Annihilator

Annihilator
Keyword Ability
Type	Triggered
Introduced	Rise of the Eldrazi
Last Used	Rise of the Eldrazi
Reminder Text	Annihilator N (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices N permanents.)
Storm Scale	8
Statistics	10 cards 100%
Scryfall Search
oracle:"Annihilator"

Annihilator is a triggered ability introduced in Rise of the Eldrazi that appears on all the colorless Eldrazi creatures from that set. According to Mark Rosewater, it is unlikely to be reused.

Description

Annihilator only appears on colorless Eldrazi creatures, and on a single colorless Eldrazi Aura, Eldrazi Conscription. The mechanic serves two purposes: it helps break the large board stalls that can occur in Rise of the Eldrazi games, and it demonstrates the storyline idea of the Eldrazi as extremely powerful destroyers of planes in an in-game mechanic.

Its power and design limitation put it high on the Storm Scale, and the return in Battle for Zendikar left it behind as an Eldrazi mechanic in favor of Processors and colorless mana. It got a single callback in Bane of Bala Ged, which has an exiling variant.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 8, 2022—Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate)

Annihilator

A keyword ability that can make a creature particularly brutal when it attacks. See rule 702.86, “Annihilator.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (July 8, 2022—Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate)

• 702.86. Annihilator
  • 702.86a Annihilator is a triggered ability. “Annihilator N” means “Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices N permanents.”
  • 702.86b If a creature has multiple instances of annihilator, each triggers separately.

Rulings

• The defending player is the player that the creature with annihilator is attacking, or the controller of the planeswalker that the creature with annihilator is attacking.
• Annihilator abilities trigger and resolve during the declare attackers step. The defending player chooses and sacrifices the required number of permanents before they declare blockers. Any creatures sacrificed this way won't be able to block.
• If a creature with annihilator is attacking a planeswalker, and the defending player chooses to sacrifice that planeswalker, the attacking creature continues to attack. It may be blocked. If it isn't blocked, it simply won't deal combat damage to anything.
• In a Two-Headed Giant game, the controller of an attacking creature with annihilator chooses which of the defending players is affected by the ability. Only that player sacrifices permanents. The choice is made as the ability is put on the stack. See rules 810.7 and 805.10e

Examples

Example

Ulamog's Crusher
Creature — Eldrazi
8/8
Annihilator 2 (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices two permanents.)
Ulamog's Crusher attacks each turn if able.

External links

• A Planeswalker's Primer to Rise of the Eldrazi: Eldrazi (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.