This article is part of a series of profiles of the major characters in Magic Core Set 2020. Today we’re looking at Omnath, a powerful Elemental from the plane of Zendikar.
Omnath is a manifestation of the chaotic mana of Zendikar, worshipped by some Zendikari communities as a creator god. For most of the plane’s history, he was believed to be imprisoned underneath the continent of Ondu, in a deep hole known as the Prison of Omnath. Strange forces from inside the Prison killed anyone who tried to enter it, so it is only ever visited by religious pilgrims. Once a year, a Ritual of Lights is performed at the Prison to keep Omnath contained.
Of course, Omnath was not the only being trapped underground on Zendikar. Until recently, the plane was also home to three Eldrazi titans, monstrous beings that destroyed and devoured planes. The planeswalkers Nahiri, Sorin, and Ugin lured them to Zendikar thousands of years ago and bound them there to keep the rest of the Multiverse safe.
The worldsoul of Zendikar was, understandably, not happy to have three extraplanar parasites inside it, and began to try to get rid of them with strong pulses of mana. These pulses were felt on the surface of Zendikar as the Roil, a series of increasingly unpredictable earthquakes that reshaped Zendikar’s landscape and made living there incredibly dangerous.
As an elemental made of mana, Omnath is associated with the Roil, and the Roil may have originated in the Prison of Omnath. When the Eldrazi titans were finally released, Omnath was also set free, and was able to begin fighting the Eldrazi on his own terms.
Earth, Wind, and Fire
The following decklist represents Omnath’s connection to the land and mana of Zendikar, as well as the plane’s other Elementals.
Creatures
4 Scorch
Spitter
4 Creeping
Trailblazer
4 Lightning
Stormkin
4 Risen Reef
2 Omnath,
Locus of the Roil
4 Thicket
Crasher
2 Cavalier
of Flame
Noncreature spells
2 Chandra,
Novice Pyromancer
2 Nissa,
who Shakes the World
4 Collision
// Colossus
4 Incubation
// Incongruity
Lands
4 Hinterland
Harbor
4 Rootbound
Crag
4 Sulfur Falls
6 Forest
1 Island
5 Mountain
Alex is an Azorius bureaucrat who dreams of joining the Selesnya Conclave. Their favorite color of mana is green, and they love brewing for Commander variants.