MTG Top 10: Insects | Magic: The Gathering | Episode 375

This video is sponsored by Card Kingdom! Check out their awesome store here: www.cardkingdom.com/?...
Direct Card Kingdom Links for the cards in this video (SPOILERS):
Note: Prices may have changed
Brain Maggot: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/journ...
Nantuko Husk: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/onsla...
Nantuko Shade: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/torme...
Monstrous Carabid: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/alara...
Kraul Harpooner: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/guild...
Giant Solifuge: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/guild...
Hornet Nest: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/2015-...
Hornet Queen: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/2015-...
Xantid Swarm: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/scour...
Wirewood Symbiote: www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/scour...
Check out my History KZbin Channel: / @nizzahonhistory
Want to see me draft live? You can on Twitch! / nizzahon
Want to support the channel? You can on Patreon!: / nizzahon_magic
Follow me on Twitter for channel updates and other Magic musings: / nizzahonmagic
Animations by Mike from Mythic Tales. Find his channel filled with awesome MTG animation here: / radiocommand
I Can Feel it Coming Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com )
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@lolEpopProductions]

I appreciated addressing the obvious delver right off the bat and doing 10 others. Made the list more interesting that way

[@thelocustgod9098]

The list I’ve been waiting for.

[@jeanpierrepolnareff2356]

The fact that you're the first comment is pretty funny

[@nickbalmes6640]

Ahh the Locust God 👌

[@GoodGuyNickPT]

Being an entomologist and having an insect deck, I approve this video :) When are we getting top 10 centaurs? :p

[@NizzahonMagic]

You aren't the only entomologist in the comment section! I wonder how many more of you there are! Centaurs is sure to happen one day.

[@GoodGuyNickPT]

@@NizzahonMagic yeeees! Tbh, insects have 6 legs and so do centaurs, so, scientifically, they're insects too. :p

[@alexmacgregor5265]

I'm excited for the inevitable top 10 crabs, top 10 starfish, and top 10 eyes

[@Earthboundmike]

I look forward to crabs. Shame slivers is a boring ass list.

[@bugsySA]

Crabs are going to need some serious work. I dont think there are even 5 of them with any points whatsoever right now, it's probably only 3.

[@drlo0]

I mean there's like 10 good crabs guys

[@ericnoyes9148]

I would watch all of those.

[@bugsySA]

@@drlo0 to be real there are two good crabs, Hedron Crab and Ruin Crab. Growth Chamber Guardian is the only other crab that possibly has any points as the majority of the crabs are all overcostedat best or vanilla blockers at worst.

[@SmugLookingBarrel]

I had no idea that Nantuko Shade had points in Vintage, so now I think it would be interesting to do a list of the top 10 worst cards with points in vintage.

[@NizzahonMagic]

It really isn't that bad, for the Vintage at the time it was a scary aggressive creature.

[@alecausderbeek5918]

Hello Nizzahon! I follow you all the way back since the commander-related top10s. As an entomologist, you cannot imagine how much I’ve been waiting for this specific episode! Thanks so much!

[@NizzahonMagic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@timothymcwilliams6055]

Is this the first video where a single card was excluded for being too good and boring (as opposed to a cycle or submechanic)? Add MTG top 10 to the list of formats Delver has broken.

[@christopherb501]

TheDuelLogs does it with his Yugioh lists all the time. Some cards just become tedious to talk about.

[@alaraplatt8104]

vanilla legends from Legends have broken top 10 worst lists in the other direction

[@rashakor]

Pretty much every vid covering eternal formats implies that the power 9 are excluded. For instance Black Lotus score runs in the thousands!

[@NizzahonMagic]

I have done it before, there was a time when I mentioned Spellskite like every video and I got tired of it. But yeah, it has been awhile.

[@andrewsparkes8829]

I feel like the back half of a TDFC shouldn't count anyway. It transforms into an insect in one zone for a temporary amount of time; it isn't an insect card itself.

[@golgariguy]

If I remember correctly, Nantuko Shade was once a 20$ or more chase rare... Just crazy! Regarding insects vs spiders, what has always ...bugged... me is that Dragonlair *Spider* makes *insect* tokens. Unacceptable!

[@astuteanansi4935]

The flavor text actually explains that. The spider eats dragons, and the insect tokens are not the spider's spawn, they're swarms of carrion-eaters attracted to the remains of its kills.

