<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chrome Companion" href="#" target="_blank">Chrome Companion</a> | Art by <a href="https://grayhighsmith.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gray Highsmith</a>
A couple days before Magic players everywhere get to tear open prerelease kits and sink their teeth into Edge of Eternities, I participated in the MTG Arena early access event for the upcoming set.
This is the first event like this I've ever participated in and it was an absolute blast! I was able to try out several decks ahead of the upcoming Standard rotation, which happens on July 29th, as well as participate in a lot of drafts.
For the first time in a while, I got to draft a new Magic set without reading a single guide or listening to a single review podcast. It was both extraordinarily daunting and exciting!
<h2>Limited</h2>
I don't consider myself to be a particularly proficient drafter, especially going blind into a new set, but I ended up drafting a lot of really sweet decks over the course of the event.
My first time through, I just picked cards that looked reasonable, followed the heuristics that I learned from the many Magic players that are much better than me, and ended up with an Orzhov () midrange deck that definitely didn't adhere to the theme of the colors in this set. That deck only managed a meager two wins before suffering three losses. Here it is:
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-160077" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-300x115.png" alt="" width="910" height="349" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-300x115.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-1024x392.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-768x294.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-1536x588.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck.png 1696w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px" /></a>
I tried to force the Izzet () artifacts archetype a couple of times to little success. It seems that just about everyone was fighting over premium uncommons, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mm&#039;menon, Uthros Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Mm&#039;menon, Uthros Exile</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mm&#039;menon, Uthros Exile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Cruel Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Endstone"></div></div>
On one attempt, I got a pack one, pick one <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Cruel Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Cruel Captain</a> and picked up a copy of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Endstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Endstone</a> for what shaped up to be an incredibly interesting deck.
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-160083" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-300x109.png" alt="" width="914" height="332" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-300x109.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-1024x373.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-768x280.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-1536x560.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy.png 1821w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px" /></a>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Endstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Endstone</a> turned out to be a much more powerful card than I anticipated, buying countless turns in the late game against decks that struggled over and over again to deal 10 damage in a single turn all while I spent turn after turn improving my board state.
Often the only concern I had with The Endstone in play was the genuine possibility that I would lose to decking out before killing my opponent.
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-160085" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-300x169.png" alt="" width="909" height="512" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-300x169.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-1024x576.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-768x432.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-1536x864.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px" /></a>
<h2>Standard</h2>
Compared to Limited, I feel much more at home in 60-card formats. Standard is the next RCQ (Regional Championship Qualifier) format, so my attention has been on Standard more than usual lately.
The first deck on my agenda for post-rotation Standard was Azorius () control. I'm happy to report that Edge of Eternities has improved my beloved control deck by leaps and bounds. The card I most wanted to try in the archetype was <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consult the Star Charts" href="#" target="_blank">Consult the Star Charts</a>, an instant that serves as both a two-mana cantrip and a four mana <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stock Up" href="#" target="_blank">Stock Up</a> that you can cast at instant speed.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consult the Star Charts"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seam Rip"></div></div>
Actually, I'd say this card is a lot better than <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stock Up" href="#" target="_blank">Stock Up</a> in the context of a draw-go control deck as I never had to worry about tapping out during my turn and leaving myself defenseless when sculpting my hand in the early game.
The other standout card from Edge of Eternities for control is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seam Rip" href="#" target="_blank">Seam Rip</a>. This enchantment is functionally identical to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portable Hole" href="#" target="_blank">Portable Hole</a> with one major difference: its an enchantment.
That's significant for a couple reasons. One, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seam Rip" href="#" target="_blank">Seam Rip</a> doesn't get exiled by <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pinnacle Starcage" href="#" target="_blank">Pinnacle Starcage</a>, this set's replacement for the recently rotated <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporary Lockdown" href="#" target="_blank">Temporary Lockdown</a>. Two, Seam Rip can't be targeted by Abrade, one of red's best sideboard cards against artifacts like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portable Hole" href="#" target="_blank">Portable Hole</a>.
In the ten or so games I played with Azorius control, only one deck was able to fell this beast of a deck. With all that in mind, I think my deck for the upcoming RCQ season just chose itself for me.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="EOE Early Access UW Control" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Sorceries]
*2 Beyond the Quiet
*2 Day of Judgment
*3 Stock Up
*1 Ultima
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*4 Consult the Star Charts
*3 Get Lost
*4 No More Lies
*3 Three Steps Ahead
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*2 Pinnacle Starcage
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*2 Seam Rip
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*3 Beza, the Bounding Spring
*2 Marang River Regent // Coil and Catch
*3 Overlord of the Mistmoors
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*4 Demolition Field
*4 Floodfarm Verge
*4 Island
*4 Meticulous Archive
*6 Plains
*4 Restless Anchorage
[/Lands]"></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
The Edge of Eternities early access event was without a doubt one of the coolest experiences of my Magic career! I'm so thankful to both Wizards of the Coast and EDHREC for allowing me the opportunity to participate.
During this event, I got to play games against a lot of players that I look up to. I'll be the first to admit that I was totally star struck when I queued up for my second draft game and was paired against Paul Cheon himself.
If you're looking for a wacky Limited environment that produces dynamic and sometimes downright silly games, I think you'll love this draft format. I look forward to attending one in-person, although I will miss the Star Trek-esque music and sound effects from Arena while playing with this set in paper.
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="azLJDVK20L"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-nonlegendary-creatures-from-edge-of-eternities/">The Best Nonlegendary Creatures From Edge of Eternities</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="qQClbwcqqD"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-instants-and-sorceries-in-edge-of-eternities/">The Best Instants and Sorceries in Edge of Eternities</a></blockquote>
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edge of eternities draft

Edge of Eternities Early Access Write-Up