Sparring Mummy

Creature — Zombie

When Sparring Mummy enters the battlefield, untap target creature.

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
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (15)

plakjekaas on Crypt Stalker

2 years ago

It's nice in mechanics, design, but the flavor text couldn't be more off. Just look at the text on Sparring Mummy or Those Who Serve. Zombies on Amonkhet, especially the white ones, are substitutes for normal people so that the normal people can train for the Trials. The Trials turned out to be selections for the most powerful warriors to be zombified and coated with Lazotep, so that they could cross the Planar Bridge (which could not transport living matter) to fight in the War of the Spark. Zombies created from Trials winners are blue/black ( Spellweaver Eternal / Lazotep Reaver). If you failed the Trials, you'd get mummified into a servant ( Those Who Serve). But death was always the end of your Trials.

Spirits on Kaalia, Mirror Breaker EDH

5 years ago

Hi Wickked,

Thanks for the kind comment.

Here's a rough guide / thought process I use when evaluating cards / combos / synergies:

1) Assumption: One player (possibly myself), will try and Combo on Turn 3/4, and generally by 5 at least

Realization: I don't have a lot of disruption, so will rely on Commanders built to prevent others and take advantage

Some disruption: A Tainted Pact into a Iona, Shield of Emeria in response to a Show and Tell has worked.

A Teferi's Protection might buy me another turn to try and Combo or Eliminate the issue player.

2) Assumption: I'm Tier 3 (I truly believe Kaalia of the Vast is tier 2.5 built like this), yet seem to be a threat

Realization: Use their bias against them, they think I'm just Aggro/Pub Brawl, might leave me open here and there.

Yes, I'll still Master of Cruelties a Stax or Disruption or Tier 1 Commander, but...

3) Assumption: I'm not a Stax player, I'm trying to go fast too, don't be that guy

Realization: I have some Stax type plays, but I'm not a Stax player, whenever possible go for the win, often you win

A Turn 3 Rakdos the Defiler can slow down a combo that relies on ramp. Same with a Turn 2 Damnation

An early Ob Nixilis, Unshackled can put a combo player in range of a Gisela, Blade of Goldnight swing.

4) Assumption: Razaketh, the Foulblooded almost always wins me the game.

Realization: Don't let others (like Animar, Soul of Elements) use him against me. Resolve and Win.

5) Assumption: I'm not going to output 40 x 3 (4-player pod assumed) = 120 by Turn 5

Realization: If I can do 40 damage by turn 5 and eliminate a player, and rely on others disruption, I can Combo on Turn 6/7

6) Evaluation: Does this card help me win the game by Turn 7? If no, then I usually exclude it

Does this card help me Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Restoration Angel | Infinite Haste Angels, because that's usually how I am going to win anyway.

Is this card good, WITHOUT the other combo pieces? Example: Stranglehold is good on it's own, prevents win-cons and can stax (no searching) a Fetch land or Tutor. Maralen of the Mornsong provides an effective and lasting Synergy (won't say Combo, No more drawing for others), BUT Maralen of the Mornsong without a Stranglehold is not good WITHOUT the other combo piece. Maralen of the Mornsong can in fact give the win to the next player in turn.

Adarkar Valkyrie Evaluation:

1) She doesn't trigger with Kaalia of the Vast, because Adarkar Valkyrie enters tapped, also doesn't have haste, and requires to use. What that means is I have to wait 1 whole turn before she can be used vs. something like a Razaketh, the Foulblooded or Rune-Scarred Demon.

2) At CMC6, I'm probably not playing by turn 5, but it is in the realm of possibility. However, without Haste (Dragon Tempest, Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots) its too slow.

3) What are the other combo cards, and do they meet the test that they are good without Adarkar Valkyrie

Adarkar Valkyrie + Thornbite Staff + Creature + Goblin Bombardment | Infinite Damage

Thornbite Staff + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker also works with Goblin Bombardment or Angel of Despair

Thornbite Staff has a CMC2 but a Equip (which SUCKS), but Equip on Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, and it's Sorcery speed.

Goblin Bombardment protects my creatures from theft, and also enables other combos, including it can be used Post-Combat with a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Restoration Angel incase of Fog.

Adarkar Valkyrie + Village Bell-Ringer + Goblin Bombardment | Infinite Damage

Village Bell-Ringer also works with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. On his own though, not very sexy without the Combo pieces.

Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Adarkar Valkyrie + Goblin Bombardment | Infinite Damage

Karmic Guide + Adarkar Valkyrie + Lightning Greaves or Dragon Tempest + Goblin Bombardment | Infinite Damage

Adarkar Valkyrie + Aurelia, the Warleader + Goblin Bombardment | Infinite Combat Phases

Took me a long time to take Aurelia, the Warleader, can get into that discussion later.