[@golgariguy]

@@astuteanansi4935 I had missed that! Probably forgot about it... It makes more sense now!

[@FrobozzElectric]

If you want to learn more about Delver of Secrets, pick almost any other Nizzahon Top Ten video at random and skip to number one.

[@stuflames4769]

Nantuko are one of those obvious tribes that needs more exploration. Insects are everywhere. It's a little weird there aren't more insect people in general tbh.

[@christopherb501]

There's the Nantuko, and the kraul, and...assuming that Sarpadian mantis-person is another Nantuko, that's pretty much it. Oh, and whatever Xira Arien was.

[@matthewutech5970]

Seeing that Xira from Dominaria, as are the Nantuko, it would make sense they are somehow related.

[@BlackwingHecate]

@@christopherb501 The Thri-kreen in D&D are native to the Dark Sun world.

[@christopherb501]

@@BlackwingHecate That's not an MtG plane. It's certainly more likely to fit than, say, a certain planet you might see in season 2 of a certain Prime show, but at present, no MtG/D&D connection is official. Heck, even the OoC-set explicitly _based_ on D&D is set in Toril, not Athas.

[@juanjorodriguez1895]

I love that Nantuko Husk's flavor text is basically a piece of Hollow Knight lore

[@filipzo]

I am actually using Hornet Queen in Historic just to have fun. I play it with Cathars' Crusade, cause no one is using them and I love spicy decks. It's always fun to imagine opponents reaction when they realize that HQ and her flying squadron aren't going to be just 1/1... anyway, not very competitive but really fun to play! have a nice day

[@brianwalters8641]

Pulled Grist during pre-release. This inspired me to make an insect EDH deck.

[@jamesbaca7236]

The Hornet Queen is beyond amazing! I use the Queen in my Omnath, Locus of Mana commander deck and she blocks for days against those pesky flyers.

[@officersoulknight6321]

I'm fairly new to MTG, made a Black Green Blue deck based around the queen! Black Revival gets it back out, Swarmyard gives hornet profit, and Snap gets easy hornets.

[@jasonbarry3301]

Nizzahon doesn’t check the back side of cards when designating a card type of an unflipped card. Nizzahon is up to date with Magic rulings. Be like Nizzahon.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Uh...what? If you are referring to Delver, I explained why I excluded it.

[@jasonbarry3301]

@@NizzahonMagic The joke wasn’t at your expense. Or even really a joke.

[@jasonbarry3301]

It was more or less just a reference to the double faced card ruling debacle that technically doesn’t even apply to delver since he isn’t a dmfc. It was more entertaining in my head.

[@ratatataraxia]

I was just looking for this top ten a few days ago. This is great!

[@NizzahonMagic]

Glad you like it!

[@brandonspradling5412]

I was hoping to see scute swarm or scute mob on here, but I learned about some new cards today! Thanks!

[@alaraplatt8104]

as much as it bothers me that giant solifuge is an insect, it pleases me that there is a solifuge creature at all. they are so cool

[@tonythepokemonguy751]

I honestly loved seeing the nantuko shade on the list, it’s such an awesome card

[@Octinsky]

good approach regarding the 3/2

[@UwURainUwU]

I'm excited for this. I have an insect tribal deck in EDH and while it isn't "good" in a consistent way, when it goes off, I'm swinging out the entire pod. XD

[@Nukesnipe]

MTG and YGO both have this weird thing where all arthropods are insects, although at least most crustaceans in MTG have their own creature types. Just errata "Insect" to "Arthropod" or "Bug" and we gucci

[@wehpudicabok6598]

A Fistful of Counterspells was my favorite Sergio Leone film.

[@Crunchatize_Me_Senpai]

Kinda surprised Devouring Swarm wasn’t on here. A huge flier like that with sacrifice synergies seems like it would make waves.

[@lillehei]

I wonder where scute swarm is? For me I'd thought it'd be like number 6

[@NizzahonMagic]

It has 0 points.

[@Crunchatize_Me_Senpai]

@@NizzahonMagic Damn, that’s crazy. I mean, I don’t know shit about competitive formats, but I would think it would at least have a lot of standard points, given how toned down that format usually is.

[@iloveToonLink101]

I thought the same thing

[@thelunchlady8276]

Acorn Catapult+ Hornet Nest= Tons of fun!

