Eternal Witness: A Powerful Graveyard Cleanup

This 2/1 Human Shaman has a significant impact on game state with its ability to return a target card from the graveyard to the hand when it enters. This power level is notably higher than many other uncommon creatures, making it an attractive addition to various decks.

In Commander formats, Eternal Witness excels at enabling powerful combos and strategies by recovering critical cards like Ancestral Recall or Tombstalker. Its relatively low mana cost of 3.0 also makes it more accessible in a format where life totals can be high.

Eternal Witness

As a creature, Eternal Witness's primary function is to be played onto the battlefield and attack or block. However, its ability to return cards from the graveyard to hand when it enters the battlefield makes it a valuable asset for any green deck.

Mana Cost and Rarity With a mana cost of {1}{G}{G} and an uncommon rarity, Eternal Witness can be reasonably expected in most green decks. Its low CMC (3.0) allows it to contribute to the board quickly.

Keyword Abilities

• No keyword abilities are listed on this card, so its primary functionality will be driven by its oracle text.

Oracle Text When this creature enters, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand. This ability triggers when Eternal Witness enters the battlefield, not when it dies or leaves the battlefield. You have a window of opportunity to use this ability during the resolution of the ability that put Eternal Witness into play, but after its power and toughness are resolved.

How it Functions on the Stack

1. When you cast Eternal Witness with the necessary mana, it will enter the battlefield.
2. As it enters the battlefield, you may choose to return a target card from your graveyard to your hand using the oracle text ability.
3. If no card is returned to hand, the ability resolves without further action.

How it Functions on the Battlefield

• Eternal Witness has a power of 2 and toughness of 1, making it a relatively fragile creature that can be removed by most threats.
• Its primary purpose lies in its ability to return cards from the graveyard, which can provide a lifeline or enable a more powerful play in future turns.

Edge Cases and Interactions

• Lifelink: If Eternal Witness has Lifelink (from another card like Vines of Vastwood), returning a card with this ability will grant you life.
• Eternal Rest: Returning cards from the graveyard with Eternal Witness can allow you to remove problematic creatures or artifacts, creating space for your own threats to emerge.
• Graveyard Synergy: When paired with other graveyard-exploring effects (like Grafd Draal), Eternal Witness becomes even more potent, as it allows you to retrieve and replay cards that would otherwise be lost.

Commander-Specific Quirks

In Commander games, the ability of Eternal Witness can significantly impact gameplay. Returning a card like Ancestral Recall or Mox Sapphire from the graveyard can give your deck a significant boost in terms of tempo and draw power.

When played in a green-based Commander deck, Eternal Witness becomes an integral part of the strategy. Pairing it with other creatures that provide value on death (such as Sylvan Caryatid) or cards that return value to hand (like Necrotic Ooze), you can create powerful combos that drive your game forward.

Keep in mind that the graveyard can be a powerful tool, and Eternal Witness is an excellent addition to any green deck looking to make the most of this resource.

Eternal Witness is a versatile creature that offers a unique card advantage in the form of graveyard manipulation. Its ability to return a target card from the graveyard to hand on entry makes it an attractive addition to various Commander and casual decks.

Key Strategies:

• Graveyard recursion: Eternal Witness excels at recycling creatures and spells that die or are milled, allowing players to get more value out of their sideboard and graveyard. This is particularly useful in combo decks that rely on recursive engines like Eternity Surge.
• Card advantage: By returning a card from the graveyard, Eternal Witness provides an additional draw step, enabling players to find key cards, disrupt opponents' plans, or develop their board more efficiently.
• Sacrificial creatures: This ability makes Eternal Witness an excellent choice for sacrificing tokens or other creatures with value in the graveyard.

Recommended Color Identities:

• Growth and Value: Green's ability to generate card advantage through Llanowar Elves, Fulcrum Lasso, and Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth makes it an ideal fit for Eternal Witness.
• Combo and Control: Its versatility also makes it a great addition to combo decks that focus on recursion or control strategies, such as those featuring Eternity Surge, [Undergrowth, or [Sylvan Caryatid.

