Fighting Chance against Eldrazi at the Modern R10k

I’m sure by now you’ve seen, heard of, played against, read about, debated on or stressed over Eldrazi in Modern, whether your deck is viable against it and if it will have the same impact and representation at major events in South Africa than it does all over Europe and the USA. Since this is the last R10k that will feature the Eldrazi menace, I’d like to offer some advice on having a shot at beating it (read: having a shot). I’m by no means claiming that you’ll beat the Eldrazi with this advice, but I do believe that it will give you a better chance.

PART 1 – Understanding the enemy

Eldrazi is at its core an attacking creature deck with broken fast mana (sol lands) that enable it to quickly deploy oversized monsters. It contains just enough disruption like Dismember, Path to Exile, Kozilek’s Return, Lightning Bolt, Ratchet Bomb and Chalice of the Void to go with Thought Knot Seer to throw the opponent off-balance while it applies immense pressure. Finally, it also has late game inevitability in the form of Eye of Ugin to search for more threats.

These are the Variations that you are most likely to encounter:

1. UW Eldrazi – Contains Path to Exile, Dismember, Eldrazi Skyspawner, Eldrazi Displacer and Drowner of Hope and sideboard cards like Disenchant, Worship, Stubborn Denial, Relic of Progenitus, Rest in Peace and Stony Silence.
2. RG Eldrazi (aggro) – This is a more aggressive build of Eldrazi containing Lightning Bolt, Ancient Stirrings, Dismember, Eldrazi Obligator and Matter Reshaper, and sideboard cards like Ancient Grudge, Natural State, Relic of Progenitus and Grafdigger’s Cage.
3. RG Eldrazi (big) – This is a more top-heavy version containing cards like Kozilek’s Return, World Breaker and Talisman of Impulse and sometimes even Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, with sideboard cards similar to the smaller RG build but also containing more Ulamog and Oblivion Sowers.
4. Colourless Eldrazi – This version forsakes all colours in favour of “Man Lands” like Mutavault, Blinkmoth Nexus as well as disruptive lands like Ghost Quarter. This version usually contain Chalice of the Void, Ratchet Bomb, Warping Wail and Dismember, with sideboard cards like Spellskite, Pithing Needle, Gut Shot, Relic of Progenitus and Phyrexian Revoker.
5. UR Eldrazi – Eldrazi players have moved on from this abomination.

PART 2 – Do’s and Don’ts - individual cards

DO - Cheap Hard Removal, Hard Sweepers, and Thoughtseize

Cheap, hard removal spells, preferably one mana ones are great at containing Eldrazi’s oversized monsters and smaller aliens alike, just be mindful of Chalice of the Void (which Dismember conveniently dodges most of the time) while hard sweepers like Wrath of God and Damnation are great at sweeping up the gleefully overextending Eldrazi board. Finally, Thoughtseize takes their bigger threats before they can come down. Eldrazi is an aggressive creature deck at its core and you should treat it as such. Other options include Terminate, Doom Blade, Journey to Nowhere and Day of Judgment. Be sure to pack enough of these types of cards where appropriate as Eldrazi often has a Thought Knot Seer to take the first one.

DON’T - Land Destruction

These land destruction spells are too slow and are almost a sure way of losing. Consider this, the Eldrazi player has a well-established board full of creatures in the early game (something they tend to have) and you take your third or fourth turn off casting one of these spells instead of killing one of their creatures. You have done nothing about the more apparent threat: their creatures already in play and will more than likely succumb to their ensuing attacks.

Having these in addition to cheap removal or sweepers is fine, but having more removal is likely better. The Eldrazi decks play 24-25 lands and they will more often than not have extra lands to recuperate with. You should start noticing a theme with Individual non-creature cards, kill their stuff.

DON’T - Hate/Prison Permanents

Think of these cards as bad sweepers (Wrath, Damnation etc.) of sorts, they prevent their creatures from attacking you in the case of Ghostly Prison and Ensnaring Bridge or outright killing you in the case of Worship, but do nothing removing the actual creatures in play and will eventually be removed by Disenchant, Worldbreaker, Cyclonic Rift, Ratchet Bomb or Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger among others.

There are corner cases where these cards are effective like Ensnaring Bridge in Lantern Control (because they regulate the Eldrazi’s draws preventing them from drawing their outs) but overall the Eldrazi force has adapted to beat these kinds of hate permanents unless you’re fast enough to close the game before they can get their out.

Painter’s Servant deserves a mention on its own as it has the right attributes (two mana) but the wrong type (creature, dies to removal). I actually think it’s decent against them if you can get it down on Turn 2, but pretty bad otherwise.

