There are 59 Rare and 18 Mythic Rare Magic: The Gathering cards within the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set, and 20 of them are worth picking first in a pack or building around in the Limited format.
The Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO) Limited format contains a total of 10 archetypes. Each of the 20 Mythic Rare and Rare cards listed is either a bomb within the Limited Draft format or worth grabbing to build around in a specific archetype. The Mythic Rare and Rare NEO cards have not been listed in any specific order.
From Ninjutsu and planeswalker bombs to an Enchantment lord and legendary spirit dragons, here are the 20 best MTG Mythic Rare and Rare NEO cards in the Limited format.
The Wandering Emperor
Possibly the best card in the entire NEO set, The Wandering Emperor slots into any deck playing the MTG color White while synergizing with the RW attack alone samurai archetype. Having Flash sets the Mythic Rare apart from other lower-cost planeswalkers.
Cast The Wandering Emperor on your opponent’s turn to either pump a creature and give it First Stike as a defensive combat trick or exile their attacking creature while gaining two life. On your next turn, use her plus-one or minus-one abilities to gain an advantage when you attack.
Team Ninjutsu
Four NEO Mythic Rare/Rare cards with the mechanic Ninjutsu are worth grabbing as a top Draft pick. Three are in the MTG colors Blue or Black, with Spring-Leaf Avenger being the only exception in Green.
Satoru Umezawa
Satoru Umezawa is a UB Ninjutsu enabler, providing every creature card in your hand with the Ninjutsu mechanic. The NEO human ninja also lets you look at the top three cards of your library and put one in had every time you activate a Ninjutsu ability. Satoru Umezawa slots ideally into the UB archetype but can get splashed in other builds as well.
Kaito Shizuki
Seeing Kaito Shizuki in pack one should pull you into the UB Ninjutsu NEO archetype. He protects himself for one turn upon entering the battlefield by phasing out. Kaito provides card advantage with his plus-one and lets you activate Ninjutsu by creating a token that can’t be blocked. It’s unlikely the MTG planeswalkers ultimate will ever get used.
Thousand-Faced Shadow
Thousand-Faced Shadow is a premium one-drop in Ninjutsu decks that has value throughout all stages of a game. The human ninja enables the Ninjutsu mechanic via Flying during the early game. It can then get played later on via Ninjutsu, creating a token of another attacking creature.
Spring-Leaf Avenger
The color Green has three creatures with Ninjutsu and some support for the mechanic. Spring-Leaf Avenger is still worth grabbing, though, since the NEO insect ninja can Ninjutsu into the battlefield as a 6/5 for only four mana. And when Spring-Leaf Avenger does combat damage to your opponent, you can return a permanent from your graveyard to the hand.
Tamiyo, Compleated Sage
Tamiyo, Compleated Sage has a CMC of either five mana or four mana and two life points. Her plus-one puts a creature or Artifact on lockdown and her minus-X creates a token copy of a permanent you exile from your graveyard. It’s easy to hit Tamiyo’s ultimate, but note that it’s an Artifact token she creates and not an emblem, making it easy for an opponent to remove.
Soul Transfer
Soul Transfer is a premium NEO Sorcery speed spell that allows you to choose one or both options if you have an Artifact and an Enchantment on the battlefield. It exiles a creature or planeswalker, and or, can return a creature or planeswalker from your graveyard to hand. All for only three mana.
Team Artifact
There are over 60 Artifacts within the NEO set, from colorless to Artifact creatures and vehicles, but four at Mythic Rare/Rare stand out as top picks in NEO Draft or as a build-around in Sealed.
The Reality Chip
The Reality Chip is a legendary Artifact creature and Equipment with a Reconfigure cost of 2U. As an 0/4 two-drop, the jellyfish provides defense and lets you look at the top card of your library at any time. Upon getting equipped, The Reality Chip lets you play any type of land and cast spells off the top of your library, providing a huge advantage over your opponent.
Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh
The four-mana NEO planeswalker Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh reduces the first activated ability on an Artifact per turn. He provides card advantage via his plus-one and can turn any Artifact into a 4/4 creature unless it’s a vehicle. If it is a vehicle, the Artifact vehicle keeps its stats and becomes active as if its crew cost was paid. Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh also has a handy ultimate that is possible to hit, drawing a card whenever an Artifact you control becomes tapped.