Commander Archetypes:

• Mono-Green Ramp: Eternal Witness pairs well with green's ramp spells and creatures like Prime Speaker Zegana.
• Growth Tribal: This creature fits right in with tribal decks focused on green's legendary creatures, such as [Elesh Norn, Grand Architect ]and[Elvish Mystic.
• Combo and Control Decks: Eternal Witness can also be used to fuel combo or control strategies featuring cards like Omniscience], [[The Undergrowth, or Niv-Mizzet, the Preeminent.

Competitive Builds:

• Eternity Surge: This deck uses Eternal Witness as a key component in its recursive engine, often pairing it with Eternal Scourge and [Golgari Findbroker.
• Undergrowth: This control deck utilizes Eternal Witness to recycle undergrowth triggers and generate card advantage.

Casual Builds:

• Green Stompy: Eternal Witness can be used as a low-cost way to develop the board and generate card advantage in green stompy decks featuring Golgari Findbroker.
• Tribal Decks: This creature is a natural fit for tribal decks focused on green's legendary creatures, such as [Elesh Norn, Grand Architect ]and[Elvish Mystic.

Eternal Witness offers significant potential for strategic applications in various Commander and casual decks.

Eternal Witness is a versatile creature that excels in graveyard-based strategies. Its ability to return a target card from the graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield creates opportunities for creative combos and interactions.

Synergies with other cards:

• Anafenza, the Foremost: This commander's ability to create 2/2 Human Soldier tokens can be amplified by Eternal Witness. Anafenza can be returned to your hand using Witness, allowing you to recur her and create an infinite number of tokens.
• Griselbrand: When Griselbrand is in the graveyard, Eternal Witness can return him to your hand. This allows you to potentially generate an overwhelming amount of card advantage through his ability to draw three cards each time he dies.
• Liliana, Death's Majesty: Liliana's ability to create a 2/2 black Zombie token for each creature in the graveyard can be combined with Eternal Witness. By returning Liliana to your hand using Witness, you can recur her and generate an army of Zombies.

Rules Tricks:

• Eternal Witness can be used to "bounce" problematic cards from the battlefield, such as opponent's creatures or lands.
• By returning a creature from your graveyard to your hand using Witness, you can potentially create a new copy of that creature on the battlefield through recursion effects.
• In certain situations, Eternal Witness can be used to create an infinite loop of card draws by repeatedly returning cards from the graveyard to your hand and drawing new cards.

Interactions with other strategies:

• Graveyard recursion: Eternal Witness is a key component in graveyard recursion decks. By combining her with other recursion effects, you can create an unstoppable force that dominates the board.
• Token generation: As mentioned earlier, Eternal Witness pairs well with token-generating commanders like Anafenza. This synergy creates a formidable army of creatures on the battlefield.
• Card advantage: When used in combination with cards that generate card advantage, such as Griselbrand or Liliana, Eternal Witness becomes an incredibly powerful tool for generating value from your graveyard.

By mastering the interactions and synergies between Eternal Witness and other cards, you can create a formidable deck that dominates opponents.

Common Mistakes with Eternal Witness

In Commander, players often make mistakes when playing Eternal Witness due to its unique ability and the timing of its trigger. Here are some common misplays:

• Triggering on a different turn: Some players forget that Eternal Witness's ability triggers when it enters the battlefield, not necessarily on their next upkeep or end step. This can lead to missed opportunities to return cards from the graveyard.
• Not considering graveyard synergy: Eternal Witness is often used in decks with heavy graveyard reliance, such as reanimation and recursion strategies. Players may overlook the potential for returning crucial cards like Ancestral Recall or Black Lotus to play around game-changing combos.
• Misjudging card availability: With a 2/1 power-toughness and a low mana cost, Eternal Witness can be sacrificed early in the game. However, players may forget that this sacrifice can create an opportunity for a new Eternal Witness to enter the battlefield and return a card from the graveyard.

