Cream of the Crop MTG Card


Cream of the Crop - Morningtide
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Released2008-02-01
Set symbol
Set nameMorningtide
Set codeMOR
Number117
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byHoward Lyon

Key Takeaways

  1. Boosts in-game decision making by providing top deck selection.
  2. Enables faster play with efficient deck manipulation features.
  3. Offers unexpected play opportunities with strategic flash enablers.

Text of card

Whenever a creature comes into play under your control, you may look at the top X cards of your library, where X is that creature's power. If you do, put one of those cards on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Elevates your strategic play by placing the top card from among four of the deck, offering a valuable selection process to boost in-game decisions.

Resource Acceleration: Streamlines your deck’s performance by enabling efficient deck manipulation, ensuring that you consistently draw the most impactful cards to maintain a lead.

Instant Speed: Though it operates at sorcery speed, it can be paired with flash enablers to surprise opponents with newfound board superiority during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cream of the Crop necessitates discarding a card to activate its effects. In the heat of the game, where every card in hand could be pivotal, the forced discard can tip the scales unfavorably, leaving players at a card disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s cost is colored and may not fit seamlessly into every deck. For those running a multi-colored deck, the need for green mana specifically can be a stumbling block, potentially slowing down the deck’s overall tempo and reducing flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher end for its ability set, some players might find that Cream of the Crop falls behind when stacked against other options in the same mana range. Ultimately, this can affect deck efficiency, especially in faster-paced games where a lower mana curve is key.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Cream of the Crop card offers adaptability across various deck types, seamlessly integrating with strategies prioritizing the top-deck manipulation or creature-based synergies.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combinations with library shuffling mechanisms or effects that benefit from creature power, allowing for a finely-tuned top deck control, which could lead to the timely drawing of impactful cards.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the dynamic shifts in competitive play, Cream of the Crop has the potential to optimize creature-heavy decks, ensuring relevance with its capability to consistently sift through the deck for the most effective plays against prevailing meta strategies.


How to beat

The Cream of the Crop MTG card shines in decks that manipulate the top of the library, ensuring that a player consistently draws into powerful and impactful spells. To effectively counter this strategy, disruption is key. Employing tactics such as deck shuffling effects or enacting forced draws can derail the card’s ability to control the flow of the game. Cards like Path to Exile or Terminus, which shuffle the opponent’s library, can negate the well-planned stack created with Cream of the Crop and inject a dose of unpredictability into their strategy.

Another avenue is to exert pressure on the card’s user, compelling them to answer threats rather than setting up combos or advantageous draws. Aggressive decks or strategies that can create multiple threats quickly can overwhelm a player relying on Cream of the Crop, as it provides no immediate board presence or defense. Directly targeting a player’s hand with discard effects can also prove fruitful, stripping away the components required to utilize the card to its fullest potential.

It is important to be tactical and aware of how Cream of the Crop interacts with other elements on the board, as understanding this interaction is essential in formulating a strategy that can consistently outmaneuver this powerful card within the Magic: The Gathering sphere.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re seeking to master the art of deck manipulation in MTG, Cream of the Crop can be a gem in your collection. By understanding both its strengths and limitations, you can strategically enhance your game, integrating this enchantment with your creature-centric deck to sift through and pinpoint those game-changing cards. Our detailed analysis delves into the card’s effectiveness, providing insights into its playstyles and competitive edge. We encourage players to grasp its role within various deck types and explore its potential interactions. Elevate your strategic plays and ensure your next match embodies not just a battle but a well-crafted victory. Expand your knowledge and refine your deck with our in-depth content on key MTG strategies.


Cards like Cream of the Crop

Cream of the Crop stands out as a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, contributing significantly to deck manipulation strategies. When looking at parallel functionality, Sensei’s Divining Top shares a semblance in controlling the top cards of a player’s library. Unlike Cream of the Crop, which triggers with the power of creatures entering the battlefield, the Top allows players to look at and rearrange the top three cards anytime for a mere cost of one mana.

Another analog to consider is Sylvan Library. This powerful enchantment allows players to draw additional cards and choose which ones to put back on top of their library, or keep them with a life penalty. While Sylvan Library gives broader immediate selection, Cream of the Crop’s triggered ability comes at no extra cost whenever creatures come into play.

Evaluating these options, Cream of the Crop may not provide the same level of control over the library’s top cards as Sensei’s Divining Top or Sylvan Library, but it excels in a creature-heavy deck, making it an advantageous choice for those strategies and contributing to its niche in Magic: The Gathering’s vast card pool.

Sensei's Divining Top - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Library - MTG Card versions
Sensei's Divining Top - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Sylvan Library - Legends (LEG)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cream of the Crop MTG card by a specific set like Morningtide, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Cream of the Crop and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cream of the Crop has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cream of the Crop card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2008-04-01 If the creature has 0 power, this ability has no effect.
2008-04-01 If the creature has 1 power, this ability lets you look at the top card of your library, then you’ll have to leave it there.
2008-04-01 The creature’s power is checked as this ability resolves. If the creature has left the battlefield, use its last known information.

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