[@mathieubrebouillet714]

I've been hopping you would do that one since I saw the Hunger Tide.

[@TempestDacine]

I can hear Maro screaming in the distance

[@Crunchatize_Me_Senpai]

Lol does he not like insects?

[@matigow]

Now that the phyrexian creature type update, I'd love to see a Phyrexian top 10

[@woodysmith2681]

When you talked about Giant Solifuge, I looked up the OG Giant Spider to see its creature type. (It was Spider)

[@Earthboundmike]

so 10 is technically the honorable mention

[@ingloriousday8811]

I love the flavor text on Monstrous Carabid

[@Xonides]

As soon as delver was proclaimed the ‘real’ first place, I really just wanted the rest of the list to be 11-2

[@xxhowisuxx]

Ah scootbug. I know you're not on here but I love you. I made an EDH around scoot bug.

[@christopherb501]

Since Ravnica is a "menagerie" plane as I call it, I'm still waiting to see where the 'kraul' come from originally.

[@ingloriousday8811]

Wait the kraul aren’t originally from Ravnica?

[@christopherb501]

@@ingloriousday8811 They _might_ be, but it was established in the original Ravnica story that much of the original city's diversity had been fostered by more cosmopolitan planeswalkers bringing people along with them. Then when the Guildpact was firmly enshrined, it isolated Ravnica until the original Pact was dissolved. Many of Ravnica's locals, at least the sentient beings, can't _really_ be assumed to be native. Some, like Niv-Mizzet's breed of dragon, or the Nephilim, can be, and it's likely the case with absurdly commonplace beings like humans, or entities like Mat'Selesnya , are native, but there's little else we can be certain about (i.e. it's assumed that the flame-kin came from Lorwyn). The kraul haven't been seen elsewhere, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. We didn't see a source of Rathi rhox until Alara block, or a possible other source of Mirrodin loxodon until _Tarkir._ ...or they could have retconned all this out like they did Nissa's original characterization, or worse, the flowing time trait of OG Mirrodin, and I'm now just talking out of my ass.

[@ingloriousday8811]

@@christopherb501 either way that was really interesting. Hopefully we get some answers some day, but seeing as it’s unlikely the kraul will be in forgotten realms or on Innistrad we’ll have to wait a year at the least

[@stevenglowacki8576]

I assumed the reason Delver didn't make the list is because the card's front face is not an insect. I suppose you could normally look past that sort of thing, unlike the rules during a game, but it was a much better reason to exclude than "I'm tired of it" and talk instead about a card that's pretty much a functional reprint (with better templating plus the enchantment type) of a previous card and thus not particularly unique or interesting. Delver might be really good and at the top of many lists, but it's a very interesting card and has a lot of flavor as well.

[@imghostkitty7297]

“What’s that brain maggot? You’re hungry? Yeah… me too”

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

I love the tribal videos. Also, I *LOVE* Nantuko Husk.

[@blackbeltdragon21]

Wingspan is a fun game, nice!

[@sagacious03]

Okay video! Thanks for uploading!

[@forgottonpast6847]

Living end is now seen in modern with the printing of shardless agent

[@mrhaftbar]

I feel vintage. How about the top 10 ice age cards of 2021?

[@thesamuraiman]

This sounds fun. Excited

[@PokeBattlerJaze]

I feel like it is Delver of Secrets, but I can’t remember if that is Insect or Abom Edit: Ok I was technically right Without that gonna guess hornet’s nest? Edit 2: Literally never heard of number 1

[@qtheplatypus]

I think you mean “insect”.

[@PokeBattlerJaze]

@@qtheplatypus you are right and thanks for looking out

[@Thesaurus_Rex]

Out of curiosity, does anyone happen to know what the top 10 (or even just number 1) nonland cards would be by Nizzahon's metric?

[@scienceviking4490]

I believe number 1 is black lotus.

[@iamfade8784]

been using that wirewood symbiote for over a decade now

[@mikechurchill1071]

Just started watching the video but I’ll guess that delver of secrets/insect Aberration is no.1 that’s my guess

[@mikechurchill1071]

And before I could finish writing the comment we see the answer ;)!!

[@snakeman830]

Since the Phyrexian creature type just got erattad on to a bunch of cards, could you do top 10 Phyrexians?

[@NizzahonMagic]

I am planning on it next week!

