Eldrazi are coming to eat the format!

[DubDub]

In Sheldon Menery's latest article he touches briefly on whether the Eldrazi will warp EDH (since they are colorless and can be played in every deck), and whether that's a good or bad thing.

The article can be found here and is free:
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/18979.html

Embracing the Chaos is the only weekly article series I know that primarily focuses on EDH, and I greatly enjoy reading it.  For those who don't know, Sheldon is a L5 judge, and one of the founders of EDH.  He's one of the people managing the state-side EDH banlist.

As to the topic: I have to admit, I am a little worried about the Eldrazi, though they haven't all been revealed.  The Annihilator mechanic seems very flavorful, but also potentially very unfun.  I am excited to be corpse dancing on top of shallow graves, and practicing necromancy on some makeshift mannequins.  However, at the same time I fear that too many games will end with a quickly reanimated Annihilator annihilating.

Graveyard hate is something that most people have learned to include in their EDH decks, whether it's Planar Void, Relic of Progenitus or Tormod's crypt, Loaming Shaman or Nezumi Graverobber, but there may be a problem if the answers aren't sufficient to fight the threats.

Does anyone share my fears?

P.S.  I would expect that token based strategies are slightly bostered by the appearance of the Eldrazi, as they provide plenty of Annihilator fodder.  'Fair' ramp strategies will likely also get a boost.

[Matt]

Well, the ability to sacrifice for mana is only given to the tokens by the spell or effect that created them. It's not a game rule, and it's not part of the Eldrazi card itself (like convoke), so I disagree with you on that point.

I actually expect less reanimation than cheating guys into play. Mayael is probably getting a good boost, and stuff like Sneak Attack or Call of the Wild (or Djinn of Wishes which even lets you get Kozilek's draw4!).

[DubDub]

Well, the ability to sacrifice for mana is only given to the tokens by the spell or effect that created them. It's not a game rule, and it's not part of the Eldrazi card itself (like convoke), so I disagree with you on that point.

I should have clarified that I'm much more worried about the big fat annihilator-keyworded Eldrazi than the 'Eldrazi Spawn', the 0/1 tokens that sac for mana.

I actually expect less reanimation than cheating guys into play. Mayael is probably getting a good boost, and stuff like Sneak Attack or Call of the Wild (or Djinn of Wishes which even lets you get Kozilek's draw4!).

Reanimation came to mind, but definitely I'm fearful of all ways of cheating these dudes into play.  My point is more just that cheating these guys may be less fun than cheating in Terastodon (which blows up stuff once, and compensates the victim for it), or Progenitus or Darksteel, which are more 'fair' fatties.  If there were 7+ dudes with Tidespout Tyrant's bounce ability, that were all colorless I'd be a little concerned that all my permanents would constantly be in my hand, whereas here they may be in my graveyard.

[zimagic]

We've only seen two of these so far and both are cards that would go into any deck that can T&N or reanimate (in the case of the second one) and any deck hoping to ramp up mana to any degree. If you have the ability to give them haste (Sneak Attack, Lightning Greaves, Anger etc) they will be terrifying.

I think that, if anything, they will cause an increase in the number of Stifle, Humility spells and spot removal because you really cannot allow them to enter an attack phase or you need solutions if their Annihilator trigger goes on the stack.

Pathrazer of Ulamog is so much bigger for the format than Kozilek because not only does he have a potential to be a 6-for-1 with both Annihilator 3 and Guile-unblockability, he will just bounce back from the graveyard. In this format, anything in the graveyard is only buried shallow, it's pretty much a library Mk.II.

I'm equal parts and 8O

[sorcutt]

I can't wait for my Rofellos deck to poop gigantor Elderazi out on turn 4.  Good fucking game. It's also nice that they are colorless but aren't artifacts.  There's a lot less spot removal for them than there would be if they were artifacts.

[Bunbury]

I can't wait for my Rofellos deck to poop gigantor Elderazi out on turn 4.  Good fucking game. It's also nice that they are colorless but aren't artifacts.  There's a lot less spot removal for them than there would be if they were artifacts.

Pretty much the same here. I run Rofellos too, and some of these big lugs on turn 4-5 will be completely game-winning. Hell, even if they don't swing for the kill, one attack is a huge tempo swing that early, and at the absolute worst, I get to draw 4.

