Eidolon of Obstruction MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Eidolon of Obstruction encourages strategic play that can lead to indirect card advantage. By taxing your opponent’s loyalty abilities, you force them to make tough decisions, which can lead to a more favorable board state for you, ultimately offering a subtle edge in the duel.

Resource Acceleration: While Eidolon of Obstruction doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it disrupts your opponent’s resource utilization when it comes to planeswalker abilities. This delay can grant you extra time to build your mana base and control the tempo of the match.

Instant Speed: Although this card isn’t an instant itself, its ability to interfere with planeswalkers can effectively counteract instant-speed loyalty abilities that some planeswalkers possess. By having Eidolon of Obstruction on the battlefield, you hold a form of instant-speed interference that can deter your opponent from optimizing their planeswalker plays on your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Eidolon of Obstruction doesn’t directly require discarding cards, but in a broader sense, it may compel players to discard their strategy around low-cost planeswalkers due to its taxing ability on loyalty abilities, potentially discarding a line of play from your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: It has a specific mana requirement of one white and one generic mana, which could limit its insertion in multicolored decks that might not consistently produce the required white mana, especially in early game scenarios.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While its mana cost isn’t high on an absolute scale, compared to other two-mana creatures, Eidolon of Obstruction may present a higher cost for its effect that strictly targets planeswalkers, which may not always be present or relevant in every match, potentially reducing its overall cost efficiency.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Eidolon of Obstruction fits seamlessly into a variety of white decks, providing a valuable early defensive option while also posing a tax on opponents’ planeswalker abilities. Its ability to influence the game early makes it a practical choice for decks that aim to disrupt opponents’ strategies.

Combo Potential: This creature offers synergy with cards that benefit from tax effects or enchantments, enhancing strategies that focus on hindering opponent plays. It works well in enchantment-centric decks, potentially serving as a piece in a larger puzzle that limits opponent interactions.

Meta-Relevance: Given the presence of planeswalker-heavy decks in the current meta, Eidolon of Obstruction can become a key sideboard card, making it costlier for opponents to utilize their planeswalker’s loyalty abilities, thereby giving you an upper hand in controlling the pace.

How to beat

Eidolon of Obstruction is a niche, yet potent card designed to disrupt planeswalker strategies in MTG. With its 2/1 body and first strike, it stands as a sentry against planeswalker abilities by imposing an additional tax. However, overcoming this obstacle requires tactical play. Removal spells are the most straightforward way to deal with the Eidolon. Considering its modest toughness, low-cost removal like Shock or Fatal Push can easily clear the way. Alternatively, larger creatures can challenge the Eidolon directly in combat.

Moreover, playing around the Eidolon’s tax effect is feasible. Deploying your planeswalkers when you have extra mana can ensure their abilities remain accessible. Additionally, prioritizing the removal of Eidolon before casting key planeswalkers can save resources in the long run. Evaluating your strategy to reduce reliance on planeswalker abilities when facing potential Eidolon of Obstruction also proves fruitful. In summary, while the Eidolon presents a unique hurdle, players can adapt their strategies to minimize its impact and maintain the flow of their gameplay.