MTG Best Mana Rocks EDH Players Use

Mana rocks are an important part of Magic the Gathering, and especially in the EDH format. It can be hard to find the best mana rocks MTG has printed throughout the years with so many available to us players. For example, the best mana rocks EDH players typically use are 2 CMC ones, but what about 3 CMC mana rocks? Or even ones that cost 4 or more mana?

Generally speaking, the best mana rocks EDH players tend to use are the many that cost 2 CMC or less. These mana rocks are not only cheap to cast, but very powerful and almost essential in any Commander deck nowadays. Follow along as well dive deep into the best mana rocks MTG has printed and improve your decks and power level with some good ole fashioned ramp!

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MTG Best Mana Rocks

When it comes to the best mana rocks MTG has printed, the vast majority of them are going to be 2 CMC (mana value) mana rocks. There are a handful of 0 CMC mana rocks MTG printed that are only legal in the Vintage format due to how busted and powerful they are. This includes cards such as the Moxes (e.g. Mox Sapphire & Mox Jet) and the infamous Black Lotus.

The focus of this topic is going to be based on the best mana rocks for EDH, leaving all other formats alone. Just a small note, there are tons and tons of mana rocks MTG has created over the years. This goal of this article is to highlight what I feel are the best of the best. All that being said, one thing I did want to touch on briefly before diving in deep with all of the best mana rocks MTG has available is to talk about green decks and mana rocks.

Best Mana Rocks MTG has for Green Decks?

My philosophy is that if your deck has green in it, you should then lean heavy into green mana-generating sources. Then, rather than include mana rocks in your green decks, instead replace those mana rocks with actual ramp spells. Green has ramping capabilities like no other color and additional lands are much safer than artifacts such as mana rocks.

A great example of this is rather than include a Simic Signet in your blue/green deck, instead include a copy of Nature’s Lore. You can then find yourself a Breeding Pool, a Rimewood Falls, a Tangled Islet, a basic Forest, etc and put it on the battlefield. Having a Simic Signet is nice and all, but it is an easy target for removal. Whereas the land you put on the battlefield off of Nature’s Lore is much less prone to removal. Both of these cards cost two mana to cast, and the end result is the same in that you end up with a net positive of one additional mana available to you.

The only benefit (most of) the best mana rocks MTG has printed have is that they can be tapped immediately and used for mana. The land you grab off of Nature’s Lore may enter tapped, depending on which land you grab. Overall, this is why I recommend using ramp spells over mana rocks in any deck with access to green in them. Check out the linked article where you can read more about this and also discover some of the Best Green Ramp MTG has to Offer.

Best Mana Rocks EDH Players Use

Now that we briefly discussed the pros and cons of using mana rocks in a green deck, lets move on to all other non-green decks! Here is where we will talk about the best mana rocks EDH players use, grouped by mana value (CMC). To kick things off, lets go over the best mana rocks MTG has available that are 1 CMC or less.

Best Mana Rocks MTG has Printed at 0-1 CMC

When it comes to the best mana rocks EDH players use, 0 and 1 CMC mana rocks have some extremely heavy hitters! Arguably the most famous mana rock, Sol Ring, falls within this grouping. And even Sol Ring is not the most powerful of them! Just be warned, a lot of these mana rocks are very expensive. But often times, great power comes with a hefty price tag!

Best Mana Rocks MTG has Printed at 2 CMC

Without a doubt, some of the best mana rocks EDH players love using are those 0 and 1 CMC mana rocks. They are so powerful, but the problem is that most of them are crazy expensive. That is where the 2 CMC mana rocks come in! Most of these mana rocks are MUCH cheaper, but still very versatile and powerful. These are what I call the ‘bread and butter’ in terms of mana rocks. They will give you the most upside without costing a small fortune. To kick off the best mana rocks MTG has printed at 2 CMC are the 5 color ones:

The Best 5 Color Mana Rocks

These are the best 5 color mana rocks MTG has printed at 2 mana value thus far. Despite being labeled as 5 color mana rocks, some of these mana rocks will have stipulations on what color(s) it can make. Each one of these has the ability to tap for any color, even if you must choose a color as it enters the battlefield. Starting with the best and moving down:

• Arcane Signet
  • Tap to add 1 mana of any color in your commander’s color identity
• Fellwar Stone
  • tap to add to your mana pool 1 mana of any color that a land an opponent controls would produce
• Coldsteel Heart
  • Coldsteel Heart enters the battlefield tapped
  • As Coldsteel Heart enters the battlefield, choose a color
  • Tap to add 1 mana of the chosen color
• Pillar of Origins
  • As Pillar of Origins enters the battlefield, choose a creature type
  • Tap to add 1 mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a creature spell of the chosen type
• Star Compass
  • Star Compass enters the battlefield tapped
  • Tap to add to your mana pool 1 mana of any color that a basic land you control could produce
• Sphere of the Suns
  • Sphere of the Suns enters the battlefield tapped and with three charge counters on it
  • Tap and remove a charge counter from Sphere of the Suns to add 1 mana of any color
• Corrupted Grafstone
  • Corrupted Grafstone enters the battlefield tapped
  • Tap: Choose a color of a card in your graveyard. Add 1 mana of that color

Medallions are Considered Some of the Best Mana Rocks EDH Players Use

The next set of best mana rocks EDH players love using are the cycle of Medallions. The Medallions were very expensive but thanks to a reprint in Command Masters, their price has dropped significantly. Unlike most mana rocks which only give you a net of 1 additional mana and then become tapped, the Medallions can net you as much as 3+ mana each turn! This is because their ability reduces the cost of any spell within its specified color. So if you’re casting multiple white spells with Pear Medallion on the battlefield, for example, you are saving 1 mana for each of those spells.

