Explorer is a non-rotating format that was created as a Pioneer version for Magic Arena. Because Pioneer includes card from all the way back to Return to Ravnica, there are many cards available to the format that are not currently accessible on Magic Arena.

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While Explorer is only intended as a stopgap while Wizards adds enough older cards to bring Pioneer to the game in full, it's still its own, vibrant format full of interesting decks and unexpected cards to play. Here are the best cards from March Of The Machine for Explorer.

7 Thalia And The Gitrog Monster

Image of the Thalia and the Gitrog Monster card in Magic: The Gathering, with art by Howard Lyon

Anyone else reminded of the dreaded Siege Rhino? While Thalia and Gitrog may have a similar casting cost and stats to the Rhino of Standard past, this is a very different card. That being said, it does provide you with an immediate benefit in that you can play an additional land when Thalia and Gitrog enter the battlefield.

Unfortunately, if your opponent has removal in hand, that's where the value ends. Nonetheless, Thalia and Gitrog in a properly aggressive deck seem like a great addition thanks to the combination of first strike and deathtouch, as well as the ability to sacrifice your lands for cards every time it turns sideways.

Creatures and nonbasic lands entering the battlefield tapped for opponents is also a huge tax that lends itself towards aggressive strategies. If an aggressive Abzan (white, black, and green) manabase can be made, this card is a great payoff.

6 Sheoldred

Image of the Sheoldred/The True Scriptures card in Magic: The Gathering, with art by Ryan Pancoast

Sheoldred from March of the Machine may pale in comparison to Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, but that doesn't mean this creature won't see play. After all, transforming Sheoldred into The True Scriptures is almost certainly a game-winning play.

Unfortunately, the power of the transformation is severely halted by the need for at least eight cards in an opponent's graveyard. It takes quite a few turns in a game of Magic for most decks to achieve this condition, and cards that mill the opponent are typically only played in dedicated mill decks (strategies that win by emptying your opponent's deck).

Maybe Sheoldred finds a place in mill decks as an alternate win condition? Whatever the case, this is a powerful card that is likely to at least find sideboard play.

5 Chandra, Hope's Beacon

Chandra, Hope's Beacon card and art background in Magic The Gathering.

It's almost like this planeswalker was tailor-made for Izzet (blue/red) decks. Mana ramp, and synergy with sorceries and instants, has Izzet written all over it, since these colors provide card advantage and direct damage spells all in one neat package.

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Even if you do find yourself out of gas, as long as Chandra survives to your next turn, you can use her +1 to reliably find some kind of interaction. Her -X isn't quite a board wipe, but it's certain to insulate you against all kinds of threats from aggressive decks.

There may also be a place for this planeswalker in some kind of new iteration of Big Red, however, this wish is probably just a pipe dream from a devoted Mono-red player.

4 Rampaging Raptor

Rampaging Raptor card and art background in Magic The Gathering.

This creature isn't as good as Questing Beast, but what is? It does bring a new kind of interaction to the table that's likely to only get better as more and more battles are printed. Raptor's ability to deal damage to battles in addition to players could be leveraged to great effect in the right deck.

Firebreathing, trample, and haste in one also makes this card a lethal threat in a mere matter of turns. Sadly, Rampaging Raptor is next to worthless when it gets hit by removal immediately, and there's a whole lot of removal going around right now. Keep your eyes on this Dinosaur though, and don't forget about it as future battles see play.

3 Urabrask

Image of the Urabrask card in Magic: The Gathering, with art by Campbell White

There's likely a way to break this card with the right combination of low-cost spells, but the proper deck has yet to come to light. While this is a four-mana creature, it's much better to cast Urabrask on future turns in order to take full advantage of its mana ramping ability and trigger a quick transformation.

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The built-in board wipe on The Great Work might not do something in every matchup, but in the matchups where it's a good effect, it will prove its importance. Additional ramp in the form of treasure tokens and the ability to cast instants and sorceries from all graveyards for a full turn is probably just game ending in the right build. The most exciting part of this card is its ability to potentially create a whole new deck archetype, so here's to hoping.

2 Bloodfeather Phoenix

Bloodfeather Phoenix card and art background in Magic The Gathering.

Speaking of spells-matter decks, here's a new recursive creature for any deck interested in dealing direct damage to opponents with spells. The initial casting of Bloodfeather Phoenix feels pretty mediocre, but future castings are sure to make up for this.

Of course, there's also the route of milling yourself like Arclight Phoenix decks do. In fact, this Phoenix may just find a place in Arclight Phoenix sideboards as an additional threat against decks with lots of exile-based removal.

Needless to say, Arclight Phoenix has proven that this effect is incredibly powerful in the right deck. Only time will tell whether Bloodfeather Phoenix is good enough to make the cut.

1 Glistening Deluge

Glistening Deluge

This card won't see any mainboard play, but it will be a staple in the sideboards of all kinds of decks that struggle against aggressive green or white strategies. This type of mass removal gets around hexproof and indestructible, which are both common keywords Selesnya (green/white) decks use to protect themselves.

In other words, this card is a direct counter to a very popular kind of strategy. Of course, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben will still give decks playing Glistening Deluge a hard time, but that doesn't take away from how effective this card is going to be against Selesnya strategies.

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