"Not another bloody Eldrazi set!" I thought, when Emrakul was announced as the big baddie for Eldritch Moon.
Thankfully, the set seems far more interesting than Battle for Zendikar. I can appreciate the Lovecraftian Eldritch horror theme, and this set is far from another Allies vs. faceless menace we had in the last block. Rather than facing off against waves of drones, we see how Emrakul has twisted an already dark plane into further madness.
This set is also a home run in terms of intriguing cards for us filthy casuals. I had a hard time narrowing down the list.
13. SPLENDID RECLAMATION.
This card is just asking to be abused.
What better way than to combo it with Devastating Summons. Float all of your mana, sacrifice all of your lands for a couple of large tokens, and then get all of the lands back. Easy peasy.
If you want to be a total jerk, you could also combo this with Armageddon or Jokulhaups. Who needs friends, anyway?
12. WRETCHED GRYFF
The Emerge mechanic is something I'd love to build around, and this common gryff is a decent flyer that replaces itself. This poor man's Mulldrifter is fairly easy to slot in any blue creature-based decks, and will also be a very popular draft/sealed card, as well as a possible pauper staple.
11. PERMEATING MASS
This annoying
plant spirit(?) is a nice rattlesnake creature that will cause all sorts of headaches in free-for-all games. In one pre-release game, we ended up with six copies of this bugger.
When your opponent plans on bringing in the massive beats, their big dude will turn into a copy of this little dork, causing them to think twice about their attacks. *sad trombone*
While this is no Deadly Recluse (
aka The Green Doom Blade), it's a solid one-drop for those who want to be left alone in the corner.
10. CRYPTBREAKER
As far as discard outlets goes, this is one of the very best. Turning any card into a 2/2 zombie, and then allowing you to draw even more fuel, will break open many stalemates.
Of course, this is yet another card that combos so well with Gravecrawler.
"Discard me, please!"
9. SIGARDA'S AID
A rather unique card that allows you to flash in equipment and auras (both pumping and removal), and it only costs one mana!
The bigger text is the one that allows you to have equipment attached to a creature for free. Equipping a creature always sucks up a lot of mana and leaves you open to removal spells. Why not flash in a Loxodon Warhammer or an Argentum Armor?
Sigarda sends her regards.
8. DESPERATE SENTRY
Another great card for pauper decks, and for Emerge decks, the Sentry leaves behind a solid horror token upon its death, and can even be a powerful 4/2 if you pull off delirium.
There are a few Emerge enablers, but I like this for decks that want to sacrifice creatures for other benefits.
7. DARK SALVATION
We have the winner for the "Most misread card in the set", as the card is a little confusing, at first read.
To be clear, the creature being targeted does not need to be controlled by the player getting the zombie tokens.
I got pwned by this at the pre-release, and it is a great mana sink/removal spell for black decks. Heck, if you already have three zombies in play, and need to kill a 3/3, just cast it for one black mana and you have a cheap removal spell.
I love spells that scale, and this plays the role of 2-for-1 nicely. While it is definitely best in Zombie decks, it still works in any black deck that loves value.
6. STROMKIRK OCCULTIST
My black-red madness deck needs some oomph, and this card might be the one to finally do it. If you can get this out early, and then connect, you set yourself up nicely for some card advantage. Playing this off of a turn one discard outlet, such as Insolent Neonate, is the best case scenario.
I like how the Occultist has trample, so that even that sliver of one damage will allow you the benefit of Stromming into the red zone.
5. SPELL QUELLER
There is a reason why this card is already seeing Standard play and selling for about $15. The oblivion ring for spells is an efficient creature that can really quell your opponents' plans.
They want to play a big 4-mana creature?
SUCK IT!
They have a removal spell for your key piece?
STUFF IT!
They want to counter your spell?
STICK IT!
Yes, the opponent can get the spell back, but they have to work for it. If you manage to quell a Counterspell, chances are it will be dead for them when they get it back.
4. EMRAKUL, THE PROMISED END
I promised my wife that I would play this against her first, if I ever get one :)
Although The Promised End is not nearly as busted as the original Emrakul, the fact that she is protected from many removal spells, and can wreck your opponents' plans, makes this a card truly worthy of the name.
Imagine casting this for just 8-9 mana?
3, 2, 1... BRISELA!!
Yes, I am cheating here a bit, but given my love for Angels, I want all three of these cards.
Despite the fact that BRISELA sounds like a lame celebrity couple name, this is one of the scariest mini-combos you could pull off. I love how Bruna resurrects her sister, and then they become ...
:O Wow, that is bloody scary, creepy, and a little sad. Imagine being melded to somebody like that? As much as I love my wife, I need my space.
Part of me wishes that the meld was a 'may' ability, because putting all of my eggs in one basket is a risk I'm somewhat loathe to take.
Still, Brisela is immune the many of the common removal spells, and will win you the game if not answered quickly.
While I try to avoid simply jumping on the mythic bandwagon, it's hard not to be totally gobsmacked by Brisela and Emrakul. There have simply never been cards like them.
What Eldritch Moon cards strike your fancy?