Timing Issues

• Missing the trigger: Players often overlook that Eternal Witness's ability triggers when it enters the battlefield, not on their next turn or upkeep step.
• Incorrect timing of sacs: Sacrificing Eternal Witness too early can waste its potential for returning cards from the graveyard. Players should consider the state of their board and graveyard before making this decision.

Misunderstood Rules

• Eternal Witness as a reanimator: Some players think Eternal Witness is primarily a creature to be sacrificed for value, but it's more effective when used as a reanimator to return key cards from the graveyard.
• Graveyard management: Players may forget that returning a card with Eternal Witness doesn't necessarily put it into play; it can also provide an opportunity for future draws or interactions.

Poor Synergies

• Lack of graveyard-clearing effects: Failing to include graveyard-clearing spells, like Abrupt Decay or Fatal Push, in an Eternal Witness deck can limit its potential for returning valuable cards.
• Insufficient recursion: Players may overlook the need for additional recursion sources, such as Grafdigger's Cage, to ensure that their Eternal Witnesses keep returning key cards from the graveyard.

Eternal Witness

The humble creature from the village of Efractal, where shamanic traditions are alive and well. This card has been a staple in Magic for a long time, and its effects continue to be felt across various formats.

Card Details:

• Rarity: Uncommon
• Mana Cost: {1}{G}{G}
• Power/Toughness: 2/1
• Type Line: Creature — Human Shaman
• Oracle Text: When this creature enters, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.

History and Appearances:

Eternal Witness has been around since the original printing in Ravnica: City of Guilds (2005). Since then, it has been reprinted in several sets, including:

• Dissension (2006)
• Commander Anthology (2017) - featuring a foiled version
• Masterpiece Series: Masters Edition IV (2012)

Budget-Friendliness and Playability:

Considering its power level and playability, Eternal Witness is relatively affordable. It's an excellent addition to budget decks, particularly those running on a green theme.

Some similar options to consider:

• Luminarch Ascension: A more expensive option with the same ability but higher power/toughness (3/4).
• Kitchen Finks: A more affordable option (uncommon) that provides a 2/1 body and can be used as a 2-toughness flier.
• Scareglow: An older, reprinted card (rare) with a similar ability but less expensive.

Flavor and Lore:

In the mystical realm of Dominaria, where the fabric of time is woven and unwoven by the ancient forces of magic, Eternal Witness stands as a testament to the enduring power of the land. Its very presence on the battlefield is a reminder that even in the heat of combat, there lies value in recalling the lessons of yesteryear.

Synergy Potential:

Eternal Witness pairs well with cards like Llanowar Elves, which can accelerate its mana development and increase the efficiency of its ability. Additionally, Gilded Light can provide a boost to Eternal Witness's power and toughness, making it more formidable on the battlefield.

Budget and Accessibility Analysis:

As of now, Eternal Witness is considered an uncommon rarity from the 5th Edition set. The prices for this card vary depending on the format (foil or non-foil) and currency:

While Eternal Witness is not the cheapest card in Magic, it's relatively affordable considering its power level and playability.

Notable Decks:

Some notable decks that have featured Eternal Witness include:

• The classic Golgari decklist from the early 2000s
• Modern Lifegain Storm (featuring Nimbus Sprite, Sylvan Caryatid, and Tarmogoyf)
• Commander Golgari Stompy decks, which often pair Eternal Witness with other graveyard hate pieces like Grafdigger's Cage or Doom Blade

In Conclusion:

Eternal Witness is a powerful card that offers great value for its price. Its ability to return a card from the graveyard can be game-changing in certain situations, making it an excellent addition to any deck running on a green theme.

Eternal Witness: A Powerful Tool for Deckbuilding

As an uncommon creature, Eternal Witness offers a unique opportunity to build around its ability to return target cards from the graveyard to the hand. Its 2/1 power and toughness make it a moderate threat on the battlefield, but its true value lies in its potential to disrupt opponents' plans and accelerate our own gameplay.

