Merciless Eternal
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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Archenemy Legal
Arena Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Gladiator Legal
Highlander Legal
Historic Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pioneer Legal
Planechase Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Merciless Eternal

Creature — Zombie Cleric

Afflict 2 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 2 life.)

2B, Discard a card: Merciless Eternal gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

Mullac on Eternal affliction

4 years ago

I would take out Ever After as it is a bit slow and I'm not sure you'd ever play it especially in modern (unless this is more of a casual deck which is understandable). I think you can cut out Merciless Eternal too, is it apply enough pressure I think, compared to your other afflict cards. You can take a hint from standard and have Curious Obsession to even further pressure if that's what you like. Also I would change Encrust to better forms of removal such as Cast Down , Murder , Fatal Push or Bedevil . Another addition would be to remove Crippling Chill for Blink of an Eye which I think is better overall as you can remove a creature and force the opponent to play it next turn, or remove something like Ensnaring Bridge or another artifact/enchantment that affects you or your creatures. I hope this helped, and this looks like a super fun deck!

LordBlackblade on more

5 years ago

I'm going to lay it all on the table here to make my train of thought as clear as possible, and back up my statements with source material. I spent way too much time on this already, so I might as well post it!

Here's a Scryfall search showing all creatures with the Vampire subtype. Of them, thirteen (a mere 5.8% of all vampires) have an additional race subtype. Of those thirteen, three are undead Vampires ( Vampire Revenant , Nirkana Revenant , and Skeletal Vampire ), four are from the Eldritch Moon block and are Vampire Horrors ( Weirded Vampire , Voldaren Pariah  Flip, Stromkirk Occultist , and Stromkirk Condemned ), and four were printed before the Grand Creature Type Update (hencefore GCTU) ( Vampiric Dragon , Vampire Hounds , Mirri the Cursed , and Irini Sengir ). The final two are Aetherborn Vampires from Kaladesh ( Yahenni, Undying Partisan and Gifted Aetherborn ).

All of this points to Vampires with two races being the vast minority (again 5.8%) of all Vampires ever printed. Aside from the pre-GCTU Vampires, they all have set-specific reasons for having two racial subtypes or are undead (which seems counter intutive as I've always considered Vampires to be undead already...but I digress).

Here again (for posterity) is the link to the GCTU Announcement. This clarifies what the stance is or R&D in their approach to creature subtypes. From the article, "...we implemented the "race class" model for Magic creatures..." This establishes a baseline for every single MTG creature from September 2007 onward. Elf Druid, Human Warrior, Zombie Knight, etc. This is a framework for card design.

I want to be clear, its a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. In general, they wanted to keep it simple as part of the New World Order of MTG which you can find in an article here. While the article doesn't explicitly state that creatures typing is part of the NWO, it can be inferred from it that simplicity is important in MTG going forward. With that in mind it only makes sense that they would try very hard while designing cards to keep to the "race class" system for both consistency and simplicity. Are they never going to print a card with two races? Of course not, as you mentioned Frilled Mystic and as I mentioned Vorel of the Hull Clade . Wizards isn't afraid to work outside their own general guidelines if it suits their purposes, fits with the lore (this one is important for this argument), and doesn't unbalance the game.

By your argument, every Vampire would have the "Pre-Vampire-Race Vampire Class" e.g. Elf Vampire Druid, Human Vampire Warrior, Vampire Zombie Knight. Could they do it? Sure, but it goes against R&D's stated goal for what they want for MTG going forward by adding needless complexity (and letterhead) to cards.

Your example of Ahn-Crop Invader brings up an interesting point though and I have a thought about it. Let's use some cards with current links as examples. For you side I produce Marauding Boneslasher . A Zombie Minotaur 'Race Race" just like your example. For my side I produce Merciless Eternal . A Zombie Cleric "Race Class." I think what this shows is that when Wizards does put two races on a card it is unlikely be two "Common" races. E.g. Zombie Human, Elf Goblin, etc., unless there are extreme circumstances (Looking at you Vorel). Again I think it comes back to complexity. If every undead or mutated creature had to state its pre-death/mutation type, there'd be way too many of the core tribes in the game. The vast majority of Vampires and Zombies were originally humans judging from their art. By giving cards like that the Human subtype, Humans as a tribe would become overly powerful simply from having a large pool to draw cards from. Keeping the number of races/classes on a card to a minimum could potentially be balance related.

tldr:

1) Multi-Race Vampires are small percentage of all Vampires ever printed.

2) Wizards wants to consistent in its product and has chosen the "Race Class" model for subtypes

3) Wizards wants to keep the game simple when possible. Extra subtypes go against this and as such are only used when crucial mechanically (e.g. Horrors for the Eldritch Moon block) or from a lore perspective (e.g. Yahenni, Undying Partisan )

LordBlackblade on None

5 years ago

So I posted my big response here by accident. Since I'm here anyway I just wanna say that for what its worth, I see where you are coming from and agree with you 100%!

Entity97 on A Cuberino

5 years ago

Cube Stats!
This past weekend saw my cube’s first seven player draft (eight had homework to finish). Now, some of them are filthy casuals but here are the deck lists drafted with (W-L) stats! No basic lands included, however.

Me – Mardu Angels (3-0)
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Assemble the Legion
Baneslayer Angel
Boros Signet
Bruna, the Fading Light
Cavern of Souls
Conqueror's Galleon  Flip
Crystalline Crawler
Emeria Angel
Exhume
Faithless Looting
Gisela, the Broken Blade
Godless Shrine
Golgari Thug
Grim Monolith
Loyal Retainers
Lyra Dawnbringer
Nahiri, the Harbinger
Reanimate
Resplendent Angel
Restoration Gearsmith
Smuggler Captain (finds Reanimate )
Sphere of the Suns
Tidehollow Sculler
Windswept Heath

Pritch – Golgari Midrange (2-1)
Bayou
Chainer's Edict
Cryptbreaker
Damnation
Doom Blade
Doomed Dissenter
Go for the Throat
Golgari Grave-Troll
Golgari Signet
Grave Titan
Herald of Torment
Heir of the Wilds
Hissing Quagmire
Innocent Blood
Liliana of the Veil
Liliana, the Last Hope
Night Incarnate
Ravenous Chupacabra
Rite of Belzenlok
Scavenging Ooze
Sidisi, Undead Vizier
Thoughtseize
Thrun, the Last Troll
Tragic Slip
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Westvale Abbey  Flip
Yahenni, Undying Partisan

Paul – Grixis Control (1-1)
Academy Ruins
Baleful Strix
Bitterblossom
Bituminous Blast
Brain Maggot
Creeping Tar Pit
Cruel Ultimatum
Cyclonic Rift
Eldrazi Monument
Force of Will
Havengul Lich
Inferno Titan
Kitesail Freebooter
Lich Lord of Unx
Mesmeric Fiend
Murderous Redcap
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager  Flip
Purphoros, God of the Forge
Rakdos's Return
Tezzeret, Artifice Master
Thassa, God of the Sea
Thing in the Ice  Flip
Twilight Prophet
Unscythe, Killer of Kings
Whirler Rogue

Abby – Bant Midrange (0-1)
Austere Command
Bow of Nylea
Celestial Colonnade
Counterspell
Courser of Kruphix
Crush of Tentacles
Dauntless Bodyguard
Elixir of Immortality
Felidar Sovereign
Glacial Fortress
Imposing Sovereign
Kiora, the Crashing Wave
Loxodon Hierarch
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Noble Hierarch
Plaxcaster Frogling
Qasali Pridemage
Reclamation Sage
Sagu Mauler
Sakashima's Student
Selfless Spirit
Sigarda, Host of Herons
Simic Signet
Solemn Simulacrum
Sphinx's Revelation
Spirit of the Labyrinth
Sun Titan
Supreme Verdict
Suture Priest
Sword of War and Peace
Temple Garden
Terminus
Traveler's Amulet

Matt – Four Color Good Stuff (1-1)
Ancestral Vision
Arch of Orazca
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
Badlands
Birds of Paradise
Bomat Courier
Brimaz, King of Oreskos
Clifftop Retreat
Crop Rotation
Desolate Lighthouse
Domri Rade
Dualcaster Mage
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Experiment One
Ghost Quarter
Hallowed Fountain
Isolated Chapel
Lotus Cobra
Maze of Ith
Murderous Cut
Odric, Master Tactician
Path to Exile
Phyrexian Metamorph
Plateau
Price of Fame
Sacred Foundry
Savannah
Silverblade Paladin
Sunpetal Grove
Sword of Light and Shadow
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
Tetzimoc, Primal Death
Through the Breach
Tropical Island
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Ultimate Price
Voice of Resurgence
Warden of the First Tree
Wasteland
Zacama, Primal Calamity

Ben – Temur Cascade– (0-1)
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Arboretum Elemental
Blasphemous Act
Bloodbraid Elf
Braid of Fire
Chief Engineer
Chrome Mox
City of Brass
Combustible Gearhulk
Deep Analysis
Dream Eater
Etched Champion
Eternal Witness
Fauna Shaman
Ghalta, Primal Hunger
Genesis Wave
Gruul Signet
Heart of Ramos
Hedron Archive
Hellkite Charger
Hinterland Harbor
Inkwell Leviathan
Izzet Signet
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Lumbering Falls
Maelstrom Wanderer
Master Transmuter
Metalwork Colossus
Mishra's Factory
Mox Opal
Myr Enforcer
Mystic Snake
Pact of Negation
Sai, Master Thopterist
Sarkhan Unbroken
Search for Azcanta  Flip
Shardless Agent
Sword of Fire and Ice
Taiga
Temporal Mastery
Urabrask the Hidden
Verdurous Gearhulk
Voidslime
Volatile Chimera (I forget what was on it, never came up)
Wurmcoil Engine

Courrtney – Green Black Delirium (0-1)
Avenger of Zendikar
Blood Artist
Dark Petition
Empty the Pits
Emrakul, the Promised End
Expedition Map
Explosive Vegetation
Garruk Relentless  Flip
Ghoulcaller Gisa
Great Sable Stag
Greenwarden of Murasa
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Isareth the Awakener
Ishkanah, Grafwidow
Living Death
Master of the Wild Hunt
Mox Amber
Mox Diamond
Oracle of Mul Daya
Phyrexian Delver
Primeval Titan
Putrid Leech
Rampaging Baloths
See the Unwritten
Sylvan Ranger
Thran Dynamo
Volrath's Stronghold
Merciless Eternal
Whip of Erebos
Worn Powerstone

drpeppercan on Scarab god

5 years ago

Some cards to consider:

  • Bojuka Bog : A must include in any black commander deck.
  • Boneknitter : Utility, simple as that.
  • Corpse Harvester : Out with the old, in with the new... and a swamp!
  • Cryptbreaker : So much value in such a small package. Token generating, card draw, good in the early and late game... what is not to love about this card!
  • Death Baron : A zombie lord with some extra punch Sure he doesn't get deathtouch himself, but all those 2/2 tokens that are now 3/3 deathtouch.
  • Dread Summons : Ever seen those zombie movies with that big hoard that just keeps coming... that's this card. Gives you a bunch of tokens, and recursion bait for your commander.
  • Endless Ranks of the Dead : Card title kind of says it all for this one. Obviously not the best in metas with wrath effects coming down every turn, but shines like a copper penny otherwise.
  • Ghoulcaller Gisa : So take one creature, throw it under the bus, and get more...
  • Grave Titan : Why this thing isn't a zombie I will never know. 6/6 for 6, deathtouch, and brings two friends with it AND when it attacks.
  • Graveborn Muse : Card draw based on zombies, who is also a zombie!
  • Infernal Caretaker : Mass recursion, either play them out, or discard them back for more effects.
  • Liliana, Death's Majesty : Just an all around strong zombie planeswalker.
  • Liliana's Mastery : Zombies + an anthem that won't be a big target for removal.
  • Lord of the Undead : A low to the ground zombie lord with recursion on a stick.
  • Noxious Ghoul : Sweeps out low toughness cards for things you're already doing. Just great value.
  • Relentless Dead : A great early drop, and late game it serves as a sac target + recursion.
  • Shepherd of Rot : Yes it hits you, but this can be such a major threat.
  • Undead Warchief : Cheaper zombies, and bigger zombies. All in one convenient package.
  • Awaken the Erstwhile : Disruption, plain and simple. Sure it hurts your hand too, but you are the one with all the zombie based anthems.
  • Victim of Night : Doomblade 2.0, but hits black creatures.
  • Sidisi, Undead Vizier : You'll have so many tokens kicking around to exploit that she's just a straight tutor, and if she ever hits the graveyard just use her again with Scarab God.
  • Fleshbag Marauder : Hurts them a lot more than you, and enter the battlefield abilities are great with Scarab around.
  • Josu Vess, Lich Knight : Solid 4/5 Menace for 4, got the extra 6 mana though and he brings friends who also have menace.
  • Wonder : Flying zombies... yep, that's scary.
  • Pull from Tomorrow : Nice draw on an instant with the added benefit to pitch something for Scarab to target.
  • Price of Fame : Legendary killer + Surveil 2... love it.
  • Sinister Sabotage : Counterspell + Surveil... love it too.
  • Paradox Haze : You've got a couple effects that trigger on upkeep, why not double up?
Some mana fixing/ramp: What would I take out:
  • The deck currently seems to be going in two directions, you have a large zombie theme which I love, but you also have a minor mill theme which seems out of place.
  • Advanced Stitchwing : Slow for what it gives, even on the bounce back it comes back tapped.
  • Apprentice Necromancer : This is one I'm on the fence suggesting, it's a one use for one turn only.
  • Grimgrin, Corpse-Born : This guy is beast, but he works best in a deck build around him.
  • Lamplighter of Selhoff : Slow, for his effect.
  • Merciless Eternal : He's not bad, just a lot better things to include in the 3 cost bracket.
  • Phenax, God of Deception : Love this guy, really do, but he's out of place here because he's a mill guy who loves big butts.
  • Relentless Skaabs : This guy does everything you don't want as he hurts your graveyard in order to even hit play.
  • Servant of Tymaret : Slow with high cost. In order to make the best use of him you have to be attacking, and if the way isn't clear that means a 3 mana tax just for 1 life on each opponent.
  • Spiteful Returned : Don't hate it, but better things out there.
  • Stitchwing Skaab : Suffers from the same as Advanced Stitchwing.
  • Undead Alchemist : This guy can go either way, but the way I look at him is generally people have more cards in their decks than life, so it's easier to take out their life.
  • Vindictive Lich : This guy is fun, though for his cost there is a lot more out there.
  • Exotic Orchard : Risky unless you know your playgroup always has one of your colors, otherwise it's just a colorless and a swamp or island would be just as good.
  • Leechridden Swamp : Slows you down for a minor effect.
  • Path of Ancestry : Phenax is the only other god creature, so even if you keep him in it's very slow for the benefit it probably will never get the chance to give.
  • Coat of Arms : I love this card, I really do, but it's a calculated risk and I find zombies are usually too slow of it. Run up against a goblin or elf deck and this will do more for your opponent.
  • Mindcrank : This is another I'm on the fence with as it pairs really well with Scarab.
  • Vanquisher's Banner : Good card, though you're not casting all those tokens so you're only getting a bit of a benefit from it.
  • Liliana Vess : Good card, out of place in this deck unless you are going heavier into the mill.
  • Ob Nixilis Reignited : Just completely out of place for zombie tribal.
  • Glimpse the Unthinkable : One of those mill cards, it suffers as a one of.
  • Rise from the Grave : Expensive for effect.
  • Ruthless Disposal : This isn't bad in this deck, but compared to Morbid Slip for example it lacks that added shine.
  • Curse of Disturbance : So much politics, this is VERY meta dependent as to if players fall for the bait.
  • Quest for the Gravelord : This can work out, but more often then not stuff isn't dying fast enough or it just gets pinged with early removal.
  • Search for Azcanta  Flip: More at home in a non-creature strategy.
  • Torment of Scarabs : Most people can play around this with not too much fuss, and it gives all the choice to them. I'd prefer some targeted removal.

princev1125 on I Put a Spell on You

6 years ago

I really love the idea behind this deck! It reminds me of something I would have come up with when I first started playing (I mean this in a very positive way!), as it is both plausible and creative!

Suggestions

At this point, I'm sure you're getting tired of reading, but before you go, I will suggest one more thing: either add green or cut blue for green. This allows you to ramp with cards like Spring and Thunderherd Migration, which will power out your big cards earlier!

Hopefully this was at least somewhat helpful. Feel free to reach out with your thoughts on my suggestions. Excited to see how you change it up. Please keep me updated on the results.

magicsheep on

6 years ago

For sideboard (or even main deck?), add Hour of Glory for use against cards like The Scarab God, which is pretty ubiquitous in standard control, Grixis energy, etc. Merciless Eternal is cheap and can be pretty cancerous to play against. Great deck Jetstream13!

AtlasXII on RB Burn

6 years ago

This is a good start! I dig the blend of Afflict and zombie shenanigans, and I think you should go all-in on that. For some cheap burn options to stick to your theme I'd recommend Wildfire Eternal, which offers a massive Afflict number and the potential to cast any burn spell for free and Inferno Jet, which deals 6 damage in the late game (or as a free cast off Wildfire Eternal) and can cycle to draw you a card in the early game. If you want to stick to the zombie subtheme, consider Merciless Eternal which comboes with madness and discard themes, Accursed Horde which backs up afflict zombies with indestructible or Lord of the Accursed for power and menace. If you want to dig into older cards, there's also Pyre Zombie that fits both themes of your deck, Bump in the Night for a cheap burn spell you can pitch to Merciless Eternal or Ravenous Bloodseeker to flash back later, and Blightning, which combines direct burn with discard for disrupting the opponent. Also, I'd recommend some Evolving Wilds and/or Cinder Barrens/Bloodfell Caves to add mana fixing; 4 or more of any of those or any combination will go a long way towards fueling your early game. I'd also recommend dropping the Vessels, I don't think ramping mana is what you want for this deck. Hope this helps!

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