Metagame: Edge of Eternities' First Week in Competitive Formats

Edge of Eternities is here. Magic: The Gathering's space opera set had its first week on the tabletop and digital platforms, with the results of Magic Online's competitive events and Challenges providing clues as to where the set's new cards should be heading in each Metagame.

Between Consult the Star Charts in Pioneer, Quantum Riddler in Modern, and Tezzeret, Cruel Captain in Legacy, as well as the Standard rotation and Cryogen Relic in Pauper, the new set demonstrated potential in certain cards for each format, and in this article, we present the main highlights of Edge of Eternities' first week in competitive events!

Standard was primarily affected by the rotation that arrived with Edge of Eternities. Since many decks have emerged and the nature of the format's Metagame can change considerably, we've compiled a an standalone Standard article featuring the archetypes that stood out the most over the weekend.

The new set's impact on Pioneer was relatively small in the first week. The two main highlights were Seam Rip and Consult the Star Charts, which appeared in Azorius Spirits and Azorius Control lists, respectively, but without doing anything these archetypes didn't already have access to.

Seam Rip was also present in Boros Hammer lists, taking the slot previously held by Portable Hole since the card's type requires answers that the opponent won't always have naturally against this matchup, as opposed to the former artifact.

Kavaron Harrier and the new Nutrient Block were additions to Izzet Ensoul for putting more bodies on the board, or the possibility of having more creatures with Indestructible on the board if Block is enchanted with Zoetic Glyph or Ensoul Artifact.

The most significant change, despite lacking impressive results outside a Top 32 finish, was the new Rakdos Sacrifice variant featuring Weapons Manufacturing along with Oni-Cult Anvil and several cheap artifacts to create tokens that can be sacrificed to Shock the opponent, also offering an efficient way to amplify the threat that casting Rottenmouth Viper can pose.

Quantum Riddler was the main higlight in Modern. The interaction of Warp with Blink effects like Ephemerate and Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd is even more evident in the format than in Standard, and the mix of extra draws with a 4/6 body with Flying for is enough to consider interactions with it.

Riddler is also another enabler for Goodstuff lists, either with Ephemerate or like the variant below running Helga, Skittish Seer and creatures with alternative costs to simulate Up the Beanstalk's ability for card advantage.

Some Bant Birthing Ritual lists—mostly Simic, but with a few white one-ofs that require a copy or two of lands that generate —have added Ouroboroid as a target for its key card. The new creature has also grown in Standard, and its potential to repeatedly increase the board's power creates difficult-to-counter snowballs if it stays in play for more than a turn.

Another important addition, but to artifact-based archetypes, was Pinnacle Emissary, which interacts with the Affinity/Metalcraft plan while speeding up cards like Kappa Cannoneer and quickly increasing its power with the right combination of artifacts in the same turn.

Furthermore, Emissary's interactions with Emry, Lurker of the Loch and zero mana artifacts shouldn't be underestimated either, and it wouldn't be surprising if more combo lines between these two cards eventually emerge.

Tezzeret, Cruel Captain has found a home in Tron lists, expanding the toolbox potential the archetype already offers with Karn, the Great Creator while his ultimate turns any Chromatic Star and similar cards into threats in longer games.

Cryogen Relic was the most played Edge of Eternities card in Pauper this week, showing up primarily in some Affinity lists and even in Familiars, which can cast Ghostly Flicker to transform the artifact into an enhanced Experimental Synthesizer in slower archetypes.

Mono Blue Faeries also gained new tools. Illvoi Galeblade is the closest thing to Spectral Sailor that Pauper has ever had and helps enable Of One Mind with a Ninja or Brinebarrow Intruder in play, and Cryoshatter as permanent removal alongside Harrier Strix and the like.

Perigee Beckoner was a great addition to Aristocrats, whose ability offers Supernatural Stamina for one extra mana in exchange for an extra body to be sacrificed with Carrion Feeder and the like. Its body is also relevant for closing out games with Rite of Consumption.

Tezzeret, Cruel Captain and Pinnacle Emissary were the main highlights for Legacy. The planeswalker has appeared in Painter's Servant and Mystic Forge variants as a way to fetch key pieces and even generate extra mana with Grim Monolith, while Pinnacle Emissary offers another efficient win condition for Simulacrum Synthesizer and Kappa Cannoneer decks.

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!