Channel in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Last updated on January 6, 2026

Shigeki, Jukai Visionary | Illustration by Anna Podedworna

Flexibility is king, or so it’s been said since the original charms were released. Sometimes cards have two (or even four) modes and none of them are good enough alone, but the card is better for being flexible.

How many times have you had a 6-drop stuck in your hand and lost when all you wanted was a bounce spell to stay alive? Today is all about flexibility, because I take a look at the channel mechanic. I'm not talking about Channel, though that's a powerful card that is banned in virtually all formats and restricted in Vintage and Timeless, two of Magic's highest-level formats.

Do two “weaker” cards put together form a stronger card? Let’s see some rules on the mechanic and the best cards for your decks!

How Does Channel Work?

Boseiju, Who Endures | Illustration by Chris Ostrowski

Channel is an activated ability that only works in your hand. It’s an alternate mode to get a benefit from your card instead of casting it for its mana cost. The effect resolves after paying the mana cost of the channel ability and discarding the card.

Channel can be activated anytime you could cast an instant spell, and it adds flexibility to a card. Greater Tanuki can be cast as a 6/5 trample for or channeled for . In this case you fetch a land from your deck.

The History of Channel in MTG

The first set that featured channel was Saviors of Kamigawa, and the second was the Champions of Kamigawa block in 2005. It originally appeared on 12 cards. It was common back then to have a mechanic appear on a few cards, especially in third sets from a block.

Modern Horizons 2 brought the mechanic back for a few designs, and the mechanic finally came back in Neon Dynasty with most of the current channel cards. Channel is not evergreen, so it won’t return to a Constructed set too soon, but the channel effect is mimicked in very similar mechanics. In fact there’s a subset of mechanics that can be read as “this can be cast with another cost and produces a different effect,” like split cards, evoke, etc.

Is Channel an Instant Speed Ability?

Channel is an ability that can be activated at instant speed. But actually casting the card abides by normal timing restrictions based on its card type. For example, Sunblade Samurai can be channeled at any time, but only cast during your main phases.

Is Channel an Activated Ability?

Channel is indeed an activated ability. You can discard a card and pay the cost in order to put that ability on the stack, but it isn’t considered a spell and it’s also not a triggered ability.

Can You Counter Channel?

Since activating channel isn’t casting a spell, it can’t be countered by normal counterspells like Counterspell or Cancel. But the effect still goes on the stack and can be responded to. And certain spells, like Stifle and Disallow, can counter channel since it's an activated ability.

Does Channel Trigger Discard Abilities?

Any permanent that cares about a card being discarded, like Drake Haven or Containment Construct, will trigger when you channel a card from your hand. To put it briefly, yes, channeling counts as discarding.

Can I Use Channel if This Land is in Play?

No, you cannot use channel with a card that is in play. To use the channel ability on Otawara, Soaring City it must be discarded, meaning put from your hand onto the stack until it resolves, then to the graveyard.

Do You Have to Have a Target in Play for Targeted Channel Abilities?

You can’t just activate the channel ability and discard a card if the ability requires a target. For example, the channel ability on Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire can only be activated if there’s a target, in this case the “attacking or blocking creature.” It also has to be a legal target, so it’s not a legal target if the creature has hexproof or shroud.

Gallery and List of Channel Cards

• Arashi, the Sky Asunder
• Bamboo Grove Archer
• Born to Drive
• Boseiju, Who Endures
• Careful Cultivation
• Colossal Skyturtle
• Dragon Typhoon
• Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• Favor of Jukai
• Ghost-Lit Drifter
• Ghost-Lit Nourisher
• Ghost-Lit Raider
• Ghost-Lit Redeemer
• Ghost-Lit Stalker
• Ghost-Lit Warder
• Greater Tanuki
• Ironhoof Boar
• Jiwari, the Earth Aflame
• Jukai Preserver
• Kami of Bamboo Groves
• Mirrorshell Crab
• Mnemonic Sphere
• Moonsnare Prototype
• Otawara, Soaring City
• Reinforced Ronin
• Roaring Earth
• Saiba Trespassers
• Shigeki, Jukai Visionary
• Shinen of Fear's Chill
• Shinen of Flight's Wings
• Shinen of Fury's Fire
• Shinen of Life's Roar
• Shinen of Stars' Light
• Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• Sunblade Samurai
• Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• Touch the Spirit Realm
• Twinshot Sniper

Best Channel Cards

#10. Mirrorshell Crab

Mirrorshell Crab has made some waves in Pauper. A 5/7 for 7 with ward is very good for a common, but strong cards with ward really shine in control decks thanks to its quasi-Mana Leak channel ability. It’s also a soft counterspell that’s hard to counter since it’s an activated ability, which is relevant in a counterspell war.

