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Ephara, God of the Polis

Ephara, God of the Polis is a legendary creature in the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. She is one of the fifteen gods from the Greek-inspired plane of Theros. Ephara embodies the spirit of the city, governance, and enlightenment.

Lore

In the world of Theros, Ephara is worshipped by the people of the polis, the vibrant and bustling cities of the plane. She represents civilization, law, and order. Ephara is the patron deity of the mortal realm and is said to bring enlightenment to her followers.

Ephara's divine domain is Nyx, the realm of dreams and aspirations. It is believed that she resides in Nyx and observes the actions of mortals from there. She is known for her wisdom and ability to inspire creativity and innovation in her followers.

Influence in the Game

In Magic: The Gathering, Ephara, God of the Polis is a legendary enchantment creature - God. She has a converted mana cost of 4 and requires two white and two blue mana to cast. Ephara has two main abilities:

  1. Indestructible: Ephara is indestructible as long as her devotion to white and blue is less than seven. This means that if you have less than seven white and blue mana symbols among the permanents you control, Ephara cannot be destroyed by damage or other effects that would destroy a creature.

  2. At the beginning of each upkeep: If you control three or more creatures, you may draw a card. This ability triggers at the beginning of each of your upkeeps and allows you to draw a card if you meet the condition of having enough creatures. This ability synergizes well with creature-based strategies, as it rewards you for having a wide board presence.

Deck Strategies

Ephara, God of the Polis is a popular commander in Commander/EDH formats. Her ability to draw cards on each upkeep makes her ideal for decks that focus on generating a lot of creature tokens or have a strong focus on creature-based strategies.

Some popular deck strategies involving Ephara include:

  1. Blink: Utilizing cards that flicker creatures or bounce them temporarily to trigger Ephara's ability on each upkeep. This strategy allows you to draw a significant amount of cards over time.

  2. Token: Creating an army of small creature tokens to meet the condition for Ephara's ability and draw cards consistently. Cards like "Parallel Lives" and "Anointed Procession" can be powerful additions to this strategy.

  3. Control: Using Ephara as a control commander, focusing on a defensive strategy with counterspells, board wipes, and removal. This strategy aims to keep your opponents' threats in check and take advantage of Ephara's card advantage.

Conclusion

Ephara, God of the Polis is a powerful and versatile legendary creature in Magic: The Gathering. Her ability to draw cards on each upkeep makes her a valuable asset in decks that focus on creature-based strategies. Whether you prefer an aggressive token strategy or a controlling playstyle, Ephara provides a solid foundation for building an exciting and rewarding deck.