Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun

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Growing Rites of Itlimoc  Flip

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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Alchemy Legal
Archenemy Legal
Arena Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Brawl Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Gladiator Legal
Highlander Legal
Historic Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pioneer Legal
Planechase Legal
Pre-release Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Standard Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Rules Q&A

Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun

Legendary Land

(Transforms from Growing Rites of Itlimoc.)

: Add .

: Add for each creature you control.

Icaruskid on Azusa, Lost but Seeking Cthulu [Primer]

1 year ago

Thank you Profet93!

Fierce Empath replaces Time of Need. I like the early blocker and the classic synergy with Woodland Bellower.

Seek the Horizon replaces Kodama's Reach. Three lands per card is better than two.

Gaea's Cradle and Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun are pretty good here. But this deck goes tall with a few creatures rather than wide as you said about Eldrazi Monument. Even though I have the card and there is no budget technically, I can play this deck in more pods when not running the more competitive card that is not at its best here anyway. Leaving it out for now but mostly because I want to play this deck as often as I can.

I'm keeping Shared Summons in for now as well because I like the cast triggers of Kozilek and Ulamog which are my most tutored Eldrazi. I'll try to find a spot for Tooth and Nail too as it helps with velocity even if I don't get the cast trigger.

Harrow and Springbloom Druid effectively give Azusa extra lands, just from the graveyard. They help with consistency when I don't hit Lotus Vale, Lotus Field, or the fetch lands and help justify Ramunap Excavator, Crucible of Worlds, and Perennial Behemoth. Speaking of, Perennial Behemoth's unearth ability is handy when Eldrazi Monument is out and even when I don't have it on the battlefield there are usually some other fodder like Tireless Tracker, Springbloom Druid, or Ramunap Excavator to buy three or more turns of indestructible flying Eldrazi which make the monument more than just a flavor win. If I cut the monument I would still need some protection from boardwipes in that spot. This is why Planar Bridge is so useful as I can grab Eldrazi Monument or Akroma's Memorial to get damage through. And using Planar Bridge to get Mana Reflection is also a near game winning play too. These cards are imperfect but they are hard to replace with single cards. Like Heroic Intervention or Asceticism or even Wrap in Vigor don't give multiple turns of indestructibility and evasion (flying).

I hear you on Desolation Twin. It does do work after a boardwipe though and I don't want to diminish organic threat density too much. Maybe this is where Tooth and Nail belongs. I'll try it out.

I really appreciate your ideas!!

Profet93 on Azusa, Lost but Seeking Cthulu [Primer]

1 year ago

Gaea's Cradle or for more casual metas, Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun as it is similar but more tame, albeit, untutorable.

Tooth and Nail > Shared Summons, as Spells stated. It's a MUCH higher ceiling and a slightly worse floor. The potential is just too high to ignore.

Ancient Greenwarden > Perennial Behemoth - Costs 1 more, can't be unearthed, but doubling land triggers is huge. I would much rather pay 1 more mana, have it tutorable by a Fierce Empath. Also note, Empath and Woodland Bellower tutor for each other. Woodland --> Fierce --> Eldrazi.

  • Harrow/Kodama's Reach/Springbloom Druid - Bad for Azusa given that Azusa herself allows for multiple land drops per turn, so rather than bringing them to field, it's better to put them to hand, unless you're specifically tutoring for mass lands (boundless realms, scapeshift) or specific lands (hour of promise, crop rotation)
  • Time of Need - Not bad, not good. I would much rather run a Green Sun's Zenith or a Finale of Devastation as a tutor, albeit, not for Eldrazi. The goal of Azusa typically is to ramp and draw into everything you need, making tutors less important. Not a strong cut, but worth considering IMO.
  • Planar Bridge - Way too much to cast and activate, doesn't give you eldrazi cast triggers. At least tooth and nail is only 9 instead of 16 mana.
  • Eldrazi Monument - Works best in token swarm decks, you don't go nearly wide enough for this to be effective. Imagine having to sac an eldrazi because they cleared your field with a wipe.
  • Desolation Twin - 2x 10/10's for 10 mana. No abilities, just big bodies. I get it's an Eldrazi but why not add more ramp and draw (or even tutors for that matter) to maximize the use of your more efficient eldrazi rather than adding in a card simply because it's eldrazi.

Tur on Hidden Power - Crop Rotation

1 year ago

TypicalTimmy

Thank you for noticing my intention, that is the key point of this argument!! Newer and casual players tend to disregard or ignore Crop Rotation, because they only see it for very expensive cards such as: Gaea's Cradle, Mishra's Workshop, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Serra's Sanctum, Bazaar of Baghdad, and Diamond Valley. (I.e. sacrifice a Forest and get Gaea's Cradle.)

