Etali, Primal Storm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 14 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Etali delivers massive card advantage by casting spells for free during each attack phase.
  2. Its ability to play spells sans mana costs vastly accelerates in-game resources.
  3. Instant-speed play from opponents’ decks adds surprise elements to your strategy.

Text of card

Whenever Etali, Primal Storm attacks, exile the top card of each player's library, then you may cast any number of spells from among those cards without paying their mana costs.

The storm rages and the earth breaks.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Introducing Etali, Primal Storm into your deck is essentially a cheat code for card advantage. Every attack lets you play a card from each player’s deck without paying their mana costs, essentially offering multiple cards per combat phase.

Resource Acceleration: The value Etali, Primal Storm provides isn’t just limited to drawing cards. It’s about the acceleration of your resources as well. By playing spells for free, you’re saving valuable mana each turn that can be allocated to deploying other threats or bolstering your defenses.

Instant Speed: While Etali, Primal Storm operates at sorcery speed, the instant-speed spells you nab from your opponents add a layer of surprise and flexibility. You can disrupt their strategies or protect Etali without spending your mana, maintaining pressure while being responsive.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Featuring a strict casting requirement of six mana, including four that must be red, Etali, Primal Storm can strain mana resources and may not fit seamlessly into multicolored decks that can’t consistently provide the necessary red mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: As an impactful creature, Etali comes with a high mana value that makes it a late-game play. This cost can be a setback in faster-paced games where early board presence is crucial.

Discard Requirement: While Etali itself doesn’t have a discard requirement, playing a high-cost card like Etali means you may have to forgo casting other spells, which can be akin to discarding opportunities to develop your board or respond to threats.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Etali, Primal Storm is a dynamic presence in any red commander deck, as it doesn’t rely on any single strategy to prove valuable. With its ability to cast spells from the top of each player’s library, Etali fits comfortably in various builds, from chaotic fun to finely tuned competitive decks.

Combo Potential: Etali has immense synergy with cards that manipulate the top of the library, setting up potential free casts of spells that can swiftly change the game’s landscape. Additionally, combining Etali with ways to give it haste maximizes its impact, allowing for immediate and often game-altering attacks.

Meta-Relevance: With the ever-shifting landscape of MTG, Etali remains a relevant threat. It’s particularly effective in formats where the battlefield can become crowded with high-impact permanents. By utilizing Etali, players can capitalize on the value generated from each attack, often swaying the game in their favor against various opponents.


How to beat

Etali, Primal Storm represents a significant threat on any battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, with its ability to cast cards for free from the top of each player’s library whenever it attacks. To neutralize this fearsome dinosaur, players must come prepared with a reliable strategy. Utilizing instant-speed removals like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile allows you to deal with Etali before it can trigger its ability. Counter-spells are also effective to prevent it from hitting the battlefield in the first place.

Alternatively, playing with cards that manipulate the top of your library, like Brainstorm or Sensei’s Divining Top, can mitigate the impact of Etali’s ability by ensuring the dinosaur excavates less valuable cards. Engaging in proactive measures, such as playing disruption cards to keep the ramping player off balance, can also be a potent way to stay ahead. Ultimately, swiftly addressing Etali, Primal Storm with precision and intelligent library management can turn the tide of battle in your favor in this exciting game.


Cards like Etali, Primal Storm

Etali, Primal Storm stands as a remarkable creature in the MTG universe, bringing game-altering abilities to the board. Seemingly kindred in spirit is the card Atali, the Cloudkeeper, which, although not equally robust, offers players the chance to manipulate the game directly. Both cards enable a player to cast spells from the top of the library, making them a strategic fit for decks looking to capitalize on opponents’ libraries.

Another card worthy of comparison is Ilharg, the Raze-Boar. Likewise a formidable creature with a powerful impact on the battlefield. While Ilharg offers a more reliable way to put creatures onto the battlefield from your hand, Etali’s ability is a bit more erratic as it depends on the top-decked cards but can cast them with no mana cost from all decks in play.