• Pearl Medallion
  • White spells you cast cost 1 generic less to cast
• Sapphire Medallion
  • Blue spells you cast cost 1 generic less to cast
• Jet Medallion
  • Black spells you cast cost 1 generic less to cast
• Ruby Medallion
  • Red spells you cast cost 1 generic less to cast
• Emerald Medallion
  • Green spells you cast cost 1 generic less to cast

Talismans are Some of the Best MTG Mana Rocks

Some of the best mana rocks MTG has printed at 2 CMC are the Talismans. There is a Talisman for each two color combination, resulting in ten total. Each one costs 2 colorless mana to cast. They can tap to add 1 colorless, or can tap to add 1 of either of its colors by dealing 1 damage to you in the process.

MTG Best Mana Rocks: Signets

Another cycle of the best mana rocks MTG has to offer for EDH at 2 CMC are the Signets. Just like the Talismans, there is a Signet for each two color combination, making ten total. These Signets are all named for their respective guild as well! Each one costs 2 mana and has the ability to pay 1 generic and tap it to generate 1 mana of each of its colors, creating 2 mana total (net positive of 1 mana).

The Best Colorless Mana Rocks

The next set of best mana rocks MTG has given us are the colorless mana rocks. While these colorless mana rocks generally don’t produce colored mana, they have additional abilities attached to them which will for sure help you out. Take Thought Vessel for example, it produces 1 colorless mana and also has an ability which grants you no maximum hand size! These colorless mana rocks, especially the untapped ones, are some of the best mana rocks EDH decks need to include.

Best Mana Rocks MTG has Printed at 3 CMC

One question I find myself thinking about pretty often about is if it is even worth including mana rocks at or over 3 CMC? Truth be told, with the sheer amount of amazing mana rocks MTG has at 0-2 CMC, I think the answer is leaning more towards ‘probably not for most cards’. Despite that, here are the best mana rocks MTG has printed at 3 CMC that I think are still absolutely worth including in your decks:

• Chromatic Lantern
  • Lands you control have “Tap to add one mana of any color”
  • Tap to add 1 mana of any color
• Phyrexian Altar
  • Sacrifice a creature: add 1 mana of any color
• Ashnod’s Altar
  • Sacrifice a creature: add 2 colorless
• Basalt Monolith
  • Basalt Monolith doesn’t untap during your untap step
  • Tap to add 3 colorless
  • Pay 3 generic: Untap Basalt Monolith
• Decanter of Endless Water
  • You have no maximum hand size
  • Tap to add 1 mana of any color

Best Mana Rocks MTG has Printed at 4+ CMC

In the same vein as 3 CMC mana rocks, 4+ CMC mana rocks need to be stellar in order for me to consider including them in my decks. Luckily, there are some really great cards that can hold their own. Nearly every single one of these mana rocks will not only grant you additional mana, but also have fantastic abilities attached to them as well! Here are what I consider to be the best mana rocks MTG has given us at 4 or more CMC that you should start including in your decks:

• The Great Henge
  • This spell costs X less to cast, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control
  • Tap to add 2 green – you gain 2 life
  • Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on it and draw a card
• Chromatic Orrery
  • You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color
  • Tap to add 5 colorless
  • Tap and pay 5 generic: Draw a card for each color among permanents you control
• Forsaken Monument
  • Colorless creatures you control get +2/+2
  • Whenever you tap a permanent for colorless, add an additional colorless
  • Whenever you cast a colorless spell, you gain 2 life
• The Immortal Sun
  • Players can’t activate planeswalkers’ loyalty abilities
  • At the beginning of your draw step, draw an additional card
  • Spells you cast cost 1 generic less to cast
  • Creatures you control get +1/+1
• Caged Sun
  • As Caged Sun enters the battlefield, choose a color
  • Creatures you control of the chosen color get +1/+1
  • Whenever a land’s ability causes you to add 1 or more mana of the chosen color, add 1 additional mana of that color
• Krark-Clan Ironworks
  • Sacrifice an artifact: add 2 colorless
• Thran Dynamo
  • Tap to add 3 colorless

Final Thoughts

If you found the information in this article helpful and are considering purchasing some of these best mana rocks EDH players use, please consider using the links provided throughout. It signals to TCGplayer that you found this information helpful, and this site receives a small commission to keep the wheels turning. Also, it doesn’t cost you anything extra!

With that being said, these are the absolute best mana rocks MTG has printed over the years. While some of the most powerful mana rocks are 0 or 1 CMC, the 2 CMC mana rocks have the best bang for your buck. Sound off in the comments and let me know your go-to mana rocks for your EDH decks. One of my all time favorites is Thought Vessel and almost always finds a home in all of my decks. Thanks for reading and happy ramping!

The Fellwar Stone artwork was done by John Avon from Commander Masters.