Vestige of Emrakul MTG Card


Its trample ability and solid stats make it a consistent mid-game threat in MTG. Vestige of Emrakul shows versatility in deck building, complementing Eldrazi strategies. Efficient removal and proper blocking are essential strategies against this creature.
Vestige of Emrakul - Battle for Zendikar
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Eldrazi Drone
Abilities Devoid,Trample
Released2015-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameBattle for Zendikar
Set codeBFZ
Power 3
Toughness 4
Number136
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byTyler Jacobson

Text of card

Devoid (This card has no color.) Trample

Emrakul has not been seen in months. Though her brood's numbers have dwindled in her absence, each drone is still a deadly threat.


Cards like Vestige of Emrakul

Vestige of Emrakul stands as a sturdy creature card that players may recognize for its trample feature, akin to other creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It has a direct analog in Kozilek’s Sentinel, another creature with trample. Where Vestige of Emrakul presents a 3/4 body for four mana, Kozilek’s Sentinel offers a more modest 2/4 stature but at an economical two mana cost. Both carry the trample ability, yet Vestige of Emrakul’s higher power makes it a more formidable attacker capable of pushing through defenses.

Exploring further, Makindi Sliderunner is a creature often mentioned alongside Vestige of Emrakul. Although lacking trample, Makindi Sliderunner has the landfall ability, which can quickly turn it into a substantial threat under the right conditions. For a smaller mana investment, it starts off less robust but scales with each land drop. The benchmark for these comparisons often comes back to efficient mana usage against the payoff in creature size and abilities. In this regard, Vestige of Emrakul finds its own balance of cost to power, appealing to those players who favor a reliable mid-game presence.

When viewed against its peers, Vestige of Emrakul is acknowledged for its balanced cost-to-effect ratio, maintaining its status as a resilient option for those seeking to include impactful creatures in their deck without a high mana investment.

Kozilek's Sentinel - MTG Card versions
Makindi Sliderunner - MTG Card versions
Kozilek's Sentinel - MTG Card versions
Makindi Sliderunner - MTG Card versions

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Dragon Whelp - MTG Card versions
Keldon Warlord - MTG Card versions
Crimson Manticore - MTG Card versions
Márton Stromgald - MTG Card versions
Reckless Embermage - MTG Card versions
Wildfire Emissary - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Giant - MTG Card versions
Rathi Dragon - MTG Card versions
Mogg Bombers - MTG Card versions
Warmonger - MTG Card versions
Bloodfire Kavu - MTG Card versions
Whipkeeper - MTG Card versions
Anger - MTG Card versions
Nalathni Dragon - MTG Card versions
Everquill Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Goblin Goon - MTG Card versions
Lesser Gargadon - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Vestige of Emrakul may not directly let you draw cards, its form of advantage comes from being a formidable threat on the battlefield. Its presence alone can pressure your opponent into making unfavorable trades or using up valuable resources just to deal with it.

Resource Acceleration: As a four-cost creature with the Devoid ability, Vestige of Emrakul fits well into a ramp strategy. Its inclusion in a deck that accelerates mana can bring it out earlier than turn four, presenting a significant early-game threat.

Instant Speed: Although Vestige of Emrakul itself doesn’t possess instant speed, it synergizes with decks that operate on this axis. It serves as a strong follow-up play after holding mana open for instant-speed interactions, ensuring you’re always progressing your board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Vestige of Emrakul does not directly require a discard upon casting, its presence in a deck can indirectly pressure resource management, potentially causing suboptimal plays or discards to meet its specific casting conditions.

Specific Mana Cost: Vestige of Emrakul demands a precise mana cost of three colorless and one red, which can pose a challenge for decks that aren’t fine-tuned to produce this mana combination consistently, thereby limiting the card’s versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana for a 3/4 creature, players may find that there are other creatures or spells at similar or lower costs that offer more impactful abilities or stats, presenting a trade-off in deck building strategies where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Vestige of Emrakul in Your Collection

Versatility: Vestige of Emrakul can adapt to various deck builds, as it doesn’t lock players into one strategy. Being a colorless creature, it easily slots into any deck that can benefit from a solid four-power creature, especially in Eldrazi-themed or ramp decks that leverage colorless mana.

Combo Potential: With its Devoid trait, it’s not just a creature but a potential cog in synergistic Eldrazi strategies. It can complement cards that care about colorless spells or work with sacrifice effects, where its 4-power becomes even more crucial.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where the board state often dictates victory, a powerful creature like this provides a substantial presence. If the meta favors aggressive or mid-range decks, the trample ability ensures that this creature can push through defenses, making it a relevant choice for competitive plays.


How to beat

Vestige of Emrakul is an intriguing creature card that offers solid presence on the battlefield within the MTG landscape. Its inclusion in a deck offers strategic depth given its trample ability enabling potential damage to an opponent even when blocked. For players striving to outmaneuver this four-legged monstrosity, it’s crucial to deploy removal spells effectively. Direct damage spells, such as Lightning Bolt or Fatal Push, can dispatch this creature before trample becomes a significant issue. One could also use enchantment-based removal like Pacifism to neutralize its impact without having to deal with its 3/4 body directly.

Control decks have the tools to deal with such threats efficiently as well. Countermagic, especially spells requiring less mana, can prevent Vestige of Emrakul from hitting the board in the first place. In more creature-heavy matchups, it is advisable to keep blockers with toughness higher than 3 to withstand the attack and avoid trample damage. Chump blocking becomes less effective against trample creatures; hence, planning for more permanent solutions is key. In the grand scheme of battle tactics in MTG, knowing when and how to deal with specific threats like Vestige of Emrakul can pivot the direction of a duel in your favor.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vestige of Emrakul MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar, 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 Vestige of Emrakul and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vestige of Emrakul has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2015-08-25 A card with devoid is just colorless. It’s not colorless and the colors of mana in its mana cost.
2015-08-25 Cards with devoid use frames that are variations of the transparent frame traditionally used for Eldrazi. The top part of the card features some color over a background based on the texture of the hedrons that once imprisoned the Eldrazi. This coloration is intended to aid deckbuilding and game play.
2015-08-25 Devoid works in all zones, not just on the battlefield.
2015-08-25 If a card loses devoid, it will still be colorless. This is because effects that change an object’s color (like the one created by devoid) are considered before the object loses devoid.
2015-08-25 Other cards and abilities can give a card with devoid color. If that happens, it’s just the new color, not that color and colorless.