Kaldheim has been one of the most exciting sets for me in quite a while, and I’m excited to dig into this set’s Top 10s for Oathbreaker. To be more specific, I’ll be doing a Top 10 article for cards of each color, as well as one for multicolor cards. The last pair of Top 10s for this set will be one covering the colorless/land/theme booster exclusive cards and one covering all the new cards from the Commander precons (plus my overall Top 10 cards from Kaldheim, of course). My Top 10s are based on 1) how strong I think a card will be in Oathbreaker, and 2) how many different types of Oathbreaker decks I expect the card to see play in. While I do try to be as objective as I can, these are ultimately just my own thoughts/opinions.
In regards to Kaldheim, I’d also like to reiterate one important factor at the beginning of each of these articles: no, foretell does not work the way you want it to with Signature Spells. Your Signature Spell can only exist either 1) in the command zone, or 2) on the stack. It cannot go to exile—or anywhere else—for any reason, meaning you can not foretell a Signature Spell.
With all that out of the way, let’s kick things off with my Top 10 White cards from Kaldheim!
Honorable Mentions
I just really enjoy every part of this card, personally, so I didn’t want to leave it unmentioned. Giant Ox‘s art, flavor text, and overall design really knock it out of the park for me, even if it isn’t one of the most powerful cards from Kaldheim. Vehicle lists, along with Huatli toughness-matters decks, will likely have a lot of fun steering this absolute chonker into their enemies, and I for one wouldn’t want to find myself on the other end of those horns!
#10: Sigrid, God-Favored
Although I don’t think Sigrid’s “protection from God creatures” will prove to be too relevant in Oathbreaker, I do think there are a few different types of strategies that can make use of her other abilities. Low-to-the-ground white weenie lists are fairly popular in Oathbreaker, and Sigrid’s stats and enter-the-battlefield trigger seem like a perfect match for such a deck. As far as tribal possibilities goes, humans already have plenty of potential, and even warriors have been receiving more support in recent sets. I’m also always a fan of cards that can be used defensively or offensively, so I’m sure Sigrid will be able to carve some spots out for herself in the format.
#9: Search for Glory
Eat your heart out, Call the Gatewatch. While three mana is certainly on the higher end of what I’m willing to pay for a tutor effect in Oathbreaker, Search for Glory does come with quite a bit of versatility. Snow permanents, legendary cards (notably not just permanents), and Saga cards offers a fairly wide range of options for this card to choose from. I also would say the lifegain stapled to the end of this sorcery is somewhat relevant given lifegain’s notorious strength in Oathbreaker. Overall, I don’t expect to be seeing this card become a new format staple in the 58 or as a Signature Spell, but it’s certainly a nice little effect for white to have in its tool-belt.
#8: Bound in Gold
It’s always nice to see a piece of Oathbreaker interaction that won’t actually remove an Oathbreaker from play. In that regard, I personally don’t like Bound in Gold quite as much as some of its predecessors, such as Faith’s Fetters, Imprisoned in the Moon or Song of the Dryads; however, it is still a form of “spot removal” for any type of permanent that is also sure to remain budget-friendly in the long term. The fact that it can also stop a creature from crewing vehicles is kind of cute, if nothing else. I’ll never say no to more budget-friendly playables to help new players get into the format, especially ones like Bound in Gold that can be slotted into almost any type of deck.
#7: Starnheim Unleashed
I’m a big fan of the foretell mechanic as a whole, and Starnheim Unleashed is one of the set’s flashiest foretell cards. Four mana for a 4/4 with flying and vigilance is already a very fine rate on its own, though I for one would rather cast this card for its foretell cost. Most white Oathbreaker decks probably won’t be paying to make more than maybe three of these tokens, at the most, but those tokens would be coming in at a ridiculous rate; three mana for 4 power+toughness, five mana for 8, or seven mana for 12? All with flying and vigilance? Sign me up. The only reason this card isn’t any higher on this list is that I’m not entirely sure what decks are looking for this specific effect other than dedicated token strategies. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this sorcery show up in white midrange-y lists either, but only time will tell how universally popular Starnheim Unleashed will become in Oathbreaker.
#6: Glorious Protector
Speaking of foretell powerhouses! At first glance, Glorious Protector may not look like much in comparison to Starnheim Unleashed; however, what this card lacks in sheer strength, it makes up for in versatility. Blink strategies are probably the most obvious home for this sort of effect, but thanks to the protector’s foretell cost, I could easily see it showing in white aggressive decks as well. When flashed into play in response to a board wipe, Glorious Protector functions fairly similarly to a card like Make a Stand or Flawless Maneuver, in that it protects the rest of your board. And that’s just the enter-the-battlefield trigger! Let’s not forget that Glorious Protector can attack and block, as well, and its instant-speed capabilities can really screw up combat for your opponents. I’ll be curious to see if Restoration Angel 2.0 finds any other homes in Oathbreaker, but I’m sure it’ll be a fine addition to several aggro and blink decks, at the very least.