[@SgtImrak93]

2:09 Skipperino Interoerino

[@CanadianBaconPwnage]

Is there anyway you can look at MTGO Challenges? Living End decks have been seeing good success so far after the release of Modern Horizons 2. I'm not sure if Challenges can meet your requirements for point counting (they happen pretty often), but maybe they can if they don't count for as many points each. But maybe that's too much data to filter through every week.

[@curiouscornucopia8957]

Ok that's weird, I literally finished my insect deck like 2 days ago and now I have another insect I gotta add. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@dichsedichse]

May i ask what happened to the other 3-colour pairings? Are there not enough cards to make those lists or have you not yet gotten to them? (This is pureley out of intetest and i dont want to sound demanding or anything.)

[@NizzahonMagic]

Not enough cards yet.

[@Cameron-ds9xs]

The top 10 insects brought to you by delver of secrets the ultimate insect fanboy.

[@martinpfefferle2558]

I was gonna comment about Wirewood Symbiote being sleeper OP and deserving a spot on the list, then I reached number 1

[@NizzahonMagic]

Not much of a sleeper haha

[@martinpfefferle2558]

@@NizzahonMagic back in the day I tried to convince my brother to run it in his elf deck, but he was an elf purist at the time.

[@Psychonautical89]

Solifuge not being a spider is such a stupid oversight. Would make the tribe much more playable. I feel like it was deliberate.

[@AidanWR]

As someone looking to make an insect tribal deck, I agree with the fact that a lot of "insect" creatures aren't actually insects

[@Nobody-zl3kk]

Hey Nizzahon, just an idea that i really wish you'd take into consideration, i'm really curious about which are your favourite and least liked limited formats of all time and why, idk maybe even you could take into consideration formats that you wish you could've tested as honorary mentions or stuff like that, i don't know, i really like ocassional subjective lists nda this would be really interesting.

[@RBGolbat]

Is this the list with the most color pie breaks apart from the actual color break list?

[@pabloacedologrono5003]

Why would you say that?

[@RBGolbat]

Hornet Queen and Nest both make super efficient flyers which green shouldn’t be able to do. I’ve also seen arguments Delver is too efficient for blue and could be considered a bend/break.

[@NizzahonMagic]

I don't really feel like any of these or color pie breaks, personally.

[@pabloacedologrono5003]

@@NizzahonMagic Now that @RBGolbat has put it that way, I kinda see his point. It´s true efficient flyers is not a thing green does, however, because the cards are flavourfull representations of real life animals, which is very ingrained in green´s identity; I didn´t put it in that perspective. Don´t really know what to say abput Delver though. Btw that is just my opinion, I´m no magic expert.

[@fluffalpenguin]

Man, I can't believe Maxx "C" didn't make the list. I mean, I know it's from a different game, but still!

[@dylanmann8253]

This video has 1.2k likes and zero dislikes. Legendary. Thank you for the videos as always!

[@Altorin]

I want to make a Grist commander deck

[@mattj5772]

The new microphone really is nice.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Agreed!

[@andrewsegers7942]

The very definition of board presence

[@ericc7241]

Top ten birds...from Wingspan

[@stevenrivers173]

Savage Summoning + Hornet Queen = Scared Commander Opponents loosing some massive hitters

[@Romanov666]

sugestions: top Spiders, Top MYRS, Top Rats...

[@captainshiner42]

Brain Maggot HAD to have been inspired by Parliament Funkadelic's song/album "Maggot Brain".

[@elementaleighteight]

Yes yes yes!!! Likes video and comments during ad.

[@trinidaitobago2]

Elves and insects. They go together.

[@Alpha_November]

Pls do top 10 phelddagriffs next week.

[@Ryokamen]

I have lost way more games to zanthid swarm then I care to admit :/ . Top 5 most hated legacy cards for me. I honestly can see them printing it in modern one day

[@NizzahonMagic]

Modern Horizons 3!

[@ducktheseraph]

Ah my favorite tribe.

[@NicolasCaja]

How works that Grits planeswalker?

[@NizzahonMagic]

What do you mean? It is laid out on the card!

[@jouysoleycomelles5229]

Can you attack with a 0 atc. creature?

[@NizzahonMagic]

Yes. That's why Xantid Swarm works.

