The best defensive creatures make it possible for you to take massive blows from your enemies without even flinching. Read on below and explore 10 of MTG’s best defensive creatures.
Top 10 MTG Best Defensive Creatures
1. Fog Bank
The first card on our list of MTG best defensive creatures is none other than the famous Fog Bank, an uncommon blue Wall creature.
The card costs 1 colorless and 1 blue mana to cast onto the battlefield under your control.
It may be only a 0/2 creature, but it has Defender and Flying so it is extra useful.
Plus, you get to prevent combat damage that would be dealt to Fog Bank each turn.
2. Sylan Caryatid
Sylvan Caryatid is a 03/ rare green Plant creature with excellent defensive abilities, and an affordable mana casting cost.
The card has Defender and Hexproof, so it can’t be countered or targeted by spells from your enemies.
Even better, Sylan Caryatid is able to be tapped to add 1 extra mana of any color to your mana pool.
3. Wall of Blossoms
Wall of Blossoms is the third card on our list of MTG best defensive creatures. It is a green uncommon with 4 toughness.
A Defender card, Wall of Blossoms must block oncoming attacks from creatures if it is able.
When Wall of Blossoms enters the battlefield, you may draw a card.
4. Wall of Denial
Wall of Deinal is a card that must appear on every list of MTG best defensive creatures ever created.
Not only does it have a toughness of 8, but it also comes with Defender, Flying, and Shroud as well!
The creature is a Wall and costs 1 colorless, 1 white, and 1 blue to cast onto the battlefield under your control.
As far as defensive creatures go in MTG, there are gneuinely very few that complete with Wall of Denial.
5. Wall of Omens
The Wall of Omens is a power white Wall creature with a casting cost of 1 colorless and 1 white mana.
The card is a Defender class, so it must block when duty calls. That said, it has a toughness of 4.
Further, when Wall of Omens hits the field, you get to draw an extra card. Its standard toughness and extra ability make it a great addition to an all-defensive creatures deck.
6. Glacial Wall
One of the most Iconic Wall cards ever created, Glacial Wall absolutely deserves its place on our list of MTG best defensive creatures.
One of the original Defender cards in MTG, Glacial Wall has a relatively low casting cost for it’s worth.
This mammoth wall has a whopping 7 toughness! Can you imagine what it looks likes with a few counters or enchantments stacked on it?
7. Thallid Shell-Dweller
Thallid Shell-Dweller is a 0/5 Fungus creature with Defender. The card has a casting cost of 1 colorless and 1 green mana.
When Thallid Shell-Dweller is present on the battlefield, you may put a spore counter on the card.
The best part is when you remove three spore counters. That’s when you get to put a 1/1 green Saproling creature onto the battlefield!
With such a great ability and an impressive toughness, Thallid Shell-Dweller is definitely a strong defensive creature.
8. Tinder Wall
Speaking of iconic MTG defensive creatures, Tinder Wall is another one for the books.
Not only does it have a decent toughness, of 3, it has a single mana casting cost and tons of abilities.
Pay 0, and sacrifice the card to add 2 red mana to your pool, at any time. Or, pay 1 red and sacrifice Tinder Wall. If you do, have it deal 2 damage to a target creature that it’s blocking.
That means you can snipe enemy creatures that are attacking you, with this card’s secondary ability.
9. Wall of Roots
Wall of Roots is an old-school defensive creature, it has a toughness of 5 and a low mana cost. It costs just 1 colorless and 1 green mana to cast.
For the price of a -0/-1 counter, you may use Wall of Roots as a mana source, and add a single green mana to your pool. The Wall doesn’t need to tap for the mana to be added to your pool.
You may only use Wall of Roots mana source ability once per turn.
10. Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
The last card on our list of the best defensive creatures in MTG is a big bad Orge Warrior. A Legendary Creature, Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs, has a power of 5 and a toughness of 4.
Even more, whenever an enemy attacks you with creatures, if Kazuul is on the board, you get to put a red 3/3 Ogre creature onto the battlefield unless the attacking player payers 3 mana.
Common Questions About the Best Defensive Creatures in MTG
What Makes a Card a Great Defender in MTG?
A great defender card will have at least one of two things; high toughness, or a strong ability that is triggered when opponents attack you. Creatures that can attack, block, and have both of these features are the very best defensive creatures in MTG.
How Many Defensive Cards Should Be in My Deck?
Depending on your playing style, and deck type, you’ll want anywhere between 5 or 10 defensive creatures to as many as 20 or 30. If you are playing completely defensively, the higher number of creatures you have that are defensive, the better.
What Color Has The Best Defensive Creatures in MTG?
There is no one color with the “best” defensive creatures, as all schools of color in MTG have great wall-type creatures as well as strong creatures with powerful abilities centered around defensive measures.