1. Genesis
The deck’s inception came about for similar reasons to Fatal’s excellent Nic Fit Feat. 8 Post deck. Along those same lines, this deck is a mash up of two distinct decks.
Everyone familiar with legacy is aware of the two main Eldrazi decks in the format, Turbo Eldrazi and Eldarzi Stompy.
Turbo Eldrazi – The ramp deck devoted to generating an inordinate amount of mana to cast a few key explosively powerful spells capable of winning the game by themselves.
- Turbo Eldrazi Strengths - The deck’s strength is it’s inevitability and mid/late game domination. If the deck is allowed to set up it’s cloudpost manabase in the first few turns, it starts powering out overwhelming threats that outclass everything else in the format.
- Turbo Eldrazi Weakness – Setting aside the rare early S&T + Emrakul that goes uncountered opening, the deck’s weaknesses lie in it’s needing to use the first few turns to set up, as well as it’s over reliance on Cloudposts and on a small handful of threats. This can sometimes leave the deck vulnerable to fast aggro, fast combo, and fast tempo/delver decks due to the lack of pressure applied the first few turns. It’s over reliance on a small number of threats can also sometimes leave the deck vulnerable to countermagic.
Eldrazi Stompy – The aggro deck utilizing 14-16 Sol Lands (Eye of Ugin, Eldrazi Temple, Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors), Chalice of the Voids and lots of undercosted aggressive threats.
- Eldrazi Stompy Strengths – The deck’s strength lies in it’s explosive openings. It can either open with a Chalice at 1 thereby dramatically slowing down fast aggro, combo, tempo and delver decks or it throws out aggressive undercosted threats applying lots of early game pressure. A turn 1 Eye of Ugin + however many Eldrazi Mimics and Endless Ones happen to be in the opening hand can be enough to outrun most aggro decks in the format.
- Eldrazi Stompy Weaknesses – The deck’s weakness is one it shares with all other stompy decks. 14-16 sol lands are only enough if your opponent doesn’t manage to nuke one with a turn one Wasteland. If they do so, what started out as a very explosive hand can quickly turn into an uncastable one. In addition, if the deck fails to explode out of the gates, many decks have the means to stabilize against it leaving it in top deck mode without any of the card selection/tutoring ability that blue decks have access to. It’s manabase is rarely capable of generating the 7 mana needed to use Eye of Ugin’s tutoring ability until well into the late game, and aside from this, the deck has no real card selection/tutoring to speak of, leaving it vulnerable to bad topdecks.
By fusing together both decks, this version magnifies both deck’s strengths while minimizing their respective weaknesses.
The large land count both gives the deck resiliency to wastelands and between Conduit, Eye, All is Dust and the two Ulamog's you rarely mind having tons of mana.
x4 Ancient Tomb – Sol Land #1-4. Due to the more aggressive nature of this deck, it can cope with the lifeloss better than Turbo Eldrazi. The ability to power out a Chalice at 1 on turn 1 makes it an automatic 4 of in this list.
x4 City of Traitors – Sol Land #5-8. Since the deck functionally plays 24 Sol Lands, it just needs 3 of any combination of it’s 24 Sol Lands in the first 10 cards to be able to top off it’s mana curve and lay down Conduit of Ruins (which make the other threats in the deck even cheaper to cast). Due to requiring such a low number of lands to top off the curve, City of Traitors is almost always the perfect land to plop down turn 3.
x4 Eldrazi Temple – Sol Land #9-12. Temples can be played in multiples, is a great target for Vesuva, and given the high density of Eldrazi spells, it is bar none the best land in the deck. Play four copies, always.
x4 Eye of Ugin – Sol Land #13-16. Despite the fact that Eye is legendary, I play 4 due to the high density of Eldrazi spells in the maindeck and the fact that it's tutoring effect is so much more usable here thanks to Cloudpost mana. Yes you will have the occasional opening hand with 2 Eye of Ugins. But just as frequently, an Eye of Ugin in your opening hand pumps out multiple Eldrazi Mimics and Endless Ones turn one followed by a Thought-Knot Seer turn 2, a Conduit of Ruin turn 3 and an Ulamog turn 4. It’s a frequent Wasteland target so it’s not always bad to have in multiples.
