MTG Eldrazi Guide: Titans, Decks, and Strategies – Part 4

4. Eldrazi in Different MTG Formats

Commander

Popularity of Eldrazi in EDH

Eldrazi have maintained a significant presence in the Commander format, captivating players with their unique gameplay and powerful effects. While not the most prevalent tribe, they’ve carved out a niche that appeals to players who enjoy big, splashy plays and unconventional strategies.

The release of Commander Masters in 2023 further boosted Eldrazi’s popularity with the introduction of the “Eldrazi Unbound” preconstructed deck. This deck, led by Zhulodok, Void Gorger, provided new support cards and made colorless Eldrazi strategies more accessible to a broader audience.

Top Eldrazi Commanders

1. Kozilek, the Great Distortion: Currently the most popular colorless Eldrazi commander according to EDHREC. Its ability to draw cards upon casting and counter spells by discarding cards makes it a versatile and powerful choice.
2. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger: Another popular colorless option, known for its indestructibility and exiling ability.
3. Morophon, the Boundless: While not an Eldrazi itself, it’s a popular choice for five-color Eldrazi decks, providing cost reduction for all Eldrazi spells.
4. Animar, Soul of Elements: A popular choice for Temur (RUG) colored Eldrazi decks, as it can significantly reduce the cost of casting Eldrazi creatures.
5. Kruphix, God of Horizons: Often used to head up Simic (UG) Eldrazi decks, allowing players to store colorless mana for big Eldrazi plays.

Purchase these cards on eBay by clicking on the images below.

Deck Building Tips for Eldrazi Commander

1. Ramp is Crucial: Include plenty of mana rocks and a land-based ramp to cast your expensive Eldrazi. Cards like Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, and Eldrazi Temple are essential.
2. Colorless Utility Lands: Take advantage of lands like Ancient Tomb, Eye of Ugin, and Eldrazi Temple to accelerate your mana production.
3. Protection: Since your commander will likely be a high-priority target, include cards like Lightning Greaves or Swiftfoot Boots to protect it.
4. Card Draw: Colorless decks can struggle with card draw. Include artifacts like Mind’s Eye or Sensei’s Divining Top to keep your hand full.
5. Eldrazi Synergies: Look for cards that synergize well with Eldrazi, such as Conduit of Ruin or Eldrazi Monument.
6. Balancing your Curve: While Eldrazi are known for their high costs, include some lower-cost Eldrazi (like Matter Reshaper or Thought-Knot Seer) to have early game plays.
7. Consider Colored Support: If not going for a purely colorless build, green offers excellent ramp options, while blue provides card draw and counterspells.
8. Voltron Strategy: For commanders like Kozilek, the Great Distortion, consider including equipment like Batterskull or Commander’s Plate for a potential Voltron strategy.
9. Artifact Subtheme: Since many Eldrazi decks rely heavily on artifacts, consider including cards that synergize with artifacts, like Unwinding Clock or Mystic Forge.
10. Flexible Mana Base: If building a colored Eldrazi deck, ensure your mana base can support both colored spells and the heavy colorless requirements of Eldrazi.

Purchase these cards on eBay by clicking on the images below.

Remember, while Eldrazi are powerful, they can draw significant attention in multiplayer games. Be prepared to defend your board state and have backup plans if your main strategy is disrupted. With careful planning and the right mix of support cards, an Eldrazi Commander deck can be a formidable force at any table.

Modern

Eldrazi Tron Deck Overview

Eldrazi Tron is a powerful and enduring archetype in the Modern format, combining the mana-generating power of Urza’s Tron lands with the formidable Eldrazi creatures. This deck emerged as a variant of traditional Tron decks, incorporating colorless Eldrazi to create a more aggressive and disruptive strategy.

The deck’s core strategy revolves around assembling the three Urza lands (Urza’s Mine, Urza’s Power Plant, and Urza’s Tower) to generate large amounts of colorless mana quickly. This mana advantage is then leveraged to cast powerful Eldrazi creatures and artifacts earlier than opponents can typically handle them.

Purchase these cards on eBay by clicking on the images below.

Key Cards and Strategies

1. Mana Base:
   • Urza’s Mine, Urza’s Power Plant, Urza’s Tower
   • Eldrazi Temple
   • Cavern of Souls
2. Core Eldrazi Creatures:
   • Reality Smasher
   • Thought-Knot Seer
   • Matter Reshaper
   • Eldrazi Mimic
3. Utility Creatures:
   • Walking Ballista
   • Endbringer
4. Artifacts:
   • Chalice of the Void
   • Expedition Map
   • Karn, the Great Creator (and Karn’s wishboard)
5. Removal:
   • All Is Dust
   • Dismember

The deck’s primary strategy is to establish a strong mana base early, often aiming to have Tron assembled by turn 3 or 4. This is facilitated by Expedition Map and other search effects. Once the mana is available, the deck deploys threats that are difficult for opponents to answer efficiently.

Thought-Knot Seer serves as both disruption and a solid body, while Reality Smasher provides a fast clock. Chalice of the Void on 1 can lock out many Modern decks reliant on low-cost spells. The deck can also pivot to a more controlling strategy post-sideboard, bringing in cards like Karn, the Great Creator to access a toolbox of artifacts.

