Drafting is definitely the game mode I have the most fun with on MTG Arena. The fact that MTG Arena drafting is more like a draft simulation doesn’t bother me all that much.
The fun part of drafting – in my opinion – remains the same: picking cards and trying to build the best deck possible. And then use that deck to hopefully crush your opponents and win the draft!
And with that in mind, here is my Core Set M19 Tier List.
It’s not always easy to value a card correctly. Some cards will definitely be stronger in combination with others (i.e. tribal cards). While drafting the M19 Core Set, you should always adjust your picks according to the signals, your curve and the synergy between cards.
If you feel a card belongs in a different tier, please leave a comment below. I’m always curious and willing to learn.
Pro tip: use CTRL + F or command + F to quickly find any card you’re looking for.
Tier 1: The Absolute Best
These are the absolute best cards in the set, in no particular order. All of them are real game changers and will often put you in a winning position.

Bone Dragon 
Chromium, the Mutable 
Djinn of Wishes 
Lena, Selfless Champion 
Leonin Warleader 
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager 
Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner 
Pelakka Wurm 
Resplendent Angel 
Tezzeret, Artifice Master 
Vaevictis Asmati, the Dire
Tier 2: Great Cards
These cards are also top-tier, but slightly less powerful or easier to beat.

Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants 
Banefire 
Cleansing Nova 
Demanding Dragon 
Demon of Catastrophes 
Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma 
Graveyard Marshal 
Hungering Hydra 
Isareth the Awakener 
Lathliss, Dragon Queen 
Mentor of the Meek 
Murder 
Poison-Tip Archer 
Prodigous Growth 
Psychic Symbiont 
Regal Bloodlord 
Skyrider Patrol 
Valiant Knight 
Vivien Reid 
Windreader Sphinx
Tier 3: Above Average Cards
Strong, decent cards that will almost always make the cut.

Aerial Engineer 
Aethershield Artificer 
Ajani’s Pridemate 
Angel of the Dawn 
Arcades, the Strategist 
Arcane Encyclopedia 
Aven Wind Mage 
Aviation Pioneer 
Brawl-Bash Ogre 
Centaur Courser 
Cinder Barrens 
Colossal Dreadmaw 
Dark-Dweller Oracle 
Declare Dominance 
Departed Deckhand 
Dismissive Pyromancer 
Divination 
Draconic Disciple 
Druid of the Cowl 
Dryad Greenseeker 
Electrify 
Elvish Rejuvenator 
Enigma Drake 
Essence Scatter 
Exclusion Mage 
Fell Specter 
Forsaken Sanctuary 
Foul Orchard 
Gallant Cavalry 
Giant Spider 
Goblin Instigator 
Gravedigger 
Havoc Devils 
Herald of Faith 
Heroic Reinforcements 
Hieromancer’s Cage 
Highland Lake 
Horizon Scholar 
Knightly Valor 
Lich’s Caress 
Lightning Strike 
Luminous Bonds 
Meandering River 
Mirror Image 
Mystic Archaeologist 
Omenspeaker 
Open the Graves 
Patience Rebuilding 
Pegasus Courser 
Plague Mare 
Rabid Bite 
Reassembling Skeleton 
Reclamation Sage 
Remorseful Cleric 
Rhox Oracle 
Runic Armasaur 
Salvager of Secrets 
Shock 
Siegebreaker Giant 
Sift 
Sigiled Sword of Valeron 
Skeleton Archer 
Skymarch Bloodletter 
Skyscanner 
Sleep 
Sparktongue Dragon 
Spit Flame 
Star-Crowned Stag 
Stone Quarry 
Strangling Spores 
Submerged Boneyard 
Supreme Phantom 
Surge Mare 
Thorn Lieutenant 
Timber Gorge 
Tranquil Expanse 
Transmogrifying Wand 
Vampire Sovereign 
Vigilant Baloth 
Vine Mare 
Volcanic Dragon 
Volley Veteran 
Woodland Stream
Tier 4: Average Cards
Solid mid-tier cards. Not bad, but nothing too powerful either.