Lastly, Ghalta, Primal Hunger is another giant that often comes out at a similar stage of the game. Although it doesn’t provide the card advantage or direct control disruption that Etali does, its significantly lower casting cost can make it a more consistent threat earlier in the game.

Ultimately, while Etali, Primal Storm’s unique effect garners the attention of players looking to utilize opponents’ decks against them, its counterparts offer different but equally compelling strategic options.

Ilharg, the Raze-Boar - MTG Card versions
Ghalta, Primal Hunger - MTG Card versions
Ilharg, the Raze-Boar - War of the Spark (WAR)
Ghalta, Primal Hunger - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)

Cards similar to Etali, Primal Storm by color, type and mana cost

Shivan Dragon - MTG Card versions
Firestorm Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Crater Hellion - MTG Card versions
Callous Giant - MTG Card versions
Halam Djinn - MTG Card versions
Bloodshot Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Worldgorger Dragon - MTG Card versions
Two-Headed Dragon - MTG Card versions
Iron-Barb Hellion - MTG Card versions
Ryusei, the Falling Star - MTG Card versions
Patron of the Akki - MTG Card versions
Ronin Cavekeeper - MTG Card versions
Oni of Wild Places - MTG Card versions
Thundermare - MTG Card versions
Pardic Dragon - MTG Card versions
Tectonic Fiend - MTG Card versions
Kamahl, Pit Fighter - MTG Card versions
Sunrise Sovereign - MTG Card versions
Hostility - MTG Card versions
Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - MTG Card versions
Shivan Dragon - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Firestorm Phoenix - Legends (LEG)
Crater Hellion - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Callous Giant - Invasion (INV)
Halam Djinn - Invasion (INV)
Bloodshot Cyclops - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Worldgorger Dragon - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Two-Headed Dragon - From the Vault: Dragons (DRB)
Iron-Barb Hellion - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Ryusei, the Falling Star - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Patron of the Akki - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ronin Cavekeeper - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Oni of Wild Places - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Thundermare - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Pardic Dragon - Time Spiral (TSP)
Tectonic Fiend - Time Spiral (TSP)
Kamahl, Pit Fighter - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Sunrise Sovereign - Lorwyn (LRW)
Hostility - Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra (DD2)
Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - Masters Edition III (ME3)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Etali, Primal Storm MTG card by a specific set like Resale Promos and Rivals of Ixalan, 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.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Etali, Primal Storm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Etali, Primal Storm Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 2007-01-01 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-01-01Resale PromosPRES 1002015normalblackRaymond Swanland
22018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 1002015normalblackRaymond Swanland
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 13892015normalborderlessDan Mumford & Thomas Roach
42020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1512015normalblackRaymond Swanland
52020-07-17JumpstartJMP 3142015normalblackRaymond Swanland
62020-09-26The ListPLST RIX-1002015normalblackRaymond Swanland
72021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 3421997normalblackRaymond Swanland
82021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1672015normalblackRaymond Swanland
92021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1262015normalblackRaymond Swanland
102022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2682015normalblackRaymond Swanland
112022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7932015normalblackRaymond Swanland
122022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 1212015normalblackRaymond Swanland
132023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 2242015normalblackRaymond Swanland
142024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 1522015normalblackRaymond Swanland

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Etali, Primal Storm has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Etali, Primal Storm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-03-19 Any cards not cast, including land cards, remain in exile. They can't be cast on later turns, even if Etali attacks again.
2021-03-19 Because all attacking creatures are chosen at once, a creature cast this way can't attack during the same combat as Etali, even if it has haste.
2021-03-19 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.
2021-03-19 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.
2021-03-19 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 permissions based on a card's type are ignored, and the spells resolve before blockers are declared.
2021-03-19 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.
2021-03-19 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.

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