Magic: The Gathering's upcoming Reality Fracture Commander precon deck will feature The Ur-Sphinx, a new legendary creature that brings back the controversial Eminence mechanic. This ability, which provides a benefit even when the commander is in the Command Zone, was previously featured on two of the most popular commanders in the game's history: The Ur-Dragon and Edgar Markov.
A Popular Mechanic's Return
The Eminence ability debuted in 2017 with the Commander 2017 preconstructed decks. It was designed to provide a persistent advantage for creature-type-focused decks, which are often vulnerable to board wipes. However, the mechanic proved to be exceptionally powerful, with The Ur-Dragon and Edgar Markov becoming two of the most frequently played commanders according to data from EDHREC. Gavin Verhey, a designer for Magic: The Gathering, has previously acknowledged that Eminence was too strong and a mechanic he "shouldn't have made."
Despite this, Eminence is returning in a significant way with The Ur-Sphinx in the Reality Fracture set. This four-color (white, blue, black, red) precon deck is led by Jace, Multiverse Architect, and its strategy centers on a polymorph theme: creating small creature tokens to exchange for larger creatures from the library. The Ur-Sphinx, a nine-mana 10/10 sphinx with flying, is a key component of this strategy.
The Ur-Sphinx's Power
When The Ur-Sphinx attacks, each player mills cards equal to the number of attacking sphinxes, and the controller of The Ur-Sphinx may cast one of the milled cards for free. Additionally, its Eminence ability reduces the cost of all sphinx spells by one colorless mana. This mirrors The Ur-Dragon's Eminence ability, which discounts dragon spells and provides a similar advantage.
Verhey stated during a Commander Showcase preview that the design of The Ur-Sphinx was inspired by the presence of elder sphinxes in the Reality Fracture storyline, drawing a parallel to The Ur-Dragon's role as the progenitor of dragonkind. In the game's narrative, Jace's fractured mind creates the Echoverse, where elder sphinxes founded the magical school Hexhaven, similar to how elder dragons founded Strixhaven.
While other Eminence commanders like Arahbo, Roar of the World, and Inalla, Archmage Ritualist, are potent, they don't reach the same level of impact as The Ur-Dragon and Edgar Markov. Edgar Markov, in particular, allows players to generate additional vampires with every vampire spell cast, quickly snowballing into a dominant board state. The Ur-Dragon's discount from the Command Zone consistently provides mana value, even if the commander is never cast.
Wizards of the Coast largely avoided using Eminence after its initial release, with a notable exception being Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir in 2023's March of the Machine Commander decks, which featured a more restrained version of the ability. The Ur-Sphinx, however, represents a return to the more extreme application of Eminence, positioning it as a strong contender for one of the most powerful commanders ever printed.
The Reality Fracture precon deck will include a copy of The Ur-Sphinx, ensuring broad accessibility. This accessibility, combined with the commander's potent abilities and the controversial yet popular Eminence mechanic, suggests The Ur-Sphinx is poised to become another massive hit among Magic: The Gathering players.