Commanders and Color Identities

Eternal Witness is an excellent fit for commanders that enable card draw, card advantage, or graveyard manipulation. Some notable examples include:

• Griselbrand: A classic choice for black-green decks, Griselbrand's ability to return cards from the graveyard pairs perfectly with Eternal Witness.
• Meren of Wave Counters: Meren offers a way to generate waves of value in the form of card advantage and life gain, making her an excellent commander for decks featuring Eternal Witness.
• Golgari color identity: The combination of green and black provides an ideal backdrop for Eternal Witness's ability, allowing players to efficiently manipulate their graveyard and return key cards.

Themes and Engines

Eternal Witness excels in themes centered around card advantage, graveyard manipulation, and value generation. Some relevant engines include:

• Card draw engines: Cards like Rampant Growth, Glimpse of Nature, or Llanowar Elves can accelerate the development of our board state while providing opportunities for Eternal Witness to return key cards.
• Graveyard manipulation: Spells like Carrion Feeder, Skekkhara, or Maelstrom Pulse enhance our ability to utilize Eternal Witness's ability, allowing us to generate value from our graveyard more efficiently.
• Value generation: Cards like Griselbrand, Zurgo Bellstriker, or Estrid, the Masked provide a way to leverage Eternal Witness's returned cards into meaningful advantage.

Synergy Cards and Combo Notes

When combining with Eternal Witness, keep an eye out for cards that amplify its ability or create opportunities for recursion:

• Lingering Souls: This creature can be returned by Eternal Witness, creating a powerful, reusable threat on the battlefield.
• Sakashima's Student: As a token generator and recursion engine, Sakashima's Student pairs well with Eternal Witness to enable repeatable value.
• Karmic Guide: This card creates an opportunity for recursive value generation, making it a great fit for decks featuring Eternal Witness.

By incorporating these synergies and engines into our deckbuilds, we can unlock the full potential of Eternal Witness as a powerful tool for manipulating the graveyard and generating value.

Eternal Witness in Commander

Eternal Witness is an uncommon creature from the 5th Dawn set. With a mana cost of {1}{G}{G}, it's a moderate investment for its abilities. Its 2/1 power and toughness make it a respectable body, but not overly impressive on its own.

The card's oracle text allows it to return a target card from the graveyard to hand when it enters the battlefield. This ability has significant implications in Commander, particularly with the prevalence of cards like Griselbrand or Jace, Vraska's Golem. By returning one of these cards to hand, you can potentially disrupt your opponent's plans and create a new opportunity for yourself.

Competitive Potential

Eternal Witness is not typically considered a competitive card in Commander due to its moderate mana cost and relatively weak body. However, its ability to return creatures or spells from the graveyard to hand makes it an attractive addition to certain deck archetypes. For example:

• Reanimator decks: Eternal Witness can help reanimate Griselbrand or other powerful creatures by returning them to hand.
• Mill decks: By returning cards like Dark Confidant or [Master of the Pearson from the graveyard, Eternal Witness can accelerate your mill strategy.

Casual and Budget-Friendly

Eternal Witness is a great addition to casual decks that focus on card draw or value generation. Its ability to return cards from the graveyard is particularly useful in these types of decks, where you want to maximize the number of cards in play. Additionally, its moderate mana cost makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious players.

Banned and Overlooked

Eternal Witness has not been banned in any official Commander format. However, its potential impact on games is significant enough that some players may overlook its importance or undervalue its abilities. This can make Eternal Witness a hidden gem in the right deck archetype.

In terms of card prices, Eternal Witness is relatively affordable, with an average price of $3.43 USD. Its foil version is significantly more expensive at $48.24 USD, but still a reasonable investment for players who want to showcase their deck's power.

