After playing inMagic: The Gathering’s preview event forEdge of Eternities, I’ve gotten a much better feel for the type of strategies that work best for Sealed events. If you’re planning to participate in a traditional Prerelease event this weekend, then you may want to reconsider some of your preconceived notions about the set before building your deck. My opinions on a few of the set’s new mechanics definitely changed after seeing them in action, and it would help to know what they play like before heading to your local events.
When I first learned thenew mechanics inEdge of Eternities, I definitely discounted how fast the set’s limited format would be. I was, therefore, frequently surprised by how quickly both my opponent and I were able to drop big creatures. There are also some powerful interactions to be on the lookout for when building, and a lot of tools that support a variety of playstyles. Overall,Edge of Eternitieshas an excellent Limited environment, but you’ll want to know what you’re getting into if you want to succeed.
5Station Is A Faster Mechanic Than You Might Think
Station Cards Can Quickly Stack Up Charge Counters
For some reason, when simply looking at the station mechanic in concept, I incorrectly assumed it might be difficult to quickly get charge counters on my spacecraft and planets. After playing multiple Sealed events duringMTG Arena’sEdge of Eternitiespreview,it became clear that charge counters add up fast. A big reason for this is the ability to tap creatures with summoning sickness combined with the prevalence of high-powered warp creatures.
You can warp in a Bygone Colossus for only three mana, and immediately use it to add nine charge countersto one of your station cards. Because spacecraft tend to have a higher power and toughness than typical creatures at the same mana value, they can be early threats when you find fast ways to bring them online. Cheapspacecraft like The Seriemacan end up being more effective than traditional creatures that are slightly more expensive, because you can use them earlier, and benefit from their ETBs even sooner.
Combat tricks are another way to quickly bring spacecraft or planets online. These tend to be cheap cards, so you can pump up one of your creatures for a small cost, then use it to add a lot of charge counters to some of your more powerful permanents. Additionally, creatures with vigilance can be very helpful when building around the station mechanic, as they can both attack and station in the same turn.
On the flip side,you’ll need to prepare to go up against these powerful cards. A common like Drill Too Deep can be very effective inEdge of Eternities' Limited setting since it destroys artifacts for only two mana. This can be a great way to slow down an opponent that spent a lot of resources bringing their spacecraft online.
4Warp Can Be A Total Game Changer
Warp Comes With Multiple Benefits Besides Just Playing Cards Early
Before playingEdge of Eternities, I predicted that the warp mechanic would likely be its most powerful. While I do think I underestimated station,I would still strongly recommend using warp cards whenever you can. Being able to cast a card twice can be much more impactful than it might initially sound, especially with the right pieces on the board.
During my first SealedEdge of Eternitiesrun,I won five games in a row, thanks in large part to the warp abilities on Red Tiger Mechan and Pinnacle Emissary. I could warp in Red Tiger Mechan to trigger Pinnacle Emissary two turns in a row. It was also helpful to warp in Pinnacle Emissary on turns when I could warp it, then cast another artifact, but wouldn’t have been able to afford to do both. Both also worked very well with Mm’menon, Uthros Exile, which would get counters each time these artifacts entered.
Warp also works very nicely with the void mechanic. Paying a cheap warp cost not only gives you the benefit of whatever creature it’s on, but will also power up cards like Plasma Bolt, making them much more effective. Warp also lets you safely trigger effects that care about permanents leaving the battlefield. For example, Anticausal Vestige will let you play a card for free from your hand at the end of your turn when you warp it in, adding even more value to its warp cost.
When considering adding a warp card to your deck, there are several factors to consider. You have to think about the benefits of playing the card temporarily for a big discount. On a card like Mightform Harmonizer, which can temporarily double a creature’s power, playing a turn early might mean winning the game. Additionally,you have to consider the benefits of being able to cast it twice in short succession, and any additional benefits you get from it leaving immediately. It can also keep cards safe if your opponent is running a lot of forced discard.
3Edge of Eternities Limited Supports Various Playstyles
Aggro, Control, And Midrange Decks Can All Work
One nice aspect of theEdge of EternitiesLimited environment is how many viable strategies there are. While the speed and strength of station may make it seem like aggro decks have an advantage, there are plenty of ways to make a control deck just as effective. When it comes time to build your deck, verify you aren’t discounting any single style of play, instead look at the strengths of your cards. That said, there are things you need to consider when choosing different styles.
When playing an aggro deck, you may want a slightly steeper curve than usual, as well as some heavy hitters. This isn’t a format where a board full of 1/1 creatures is going to do the trick. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to beef up weaker creatures. +1/+1 counter builds can be pretty effective in this format, especially if you luck into a copy of Terrasymbiosis. Aggro players should also consider the card Systems Override, which lets you use an opponent’s spacecraft before they have a chance to get it online.
There are also good tools here for control decks.I watched several games end due to well-timed Extinguisher Battleships clearing the boardand making room for a final attack. Mechanozoa is a great addition to a control deck, since it will both slow your opponents down earlier in the game, and serve as a good bomb later on. At common, Cryoshatter may be a very reliable piece of removal for any control decks running blue.
2Don’t Be Afraid To Abandon Recommended Builds
You Don’t Have To Follow The Prerelease Guide
Hand-in-hand withEdge of Eternities' support for various playstyles,you also shouldn’t be afraid to get creative with your builds. While the archetypes that Wizards of the Coast recommends in theirPrerelease Guideare solid, there are also some very interesting builds that don’t need to stick with this model. One good example would be building around Virulent Silencer, a card that makes all artifact creatures distribute Poison counters.
Virulent Silencer is uncommon, meaning it is feasible you could get multiple copies inyour Prerelease Pack. There are a ton of artifacts in this set, so simply including as many artifact creatures as you can that are also evasive can be a solid build if each of them is giving your opponent Poison counters.Spacecraft are goood here, since they are artifacts and also have flying.
There is also an infinite combo you can run in a black deckwhich only requires common and uncommon cards. Umbral Collar Zealot lets you sacrifice creatures at will, and Susurian Voidborn will cause your opponent to lose life each time you do. If you have two copies of Perigee Beckoner, you can use the second one’s ability to make the first one come back when it dies this turn. Then sacrifice it to Umbral Collar Zealot, return it to the battlefield, and give the same ability to the other Perigee Beckoner. You can repeat this until you win.
I’m not saying these two builds are likely for you to pull, and expecting specific cards - even uncommon or common ones - isn’t a good strategy for a Sealed event. However,these cards illustrate that there are some interesting strategies and interactions outside the typical two-color buildsthat will be recommended to you. That isn’t to say you should ignore those builds if they seem like the best bet for what you pull, only that you should consider what else your cards are capable of before defaulting to one.
1Make Sure To Include A Form Of Ramp
There Are A Lot Of Ways To Get Extra Lands In Edge Of Eternities
Between Lander tokens, and cards meant to support Landfall abilities,there are a lot of ways to quickly stack lands inEdge of Eternities. Add Shock Lands and planets like Uthros, Titanic Godcore to the mix, and playing high-mana cards doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary in this Limited environment. To ensure you don’t fall behind, you’ll want to ensure you have some form of ramp in your deck.
Aside from cards that just get more lands, you may want to look out for cards like Steelswarm Operator that tap for mana. Lander tokens are also available in all five colors, so keep an eye out for cards that create them. Mana is always important inMagic: The Gathering, but from my experience of this set, falling behind can be even more detrimental than usual. This is becauseEdge of Eternitiesincludes some seriously massive creatures and spacecraft that will be hard to deal with if you don’t have threats of your own.
