If you’ve played much Wilds of Eldraine, you’ve seen her. Eriette of the Charmed Apple is one of those legendary creatures that looks sort of niche at first glance. She’s a three-mana Orzhov noble. A 2/4. That’s a decent stat line, but it’s the text box that really changes how a game of Magic: The Gathering feels. Honestly, when she first dropped, people were skeptical. Why build around Auras when Auras are notorious for getting you two-for-oned? It’s a valid fear. You put a buff on your creature, the opponent kills the creature, and you’re down two cards while they only spent one.
But Eriette flips that script.
She doesn't just reward you for playing Auras on your own stuff; she incentivizes you to "gift" those enchantments to your opponents. It’s a political nightmare for the rest of the table. Basically, if you have an Aura you control attached to a creature, that creature can’t attack you or your planeswalkers. Now, think about that for a second. In a Commander pod, you can slap a +2/+2 buff on an opponent’s massive dragon. Suddenly, that dragon is bigger, meaner, and legally obligated to go anywhere except your face.
The Strategy Behind the Charmed Apple
Most Orzhov (White/Black) decks focus on aristocrats or pure lifegain. Eriette of the Charmed Apple is different because she plays with the "pillow fort" archetype but adds a ticking clock. At the beginning of your end step, each opponent loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the number of Auras you control.
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This is where the math gets scary.
Suppose you have five Auras scattered across the board. In a four-player game, you’re draining 15 life total from your opponents and gaining 5 life every single turn. That happens just for existing. You don’t even have to swing. Because the life loss is tied to the end step, it bypasses traditional combat blocks. It’s inevitable. You’ve probably seen players try to outrun the drain, but once the "curse" starts stacking, the game state becomes incredibly claustrophobic for everyone else.
Why "Vow" and "Impulse" Cycles Are Your Best Friends
If you're building this deck, you need to look at cards like Vow of Duty or Martyr's Bond. But specifically, the Vow cycle (Vow of Malice, Vow of Duty) is perfect here. These cards already say the creature can't attack you. With Eriette, that's redundant, but it ensures that even if she leaves the battlefield, you’re still safe.
Don't ignore the cheap stuff.
Ethereal Armor and All That Glitters are staples for a reason. Usually, you put these on your own creatures to make a massive threat. With Eriette, you can put All That Glitters on a 1/1 lifelinker and suddenly you're swinging for 10. But the real "pro move" is using cards like Benevolent Blessing to protect Eriette herself. She is a lightning rod for removal. People realize quickly that if they don't kill the witch, they die to a thousand paper cuts.
Navigating the Political Minefield
Playing Eriette of the Charmed Apple isn't just about the cards; it's about the table talk. You are basically playing a game of "I'll give you a gift, but it has strings attached."
"Hey, I'll put this Stab Wound on your creature," you tell the person to your left. "It gets -2/-2, but now it can't hit me, so you might as well send it at the guy in the lead." You're directing traffic. You're the conductor of the combat phase. It's a very specific type of control that doesn't rely on counterspells or board wipes. Instead, it relies on making it more profitable for your opponents to kill each other than to try and deal with you.
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There is a downside, though.
If you over-invest in Auras on an opponent's creature and then someone else casts a board wipe, you lose everything. You lose the drain, you lose the protection, and you lose the card advantage. To counter this, experts usually run Retether or Mantle of the Ancients. These cards allow you to pull all those enchantments back from the graveyard in one go. It’s an explosive play that often ends the game on the spot.
Common Misconceptions About Eriette
One thing people get wrong is thinking Eriette only cares about "negative" Auras. They think they need to run Pacifism or Arrest. While those are fine, they don't help you win; they just help you not lose. The most effective Eriette decks use Auras that provide utility.
Think about Darksteel Mutation. It turns a scary Commander into a 0/1 bug with no abilities. Because you control the Aura, that 0/1 bug can’t attack you. It’s useless to them, but it’s a permanent life-drain trigger for you. Also, remember that Eriette's drain counts all Auras you control. This includes Auras on yourself, your creatures, your opponents' creatures, and even Auras on lands like Utopia Sprawl (if you were playing Green, though Eriette is Orzhov, so think Nykthos or similar tech).
Synergies You Might Have Missed
Let’s talk about Killian, Ink Duelist. If he is on the board, your Auras cost 2 less to cast if they target a creature. This turns a 3-mana enchantment into a 1-mana powerhouse. In an Eriette deck, Killian is arguably the most important card in the 99. He accelerates your game plan by at least two turns.
Then there’s Sram, Senior Edificer.
You need card draw. Auras are inherently card-disadvantageous. Sram (and Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice) fixes this by turning every enchantment into a fresh card in your hand. If you aren't running these, you'll find yourself "hellbent"—having zero cards in hand—by turn six, just hoping your drain is fast enough.
- Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice: When you cast an Aura, you go find another one. It’s a tutor in the command zone (or the 99).
- Hateful Eidolon: Gives you cards when enchanted creatures die. Crucial for when your "gifts" eventually get blown up.
- Kor Spiritdancer: Another classic draw engine. Big body, big draws.
The Role of Protection
Eriette is a 2/4. She survives a Lightning Bolt, which is nice. She doesn't survive a Murder or a Path to Exile. Since your entire strategy—the protection from attacks and the life drain—centers on her being on the board, you have to be paranoid.
Run Mother of Runes. Run Giver of Runes.
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Use Loran's Escape or Surge of Salvation. You aren't just protecting a creature; you're protecting your "shield." Once she’s gone, all those creatures you buffed up on your opponents' side of the field are suddenly free to turn around and crush you. It's the "Eriette backfire," and it’s the most common way this deck loses.
Actionable Steps for Building or Playing Against Eriette
If you're looking to build this, start with a solid base of 25-30 Auras. Don't get greedy with high-mana enchantments. You want a low curve. Most of your impact should happen between turns two and four.
If you're playing against her, don't let the Auras pile up. It's tempting to ignore her because "she's just a 2/4" and she isn't attacking you. But that life drain is a silent killer. Use enchantment removal on the Auras that are protecting her or providing the most value. Better yet, save your board wipes for when she has 4 or 5 Auras out to get a massive 5-for-1 trade.
To really maximize Eriette of the Charmed Apple, focus on these three pillars:
- Redundancy: Use cards like Archon of Sun's Grace to create blockers while you're enchanting things.
- Resource Management: Only play enough Auras to stay safe. If you dump your whole hand, a single Farewell wipes your entire game plan.
- Recursion: You must be able to get your Auras back. Hall of Heliod's Generosity is a non-negotiable inclusion in the mana base.
The beauty of this card is that it forces a different kind of Magic. It's not about who has the biggest creature; it's about who owns the most "property" on the board. When you play Eriette, you're the landlord, and everyone else is just paying rent in life points.
Focus your next deck edits on lowering your average mana value and increasing your protection suite. A protected Eriette is a winning Eriette. Every single time.