[DubDub]

You can see further spoiling here as it comes out:
http://mtgsalvation.com/rise-of-the-eldrazi-spoiler.html

This was spoiled today, and is probably the biggest and baddest of the Eldrazi:

Emrakul, the Aeons Torn   15
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi  (Mythic Rare, but also the Prerelease foil)

Emrakul, the Aeons Torn can't be countered.
When you cast Emrakul, take an extra turn after this one.
Flying, protection from colored spells, Annihilator 6
When Emrakul is put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner shuffles his or her graveyard into his or her library.
Illus. Mark Tedin 15/15

Wow.  I'm still feeling a little apprehensive about facing this guy and his brethren after they've been cheated into play.  The outs to this are basically Edicts, Duplicant, and Clone and Wrath effects.  Taking him down in combat (difficult due to Flying and 15 toughness) is a losing proposition due to the insane Annihilator 6.

[DubDub]

The last of the three Legendary Eldrazi was spoiled today, as a 10/10 for 11 that Vindicates upon being cast, is indestructible and has annihilator 4.  Standard graveyard-shuffle clause too.

I am honestly considering going to the Rise prerelease events (and playing in them).  That seems like a pretty efficient way to get the two copies of Emrakul that I want (Radha and Teneb).  Plus it'll be different to actually crack some boosters, which will be all Rise.  I have never played sealed, which apparently involves 40-card decks.

Seems like WOTC's devious plans, to get Vintage players to try other formats, may be working on me.  Of course, two prereleases will be $50, while I bought a Ruby just over a week ago, and am on the lookout for a Jet (lmk by PM if you have one!).

I've started to change Radha a little to play better with the fatties, picking up a Summoning Trap last week, and identifying Lurking Predators, Defense of the Heart, and Tooth and Nail for probable inclusion.

[Philatio]

In Sheldon Menery's latest article he touches briefly on whether the Eldrazi will warp EDH (since they are colorless and can be played in every deck), and whether that's a good or bad thing.

The article can be found here and is free:
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/18979.html

Embracing the Chaos is the only weekly article series I know that primarily focuses on EDH, and I greatly enjoy reading it.  For those who don't know, Sheldon is a L5 judge, and one of the founders of EDH.  He's one of the people managing the state-side EDH banlist.

As to the topic: I have to admit, I am a little worried about the Eldrazi, though they haven't all been revealed.  The Annihilator mechanic seems very flavorful, but also potentially very unfun.  I am excited to be corpse dancing on top of shallow graves, and practicing necromancy on some makeshift mannequins.  However, at the same time I fear that too many games will end with a quickly reanimated Annihilator annihilating.

Graveyard hate is something that most people have learned to include in their EDH decks, whether it's Planar Void, Relic of Progenitus or Tormod's crypt, Loaming Shaman or Nezumi Graverobber, but there may be a problem if the answers aren't sufficient to fight the threats.

Does anyone share my fears?

P.S.  I would expect that token based strategies are slightly bostered by the appearance of the Eldrazi, as they provide plenty of Annihilator fodder.  'Fair' ramp strategies will likely also get a boost.

why is everyone talking about reanimation?  The best ones all have the "shuffle into your library" limitation.

[Delha]

...I am excited to be corpse dancing on top of shallow graves, and practicing necromancy on some makeshift mannequins.  However, at the same time I fear that too many games will end with a quickly reanimated Annihilator annihilating.

why is everyone talking about reanimation?  The best ones all have the "shuffle into your library" limitation.

Way to necro.

To answer your question though, the post you quoted was pretty much the only one with a stated intent of reanimating, and all of the effects listed are instant.

[Philatio]

I can't wait for my Rofellos deck to poop gigantor Elderazi out on turn 4.  Good fucking game. It's also nice that they are colorless but aren't artifacts.  There's a lot less spot removal for them than there would be if they were artifacts.

Pretty much the same here. I run Rofellos too, and some of these big lugs on turn 4-5 will be completely game-winning. Hell, even if they don't swing for the kill, one attack is a huge tempo swing that early, and at the absolute worst, I get to draw 4.

Bye bye, mana-elf.  He was just too silly.  He warped the hell out of my Cambridge metagame.  Good riddance.  He's doubleplusungood with Eldrazi now, too.

[DubDub]

Format: Eaten.

BANNED
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

This is one on which we listened heavily to what the community was saying, and nearly without exception, everyone hates Emrakul. It’s a card that makes the game devolve into a war over a single card whenever it hits the table. Add to that the fact that its combination of abilities made is seriously unfun to play against. We had already had our eye on it, and when the community spoke, we listened.

Seems like a pretty fair decision to me.  Emrakul ends games much more rapidly than the other Eldrazi (even the other Eldrazi Titans), which runs counter to the goal of playing Magic, having fun while playing Magic.

[BC]

I'm more excited about the "color identity" changes.  Hello, Memnarch!

[Sporkcore]

Memnarch is nice, but with Academy banned, much less powerful. Though Grand Architect might change that power level. I'm more excited to see what comes out of Thelon of Havenwood seeing some play with Scars out. Proliferate Thallids? Sounds awesome.