The Girl Who Cried Eldrazi

Commander / EDH Control Eldrazi Multiplayer Primer UR (Izzet)

Enral

Creature (15)

• 1x Artisan of Kozilek
• 1x Bane of Bala Ged
• 1x Breaker of Armies
• 1x Clever Impersonator
• 1x Conduit of Ruin
• 1x Emrakul, the Promised End
• 1x Endbringer
• 1x It That Betrays
• 1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
• 1x Kozilek, the Great Distortion
• 1x Pathrazer of Ulamog
• 1x Sakashima the Impostor
• 1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
• 1x Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
• 1x Void Winnower

Land (38)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Arcane Lighthouse
• 1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
• 1x Cascade Bluffs
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Eldrazi Temple
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Eye of Ugin
• 1x Flamekin Village
• 1x Grixis Panorama
• 1x Halimar Depths
• 1x Hanweir Battlements  ^{Flip  Meld}
• 1x High Market
• 1x Homeward Path
• 5x Island
• 1x Izzet Boilerworks
• 1x Lonely Sandbar
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
• 1x Mountain
• 1x Myriad Landscape
• 1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Remote Isle
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Shivan Reef
• 1x Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Sulfur Falls
• 1x Temple of Epiphany
• 1x Tolaria West
• 1x Wandering Fumarole

Enchantment (10)

• 1x Braid of Fire
• 1x Dream Tides
• 1x Leyline of Anticipation
• 1x Mind's Dilation
• 1x Omniscience
• 1x Paradox Haze
• 1x Pendrell Mists
• 1x Propaganda
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Sneak Attack

Artifact (17)

• 1x Crawlspace
• 1x Crystal Shard
• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Hedron Archive
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Mind's Eye
• 1x Planar Portal
• 1x Prismatic Lens
• 1x Quicksilver Amulet
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Strionic Resonator
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Unstable Obelisk
• 1x Worn Powerstone

Instant (13)

• 1x Aetherspouts
• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Blue Sun's Zenith
• 1x Capsize
• 1x Clockspinning
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Fury Charm
• 1x Long-Term Plans
• 1x Mana Drain
• 1x Not of this World
• 1x Pact of Negation
• 1x Rapid Hybridization
• 1x Reality Shift

Sorcery (6)

• 1x All is Dust
• 1x Beacon of Tomorrows
• 1x Blasphemous Act
• 1x Curse of the Swine
• 1x Show and Tell
• 1x Vandalblast

Commander (1)

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Maybeboard

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Stranglehold

Instant (4)

• 1x Evacuation
• 1x Flusterstorm
• 1x Mindbreak Trap
• 1x Sunder

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Devastation Tide
• 1x Reality Strobe
• 1x Time Spiral

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Introduction

Welcome to my Jhoira (tamed and no MLD) primer! Have you ever heard of the fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"? The tale concerns a shepherd boy who repeatedly deceived the nearby villagers into thinking that a wolf is attacking his flock. When the wolf actually came and the boy calls for help, the villagers thinks that it is probably another false alarm and the sheeps are eaten by the wolf.

This deck is a satirical take on the theme of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" by blatantly telling your opponents (the villagers) that the Eldrazis (Wolves) are coming. Everytime a suspend counter is taken off the Eldrazi is to represent the number of times Jhoira "cried wolf"...till the Eldrazis really come and spoil the fun for everyone.

The Eldrazis are coming...

...be very AFRAID!!!

How it Works

Jhoira has one of the most unique abilities in Magic. It lets you suspend any nonland card for 4 time counters. Creatures that were casted off suspend also have haste and any ETB or cast triggers will work. Suspending an Eldrazi is very flavorful as the Eldrazis came from another dimension (cosmic space) and are being brought into this plane by bending the dimension of time.

The spirit of this deck:

• This deck is primarily splashing unlike most other Izzet builds which is why we have such a red-light manabase.

• Meant to play for late game inevitability. You do not have to freak out if you do not have the perfect hand to rush Jhoira out as you have enough resources to hard cast your creatures mid to late game.

• Jhoira takes center stage early game and falls back to a supporting role mid to late game. Your goal is to use Jhoira early game to get your Eldrazi engine going and by mid game suspend stuff as strategically while hardcasting a fatty. This actually mitigates problems other built faces in having Jhoira die constantly and not having the resources to play the long game to survive.

• Control and Beatdown is what the goal of the deck is. You control the flow of the game while you cheat and hardcast fatties out to smash face. YThis version of Jhoira is slightly more welcomed at parties.

• I don't play MLD as a way to quickly end the game. My playgroup frowns on MLD so I run a more tamed boardwipe package.

