Spicy Reality Fracture Elder Sphinx Is A Value And Combo Engine

After months of hype, today’s Reality Fracture Debut finally gave us a proper look at the biggest in-universe MTG set of the year. Though Jace is the star of the show, showing up on more cards than most expected, his supporting cast is accomplished in its own right. Uldaros Theorix, for example, one of the set’s legendary Elder Sphinxes, looks like an incredible MTG Commander for players of all stripes.

Uldaros Theorix MTG

While it’s a little steep to cast at six mana, Uldaros Theorix offers one of the most flexible reanimation effects MTG has ever seen. Even in a fair deck, getting to recur value creatures like Psychic Frog or Orcish BowmastersOrcish BowmastersFlash
When this creature enters and whenever an opponent draws a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, this creature deals 1 damage to any target. Then amass Orcs 1. can be game-changing. With how cheap many Commander staples are these days, the six mana limit shouldn’t be an issue here, either.

What’s particularly notable about Uldaros’s ability is that it can hit any nonland card, which opens up all sorts of avenues. You can grab zero-cost artifacts like Mishra’s Bauble for free, for example, or even recycle engine pieces like Rhystic Study. You can also leverage the “each card type” clause here to reanimate multiple creatures by including artifact creatures like Baleful StrixBaleful StrixFlying, deathtouch
When this creature enters, draw a card. and enchantment creatures like Enduring Curiosity.

To get the most out of Uldaros Theorix, you’ll want to run plenty of ways to fill your graveyard with prospective targets. Grindy self-mill is a great place to start here, with Millikin and Deranged Assistant being especially good since they provide ramp. Bigger options, like Riverchurn Monument and Singularity Rupture, can effectively set you up in a single play.

As a supplement to the self-mill package, discard outlets, like Ghostly Pilferer and Skirge Familiar, make a ton of sense here, too. Cards like these let you pitch key pieces you draw, letting you cheat them out with Uldaros later. Running cards like these also lets you branch into synergy pieces like Monument to Endurance and Bone Miser, lending the deck some extra momentum.

Though Uldaros’s ability is powerful, you’ll only get to use it once or twice a game without extra support. To remedy this, including a self-bounce package, with cards like Cavern Harpy and Crystal Shard, will let you re-cast Uldaros for extra value. You can also use cast-from-graveyard effects, like Tarrian’s JournalTarrian’s Journal{T}, Sacrifice another artifact or creature: Draw a card. Activate only as a sorcery.
{2}, {T}, Discard your hand: Transform Tarrian's Journal. and Ninja Teen, to re-use Uldaros if it gets removed.

Alternatively, you can get extra triggers out of Uldaros by copying it with CloneCloneYou may have this creature enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. effects. Cards like Spark Double and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces can enter as Uldaros, netting you the trigger so long as you cast them. You can also get even more value by bringing in trigger doubling effects, like Starfield Vocalist and Panharmonicon.

Dig For Victory

Uldaros Theorix is a very solid Commander for any kind of Dimir deck when played fairly, but it’s also notable for being able to pull combo wins right out of your graveyard. Its enters ability can grab both Thassa’s OracleThassa’s OracleWhen this creature enters, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game. (Each {U} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.) and Demonic Consultation, for example, to win on the spot. You can also reanimate Duskmantle Guildmage and Mindcrank to mill your opponents out instead.

With a little setup, Uldaros’s combo capacity stretches even further. If you already have a Gravecrawler in play or in your ‘yard, reanimating Warren Soultrader and Bastion of Remembrance will let you pull off a sacrifice loop to win. Alternatively, if you have an extra turn spell like Time WarpTime WarpTarget player takes an extra turn after this one. in your graveyard, you can grab Emet-Selch, Unsundered and Essence Flux for infinite turns.

These combos are all solid additions to most Dimir decks as-is, and Uldaros gives you a second shot at them if pieces get countered. Since you’ll be milling a lot of cards anyway, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with pieces at your disposal naturally, giving Uldaros serious inevitability. Additionally, you can use graveyard tutor effects like Intuition and Gifts Ungiven to assemble the exact pieces you need, essentially creating two-card combos with your Commander.

While it’s early days, I’d be very surprised if Uldaros Theorix isn’t one of the best new Commanders from MTG Reality Fracture when all’s said and done. If the rest of the set is this good, then we’re in for a treat this preview season.

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