47 Essential MTG Activated Abilities for Competitive Play

Introduction

Activated abilities are a fundamental aspect of Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to cast spells and interact with the battlefield at instant speed. Understanding and utilizing these abilities effectively is crucial for success in competitive play. This article will delve into 47 of the most impactful activated abilities, exploring their mechanics, strategic value, and deck-building implications.

Mana Abilities

1. Llanowar Elves (G: Add G)
Mana dorks provide early game acceleration, ramping up mana production for explosive plays.

2. Sol Ring (0: Add 2 colorless mana)
Sol Ring grants an instant boost of mana, enabling swift development or disruptive actions.

Card Draw Abilities

3. Brainstorm (U: Draw three cards, then put two back)
Brainstorm provides card advantage and filtering, allowing players to sculpt their hand for optimal plays.

4. Rhystic Study (U: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1)
Rhystic Study generates card advantage while disrupting opponents' spells.

Creature Removal Abilities

5. Lightning Bolt (R: Deal 3 damage to any target)
Lightning Bolt is a versatile removal spell that handles most threats, making it a staple in aggro decks.

6. Swords to Plowshares (W: Exile target creature with power 3 or less)
Swords to Plowshares effectively removes creatures while gaining life, providing both value and tempo.

Permanent Enhancement Abilities

7. Serra Angel (W: Give target creature +4/+4 until end of turn)
Serra Angel provides a substantial power boost, turning creatures into game-ending threats.

8. Giant Growth (G: Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn)
Giant Growth offers a cost-effective way to increase creature size, enabling surprise attacks or defense.

Protection Abilities

9. Mother of Runes (W: Target creature gains protection from black and green)
Mother of Runes safeguards creatures from targeted removal, disrupting opposing game plans.

10. Teferi, Time Raveler (1WU: Counter target noncreature spell. Draw a card)
Teferi, Time Raveler provides protection against spells while drawing a card, generating value and disruption.

Card Manipulation Abilities

11. Sensei's Divining Top (U: Scry 3, then put the top card of your library on the bottom)
Sensei's Divining Top manipulates the top of the library, ensuring consistency and setting up powerful plays.

12. Birthing Pod (G: Sacrifice a creature, search your library for a creature with lower mana value and put it into play)
Birthing Pod enables efficient creature recursion and development, creating value chains and potent synergies.

Utility Abilities

13. Lightning Greaves (E: Equip creature you control. Equipped creature gains haste and shroud)
Lightning Greaves protects creatures from removal and grants them haste, providing strategic advantages.

14. Jace, the Mind Sculptor (2UU: Draw three cards, then put two back. Target opponent reveals their hand)
Jace, the Mind Sculptor offers potent hand manipulation and information gathering, giving players a significant edge.

Win Condition Abilities

15. Thassa's Oracle (U: Win the game if you have 10 or more devotion to blue)
Thassa's Oracle provides an alternate win condition for control decks, creating pressure and forcing opponents to respect devotion strategies.

16. Craterhoof Behemoth (G: Target creature you control gets +X/+X, where X is the number of other creatures you control)
Craterhoof Behemoth offers explosive damage potential, turning large creature boards into game-ending threats.

Stack Interactions Abilities

17. Counterspell (U: Counter target spell)
Counterspell effectively negates opposing spells, controlling the game's tempo and disrupting strategies.

18. Force of Will (U: Counter target spell with converted mana cost 5 or greater)
Force of Will provides free counterspells for high-costing threats, protecting combo decks from disruption.

Land Abilities

19. Maze of Ith (0: Target attacking creature can't attack this turn)
Maze of Ith controls combat and disrupts attacking creatures, providing defensive utility for aggro decks.

20. Wasteland (0: Target nonbasic land becomes a Waste)
Wasteland denies opponents access to nonbasic lands, disrupting mana bases and slowing down development.

Flexible Abilities

21. Force of Negation (0: Counter target noncreature spell. Lose 2 life)
Force of Negation offers flexibility, countering spells for free while bearing a minor cost.

