Death's Shadow

Creature — Avatar

This gets -X/-X, where X is your life total.

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
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (49)

wallisface on Why Do Some Players Keep …

1 week ago

jethstriker i‘m not convinced that legendaries were ever deliberately made to be more powerful because of their inherent drawback - this feels like something that players would intuitively expect to be the case (because it would make sense), but looking through magics history of the strongest cards in formats, we don’t see that to be true - moderns past is littered with staples like Snapcaster Mage, Tarmogoyf, Death's Shadow, Siege Rhino, Arcbound Ravager, Goblin Guide, Bloodbraid Elf, Stinkweed Imp, Fury, Solitude, and Orcish Bowmasters. Yes there’s stuff like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer and Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, but I don’t think there’s enough density/evidence to conclude legendaries are inherently built stronger.

I would also be sceptical of this being the case because it would be weird for Rosewater to be wanting to remove the Legend rule if it served a mechanical purpose

This might be a question for Blogatog?

wallisface on Is WotC Being Inconsistent in …

2 months ago

I don't see any inconsistency here?

The "once per turn" or "activate only as a sorcery" text on cards aren't technically a downside, they're baked-in text to allow Wotc to strengthen the effect of the card itself - without that text they'd presumably be changing how the card functions (i.e. it'd be a completely different card), so the text isn't an upside-or-downside, just a tool for card-execution (I do get that when players read this text, that it's easy to assume its a setback on the card).

So purely on Wotc stance on downsides, I'm not seeing a dichotomy here.

Personally I'd also like to see more cards with downsides and/or restrictions - as these cards require more deckbuilding care and consideration instead of just being "auto-includes" in every goodstuff deck (some examples of cards I think have great downsides are Death's Shadow, Goblin Guide, and Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, as all of these cards downsides aren't debilitating, but require you to build around them to avoid having a bad-time. And they're actually playable).

IXALAN_Crazy on "Master of Cruelties" - Budget but Strong?

3 months ago

I think Nashi would be a great inclusion as I don't see many ways here to lower your life total for Death's Shadow

Icbrgr on Timeless Domain Zoo

4 months ago

Our paths will cross eventually im sure; The deck is pretty good! just like IRL Modern Zoo its a little bit "too fair" but can certainly win games (i love it)... I see a lot of decks similar to mine and those games are fun... {U}{B}{R} Death's Shadow decks are a fun matchup... but i have yet to beat any Oko, Thief of Crowns or other super degenerate builds yet... Dragon's Rage Channeler/Tarmogoyf feels like All-Stars because the grave setup is pretty consistent. Domain is a little more frustrating though because when it works the deck really goes fast but sometimes games just get stuck with 2-3 land types.

wallisface on Is Decend 4/8 active while …

5 months ago

No. Those abilities will only be relevant while it’s on the battlefield - when its in the grave it’s always a 3/3.

It’s for the same reason that Death's Shadow is always a 13/13 in the graveyard.

legendofa on Supernatural-inspired gy creature

6 months ago

What's the intent of the first ability? I don't know Supernatural at all, so it might be a flavor thing I'm missing. It also feeds the token creation ability a bit too well, especially with the second ability.

The second ability should be worded as a replacement effect: "If Strong-Souled Loxodon would deal combat damage, you may have it fight target creature (you don't control?) instead."

The token creation ability is too much. Turn 1, target yourself with Funeral Charm or Cry of Contrition or Putrid Imp or Entomb or Tome Scour or Careful Study or Faithless Looting or Burning Inquiry... A turn 1 13/13 with no card disadvantage and minimal setup, available in multiple colors, would break the game. The last clause helps a little bit, but it's still overpowered--Death's Shadow with zero risk and reduced color requirement.

Overall, this card might be accurate to what Supernatural has, but in M:tG, it's just overpowered.

Icbrgr on Is WotC Being Cautious About …

8 months ago

"Yes good my spikey opponent... get really greedy bring yourself to 1 life so I may then Gut Shot you!"

In all seriousness though any relevant effects that can happen without paying actual mana is powerful... phyrexian mana can almost be compared to exiling a card in hand instead of paying its mana cost kinda like Force of Negation.

I have a love and hate for this design space because I love when it's used fairly for things like Death's Shadow or even shocklands... but as the power level of the game in general just keeps climbing us as Magic the Gathering players are slowly becoming more and more like our Yugioh brethren.

jarncards on Rakdos, Many Strike

8 months ago

Skullclamp feels like an auto-include when you can pump out sacrificial thulls.

Shadowspear is also pretty good, as usual. As is Basilisk Collar since it can push your trample damage through.

I don't think Raphael is very good. He's very expensive for +1/1 and lifelink. You happen to use some demons, which is incidentally useful, but I think your deck will be worse if you start excluding better creatures because they aren't demons. For instance.... Jeska loves Ball Lightning and Lightning Skelemental. And Hunted Horror can attack for 21 on the earliest turn that you could possibly play jeska. It doesn't even need haste.

If you use want to use sheoldred the apocalypse, play wheels. The only reason not to would be if you intentionally want to weaken your deck because it's overpowered. If so I'd cut sheoldred before I'd consider not using wheels in these colors.

Combat Celebrant is a good secondary source of extra combats.

Death's Shadow + lifelink and jeska is kinda silly when you get low.