Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness MTG Card
2023-04-21 - Number 137
2023-04-21 - Number 298
2023-04-21 - Number 137s
2023-04-21 - Number 31
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur |
| Abilities | Trample,Transform |
| Power | 7 |
| Toughness | 7 |
Text of card
Trample When Etali, Primal Conqueror enters the battlefield, each player exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile a nonland card. You may cast any number of spells from among the nonland cards exiled this way without paying their mana costs. {PG}: Transform Etali. Activate only as a sorcery.
Cards like Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness
Etali, Primal Conqueror stands tall in the realm of red deck strategies within MTG. This mighty dinosaur earns its reputation by offering a powerful effect very much akin to that of Ilharg, the Raze-Boar. While both creatures allow you to play cards without paying their mana costs, Etali takes it up a notch by letting you cast cards exiled from each player’s deck whenever it attacks. Ilharg, by contrast, only brings creatures from your hand onto the battlefield temporarily.
Looking at Atali’s kin, we encounter Gishath, Sun’s Avatar, a fellow dinosaur which also provides value through attacking. However, Gishath focuses on specifically bringing more dinosaurs from your library to the battlefield, unlike Etali’s broader approach of casting a variety of spells. It’s clear, Etali provides an element of surprise and potential chaos that can shift game dynamics in your favor.
In the landscape of MTG’s six-and-above mana cost heavy hitters, Etali, Primal Conqueror excels due to its ability to disrupt opponents’ plans and provide you with a mix of their strategies, ensuring its esteemed spot among red’s iconic creatures.
Cards similar to Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The commanding presence of Etali, Primal Conqueror on the battlefield has the potential to turn the tide of any match. This formidable card offers unparalleled card advantage each time it attacks. By exiling the top card of each player’s library, it provides an opportunity to cast nonland cards without paying their mana costs, potentially swinging the momentum of the game decisively in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: While Etali itself doesn’t directly provide resources, its ability to cast spells for free can dramatically accelerate your in-game resources. Deploying high-cost spells without tapping into your mana pool keeps resources available for other strategic plays, maintaining pressure on your opponents and giving you a leading edge.
Instant Speed: Despite not acting at instant speed, Etali’s ability to cheat out instant speed spells from the top of any library certainly merits attention. This chance to disrupt opponents’ strategies during the combat phase adds a layer of complexity and unpredictability to the game, often leaving adversaries scrambling to respond to unexpected threats.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Etali, Primal Storm does not have a direct discard requirement, it’s important to note that running this card implies an indirect cost. Deploying this creature often necessitates holding back other cards to ensure you have a substantial turn once it attacks, possibly causing delayed plays or discard choices from hand size limits.
Specific Mana Cost: Etali, Primal Storm comes with a specific mana requirement of two colorless and four red mana, which can constrain deck building. In formats where mana flexibility is key, having such a color-weighted cost can result in Etali being a stranded card in hand without the appropriate mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of six mana, Etali, Primal Storm falls into the category of higher cost creatures. For the same mana investment, players could summon multiple creatures or enact various spells that could provide immediate impact on the game state, rather than banking on a subsequent attack phase for value.
Reasons to Include Etali, Primal Conqueror in Your Collection
Versatility: Etali, Primal Storm excels in a variety of deck archetypes, providing immense value whether you’re a fan of commander or casual play. Its ability to cast spells for free from the top of each player’s library makes it a flexible fit in any red deck, capable of turning the tide in your favor.
Combo Potential: The dinorific powerhouse synergizes excellently with ways to manipulate or peek at the top of your library, maximizing the chances to cast high-impact spells. Pairing Etali with scry effects or deck stacking mechanisms allows you to exploit its attack trigger to its full extent.
Meta-Relevance: In the shifting landscape of MTG, Etali can disrupt opponents’ plans by casting their spells, which can be game-changing. Especially in a meta with heavy library manipulation or top-deck strategies, Etali not only serves as a formidable creature but as a tool to use opponents’ strengths against them.
How to beat Etali, Primal Conqueror
Etali, Primal Conqueror presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to cast spells from the top of players’ libraries. However, this impressive dinosaur can be tamed. Tackling Etali efficiently requires disrupting its tactics early on. Counter spells are your first line of defense; by preventing Etali from landing on the field, you remove the threat entirely. Should it manage to breakthrough, targeted removal spells become key – a swiftly cast Doom Blade or Path to Exile can send Etali packing before any primal storm is summoned.
Board control is crucial when facing Etali. Ensnaring the board with an effective suite of removal keeps Etali’s disrupting abilities in check. Instant-speed interaction is particularly valuable, allowing you to respond to Etali even during combat. Flash creatures can be used strategically, serving as blockers or as a way to spring surprises on an unsuspecting opponent. By carefully curating your deck with the right balance of interaction and threats, you can ensure that Etali, Primal Conqueror doesn’t overrun your defenses.
In summation, while Etali, Primal Conqueror stands as a formidable foe, a strategic approach focused on prevention and timely response can deftly navigate the challenges it poses, retaining equilibrium and steering you towards victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine and March of the Machine, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
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Printings
The Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2023-04-21 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 137 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Ryan Pancoast | |
| 2 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 298 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 3 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine Promos | PMOM | 137s | 2015 | Transform | Black | Ryan Pancoast | |
| 4 | March of the Machine Art Series | AMOM | 31 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-04-14 | Any cards not cast, including land cards, remain in exile. They can’t be cast on later turns. |
| 2023-04-14 | If an exiled card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| 2023-04-14 | If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t pay any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the card. |
| 2023-04-14 | If you cast any of the exiled cards, you do so as part of the resolution of the triggered ability. You can’t wait to cast them later in the turn. Timing restrictions based on a card’s type are ignored. |
| 2023-04-14 | If you cast more than one of the exiled cards, you choose the order in which to cast them. A spell you cast this way can be the target of a later spell you cast this way. However, permanent spells cast this way won’t resolve until you’re done casting spells, so the permanents they become can’t be the target of spells cast this way. For example, if you exile Twincast and Lightning Strike, you can cast Lightning Strike and then cast Twincast targeting it; but if you exile a creature card and an Aura card, you can’t cast that Aura targeting that creature. |
| 2023-04-14 | In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any spells or permanents you control from Etali’s ability are exiled. |
| 2023-04-14 | Losing the game because a player (preferably an opponent) has ten or more poison counters is a rule of the game. Etali, Primal Sickness doesn’t have to still be on the battlefield when someone (preferably an opponent) gets their tenth poison counter. |