#5: Righteous Valkyrie
I’ve already alluded to how strong lifegain can be in Oathbreaker, and this next card is a wonderful way to capitalize on those effects. Although lifegain technically won’t win you the game on its own, cards like Righteous Valkyrie can get the job done fairly easily. This angel cleric likely would have made it somewhere on this list even if it only boosted itself, but nope, it boosts all of your creatures as long as you have enough life. Yes, its triggered ability is a tad restrictive, but there are plenty of Oathbreaker decks won’t need any extra help gaining copious amounts of life; Oathbreakers like Ajani, Strength of the Pride and Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord come to mind immediately, though they’re far from the only options. I’m fairly certain this card won’t show up very much outside of dedicated lifegain decks, but I think it’s safe to call it a new staple in that particular Oathbreaker archetype.
#4: Rally the Ranks
Rally the Ranks isn’t the most exciting card on this Top 10, but it may end up being one of the most widely played inclusions—at least as far as Oathbreaker is concerned. Being able to fit into any tribal strategy is already quite the benefit, and almost every tribal deck out there likes to have their own anthem effects. It’s also worth noting that unlike older cards, such as Shared Triumph, Rally the Ranks is templated in a way that ensures it’ll only buff your own creatures. Hopefully this card’s price doesn’t climb too high, because I imagine over time there will be a lot of decks in Oathbreaker—as well as other formats—that will want to include this solid enchantment.
#3: Halvar, God of Battle / Sword of the Realms
Ah, modal-double-faced cards, you have become so popular so quickly, which isn’t surprising. Many MTG players love versatility, and Halvar here is an excellent example. Being able to function as either an enabler or a payoff for equipment-heavy lists is a nice bit of flexibility. Although the front half of this card is clearly geared towards aura/equipment-centric strategies, it certainly isn’t restricted to such decks. I could see almost any white creature-based list running this card solely for the equipment half of it, especially white aggressive decks. The triggered ability is my personal favorite part of the equipment half, but the fact that it also grants vigilance is very noteworthy. The Sword of the Realms offers a lot of value for its cost, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it show up in several different white Oathbreaker lists in the near future.
#2: Reidane, God of the Worthy / Valkmira, Protector’s Shield
Hello, hatebears! I’m a little disappointed we only got a single snow-hate card in Kaldheim, but for what it’s worth, I think it’s a pretty solid card overall. Both sides of Reidane only hurt your opponents, and her taxing effect seems particularly powerful in a format like Oathbreaker. Are you tired of your opponents playing Thoughtcast multiple times from the command zone every turn? Well Reidane is here to help! The fact that she comes with flying and vigilance, on top of everything else, will also make her a very fine attacker and blocker. I’m not quite as high on the artifact half of this card, but it certainly has its uses as well. I particularly enjoy how the shield’s first ability prevents damage from any source an opponent controls, as opposed to only preventing damage from creatures. Reidane’s arsenal of abilities definitely seems like a natural fit for prison/death & taxes lists, but I could easily see this three-drop seeing play in almost any white creature-based deck Oathbreaker.
#1: Doomskar
I love efficient board wipes and nowadays, they don’t get much more efficient than this. I have heard several players state that Doomskar may be the best mono-white board wipe printed since Wrath of God, and I think those claims are very justified. Being able to throw away two mana on one turn in order to have access to a three-mana wrath on another turn is a deceivingly strong effect to have access to, even if the board wipe only hits creatures. Most importantly, just about any kind of Oathbreaker deck could find good use for this sort of card, so I fully expect to see Doomskar popping up in plenty of Oathbreaker decks in the coming months.
What are your favorite white cards from Kaldheim? Are there any white cards you’re particularly excited to try out in Oathbreaker? Make sure to tell me on Reddit or on Twitter! My goal is to have my Top 10 Blue cards from Kaldheim out tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that!
About the author: My name is Alex Enders. I am a college student that’s been playing MTG for almost eight years, though I only recently began experimenting with writing content. My personal formats of choice are Oathbreaker, EDH, and draft. My other interests include music, education, and most things nerdy. You can find me on Twitter (@AAAEnders) or email me at aenders2112@gmail.com