What is Eternalize?

Eternalize is an activated ability some creature cards have, that allows its owner to exile it from the graveyard for a cost to create a 4/4 token copy of it. The 4/4 token copy is Black, has no mana cost, and is a Zombie in addition to its other creature types. You can only activate this ability at sorcery-speed.

History of Eternalize

Eternalize was first introduced in Hour of Devastation, the second set in the ancient Egypt-inspired Amonkhet block that was released in July of 2017. Eternalize was an evolution of the mechanic Embalm, a mechanic inspired by Egyptian mummification. Embalm works the same way as Eternalize, but instead of a 4/4, the token keeps the same power and toughness as the original creature, and is a White Zombie in addition to its other types.

Eternalize is a much darker and twisted version of Embalm, showcasing a switch from mindless Zombie, to controlled and menacing threat in service of Nicol Bolas's eternal army. Eternalize creatures are also a bit more powerful, some having strong enter the battlefield abilities as well.

Best Eternalize Cards

There are a number of powerful creatures with the Eternalize ability. Champion of Wits saw play in a multitude of Standard decks in its time, primarily due to its value both in the early and late game. While a 2/1 for three mana that loots two cards isn't incredibly exciting, a seven-mana 4/4 version that draws four cards instead is much more enticing.

Another Eternalize card that saw Standard play in its era is Earthshaker Khenra. This card was primarily featured in Mono-Red, due to its play with Ahn-Crop Crasher. However, this Mono-Red deck had a lot of reach in case it flooded out, utilizing the Eternalize ability on Earthshaker Khenra to close out games.

In Limited, one of my favorite Eternalize creatures is arguably Timeless Witness. A play on the popular Eternal Witness, Timeless Witness provided some fantastic value in its Eternalize ability, allowing you to rebuy any card from your graveyard in the late game. This is one of my favorite value creatures of all-time, and it has a spot in my Peasant cube! Also in Hour of Devastation Limited Vizier of the Anointed was an engine card that synergized incredibly well with various Blue and mainly White Embalm and Eternalize creatures.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the "best" Eternalize card, granted it technically doesn't have the Eternalize mechanic on it. That's right, I'm talking about none other than The Scarab God.

The Scarab God has wreaked havoc across all sorts of casual and competitive formats in its time, seeing wide play in Standard with cards like Torrential Gearhulk and Glorybringer. During the Energy period of Standard (Kaladesh and Aether Revolt), which were the sets before Amonkhet, there was a powerful Temur Energy deck that had multiple cards from it eventually banned - Rogue Refiner and Attune with Aether, specifically.

Prior to Hour of Devastation's release the deck was sort of a Temur Aggro deck. However, the printing of the Scarab God turned this deck from Temur to 4-color, because of how easy it was to splash The Scarab God and Vraska, Relic Seeker, two of the best midrange cards in the entire format. The Scarab God easily won games on its own, stealing Glorybringers and Rogue Refiners to snowball value, and sometimes even killing the opponent with its upkeep trigger. The Scarab God, while only a one or two-of in these decks, proved to be one of the best "Eternalize" threats of its era.

Four-Color Energy | Standard, Pro Tour Ixalan | Mike Sigrist

• Creatures (22)
• 2 Glorybringer
• 4 Longtusk Cub
• 2 The Scarab God
• 4 Rogue Refiner
• 4 Servant of the Conduit
• 4 Whirler Virtuoso
• 2 Bristling Hydra

• Spells (11)
• 4 Attune with Aether
• 1 Abrade
• 4 Harnessed Lightning
• 2 Magma Spray

• Planeswalkers (5)
• 3 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
• 2 Vraska, Relic Seeker

• Lands (22)
• 4 Aether Hub
• 4 Botanical Sanctum
• 2 Mountain
• 1 Sheltered Thicket
• 1 Island
• 3 Spirebluff Canal
• 1 Swamp
• 3 Forest
• 3 Rootbound Crag

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Abrade
• 1 Magma Spray
• 2 Appetite for the Unnatural
• 2 Chandra's Defeat
• 3 Negate
• 1 Spell Pierce
• 2 Nissa, Steward of Elements
• 2 Confiscation Coup
• 1 Vizier of Many Faces

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Other Printings of Eternalize

Eternalize has shown up in a number of sets outside of the Amonkhet block. Besides Timeless Witness the only other Eternalize card that appeared in Modern Horizons 2 was Timeless Dragon. Similar to Timeless Witness being a play on Eternal Witness, Timeless Dragon is a play on Eternal Dragon, which first appeared all the way back in the set Scourge.

While there haven't been many other Eternalize cards printed, we actually got two new Eternalize cards in supplementary sets this year, Fanatic of Rhonas appearing in Modern Horizons 3, and the playtest Lazotep Archway, which was printed in Mystery Booster 2: Convention Edition.

Overall, Eternalize is a unique way to "reanimate" creatures from your graveyard. Unlike the Embalm mechanic from Amonkhet, which simply makes a token copy of the creature, Eternalize makes a much powerful token, each being a 4/4, that also can scale with its enter the battlefield ability, like with Champion of Wits. While there aren't many Eternalize creatures printed, you can make your own with The Scarab God, arguably the best "Eternalize"-related card printed.

Maybe with a return to Amonkhet in the future, we'll get some new take on this mechanic...wait, are those pyramids in the background of this Aetherdrift marketing image?

Until next time!

-Roman Fusco