Tainted Adversary

Creature — Zombie

Deathtouch

When this enters the battlefield, you may pay {2}{B} any number of times. When you pay this cost one or more times, put that many +1/+1 counters on this creature, then create twice that many 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens with decayed. (A creature with decayed can't block. When it attacks, sacrifice it at the end end of combat.)

Tokens

• Zombie 2/2 B w/ Decayed

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Brawl	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
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (17)

Blackgate on Innistrad: Corpse Cobblers (Dimir Decayed)

1 month ago

Tainted Adversary works great and replaces the slot Diregraf Horde had perfectly. Both provide a 3/4 body with two decayed tokens as a turn 5 play but Tainted Adversary has death touch and the flexibility to play it on turn 2 if you already have turn a 5 play God-Eternal Bontu in your hand. Thanks zapyourtumor!

Blackgate on Innistrad: Corpse Cobblers (Dimir Decayed)

1 month ago

I’ll try out Tainted Adversary as it fits the curve the same way as Diregraf Horde. Thanks!

zapyourtumor on Innistrad: Corpse Cobblers (Dimir Decayed)

2 months ago

Tainted Adversary - decayed zombie generator

Dark Salvation - Cheap removal and/or zombie generation in one

Cryptbreaker - can tap a bunch of zombies with decayed for insane card advantage

bushido_man96 on Zombie help

6 months ago

Tainted Adversary seems a bit mana intensive to really get good results from. How many tokens do you usually get when you cast it? And is the effect worth that much mana investment? I don't like Stitchwing Skaab, either, especially when you talk about running out of gas. It will only contribute to that problem if you don't have cards to discard, and you don't want to discard better cards to play that one.

I'd consider cutting Spell Swindle for a cheaper CMC counterspell, or a straight removal spell. I think you want to be pretty aggressive with how you spend your mana in this deck, and holding up 5 mana to counter a spell is counterintuitive to that strategy.

I'd drop the mill theme: Dread Summons, Drown in Dreams, Maddening Cacophony, Peer into the Abyss, Psychic Corrosion maybe even Telemin Performance. I would add card draw spells in those spots. Night's Whisper, Ambition's Cost, and Sign in Blood will always draw you cards, regardless of board state. Altar's Reap, Village Rites, and Vampiric Rites are good draw sources when you have a board state. I'd recommend pushing your ramp to 10 spells, and then you should be off an running.

Good luck going forward with this deck.

TheOfficialCreator on first zombie tribal deck.

7 months ago

What Balaam_ said. Also, I think you might need a few more low cost zombies to keep the early game stressful for your opponent, and this will likely come as a result of restricting your card choices.

But I do think Tainted Adversary would be a good match for the deck, as would a sacrifice outlet.

dealaden on Endless Hunger

7 months ago

I agree 20 lands feels like too few. The Meathook Massacre looks like it wants to be cast for 3 (x = 1) to hit all the 1 toughness creatures you have. But Tainted Adversary begs for 5 mana to get a single extra zombie. your other +1/+1 synergies also make the Masacre sometimes want to hit x = 2 and x = 3 needing more and more mana to close out the game. Bloodghast also really wants you hitting your land drops.

That being said, Bitterblossom and Tainted Adversary seem to be the weakest cards. If you really want to keep Grist, the Hunger Tide in, consider running Collected Company. Company can hit grist, because he's a creature with cmc 3 while in the library. Company also pushes you towards critical mass you seem to be building towards.

Final thoughts -3 Bitterblossom -2 Tainted Adversary

+2/3 land +2/3 Collected Company

TheReal_MtGHaystak on God of the Undead

1 year ago

I would definitely try to drop down on all of these 3 drops. I'm sure it makes it incredibly hard to play multiple spells a turn and you're not doing a whole lot until you hit 3 lands. I would lower the curve considerably. I would stick with one play set of Zombie lords with the Warchiefs. Undead Augur or Cryptbreaker will help you with card draw. And I would look for beaters that's come in the 1 and 2 mana slots like Champion of the Perished or Tainted Adversary

wallisface on UB Modern Zombies

1 year ago

Some thoughts:

• Zombies are a very aggro deck. Aether Vial is better suited to midrange gameplans, and will only slow you down here, i’d suggest ditching them, and going up to 20 lands.

• Waaay too many 3 drops, i’d suggest limiting yourself to 8 cards. If it were me, that would be in the form of playsets of Geralf's Messenger and Geralf, Visionary Stitcher, as they’ll give you the best “bang for buck” at the top end of the spectrum.

• Run the full playset of Carrion Feeder, as it just works soo well alongside Gravecrawler and Champion of the Perished. Feeder is one of the best zombies for the zombie archtype as it gives you a ton of utility.

• Undead Augur is a great 2-drop, and Tainted Adversary isn’t bad. But Graveyard Marshal and Relentless Dead don’t seem great. If you need an additional 2-drop, i’d suggest Bladestitched Skaab, or Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia

• you need more interaction to guarantee you can wear your opponent down. I’d suggest 8 killspells total. Something like a playset of Fatal Push and Infernal Grasp should work well. Dismember is fine, but can cause problems if you’re up against burn.