Rarity vs Usability: Emrakul's Influence in Commander Decks

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Emrakul's Influence card art from Eldritch Moon by Ryan Alexander Lee

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Rarity vs Usability in Commander: Emrakul's Influence

In the broader tapestry of Magic: The Gathering, rarity is a storyteller’s flourish more than a battlefield guarantee. Some cards sit in the uncommon slice of the portal, quietly powerful but not flashy in their rarity. Then there are the cards that quietly reshape how we approach the deck-building table. Emrakul's Influence sits in that space 🧙‍♂️—a green enchantment from Eldritch Moon that doesn’t wear its power on its sleeve, but rewards you handsomely when you lean into the Eldrazi creature theme. Rarity and usability don’t always align, and this is a perfect case study of how a relatively modest card can become a cornerstone in a Commander strategy that leans into the big, colorless behemoths of the multiverse. 🔥💎

Card snapshot

  • Name: Emrakul's Influence
  • Mana cost: {2}{G}{G}
  • Type: Enchantment
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Set: Eldritch Moon (EMN)
  • Oracle text: Whenever you cast an Eldrazi creature spell with mana value 7 or greater, draw two cards.
  • Colors / color identity: Green
  • Flavor texture: The card’s flavor text notes the overwhelming tide of Eldrazi and cultists, a reminder that the Gatewatch faced an oncoming nightmare even as the spellcraft of the green mage searched for a thread of hope amid the horror.
“Hordes of Eldrazi and cultists swarmed over Thraben's defenses, and the members of the Gatewatch found themselves overrun.”

From a pure gameplay lens, Emrakul's Influence rewards you for the slow, deliberate plan of dropping big Eldrazi threats. The trigger fires whenever you cast an Eldrazi creature spell with mana value 7 or greater, which includes heavyweights like Kozilek-scale threats. In the Commander arena, where players are often juggling four or more opponents and a mountain of mana possibilities, drawing two cards when you cast a 7+ Eldrazi creature spell can be the difference between refueling your hand and staring at a dry stretch while the table shoves against you. The green color identity helps with ramp and mana acceleration, letting you start weaving these polymerized giants into play sooner rather than later. 🎲⚔️

Usability in Commander decks

  • Strategic fit: The enchantment belongs in Eldrazi-heavy greens—decks that routinely cast large Eldrazi creatures (mana value 7 or higher) to maximize the draw power. It rewards setup rather than brute force alone, turning top-deck moments into a consistent engine.
  • Mana strategy: Green ramp — cards that accelerate to colorless mana or reduce the tempo of casting enormous Eldrazi spells — pair nicely with Emrakul's Influence. A well-tuned ramp suite can turn a midgame draw engine into a late-game victory ladder.
  • Card advantage profile: In a color identity that leans on big things, this enchantment delivers real card advantage, not just ephemeral tempo. When you can consistently draw two cards off a 7+ Eldrazi spell, you’re stacking velocity that rivals more “flashy” draw engines.
  • Rarity vs. price: As an Uncommon in Eldritch Moon, it often sits at a modest price point compared to marquee rare Eldrazi staples. In EDH, that means you can slot this into a budget-conscious build without sacrificing core strategy, which is a neat reminder that rarity isn’t a hard limiter on usability. EDHREC rank sits outside the absolute must-cards, but the card’s real-world performance in the right shell can be surprisingly rewarding. 💎
  • Deck curation tips: Pair it with tutors or self-metching draw engines that help you fetch the big Eldrazi spells or the right colorless mana fixes. Include Eldrazi creatures with high mana values, and ensure you have a plan to repeatedly cast them—this is where green’s ramp and ramp-like ecosystem shines.

Design intent and flavor

Emrakul's Influence is a thoughtful nod to the Eldrazi-saturated era of the story. The card’s art by Ryan Alexander Lee captures the shimmering menace of Eldrazi life-force and the looming reach of power. The rarity sits at Uncommon, but the design intent nudges players toward a very specific synergy: draw power when you cast the biggest Eldrazi creatures. The flavor text helps ground the mechanic in the Thraben-on-the-defensive moment just before the Gatewatch finds their footing again. In a world of colorless behemoths, green’s approach to Eldrazi sometimes trades speed for resilience, and this enchantment exemplifies that philosophy—slow, steady, and inexorable. 🎨🔥

Design synergy and a cross-promotional note

For players who love to brew, Emrakul's Influence is a textbook example of how a card’s rarity can diverge from its practical impact. It’s not the flashiest or the most expensive piece in an Eldrazi-infused green shell, but it quietly compounds value when the big spells land. The heavy-hitting Eldrazi spells often carry mana values that tempt fate, and this enchantment makes those moments feel like a win more often than not. In that sense, rarity becomes less of a gate and more of a doorway into a reliable engine. 🧙‍♂️💎

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Shockproof Phone Case

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