Flaying Tendrils

Flaying Tendrils was released in January 2016 as part of the Oath of the Gatewatch expansion for Magic: The Gathering. The card was designed to support the set's central themes of the Eldrazi invasion, mechanically representing the corruption of the plane of Zendikar through the use of devoid, a keyword that grants colorless status to spells that would otherwise have a color identity. It occupies a specific niche in black-aligned control decks, serving as a tactical board wipe that punishes small, aggressive creature strategies.

The artwork was created by illustrator Deruchenko Alexander, who sought to capture the visceral, otherworldly horror of the Eldrazi influence. The image depicts twisted, tendril-like energies erupting from the ground, emphasizing the bleak and transformative nature of the antagonists. Upon release, the card was well-received by players for its efficiency in competitive formats, particularly as a sideboard tool for handling tokens and low-toughness threats in the Modern and Standard environments of the time.