If you’ve played a game of Commander recently and felt a sudden, crushing sense of despair as an Eldrazi player untapped with six mana, you probably already know about Echoes of Eternity MTG. It’s a card that shouldn't really exist in a balanced ecosystem. But Modern Horizons 3 wasn't exactly designed for "balance" in the traditional sense; it was designed to push the boundaries of what colorless decks can actually do.
Honestly? It pushes them right off a cliff.
We aren't talking about a simple value engine here. We are talking about a six-mana colorless enchantment that effectively doubles your entire deck if you’ve built it right. When Wizards of the Coast spoiled this, the immediate reaction from the community was a mix of "finally, a buff for Zhulodok" and "oh no, my local game store is going to be unplayable for a month." Both were correct.
What is Echoes of Eternity MTG actually doing?
The card text is a mouthful, but the gist is terrifying. It’s a Kindred Enchantment — Eldrazi. That "Eldrazi" subtype is relevant for a dozen different tutors and cost-reducers, but the meat is in the triggered and static abilities. Whenever you cast a colorless spell, you copy it. If it’s a permanent, the copy becomes a token. If it’s an instant or sorcery (rare in pure colorless, but possible), you copy the spell and can choose new targets.
But then there’s the kicker.
"Whenever a triggered ability of a colorless permanent you control triggers, that ability triggers an additional time."
Think about that for a second. It’s Panharmonicon, but for everything. It doesn't care if it’s an "enters the battlefield" trigger, a "whenever you attack" trigger, or even a "whenever this permanent dies" trigger. If it’s colorless and it triggers, you get two. If you have Echoes of Eternity MTG on the board and you cast a classic Eldrazi titan like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, the game basically ends. You get the "on-cast" trigger twice (exiling four permanents), then you get the actual creature, then you get a copy of that creature. Since Ulamog is legendary, one of them dies to the legend rule—but you still got the ETB or death triggers if applicable.
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The Math of Mana and Salt
Six mana is a lot in competitive formats, but in Commander, it’s a turn three or four play for a dedicated Eldrazi or artifact deck. You've seen the starts: Mana Vault, Sol Ring, maybe a Worn Powerstone. Suddenly, the Eldrazi player drops this enchantment, and the rest of the table is staring down the barrel of a shotgun.
The most common misconception I see at local game stores is people thinking this only doubles "big" spells. Nope. It doubles your mana rocks too. If you cast a Thran Dynamo with this out, you get two Thran Dynamos. That’s eight mana for the price of four. It snowballs so fast that the "catch-up" mechanics of most decks simply can’t keep pace.
I spoke with a few regular players at a regional RCQ recently, and the consensus was clear: if Echoes of Eternity isn't answered with a Generous Gift or a Beast Within the literal moment it hits the stack or the board, the game is over. It provides a level of redundancy that colorless decks previously lacked. Usually, you kill the one big threat, and the Eldrazi player has to rebuild. With Echoes, every threat comes with a backup.
Why the "Kindred" Type Matters
Wizards brought back the "Tribal" concept under the new "Kindred" label, and it’s a game-changer for this card. Because it is an Eldrazi, you can find it with Eye of Ugin. You can reduce its cost with Ugin, the Ineffable. You can even return it from your graveyard with cards that specifically interact with the Eldrazi type.
It fits into the curve perfectly.
Imagine this sequence:
- Turn 1: Wastes, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet.
- Turn 2: Eldrazi Temple, cast Echoes of Eternity MTG.
- Turn 3: Cast any 5-drop colorless creature. Get two of them.
The sheer volume of cardboard you put on the table is suffocating.
The Legend Rule Headache
Newer players often get tripped up by how this interacts with Legendary creatures. If you cast Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, Echoes will copy it. You now have two Kozileks entering the battlefield. State-based actions will check, see two legendary permanents with the same name, and force you to put one into the graveyard.
Does this mean the card is bad with Legends? Absolutely not.