Adarkar Valkyrie + Zealous Conscripts + Goblin Bombardment | Infinite Damage

Zealous Conscripts + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker also works.

Zealous Conscripts on it's own is also pretty good, he has Haste built in, can take an opponents permanents, can untap your permanents (like Adarkar Valkyrie or Sol Ring etc). He's not an A/D/D is his only down side, so with a CMC5 am I going to play him before Turn 5? Tough to say.

I'm going to Buried Alive : Karmic Guide + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Restoration Angel not Zealous Conscripts (Although I could I guess?) for Reanimate

I'm probably going to tutor Restoration Angel because I can 1) Free cast with Kaalia of the Vast, 2) She is Instant speed (Flash), 3) She is CMC4 vs. Zealous Conscripts. So it becomes, do i need Zealous Conscripts. If I'm running Adarkar Valkyrie as well, then yes. Honestly Zealous Conscripts has been on the cusp for a long time, he is VERY good, probably better than Reveillark (who I almost never combo with), the only benefit to Reveillark is he brings back Grand Abolisher so I can actually pull off the combo without Disruption.

I'd almost always rather tutor Buried Alive or Reanimate or a missing piece, than a Adarkar Valkyrie. He really provides the same combo structure, but slower, same with Zealous Conscripts. If I'm hoping to just have a higher probability of drawing into a Zealous Conscripts to complete my combo I'm starting with an Assumption that isn't going to make my Turn 5 window usually. I need to Tutor/Win.

Combat Celebrant, Felidar Guardian, Sparring Mummy, Thornbite Staff, Village Bell-Ringer, Zealous Conscripts, Fiend Hunter, Karmic Guide, Lightning Crafter, Restoration Angel, Reveillark, Changeling Hero, Changeling Berserker all work with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, some need Sac, many don't.

Not sure if I answered your Zealous Conscripts question, but the best answer I can give is, I don't need him, I don't want to draw him, and he just does the job of Restoration Angel. Certainly you need alternatives, incase of Exile or Removal, I decided on Reveillark because he has other upside (downside is needs a Sac outlet), but Zealous Conscripts is quite reasonable and has utility on his own so I like him probably will make his way back in, at a higher CMC than someone like Village Bell-Ringer though who has no utility on his own, but IS turn 5 probable, but without Buried Alive probably neither works anyway, so why not just Restoration Angel and win?

The truth is any of them are viable options, it's about the supporting cards, the "wheel of support" you put around each of them, if there's multiple synergies then it's always good to have. Remember though, you only need to Combo once to win, the reality is, if your Disrupted, someone else will likely combo before you get a second chance anyway in cEDH. In standard EDH, you may have the time to draw cards into a Zealous Conscripts or hard cast a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker but probably not in cEDH.

Adarkar Valkyrie was in, she didn't work with Kaalia of the Vast and I never tutored Adarkar Valkyrie, and it needed Haste (Lightning Greaves/Dragon Tempest) and in most cases needed a Sac Outlet, so it ended up getting cut when Aurelia, the Warleader left. Adarkar Valkyrie I just found too difficult to manage, and 1 turn too slow.

I will say, if you are running Adarkar Valkyrie and Zealous Conscripts, definitely run Faithless Looting, maybe even Gamble. This differs than something like a Reanimator, If i could have more Reanimate (also use Animate Dead, Yawgmoth's Will which I view as CMC2 because I usually have a Fetch land to recur) then I LIKE drawing into those. When I draw a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker in my opening hand, I always Mulligan, and when I draw him in play I really really really regret having Faithless Looting out of the deck because I can't tutor it, and now I'm hoping to tutor a Goblin Bombardment and Reanimate a Buried Alive | Karmic Guide + Reveillark. In this situation a Zealous Conscripts isn't helping you anyway. On occasion I draw Restoration Angel but then I Buried Alive : Grand Abolisher and then Reanimate Karmic Guide then Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker then Grand Abolisher then Flash cast Restoration Angel and have the Grand Abolisher pretty much guaranteeing me the win. It's definetely higher CMC to hard was him, but still less than Zealous Conscripts.

My deck is still a work in progress though, I wish I had more time to play and really advance it with playtesting, but In theory, MOST of the time I would prefer a Tutor to another instance of a card I can tutor that is worse. Like Anguished Unmaking and Utter End are the same but CMC1 more, but I don't run Utter End because instead I draw a tutor, and search for Anguished Unmaking if that's what I really need, otherwise I tutor Reanimate or Buried Alive and go for the win.

