Haliya, Ascendant CadetHaliya, Ascendant Cadet | Art by Justyna Dura

Hello, everyone! I'm Command Zoe here this time with a set review for Edge of Eternities (EoE). Specifically, I'm focusing on the nonlegendary creatures that will have the biggest effect on the Commander format.

These are the creatures you'll be seeing a lot of in the coming months, so grab a drink and a notebook! I'll be going over their strengths and weaknesses so that everyone knows how to play with them as well as how to play around them.

This is part of a series of articles covering EoE, so be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of them (linked below). You can never be too prepared!

Virulent SilencerVirulent Silencer

Unfortunately not legendary, Virulent silencer can do its best Fynn, the FangbearerFynn, the Fangbearer impression as a hidden commander to turn small evasive artifact creatures into extremely fast threats.

Any affinity deck is going to want one of these, as will any proliferate or poison counter deck where getting even a single surprise poison counter on an opponent can mean their demise. Because of how potent a threat poison can be and how powerful artifacts are, this card will pop up in many lists to come.

Luckily its three toughness and artifact type mean it's an easy removal target for several types of spells, like DisenchantDisenchant or Lightning BoltLightning Bolt.

Umbral Collar ZealotUmbral Collar Zealot

This two-mana uncommon creature can sacrifice both creatures and artifacts while filling the graveyard. While simple, it's hard to overstate how powerful an effect like this can be.

Surveil is a huge upgrade from comparable cheap sac-outlet Viscera SeerViscera Seer, as it allows fueling graveyard strategies like reanimator, flashback, and delirium. Sacrificing artifacts means it can be used in Second SunriseSecond Sunrise strategies that involve artifacts.

This card will be omnipresent in both combo and aristocrat decks, especially given that it's an uncommon.

Starfield VocalistStarfield Vocalist

Vocalist is a PanharmoniconPanharmonicon with a body that can jump onto the battlefield for a turn for just two mana. Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal and Yarok, the DesecratedYarok, the Desecrated decks obviously adore this card. There's not much more to say other than that trigger-doublers are historically quite powerful, and that this counts any permanent entering.

The warp is additional sauce on an already powerful card. It can be used to take a single miracle-like turn for decks like flicker. Conveniently, if it's flickered after it's warped, it sticks around past the one turn.

Playing Vocalist in the first main phase and then flickering it with Brago will feel like a crime, and be the common play pattern of the card.

Mightform HarmonizerMightform Harmonizer

Considering the power of the new Final Fantasy set's Tifa LockhartTifa Lockhart, the fact that Mightform Harmonizer can give her effect to any creature will be relevant. Put the Harmonizer in Tifa's library with the massive abundance of fetches, extra land drops, and generic ramp, and she'll quickly turn into a massive threat.

But it’s not just Tifa that can benefit from the Harmonizer, now that the effect is available to any deck that has green in it.

Throw it in Ojer Kaslem, Deepest GrowthOjer Kaslem, Deepest Growth, and dig way deep. Add it in The Gitrog, Ravenous RideThe Gitrog, Ravenous Ride to draw a disgusting amount of cards, then pump something up to be enormous. Just imagine how many triggers a big hit with the Frog could net, then imagine activating Jarad, Golgari Lich LordJarad, Golgari Lich Lord to end the game off it.

Sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Icetill ExplorerIcetill Explorer

The Magic designers dared to ask the question "How good would it be if we stapled ExplorationExploration onto a Ramunap ExcavatorRamunap Excavator?" The answer, unsurprisingly, is a resounding "Very."

A single fetch land can be played as many times as there are land drops per turn, which it conveniently provides an extra one of while also filling the graveyard for later value. There isn't a single lands deck that would turn this card away. It gives the strategy every single thing it wants.

This will see universal play in every flavor of Lands Matter out there. Lord WindgraceLord Windgrace, The Gitrog MonsterThe Gitrog Monster, The NecrobloomThe Necrobloom, and Hazezon, Shaper of SandHazezon, Shaper of Sand are all salivating waiting for this card to release next weekend.

The new precon, World Shaper, instantly is upgraded by this card into extreme threat range. The previous card on this very list, Mightform HarmonizerMightform Harmonizer, is instant besties with Icetill Explorer. Be prepared to see this card everywhere.

That seems okay, I guess...

Frenzied BalothFrenzied Baloth

Questing BeastQuesting Beast had a baby and its equally verbose! - Fanver, MtG:A Eternal Discord

This two-drop automatically replaces all Prowling SerpopardProwling Serpopards in every deck. Its ability to stop The One RingThe One Ring’s protection gives it a home in any green deck that's relying on creatures to win. The higher power the table, the more likely this card is to see play.