Purchase these cards on eBay by clicking on the images below.

Tournament Performance

Eldrazi Tron has been a consistent performer in the Modern format since its inception. While it has experienced fluctuations in popularity and success, it remains a tier 1-1.5 deck in the metagame.

Notable performances include:

• Multiple Top 8 finishes in Grand Prix and MagicFest events
• Regular appearances in Modern challenges on Magic Online
• Consistent representation in Modern leagues and local tournaments

The deck’s strength lies in its ability to produce powerful plays early in the game, often catching unprepared opponents off guard. However, it can struggle against fast combo decks or those with strong land destruction elements.

Eldrazi Tron’s adaptability has contributed to its longevity in the format. It can adjust its strategy based on the metagame, sometimes leaning more heavily into the Tron aspect, and other times focusing more on the Eldrazi tribal synergies.

While not always at the very top of the metagame, Eldrazi Tron remains a respected and feared deck in Modern, capable of dominating tournaments when the metagame aligns favorably. Its continued presence is a testament to the enduring power of both the Tron lands and the Eldrazi creatures in the Modern format.

Legacy

Eldrazi Stompy Archetype

“Eldrazi Stompy” refers to a highly aggressive Magic: The Gathering deck archetype that utilizes primarily colorless Eldrazi creatures, often played in formats like Legacy, to quickly overwhelm the opponent with a rapid stream of powerful creatures by leveraging mana-producing artifacts like “Ancient Tomb” to cast them early and often, essentially “stomping” the opponent with a fast, overwhelming attack; the “Stompy” part describes the deck’s aggressive, fast-paced playstyle.

Eldrazi Stompy is a powerful and unique archetype in the Legacy format that leverages the strength of colorless Eldrazi creatures combined with fast mana production. This deck emerged following the release of Oath of the Gatewatch in 2016, quickly establishing itself as a formidable contender in the format.

The core strategy of Eldrazi Stompy revolves around deploying large, efficient threats earlier than most Legacy decks can handle. By utilizing lands and artifacts that produce multiple mana, the deck can cast its powerful Eldrazi creatures as early as the first or second turn, often overwhelming opponents before they can set up their defenses.

Key creatures in the deck typically include:

• Thought-Knot Seer
• Reality Smasher
• Matter Reshaper
• Eldrazi Mimic
• Endless One

These creatures offer a combination of disruption, aggression, and resilience that makes the Eldrazi Stompy deck a force to be reckoned with in Legacy.

Purchase these cards on eBay by clicking on the images below.

Synergies with Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors

The explosive power of Eldrazi Stompy in Legacy is largely due to its synergy with two particular lands: Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors. These lands form the backbone of the deck’s mana base and enable its most powerful plays.

1. Ancient Tomb: This land taps for two colorless mana at the cost of 2 life. It allows the deck to cast its 4-mana Eldrazi (like Thought-Knot Seer) on turn 2, or even turn 1 with the right hand.
2. City of Traitors: This land produces two colorless mana but must be sacrificed if another land enters the battlefield under your control. It’s perfect for powering out early threats and pairs well with the deck’s low land count.

These lands, combined with Eldrazi Temple and Eye of Ugin (before its banning), allow Eldrazi Stompy to consistently produce more mana than its opponents in the early game. This mana advantage translates directly into board presence, often allowing the Eldrazi player to deploy multiple threats before the opponent can cast a single spell.

The deck also utilizes artifacts like Chalice of the Void and Trinisphere to further disrupt opponents’ strategies, leveraging the fact that most of its own spells cost 2 or more mana.

Purchase these cards on eBay by clicking on the images below.

Notable Tournament Results

Eldrazi Stompy made an immediate impact upon its introduction to Legacy, and while its dominance has waxed and waned, it remains a competitive choice in the format. Some notable results include:

1. GP Columbus 2016: Shortly after the deck’s emergence, it placed two copies in the Top 8 of this major event, showcasing its power and consistency.
2. SCG Baltimore 2017: Eldrazi Stompy took down this Star City Games Open, further cementing its place in the Legacy metagame.
3. MKM Series Frankfurt 2018: The deck secured a Top 8 finish, demonstrating its continued viability in the evolving Legacy format.
4. Various Magic Online Challenges: Eldrazi Stompy consistently puts up results in online Legacy events, often placing in the Top 8 or Top 16.

While the deck’s performance has been somewhat tempered by the banning of Eye of Ugin and the printing of new answers in recent years, it remains a respected and feared archetype in Legacy. Its ability to deploy powerful threats quickly and disrupt opponents’ strategies ensures that Eldrazi Stompy will likely continue to be a part of the Legacy metagame for years to come.

All Parts of the MTG Eldrazi Guide

• 1. Introduction: The Rise of the Eldrazi
• 2. What Are the Eldrazi?
• 3. The Eldrazi Titans: Gods Among Monsters
• 4. Eldrazi in Different MTG Formats
• 5. Top Eldrazi Cards Beyond the Titans
• 6. Eldrazi Deck Strategies
• 7. The Lore of the Eldrazi
• 8. Budget-Friendly Eldrazi Options
• 9. Collecting Eldrazi: From Commons to Mythics
• 10. The Future of Eldrazi in MTG
• 11. Conclusion: Embracing the Cosmic Horror