I'm always testing the new guys too, sometimes they roar, sometimes they fail. Razaketh, the Foulblooded for sure, is the best (sometimes Iona, Shield of Emeria) in a while, If I could have all Razaketh, the Foulblooded that would be very cool.

Another thing I've learned, I built Kaalia of the Vast because I liked Gisela, Blade of Goldnight and Griselbrand (I really miss him, pretty angry about that one), but try not to be attached to certain cards, even if you like it, make sure it properly synergies. Stranglehold + Maralen of the Mornsong was my favorite for so long, I would always Tutor a Baneslayer Angel first to counter the damage (Lyra Dawnbringer would probably be the target now), but had to let it go because Maralen of the Mornsong couldn't keep up. Same with Liliana Vess. Even Aurelia, the Warleader, I won a draft event with him, so valued him highly, but I just didn't have the right supporting cards in there for him.

The next A/D/D I'm going to try is Archfiend of Despair, I just don't know how to take advantage of his second ability properly, I mean him and a Gisela, Blade of Goldnight obviously, he does double my damage, meaning 120 damage is now 60 damage so makes that a potential strategy, but still not sure how to do 60 by turn 5/6 to 3 different targets, but perhaps, have to test him. I feel Archfiend of Despair has more upside than Sower of Discord because of his Lifegain prevention, but together the 2 are ok, I'm just not sure, he reduces 120 to 80 where Archfiend of Despair reduces it to 60. I will note, if you build other Loss of Life into the deck, like Liliana's Caress and Dragon Mage and Wheel of Fortune type abilities, both Sower of Discord and Archfiend of Despair, but even then Sower of Discord is "Damage", remember, "Damage" causes "Loss of Life" but doesn't work the other way, "Loss of Life" isn't "Damage". Hmm probably will not even test Sower of Discord, CMC6 for 6/6, no Flample, and no immediate threat/ETB off Kaalia of the Vast other than potentially 8 damage (Sower of Discord 6 + Kaalia of the Vast 2) is outside my current strategy too much.

I can win on Turn 1: Swamp + Mana Crypt + Buried Alive and a Chrome Mox (and a card to Imprint) + Reanimate, is an example, but it rarely happens. There are some other Janky ways with Sol Ring and Ancient Tomb and stuff too, but not consistently. Always looking for ways to improve here. (CMC1 Reanimate or High Mana Conversion Stones)

Turn 2, there's quite a few different ways to get there, including Kaalia of the Vast attacking, usually needs a Razaketh, the Foulblooded in hand to pull the combo pieces, mana rocks, and Goblin Bombardment because usually Combo AFTER the combat phase, so the Infinite Haste Angels don't really help me out that much.

Turn 3/4 is really where I want to combo, and am looking to build further consistency, like Gamble or Beseech the Queen (maybe but it only tutors Reanimate usually for , so where does the for Reanimate come from). Does Zealous Conscripts or Adarkar Valkyrie check this box? Not really, which is probably why they are out. But honestly, I still have a bunch of junk, like Reveillark, Gisela, the Broken Blade maybe, Lord of the Void, Teferi's Protection it's really dumb this card doesn't have Split Second, Boros Charm too situational, see lots of stuff that could be Zealous Conscripts.

What I really wish for, 1) A good A/D/D that has Goblin Bombardment built-into it, like a Murderous Redcap of A/D/D, 2) More CMC1 Reanimate, 3) More CMC1 or CMC2 Tutors, I'll checkout your deck but if you don't have Tainted Pact it is CRITICAL to finding solutions, although means your lands are $1,000,000 but luckily no so HEY still cheaper than a Volcanic Island. 4) More effective mana rocks. I've looked at Mox Diamond a million times, can't decide if it helps/hurts in the average case (not just the Turn 1 case), like as a before Turn 5.

Rakdos the Defiler has been my friend, when I'm not doing well he often helps me out lol. Dance of the Dead is a possiblity, because it doesn't matter that Karmic Guide is tapped, but Karmic Guide is pro black so the interaction sucks even more (already sucks with Animate Dead but the triggers work).

I'll check out your deck a little later, and provide any feedback I can.

Hopefully, somewhere in this rambling I answered your questions.

PS: I hate that Kess, Dissident Mage (and some others) can win on Turn 0, win before it's even their turn, that sucks!

MagicalHacker on Help me finish my list …

6 years ago

DracoDarkstorm, unfortunately, AEther Flash and Polyraptor can not be ended without a third piece, so they actually are just part of a 3-card infinite combo rather than form a 2-card combo by themselves. Thanks though!

