It is hard to choose the five best cards from Worldwake.  In fact it is hard to choose the best five cards in any set these days. Baneslayer Angel is the best creature out there, and it really isn't that close.  Jund is the best build out there, and that also isn't all that close.  With this disparity in mind picking 'the best' cards from a new expansion already has two unavoidable pitfalls.  No creature will be superior to BSA, just as no deck will beat Jund (at least until September).  So the next five cards are being judged in a sort of MTG vacuum, where other sets and other decks can't interfere.  With all qualifying out of the way, here are the best five cards in Worldwake:

1. Chain Reaction - It is almost impossible to describe the yearning for a non-white sweep Gathering Magic has had this past year.  Almost impossible, but evidence of our infatuation with the idea is littered through out the blog (and forums for that matter).  Of course Chain Reaction is not a true sweep, there is a drawback and thus it can't be used for spot removal.  However for most instances this red Day of Judgment will do just fine.  Usually there are three or four creatures out before a sweep any way, so in practice CR should be almost perfect.  Not to mention red control has become an interesting option as of late with Chandra Nalaar and Earthquake seeing more play recently.  Add the best card in Worldwake to that list.

2.Abyssal Persecutor - This could have been black's answer to Baneslayer Angel, except of course for BSA's pesky protection from demons ability.  So the Persecutor won't be the best creature in standard, oh well.  He still has one of the best stat lines of any creature ever printed, a 6/6 flyer with trample at four mana.  AP also packs one of the more powerful and interesting drawbacks in MTG history.  The reverse Platinum Angel effect is almost a social experiment.  Should I spend a Path to Exile on that guy?  What are the odds he'll disappear after my life total has gone negative? Can I risk leaving it alone?  Ugh, what should I do!? Chances are most opponents won't let AP stick around to find out if that drawback really does hold anything back.

3. Wolfbriar Elemental - Truthfully this was the toughest decision on the list to make.  Not because Wolfbriar Elemental doesn't make the Timmy in all of us stand at attention, more that it was up against some serious Timmy competition.  Terastodon instantly became an EDH favorite as soon as it was spoiled.  A 9/9 beastie that decimates artifacts, lands, and planeswalkers alike is pretty amazing, no matter the mana cost.  And late game, why not use it on yourself to create some 3/3 elephants out of those extra lands.  However the rather prohibitive mana cost kept Terastodon on the edge of the Top 5.  Then there is Novablast Wurm, a big creature with an even bigger, and repeatable ability.  Wolfbriar Elemental beats out NW because the Wolfbriar is more dynamic and much harder to get rid of.  For the same seven mana you can turn the tide of battle with a 4/4 and three more 2/2 wolves.  For Terstodon mana WE nets you five of those pesky wolf tokens, on top of the Elemental itself.

4. Selective Memory - The search for most Johnny card in Worldwake is over, and Jace Beleren is the feature model.  Surprise, surprise.  This blue sorcery basically allows you to set your library up any way you like.  After the selection, why not use a tutor like Ad Nauseam or Treasure Hunt to draw your entire library, set up a game ending combo.  Perhaps Mirror of Fate can now be useful in some way.... or not.  The point is, any time you can dig through and clear out your library in such an effective manner things are bound to get interesting.  While I am certainly not a true Johnny, I can't help but thinking there is a combo here with Seismic Assault.  And there are probably much more efficient, faster and deadlier combos out there waiting to be discovered by some curious duelist.  (Ed note: One caveat, this pick is reminiscent of Lotus Cobra from Zendikar.  Meaning it may seem like the perfect puzzle piece, but there just isn't a combo for it.  If that is the case, then replace this pick with Jace, the Mindsculpter and forget I said anything.)

5. Dispel - It takes a lot for a common utility spell to crack a Top 5 list at Gathering Magic.  However the criteria is pretty simple: really cheap to cast (free is also nice), dynamic in its uses, and easy to fit into an existing build.  Past spells like Path to Exile, Lightning Bolt, and Duress have fit this bill perfectly.  Dispel has now been added to that group.  Protect your creatures, other permanents, or even yourself.  That is really all you can ask for from a counterspell.  True, it is much more difficult to disrupt an opponents plan with something so defensive, but the low cost makes Dispel worth it and then some.

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There you have it, the very cream of the crop.  Five cards you should be happy to pull at a Pre-Release, Launch, or just about any time you get that lucky.  The full list of Worldwake cards is available here, so if you are feeling argumentative why not make your own list and compare.  We dare you.