[@luisarturo3860]

Top 10 Phyrexians

[@InsanityPlea100]

For the swarm. Wait, wrong game?

[@gisone6403]

What about vorapede?

[@diegoblin9090]

Should put the aberration at number 0 as a joke and surprise

[@residentevil36936936]

For hornets nest can't you just assign damage?? Like if I have a 4/2 atk hornets nest can't I just assign 2 damage to the nest?

[@NizzahonMagic]

Nope. Not unless your creature has trample or the other player blocked with something else. A regular creature just does all its damage to a blocker, you don't get to reduce it.

[@jeffreynowak8866]

No carrion ant or killer bees : (

[@user-a6k9i6n9o6M]

I Like Insects XD

[@PSImetronomer100]

Top 10 least viable creature types

[@JoeKell365]

no Scute Swarm?

[@NizzahonMagic]

Nope. It has 0 points.

[@nightwolf65]

Do eye next

[@Zamerux]

Why is xantid better than silence?

[@NizzahonMagic]

Because you don't have to pay mana for it the turn it shuts your opponent down. And, more generally, you can get it down on a turn before you combo off, perhaps before your opponent can do anything about it.

[@ManDoorHandHookDoor]

MTG top 10: delver decks when?

[@raphaelascano8598]

How about top 10 cards best when it was in standard but not anywhere else.

[@psychozen7169]

Do you have a pet insect card?

[@jjorden1976]

Spiders?

[@NizzahonMagic]

I have already done it, but it was like 4+ years ago, so it may need to be revisited.

[@worgenzwithm14z]

do a top ten of the comments left by the guy who wants the vintage top 10 list

[@johngleeman8347]

Delver being at the top of all your lists really *bugs* me. XD

[@esands36]

Delver of Secrets should have got an honourable mention

[@NizzahonMagic]

It basically did.

[@esands36]

@@NizzahonMagic I know, but still...

[@toomanyowlz]

where the fuck is Drudge Beetle

[@sshim950]

: )

[@gigawarman12]

Delver is the number 0 card

[@stuflames4769]

Nizzahon - there's a real solution to your ongoing dilemma. Eff the top ten. Do an arbitrary top 13. Do a top 9. Do a top 16. 10 isn't such a special number. Just, do it. Decide the cutoff based on your aesthetics. We appreciate that your aesthetics are based on a card's definable successes. But - you're already doing this. It's irresistible. You have honorable mentions. You have cards left off the list. You may still have groupings where appropriate, consolidating numbers - but you don't need a 'top ten'. There are other numbers than ten. Let the limit define itself. With the same logical discretion you'd enjoy and employ regardless.

[@stuflames4769]

Another KZbin I follow, SNES Drunk, actively avoids the number 10... and he does plenty of top whatevers. You've don't this a long time. Many times numerical and concrete limits inspire creativity. But, these top-whatevers are, by their nature, non-creative. In contrast, we trust your ability to define the creative limits of a list by having an understanding of MTGs history - and you should define the number of 'tops' in a category. And, do a top 10 when it's comfortable. When it's unsure. But, you don't need 10 to stick you.

[@alaraplatt8104]

actually i think its favorable to the youtube algorithm to have a consistent name for a video series. he actually has done an mtg top 5 (cards that never should have been unbanned), but even that video was called "mtg top 10" because the algorithm likes it better that way. aside from that, what the hell kind of nitpick is this anyway? what do you have against the number 10? how are those other numbers better?

[@stuflames4769]

@@alaraplatt8104 Because some cards are left off of a top ten, some 'top tens' aren't really top tens anyway because of extra mentions or honorable mentions - but don't get to be talked about in the same way because they are not on the list proper. And, rarely, you get some extra chaff making up the tail end of the top ten list simply to conform to the number. The idea is Nizzahon could decide on a number of note more organically if it wasn't always a rigid top ten.

[@TheGloriousLobsterEmperor]

I was honestly a bit surprised Delver of Secrets didn't make the list, given that it's other side is an insect. But oh well, the only thing more disappointing than that is that this list isn't "Top 10 Vintage Cards (Minus Power 9)". *EDIT:* Never mind. Can y'all tell I make these comments before actually watching the video? I did a quick skim, saw Delver wasn't at 1 and thought of this segue.

[@jeanpierrepolnareff2356]

Second

[@theunwelcome]

something about this video really BUGS me, man! ayyyyy