2025 saw more new Magic cards enter the Standard format than any year before. And, 2026 looks to be shaping up to go beyond this, with seven new sets releasing into Standard before the calendar turns. When so many cards enter the format so rapidly, it is very easy for some cards to slip through the cracks and miss their chance to shine. There are only so many hours in a day, and, with so many cards being released so rapidly now, it's almost impossible to build and play with every card that catches your eye. Cards that you rush to preorder fall out of favor and move to the back of your storage bin or even (alas!) into your trade binder.

But, it never fails that some of these forgotten about cards manage to make their way back to the top tables. Well, every year the calendar turns, and every January we're filled with renewed optimism, why not have that spill over into Magic? Here are a few cards that I have hope to build around in the coming year.

Roaming Throne

Let's start with an easy one. This feels like a gimme, considering Lorwyn Eclipsed is going to be a kindred set while also giving us Changelings to strengthen our already existing kindred decks. I expect this to see a ton of play in the coming year, and I know I'll be on the bandwagon at some point.

Loot, the Pathfinder

When not combining with Agatha's Soul Cauldron, Loot is one of the grindiest cards in the format, one that hopes you can take a few turn to maximize every one of his abilities. But, with Doublestrike, he can also turn sideways and hit the battlefield hard. We're seeing decks built around Icetill Explorer and Earthbender Ascension pop up, and with the mana getting better when Lorwyn Eclipsed arrives, maybe we could sneak look into that combo as a way to end those games in a hurry.

Pyromancer's Goggles

I have fond memories of this one, and I'd love to give it another go in Standard this year. Right now, the best you can copy seems to be Jeskai Revelation, but I bet we get another big, bombastic Red card printed this year, or something Izzet that draws cards when we return to Strixhaven. This is a great example of why I love Core Sets, they inject the format with cards you already have a fondness for, and act as a gateway to exploring new cards.

Momo, Friendly Flier

Momo the Mox, this provides so much mana over the course of the game with so little investment. I've toyed around with this, and the fliers deck really just needs a few more early game threats (especially 2 mana threats) to be a player. But, should any of those show up next year, I expect to give Momo a go.

Hollowmurk Siege

The biggest reason I want to give this one a go is Earthbending. Since Earthbending turns the land into a creature and THEN adds the counters, this turns your Earthbending spells into cantrips, and can give Golgari decks some much needed card advantage (or some evasion if you choose to go the Abzan route). It triggers off of any counter, so this works well with Saga creatures, and may even offer some counterplay should the Blight ability in Lorwyn Eclipsed become a player.

Ugin, Eye of the Storms

There is so much raw power in Ugin that I'm a little amazed he hasn't seen more play. I blame the lack of supplemental artifacts, making his static ability almost irrelevant. But, again, the power is here, and I will watch very every artifact printed in 2026 with a discerning eye. We have good ramp to get to 7 mana, we just need that one missing piece to make this playable.

Doubling Season

This is one of the most powerful effects ever printed, and it's a shame we haven't seen any decks show up in Standard to try and take advantage of it. We're making tokens in almost every game it could double, and +1/+1 counters are still scattered on cards throughout the format (it even looks like -1/-1 counters may be showing up in Lorwyn Eclipsed). I think the biggest thing holding this down right now is the lack of an, "I win" Planeswalker to combo with this. But, with Mark Rosewater announcing that we're moving form one Planeswalker to two per In-Universe set, we could see that change in 2026.

Voja, Jaws of the Conclave

One of the defining tribes of the original Lorwyn block was elves, and the early previews do nothing to suggest that won't be the case this time around as well. Betweem Llanowar Elves, Dwynen's Elite, and Elvish Archdruid, the deck already has the bones in place, and the mana will improve with the arrival of the rest of the shocklands. We've seen how powerful giving everything +1/+1 counters can be with Ouroboroid, and Voja could have the potential to do the same to do the same.

Lively Dirge

I've been experimenting with this off-and-on this year, and I think it has the power/potential to be a player. Lately, I've been looking at it as a way to power up the Icetill Explorer decks, but snagging multiple Badgermole Cubs out of the graveyard has been impressive too.

Riverchurn Monument

This is for those people. You know who you are. To quote Hunter S. Thompson, "The only thing that really worried me was the ether mill deck. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge mill deck, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon."

You can find more of my Magic musings on Twitter/X @travishall456 and on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/anakinsdad.bsky.social