x4 Cloudpost – Sol Land #17-20. Quite possibly the second best land in the deck. Even if you have only one post land in your opening hand, there are still 3 Cloudposts, 3 Glimmerposts, and 3 Vesuva left in the deck so the odds are fairly good that Cloudpost will be tapping for atleast 2 mana by midgame. Thus Cloudpost effectively functions as yet another Sol Land in this deck.
x3 Vesuva – Sol Land #21-23. Between 4 Cloudposts, 4 Eldrazi Temples and 4 Ancient Tomb, you’re never lacking for Vesuva targets, and this land essentially functions as Sol land 21-23 as a result. It can even gain you life by copying a Glimmerpost if you’re down to single digits. However, the fact that it comes into play tapped is enough to make it a 3 of.
x1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth – As a 1 of in a build that plays 4 Eye of Ugin, this land functions as Sol Land #24 more often than not. The main reason the cards is worth playing is that it lets you tap Eye of Ugin to generate an additional B mana but it has the additional function of allowing Dismember to be castable without the lifeloss. It can also be very helpful if you side in Oblivion Sowers against a matchup that plays fetchlands, for obvious reasons.
x3 Glimmerpost – I have frequently gone back and forth on playing a full playset main deck. The life gain can be helpful in some matchups. However, the fact that it produces only 1 mana a turn unlike every other land in the deck makes it one of the weakest links in the mana base.
4. Threats
x4 Thought-Knot Seer – The best creature in the deck, bar none. Play four.
x4 Reality Smasher – Between haste, trample and it’s 2-for-1 trades to pinpoint removal, this is the most aggressive creature in the deck. Play four.
x4 Endless One – Does an excellent job of smoothing out the deck’s mana curve. It can plop down as a 2/2 on turn one or as a 12/12 in the mid/lategame, making it a solid threat regardless of when you draw it.
x4 Eldrazi Mimic – While it’s a horrible topdeck, this little guy facilities turn 3 and turn 4 wins far too often to not be worth playing.
x4 Conduit of Ruin - I continue to feel that Conduit of Ruin is the most underrated and underutilized Eldrazi. It's a beater, a mana accelerant and a tutor all in one card. With a manabase that supports 24 Sol Lands, it’s a god send.
x1 Ulamog's Crusher – The best available Conduit of Ruin target when you’re stuck at 3 Sol Lands/6 mana. If they ever print a stronger 7cc or 8cc Eldrazi, I would play that instead. However, it’s more than capable of winning games single handedly. While it can be chump blocked for a turn or two, thanks to Annihilator, it 3 for 1s your opponent every time it swings depleting them of chump blockers in a hurry. Turning all your Mimics into 8/8s for a turn can be quite game winning as well.
x1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger – A tutorable answer to Ensnaring Bridge, Moat, Worship and any number of other cards that would otherwise ruin your day. Thanks to Conduit of Ruin, it frequently comes out on turn 4, and it almost always puts your opponent in an unwinnable position the turn it is cast, even if it gets countered.
5. Disruption
x4 Chalice of the Void – In quite a few matchups, this is the most powerful card in the deck. Play four.
x3 Phyrexian Revoker – Whether it’s shutting down Deathrites or Deeds, Jaces or Jittes, Lilianas or Lavamancers, Mystics or Moms, Reliquarys or Ravagers, you’ll always find some use for it. Find room for four in your 75.
x2 Dismember – The best early game removal this deck has access to. There’s very few threats that Dismember doesn’t kill outright. Warping Wail and even Spatial Contortion to some degree are more flexible alternatives depending on the meta, but neither card deals with nearly as many threats as Dismember does making it well worth maindecking as a two of in most metagames.
x2 All is Dust – With 24 Sol Lands, the manabase can absolutely support this card. And excluding the mirror, there’s very few matchups that a resolved All is Dust doesn’t outright win. However, in faster metagames, maindecking Trinisphere instead might be the right call.