Early Game

Your opening hand should include a mana rock and at least 2 lands. Mulligan aggressively if you need to. Jhoira plays an active role in this phase as you establish your board with mana rocks and supporting permanents.

Mid Game

At this point you should already have an Eldrazi in play and your opponents should be either scooping up or you are playing archenemy. You should have enough mana to hardcast an Eldrazi or should be able to finish up the game. If you have a slow start, Jhoira will be playing a more supporting role to suspend expensive spells as you hold mana up to respond to threats.

Late Game

At this point, you are either being ganged up by the table and is left with nothing but a sorry pathetic boardstate for your opponents to gloat at (seriously no matter how nice you try to play this deck you will get hated on)...or a commanding boardstate and the inevitability to power through hate and win at this point. Jhoira will be playing a supporting role at this point like in mid game.

Guidelines for casting Jhoira:

• Do you have at least available after casting her? If not, hold on unless you wanna risk it.

• Do you have something better to cast or needs mana up to possibly counter an infinite combo next turn? If not, go on and cast Jhoira.

• Do you have any suspend targets in your hand? If not, do not draw attention and refrain from casting Jhoira.

Combos and Synergies

• It That Betrays + All Is Dust: You take control of all your opponents' colored permanents! Depending on the board state, can almost secure a win for you.

• Beacon of Tomorrows + Planar Portal + 12 or Omniscience + 6 mana: Infinite turns. This is our end game finisher. You should be able to get 14 mana easily in this deck with the amount of mana rocks available. Without disruption, you can almost always assemble this combo. Always tutor for portal first and you can portal for beacon to win. You win (with either an Eldrazi or Planeswalker on the field) by attacking with your Eldrazis or activate any of the planeswalkers' relevant abilities ad infinitum to kill the entire field. Planeswalkers ability that ends the game with this combo: Karn Liberated's first two abilities to exile everything your opponents have and bring them back with ultimate and Ugin, the Spirit Dragon's first ability to bolt your opponents to death.

• Sneak Attack + Crystal Shard + Eldrazi: Recurrable offensive or defensive Eldrazi shenanigans.

• Braid of Fire + Planar Portal/Paradox Haze/Dream Tides/Pendrell Mists/Sneak Attack/Eye of Ugin/Clockspinning/Capsize/Blue Sun's Zenith: These cards have strong abusive synergies with Braid of Fire especially when it has accumulated several age counters.

Card Choices

Protection Show

Since we run several big threats, we run a high risk of being targeted for creature-steal spells. We run several cards and redundancies that help protect our creatures from being stolen or killed.

• Reality Strobe: Mainly used as a recurrable creature-steal protection. Can be manipulated with Clockspinning to get around the sorcery speed and gets infinitely better with Paradox Haze.
• Crystal Shard: Forces a threat back to opponents' hands if they forget to leave a mana open. Returns your creature back in response to targeted or mass removal.
• Swiftfoot Boots: Stops targeted removal and provides haste.
• Capsize: Reusuable bounce that is mainly to stop voltron commanders or returning your stolen creature.
• Not of This World: Almost always a free counterspell for targetted spells or abilities.
• Cyclonic Rift: One sided board wipes and can return your stolen creatures.
• Pact of Negation: "Free counterspell" when you're tapped out.
• Spell Crumple: Counterspell you could draw again later.
• Arcane Denial: Cantrip counterspell is always good to refuel your hand.
• Homeward Path: Regain control of all your stolen creatures.
• High Market: Sacrifice your creature in response to a steal spell or if under an enchantment lock.

Creature Control Show

Cards that taxes and dissuades opponents from attacking me as well as permanent answers to creatures.

• Pendrell Mists: We almost always have either one or two creature in play and it hurts our opponents more than we do. We also run Braid of Fire which can help mitigate the upkeep cost.
• Unstable Obelisk: On top of being a mana rock early game, it can help destroy any annoying permanents late game.
• Dream Tides: Stops green aggro strategies and slows aggro down. Synergies with Braid of Fire to mitigate the upkeep cost.
• Propaganda: Slows or dissuades aggro strategies against you.
• Sneak Attack: Makes opponents think twice before attacking you as you can put a creature into play to surprise block any time.
• All Is Dust: Best board wipe in this deck and is almost always one sided with the amount of colorless permanents we run.
• Curse of the Swine: Mass exile is great against indestructible creatures.
• Breaker of Armies: Ruins creature strategies.
• Maze of Ith: Great against voltron.
• Cyclonic Rift: Our best one-sided mass removal. Playing this and attacking with an Eldrazi almost always wins you the game as they are now forced to sac their lands.
• Ugin, the Spirit Dragon: Controlled mass exile.
• Karn Liberated: Exile problematic permanents.

