Eternal Witness

Creature — Human Shaman

When Eternal Witness enters the battlefield, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.

Discussion (51)

Cariddis on Kamahl, Fist of Krosa EDH

4 days ago

DecadeFire you mean with kamahl ;) Yeah Kogla will be my next update. It is a better Somberwald Stag, so I will swap the two. Little sad of reducing the number of 5-drops but it is an obvious choice. It fights and lets us protect kamahl and recur Eternal Witness. Auto include.

Good job on reading my mind :)

Femme_Fatale on Synonyms/Nicknames System for Deckbuilding and ...

5 days ago

Introducing the synonyms/nicknames system to alleviate all those "wtf was that one land of that one cycle named?" problems that plague you.

This system is simple. It is designed to redirect terms that you typed out that match a synonym/nickname of a card, to that card name. This lets you never have to remember the name "Seachrome Coast" and can instead just type out "WU Fastland" (as an example). Note that this only works in text edit entries on deck lists and inventory, not the live edit or the card search forms.

There is a lot of other things that are utilised here as well.

• Godzilla Names
• Non-American Spellings
• Common Nicknames
• Common Misspellings
• Redirections of Misspelled Submissions
• Each side of a split card as a synonym (unless they already exist as a card).

Not needing to know the name of each card in a land/artifact cycle is a big boon, but you still need to know the nickname of that cycle and the syntax. For lands/mana rocks/the swords of X and Y at the present moment it is always "XY Nickname" or "YX Nickname". Examples:

• WU Fastland
• GR BFZ
• GW ABUR Dual Land
• BW Fetch

For 2 colour lands, it is always the two colour letters, followed by the nickname, and then followed by the option to have the world land either connected to the nickname or not. (these are all viable options for example: "WU Fast", "UW Fastland", "UW Fast Land".) For 3 colour lands, it is only the primary order of colour letters you see on cards, or the Alara/Khans name. (WUB Lair, Mardu Triome as examples.) Swords and other artifact cycles follow the same setup (though swords can also be "Sword of GB" or "Sword of G and B"), and mono colour land cycles use the same setup just with only one letter. Note that none of these are plural, so don't put that s in. Colourless cards that are a part of a cycle use C/Colorless/Colourless.

Some of these cycles don't have well defined names yet (like BBD) and some of these cycles have had too many names that people constantly fight over so there was no point in bothering to put them all in and instead I just used the TLA (specifically BFZ).

Goals:

The primary purpose of this is to make the ability to tag cards and edit decks/inventory far more robust than what it has been. Tappedout doesn't presently have a spellchecker, and to be fair most sites don't. It's not an easy feature to implement. So with this synonyms/nicknames feature, we can alleviate some of those aggravations of misspellings or different ways to spell a word by making them valid targets and redirecting them to the right card name. Another benefit of this is the ability to give cards shorthands or nicknames when the community largely doesn't remember the actual name of a card, just their shorthand. We have all been hit with "wtf is that land's name again?" when we know for a fact that it's just "the blue and white shadows over innistrad reveal land". This saves the step of having to open up a search engine to figure out the card name, and in general speeds up and makes the process of building decks and inventory, a lot more enjoyable.

Cycles that currently have nicknames: Show

• ABUR Duals as ABUR/Duals/ABUR Duals
• MDR Artifact Lands as Artifact Lands
• AKH Bike Lands as Bikes/Bicycles/Bicyclings/Cycle Lands/Cycling Lands
• BFZ Lands as BFZ/BFZ Lands
• RAV Guildhalls as Guildhalls
• Fastlands
• Fetches
• SHM/EVE Lands as Filters
• Hideaways
• VIS Karoos as Karoos/Bouncelands
• RAV Karoos as Karoos/Bouncelands
• Lairs
• Memorials
• MH1 Lands as Horizons/Canopy Lands
• Painlands
• SOI Lands as SOI Lands/Reveal Lands
• Shocks
• Swords of X and Y as XY Swords/Swords of XY/Swords of X and Y
• Talismans
• Temples as Temples/Scrylands
• IKO Triomes as Triomes/Tricycles/Cycles/Cyclings
• Vivids

A lot of the cycle synonyms are meant to intuitive and robust so that you won't even have to think about knowing what the exact written synonym actually is and still be able to get it right on the first try, though it will take time to reach a point in which this is 100% true. As an example of scope, each recognized nickname for a cycle creates 6 entries for each given card in that cycle. So the AKH lands have 30 entries for each card in that cycle, resulting in a total of 150 entries. The Triomes have the same amount, but if I were to add each individual string combination of the colour letters (WUB, BUW, WBU etc) then that count would increase by 45 for each entry, resulting 75 entries for each one, totalling at 375 entries for the whole cycle.