6. Sideboard
The sideboard is entirely metagame dependent. There’s no shortage of options. So I’ll just stick with the cards that I personally opt to play in the board.
Dismember – See above.
Phyrexian Revoker – See above.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth – A singleton tutorable beater more than capable of winning games by itself. The fact that a countered Kozilek still draws you four cards and then gets shuffled back into your maindeck so that it can be tutored up again next turn is just gravy. I generally bring it in versus any control matchups I face.
Oblivion Sower – A solid beater that outclasses most of the threats in legacy and is especially useful to bring in against the mirror and against slower controllish matchups. I’ve been pretty happy with it as a 2 of in the board.
Trinisphere – Given this deck’s higher curve and manabase, it can easily support Trinisphere maindeck. Whether you opt to go that route or play All is Dust is really a metagame choice.
Thorn of Amethyst – Trinisphere is definitely the stronger card, however, Thorn can be cast turn one which is crucial in some matchups. In addition, Trinisphere is useless in multiple so a 2/2 split is the right call in my opinion.
Faerie Macabre – A free instant speed uncounterable answer to a host of graveyard strategies. There’s no reason not to play a couple in any sideboard.
Surgical Extraction – It’s an even more powerful effect than Macabre against certain matchups. Unfortunately, it’s shut down by your own Chalice at 1, but there’s quite a few matchups where this card is useful and chalice is not, making it worth running in a 2/2 split with Macabre in my opinion.
Wastes – I included this in the board to bring in versus Veteran Explorer, Blood Moon, Wasteland and land destruction in general. However, it’s utility has been minimal. Veteran Explorer is a fairly niche use. Your opponent is never lacking in better Wasteland targets. And Conduit of Ruin is still castable through a Blood Moon, and Conduit -> Ulamog’s Crusher is more than capable of winning games. I could see myself cutting this to make room for 2 more Thorn or 2 Warping Wail.
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1. Genesis
The deck’s inception came about for similar reasons to Fatal’s excellent Nic Fit Feat. 8 Post deck. Along those same lines, this deck is a mash up of two distinct decks.
Everyone familiar with legacy is aware of the two main Eldrazi decks in the format, Turbo Eldrazi and Eldarzi Stompy.
Turbo Eldrazi – The ramp deck devoted to generating an inordinate amount of mana to cast a few key explosively powerful spells capable of winning the game by themselves.
- Turbo Eldrazi Strengths - The deck’s strength is it’s inevitability and mid/late game domination. If the deck is allowed to set up it’s cloudpost manabase in the first few turns, it starts powering out overwhelming threats that outclass everything else in the format.
- Turbo Eldrazi Weakness – Setting aside the rare early S&T + Emrakul that goes uncountered opening, the deck’s weaknesses lie in it’s needing to use the first few turns to set up, as well as it’s over reliance on Cloudposts and on a small handful of threats. This can sometimes leave the deck vulnerable to fast aggro, fast combo, and fast tempo/delver decks due to the lack of pressure applied the first few turns. It’s over reliance on a small number of threats can also sometimes leave the deck vulnerable to countermagic.
Eldrazi Stompy – The aggro deck utilizing 14-16 Sol Lands (Eye of Ugin, Eldrazi Temple, Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors), Chalice of the Voids and lots of undercosted aggressive threats.
- Eldrazi Stompy Strengths – The deck’s strength lies in it’s explosive openings. It can either open with a Chalice at 1 thereby dramatically slowing down fast aggro, combo, tempo and delver decks or it throws out aggressive undercosted threats applying lots of early game pressure. A turn 1 Eye of Ugin + however many Eldrazi Mimics and Endless Ones happen to be in the opening hand can be enough to outrun most aggro decks in the format.
