InQuest Gamer's Top 100 Magic Creatures of All Time: 80 - 71

Last time around, we stopped off at Number 81 on the InQuest Gamer's Top 100 Magic Creatures of All Time (as of 2006), which was one of the most powerful elves ever printed, the Quirion Ranger. Numbers 80 - 71 include many creatures that were deck staples for Standard when originally printed and two classic creatures. Let's get this Countdown of a Countdown counting down once again!

80) Darksteel Colossus - Rare, Darksteel (April 2004)

Yes, this IS one of the 100 Most Powerful Creatures of All Time. In 2017.

While some of the later Eldrazi do much, much more for the cost of 11, there's something so simple about the Darksteel Colossus and how it never really dies. A favorite for ReAnimator decks since originally printed, there's always a chance that some Modern deck may bring the Colossus back into the spotlight at a moment's notice.

I also can not overstate how much fun it was when you were lucky enough to DRAFT one of these.

79) Solemn Simulacrum - Rare, Mirrodin (October 2003) 

Designed by Magic Invitational winner Jens Thoren, this guy was my favorite creature at one point. Colorless ramping that draws a card when it dies and is a 2/2 body? Is it any wonder that this guy is still a staple of Commander decks, getting a reprint in almost every Commander set and was selected as one of the Masterpiece cards for Kaladesh? 

I wish I still had my originals, but selling them for $10 a piece was also pretty satisfying back in the day. What could possibly follow one of the greatest card-advantage creatures of all time? 

78) Akroma, Angel of Wrath - Rare, Legions (February 2003) 

Oh. That's what could follow up a card-advantage machine, one of the absolute most powerful Legendary creatures of all time. Akroma's keyword buffet set a record at the time of her original printing by having the most abilities jammed onto one card. Just as with the Colossus earlier, Akroma has been a favorite of ReAnimator decks since originally being printed in Legions, one of the otherwise worst sets of all time. 

Akroma has since been reprinted nearly every time someone utters the word "Angels" and for good reason. I bet that right now, as you're reading this, someone at a kitchen table or at a Commander night, is windmill slamming Akroma onto the table and smacking an opponent in the face for 6. 

Hit the jump for the rest of today's list! 

InQuest Gamer's Top 100 Magic Creatures of All Time - 90 to 81

Welcome back for the next 10 spots in our countdown of InQuest Gamer's countdown of the top 100 Creatures in Magic: The Gathering as published in April of 2006.

Last time we had some surprising inclusions (Nicol Bolas!), stupid inclusions (Jungle Lion!) and some awesome, meta-defining monsters (Worldgorger Dragon!). The following ten creatures are actually some of my favorites including what is, in my opinion, the best Elf ever printed.

On with the countdown of another countdown!

#90 Cloud of Faeries - Common, Urza's Legacy - February 1999 

Please note that this is common. Common. A flying 1U, with Cycling, that also untaps two lands when it comes into play!? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!? If this got printed today the Internet would explode in rage. How many degenerate combos did you just think of right now? I had just started playing Standard around the time this hit, and let me tell you, coming out in the set after Tolarian Academy and Gaea's Cradle were printed made abusing the Cloud of Faeries disturbingly easy.

I'm moving on before the vein in my head starts throbbing.

#89 Wall of Blossoms - Uncommon, Stronghold - March 1998 

My favorite Magic block of all time? The Tempest block. It was the first one designed as a solid block and had excellent, solid cards in every color for every playstyle. Wall of Blossoms is, even according to InQuest Gamer's entry for it, the "best wall ever". 0/4 for 1G that draws a card? That's solid. Not spectacular, but solid. I like seeing a card like this in the high 80's of the list, as you never really regret having a Wall of Blossoms in your deck, if you're Green of course. 

Hit the jump for the rest of today's ten! 

InQuest Gamer's Top 100 Magic Creatures Of All Time - 100 to 91

I received a pile of manga from a friend of mine that was moving and didn't want to move with the mountain of manga he had collected living in Japan. As a librarian I knew exactly what to do with the manga, add it to the collection, which is what happened. The catch is, that there were OTHER books in the boxes sent to me. Most of these things, the old strategy guides for example, I gave out on the Free Book Shelf. One item though, I had to hold onto for myself. It was just too good.

Oh Yes.

The April 2006 issue of InQuest Gamer, which advertises "THE 100 GREATEST MAGIC CREATURES OF ALL TIME!" I have to run this down for you, because this list has not aged well at all, and even in 2006, it was a little....off. To put this in perspective, this is just before the final expansion of the Ravnica block, Dissension, was released. That also happens to be when I stopped seriously playing Magic until about 6 weeks ago. Hit the jump and let's break this down with the first 10 slots, creatures #100 to #91!