Act of Treason 
Aether Tunnel 
Ajani’s Last Stand 
Ajani’s Welcome 
Anticipate 
Blanchwood Armor 
Blood Divination 
Boggart Brute 
Bristling Boar 
Cavalry Drillmaster 
Child of Night 
Colossal Majesty 
Daggerback Basilisk 
Daybreak Chaplain 
Death Baron 
Diregraf Ghoul 
Doomed Dissenter 
Dragon Egg 
Dragon’s Hoard 
Dwarven Priest 
Dwindle 
Epicure of Blood 
Fiery Finish 
Fountain of Renewal 
Frilled Sea Serpent 
Gargoyle Sentinel 
Gearsmith Guardian 
Ghastbark Twins 
Ghirapur Guide 
Gift of Paradise 
Goblin Trashmaster 
Greenwood Sentinel 
Hired Blade 
Hostile Minotaur 
Inferno Hellion 
Inspired Charge 
Leonin Vanguard 
Lightning Mare 
Liliana, Untouched by Death 
Liliana’s Contract 
Macabre Waltz 
Manalith 
Meteor Golem 
Militia Bugler 
Millstone 
Mind Rot 
Nightmare’s Thirst 
Novice Knight 
Orsekos Swiftclaw 
Ravenous Harpy 
Rise from the Grave 
Rogue’s Gloves 
Rupture Spire 
Sai, Master Thopterist 
Sarkhan’s Unsealing 
Satyr Enchanter 
Scholar of Stars 
Shield Mare 
Skilled Animator 
Snapping Drake 
Suspicious Bookcase 
Take Vengeance 
Thornhide Wolves 
Thud 
Titanic Growth 
Two-Headed Zombie 
Vivien’s Invocation 
Walking Corpse
Tier 5: Below Average Cards
Most of these will be cut. You might want some of these cards depending on your mana curve and deck synergies.

Abnormal Endurance 
Aegis of the Heavens 
Bogstomper 
Bone to Ash 
Cancel 
Catalyst Elemental 
Chaos Wand 
Crash Through 
Diamond Mare 
Disperse 
Doublecast 
Druid of Horns 
Elvish Clancaller 
Explosive Apparatus 
Field Creeper 
Fire Elemental 
Gearsmith Prodigy 
Ghostform 
Goblin Motivator 
Guttersnipe 
Highland Game 
Infectious Horror 
Infernal Scarring 
Invoke the Divine 
Knight of the Tusk 
Knight’s Pledge 
Lava Axe 
Loxodon Line Breaker 
Make a Stand 
Marauder’s Axe 
Mighty Leap 
Oakenform 
One with the Machine 
Onakke Ogre 
Phylactery Lich 
Psychic Corrosion 
Revitalize 
Rustwing Falcon 
Sarkhan, Fireblood 
Sovereign’s Bite 
Stitcher’s Supplier 
Suncleanser 
Sure Strike 
Switcheroo 
Talons of Wildwood 
Tectonic Rift 
Tolarian Scholar 
Tormenting Voice 
Totally Lost 
Trumpet Blast 
Trusty Packbeast 
Uncomfortable Chill 
Vampire Neonate 
Viashino Pyromancer 
Wall of Mist 
Wall of Vines
Tier 6: (Basically) Unplayable Cards
These will almost always be cut.

Alpine Moon 
Amulet of Safekeeping 
Apex of Power 
Crucible of Worlds 
Desecrated Tomb 
Detection Tower 
Duress 
Fraying Omnipotence 
Gigantosaurus 
Infernal Reckoning 
Isolate 
Magistrate’s Scepter 
Metamorphic Alteration 
Mistcaller 
Naturalize 
Omniscience 
Plummet 
Recollect 
Reliquary Tower 
Root Snare 
Scapeshift 
Smelt
