In the past two years, Magic players have returned to Ravnica, fought in a planeswalker war, been enchanted by fairy tales, escaped from Theros’ Underworld, and most recently entered the Lair of Behemoths. But what’s the main story that comes up with each set release: power, and lots of it.

As a result, more cards seem to be getting banned than ever before, and even the flagship mechanic from Ikora, Companion, has been nerfed. On the heels of M21, Standard hasn’t really budged: Temur Reclamation and Bant Ramp continue to dominate. Standard players can’t wait for these 10 haymakers to leave the format.

10 Wildnerness Reclamation

Many people will agree that Wilderness Reclamation is a dumb card. Doubling mana abilities is, as the past year has demonstrated, backbreaking. This four mana enchantment is the heart of Temur Reclamation, a deck that still reigns supreme after multiple set releases.

By combining Expansion/Explosion and multiple copies of Wilderness Reclamation, players can deal lethal damage to the opponent’s face out of nowhere. However, without Expansion/Explosion games can grind to a halt, making this archetype exceptionally annoying to play against.

9 Nissa, Who Shakes The World

Nissa’s static ability instantly doubles mana, and it’s +1 loyalty ability turns lands into 3/3 creatures with vigilance. And the mana tapped to cast her that turn can be untapped with her +1 loyalty ability.

She does an excellent job of protecting herself with 3/3 bodies, one of the strikes against most planeswalkers. Her, Growth Spiral, and Arboreal Grazer make the complete ramp package. It’s not difficult to understand why many players won’t miss Nissa and her army of appropriately coined “Nissa lands.”

8 Narset, Parter Of Veils

Narset’s static ability is extremely oppressive because she stops opponents from drawing extra cards. She also provides amazing card advantage and selection, making it possible to answer opposing threats easily. Narset hosed plenty of format staples like Hydroid Krasis, Chemister’s Insight, and Growth Spiral, but also any playable cantrips.

She was a powerful sideboard option against Temur Reclamation, Izzet Phoenix, and Simic Flash. Now she’s not played much with Mystical Dispute balancing the format, but no one will be sad to see her go.

7 Priest Of Forgotten Gods

Priest of Forgotten Gods has shown up in a lot of busted decks. Cat oven setups rely on Priest to destroy the opponent’s defenses and usually follow up with Mayhem Devil, or even Bolas’ Citadel to combo out the opponent in one fell swoop.

She enables plenty of strategies like Rakdos Sacrifice, and Orzhov Sacrifice, and is frequently a must kill. Against decks that lack spot removal, Priest can casually run away with the game. Like the mysterious gods she worships, she will soon be forgotten too.

6 Aether Gust

Before Companions dominated the meta, Aether Gust was the key spot removal piece. It invalidated mono-red, green stompy, Bant midrange, and any other deck that played red or green. It threw off the momentum of powerful aggro strategies; thanks to Aether Gust, there was always a cheap answer to Embercleave.

It even interrupted synergistic decks like Jund Sacrifice and Temur Reclamation. Any card that targets a specific color is going to lead to a feel-bad moment, but Aether Gust is easily the worst of these offenders.

5 Mass Manipulation

Mass Manipulation feels amazing to cast, but it feels horrible to lose to. Mind control effects are among the most powerful effects in Magic because they are effectively both removal and creature spells rolled into one.

Mass manipulation steals creatures and/or planeswalkers, making it one the most powerful control magic effects ever printed. It’s a fantastic way to close out a game, but because of the collective malaise brought on by Agent of Treachery, players are happy to see this effect leave the format.

4 Deputy Of Detention

Deputy of Detention is still one of the strongest removal spells in the format. Sometimes it can wipe an entire board of tokens, which makes Trostani Discordant and Emara, Soul of the Accord firmly second to third tier. It was an excellent addition in Hero of the Precinct builds because on cast it created a second body and removed a threat, which is an easy two for one!

There’s also something disheartening about seeing a creature locked up underneath a bureaucratic Azorius officer. Permanent exile from the format seems like an appropriate response to the discouraging image.

3 Thief Of Sanity

Thief of Sanity is a popular card for control decks. It’s a 2/2 flyer that’s hard to block and that’s guaranteed to steal an important card from the opponent when it connects. Then it lets the controller cast that card for any mana and use it against their opponent.

It’s difficult to recover from the card disadvantage and pressure it applies. Given the current meta-game, it’s too slow to compete with Uro and Brazen Borrower because these cards have immediate benefits. However, it’s sufficiently frustrated enough players that they will cheer when it’s gone.

2 Growth Spiral

Ramp strategies go bigger, faster. Growth Spiral draws a card and puts an extra land into play at instant speed, everything Simic decks require. This archetype doesn’t mind tapping out on turn two because by turn three its casting Nissa, Questing Beast, or even Cavalier of Thorns.

With Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath (a literal copy of Growth Spiral on a stick with upside) wrecking in Standard, the power level of Simic is out of control. Al least once Growth Spiral rotates, players will only have Uro to worry about, which is a start.

1 Teferi, Time Raveler

What started as an innocuous card from War of the Spark quickly became the most standard-warping card of the entire format. Teferi doesn’t allow the opponent to cast instants, making him both a must kill and a near-impossible threat to eliminate.

“Threeferi” bounces permanents, draws cards, and casts sweepers like Kaya’s Wrath at instant speed; it’s no wonder why Esper Control was once the most powerful deck in the format. Since his introduction, he’s shown up in every top tier deck including Bant Ramp and Jeskai Lukka. When’s he’s gone, Standard will finally be in a better place.

NEXT: MTG: 10 New Cards From Core Set 2021 That Are Perfect For Janklords