DO - Fast Mana/Early Ramp

Fast Mana cards like these are an effective way of competing in speed with the Eldrazi’s broken “Sol Lands”

ACCEPTIBLE - Number based Removal and Spreading Seas

First of you’ll notice another “Land Destruction” spell in a predominantly removal section, and I think that Spreading Seas deserves a special mention; Spreading Seas has something that the other Land Destruction spells don’t have (no not the card drawing part, although it has that as well): costing two mana, which means that, on the play on turn two, you’ll set them back a turn from casting their bigger stuff while having the opportunity to draw more of those Hard Removal spells that I mentioned earlier.

Lightning Bolt, Galvanic Blast and Anger of the Gods (or other similar cheap Red Small Sweepers) do a fine job of containing their smaller creatures (Obligator, Mimic, Endless One [early], Skyspawner, Scions etc.) but needs to be accommodated by either Hard Removal/Hard Sweepers or a very fast clock of your own. Notice the theme again?

PART 3 – Creatures that work best

FLYERS:

The Eldrazi deck(s) are basically the epitome of a dumb green ground stompy deck, cast green creature, HULK SMASH!, but even the HULK himself doesn’t block flying creatures very well, so it’s an effective way of attacking them while trying to contain their ground onslaught. Flickerwisp has the added benefit of killing and Endless One or setting a chalice to 0. I realise that Eldrazi Skyspawner exists, but you shouldn’t have too much trouble dealing with this draft common.

GOOD EARLY BLOCKERS:

While they are obviously not enough on their own, these creatures are an effective way of living through Eldrazi’s early attacks while providing some additional utility. There are others as well, but these should give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

ANTI-SMASHER CREW:

These guys have one job, to stop the Reality Smasher from crushing you. Big Game Hunter, Fiend Hunter and Intrepid Hero all gets around the Smasher’s discard clause, while Loxodon Smiter, Wilt Leaf Liege and again Big Game Hunter Don’t particularly mind being discarded when you target it with a removal spell as that will put them straight into play.

UNDERCOSTED FATTIES:

Believe it or not, but there are actually creatures that match or even trump the Eldrazi’s speed and size. These guys do a fine job at containing the ground onslaught while they are also good at forcing them to chump block like chumps. There are certainly other more narrow options like Skaab Ruinator, Myr Superion, Golgari Grave Troll and the like if you’re a brewer at hearth.

PART 4 – Existing decks that has a shot

GOING UNDER THEM:

• Affinity - With Dispatch, Ghirapur Ether Grid and Ensnaring Bridge, as well as something to remove Stony Silence with.
• Infect - With Dismember and a way to beat Chalice of the Void.
• UR Storm - With Empty the Warrens (game 2 when they bring in graveyard hate) and a way to beat Chalice of the Void.
• Elves - with Dismember a way to beat Chalice of the Void. Golgari Charm (for Ratchet Bomb) and Thoughtseize also good.

KILL ‘EM ALL:

• UW Control - With all the Sweepers and Removal, as well as flying creatures like Clique, Restoration Angel and Flickerwisp, and blockers like Wall of Omens and Kitchen Finks, UW control definitely has a shot.
• Good ‘ol Jund - With main deck Damnations, hard removal Spells like Terminate, discard spells like Thoughtseize and undercosted fatties like Tarmogoyf, Jund has the tools to fight the Eldrazi.
• Living End – Living End being a sweeper itself while bringing back your motley crew of draft leftovers is an effective means of combatting the Eldrazi machine. Be sure to have ways to beat Chalice of the Void, most effective being Ingot Chewer.

GREEN COMBO:

• Abzan Company – Contains all the natural tools to beat Eldrazi and is more than likely the best choice against the deck. Be sure to come with a plan B combo (Thune + Spike Feeder is good) as the Eldrazi decks come prepared with graveyard hate these days.
• Kiki-Chord – Very Similar to Abzan Company but a bit slower. It has the plus side of not being weak to graveyard hate.

THE SPREADING SEAS DECK:

• Merfolk – Merfolk with a combination of Dismember and Spreading Seas are likely a fine choice against Eldrazi, I’m just not sure if it’s a real enough deck (for you Jason).

THE PRISON DECK:

• Lantern Control – Lantern control is a fine choice against Eldrazi but often struggles to survive the early onslaught and as such should aggressively mulligan to an Ensnaring Bridge and the Lantern Lock pieces. Once you have those in play it’s gets much easier.

I really hope this Article helps you defeat the Eldrazi menace at the R10k come 12 March, lets return to dust these stupid Eldrazi Aliens, see you all there, Wesley.