Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Praetor
Legal Salt 1.74Rank #798
4/7
KeywordsVigilance
Why is this card good?
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is one of white's premier board-control finishers, functioning as a one-sided wrath the moment she lands.
The opponent half is what makes her elite: -2/-2 to every opposing creature wipes out token swarms, mana dorks, X/2 utility creatures, and most early aggro permanently. Against go-wide decks she's nearly back-breaking. The +2/+2 to your team is gravy, turning your board into a lethal threat the same turn.
Who wants her:
- Tokens/go-wide decks where the team buff matters most (Elesh Norn as commander, or in any white tokens shell).
- Aristocrats that flood the board with small bodies.
- Stax/control decks that want to hose mana dorks and tokens while protecting their own creatures.
When to skip: If your deck runs few or large creatures, the symmetry favors opponents less but the buff does little. She also doesn't stop indestructible or higher-toughness threats, so she's not a catch-all answer. Watch for the strong commander/removal target you're painting on yourself at seven mana.
Related cards
Cathars' Crusade
Anthem that snowballs your team with counters, similar buff role.
Archetype of Endurance
Big white-ish praetor-style creature granting team buffs/protection effects.
Massacre Wurm
Black equivalent shrinking opponents' creatures while punishing them.
Dictate of Erebos
Punishes opponent boards similar to one-sided sweeper effect.
Heliod, Sun-Crowned
White god anthem-style support and devotion payoff.
Avenger of Zendikar
Wide token generator that pairs with anthem effects.
True Conviction
White team-wide enchantment boosting your creatures with lifelink/double strike.
Akroma's Memorial
Top-end white anthem giving keywords to all your creatures.
Printings (11)
Combos (8)
- Kudo, King Among Bears + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
→ Destroy all creatures opponents control, Destroy each creature that enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, Lock
- Maha, Its Feathers Night + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
→ Reduce the toughness of creatures opponents control to 0, Creatures opponents control die upon entering, Lock
- Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite + Nature's Revolt
→ Opponents can't have lands on the battlefield, Lock, Mass Land Denial
- Kormus Bell + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
→ Opponents can't have lands on the battlefield, Lock, Mass Land Denial
- Living Plane + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
→ Destroy all lands opponents control, Mass Land Denial
- Nadir Kraken + Skullclamp + Ashnod's Altar + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
→ Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature
Rulings (1)
- 2017-11-17
If a second Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite comes under your control, you'll put one into its owner's graveyard due to the “legend rule” at the same time that any of your opponents' creatures getting -4/-4 are put into their owner's graveyard for having 0 or less toughness.