Locations
The Eldrazi are powerful, disturbing Creatures. These amalgamations of tentacles, eyeballs, and arms are formless, colorless psychic beings that hail from a place called the Blind Eternities. In the lore, these Creatures descended on Zendikar and fed on the vibrant natural resources it had to offer, sucking the plane dry and driving out the unique lifeforms that call it home.
As cards, that translates to expensive, high-powered Creatures that often have game-bending abilities attached.
Today, we're going to look back at history of these horrific spaghetti monsters and some of the most overpowered cards that feature them.
History of the Eldrazi
Magic: The Gathering sets used to come in blocks, completing a full story arc in the lore over the course of a calendar year. Shards of Alara wrapped up in 2009 and was packed with rich lore in a sprawling world. The Zendikar block from 2009 to 2010 picked up the torch.
The first sets in the block established the beautiful world of Zendikar. The deep waters, breathtaking forests, and mysterious floating hedrons were the perfect backdrop for the land-based mechanics of the block. It quickly became a player favorite.
But... what if Wizards ripped this plane apart after letting us in love with it?
At the end of the Zendikar block, we got Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE). In it, we met the Eldrazi for the first time and they were hellbent on destruction.
Quickly, unthinkable devastation became reality on Zendikar, which inspired the plane's Kor, Elves, and Merfolk to band together against the unfamiliar forces. These alliances had no real way to prepare for the Eldrazi Titans.
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Each of them had different ways of terrorizing the plane of Zendikar, whether it be mercilessly devouring the mana like Ulamog and his spawn, or distorting reality itself like Kozilek.
Emrakul is, above all, the most terrifying in both presence and ability. Her presence distorts all living things, twisting their physical form and causing intense distress and devastation anywhere she flies.
The End of Their Reign
While the plane of Zendikar was suffering during the initial Rise of the Eldrazi, it did not last forever. Eventually, the Eldrazi were sealed away by the efforts of Sorin, Ugin and Nahiri until they were recklessly released by Chandra and Jace.
Ulamog and Kozilek fed, once again, on the Zendikari plane until they were destroyed in a fierce battle against the Gatewatch. Emrakul traveled to Innistrad, seeking Sorin and Nahiri, and wrought havoc on that plane.
Luckily, as far as we know, the Eldrazi have not visited any other planes outside of Innistrad and Zendikar. But the destruction that follows their path is unmatched, and while we have learned much about the Eldrazi as a species over the years, there is still a lot we don't know.
As for Emrakul, while controlling Tamiyo's mind she placed herself inside the moon of Innistrad. All these years later, we don't know why.
We wouldn't hear from her again until 2026 with the release of Reality Fracture. Emrakul broke free, with her tentacles wrapping around the moon as she pulls herself free of the Blind Eternities again.
We don't yet know why, or what she plans to do in the Echoverse.
Ulamog
There are three variations of Ulamog, which are:
Ulamog's cards are themed around his hunger, stealing cards or permanents from your opponent in different ways. Here's a breakdown of each one.
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre is a 10/10 Legendary Creature that will cost you 
to get on the board. When you cast him, you can destroy any permanent as he enters, and you don't have to worry about countermagic since he's Indestructible.
Along with that, Ulamog has Annihilator 4. That means that whenever Ulamog attacks, before blockers are ever declared, the opponent has to sacrifice four of their Creatures right away.
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre was certainly a powerhouse for his time and not much has changed.
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Printed in Battle for Zendikar (BFZ), Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger is a another Legendary 10/10, this time for 
. Like his predecessor, he's Indestructible and he bounces permanents when he enters, but your opponent will lose two to this gnawing void.
They don't to the graveyard to be easily clawed back, either -- they go straight to exile. You also have a chance to mill your opponent every turn that you attack, forcing the top twenty cards of their library into exile, too.
'Ceaseless Hunger' is a befitting epithet when you are losing that many cards just for swinging. What's more, those cards leave the game before your opponent can declare any blockers. Not only is Ulamog diabolical, but he's also fast.
