EDH Optimizer
Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Praetor // Enchantment — Saga
Color identity: White
Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings is white: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Vigilance
Whenever a source an opponent controls deals damage to you or a permanent you control, that source's controller loses 2 life unless they pay {1}.
{2}{W}, Sacrifice three other creatures: Exile Elesh Norn, then return it to the battlefield transformed under its owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery.
//
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
I — Incubate 2 five times, then transform all Incubator tokens you control.
II — Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain double strike until end of turn.
III — Destroy all other permanents except for artifacts, lands, and Phyrexians. Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield (front face up).
Reference price of the card: €5.56
Average lands in decks for Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings: 35
TokensPhyrexiansInfectArtifacts+1/+1 CountersPillow FortStaxProliferate
Build your Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: C+ (62/100)
- Consistency44
- Speed58
- Interaction61
- Resilience78
- Closing66
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (13 nonbasic, 22 Plains)
Sol Ring · Norn's Inquisitor · Essence of Orthodoxy · Swords to Plowshares · Progenitor Exarch · Phyrexian Vindicator · White Sun's Twilight · Phyrexian Censor · Sunfall · Path to Exile · Pearl Medallion · Skrelv, Defector Mite · Skrelv's Hive · Phyrexian Awakening · Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite · Mite Overseer · Defiler of Faith · Metastatic Evangel · Mondrak, Glory Dominus · Arcane Signet · Norn's Wellspring · Suture Priest · Filigree Vector · Sunder the Gateway · Vulpine Harvester · Norn's Annex · Darksteel Splicer · Norn's Choirmaster · Oketra's Monument · Crawling Chorus · Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines · Blade Splicer · Phyrexian Rebirth · Annex Sentry · Basilica Shepherd · Excise the Imperfect · Charge of the Mites · Generous Gift · Tiller of Flesh · Argent Dais · Skullclamp · Master Splicer · Attentive Skywarden · Norn's Decree · Zenith Chronicler · Idol of Oblivion · Solemn Simulacrum · Throne of Geth · Staff of Compleation · Mind Stone · Archaeomancer's Map · Cut a Deal · Esper Sentinel · Infested Fleshcutter · Intangible Virtue · Anointed Procession · Ghostly Prison · Soul of New Phyrexia · Stroke of Midnight · Unbreakable Formation · Flawless Maneuver · Indoctrination Attendant · Land Tax · Sensor Splicer · Karn's Bastion · Mirrex · Emeria, the Sky Ruin · War Room · The Fair Basilica · Myriad Landscape · The Seedcore · Minas Tirith · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Windbrisk Heights · Path of Ancestry · Castle Ardenvale · Three Tree City
🃏 Recommended cards for Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Norn's Inquisitor | 81% | +79% |
| Essence of Orthodoxy | 78% | +76% |
| Progenitor Exarch | 75% | +74% |
| Phyrexian Censor | 72% | +69% |
| White Sun's Twilight | 73% | +68% |
| Sunfall | 71% | +68% |
| Phyrexian Awakening | 69% | +67% |
| Skrelv's Hive | 70% | +66% |
| Phyrexian Vindicator | 74% | +65% |
| Mite Overseer | 67% | +65% |
| Skrelv, Defector Mite | 70% | +62% |
| Metastatic Evangel | 66% | +62% |
| Sunder the Gateway | 61% | +60% |
| Norn's Wellspring | 62% | +60% |
| Filigree Vector | 61% | +59% |
| Vulpine Harvester | 60% | +58% |
| Defiler of Faith | 66% | +57% |
| Darksteel Splicer | 58% | +56% |
| Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite | 67% | +56% |
| Norn's Annex | 59% | +55% |
| Mondrak, Glory Dominus | 65% | +54% |
| Norn's Choirmaster | 57% | +53% |
| Karn's Bastion | 56% | +51% |
| Crawling Chorus | 52% | +50% |
💰 The best cards for your Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Norn's Inquisitor
- Essence of Orthodoxy
- Progenitor Exarch
- Phyrexian Censor
- White Sun's Twilight
- Sunfall
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Phyrexian Vindicator
- Skrelv, Defector Mite
- Norn's Annex
- Norn's Decree
- Staff of Compleation
- Skullclamp
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Filigree Vector
- Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
- Mondrak, Glory Dominus
- Norn's Choirmaster
- Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
- Glistening Sphere
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings's color identity?
Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings is white: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.0 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 37 % of the time and floods 17 %. Deck health: C+ (62/100).
How many lands should a Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings deck run?
Real Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings?
The three highest-synergy cards are Norn's Inquisitor, Essence of Orthodoxy, Progenitor Exarch. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings decks.
What combos does Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings have?
We have no known combos catalogued for Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings. That does not mean there are none — just that they do not show up in the public combo databases.
How much does a Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings deck cost?
You can start cheap: Norn's Inquisitor, Essence of Orthodoxy, Progenitor Exarch are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.