Void Winnower is one of those Magic: The Gathering cards that often sparks debate among players due to its unusual and sometimes frustrating effect. It’s a high-cost Eldrazi creature that can shape the battlefield the moment it enters, making it either a powerhouse or an overpriced luxury depending on the deck and situation. With its ability to limit the spells your opponents can cast and block certain creatures, it brings a strategic edge that can’t be ignored. Whether you’re a casual player, a seasoned commander builder, or someone refining a competitive deck, understanding if Void Winnower is worth it is crucial to making the most of your card slots and resources.
Card Overview: What is Void Winnower?
Basic Details
Void Winnower is a colorless creature card from the Battle for Zendikar set. It costs nine generic mana to cast and is categorized as an Eldrazi, a creature type associated with large, disruptive effects and high casting costs. Here are the core stats:
- Mana Cost: 9
- Card Type: Creature Eldrazi
- Power/Toughness: 11/9
Card Abilities
The most significant part of Void Winnower is its ability text:
- Your opponents can’t cast spells with even converted mana costs.
- Your opponents can’t block with creatures with even converted mana costs.
This effectively shuts off half of your opponents’ decks, assuming they rely on cards with even mana values. It impacts both spells and creatures, turning Void Winnower into a one-sided lockdown mechanism.
Analyzing Void Winnower’s Strengths
Disruption Power
Few cards exert such a unique form of disruption. By eliminating the possibility to cast even-costed spells, Void Winnower essentially disables a large part of many decks. Consider how many commonly played cards have converted mana costs of 2, 4, 6, or even 0 especially in formats like Commander or Modern where spells span a wide curve.
Combat Control
The second clause, preventing creatures with even costs from blocking, makes attacking much safer. It can help close out games by reducing the number of available blockers and giving your other creatures more room to pressure life totals.
Commander Format Synergy
In EDH (Commander), Void Winnower often shines. With multiple opponents and a wide variety of strategies at play, its ability can cripple entire decks, especially if timed well. Control decks, combo decks, and even aggressive lists can all suffer under its restriction, making it a politically powerful and strategically significant card.
When Void Winnower Falls Short
High Mana Cost
The obvious downside is the steep casting cost of nine generic mana. In most formats, especially Legacy, Modern, or Standard (when legal), this makes it unplayable unless you’re using some form of ramp or cheat mechanic like Sneak Attack, Through the Breach, or Elvish Piper. Without a way to reduce or bypass its cost, it may sit in your hand for several turns.
Vulnerability to Removal
Despite its powerful effect, Void Winnower doesn’t have protection, hexproof, or indestructible. A single Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile removes it cleanly. Spending nine mana only to see your creature exiled immediately can be a huge tempo loss and a wasted turn if not protected.
Non-Universal Impact
Void Winnower’s effectiveness depends entirely on your opponent’s deck. Some aggressive decks run mostly odd-cost spells and won’t be hindered much. Decks with lots of tokens, mana dorks, or efficient low-cost spells might laugh at its presence. It’s not a guaranteed lock.
Deck Types That Benefit from Void Winnower
Big Mana and Ramp Decks
Decks built around mana ramping, such as Mono-Green Commander decks or Tron in Modern (if allowed), can make great use of Void Winnower. These strategies get to nine mana quicker and can afford to deploy high-cost threats more consistently.
Reanimator or Cheat-Into-Play Decks
Decks using cards like Entomb and Reanimate can bring Void Winnower into play without paying the full cost. This is one of the strongest ways to maximize its power while avoiding the major drawback of its mana cost.
Stax or Control Builds
Void Winnower fits in stax decks that focus on disrupting opponents’ game plans. Combined with cards like Trinisphere or Winter Orb, you can construct a prison-style game where opponents are unable to recover.
Card Price and Availability
As of recent evaluations, Void Winnower typically ranges in price from $4 to $9 depending on print availability and foil status. It’s not a bulk rare, but also not overly expensive, making it accessible for most casual and budget players. Its availability in online markets and reprint history also influences its demand.
Commander Politics and Void Winnower
Table Dynamics
In a multiplayer game, playing Void Winnower can paint a large target on your back. Other players might see the card as too oppressive, especially if their decks rely heavily on even-costed spells. This can lead to group targeting or quick removal, so timing is essential.
When to Play It
Void Winnower is best played when you already have a slight advantage or when one or more opponents are setting up a combo. It functions as a soft lock that buys you time or protects your own combo while slowing others down. It’s particularly good at disrupting storm and midrange decks with balanced mana curves.
Is Void Winnower Worth It?
Whether or not Void Winnower is worth it depends largely on your deck, playgroup, and strategy. For Commander and casual formats, it can be a devastating and game-altering card that disrupts opponents in ways few others can. It’s a worthy inclusion in decks with the means to cast or cheat it into play reliably. On the other hand, its nine-mana cost, vulnerability to removal, and inconsistent board impact in some matches make it a riskier card in formats with tighter curves and faster tempo.
Ultimately, if you enjoy playing Eldrazi or building disruptive control decks, and your meta includes lots of even-mana spells, Void Winnower offers a powerful and satisfying way to assert dominance on the battlefield. Just be prepared for the heat when it hits the board and protect it accordingly.