Escape cards in Magic: The Gathering allow you to cast them from the graveyard for the cost of exiling a certain number of cards.
Wizards of the Coast introduced these cards during the Theros Beyond Death set. The keyword can be found in all colors but is most prominent in black or red. To benefit from this effect, you need to have a couple of cards in the graveyard. Escape creatures or spells usually have additional effects, such as +1/+1 counters, if the keyword is triggered.
Here are the five best Escape cards in MTG.
Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger
- CMC: 2(BR)
- Type: Legendary Creature – Elder Giant
- Stats: 6/6
- First ability: When Kroxa enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
- Second ability: Whenever Kroxa enters the battlefield or attacks, each opponent discards a card, then each opponent who didn’t discard a nonland card this way loses three life.
- Third ability: Escape for 4(BBRR), exile five other cards from your graveyard.
Kroxa is a cheap two-mana Legendary Giant that sacrifices itself upon entering the battlefield unless it had Escaped. The Escape cost of four mana makes it decent regardless since the 6/6 stats are great for its cost. The only downside is that you need to have five cards in the graveyard to exile if you want to play it early on, which might prove to be difficult.
One the biggest upsides of Kroxa is that its second ability to force your opponent to discard a card or lose three life is activated both when discarded as a two-mana and when it’s returned to battlefield for four.
Polukranos, Unchained
- CMC: 4(BG)
- Type: Legendary Creature – Zombie Hydra
- Stats: 0/0
- First ability: Polukranos enters the battlefield with six +1/+1 counters on it. It escapes with 12 +1/+1 counters on it instead.
- Second ability: If damage would be dealt to Polukranos while it has a +1/+1 counter on it, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.
- Third ability: 3(BG), Polukranos fights another target creature.
- Fourth ability: Escape for 6(BG), exile six other cards from your graveyard.
Polukranos is a four-mana Legendary Hydra that enters the battlefield with six +1/+1 counters. If it escapes, it receives 12 +1/+1 counters instead. That makes it quite powerful considering it has only a six-mana escape cost.
This card can help you take care of enemy Deathtouch creatures due to its second ability which prevents damage and removes +1/+1 counters instead. If your opponent has a threat on board that you don’t have removal for, you can use its third ability to instantly fight that creature.
Sentinel’s Eyes
- CMC: 1(W)
- Type: Enchantment – Aura
- First ability: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has vigilance.
- Second ability: Escape for 1(W), exile two other cards from your graveyard.
Sentinel’s Eyes gives its wearer +1/+1 and Vigilance for the cost of one white mana. You can Escape it from the graveyard for the cost of exiling two other cards, making this a cheap and reliable way to give a small buff and Vigilance to your creatures.
Ox of Agonas
- CMC: 5(RR)
- Type: Creature – Ox
- Stats: 4/2
- First ability: When Ox of Agonas enters the battlefield, discard your hand, then draw three cards.
- Second ability: Escape for 2(RR), exile eight other cards from your graveyard. Ox of Agonas escapes with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Ox of Agonas is a great refill creature for aggressive decks that dump all their hand to win the game early on. It discards your hand, then allows you to draw three cards. With no cards in your hand, it’s a five-mana, draw-three cards creature. On top of it, it has a cheap two-mana cost Escape cost, requiring eight cards to be exiled from your graveyard.
Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath
- CMC: 3(GU)
- Type: Legendary Creature – Elder Giant
- Stats: 6/6
- First ability: When Uno enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
- Second ability: Whenever Uro enters the battlefield or attacks, you gain three life and draw a card, then you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
- Third ability: Escape for 4(GGUU), exile five other cards from your graveyard.
Uro is a cheap three-mana Legendary Giant that sacrifices itself unless it Escaped. He has a great second ability, giving you three life, a card, and a land from your hand onto the battlefield. This effect can be reactivated when you attack or Escape it, allowing you to build a huge advantage if Uro is left uncontrolled.