Overall, Eternal Witness is a solid addition to any Commander deck that focuses on card draw or value generation. While it may not be competitive in every meta, its ability to return cards from the graveyard makes it an attractive option for players looking to disrupt their opponents' plans and create new opportunities for themselves.

Key Scenarios & Matchups

Eternal Witness excels in scenarios where graveyard interaction is essential, such as with Ancestral Recall or Tolaria West. In multiplayer games, its ability to return a card from the graveyard can be used to disrupt opponents' plans and force them to discard key cards.

Favored Matchups

• Against control decks that rely heavily on graveyard exile effects, Eternal Witness's ability can provide a way to recover important cards.
• In matchups against combo decks that use Grave Titan or other tokens, Eternal Witness's ability can help disrupt the opponent's plan and prevent them from generating an overwhelming board presence.

Unfavored Matchups

• Against aggressive creatures, such as those found in aggressive tribal decks, Eternal Witness's 2/1 power/toughness makes it vulnerable to early removal.
• In matchups against decks that prioritize card advantage through Cultivate or Rampant Growth, Eternal Witness's ability is less impactful, as the opponent can continue to generate card advantage even after losing a key card.

Synergy Potential

Eternal Witness pairs well with cards like Llanowar Elves, which can accelerate its mana development and increase the efficiency of its ability. Additionally, Gilded Light can provide a boost to Eternal Witness's power and toughness, making it more formidable on the battlefield.

Eternal Witness has a history dating back to the original printing in Ravnica: City of Guilds (2005). Since then, it has been reprinted in several sets, including:

• Dissension (2006)
• Commander Anthology (2017) - featuring a foiled version
• Masterpiece Series: Masters Edition IV (2012)

In terms of tournament presence, Eternal Witness sees moderate play in various formats. According to EDHREC's popularity metrics, it ranks 77th among all cards.

Some notable decks that have featured Eternal Witness include:

• The classic Golgari decklist from the early 2000s
• Modern Lifegain Storm (featuring Nimbus Sprite, Sylvan Caryatid, and Tarmogoyf)
• Commander Golgari Stompy decks, which often pair Eternal Witness with other graveyard hate pieces like Grafdigger's Cage or Doom Blade

In terms of prices, Eternal Witness remains relatively affordable, with a market price of $3.43 USD and 0.31 Tix.

In the mystical realm of Dominaria, where the fabric of time is woven and unwoven by the ancient forces of magic, the humble village of Efractal stands as a testament to the enduring power of the land. Here, the shamanic traditions of old still hold sway, with practitioners like Eternal Witness serving as vessels for the whispers of the land.

As the winds howl through the hills and valleys, carrying the secrets of the ages on their breath, Eternal Witness stands watchful, a guardian of memories past. Its very presence on the battlefield is a reminder that even in the heat of combat, there lies value in recalling the lessons of yesteryear.

With its {1}{G}{G} mana cost, Eternal Witness can be summoned relatively early in the game, making it an attractive addition to any midrange or control deck seeking to stabilize the board. Its 2/1 power and toughness make it a formidable presence on the battlefield, but it's the shamanic magic that courses through its veins which truly sets it apart.

When Eternal Witness enters play, the player is granted the option to return any card from their graveyard back into their hand. This ability serves as a powerful tool for mitigating loss and preserving past strategic decisions, allowing players to adapt to changing circumstances with greater ease.

In the hands of skilled practitioners like Jhoira of the Ghitelman or Garruk Wildspeaker, Eternal Witness can become a valuable asset in brewing up strategies that weave together disparate threads of time. By returning crucial cards from the graveyard, these masters can reforge their plans and exploit new opportunities as they arise.

As the battle for control rages on across Dominaria, the faithful of Efractal remain steadfast, their hearts attuned to the eternal rhythms of the land. In this sacred context, Eternal Witness stands not merely as a creature, but as an embodiment of the timeless wisdom that permeates all aspects of life – reminding us that even amidst chaos and conflict, there lies hidden value in preserving the memories of yesteryear.