Ulamog, the Defiler
Unfortunately Ulamog, the Defiler is a little easier to counter, but this one is a completely ruthless 7/7 for . This Ulamog isn't Indestructible and, instead, has Ward - sacrifice two permanents.
That means that if an opponent wants to counter it as you cast or uses a spell to target his, they can do so if they're willing and able to sacrifice two of their permanents. Even though that's the case, the value isn't lost if it happens.
"When you cast this spell, target opponent exiles half their library, rounded up."
So, not when Ulamog enters, but when you cast him, your chosen target has to put the top half of their library in exile. Then,
"Ulamog, the Defiler enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the greatest mana value among cards in exile."
Along with that, his enters ability is Annihilator X, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters that it enters with. Just getting him on the board can create an insurmountable enemy for anyone else at the table.
Because of how devastating this card can be, these effects are more of a gamble than the others; his base power and toughness are lower in this print, too. But remember, it has insane potential to get bigger. He's also not Indestructible this time.
Ward does offer him some protection and makes targeting him a loss for everyone involved, but it is still weaker than making him completely Indestructible this time.
Kozilek
There are three different Kozileks in the game:
In the same way all variants of Ulamog have a lot of similarities, each different version of Kozilek serves a different purpose.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
The first version we met, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth is another ten-drop Legendary Creature that comes in at 12/12, with Annihilator 4, so every swing is extra painful. Just like the other Eldrazi Titans, this card comes with some wild abilities.
When you cast this Kozilek, you get to draw four cards. Also, in what's become an Eldrazi staple, you can shuffle your graveyard back into your library whenever this one dies. So, with this one, we get all the great extras but this time, on a massive body that helps refill your hand.
Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Kozilek, the Great Distortion is a 12/12 Legendary Creature with Menace; we first met him in Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW). When you cast him for 
, you'll get to draw back up to seven if your hand is running low.
As long as Kozilek's on the board, you have a built-n counterspell on deck. You can counter any spell by discarding a card from your hand with the same mana value. Neat, right?
Kozilek, the Broken Reality
The last version of Kozilek we'll cover is from Modern Horizons 3 (MH3). A 9/9 for nine, this Legendary Creature doesn't really bring any mind-bending effects but he is still strong.
Kozilek, the Broken Reality will give you the choice to manifest the top two cards of two opponents' libraries, netting them 2/2s and drawing yourself a card for each one. Apart from this, it's really the rest of your board that matters here.
As long as you have this on the board, other Colorless Creatures you control get +3/+2.
Emrakul
There are four different versions of Emrakul:
Each printing of Emrakul has some way to protect itself from attacking Creatures or hostile spells. Along with that, you will have options to flavorfully bend the game in your favor with their included abilities.
Let's take a closer look.
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
The first Emrakul we'll cover is still a pricy modern staple, and is banned in Commander. Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is a 15/15 with Flying, protection from all colored spells, and Annihilator 6.
She will cost you 
to cast but, when you do, she allows you to take another turn directly after. No one will be able to stop you, either, because this card can't be countered. Then, every time you swing, your opponent will lose six of their permanents. It's easy to see why this one's banned in Commander.
If this powerhouse somehow ends up in your graveyard from anywhere, you get to shuffle it back into your library and start over.
Emrakul, the Promised End
Emrakul, the Promised End is a 13/13 Legendary Creature with Flying, Trample, and protection from Instants.
This version of her does come at a steep price of 
mana, but it'll cost you one less for every card type represented in your graveyard. By the time you're ready to cast her, you should be able to get a nice discount.
You'll also steal your opponent's next turn and play it for them, viewing their hand and making all their choices for them. You could really mess up your opponent's game plan with something like that, sending them back to the stone age.
Emrakul, the World Anew
Emrakul, the World Anew comes with versatile play options. She is a 12/12 for 
but, also has Madness -- pay six . You can safely sit her outside the game to be played later if you're worried about a forced discard or burn spell.