Jeyce, with Mikaeus, the Unhallowed on the battlefield, Triskelion will enter as a 5/5. If you remove a counter to hit an opponent, it will be a 4/4. Remove two more to hit itself, and it will die from being a 2/2 that was dealt two damage, then undying will trigger to return to the battlefield.

As for Goblin Sharpshooter and Splinter Twin, the catalyst for the combo is either a creature dying while the enchanted Sharpshooter is untapped or any creature with 1 toughness (or 1 damage away from dying). In both of those cases, the enchanted Sharpshooter can be tapped to create a token copy with haste, and then (if necessary) the token tapped to kill that creature. One the untap trigger(s) resolve, you will have an enchanted Sharpshooter and a token copy. From that point, you can tap the enchanted Sharpshooter for a token copy, tap one of the copies to damage an opponent, then tap the other copy to kill one of the token copies in order to untap the two Sharpshooters in order to repeat until death rains upon all opponents. This is very unintuitive when looking at the pieces, so I've added it to the description of that combo.

Funkydiscogod, fantastic catch on the combos with The Locust God and effects that trigger a draw when an insect enters! Thanks, they've been added.

I've added Keening Stone to the Fraying Sanity combos, thank you so much!

That Chandra combo though... that's definitely a 9-card combo lol

VraskaTheCursed, Sage of Hours cannot keep any counters on it if it activates.

Jeyce, I've added Benthicore to the Splinter Twin combos and Bounding Krasis, Breaching Hippocamp, Great Oak Guardian, and Sparring Mummy to the Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker/Splinter Twin combos. Thank you so much!

I do have those combos for unhasty creatures already, but thanks anyways!

Dorotheus, yes, I am glad however that Minion is unique in its ability to combo with the Bracers though!

Jeyce on Help me finish my list …

6 years ago

Benthicore and Splinter Twin are infinite hasty tokens. Bounding Krasis as well or with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Breaching Hippocamp, Captain of the Mists, Great Oak Guardian, Midnight Guard, Sparring Mummy, Sunstrike Legionnaire, and Village Bell-Ringer as well. For unhasty there are Janjeet Sentry and Vizier of Tumbling Sands.

hienisms on Samut - Motivational Speaker of Primal Surge

6 years ago

Add Samut, the Tested for flavour. She and Captain Sisay are best friends as they find each other.

Samut's ultimate can also find Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and Village Bell-Ringer to end games. If the Bell-Ringer is too bad, add: Eager Beaver (if silver-borders); or Great Oak Guardian; or Sparring Mummy; or tried-and-true Zealous Conscripts.

poopiepoopiepants1 on An Eternal Army

6 years ago

I love the deck and the theme.. ZOMBIES!!!

However, I feel as if some cards that I found are quite sub-par like Sparring Mummy and maybe even the Cursed Minotaur have crept themselves into the deck leaving the great cards like Wayward Servant and Lord of the Accursed feeling left out (you only have 2 copies of each).

I would recommend taking out the two Sparring Mummys for 2 more Wayward Servant and the 2 Cursed Minotaur for 2 more Lord of the Accursed.

Also, I feel like your deck has pretty low mana costs as a whole (your average CMC is 2.83), so I would recommend taking out maybe 1 or 2 for maybe some Liliana's Mastery - I personally love this card :)

Dread Wanderer is a very strong card. I would replace the 4 Khenra Eternal's for 4 of those guys. I just think they are much better.

See how that runs.

Other cards you might want to take a closer look at are:

Binding Mummy - the tap is very nice.

Fatal Push - LIKE THE BEST BLACK REMOVAL <3. These are quite pricey, however, so maybe even Never / Return.

More Ammit Eternals - I think they are quite sweet.

Also, maybe check out if there is some card draw, but otherwise +1!

Linx1550 on R/W Exert oh no wait they dont tap

6 years ago

You could try putting Gideon, Martial Paragon in the deck. His +2 ability untaps all creatures you control and gives them +1/+1 until end of turn. Sparring Mummy is also great for untapping creatures mid-late game. If you decide to add Gideon, Martial Paragon to the deck, you should consider adding Gideon's Resolve to search for him and give your creatures +1/+1. I run a R/W exert burn deck that is similar to this. If you want more ideas, suggestions or help with anything MTG related just msg me and I'll see if I can help. Here's a link to my R/W Exert/untap/burn deck -

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Amon-Cats

Standard* Linx1550

SCORE: 1 | 1 COMMENT | 75 VIEWS

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Color_pie14 on Samut, Voice of Infinite Combos

6 years ago

Try Sparring Mummy with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker!