Hypnotic Specter

Creature — Specter

Flying

Whenever Hypnotic Specter deals damage to an opponent, that player discards a card at random.

Discussion (50)

Lenax on Go Not Into Dark Woods

1 month ago

Neato! Lots of elves and such, but I wonder if getting more opportunities to let your commander shine via creating discard opportunities would be good. I think I only count 4 things that cause discarding. Anything to make the most of your commander seems like a good strategy. If

I run Grave Pact to further have big creatures I can't handle disappear from my opponents, and your sack outlets with tokens can do that nicely. Putting some recursion like mortilus suggests will help make your token army, and thus swap some elves for discard effects. Hypnotic Specter can provide some damage and discard. Liliana's Triumph is cheap and works well with some of what you got. Mind Slash speaks for itself, sorcery speed unfortunately though. An expensive but guaranteed stranglehold on a game unless hard countered is Myojin of Night's Reach .

bushido_man96 makes a good argument for forcing draws and then they discard at end of their turns. I prefer to not allow others to draw though, usually because I see a lot of Reliquary Tower s and and the likes. Also regardless of the discard amount they get to choose which cards the keep. Limiting their options works better in the long run I find.

Also is Crypt Ghast allowed with that commander? B/W in its ability.

Hope these help!

czarkingrex on Davriel, ShadowMage

1 month ago

Funny, I was just about to upload a discard OBK deck myself, when this popped up.

I can't tell how good Torment of Venom is. I'd probably play Mind Twist or Hypnotic Specter over that tbh.

fluffyeel on Budget 8-Rack

1 month ago

Ooh, discarding. I like making people discard things. (Super fun!) Here are some thoughts:

• If you're up for creatures, one that works well with the discard strategy is Hypnotic Specter , though that's only ideal if you're running Dark Ritual . Turn 1 Hypnotic Specter is a threat that needs to be answered.
• You're making your opponents discard, but Legacy is (at least where I am) full of plenty of things that can interact with the graveyard, like Life from the Loam. I would highly recommend having more graveyard hate than Nihil Spellbomb: Relic of Progenitus is a go-to I quite like that isn't too expensive. Extirpate also readily cleans out your opponent's graveyard, and Ashiok, Dream Render also cleans your opponent's graveyard while making sure they can't search.
• Land Destruction... I'm quite partial to Ghost Quarter , because it's effectively like a Strip Mine against a lot of decks.
• For sideboard options, Imp's Mischief helps a lot against things like Abrupt Decay, Maelstrom Pulse, or any destroy cards. There's the new Force of Despair that could be good if your opponent vomits out creatures, and Damping Sphere is always a nice trick against a lot of degenerate decks, like Tentacle Tron, 12/16-post, Elves, and the like. Toxic Deluge is perhaps better than Massacre, but I don't know what the prices are where you are, so that's a bit of a stretch.

Lil_Kalki on Threnody for the Victims of Dementia

1 month ago

So, at this time I’m looking to axe Cast Down (a card that hasn’t done anything for me so far and appears underwhelming despite being a pet card) for Yawgmoth, Thran Physician , but I’m also looking to switch out my Swamp set for a Snow-Covered Swamp set with the intent of adding an Extraplanar Lens . Not sure the cut there. I haven’t even removed the Hypnotic Specter for Plaguecrafter but I could skip that and remove it for the Lens in theory. I also sort of want a place to put Dead of Winter (newly-spoiled so I cannot tag it yet) as well... and maybe Cabal Therapist ...?

Gosh, Modern Horizons is a dream.

SynergyBuild on Modern Horizons Card Review (SPOILERS)

2 months ago

Spoilers Ahead!

Don't say I didn't warn you!

---

This post will be updated as more spoilers come out, it is not entirely complete currently. I also will not go over reprints like Flusterstorm or Goblin Matron

Lands

1- card:Prismatic Visa

Land

, pay 1 life, Sacrifice Prismatic View: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

Rating: 9/10

This land is nearly a must have for 3+ color decks, now, and is a near-fetch, while clearly being worse, it is an extremely potent card, thins the deck, and fixes for 5 colors. Pretty good as a fixer goes.

---

2- Sunbaked Canyon

Land

, Pay 1 life: Add or .

, , Sacrifice Sunbaked Canyon: Draw a card.

Rating: 10/10

This entire land cycle is incredible, all enemy colored Horizon Canopy s! That is great! This pain-cycling untapped dual land is just what boros wants, and is one of the best land cycles ever printed for EDH where 1 life rarely matters!

---

3- Silent Clearing

Land

, Pay 1 life: Add or .

, , Sacrifice Silent Clearing: Draw a card.

Rating: 10/10

Orzhov, a color paining that, like Boros, could use some card draw, with this amazing cycle of lands!

---

4- Waterlogged Grove

Land

, Pay 1 life: Add or .

, , Sacrifice Waterlogged Grove: Draw a card.

Rating: 10/10

While not being the most needy color for card draw, this effect in a deck like Tatyova or really any Simic deck is a must-have if you can get it!

---

5- Fiery Islet

Land

, Pay 1 life: Add or .

, , Sacrifice Fiery Islet: Draw a card.

Rating: 10/10

While Izzet may definitely not be in need of this land, it will easily run it, it is going to be a staple land cycle forever at this rate! I expect this one to be the most expensive!

---

6- Nurturing Peatland

Land

, Pay 1 life: Add or .

, , Sacrifice Nurturing Peatland: Draw a card.

Rating: 10/10

Love this whole cycle, can't not run them if your deck can afford the cost! The Gitrog Monster is salivating at this card already ;)

---

Creatures

1- Cabal Therapist -

Creature - Horror

Menace

At the beginning of your precombat main phase, you may sacrifice a creature. When you do, choose a non-land card name, then target player reveals their hand and discards all cards with that name.

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 4/10

Seems okay in a token/sacrifice/aristocrats deck, but since it is a singleton format with 4 players, it becomes pretty bad, unless you just want to sacrifice to see an opponent's hand, then the turn after making them start discarding. It is pretty 1v1 oriented, so isn't worth it to most players or decks in EDH.

---

2- Headless Specter -

Creature - Specter

Hellbent - Whenever Headless Specter deals combat damage to a player, if you have no cards in hand, that player discards a card at random.

Flying

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 2/10

Again, pretty 1v1 oriented, a worse Hypnotic Specter that needs hellbent to work.

---

3- Venomous Changeling -

Creature - Shapeshifter

Changeling

Deathtouch

1/3 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 2/10

Not the worst, because changelings are always useful, and this one is better than a lot of the junk changelings for random tribal decks, but the body and deathtouch is ineffective in EDH.

---

4- Wall of One Thousand Cuts -

Creature - Wall

Defender, Flying

: Wall of One Thousand Cuts can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender.

3/5 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 3/10

Pretty decent wall for wall decks, the mana cost is harsh, but it could be run in Arcades or something.

---

5- card:Impostor of the Sixth Pride -

Creature - Shapeshifter

Changeling

3/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 2/10

Basically Venomous Changeling but worse, and in white, with better tribal synergies. Not great, but will be run.

---

6- Martyr's Soul -

Creature - Spirit Soldier

Convoke

When Martyr’s Soul enters the battlefield, if you control no tapped lands, put two +1/+1 counters on it.

3/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 4/10

It is a decent beatstick if you can trigger it's second ability, a 3 mana (or free dependent on how you look at it) 5/4 with two relevent creature types for white weenie and token build seems decent.

---

7- Deep Forest Hermit -

Creature - Elf Druid

Vanishing 3

When Deep Forest Hermit enters the battlefield, create four 1/1 green Squirrel creature tokens.

Squirrels you control get +1/+1

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 7/10

A very strong variant on Deranged Hermit , and quite powerful in flicker, token, ramp, and beatdown strategies, acting as a 9/9 split 5 ways for only 5 mana, or much more in a Roon or other deck aiming to abuse it.

---

8- Ice-Fang Coatl -

Snow Creature - Snake

Flash

Flying

When Ice-Fang Coatl enters the battlfield, draw a card.

Ice-Fang Coatl has deathtouch as long as you control at least three other snow permanents.

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

While needing Snow permanents, having a U/G Baleful Strix with flash or a Winged Coatl that is cheaper and draws a card is insanely strong.

---

9- Morophon, the Boundless

Legendary Creature - Shapeshifter

Changeling

As Morophon, the Boundless enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.

Spells of the chosen type you cast cost less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana you pay.

Other creatures you control of the chosen type get +1/+1.

6/6 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 9/10

Really insanely good as a commander for under-appreciated tribes. This card is a godsend for even seriously strong tribes without a good commander. Can make Devoid/colored eldrazi runnable in a flavorfully colorless deck, as well as making dragons seriously fun, etc, downside is 7 mana, but it still is amazing.

---

10- Seasoned Pyromancer -

Creature - Human Shaman

When Seasoned Pyromancer enters the battlefield, discard two cards, then draw two cards. For each nonland card discarded this way, create a 1/1 red Elemental creature token.

, Exile Seasoned Pyromancer from your graveyard: Create two 1/1 red Elemental creature tokens.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

While certainly a powerful and value-ridden red card, that if you have less than two cards draws you cards, and can make ~4 tokens total, I don't think EDH is the best home for this Faithless Looting wannabe, it isn't great, but certainly is a decent card in nearly any red list, to fill the slot. Dredge can abuse it.

---

11- Munitions Expert -

Creature - Goblin

When Munitions Expert enters the battlefield, you may have it deal damage to target creature or planeswalker equal to the number of goblins you control.

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

Basically Dreadbore with a 1/1 gobo attatched in actual goblin decks like Wort, and while that is strong, goblins are mostly mono-red, so it is an extremely efficient tool in a niche deck. Very cool.

---

12- Undead Augur -

Creature - Zombie Wizard

Whenever Undead Augur or another Zombie you control dies, you draw a card and you lose 1 life.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 9/10

For any zombie deck, this will be a staple. It is a 2/2 for 2 that on its own draws a card when it dies, or draws a ton more with Gravecrawler loops, tokens, sacrificing, etc. Doesn't even specify nontoken. Absolute powerhouse.

---

13- Abominable Treefolk -

Snow Creature - Treefolk

Trample

Abominable Treefolk's power and toughness are each equal to the number of snow permanents you control.

When Abominable Treefolk enters the battlefield, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature dorsn't untap during its controller's next untap step.

X/X (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 4/10

Being a snow-tribal card, with serious growth potential and a removal-esque ability on it makes it decent, but not considerably great.

---

14- "Lightning Skelemental" -

Creature - Elemental Skeleton

Trample, Haste

Whenever Lightning Skelemental deals combat damage to a player, that player discards two cards.

At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Lightning Skelemental.

6/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 5/10

Pretty strong, deal some damage, make them discard some cards, perhaps a walker removal spell, etc., but this card is great in lists like Horde of Notions, which can recur it over and over again. Pretty medium or bas in most decks, but if you can recur it, or Mimic Vat it or something you can do great work with it.

---

15 - Pondering Mage

Creature - Human Wizard

When Pondering Mage enters the battlefield, look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle your library, draw a card.

3/4 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 3/10

This common wizard is just a 5 mana 3/4 with Ponder , is it bad? no, but it isn't good either. Pretty much a medium card that you'd expect from a common. I don't think it will see much EDH play outside of budget Azami or Aminatou lists?

---

16- Chillerpillar -

Snow Creature - Insect

: Monstrosity 2

As long as Chillerpillar is monstrous, it has flying.

3/3 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 2/10

The only real benefit of this in EDH is that it is a snow creature. Even a straight 4 mana 5/5 flyer is weak in EDH, given no other abilities.

---

17- Urza, Lord High Artificer -

Legendary Creature - Human Artificer

When Urza, Lord High Artificer enters the battlefield, create a 0/0 colorless Contruct artifact creature token with "This creature gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control."

Tap an untapped artifact you control: Add .

: Shuffle your library, then exile the top card. Until end of turn, you may play that card without paying its mana cost.

1/4 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 10/10

By far the strongest card for EDH from this set so far. Monstrous. Disgusting. Overpowered. Tier 1 cEDH easily. Outrageously costed, cheats mana costs, gives fast mana, digs with infinite mana, makes artifacts. The whole thing.

God save me from this card.

---

18- Giver of Runes -

Creature - Kor Cleric

: Another creature you control gains protection from colorless or from the color of your choice until end of turn.

1/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 7/10

Mother of Runes , already a staple in white creature decks, but with an upside and a downside. The upside is that it can give protection from colorless, the downside is that it can't protect itself, and I guess has one more toughness to protect itself a little bit. Seems really sweet!

19- Goblin Engineer -

Creature - Goblin Artificer

When Goblin Engineer enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an artifact card, put it into your graveyard, then shuffle your library.

, , Sacrifice an artifact: Return target artifact card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

1/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

Powerhouse Goblin Welder is back with an artifact Entomb strapped on, as well as a few downsides, 2 mana, cost to tap, and only brings back 3 or less costed artifacts. Still incredibly useful in red artifact decks!

---

20- The First Sliver -

Legendary Creature - Sliver

Cascade

Sliver spells you cast have cascade.

7/7 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 10/10

New, best Food Chain commander, incredible Sliver lord, fat stats, chains spells into more spells, etc. Casual and Competitive players will love this monstrosity. I love cascading into cascades, and if your deck is all slivers (even changelings or changeling tribal instants) nearly ever spell is a 3 or more for 1, and if your only 0 drops are effects like Wheel of Fate , Ancrestral Vision, or whatever else you want, it'd be amazing!

---

21- Dregscape Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Each Sliver creature card in your graveyard has unearth .

Unearth

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 7/10

Unearth lord seems really strong, bringing back, say, 5 slivers after a sweeper wipes the field, swinging out at your (now) defenseless opponents to a swarm of slivers in incredibly terrifying.

---

22- Lavabelly Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Sliver creatures you control have "When this creature enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to target player or planeswalker and you gain 1 life."

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 5/10

While not a bad card, Slivers often have better or more cost effective lords than this. Lifegain is of minor relevance, and while with The First Sliver you can stack a lot of triggers on it, walker removal is about all that gets you at best.

---

23 - Tempered Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Sliver creatures you control have "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to an opponent, put a +1/+1 counter on it."

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

While great if it sticks and you connect more than once with some creatures, it just doesn't often do enough without an evasive sliver lord, or doublestrike in my own opinion.

---

24- Planebound Apprentice -

Creature - Human Wizard

: You may put a planeswalker card from your hand onto the battlefield. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 9/10

Because of War of the Spark, this now, in the right deck, can bring in effects like Narset, Parter of Veils at instant speed in response to a Wheel of Fortune , or Ashiok, Dream Render in response to Doomsday , in which case it is a game winnig card, but even a Liliana, Dreadhorde General in response to a sweeper is huge. Worth noting that Vensee can flicker himself to stop from sacrificing and can flicker later ones you bring in.

---

25- Ranger-Captain of Eos -

Creature - Human Soldier

When Ranger-Captain of Eos enters the battlefield, you may search your library for for a creature card with converted mana cost 1 or less, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.

Sacrifice Ranger-Captain of Eos: Your opponents can't cast noncreature spells this turn.

3/3 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

Tutors in white are very good, fetching the new Giver of Runes , the old Mother of Runes , stopping combos and time walking many players or protecting yourself from counterspells for a turn, all in an efficient 3 mana package.

---

26- Scrapyard Recombiner -

Artifact Creature - Construct

Modular 2

, Sacrifice an artifact: Search your library for a Construct card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.

0/0 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

While being a colorless tutor, and finding powerful cards like Walking Ballista , this feels really medium outside of a dedicated tribal list. It can fetch Changelings like Mirror Entity .

---

27- Good-Fortune Unicorn -

Creature - Unicorn

Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

Weirdly good and efficient for +1/+1 counter synergies, efficient in Ghave, Atraxa, Anafenza, etc. basically Metallic Mimic for all creatures. Good in weenie decks that don't have the synergies too, and it is a Unicorn to boot, but it doesn't do a ton, dies to removal, no immediate impact, slow, etc.

---

28- Thundering Djinn

Creautre - Djinn

Flying

Whenever Thundering Djinn attacks, it deals damage to any target equal to the number of cards you've drawn this turn.

3/4 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 4/10

At 5 mana, a creature with no immediate impact that doesn't do much but the occasional removal in a deck like Niv Mizzet (any of the 3 izzet ones) once per turn it it swings is really medium. Decent in Niv Mizzet decks (again, the izzet ones), but a doubtful card in EDH overall.

---

29- Sisay, Weatherlight Captain -

Legendary Creature - Human Soldier

Sisay, Weatherlight Captain gets +1/+1 for each color among other legendary permanents you control.

: Search your library for a legendary permanent card with converted mana cost less than Sisay's power, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 10/10

Five color, legendary tribal, voltron commander with an easy way to fetch powerhouse cards, cheating mana costs, tutoring the library, etc. Just an amazing card in general, and as a general. So far I don't think it has an easy line, but with legendary, uncommon walkers that are hate-pieces against graveyards, library searches, drawing, etc. you can make a sweet toolbox.

---

30- Zhalfirin Decoy -

: Tap target creature. Activate this ability only if you had a creature enter the battlefield under your control this turn.

1/3 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 2/10

A 2 mana tapper in EDH would be bad, but one that basically only does it on your turn and has a requirement just makes it nearly unplayable.

---

31- Ravenous Giant -

Creature - Giant

At the beginning of your upkeep, Ravenous Giant deals 1 damage to you.

5/5 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 2/10

Juzam Djinn in red, which didn't see any serious play anyway.

---

32- Changeling Outcast -

Creature - Shapeshifter

Changeling

Changeling Outcast can't block and can't be blocked.

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

1-Drop unblockable changeling? Seems good for aggro tribal decks like Edgar Markov, some variants on ninjas can easily run this like Yuriko, etc.

---

33- Ayula, Queen Among Bears

Legendary Creature - Bear

Whenever another Bear enters the battlefield under your control, choose one--

• Put two +1/+1 counters on target Bear

• Target bear you control fights target creature you don't.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 7/10*

Possibly the best lord/tribal benefit for the mana cost in the set, this card has a lot of power on it if bears ever get some more powerful creatures to use with it. While really, really strong, it just is for such an unrepresented tribe I can't say it will be good.

---

34- Mother Bear -

Creature - Bear

, Exile Mother Bear from your graveyard: Create two 2/2 green Bear creature tokens. Activate this only any time you could cast a sorcery.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 4/10

While a 2/2 for two with nothing but occasionally making two more of her if you pay 5 mana down the road is bad, at least this and those tokens are bears for Ayula.

---

35- Bazaar Trademage -

Creature - Human Wizard

Flying

When Bazaar Trademage enters the battlefield, draw two cards, then discard three cards.

3/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 5/10

While clearly made for graveyard decks, such as Muldrotha, this works in many more lists than dredge. Being card filtering, Damia may want it, and having flicker synergies, variants on Brago, which often can draw tons of cards anyway, may want to have better cards. 3 mana is really efficient for this effect, so isn't bad. It is card disadvantage though, so I am not a huge fan.

---

36- Feaster of Fools -

Creature - Demon

Covoke

Flying

Devour 2

3/3 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 3/10

I mean, yes if you have 6 random tokens, tap them all, play this, and sacrifice them all you have a 0 mana 15/15, but this card is generally going to be nearly vanilla once it hits, and it can die so easily the big body won't likely matter. Not a fan.

---

37- Cloudshredder Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Sliver creatures you control have flying and haste.

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 9/10

Must-have in all applicable sliver decks. Evasion+haste is huge, all at 2 mana? Yes please.

---

38- Hexdrinker -

Creature - Snake

Level up

0-2 - 2/1 (Power/Toughness)

3-7 - Protection from instants - 4/4 (Power/Toughness)

8+ - Protection from everything - 6/6 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 7/10

While I don't think this is a must-have or needed card outside of Kaseto snakes or the other few snake-tribal decks, this is a serious powerhouse of a card. It is an aggressively costed mana dump with decent stats from turn 1 onward, turning into a variant of Progenitus once you get the mana for it.

---

39- Hollowhead Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Sliver creatures you control have ", Discard a card: Draw a card."

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

Rummaging Goblin for all slivers is really, really good. Rummaging Goblin saw play on its own in graveyard oriented decks, or red decks looking for card filtering. This makes all of your slivers into that. Powerful, powerful stuff here.

---

40- King of the Pride -

Creature - Cat

Other Cats you control get +2/+1.

2/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 7/10'

While a powerful pump to a tribe played reasonably well in EDH, it just doesn't seem tough enough or impactful enough to warrant making cats a real deck. Cats currently aren't a really go-wide strategy, moreso they are a go-tall. This would help the few board-generating cats, and play into their aggro theme, but I am wary of this one.

---

41- Plague Engineer -

Creature - Carrier

Deathtouch

As Plague Engineer enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.

Creatures of the chosen type your opponents control get -1/-1.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

While this is a 2/2 deathtoucher with a one-sided Engineered Plague strapped on, Engineered Plague saw very little play. Perhaps with all of the tribal benefits of this set, more tribal EDH decks will see play, perhaps with multiple X/1s for this to kill, but until that happens, this is really, really meta dependent, not exactly where you want to be with many of your cards.

---

42- Fallen Shinobi -

Creature - Zombie Ninja

Ninjutsu

Whenever Fallen Shinobi deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top two cards of their library. Until end of turn, you may play those cards without paying their mana costs.

5/4 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

Yuriko Ninjas loves effects like these, but outside of that, this card has a lot of play on it. Decent stats for EDH, really can take chunks out of lifetotals, also just a great ability. Freecasting from opponents decks is mostly worse than your own, but a strong effect for this card.

---

43- Sling-Gang Lieutenant -

Creature - Goblin

When Sling-Gang Lieutenant enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 red goblin creature tokens.

Sacrifice a Goblin: Target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

While Wort, Boggart Auntie loves this card, black goblins aren't really that much of a thing. The krenkos are just too much more powerful for most players. Decent effect, 3 1/1s and a sacrifice outlet for 4 mana.

---

44- Farmstead Gleaner - Artifact Creature - Scarecrow

Farmstead Gleaner doesn't untap during your untap step.

, : Put a +1/+1 counter on Farmstead Gleaner.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 3/10

While the Reaper King scarecrow tribal deck probably runs this, the effect and the grow creature doesn't seem that good. Needs a lot to be used in any combos, and is rather lackluster as a card. Colorless grow creature in some +1/+1 counter artifact deck should see some minor play somewhere though.

---

45- Springbloom Druid -

Creature - Elf Druid

When Springbloom Druid enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a land. If you do, search your library for up to two basic land cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

While tapped landed Harrow on legs may seem only decent, the creature in elf tribal deck, or lands builds like Gitrog, Titania, Tatyova, or Omnath can be devastating on a flickerable creature. Actually this card should be a staple for years to come, as Harrow is.

---

46- Orcish Hellraiser -

Creature - Orc Warrior

Echo

When Orcish Hellraiser dies, it deals 2 damage to target player or planeswalker.

3/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

While not a powerhouse or staple, a very aggressive creature with a Shock when it dies is strong. Removing a threat, shocking a walker, etc. are all surprisingly valuable in decks that can kill it when they need to.

---

47- Scuttling Sliver -

Creature - Sliver Trilobite

Sliver creatures you control have ": Untap this creature."

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

Kind of an interesting color fixer with the Gemhide Sliver / Manaweft Sliver s, kind of a semi-vigilance, probably a combo enabler, and overall kind of a weird sliver. Not sure where it fits, but I can imagine it could be broken.

---

48 - Lesser Masticore -

Artifact Creature - Manticore

As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card.

: Lesser Masticore deals 1 damage to target creature.

Persist

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 5/10

While on its own an infinite mana outlet to destroy creatures, decent mana dump, recursive, but card disadvantaging card for 2 mana isn't bad, I think this card is. Persist leaves it as a 2/2 then a 1/1, it 2 for ones you the turn it comes out, and doesn't do a ton more than a bad Walking Ballista impression once it sticks. Maybe for budget colorless decks it would be good. Not bad, just lackluster.

---

49- Goblin Champion -

Creature - Goblin Warrior

Haste

Exalted

0/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 2/10

Red exalted isn't exactly a thing, and unless you are a budget Krenko that needs something to fill a slot, it doesn't seem great.

---

50- Collector Ouphe -

Creature - Ouphe

Activated abilities of artifacts can't be activated.

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 10/10

A fetchable, cheap, green bear that stops artifacts? Stony Silence but easier to find? Hatebear to the fullest? Amazing card.

---

51- Spiteful Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Sliver creatures you control ave "Whenever this creature is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to target player or planeswalker."

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

While often sweeper still obliterate this, Blasphemous Act , Chain Reaction , and Star of Extinction turn into automatic win the game cards with relative ease. Great way to remove walkers as well.

---

52- Yawgmoth, Thran Physician -

Legendary Creature - Human Cleric

Protection from Humans

Pay 1 life, Sacrifice another creature: Put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature and draw a card.

, Discard a card: Proliferate.

2/4 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 9/10

While I don't think this is incredibly overpowered like Urza, a removal engine, card draw engine, sacrifice outlet, discard outlet, proliferate engine, and life outlet on a single card is impressive to say the least. This does basically everything, with some minor protection and a decent toughness to boot. Infect with proliferate seems good, +1/+1 counters synergies, -1/-1 counters synergies, aristocrats, etc.

---

53- Segovian Angel -

Creature - Angel

Flying, Vigilance

1/1 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 4/10

While Angel Tribal decks like Lyra will use this, the card is pretty bad overall in commander. It just doesn't do much.

---

54- Ingenious Infiltrator -

Creature - Vedalken Ninja

Ninjustu

Whenever a Ninja you control deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.

2/3 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 8/10

Yuriko's new best friend. Card draw for each ninja is nearly what Yuriko is himself, with this guy it just gets crazy. Draw your deck in 5ish turns with them all.

---

55- Bladeback Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Hellbent - As long as you have no cards in hand, Sliver creatures you control have ": This creature deals 1 damage to target player or planeswalker.

Rating: 3/10

While not a bad effect, hellbent just makes it exponentially worse. Not hitting creatures making it worse, etc. Slivers are all decent, but this is on the bad side.

---

56- Enduring Sliver -

Creature - Sliver

Outlast

Other Sliver creatures you control have outlast

2/2 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 4/10

Never have I been a fan of Outlast, basically bad Level up, with the same downsides, just sorcery speed, but outlast only puts +1/+1 counters. Not a bad card, but a rather week lord effect.

---

57- Valiant Changeling -

Creature - Shapeshifter

Whis spell costs less to cast for each creature type among creatures you control. This effect can't reduce the amount of mana this spell costs by more than .

Changeling

Doublestrike

3/3 (Power/Toughness)

Rating: 6/10

Changelings that can be a 2 mana 3/3 doublestriker if a changeling is in the yard appeal to me. With how easy it is to get it to 2 mana, and then how easy it to get that 3/3 doublestriker for 2 mana that is a human merfolk goblin wizard lizard is really nice.

---

Instants

1- Lava Dart -

Instant

Lava Dart deals 1 damage to any target.

Flashback - Sacrifice a Mountain.

Rating: 2/10

Kinda a instant speed Forked Bolt that sacrifices a land. Not very good.

---

2- Elvish Fury -

Instant

Buyback

Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

Rating: 1/10

Infinite mana sink techinally, otherwise very, very bad.

---

3- Choking Tethers -

Instant

Tap up to four creatures.

Cycling

When you cycle Choking Tethers, you may tap target creature.

Rating: 2/10

Tapping creatures isn't a thing EDH players want to do much, but drawing a card while doing it does seem rather efficient, so it isn't the worst card.

---

4- Force of Negation -

Instant

If it's not your turn, you may exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

Counter target noncreature spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.

Rating: 10/10

In EDH, card advantage is relative, with 4 opponents, players will use spells on each other, etc. meaning that it matters little that this is a one for two, it is extremely efficient nonetheless. Additionally, in EDH, 3/4s of all turns aren't yours, etc. This card is incredibly close to Force of Will for EDH, and I can respect it's power in most every blue deck that can afford it.

---

5- Force of Vigor -

If it's not your turn, you may exile a green card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

Destroy up to two target artifacts and/or enchantments.

Rating: 10/10

Seriously, this cycle is insane if the blue and green ones are what we go off of. This is a 2 for 2, being free 3/4s of the turns, etc. It is a Relic Crush for one less even without the additonal cost! Absolutely incredible for nearly any green deck.

---

6- Fists of Flame -

Instant

Draw a card. Until end of turn, target creature gains trample and gets +1/+0 for each card you've drawn this turn.

Rating: 5/10

Not a stellar trick or cantrip, but decks like Zada make it win instantly, and Feather can make it do work. Really cool design.

---

7- Force of Despair -

If it’s not your turn, you may exile a black card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.

Destroy all creatures that entered the battlefield this turn.

Rating: 9/10

While incredibly strong, anti-combo, acting as a free "counter a creature" spell in black, it isn't as good as the others, because of how specific it is. Seriously, most black decks would run it.

---

Sorceries

1- Stream of Thought -

Sorcery

Target player puts the top four cards of their library into their graveyard. You shuffle up to four cards from your graveyard into your library.

Replicate

Rating: 4/10

While a medium mill card, that shuffles cards from your deck into your library all for may sound okay, especially if it decks all opponents with infinite mana, but I just think it isn't good. Self-mill may work with it, like with Tasigur or Muldrotha, maybe Kess could use it, but I have my doubts.

---

2- Savage Swipe -

Sorcery

Target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn if its power is 2. Then it fights target creature you don't control.

Rating: 4/10

Slightly better Prey Upon is still not good, and while it is decent in a deck like Selvala, where it pumps a creature that wants to be pumped, as well as possibly killing a creature with toughness 4 or less, all for , most decks just want to stray far away from this if they aren't a budget mono-green deck.

---

3- Goblin War Party -

Choose one -

• Create three 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.

• Creatures you control get +1/+1 and haste.

Entwine

Rating: 5/10

For four mana, a pump the team+haste or play 3 1/1s in either Krenko list, or entwining it to do both seems rather efficient for budget goblins.

---

4- Collected Conjuring -

Sorcery

Exile the top six cards of your library, you may cast up to two sorcery cards with converted mana cost 3 or less from among them without paying their mana costs. Put the exiled cards not cast this way on the bottom of your library in a random order.

Rating: 5/10

A nice spellslinger card no doubt, but just not insane. Collected Company for sorceries, but since it doesn't hit instants, your deck just needs to have a lot of cheap sorceries. I mean if you hit Pieces of the Puzzle and Doublecast or some spellslinger nonsense and it actually works, that's great! If you don't have a ton of CMC 3 or less sorceries, I doubt it is worth it.

