Is Emrakul a Sleeper?

by Bill Stark | posted at 2010-04-27 01:43:00
tagged: MTG, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Emrakul the Aeons Torn

Is Emrakul, the Aeons Torn sleeper tech from Rise of the Eldrazi? The card itself:

 

 

Emrakul's mythic stats, size, and exhaustive card text have already made it a valuable card from the new set, but I feel it actually has a place in the world of Constructed. Check out Patrick Chapin's new UW Control list from his article this week on StarCityGames.com:

 

 

4 Everflowing Chalice

 

2 Baneslayer Angel

4 Wall Of Omens

 

4 Cancel

3 Deprive

1 Flashfreeze

1 Path To Exile

 

2 Gideon Jura

4 Jace, The Mind Sculptor

 

2 Day Of Judgment

1 Martial Coup

2 Mind Spring

1 Oust

4 See Beyond

 

4 Island

4 Plains

 

1 Arid Mesa

4 Celestial Colonnade

4 Glacial Fortress

3 Halimar Depths

1 Scalding Tarn

4 Tectonic Edge

 

Sideboard:

2 Baneslayer Angel

4 Kor Firewalker

3 Flashfreeze

3 Negate

2 Jace Beleren

1 Day Of Judgment

 

In Pat's new deck, counterspells are in as he's playing both Cancel and Deprive. But what to do in the UW mirror? It's truly a drag out affair as both players trade card for card, and particularly if you're the weaker player it does not favor you. That's where Emrakul comes in, as a one-of mega-trump. Think about it. At fifteen mana, a total you can reach thanks to Everflowing Chalice in long games like the mirror, you have an uncounterable Time Walk that domes them for 15 (awfully close to lethal if it isn't immediately) and drops them down six permanents. Their best solution is to have Day of Judgment ready when they finally get the turn back, and even that doesn't deal with the 15/15 permanently. Which is another point: with a singleton Emrakul, your opponent can't deck you provided you play correctly.

 

So is Emrakul the real deal? I think it's a concept worthy of testing, and something slipping under the radar at the moment. You can share your thoughts on the topic in the forums using the link below.

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