Blade of the Oni
Blade of the Oni is an Artifact creature Equipment with 3/1 base stats and Menace that has a CMC of 1B. It synergizes with the UB Ninutusu NEO archetype and grants the creature it is equipped to a base power of 5/5 with Menace via a Reconfigure cost of 2B.
Mindlink Mech
Mindlink Mech is a three-drop 4/3 Artifact vehicle that has Flying and a crew cost of only one. The vehicle stands out from other NEO Artifact vehicles by becoming a copy of a target nonlegendary creature that paid its crew cost, obtaining its types, and remaining a 4/3 with Flying. Attack alone enablers can benefit from Mindlink Mech, along with cards that want Modifications, Enchantments, and Artifacts. Mindlink Mech also synergizes with creatures that have the Ninjutsu mechanic.
The Restoration of Eiganjo
Packed with value in every chapter, The Restoration of Eiganjo is a NEO Dual-Faced saga with a CMC of 2W. It finds a Plains card via chapter one, allowing you to cut a land if you want. Chapter two lets you reanimate a permanent from your graveyard that has a mana value of two or less, and it comes into the battlefield tapped. Chapter three transforms the saga into Architect of Restoration, an Enchantment creature fox monk that has Vigilance and creates a 1/1 token whenever it attacks or blocks.
Weaver of Harmony
Weaver of Harmony is an Enchantment lord that pumps all NEO Enchantment creatures by +1/+1. The snake druid has a CMC of 1G and can copy an activated or triggered ability from an Enchantment source, allowing you to choose a new target for the copy.
Kodama of the West Tree
Kodama of the West Tree is a legendary creature with a CMC of 2G that has Reach. The spirit synergizes with creatures Modified creatures, providing the ones you control with Trample. Kodama of the West Tree also provides ramp when any Modified creature deals combat damage to an opponent, putting the basic land directly onto the battlefield tapped.
Jugan Defends the Temple
The NEO Dual-Faced saga Jugan Defends the Temple has a CMC of 2G. The saga’s first chapter creates a mana dork for ramp while the second grants up to two creatures +1/+1 counters. Chapter three transforms the saga into Remnant of the Rising Star, a 2/2 Enchantment creature with Flying.
The dragon spirit can pump creatures that enter the battlefield with “X” +1/+1 counters where “X” is equal to the mana you choose to pay. And if you control five or more modified creatures, Remnant of the Rising Start gets +5/+5 on top of its 2/2 base stats and gains Trample in addition to Flying.
Team Legendary sky dragons
Four out of the five legendary dragon spirits are top NEO Draft picks. The Blue dragon Kairi, the Swirling Sky is more of a Constructed card than a Limited one. Each sky dragon allows you to pick one of two options when it perishes. The one downside to the legendary dragons is you don’t get to choose an ability upon it perishing if the dragon was exiled.
Ao, the Dawn Sky
Ao, the Dawn Sky has a CMC of 3WW, is a 5/4, and has the MTG keywords Flying and Vigilance. When it perishes, you may either look at the top seven cards of your library, putting any number on nonland permanents with a mana value of four or less directly onto the battlefield. Or put two +1/+1 counters on each creature and vehicle you control.
Junji, the Midnight Sky
Junji, the Midnight Sky has a CMC of 3BB, is a 5/5, and has the keywords Flying and Menace. Upon perishing, you can force an opponent to discard two cards and lose two life. The other option is to put a non-dragon card from any graveyard onto the battlefield under your control while also gaming two life.
Kura, the Boundless Sky
Kura, the Boundless Sky is a 4/4 with a CMC of 3GG, along with the MTG keywords Flying and Deathtouch. When it perishes, you can grab three lands from your library and add them to your hand, or you can create an X/X token where “X” is the number of lands you control.
Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
Atsushi, the Blazing Sky is a 4/4 with a CMC of 2RR, along with the keywords Flying and Trample. When it perishes, you may either exile the top two cards from your library and play them until the end of your next turn, or create three Treasure tokens.