In fact, I own all of these cards and in only one single case is Gaea's Cradle the first priority for Crop Rotation. Here are a few examples using commander decks: (These do not include utility lands, such as Bojuka Bog, Cavern of Souls, nor Homeward Path.)

Commander: Lord Windgrace

Lotus Field is great for ramping with Lord Windgrace minus three ability. Cabal Coffers is fantastic for ramp. Field of the Dead provides a win condition and blockers.

Commander: Mina and Denn, Wildborn

Because of Fiery Emancipation, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle became ridiculously overpowered. Nine damage every time a mountain enters the battlefield. Furthermore, the Scapeshift combo causes you to win the game.

Commander: The Gitrog Monster

Dakmor Salvage is the combo engine for The Gitrog Monster. Therefore searching for it, the sacrificing it to The Gitrog Monster is crucial for the deck.

Commander: Gargos, Vicious Watcher

Hall of the Bandit Lord provides haste to the hydra tribal. Reliquary Tower is necessary for cards such as Soul's Majesty and Greater Good. Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is pretty nice with the triple green devotion from Gargos, Vicious Watcher.

Commander: Carth the Lion

Field of the Dead is way too good in Carth the Lion, because Garruk, Cursed Huntsman emblems immediately with Carth the Lion. Making at least one 5/5 zombie with trample every turn is very strong.

Commander: Maelstrom Wanderer

Sanctum of Eternity allows you to put Maelstrom Wanderer back into your hand, allowing for the on-cast trigger to happen again. High Market not only taps for mana, but allows you to send Maelstrom Wanderer back to the command zone.

Commander: Sythis, Harvest's Hand

Unfortunately, for this deck Serra's Sanctum is the best target for Crop Rotation, however Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is a close second best target. With Sythis, Harvest's Hand you have to commit heavily to the board, so your devotion is going to be high. Field of the Dead gives blockers before you can stabilize with Sphere of Safety, Solitary Confinement, and Ghostly Prison.

Commander: Marwyn, the Nurturer

Unfortunately, for this deck Gaea's Cradle is the best target for Crop Rotation, however Wirewood Lodge is a close second best target for untapping Marwyn, the Nurturer. In fact, I found myself frequently choosing Wirewood Lodge over Gaea's Cradle because it does not draw as much threat for Strip Mine effects. Wizards of the Coast is frightfully aware of this fact and has made many cards to compensate by using creatures and enchantments: Priest of Titania, Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun, Elvish Archdruid, and Circle of Dreams Druid.

Hope this helps clarify my stance!

TypicalTimmy on Help Me Pick A Commander

1 year ago

Yes, I agree. Green is easier to find ways to make tokens with and there is plenty of Saproling staples out there. Plus, in a vacuum, he works off of himself with his activated ability. When considering the aspect of ramp, such as with Cryptolith Rite and Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun, or even Gaea's Cradle if budget / proxies aren't an issue, you can suddenly take over the game very quickly. Not to mention you now also have further access to infect a la Triumph of the Hordes.

Though, perhaps the "weirdest" one would be Yurlok of Scorch Thrash as he brings back manaburn. I'm not too sure how prominent he is within the community, but given that there aren't too many cards out there that force opponents to have extra mana, I would assume what little does exist means he's already been "solved", to a degree.

Aexislord on Emmara, Soul of the Tapped (EDH - Optimized)

1 year ago

chigorin Really appreciate the feedback and interest! It would be my pleasure to answer your questions.

First, regarding the card Grand Crescendo, it has definitely caught my eye. For now I am still testing the most recent build of the deck to see if I feel the need for more board-wipe protection. I will say that as a general rule, for this deck I like creatures such as Dauntless Escort and Selfless Spirit more than sorceries/instants because they combo with Earthcraft type effects and Gaea's Cradle + Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun. They can also be recycled with Sun Titan in a really powerful loop, and they can be searched with tutors. It is true that Grand Crescendo offers unprecedented flexibility in that you can use it as protection or as a token maker or both. I would still say that it is inferior to Heroic Intervention and to Teferi's Protection. Making more tokens in Emmara can really quickly feel "win more" because Emmara is such a reliable token maker. As soon as I test stuff out and make a decision I will write an update specifically for New Capenna stuff, so keep an eye out for that!

The deck is actually optimized for a 4-player game. It is true that Esper Sentinel and Smothering Tithe offer draw and mana, respectively, and at various points I did include them. However, they give you those things...and nothing else. They have almost no real synergy with your gameplan. Additionally, they are both occupying extremely busy mana slots. Turn 1 should always ideally be any of the "Turn One Tappers" and the 4 mana slot is almost always ideally taken by a token doubler or to continue setting up your combo. Mana/ramp is also the one thing that I do not feel the deck needs more of at all.

