Though it could arguably be a sign of our own vanity, Humans have been among the more powerful creature types in Magic: The Gathering for years. While the Humans tribal deck is no longer one of the best decks in Modern, Human creature cards are key players in a number of top meta decks.
In fact, it's not going too far to say that the Modern format would be affected more by the removal of Human cards than the removal of any other creature type in the game. For whatever reason, Human creatures are an incredibly important piece in a variety of decks that find themselves dominating Modern at the moment. Let's take a look at who these Human creatures are and why players just can't seem to put them down despite being in a world full of much more interesting fantasy creatures.
8 Seasoned Pyromancer
While Seasoned Pyromancer isn't the most prevalent card in the Modern meta at the moment, players tend to slot this card into all kinds of midrange decks including Jund (green/red/black), Rakdos (red/black) Midrange, Mono-Red Midrange, and Mardu (white/black/red) Midrange. Pyromancer is a great card for two reasons: it loots (draws, then discards) for cheap, and it floods the board with tokens.
Even if the first two tokens it creates are dealt with, the Pyromancer can then be exiled from your graveyard to provide even more token value. Consequently, the sheer number of creatures this card creates, no matter how small they might be, can often be difficult for decks to handle. Being a midrange staple, Seasoned Pyromancer is best in decks that look to slowly grind the opponent out of resources before finally killing them with whatever you have left (probably 1/1 elemental tokens).
7 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Ever since she was first printed, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben has faithfully served in Death and Taxes builds for years. While paying a single mana more for noncreature spells might seem harmless enough, any player whose gone up against Thalia a handful of times can tell you that it's a backbreaking effect to play against.
When combined with the other tax effects and protection afforded by the Death and Taxes deck, Thalia can often slow opposing players down so much that they lose the game before they are able to cast their most important spells. No wonder why it's called Death and Taxes.
6 Tireless Tracker
Tireless Tracker has been experimented with in Modern for some time now, but it's recently proven itself as an important player in the mainboard of Modern Jund builds. Normally relegated to the sideboard for more grindy matchups, Tireless Tracker has since shown that the double whammy it provides of card advantage and an ever-growing threat is simply too good not to include.
Notably, part of the reason for this card's more recent success likely lies with the abundant Treasure tokens created by Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, but that little Monkey gets enough attention as it is.
5 Puresteel Paladin
Puresteel Paladin is a card that was speculated on for many long years. Then, Stoneforge Mystic was finally unbanned back in 2019 and players figured the Paladin would see play once more. However, it was not until fairly recently that the card has actually been included in a dominant meta build, thanks to the creation of the powerful Hammer Time deck.
Alongside the deck's namesake artifact Colossus Hammer, Puresteel Paladin is a formidable attacker that will eliminate any chance your opponent has of victory in just a couple of turns, while also drawing you cards for every equipment card you play. Similar to Tireless Tracker, Paladin provides card advantage and a game-ending threat all in one neat package.
4 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
While the previous Humans we've looked at are important players in their archetypes, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is powerful enough to have created an archetype all his own. This dastardly Human is the basis for a combo creature kill deck which uses Yawgmoth's activated ability alongside two Young Wolves and a Blood Artist to instantly win the game, and has become one of Modern's best archetypes.
The deck is much deeper than this single combo and has many ways to tutor (search your library) for the exact creature you need in order to activate the combo or win by more regular means.
3 Monastery Swiftspear
Monastery Swiftspear has been a player in Modern ever since she was printed back in Khans of Tarkir. This hasty, prowess Human made for the perfect creature card to round out Modern's ever-present Burn archetype. While she's been supplanted in other decks in favor of more recent Modern Masters 2 additions to the card pool, Monastery Swiftspear won't be leaving Burn anytime soon.
After all, what could be better for Burn than a hasty attacker that deals more damage every time you cast a spell that deals damage?
2 Esper Sentinel
It's past time we talk about the two Humans introduced in Modern Horizons 2. Esper Sentinel is a measly 1/1 creature for one white that punishes opponents for casting noncreature spells by forcing them to pay one generic mana, or else let his controller draw a card. It's impossible to beat any creature strategy when the opposing player draws a card for every removal spell you cast.
As a result, opponents are forced to remove Esper Sentinel as soon as they can, often times drawing their opponent a card in the process. In other words, Esper Sentinel is almost always a two-for-one trade. This explains its inclusion in just about any creature-based deck playing white.
1 Dragon's Rage Channeler
The only thing better than a guaranteed two-for-one trade one drop is a one drop that can win the game all on its own. Say hello to Dragon's Rage Channeler, a Human who has faithfully served as the redder and better Delver of Secrets ever since it was printed. This card does it all thanks to its surveil ability which makes achieving delirium (four or more cards in your graveyard) surprisingly easy.
It also helps that once you have delirium, Dragon's Rage Channeler becomes a deadly flying 3/3 threat that will end the game sooner than you would have thought possible from a creature so cheap. Channeler sees play in every Izzet iteration in the format and more including Murktide Regent, Death's Shadow, Izzet Prowess, and Mono-Red Aggro. At least we can all definitively say that if you're going to channel some rage, aim for Dragon's rage.
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