It’s time for the Edge of Eternities pre-release and with having gotten a chance to try out some limited play of the set in the MTG Arena creator event I can share some insights that might just help you win your Edge of Eternities pre-release… or know a bit more about the set, which we’ve been learning more about ever since the Edge of Eternities preview only a few weeks ago
Pain for All
This is a premium removal spell, and it plays really well in practice as well. On the surface, it is a relatively rare red ‘bite’ spell dealing damage equal to the power of your creature to an opponents, but there’s a lot more to this one. First of all, unlike other bite spells, Pain for All can also burn your opponent.
Bigger and second of all, it also gives a ‘Stuffy Doll’ effect to the creature, meaning that when it’s dealt damage it deals damage to your opponents. With limited often involving a lot of fights, and the set has a higher number of high toughness creatures (16 commons, and 19 uncommons with more toughness than power) provoking ground stalls you can exploit with Pain for All.
Starfield Shepherd
This uncommon flier is excellent to get, in large part due to it’s warp ability. Being able to warp this on turn 2 helps ensure that you have a land drop in the future, and holding onto it a little can trigger Void abilities that you have. While a 3/2 Flying for 5 is a bit undersized, when it comes with having fetched a pair of cards it becomes quite good. The Shepherd gets even better if you have a strong 1 drop that it can fetch as well, with the best option in the set being Rust Harvester.
Starfield Vocalist
In many sets, the Vocalist would be a buildaround type card left for people wanting to do whacky or strange drafts. But, Edge of Eternities is not most sets, and there are even more enters abilties then normal with Warp, as those creatures come in doing something then more often than not, and there are 62 creatures with ‘enters’ abilities.
Interceptor Mechan
Gravedigger is always good, but this uncommon puts the venerable raise dead bringer to shame by not just flying, but working with artifact synergies and fetching artifacts, but also having the ability to grow. This thing is a machine and a strong reason to go black/red if you open it.
Fell Gravship
Speaking of Gravedigger replacement options, Fell Gravship is a spacecraft option for black decks, milling a few cards and then grabbing you a spacecraft or creature back. With the format being slower and more defensive, it feels like there is time for spacecrafts to be stationed, meaning the 3/2 flying lifelink body here can be quite useful.
Mm’menon, Uthros Exile
With all the artifacts in Edge of Eternities, and all the Lander creation going on in the set, Mm’menon here is able to grow himself or other creatures you have quite quickly and strongly. Without flying, Mm’menon would be still quite playable given the density of artifacts, with it, it can become a menace, to the degree it made my top 10 of best commanders in Edge of Eternities.
Seedship Agrarian
Landers are quite useful in Edge of Eternities limited, as they work to set up various artifact synergies, can hit void triggers, and in great especially make splashing much easier than it often is. The price is enough that I don’t think you can quite cut land over it, but in green with a couple of lander creators, you can splash a color quite easily.
Of the lander makers, Seedship Agrarian is one of the best, as while its 4 mana, it makes a lander each time it’s tapped – making it perfect for stationing spacecrafts. Additionally, it grows whenever a land enters, something you’ll be doing a lot with this scientist working for you.
Skystinger
Skystinger is easy to overlook as a normal green lower cost anti-flying hate, but it’s important not to miss this little fellow, as it’s able to take on almost anything in the air. The air in Edge of Eternities come the late game can come to be occupied by some bigger creatures when certain spacecrafts get fully operational, but Skystinger for his humble 3 mana is able to take on almost all comers in the air.
Dual-Sun Adepts
White has ties to both go-wide and +1/+1 counter themes in this set, both of which go very well with this 2/2 Double Striker who also provides a reasonably priced team pump. There’s really not much to say about this guy, aside from he’s solidly costed and does precisely what white is looking to in general, and he absolutely loves to be the recipient of Honor.
Annul
The value of artifact destruction varies a lot set to set, but with 74 artifacts, the pendulum has swung towards high in Edge of Eternities. Annul is one of the most efficient pieces of artifact removal because it can do it for 1 mana as long as you keep the mana up – something players should be aware of also when facing blue decks. It’s worth running at least one or two pieces of artifact hate in your deck if you get it, though most of it is in red and green.
With that, best of luck at your pre-release and hope you enjoy Edge of Eternities!
