Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
Color Identity
Details
Mana Value
5
Popularity
#62
of 3,466 commanders · via EDHREC
Card Text
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Praetor
Vigilance
If a permanent entering causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
Permanents entering don't cause abilities of permanents your opponents control to trigger.
4/7
Playstyle
Control · Steady · Group influence · Wins by engines
- Aggression
- 2 of 5
- Speed
- 2 of 5
- Interaction
- 4 of 5
- Combat
- 2 of 5
- Engine
- 5 of 5
- Complexity
- 4 of 5
Card Price
Strategy Guides
Blink Strategy Guide
Blink decks are for players who want every creature to matter more than once. This strategy wants to exile and return creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects, using blink commanders, flicker spells, and repeatable engines, to win through compounding value, protected threats, or trigger loops. Unlike Control, Blink handles the game through reusable creature triggers instead of mostly counterspells, and unlike Tokens it may make bodies incidentally rather than going wide first. The best blink commanders make modest creatures convert into cards, removal, ramp, and rebuilt boards over several turns.
Tokens Strategy Guide
Token decks are for players who want one card to become many bodies and then decide whether those bodies attack, block, draw cards, or fuel another engine. This strategy wants to flood the battlefield with creatures, using token commanders, repeatable generators, and anthem effects, to win through a go wide attack or by converting the swarm into damage, drain, or mana. Tokens is different from Aristocrats because making bodies comes first, from Counters because it grows wide instead of tall, and from Voltron because it spreads pressure across many creatures. The best token decks EDH players build reward patience against sweepers and careful timing on the finishing turn.
Stax Strategy Guide
Stax decks are for players who want to win by deciding which resources matter before opponents can use them. This strategy wants to tax mana, cards, combat, and casting windows, using stax commanders and resource denial EDH pieces like Winter Orb and Smokestack, to win through a board state where your deck still functions and opponents cannot rebuild. Unlike Control, which answers threats after they appear, Stax locks the costs and rules of the game so many threats never get cast. The best stax commanders break parity, then convert the slowed table into combat damage, attrition, or a compact combo.
Control Strategy Guide
Control decks are for players who enjoy deciding which threats matter, spending answers carefully, and winning after the table has slowed down. This strategy wants to stabilize the game, using control commanders, counterspells, removal, sweepers, and card-draw engines, to win through a protected finisher, planeswalker, combo finish, or long-term card advantage. Unlike Stax, Control answers threats on the stack or battlefield instead of locking everyone out of resources. The best control decks EDH players build accept that multiplayer control cannot counter everything, so they lean on sweepers and engines that trade across several opponents.
Appears in These Collections
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