---

5- Scour All Possibilities -

Sorcery

Scry 2, then draw a card.

Flashback

Rating: 4/10

A bad Ponder with flashback potential. It is only decent in a spellslinger deck running each of the better one mana cantrips, like Serum Visions , Brainstorm , Opt , Ponder , Sleight of Hand , and Preordain as well as Impulse .

---

Planeswalkers

1- Serra the Benevolent -

Legendary Planeswalker - Serra

+2 - Creatures you control with flying get +1/+1 until end of turn.

-3 - Create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance.

-6 - You get an emblem with "If you control a creature, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead."

4 (Starting Loyalty)

Rating: 6/10

While not bad by any means, especially since it is only a turn away from ultimate immediately, Worship could replace it in that regard, additionally, while it is a cheaper Serra Angel with a walker at 1 loyalty attached, with synergy with flyers, I think it isn't super impactful. Extremely strong nonetheless.

---

Enchantments

1- Astral Drift -

Enchantment

Whenever you cycle Astral Drift or cycle another card while Astral Drift is on the battlefield, you may exile target creature. Return that creature to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step.

Cycling

Rating: 7/10

Better Astral Slide , cycles itself, great build around, but even on its own, just a card that can cycle itself to remove a threat for a turn and replace itself is great. It can just be run in a flicker deck or to protect a creature from a sweeper, etc. It is incredibly versatile. Gets a blocker or attacker out of the way, it removes combo cards for a turn, etc.

---

8- "Force of Virtue" -

Enchantment

If it’s not your turn, you can exile a white card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.

Flash

Creatures you control get +1/+1.

Rating: 6/10

Worst of the cycle so far (we haven't seen red), but still okay in a weenie deck. It is decent if you flash it into a Toxic Deluge , etc. but two-for-one-ing yourself for a free Glorius Anthem or casting a more expensive one for flash (or a worse Dictate of Heliod for one less mana) just doesn't seem good in EDH.

---

9- Etchings of the Chosen -

Enchantment

As Etchings of the Chosen enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.

Creatures of the chosen type get +1/+1.

, Sacrifice a creature of the chosen type: Target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn.

Rating: 8/10

Anthem and anti-sweeper for 3 mana if you have a tribal base? Sweet in any 5 color tribal list like Najeela Warriors, Slivers, Dragons, or Morophon, as well as lists like Edgar Markov vampires, and WB knights.

---

Artifacts

dahhahm on Last Deck Ever

2 months ago

If you ever have kids you can always break out these decks and stomp on them while they are young. Nothing says "I love you son" like turn one Dark Ritual into Hypnotic Specter

Lil_Kalki on Threnody for the Victims of Dementia

3 months ago

lyonhaert,

Goodness, Rings of Brighthearth has a LOT going for it, I’ll say, but the price tag sort of strikes a heavy blow against it. I’d also need a place to cut into for it which doesn’t fudge up the smoothness of flow that the deck already maintains. Any suggestions on that front? I’d like to hear a good selection... maybe 3 or 4, and with reasoning behind the choices for potential cut, if that’s okay? Note that Yahenni, Undying Partisan is already out ( Bog Initiate has replaced them), and Hypnotic Specter is on his way out as well for the Plaguecrafter .

Thank you again for the suggestions and support. It means a lot to have this sort of counsel!

lyonhaert on Threnody for the Victims of Dementia

3 months ago

Lil_Kalki,

Mirage Mirror , one of my favorite pet cards!

I would probably also end up picking Bog Initiate if I were running Ashnod's Altar , too. I ran the pair for a bit, but I'm going a bit of a token fuel route with Pawn of Ulamog / Sifter of Skulls with Dross Harvester and Pitiless Plunderer . Initiate also helps with Ancient Tomb / Sol Ring / Temple of the False God , of course.

"My opponent’s don’t tend to have a shortage of blockers..." In light of that, some alternatives to Hypnotic Specter : Liliana's Specter or Plaguecrafter , and work with Sangromancer all the better.

Also Vesuva could replace a Swamp, not just one of your nonbasics, because if nothing else it can be a Swamp. But of your nonbasics, Path of Ancestry only supports 4 of your cards, including Chainer, for only a rare scry 1. Has Ash Barrens been useful? I run fetchlands because of Rings of Brighthearth and it would turn that into ", discard Ash Barrens: Search my library for 2 Swamps and put them in my hand, shuffle library".

With three sources of "no maximum hand size", do you ever aim Sadistic Hypnotist at yourself as a discard outlet, or do you just not encounter a need to pitch something from your hand?