!
Frank Lepore