22. Cryptic Command (UUB: Choose two - Counter target spell, draw a card, tap target permanent, or deal 2 damage to any target)
Cryptic Command provides an array of options, allowing players to adapt to changing game states and make versatile plays.

Tribal Abilities

23. Collected Company (G: Search your library for two creatures with the same name, put them into play)
Collected Company capitalizes on creature synergies, enabling explosive development and powerful tribe-based strategies.

24. Selesnya Guildmage (G: Creatures you control get +1/+1)
Selesnya Guildmage boosts the entire creature team, offering significant combat advantages.

Planeswalker Abilities

25. Elsepth, Sun's Champion (3WW: Put four 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield)
Elsepth creates a powerful army of tokens, providing board presence and overwhelming opponents.

26. Liliana, the Last Hope (4BB: Each opponent loses 3 life. You gain 3 life)
Liliana, the Last Hope drains opponents' life totals while bolstering your own, gaining significant tempo advantage.

Commander Staples

27. Command Tower (0: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool)
Command Tower provides mana fixing in Commander, enabling diverse deckbuilding and multi-color strategies.

28. Sol Ring (0: Add 2 colorless mana to your mana pool)
Sol Ring accelerates mana production in Commander, fueling powerful plays and early game dominance.

Modern Staples

29. Snapcaster Mage (U: Return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand)
Snapcaster Mage enables repeated spell casting, generating value and disrupting opponents' game plans.

30. Remand (U: Counter target instant or sorcery spell. Its controller draws a card)
Remand delays opposing instant and sorcery spells while drawing a card, controlling the tempo and denying value.

Legacy Staples

31. Force of Will (U: Counter target spell with converted mana cost 5 or greater)
Force of Will provides free counterspells against high-costing threats, protecting combo decks in Legacy.

32. Brainstorm (U: Draw three cards, then put two back)
Brainstorm offers card advantage and filtering, enabling Legacy decks to sculpt their hands for optimal plays.

Vintage Staples

33. Black Lotus (0: Add three mana of any one color to your mana pool)
Black Lotus generates massive mana acceleration, fueling broken combinations and creating explosive starts.

34. Ancestral Recall (U: Draw three cards)
Ancestral Recall provides unparalleled card advantage, allowing Vintage decks to develop powerful synergies and assemble game-winning combinations.

Pauper Staples

35. Cloud of Faeries (U: Flying, whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you gain 1 life)
Cloud of Faeries provides card draw and lifegain in Pauper, supporting aggressive strategies and disrupting burn decks.

36. Affinity for Artifacts (Artifacts you cast cost 1 less to cast)
Affinity decks leverage artifact synergies, reducing casting costs and enabling explosive plays in Pauper.

Archenemy Staples

37. Arcbound Ravager (0/0, for each artifact you control, this creature gets +1/+1)
Arcbound Ravager scales exponentially with artifacts, creating overwhelming threats in Archenemy games.

38. Diabolic Intent (B: Search your library for two cards, then shuffle your library. Put the chosen cards into your hand)
Diabolic Intent provides powerful tutoring in Archenemy, enabling players to assemble game-winning combos or disrupt opponents' strategies.

Planechase Staples

39. Planar Portal (0: Roll a six-sided die. On a 5 or 6, planeswalk)
Planar Portal offers unpredictability and excitement in Planechase, potentially leading to game-changing planeswalker abilities.

40. Chaos Orb (0: Roll a six-sided die. Each player chooses a permanent they control. Destroy each chosen permanent)
Chaos Orb disrupts the battlefield, creating chaos and forcing players to adapt their strategies.

Conspiracy Staples

41. Doubling Season (G: If a creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it)
Doubling Season exponentially increases creature growth, leading to overwhelming threats in Conspiracy drafts.

42. Conspiracy (W: Target player reveals their hand. You may cast a card from their hand without paying its mana cost)
Conspiracy enables powerful synergies, allowing players to leverage opponents' cards to their advantage.

Unstable Staples

43. Hostage Taker (2WW: Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste)
Host