Nicknames will usually be things like "Snappy", "Bolt", "Path", "Bob", "FoW", etc. They are to be commonly used by the larger community as a whole, not what your FNM/play group exclusively uses (though this isn't a hard set in stone as I'm not omniscient).

Here's a list of nicknames that I have. Show

• Aether Vial: Vial
• Aetherflux Reservoir: Dome Dome
• Assassin's Trophy: Ass Trophy
• Birds of Paradise: Birds, BoP
• Bloodbraid Elf: BBE
• Brimstone Trebuchet: Bucket
• Cavalcade of Calamity: Cavalcade
• Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh  ^Flip: Baby Chandra
• Chandra Nalaar: Zippotricks McEdgelord
• Charming Prince: Prince Charming
• Collected Company: CoCo
• Dark Confidant: Bob
• Dark Ritual: Rit
• Demonic Tutor: DT
• Dig Through Time: DTT
• Eternal Witness: E-Wit, E-Witness
• Explosive Vegetation: Explosive Veggies
• Field of Ruin: FoR
• Force of Will: FoW
• Ghost Quarter: GC
• Gilded Goose: Goose
• Giver of Runes: Mommy, Stepmom
• Goblin Charbelcher: Belcher, Charbelcher
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel: Gary
• Griselbrand: Grizzy B
• Hypnotic Specter: Hippie
• Inquisition of Kozilek: IoK
• Jace, Cunning Castaway: Sexy Jace
• Jace, the Mindsculptor: Jace, JtMS
• Jace, Wielder of Mysteries: Lab Jace,
• Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip: Literal Actual Baby Jace
• Jace Beleren: Party Jace
• Karn Liberated: Karn
• Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker: Kiki, Kiki Jiki, Mirror Breaker
• Kitchen Finks: Finks
• Kytheon, Hero of Akros  ^Flip: Baby Gideon, Baby Gids
• Laboratory Maniac: Lab Man, Lab Maniac
• Life from the Loam: Loam
• Lightning Bolt: Bolt
• Lightning Helix: Helix
• Lightning Strike: Strike
• Liliana, Heretical Healer  ^Flip: Baby Lili
• Liliana, the Last Hope: Last Hope
• Liliana of the Veil: Lili, LotV
• Lion's Eye Diamond: LED
• Llanowar Elves: Dork, Elf
• Mother of Runes: Mom
• Nissa, Vastwood Seer  ^Flip: Baby Nissa
• Oblivion Ring: O-Ring
• Oko, Thief of Crowns: Oko
• Path to Exile: Path, PtE
• Pia and Kiran Nalaar: Chandra's Parents, Mom and Dad, Ma and Pa, Pia and Kiran, Parents
• Pia Nalaar: Chandra's Mom, Pia
• Primeval Titan: Prime Time
• Prodigal Sorcerer: Tim
• Sakura-Tribe Elder: STE, Steve
• Savage Punch: Bear Punch
• Scalding Tarn: Tarn
• Scavenging Ooze: Scooze
• Sensei's Divining Top: Top
• Settle the Wreckage: Settle
• Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon: Skittles
• Smuggler's Copter: Copter, Thopter Copter
• Snapcaster Mage: Snapcaster, Snappy
• Solemn Simulacrum: Sad Robot
• Sorin, Solemn Visitor: Sad Sorin
• Splinter Twin: Twin
• Swords to Plowshares: Swords
• Tarmogoyf: Goyf, Goyfy, Tarmo
• Tectonic Edge: Tec Edge, TecEdge
• Teferi, Hero of Dominaria: 5feri, T5feri
• Teferi, Time Raveler: 3feri, T3feri
• The Gitrog Monster: Gitrog, HypnoToad, Hypno Toad
• Thing in the Ice  ^Flip: Titi
• Torrential Gearhulk: Fatcaster
• True-Name Nemesis: TNM, TNN, True-Name
• Ugin, the Spirit Dragon: Eugene, Ugin
• Wrenn and Six: W6, Wand6, Wn6

Here's a list of non-american spellings I have in: Show

• Armour
• Ax/Axe
• Catalogue
• Colour
• Defense
• Favour
• Flavour
• Grey
• Harbour
• Honour
• Humour
• Licence
• Offence
• Paralyse
• Rumour
• Splendour
• Traveller

Here's a list of things that is in the works to do. Show

• All triple coloured land cycles (triomes, lairs, trilands) to have an entry for each of their letter combinations. (Example, bant lands would have WUG, GUW, WGU, GWU, UGW, UWG.)
• All dual coloured land cycles will have the ravnican guild names to replace the two colours as an option.
• All land cycles will have the TLA as an option to replace the nickname.
• All land cycles to have "Nickname XY" format.
• More non-american spellings.
• More common misspellings.
• Cards that have or do not have the word "and", to have a synonym of the opposite.
• Synonym that is a version of the card name but without punctuation.
• Nicknames of all the cards with commas that ignores everything past the comma, provided that it is unique.
• Fringe/old land cycles.
• A lot of mana rock cycles.