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You still get the "on-cast" triggers doubled. Kozilek lets you draw four cards when you cast him. With Echoes, you draw eight. Even if the copy dies immediately, you’ve already filled your hand and likely forced your opponents to discard or face an Annihilator trigger that has also been doubled. It’s a win-win scenario that feels like a lose-lose for everyone else.
Artifact Decks are the Secret Winners
While everyone focuses on the big spaghetti monsters from the blind eternities, the real "broken" utility of Echoes of Eternity MTG might actually be in pure artifact shells.
Think about cards like Aetherflux Reservoir or Sensei's Divining Top. While the Top isn't going to win you the game just by being doubled, the sheer number of triggers you can stack in a deck like Liberator, Urza's Battlethopter is insane. Every time you cast a historic spell, Liberator gets a +1/+1 counter. With Echoes, he gets two. And you get two of whatever you just cast.
It turns every mediocre utility artifact into a powerhouse.
I’ve seen a player use this with Forsaken Monument. Now your Wastes tap for three mana instead of two. Your colorless creatures get +4/+4 instead of +2/+2. You’re gaining 4 life for every colorless spell cast. The synergy isn't just additive; it's exponential.
Common Counterplays (How Not to Die)
If you aren't the one playing the Eldrazi, you need a plan.
- Stifle effects: Since so much of the power is in the "cast" trigger and the "copy" trigger, cards like Stifle, Disallow, or the newer Consign to Memory are vital. Consign to Memory is particularly brutal because you can strive it to counter both the original spell and the copy.
- Enchantment Hate: Colorless decks struggle to protect their enchantments. Once Echoes is down, it’s the highest priority target. If you’re playing White or Green, don’t "save" your removal for a creature. Kill the Echoes.
- Farewell: The ultimate equalizer. Exiling all enchantments and creatures usually resets the Eldrazi player to zero, and since they likely dumped their entire hand thanks to the Echoes mana-doubling, they won't recover easily.
Is it Worth the Price Tag?
As of mid-2024 and heading into early 2025, the price of Echoes of Eternity has stayed relatively high for a non-mythic rare. It’s a staple. If you play colorless in Commander, you buy this card. There is no budget alternative that does exactly what this does.
However, don't buy into the hype that it's "invincible."
It’s a "win-more" card in many scenarios. If your board is empty and you're top-decking, a six-mana enchantment that does nothing when it enters the battlefield can be a death sentence. You need to already have a semi-functioning mana base and a follow-up play to make it work. In high-power pods, six mana is a huge investment that often gets punished by a two-mana Counterspell.
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Strategic Takeaways for Your Next Session
If you’re slotting Echoes of Eternity MTG into your deck, you need to rethink your trigger management. It can be easy to miss the second trigger on something mundane like a Mind Stone or a Wayfarer's Bauble, but those small edges are what lead to the big wins.
- Order your triggers carefully. Since you control the triggers, you decide how they stack.
- Focus on cast triggers. These are harder to interact with than ETB triggers.
- Don't overextend. It’s tempting to dump your whole hand once Echoes is out. Don't. Keep a backup threat in case of a board wipe.
The card represents a shift in how Wizards views colorless as a "color." It’s no longer just the "fast mana" color; it’s now the "everything you can do, I can do twice" color. It’s loud, it’s flashy, and it’s arguably one of the most impactful cards for the Commander format since the original Great Henge.
Whether you love it or hate it, you have to respect it.
Actionable Next Steps
For players looking to integrate or beat this card:
- Audit your removal suite: Ensure you have at least three pieces of instant-speed enchantment removal that cost 2 or less mana.
- Update your colorless mana base: If you are running Echoes, maximize the number of utility lands like Sanctum of Ugin that can be triggered twice to tutor for multiple finishers.
- Test the "Legend Rule" interaction: Practice stacking triggers in a gold-fish simulation so you don't slow down the game when you eventually cast a legendary Titan with Echoes on the board.
- Watch the meta: If your local group is heavy on Eldrazi, consider main-decking specific hate cards like Dress Down or Doppelgang, which can turn their doubled triggers against them.