#9. Reinforced Ronin

Reinforced Ronin saw some play in Standard red aggressive and sacrifice decks. An artifact creature that’s already a 2/2 haste is a good base, but it also returns to the hand every turn, which is bad. It usually attacks uncontested two to three times and then is sacrificed to Oni-Cult Anvil or cycled with the channel ability.

#8. Roaring Earth

Roaring Earth has delicious landfall text that green decks crave. But if you're not in ramp mode, the channel is especially enticing with any earthbending synergies, and a strong payoff for bumping your mana up.

#7. Touch the Spirit Realm

Flexibility is on display with Touch the Spirit Realm. If you disregard the channel ability, it is an O-ring for two common card types. For it can bypass a key blocker, slow down aggressive attackers or save your artifact from removal. There's almost always an application for this sort of instant-speed flicker.

#6. Shigeki, Jukai Visionary

Shigeki, Jukai Visionary means business. Shigeki was a key part of decks in Standard, all because of its channel ability. You can discard it and recover X cards for . They can’t be legendary so you can’t return Shigeki itself or planeswalkers like Lolth, Spider Queen or Sorin the Mirthless.

You’ll usually get removal like Infernal Grasp, Bloodchief's Thirst, or Binding the Old Gods with Shigeki. Or Bala Ged Recovery, which can retrieve Shigeki and start all over.

#5. Takenuma, Abandoned Mire

All five cards in this land cycle are playable, at least as a one-of. Takenuma, Abandoned Mire, the black card for the cycle, is recursion, which grindy midrange and control decks are usually in the market for.

I ranked this the “worst” of the lands because it doesn’t do anything by itself. It requires you to be a graveyard deck or already have a target in the graveyard. Yes, it mills three to help, but it’s possible to be a blank and not hit anything.

#4. Otawara, Soaring City

The blue land in the channel lands cycle is a bounce effect, which is good to have if you’re flooded and don't need the extra mana. The wording on Otawara, Soaring City works on manlands because this effect usually specifies nonland permanents.

#3. Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

The white land in the channel lands cycle is 4 damage to a creature provided that it’s in combat. Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire is reasonably costed, while most white common removal spells cost this or more.

#2. Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance

The red land in the channel lands cycle feels at home in a mono-red or tokens deck. Producing two creatures with haste is very similar to doing 2 damage, which is an effect these decks are looking for. Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance can even be used on defense as flash creatures.

#1. Boseiju, Who Endures

The green land in the channel lands cycle is the most prevalent one. Boseiju, Who Endures brought the Magic world down when it was spoiled, and players were talking about it non-stop.

Boseiju trades a card from your opponent that’s usually hard to remove like nonbasics, enchantments, or artifacts for a basic land for the low cost of just . It even has synergies with cards that recur lands like Wrenn and Six and Life from the Loam. Having the option to include this narrow removal effect on a land that has almost no downside is important in all formats, especially Eternal formats.

Decklist: Brilliant Restoration in Pioneer

Brilliant Restoration | Illustration by Wylie Beckert

The deck I want to showcase a former Standard deck that's now rotated into Pioneer. Its key card is Brilliant Restoration, which reanimates your enchantments and bring back your artifacts from the graveyard to the battlefield. The thing is, cards that you want to discard via channel are enchantment creatures or artifacts.

The core is composed of channel lands like Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire and Boseiju, Who Shelters All along with channel cards like Greater Tanuki, Colossal Skyturtle, and Mirrorshell Crab.

The game plan is to control the board while searching for Brilliant Restoration and discarding your channel cards, sweeping the board, and looting through the deck. The result is this Bant () control channel deck. This list uses a lot of Draft chaff, so all you MTG Arena users will save on some rare wildcards.

There are also some cool interactions between Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset and artifacts, Esika's Chariot and Wrenn and Seven, and Tamiyo exiling Esika's Chariot to make a token that’s a copy of Chariot.

Wrap Up

Mirrorshell Crab | Illustration by Cristi Balanescu

Channel is an awesome Limited mechanic, and it was interesting for Standard too. Every iteration of channel was more focused on the Limited environment than Constructed, and that’s reflected on the power level of the cards. I don’t know if we’re going to see channel reprinted again as it is, but a similar and flexible mechanic is going to follow it for sure.

What’s your favorite play involving channel cards? Do you agree with my ranking of the best channel cards? Let me know in the comments or join the discussion in the Draftsim Discord.

Until next time, stay safe!