Limitations:

A card can have any number of synonyms/nicknames. But only one synonym/nickname can be tied to a card. So if a new card/land cycle gets printed that has covers a misspelling (like an UNcard might) or has that nickname as it's actual card name, those synonyms will get removed (as an example, Snapcaster Mage cannot have Snap as a nickname). We are also looking to limit the amount of times a synonym has to get removed so nicknames of cards during their presence in the standard formats are not likely to be put in, as they become forgotten or even re-used when they rotate out. These are also done manually so sometimes a change might just take a while to do if it encompasses a large number of cards or a large number of synonyms.. We also won't be going through alternate language as possible synonyms because WotC doesn't nearly double check duplicate card names for foreign languages as well as they do for English cards.

This is not something on the card submission form, so it is not available to edit for any user.

If you know of something missing like common misspellings or common non-American spellings that will be needed, or cycle syntaxes that you tried to use but didn't work, post them here and I'll review them for possible inclusion in the future.

EDIT: Before you ask for a nickname etc to be added:

1. Check if it exists first by trying it out.
2. Check if the larger community recognizes it, this is done by going around discords, lgs' and other forums about that nickname.
3. Check if it has any nsfw, discriminatory or derogatory terminology, we straight up will not allow these.

This isn't a system for your pet nickname that your local playgroup uses. This is a system that can utilize nicknames that naturally grew organically out of continued use from the larger mtg community as a whole. This isn't a "which nicknames do you think this system could use" but rather "which nicknames that are used across the world that we have missed".

fmastrome2008 on Blink182

1 week ago

1. Command Tower and Sol Ring should be in nearly every commander deck, especially this one.
2. Bojuka Bog provides graveyard hate that doesn't affect consistency. It also exiles 2 graveyard, which can be a plus in multiplayer.
3. Eternal Witness seems better than Archaeomancer. EWit hits everything. With only 10 targets, I can't imagine hitting 2 targets in your g/y consistently enough to warrant playing it over EWit.
4. Same thing for Solemn Simulacrum over Ondu Giant.
5. Shriekmaw is a great utility spell that also triggers Risen Reef.
6. Farhaven Elf would provide another Wood Elves effect, which could help the landfall theme I see being played.
7. Speaking of landfall, Ob Nixilis, the Fallen is a beat stick.

multimedia on Elemental Storm

2 weeks ago

Hey, could cut Vengeful Rebirth for Twinning Staff. Rebirth for six mana, eight mana if copying it with Riku, is too much for what it does even copied.

An advantage that Riku has as Commander with creatures are creatures who have good ETB abilities since the copy token also triggers an ETB ability which equals lot of value. Coiling Oracle and Mulldrifter are the right ideas, there's also Risen Reef which is especially good with the other Elementals in the deck since it triggers each time an Elemental creature you control ETB including token copies of Elementals. Clever Impersonator is very versatile in multiplayer Commander especially when you can copy it.

Thassa, Deep-Dwelling can be repeatable blink. Blink a nontoken creature at your end step and this triggers Riku letting you create a token copy of that creature for only two mana. Can be great value with Risen or any other creature with an ETB ability. Impersonator being blinked by Thassa can be pretty fun. Eternal Witness for repeatable recursion of any card. The Avatars and Horrors make a lot of devotion for Gods.

There's several difficult color requirements here to cast cards especially Avatars and when adding on Riku's copy ability. Chromatic Lantern helps a lot, so can Dryad of the Ilysian Grove as another total color fixing effect. 24x basic lands is a lot to meet these difficult color requirements consider more dual lands to help with color fixing? Ketria Triome, Exotic Orchard, Cinder Glade, Yavimaya Coast, Shivan Reef, Karplusan Forest.

Other ways to help color fixing are land ramp spells that search for a dual land. An advantage of the new Triomes that are Forests such as Ketria are land ramp spells that can search for a Forest or another land type. Nature's Lore, Wood Elves, Farseek, Skyshroud Claim. These spells also can search for Shock lands which you have, that can really help with color fixing.

Good luck with your deck.

Mirenheart on Zaxara, Hydra Spawner

2 weeks ago

multimedia I took a look at Gyre Sage, and it seems really neat, but the problem with it is that it doesn't give me the ramp I need early on, unlike Rampant Growth. I like having all the low cost ramp that pays off quickly, because it lets me reach my commander by turn 3, thus letting me have 7+ mana turn 4. Though, when I revise my deck later on, I will definitely take a look at it again.

