Red planeswalkers tend to get overlooked by their other colored counterparts, but Magic The Gathering does have a handle of red planeswalkers that you should be aware of.
There are even some red planeswalkers like Koth who have had entire decks built around them – “Skred Red” was the first Modern deck that I built in MTG.
Below is a list of the best red planeswalkers you should know about and consider adding to your collection if you are looking to add some potentially powerful cards to your next red deck.
Best Red Planeswalkers
1. Chandra, Torch of Defiance
| Recommended Formats: | Pioneer, Commander, Modern, Historic, Legacy |
Pros
Cons
| 4 Abilities | +1 Can’t damage other Planeswalkers |
| Card Advantage | |
| Creature removal |
Chandra, Torch of Defiance is probably the most powerful red planeswalker for several reasons.
As the Torch of Defiance, Chandra provides you with four loyalty traits. This includes 2 +1 abilities.
The first +1 gives you a chance to exile and cast the card that is on top of your deck. In case you don’t, your opponents will suffer two damage leading to a draw or some burn damage. Either way, this is pretty much a great ability.
The next +1 however is a little more challenging to compete with as it only gives you two red mana. However, this is also a great ramping tactic.
As the Torch of Defiance, Chandra’s -3 deals four damage to creatures while her -7 provides you with an emblem that can hit any target for 5 damage and quickly close out games.
2. Chandra, the Firebrand
| Recommended Formats: | Commander |
Pros
Cons
| Casting Cost: 2/3 color deck friendly | Weak +1 ability |
| -2 can combo with cards |
Chandra the Firebrand +1 loyalty is not that impressive as you are only able to deal damage on a single target.
The good news however is that his -2 compensates for +1’s shortcomings. The -2 is able to duplicate the subsequent instant/sorcery when you cast the turn. This is a great strategy of using single-target removals to annihilate multiple enemies.
-6 on the other hand can slam up to six targets making it an excellent option. However, the best strategy is to save your loyalty as much as possible so that you can use -2 several times. The Instant/Sorcery synergy and versatility of Chandra the Firebrand makes her a preferred member of any red spell-focused decks.
The best part is that she is not that expensive for a planeswalker.
3. Koth of the Hammer
| Recommended Formats: | Commander, Modern |
Pros
Cons
| Powerful -5 ability | Low starting Loyalty |
| Ramp in Red |
While Koth of the Hammer starting loyalty is relatively lower, the good thing about him is that you can use other red planeswalkers to work in tandem with him in order to generate resources quickly.
+1 is used to untap a mountain which in turn becomes a 4/4 creature. You can either decide to swing or exhaust the turn for more mana. Keep in mind that you can also turn your opponent’s mountains into creatures too.
Why would you do that? By turning their land into a creature, you can “kill” it will any creature removal spell that you have in your hand – land destruction is always great when it isn’t happening to you!
Koth’s -2 on the other hand will add a red mana to your pool after every mountain you take control of. This makes -2 an excellent ramp tool for mono-red builds. -5 provides you with an emblem that enables your mountains to inflict a single damage to any target.
4. Jaya Ballard
| Recommended Formats: | Commander |
Pros
Cons
| Card selection in Red | Difficult casting requirements |
| Ramp for instants/sorceries | Underwhelming -8 ability |
Jaya Ballard works in tandem with other planeswalkers which is why she is a common member in many red decks.
For starters, she has a fair loyalty value compared to other planeswalkers in addition to her excellent versatility abilities. Her first +1 will give you three mana that can be used to ramp up red’s common spells; instants/sorceries.
Even if you have no mana from your first +1, rest easy because Jaya’s second +1 allows you to discard three of your cards and draw as many. Her -8 will provide you with an emblem for instants/sorceries.
While Jaya can be described as having a lackluster ultimate, this might not be much of a problem considering her great loyalty-adding effects.
5. Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
| Recommended Formats: | Commander |
Pros
Cons
| Creature removal | -6 ability is underwhelming |
| Can attack opponents directly |
While Sarkhan the Dragonspeaker’s loyalty is not among the best, his +1 transforms him into a 4/4 indestructible dragon.
The dragon also comes with haste and flying for the turn. While many planeswalkers have the planeswalker-to-creature effect, a unique characteristic about Sarkhan is that the haste addition allows you to swing immediately after arrival. This means that you will not have to waste an additional turn summoning sickness to fade.
Sarkhan’s -3 is a nice addition despite it not being the best removal. His -6 will give you an emblem, netting you an additional two draws.
However, -6 will also lead to the discarding of your hand at the end of your turn. The great news is that when that is happening, you should have already conserved enough mana to cast many spells at the same time.
Sarkhan is an amazing addition especially if you combine him with dragon supports.
6. Chandra Ablaze
| Recommended Formats: | Commander |
Pros
Cons
| Hand disruption in Red | 6 Mana: Expensive |
| -7 ability game-winning | Underwhelming -1 ability |
Chandra’s Ablaze form will only offer you five loyalty but she has other secondary abilities that are a worthy investment.
Her +1 has a mix of options where you have to discard a card. However, if the card was red, you get solid removal-four damage to targets. -2 forces the players to discard their hands but at the same time draw three cards.
If you take into consideration Chandra’s Ablaze form red and +1 discard tactics, then your opponent will have to forfeit any card advantage creating a level playing field.
Chandra’s -7 can cast an infinite number of red sorceries/instants and thanks to the previous effects that called for discards, you have access to a variety of spells that you can choose from.
7. Daretti, Scrap Savant
| Recommended Formats: | Commander |
Pros
Cons
| Artifact Synergy | Low Starting loyalty |
| Casting Cost: 2/3 color deck friendly | Needs artifact themed deck |
Daretti, Scrap Savant loyalty is low, you stand to gain from his ability to serve as commander in EDH format.
To start with, Daretti only requires a single red mana while his +2 allows you to discard up to two cards while drawing as many. His -2 enables you to sacrifice one of your artifacts and return a different one from your graveyard.
His -10 is even better. It allows you to return artifacts previously lost in the field at the end of the game. However, your main focus with Daretti should be utilizing the amazing -2.
You can start by tossing costly artifacts such as “Ancient Stone Idol” or “Akroma’s Memorial” with your +2 then sacrificing low-cost relics such as “Sol Ring.” This way, you can field your titans at no cost.
8. Sarkhan, Fireblood
| Recommended Formats: | Commander |
Pros
Cons
| Card selection in Red | Needs dragon synergy |
| Only 3 mana to cast | Can’t protect itself |
Sarkhan Fireblood has an impressive mana-to-loyalty ratio in addition to his low price.
Fireblood’s +1 allows you to discard to draw but it is the next +1 that is probably the most beneficial. It gives you double mana of any color. However, it can only be used on dragon spells.
Then there is his ultimate -7 that will give you a total of four 5/5 dragon tokens. These tokens are great assets in case you need to overwhelm your enemies on your next turn.
Fireblood will come in handy especially if you wish to ramp towards your aces quickly and spawn a battalion of dragons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Most Powerful Red Planeswalker?
Chandra, Torch of Defiance is by far the most powerful mono-red planeswalker. Not only does she have four abilities but all of them are pretty much useful.
What Is the Worst Planeswalker?
Tibalt, the Fiend Blooded is the worst planeswalker. Tibalt’s abilities have zero synergies and appear random since they neither provide any card advantage nor card filtering.