Utility Show

Cards that help further my gameplan and supporting my strategy.

• Braid of Fire: Synergies with all activated abilities (including suspend), stax costs like Pendrell Mists , and buyback cards like Clockspinning and Capsize.
• Leyline of Anticipation: It's ability to put a fatty into play at instant speed at the end of your opponent's turn while holding up answers is a powerful thing to do. You can flash in a fatty to surprise block a creature you have difficulty removing too.
• Strionic Resonator: One of the best artifacts in this deck. It works with all of our Eldrazis' cast and attack triggers (essentially making up for our lack of timewalk effects) and also works with Mind's Dilation to double the chance of stealing additional spells. Imagine using Treachery and untapping 10 lands instead.
• Sneak Attack: Great offensive and defensive tool. Synergies with Crystal Shard for reccurable attack triggers.
• Quicksilver Amulet: Great offensive and defensive card that cheats the Eldrazis into play.
• Sensei's Divining Top: Library manipulation tool.
• Mind's Eye: Card draw.
• Rhystic Study: Card draw as well as taxing.
• Reito Lantern: Puts important cards back to my library and synergies with Planar Portal .

Ramp Show

• Ancient Tomb
• Cavern of Souls
• Eldrazi Temple
• Eye of Ugin
• Mind Stone
• Everflowing Chalice
• Prismatic Lens
• Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
• Expedition Map
• Worn Powerstone
• Thought Vessel
• Unstable Obelisk

Tutors Show

• Eye of Ugin
• Conduit of Ruin
• Expedition Map
• Fabricate
• Long-Term Plans
• Planar Portal

Suspend/Cheat Targets Show

• Mind's Dilation
• Artisan of Kozilek
• Bane of Bala Ged
• Breaker of Armies
• Emrakul, the Promised End
• It That Betrays
• Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
• Kozilek, the Great Distortion
• Pathrazer of Ulamog
• Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
• Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
• Void Winnower
• Karn Liberated
• Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
• Omniscience

Time Manipulation Show

• Paradox Haze
• Fury Charm
• Clockspinning
• Beacon of Tomorrows
• Emrakul, the Promised End

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Naturally strong commander and can play archenemy fairly well in a casual to semi-competitive pod.

• You have late game inevitability, especially in this build.

• You are the king of beatdown strategies. No other creatures in the game are meaner and bigger than yours. You will take over the board real quick even with one well-timed Eldrazi.

• You pack a modest amount of counterspells and disruption. Combo decks will have to think twice before they combo off.

• Great against mill strategies and almost can't be killed by infinite mill combos due to some of your Eldrazis having graveyard shuffle effects.

• Surprisingly disruptive against graveyard abuse and sacrifice strategies from mid to late game with It That Betrays, Reito Lantern, & Mind's Dilation.

Weaknesses

• Natural archenemy that draws massive hate from everyone almost every game. Resources are against you most of the time and it is up to you to fend them off and convince everyone someone else is the bigger threat. Playing Jhoira later in the game may be more beneficial for you in some games if the pod is full of fast aggro commanders.

• A well-timed unanswered spot removal can set you back and steal you the game.

• Creature-steal spells can wreck you hard. A well-timed Sower of Temptation can turn your fatty against you. Use your counterspells and bounces sparingly. Watch out for Gilded Drake, Insurrection, Blatant Thievery, and Bribery. Any commanders with should be your number one target priority and it is better to leave mana and answers open instead of progressing the board if they are in the pod. Homeward Path is the best card to have in the pod with blue players. Watch out especially for commanders like Thada Adel, Acquisitor, Memnarch, Olivia Voldaren, and Marchesa, the Black Rose. The only one commander that is made to neuter the Eldrazis is Sigarda, Host of Herons, be sure to try to get Arcane Lighthouse out asap or knock her out before she can get out.

• Aggressive nonbasic land hate can stifle our strategy early game. Cards like Back to Basics and Blood Moon early game can slow down our game plan a few turns back. You should be able to play through the nonbasic land hate mid to late game once you have your mana rocks out.

• This deck can make opponents very salty as sacrificing their permanents is very disheartening. You may lose your friends if you play this deck often since this deck can have very broken and explosive starts and have a high win ratio.

Conclusion

I hope that you enjoyed my primer and please comment if you have any suggestions and upvote if you like it!

Date added	8 years
Last updated	8 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	16 - 0 Mythic Rares 41 - 0 Rares 25 - 0 Uncommons 12 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	4.58
Tokens	Boar 2/2 G, Frog Lizard 3/3 G, Manifest 2/2 C
Folders	Commander, My EDH Brews, Stuff to try, Sounds Fun - EDH, Commander, EDH Deck builds, Edh ideas, Deck ideas