Temur Sabertooth is definitely a great, powerful card, for sure, and I'll possibly consider it when i revise things again.

Eternal Witness however, I simply forgot to add in, lol. I had to pull some cards out of my Korvold Deck for it, including Eternal Witness, which I'll be putting on the shelf for the time being to make this deck work.

Thanks for the ideas!

fmastrome2008 on Yarok, the Descrated

2 weeks ago

1. Shriekmaw is a great utility spell for this deck. It also triggers Risen Reef.

2. Sire of Stagnation is straight gas. It draws 8 cards off 1 opposing fetchland.

3. Prime Speaker Vannifar and Birthing Pod are great for creature toolbox decks like this. It's important to find what you need when you need it. I'd also recommend more tutors like Sidisi, Undead Vizier, Demonic Tutor, Rune-Scarred Demon, Finale of Devastation, etc...

4. Wall of Blossoms, Elvish Visionary, Ice-Fang Coatl, Baleful Strix are great for restocking your hand, getting through your deck early. Bouncing them with Thassa is great value later on.

5. Your mana acceleration costs too much. Birds of Paradise, Deathrite Shaman, Llanowar Elves are great because they come down T1, speed up your deck, etc.. Shaman also is early graveyard interaction and is a great toolbox card.

6. Since most casual groups outlaw mass land destruction, artifacts are easier to destroy, and other landfall triggers, I recommend cards like Farseek, Nature's Lore, Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, etc... Every green deck wants these.

7. As another way to further your mana, cards like Farhaven Elf and Wood Elves fetch 2 lands from your deck. I'd much rather draw Farhaven Elf than Gyre Engineer.

8. You'll want multiple ways to reset the board if something happens. Consider Damnation, Toxic Deluge, Pernicious Deed, Crypt Rats etc...

9. Eternal Witness is a better version of Gravedigger. That's assuming budget isn't an issue. Also, lower CMC.

multimedia on Zaxara, Hydra Spawner

3 weeks ago

Hey, a card that's more fair then Freed for ramp is Gyre Sage. Sage will grow as you create Hydras with Zaxara. If you're casting an X Hydra then Sage could grow twice that turn. Could cut Rampant Growth for Sage.

Temur Sabertooth is a mana sink, a way to repeatedly bounce an X creature and cast it again. This interaction is good with Genesis Hydra to get repeatable value from it and Stonecoil Serpent as an easy to cast X creature. Could cut Feral Hydra for Sabertooth. Eternal Witness is a staple green creature for recursion and it's also good with Sabertooth who makes it repeatable. Could cut Reclamation Sage for Witness. Reclamation is a fine card, but there's more ways here to destroy an artifact or enchantment and only one way to recur cards.

Good luck with your deck.

MTGconstructor on How to Get Kicked out of Your Playgroup

3 weeks ago

makarzorklin Im not sure if you have ever played Karador, Ghost Chieftain or not, but Karador is not a high priority to cast. Meaning there are better ways to cheat in my creatures other than raw casting them. Karador is a late game play, when you have a full graveyard and the ability to pay for high CMC creatures. As for going more "creature heavy" I like the balance where it is at, again Im not looking to cast Karador any time before turn 5,6,7, or 8.

Not sure if you have read any of my previous responses, but if you are playing reanimator and still pay face value for creatures, then its not worth it. Creature ramping doesn't add much synergy, and is a dead draw late game.

Crucible of Worlds to Ramunap Excavator is valid, but either one works. The reason why I have the crucible is because its slightly harder to kill than creatures.

Obzedat's Aid is a fantastic card in any reanimate deck, but specifically this one. If Altar of Dementia, Deadbridge Chant, Crucible of Worlds, Greater Good, etc. Wind up in the graveyard its a direct hit, rather than jumping through hoops with Eternal Witness, or Greenwarden of Murasa. its just an added bonus with more options.

Ob Nixilis, the Fallen and Vengeful Pharaoh are purely test pieces right now, I see your point with Ob Nixilis, but I found that Vengeful Pharaoh is a an added thorn in my opponents side, he benefits from just sitting in the graveyard.

Birds of Paradise is a good piece, but so is Chromatic Lantern, so I may just have both.

Faeburrow Elder is another good option.

Grisly Salvage is a good card, again it doesnt always need to be attached to a creature. And allows me to grab creatures I need in short term plays, Karmic Guide, Eternal Witness, Phyrexian Delver, etc.

Deadbridge Chant is another synergistic card that plays very well into Karador. Milling ten, then getting pure value after that seems fine. Death's Oasis is another great option and both would work great.

Thanks for the comment