As for board wipes in general, my experience has been this: if no one plays a board wipe, I win 100% of the time unless I had an absolutely terrible hand/draws. You are the go wide deck. Either someone blows up the board or you win. So, focus on running protection and let others worry about board wipes.

Throne of the God-Pharaoh draws attention to you in a bad way. You don't want to give opponent's a reason to blow you up early. Emmara is a slow, steady token deck. You are always growing turn after turn. Your goal is to reach that critical point where you can 1-KO everyone before they realize you are a threat.

Glare of Subdual is a trap. It discourages you from tapping your creatures during your turn, and in this deck, if you are doing the things that will make you win, you are normally ending your turn with a tapped out board. Knight-Captain of Eos is your best defense against attacks, and it is always better to remove artifacts rather than just tap them.

Finally, Sylvan Library has the unfortunate trait of costing 2 mana. You ALWAYS cast Emmara turn 2. And because Sylvan Library is best played as early as possible, and from turn 3 forwards, it really doesn't feel like there is ever a good time to play it. I decided to cut it because now we have access to more cards with draw like Welcoming Vampire and the absolute perfection that is Bennie Bracks, Zoologist.

Please feel free to ask as many other questions as you want, or let me know if you would like more detail regarding any of my explanations! I love this deck, and for some weird reason I am just obsessed with making it perfect hahaha, so I will definitely be maintaining it for years to come!

Mortlocke on The Queen's Egg

2 years ago

Hi Tobuts,

Listing your budget range would help me make more precise recommendations, but I like going on tangents sometimes so i'll give some suggestions and thoughts on some cards.

  • Bond Lands. They aren't typed, but they don't come into play tapped if you are playing in a group. Best of all, this cycle has been long complete and has been recently reprinted, so the costs are nice and cheap.
  • Battle Lands from Zendikar are always going to come into play tapped due to this deck not using basics. But at least the lands are typed. Unfortunately, this cycle only has Allied colors.
  • Bicycle Lands from Amokhet are always going to ETB tapped - but you have the added functionality of cycling. So...yay?
  • Tricycle Lands from Ikoria. These are basically the better Bicycle lands lol. They do everything the bicycles do, but better. But alas, this cycle is not complete - and only has Wedge color combinations.

That's it for my suggestions, what do you think? Do you plan on constructing your own Sliver deck using my suggestions?

TypicalTimmy on Card creation challenge

2 years ago

Livio's Blessing

Legendary Enchantment

Whenever you exile a creature, it's controller draws a card and you gain 1 life.


I'm not entirely certain, but Livio seems to want to be built around ETB effects. Exile your own creatures, then bring them back into one massive drop; For example, Luminate Primordial would be an incredibly strong blink creature. Sure your opponents gain a ton of life, but you remove their biggest threats permanently. Additionally, as he has Partner, you can add in for something such as Woodfall Primus or Terastodon . You could even use use Meteor Golem . If you run Selesnya, you're already in extremely strong ramp territory as green loves to ramp with creatures and white loves to make creatures. Suddenly your Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun , Gaea's Cradle and Cryptolith Rite look astounding. Not to mention Circle of Dreams Druid and, if you use enchantments to protect yourself such as a Prison / Stax deck, Serra's Sanctum . There's also Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx , Nyxbloom Ancient and Mana Reflection .

Hone in the strategy with Trostani, Selesnya's Voice and similar life-gaining creatures such as Suture Priest , Soul Warden , Soul's Attendant , Angelic Chorus and Essence Warden for a massive gap between you and your opponents.

I mentioned prisons; Norn's Annex , Ghostly Prison and Ensnaring Bridge are obviously staples. There's more, but I'm tired and not feeling the best today.

Anyway, there ya go. A skeleton for a down and dirty Selesnya deck. Go have some fun with it.

Since you are going for extreme ramp and board presence, I'd recommend Partnering with Halana, Kessig Ranger so that when they enter you can pay and have removal-on-a-stick, too.

Kodama of the East Tree would be nice but that's a trap. You'll be outed as the archenemy at the table on Turn 0. Sure you get to cheat a bunch of things into play, but that doesn't help advance your wincon. I'd rather see Halana in the Command Zone for that removal option, so that the creatures we are playing around with can get through and finish the game off quickly. You're going creature-heavy, so use them.


Wild.

Ballzanya on What to Do with Yavimaya, …

2 years ago

Arbor Elf can untap your transformed Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun . Nissa, Who Shakes the World doubles the mana for all your lands.

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