Is Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines a Good Commander?
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The short answer is an emphatic yes. Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines is not just a good Commander; she’s a phenomenal one, poised to dominate games and become a staple in the Commander format. This 5-mana, 4/7 Phyrexian Praetor provides a powerful combination of offensive and disruptive abilities that make her a formidable force on the battlefield. Her ability to double your enters-the-battlefield (ETB) triggers while simultaneously shutting down your opponents’ ETB effects positions her as a unique and highly impactful commander. Let’s delve deeper into why Elesh Norn has garnered so much attention and why she is a top-tier choice for your next Commander deck.
Why Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines Excels
A Dual Threat: Value Engine and Stax Piece
Elesh Norn’s most striking feature is her dual nature. She functions both as a potent value engine and a debilitating stax piece. On your side, any ETB effect you control triggers an additional time. This immediately creates incredible value when paired with creatures like Solemn Simulacrum, Reclamation Sage, or Mulldrifter. Imagine drawing two cards with Mulldrifter, destroying two artifacts with Reclamation Sage, or fetching two lands with Solemn Simulacrum. The potential for card advantage and tempo swings is immense, and the synergy potential is vast.
Conversely, Elesh Norn also acts as a powerful stax piece, completely nullifying ETB effects for your opponents. This shuts down many popular strategies, such as creature-based combo decks, blink strategies, and other value-oriented archetypes that rely heavily on these triggers. It is essential to understand that this ability alone makes Elesh Norn a potent commander. It is not uncommon for her to disrupt an entire table’s strategy and completely shut off their engines.
Massive Stats and Cost Efficiency
Beyond her abilities, Elesh Norn is a well-statted 4/7 for just five mana. This means she’s able to block effectively, present a threat in combat, and often survive most board wipes. A 5-mana 4/7, even without her other abilities, is a fair rate for a creature in Commander. This is what makes the ability stapled on top so impactful. She’s incredibly tough to remove, which means she can be a reliable presence on the board. This allows her to control the game and make a large threat at the same time, and with her ability, she makes all your other creatures better, too.
Deckbuilding Flexibility and Strategic Depth
Elesh Norn doesn’t pigeonhole you into a singular playstyle. Her abilities are broad enough to support various strategies from value-based creature decks to stax-oriented control lists. This flexibility allows you to build a deck that fits your personal style and meta, which is critical for having a commander that is not only strong but fun to play. The ability to lean into white’s strengths in tokens and value and be able to punish opponents for their ETB effects allows you to have complete control of the board.
Her ability also creates very interactive gameplay. You have to balance generating value while also keeping your opponents in check. This interactive aspect of playing Elesh Norn makes it engaging to play and makes it fun to pilot for a long period of time.
The Potential Pitfalls of Elesh Norn
While exceptionally powerful, Elesh Norn isn’t without her weaknesses. The most critical is her vulnerability to spot removal. While she has high toughness, she can still be targeted by cards like Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, or other removal spells. Losing her to removal means you lose both the value doubling and stax effect. This is the risk of a creature-based engine; you are vulnerable to removal spells. It is therefore important to build in some redundancy in your deck in the form of creatures with similar or synergistic effects.
Another issue can be the inherent dislike your opponents will develop towards you for playing Elesh Norn. She is a very powerful stax piece, and she can slow the game down considerably if your opponents are heavily reliant on ETB abilities. This means that you will likely become the target at the table. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play Elesh Norn but you must be aware of this when you enter the game. Be prepared for more removal and more targeted aggression than you would with a less disruptive commander.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines a stax Commander?
Yes, she is a powerful stax Commander due to her ability to shut off your opponents’ ETB effects. This is similar to playing a Hushwing Gryff, but it also works on all players, not just you. She also acts as a value piece for yourself, which makes her a very synergistic commander to build around.
2. What are some good ETB creatures to pair with Elesh Norn?
Excellent choices include Solemn Simulacrum, Reclamation Sage, Mulldrifter, Cloudblazer, Inspiring Overseer, Felidar Guardian, and Eternal Witness. These cards see a massive value boost when their ETB triggers double, allowing for increased card advantage, interaction, and general utility.
3. Does Elesh Norn’s ability copy triggers?
No, it does not copy triggers. Her ability causes the triggered ability to happen an additional time. This means any choices (such as targets or modes) are made for each instance of the ability, separately.
4. Does Elesh Norn stop cast triggers?
No, Elesh Norn only stops ETB triggers, meaning effects that trigger when a permanent enters the battlefield. She doesn’t stop effects that trigger when a spell is cast.
5. Can Elesh Norn be a combo Commander?
Yes, she can. While she isn’t designed for a singular combo, she enables many. Specifically, combining Elesh Norn with cards like Felidar Guardian allows you to generate infinite ETB triggers with cards such as Restoration Angel.
6. Is Elesh Norn banned in Commander?
No, she is not currently banned in Commander. Although there were concerns about her impact, the rules committee decided she does not require a ban, at least not yet.
7. What color is Elesh Norn?
Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines is a mono-white card.
8. What are Elesh Norn’s weaknesses?
Her main weaknesses are spot removal, as losing her means losing both her value and stax abilities. She also makes you a primary target, as she disrupts a lot of strategies.
9. How does Elesh Norn interact with flicker or blink effects?
Her ability to double ETB triggers is exceptional with cards that can “flicker” or “blink” creatures, such as Ephemerate, Cloudshift, or Felidar Guardian. Flickering a creature with an ETB effect effectively triggers it four times, creating massive value.
10. Is Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines the most powerful Praetor?
While power level can be subjective, she is considered one of the most powerful Praetors due to her versatility and impact on the game. She has very good synergy with a lot of different cards and archetypes.
11. What is the flavor behind Elesh Norn?
Elesh Norn is the leader of New Phyrexia and a major villain in Magic: The Gathering. She is known for her ruthless and controlling nature. She seeks to assimilate all of the multiverse into the Phyrexian hive mind.
12. What does Elesh Norn’s second ability do?
Her second ability completely prevents your opponents’ ETB abilities from triggering. This significantly hinders many popular Commander strategies, such as blink and creature-based value.
13. How does Elesh Norn affect tokens?
If a token enters the battlefield and has an ETB ability, her first ability triggers it twice, which means even creating tokens through cards like March of the Multitudes gives you double value. And, again, your opponent’s tokens won’t trigger their ETB effects.
14. Does Elesh Norn synergize with other stax pieces?
Yes, Elesh Norn works well with other stax effects in white, which allows you to slow down and control the game. She combines particularly well with artifact-based stax pieces such as Rule of Law effects.
15. How does Elesh Norn compare to the original Elesh Norn?
The original Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, provides a simple +2/+2 buff to your creatures and -2/-2 debuff to opponents’ creatures. Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines is more flexible and more impactful, offering both value and stax capabilities. Mother of Machines is a significant upgrade in most Commander contexts.
Conclusion
Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines is an exceptionally powerful Commander that brings both value and disruption to the table. Her unique ability to double your own ETB triggers while shutting down your opponents’ ETB effects makes her a force to be reckoned with in the Commander format. If you’re looking for a potent, versatile, and engaging commander, Elesh Norn is an outstanding choice. Just be prepared to become the focus of your opponents’ attention. Her ability to impact and control the game has made her a popular and top-tier option for Commander players.