She can't be hurt by any spells or abilities that enter the battlefield the same turn that she does and she Flies. When you cast her, you'll take over all Creatures that your opponent of choice controls. They're under your control as long as Emrakul.
Oh, and whenever she leaves the battlefield, all Creatures you control are sacrificed.
This version of Emrakul with a built-in board wipe is a really high-risk, high-reward play. The coolest part is that this one remains legal in almost every format.
Emrakul, the Exigent Doom
In an exciting, and potentially devastating, turn of events: Emrakul has broken out of Innistrad's moon and she's back. This latest card comes from Reality Fracture and marks the first time we've seen Emrakul in ten real-world years.
Emrakul, the Exigent Doom will cost you but, whenever you cast this card, you'll get to untap all your lands. Once you have the mana to cast her, you can effectively do it for free, similar to Peregrine Drake.
This version of Emrakul is a 12/12 with Flying and Trample. She isn't Indestructible but she does have some built-in protection: Ward -- sacrifice three permanents. You can even get some value before you ever play the card.
With Emrakul, the Exigent Doom in your hand, you can pay 
and temporarily exile it to make target land tap for . Then, you can play her from exile, making this a great effect if you're one mana short and want her out sooner.
Best Eldrazi Commanders
3. Azlask, the Swelling Scourge
Azlask, the Swelling Scourge is a three-mana 2/2 that gives you an experience counter whenever one of your colorless Creatures dies. Its five-color activated ability also allows you to use cards of every color in the deck.
By paying 
, Azlask pumps your Creatures based on your experience counters. More importantly, your Eldrazi Scions and Spawns gain Indestructible and Annihilator 1 for the turn.
Eldrazi decks can produce these tokens in large numbers, quickly putting an opponent's board at risk. Attacking with just three of them forces that player to sacrifice three permanents before blocking.
Scions and Spawns can also be sacrificed for mana, helping you cast larger Eldrazi while building experience counters. This makes Azlask a cheap leader that turns expendable tokens into a dangerous late-game army.
2. Ulalek, Fused Atrocity
Ulalek, Fused Atrocity is a 2/5 for 
. He is Devoid, which means he has no color himself, but his five-color identity means he can lead any kind of deck.
Whenever you cast an Eldrazi spell, Ulalek lets you pay 
mana to copy every spell and non-mana ability you control. This is especially powerful with Eldrazi that have abilities that trigger when cast.
For example, casting Ulamog, the Defiler normally exiles half of one opponent's library. With Ulalek and two mana to spend, you can copy that ability and exile half of a second opponent's library as well.
Ulalek requires careful mana management, but doubling powerful Eldrazi spells and abilities can quickly overwhelm the table. Its five toughness also makes it more resistant to damage-based removal than smaller Commanders like Azlask.
1. Zhulodok, Void Gorger
Zhulodok, Void Gorger is a six-mana 7/4 that requires 
to get him out of the Command Zone the first time. It gives every colorless spell you cast from your hand with mana value seven or greater Cascade, Cascade.
It's no secret that Cascade is an absolute menace of an ability. In an Eldrazi deck, it means every massive threat can bring their massive, threatening friends along.
Cast Emrakul, the Promised End, for example, and you get two chances to cascade into something like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. Now, you are taking control of someone's next turn, exiling two troublesome permanents, and putting two Eldrazi titans onto the battlefield.
Zhulodok has the highest mana value of the three commanders on this list, but do not let that scare you away. Play some mana rocks, work your way up, and start dropping beefy spaghetti monsters.
Conclusion
The Eldrazi have earned their reputation as some of the most frightening and powerful Creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Whether they are devouring libraries, forcing opponents to sacrifice permanents, stealing entire turns, or bending the rules of reality, every Titan offers a uniquely devastating way to take over a game.
With Emrakul now free from Innistrad's moon and the Eldrazi's role in the Echoverse still unknown, these cosmic spaghetti monsters are clearly not finished with the Multiverse.
