My favorite part about
Awakening Zone is how much agency it gives to its controller. The Eldrazi Spawn can chump block, ramp into slightly expensive spells several times, or into one huge
Ghitu Fire. The Spawn can be sandbagged for
Overrun, equipped, and even sacrifice to pay the equip costs in a pinch. The addition of the resource “Eldrazi Spawn” is, in my opinion, what made Rise of Eldrazi a good limited format. It is a resource naturally and elegantly weaved into the game, unlike Energy, which feels more artificial. The game framework itself provides multiple things to do with the Spawn, and the combinations in which the mana can be spent adds a great deal of freedom to gameplay in the format.