The Dark is one of those sets of MTG cards that was pretty solid. I’d have to say that a lot of the cards from that set are still uselful today, though they are nowhere near as sought after as stuff from Legends or Arabian Nights. It’s still a good set, and at the time of its release had the largest creature ever printed. I’m sure you know what card I’m talking about. Anyway, let’s take a look at some of the other great cards of The Dark.

#10 Dark Heart Of The Wood

More like Dark Raisin Of The Wood. The original picture for this card is cool, but that still looks like a raisin. Anyway, this card is cool because it can really come in handy when your life is getting low. It’s worth sacrificing a few forests if it means you don’t lose. This card has saved me in games before. It only costs two mana and can gain you a lot of life. I usually grab about nine from it over the course of a game, and sometimes more if I’m about to lose (sometimes over 20).

#9 Ball Lightning

This is a classic. It’s even had its own green spin-off. It’s a quick hit for six damage. That’s really all it does, but that’s nothing to laugh at either! This was a strong card then, and it’s a strong card now. There have also been a lot of weaker versions of this card like Spark Elemental. It’s a piece of MTG history and a great card.

#8 Frankenstein’s Monster

I laughed when I saw this card too. I thought, “Man, they ran out of ideas.” And maybe they did for names at least. However, what this card does is pretty awesome. Let’s say you pay four mana. You can get a 4/5! That’s pretty good. If you pay five or six you can get a bigger creature! Of course, you do have to remove creature cards from your graveyard to do this as well, but that’s not too much of an issue. Buried Alive comes to mind right away. I think not enough people give this card a chance.

#7 Goblin Wizard

This goblin was kind of useless when it was released. There really weren’t many goblins and most cost less than this card (and none cost more!). So, this card really wan’t worth it at the time. However, with the advent of black and green goblins (and changelings!), this card is a lot more powerful. It can get you some big goblins for free, which is always nice. Just watch out! This card’s toughness is a little low for my liking. I’d say make sure to have a way to bring this card back if you’re going to use it. It’s gonna be one heck of a target.

#6 Mana Vortex

This card is interesting because it’s a blue land destruction card. It makes the game a battle of mana. It’s perfect to use with those Rhytic this and Rhystic that cards. Also, there are a lot of cheap counter cards that only work if your opponent doesn’t pay X. This card can be a staple. I’d look into it if I were you.

#5 Dance Of Many

Copying a creature for only two mana? Now that’s awesome. You do need to pay UU every turn, but that’s a small price to pay to copy any creature. It’s a great way to get rid of legendary creatures, and if your opponent doesn’t have any, it’s a good way to copy some other big creature. You can at least use the copy as a blocker to trade with the original.

#4 Leviathan

This card was the biggest ever printed in its time. It was the rare everyone was going crazy over. It has some pretty big costs, but it can be played! I’ve seen it used effectively before and this card is a monster. It’s hard to stop ten damage with trample. By the time you play this card you will already have your opponent damaged some. This card is a finisher. You had to know it was going to make the list too. Another piece of history.

#3 Maze Of Ith

Using a free Fog on one creature is pretty awesome. It’s actually incredible. You can have four in a deck too! This card doesn’t cost any mana to use either so it’s a bargain play. It’s a valuable card and is one of the most expensive from the set. If you have one you should be using it! Of course, some may say this is the best card in the set. It is very amazing and I almost selected it for number one as well. However, I feel that you can’t win a game with a one creature Fog. It’s an amazing card, but others are more impressive in the ways that they can be used. It’s a controversial decision, but one that I feel I made after a lot of thought.

#2 Gaea’s Touch

This card is a common! I had never seen it until recently and I was overcome with amazement. It has never been reprinted, and I can see why. You play it for only two mana! This accelerates your mana sooo much! Two lands a turn is insane. I know there are cards that let you do similar things, but this is for only two mana (no one dare mention Fastbond, you know that’s not a normal card). Not only does this card increase the number of land you can play, but you can also sacrifice it to get your mana back! This means that even if you had no more land in your hand when you played this card, you could at least have two extra mana the next turn. I can’t get over the fact that this card is common. It’s one of those cards you never hear about and once you do you just have to go and get one. So what are you waiting for? Go get one!

#1 Cleansing

A controversial pick, but here me out. What do white decks do? They gain life (usually). If you are gaining life and your opponent is losing life, even in small amounts, you should have a difference in life by about ten or so. What you want to do is get that life cushion and then play this card. Save all your land. Your opponent will be force to either lose a lot of life or get rid of most of their land. If they lose a lot of life, you whittle them down to zero over the next few turns. If they sacrifice most of their land, you play Wrath Of God and make them cry. This card is an outstanding rare that very few know about. It works wonders with Endless Horizons as well. This card is great and, in my opinion, the best card of The Dark!

Thanks for reading!