- Eldrazi Stompy Weaknesses – The deck’s weakness is one it shares with all other stompy decks. 14-16 sol lands are only enough if your opponent doesn’t manage to nuke one with a turn one Wasteland. If they do so, what started out as a very explosive hand can quickly turn into an uncastable one. In addition, if the deck fails to explode out of the gates, many decks have the means to stabilize against it leaving it in top deck mode without any of the card selection/tutoring ability that blue decks have access to. It’s manabase is rarely capable of generating the 7 mana needed to use Eye of Ugin’s tutoring ability until well into the late game, and aside from this, the deck has no real card selection/tutoring to speak of, leaving it vulnerable to bad topdecks.
By fusing together both decks, this version magnifies both deck’s strengths while minimizing their respective weaknesses.
2. Decklist
Current as of 03/08/16:
3. Lands
The large land count both gives the deck resiliency to wastelands and between Conduit, Eye, All is Dust and the two Ulamog's you rarely mind having tons of mana.
x4 Ancient Tomb – Sol Land #1-4. Due to the more aggressive nature of this deck, it can cope with the lifeloss better than Turbo Eldrazi. The ability to power out a Chalice at 1 on turn 1 makes it an automatic 4 of in this list.
x4 City of Traitors – Sol Land #5-8. Since the deck functionally plays 24 Sol Lands, it just needs 3 of any combination of it’s 24 Sol Lands in the first 10 cards to be able to top off it’s mana curve and lay down Conduit of Ruins (which make the other threats in the deck even cheaper to cast). Due to requiring such a low number of lands to top off the curve, City of Traitors is almost always the perfect land to plop down turn 3.
x4 Eldrazi Temple – Sol Land #9-12. Temples can be played in multiples, is a great target for Vesuva, and given the high density of Eldrazi spells, it is bar none the best land in the deck. Play four copies, always.
x4 Eye of Ugin – Sol Land #13-16. Despite the fact that Eye is legendary, I play 4 due to the high density of Eldrazi spells in the maindeck and the fact that it's tutoring effect is so much more usable here thanks to Cloudpost mana. Yes you will have the occasional opening hand with 2 Eye of Ugins. But just as frequently, an Eye of Ugin in your opening hand pumps out multiple Eldrazi Mimics and Endless Ones turn one followed by a Thought-Knot Seer turn 2, a Conduit of Ruin turn 3 and an Ulamog turn 4. It’s a frequent Wasteland target so it’s not always bad to have in multiples.
x4 Cloudpost – Sol Land #17-20. Quite possibly the second best land in the deck. Even if you have only one post land in your opening hand, there are still 3 Cloudposts, 3 Glimmerposts, and 3 Vesuva left in the deck so the odds are fairly good that Cloudpost will be tapping for atleast 2 mana by midgame. Thus Cloudpost effectively functions as yet another Sol Land in this deck.
x3 Vesuva – Sol Land #21-23. Between 4 Cloudposts, 4 Eldrazi Temples and 4 Ancient Tomb, you’re never lacking for Vesuva targets, and this land essentially functions as Sol land 21-23 as a result. It can even gain you life by copying a Glimmerpost if you’re down to single digits. However, the fact that it comes into play tapped is enough to make it a 3 of.
x1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth – As a 1 of in a build that plays 4 Eye of Ugin, this land functions as Sol Land #24 more often than not. The main reason the cards is worth playing is that it lets you tap Eye of Ugin to generate an additional B mana but it has the additional function of allowing Dismember to be castable without the lifeloss. It can also be very helpful if you side in Oblivion Sowers against a matchup that plays fetchlands, for obvious reasons.
x3 Glimmerpost – I have frequently gone back and forth on playing a full playset main deck. The life gain can be helpful in some matchups. However, the fact that it produces only 1 mana a turn unlike every other land in the deck makes it one of the weakest links in the mana base.
