
OK, so I've seen a lot of questions from newer forum members about this card (and I've had IRL friends ask me about it, I'll be directing them here) so I wanted to start the ball rolling on the SCD.
First off, lets look at the card:
Mana Cost:


The mana cost means that this won't get splashed or used in a W/r taxbear / hatebear type deck
or splashed as an anti-control card the way Thalia, Guardian of Thraben did. This will basically only see play in R/x and mono red.
Converted Mana Cost:
2
Right where we want it. In line with Pyrostatic Pillar.
Types:
Enchantment Creature — Spirit
Creature Type: Spirit is basically irrelevant. Enchantment Creature however, is a strike against the card. It means it will get hit by cards like [card]Wear // Tear[/card], Destructive Revelry, Deicide, Golgari Charm, Revoke Existence etc. Moving forward, I think those cards will be sideboard mainstays, so we have to take that into consideration
Card Text:
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3
or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 2 damage to that player.
The best part of the card. A Pyrostatic Pillar on legs. This card will be exciting in Modern, since they have never had this kind of effect, and may very well have implications for Legacy. We'll have to wait and see. For the purposes of this discussion, let's stick to Standard.
P/T:
2 / 2
2/2 for 2? I'll usually play a bear with an upside.
Implications for Standard
Let's take a look at the meta (online, since it's easiest to quantify):
Mono Black Devotion (including splash variants): 31%
Mono Blue Devotion (including splash variants): 14%
U/W/x Control: 8%
Red Deck Wins: 4%
White Weenie: 4%
Mono Green: 4%
RW/x Burn: 3%
Naya Hexproof: 3%
Junk Midrange: 2%
Jund Midrange: 2%
Bg Dredge: 2%
Rw Devotion: 1%
GW aggro: 1%
GR Monsters: 1% (Bigger Part of the Paper
Meta, so worth discussing)
Mono Black Aggro >1% (but seeing a lot of play locally)
In R/w/x Burn
I might be wrong, but I don't think this card is one we want in Burn, because it makes out bad matchups worse, and our good match ups better. It is win more and lose more. To illustrate my point, let's look at a few of the more popular match ups.
VS B/x Devotion:
I consider B/x Devo to be slightly favorable. EotGR will almost definitely net you at least two damage, whether that comes from casting a Nightveil Spectre or removing it. However, if they do take 2, cast NVS and the proceed to curve out, you're going to look pretty silly. If all you usually get out of it is two damage, why not just play Ash Zealot? She almost always gets in for two and puts significantly more pressure on your opponent. First strike also is a major disincentive to blocking her, whereas EotGR will be happily
blocked. YP$ is even better against Desecration Demon decks. EotGR seems to be the worst of the three choices. You are also quickening your opponents clock, and in this match up, you life total matters. You don't want to put them in range of a T6 kill (because you got walled by NVS) and give them a lethal T5 Gary.
VS U/x Devotion:
I consider this a favorable matchup. EotGR will trigger off nearly everything in their deck and it is difficult for them to remove. However, it will get locked down with Tidebinder Mage. Not super important since we're more interested in the ability. This is one of the matchups where I think EotGR will do a lot of work, but it's one we should already be fairly heavily favoured in. Win more.
VS U/W/x Control:
I consider this a Slightly Favourable Matchup. Another match where EotGR will almost definitely net you at least two damage. The issues are:
1)EotGR
may only get in two damage before a Supreme Verdict.
2) The control player can break symmetry with their more expensive spells
3) He's slow.
4) He seems worse than Ash Zealot.
VS G/R Monsters:
In my opinion, this is out worst matchup and is unfavourable. EotGR is pathetic here. They might take two when they cast their Hexproof Plant, but after that they're making Polukranoses and Dragons and it's not going to be pretty. It is a pretty much one sided spell that hurts you and quickens your opponents clock. It makes your worst match up significantly worse.
VS Small Aggro:
EotGR is amazing here, but these matchups are already very favourable. Win more.
VS Naya Hexproof: The pants will cost them, but if they have Unflinching Courage, they really don't care. If they don't, I actually think it could help a lot with this matchup.
In Rw Devotion:
Most of what I said for burn applies here too. However, while you will take damage from your own spells, you are also shortening your clock. With an explosive deck like Rw Devotion that has so many "oops, I win" draws, you're going to increase your odds of getting those draws. If your opponent takes a couple EotGR swings / activations, then you'll have a lot better chance of casting Fanatic of Mogis orStormbreath Dragon for an "Oops, I win." The card is probably better than Ash Zealotin this deck. SCG Premium Members can check out this versus video: http://www.starcitygames.com/article/28 ... range.html where Brad play R/w Devo with EotGR. You have to play carefully (EotGR seems like more of a three drop) but it might actually bring this deck back.
Alright guys, that's my $0.02. Let me know
what you think and discuss. Thanks for reading.