Fogs and counters can be taboo at certain tables where this card will see less play; but where they're prevalent, expect to see a lot of this card and all of its text. Local metas will determine its prevalence.

Luckily it only has two toughness and is not only easy to target with removal, but also pretty easy to block. Even weaker commanders can usually muster a pair of one-power tokens to double block with.

Dauntless ScrapbotDauntless Scrapbot

This is probably the least exciting card on this list, but I expect it to be one of the most played cards from the set. It goes into every single deck because it ramps you, hits all of your opponents' graveyards at once, gives you two artifacts for one card, and provides you a decent body to trade with, flicker, reanimate, or sacrifice.

The utility of Scrapbot can't be emphasized enough. It even has one toughness so it can be SkullclampSkullclamped! There isn't a whole lot of information to provide on such a basic yet powerful card other than to put it in your decks. At uncommon this is sure to pop up everywhere.

Surge ConductorSurge Conductor

Tekuthal, Inquiry DominusTekuthal, Inquiry Dominus just got a new best friend! The ability to add counters for every single artifact card that enters is extremely abusable in artifact and all dice factory-esque decks. Everflowing ChaliceEverflowing Chalice and Astral CornucopiaAstral Cornucopia will love Surge Conductor.

Many proliferate decks won't have enough artifacts to take advantage of Surge Conductor’s triggers to the fullest, but those decks that do will regard it as one of the strongest cards in the library.

Poisoning each opponent with Prologue to PhyresisPrologue to Phyresis suddenly just becomes a game of "Can I play enough eggs to end the game?" with Surge Conductor out, and commanders like Arcum DagssonArcum Dagsson can search it out and then use Clock of OmensClock of Omens in conjunction with cards like Encroaching MycosynthEncroaching Mycosynth and Krark-Clan IronworksKrark-Clan Ironworks to win on the spot.

They're called eggs because you crack them for card draw.

Horizon ExplorerHorizon Explorer

Horizon explorer is a great budget ramp option for basic-heavy decks. Although Rampant GrowthRampant Growth has fallen out of favor as the go-to ramp option in Commander, getting up to three additional lands for free each turn is extremely strong. The SpelunkingSpelunking effect also makes cracking the Landers an easier prospect to stomach, costing effectively just one mana.

The question is really, "In a world with so many dual and utility lands, is it worth running enough basics to find with the Landers in multi-color decks?" In mono-green it's no question, there are very few land ramp effects in the color that are better than Horizon Explorer that don't also want to be playing it. If a deck is mono-green and ramping, this card should be in it.

Magic Christmasland? Yea, maybe. Extremely funny to think about? Most definitely.

Cosmogrand ZenithCosmogrand Zenith

This new white mythic is pulling its best Cori-Steel CutterCori-Steel Cutter impression, but what it lacks in explosiveness it makes up for in sustained board presence. It’s perfect for any aggro-style commanders, such as Adeline, Resplendent CatharAdeline, Resplendent Cathar or Anim Pakal, Thousandth MoonAnim Pakal, Thousandth Moon.

It can take advantage of the fact that it doesn't specify your turn in flash and cantrip focused decks like Errant and GiadaErrant and Giada where it can create a sizable board when a pile of instants can’t on their own.

This does fold very hard to Stax decks running Rule of LawRule of Law effects, so be sure to pack enough removal to handle them. Nothing feels worse than the second spell per turn trigger being illegal with this on the board, so pack some counter magic, some enchantment removal, or some bounce spells. Always be prepared.

Honorable Mention

Lightstall InquisitorLightstall Inquisitor

The second ever one-drop Angel provides a semi-meaningful slow-down to the worst card in every player's hand. But if a Giada, Font of HopeGiada, Font of Hope deck needs to get onto the board fast with a synergy creature, this power-crept Savannah LionsSavannah Lions has a home.

It combos with the much loathed Drannith MagistrateDrannith Magistrate, so if any Death and Taxes players or flicker players want more help locking the rest of the pod out of the game while they get beat to death by a 2/1, this is their card.

As an aside from Commander the format, this card is sure to see play in constructed 60-card formats. The redundancy of four copies as well as the one-on-one format make this card significantly better.

Wrapping Things Up

There are a lot of very powerful cards coming in this set, and I'm so excited to get my hands on them this weekend. I've already been testing internally and some of these effects are truly frightening.

I had trouble narrowing down to just 10 cards for this list, and that was only for non-creatures! I've seen some of the messed up, evil, and menacing things that Spacecraft can do, and that gets me so hyped to fit them in my brews.

This set is shaping up to be one of the most powerful in a while. Remember, if you're going to the prerelease, always check your spacesuit for holes, and remember to put your helmet on before opening the airlock.

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