4. Threats
x4 Thought-Knot Seer – The best creature in the deck, bar none. Play four.
x4 Reality Smasher – Between haste, trample and it’s 2-for-1 trades to pinpoint removal, this is the most aggressive creature in the deck. Play four.
x4 Endless One – Does an excellent job of smoothing out the deck’s mana curve. It can plop down as a 2/2 on turn one or as a 12/12 in the mid/lategame, making it a solid threat regardless of when you draw it.
x4 Eldrazi Mimic – While it’s a horrible topdeck, this little guy facilities turn 3 and turn 4 wins far too often to not be worth playing.
x4 Conduit of Ruin - I continue to feel that Conduit of Ruin is the most underrated and underutilized Eldrazi. It's a beater, a mana accelerant and a tutor all in one card. With a manabase that supports 24 Sol Lands, it’s a god send.
x1 Ulamog's Crusher – The best available Conduit of Ruin target when you’re stuck at 3 Sol Lands/6 mana. If they ever print a stronger 7cc or 8cc Eldrazi, I would play that instead. However, it’s more than capable of winning games single handedly. While it can be chump blocked for a turn or two, thanks to Annihilator, it 3 for 1s your opponent every time it swings depleting them of chump blockers in a hurry. Turning all your Mimics into 8/8s for a turn can be quite game winning as well.
x1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger – A tutorable answer to Ensnaring Bridge, Moat, Worship and any number of other cards that would otherwise ruin your day. Thanks to Conduit of Ruin, it frequently comes out on turn 4, and it almost always puts your opponent in an unwinnable position the turn it is cast, even if it gets countered.
5. Disruption
x4 Chalice of the Void – In quite a few matchups, this is the most powerful card in the deck. Play four.
x3 Phyrexian Revoker – Whether it’s shutting down Deathrites or Deeds, Jaces or Jittes, Lilianas or Lavamancers, Mystics or Moms, Reliquarys or Ravagers, you’ll always find some use for it. Find room for four in your 75.
x2 Dismember – The best early game removal this deck has access to. There’s very few threats that Dismember doesn’t kill outright. Warping Wail and even Spatial Contortion to some degree are more flexible alternatives depending on the meta, but neither card deals with nearly as many threats as Dismember does making it well worth maindecking as a two of in most metagames.
x2 All is Dust – With 24 Sol Lands, the manabase can absolutely support this card. And excluding the mirror, there’s very few matchups that a resolved All is Dust doesn’t outright win. However, in faster metagames, maindecking Trinisphere instead might be the right call.
6. Sideboard
The sideboard is entirely metagame dependent. There’s no shortage of options. So I’ll just stick with the cards that I personally opt to play in the board.
Dismember – See above.
Phyrexian Revoker – See above.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth – A singleton tutorable beater more than capable of winning games by itself. The fact that a countered Kozilek still draws you four cards and then gets shuffled back into your maindeck so that it can be tutored up again next turn is just gravy. I generally bring it in versus any control matchups I face.
Oblivion Sower – A solid beater that outclasses most of the threats in legacy and is especially useful to bring in against the mirror and against slower controllish matchups. I’ve been pretty happy with it as a 2 of in the board.
Trinisphere – Given this deck’s higher curve and manabase, it can easily support Trinisphere maindeck. Whether you opt to go that route or play All is Dust is really a metagame choice.
Thorn of Amethyst – Trinisphere is definitely the stronger card, however, Thorn can be cast turn one which is crucial in some matchups. In addition, Trinisphere is useless in multiple so a 2/2 split is the right call in my opinion.
Faerie Macabre – A free instant speed uncounterable answer to a host of graveyard strategies. There’s no reason not to play a couple in any sideboard.
Surgical Extraction – It’s an even more powerful effect than Macabre against certain matchups. Unfortunately, it’s shut down by your own Chalice at 1, but there’s quite a few matchups where this card is useful and chalice is not, making it worth running in a 2/2 split with Macabre in my opinion.
Wastes – I included this in the board to bring in versus Veteran Explorer, Blood Moon, Wasteland and land destruction in general. However, it’s utility has been minimal. Veteran Explorer is a fairly niche use. Your opponent is never lacking in better Wasteland targets. And Conduit of Ruin is still castable through a Blood Moon, and Conduit -> Ulamog’s Crusher is more than capable of winning games. I could see myself cutting this to make room for 2 more Thorn or 2 Warping Wail.