Witch Hunt

Enchantment

Players can't gain life.

At the beginning of your upkeep, Witch Hunt deals 4 damage to you.

At the beginning of your end step, target opponent chosen at random gains control of Witch Hunt.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (46)

doc_frank_18 on Blades of chaos

11 months ago

take out Darksteel Colossus and put in Frontier Warmonger then take out Zurzoth, Chaos Rider and put in Goblin Spymaster you want your opponents to attack your first strike creatures. take out Quakebringer and put in Snort take out Witch Hunt and put in Gornog, the Red Reaper

Rhadamanthus on What happens when someone with …

1 year ago

Of the players who are still in the game, Witch Hunt will return to the control of whoever else controlled it most recently.

One of the steps involved in a player leaving the game is ending any active effects that give them control of things. If an object has been subject to multiple control-changing effects, it's important to note that the old ones still exist, they've just been superseded by the most recently created one. When that most recent one ends, the next most recent one (that hasn't been ended by someone else leaving the game) will be in effect again.

800.4a When a player leaves the game, all objects (see rule 109) owned by that player leave the game and any effects which give that player control of any objects or players end. Then, if that player controlled any objects on the stack not represented by cards, those objects cease to exist. Then, if there are any objects still controlled by that player, those objects are exiled. This is not a state-based action. It happens as soon as the player leaves the game. If the player who left the game had priority at the time they left, priority passes to the next player in turn order who’s still in the game.

builderboy7 on What happens when someone with …

1 year ago

When Witch Hunt deals 4 damage to a player who isn't the owner and dies as a result, what happens to the Witch Hunt enchantment? Does it get exiled when the player dies or returns under its owner's control?

SirFowler on Possible new EDH Format: Hot …

2 years ago

EDH is my favorite format. It has so many variants that it never becomes stale for me. If I ever feel bored of playing one variation, then I just try something different and the game feels as fresh as the first time I played over a decade ago. So, why not add format variation to fuel my addi...I mean totally normal love for magic.

Picture this. The game begins with an indestructible artifact called Hot Potato that reads "At the beginning of your upkeep, put a counter on Hot Potato, then it deals X damage to you equal to the number of counters on it. At the beginning of your end step, target opponent chosen at random gains control of Hot Potato." Maybe have it have protection from everything or something, idk for sure. Then maybe you could also pay mana to either add or remove counters? It's based off of Witch Hunt, but it's just harder to remove. I'm also not sure if it should prevent lifegain, but maybe as well. Or why not just begin the game with Witch Hunt in play considering it's a real card?

The idea for this is to sort of push the game along. Especially when someone chooses to be a downright tool and grind the game to a halt, making for a 3 hour long groan fest waiting for the game to end. Not sure on all the logistics, maybe have it just be an emblem instead, but then being passed around wouldn't really work because it's an emblem and all. What does everyone think?

jamochawoke on Wacky Waving Infallible Life Flailing Masochists

2 years ago

This is a really solid deck!

But how would you deal with things that mess up your lifegain?

I mean stuff like Erebos, God of the Dead, Forsaken Wastes, Everlasting Torment, Havoc Festival, Knight of Dusk's Shadow, Leyline of Punishment, Giant Cindermaw, Rampaging Ferocidon, and Witch Hunt.

I've seen people just scoop and leave when they were running a lifegain-based deck when they run into those cards. You've definitely got removal for sure, but you should either run more or have ways of digging for them just in case since those are total hosers for your strategy.

Also, to note, Atarka's Command, Molten Disaster, Sudden Shock, or Skullcrack could kill you in the middle of doing stuff so you shouldn't get too low if you've got a red player on the board. I've seen this very thing happen to someone running a K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth deck. Just something to keep in mind!

darksideownedu on Zedruu Shenanigans

5 years ago

Hey Exoflo, thanks for the comment on my Zedruu deck! I appreciate the feedback.

I agree with your take on Witch Hunt . The thought process was that it's a free donate, but it works counter to the other strategies in the deck. I'm going to look for something to replace it. Probably Laboratory Maniac for the additional wincon. More below on that.

I've had moderate to good success with cards like Glacial Fortress and the like. I didn't include any of the fetchlands mainly because the ones I do have are currently in other decks. But, I'm looking to pick up some more soon with all the reprints in MH2.

As for Thought Lash , I think it definitely serves a role in this deck. While it's true that it doesn't add a lot of value for the donate aspect, it can immediately facilitate wincons like Thassa's Oracle or Laboratory Maniac . The errata text allows you to exile X cards from your library for free (and at instant speed no less) to prevent the next X damage dealt to you. Now I'll freely admit, I thought I already had Laboratory Maniac in this deck. Not sure how he slipped through, but he's a perfect replacement for Witch Hunt . I'm also considering trying to add Approach of the Second Sun , but I'm not sure I like having to pay the 7 mana cost for it twice.

Exoflo on Zedruu Shenanigans

5 years ago

Hi darksideownedu !

Your deck seems really cool. I'm not a big fan of Bad Gift Zedruu but I have to admit it's an archetype that works.

I don't know if you've already played the deck, but does cards like Glacial Fortress trigger all the time ? Personally I don't run this kind of land, but I have less basic land than you. Also, fetchland are incredible cards in a manabase. If you have money for, add Arid Mesa , Flooded Strand and Scalding Tarn to your deck.

For the deck itself, it seems very consistent. I honestly think Thought Lash is a bad card : it take in average 13 turn to mill 90 cards (counting the natural draw of the opponent) and 10 turns to get rid of 60 cards.

Also, I wonder why you run Witch Hunt . It seems not really synergistic with Zedruu's life gain and cards like Angel of Destiny or Aetherflux Reservoir .

Finally, medallion cards (like Sapphire Medallion ) seems really good, I will try them in my deck some game to see how strong they can be. I advise you to run Thought Vessel rather than Spellbook (no maximal hand size while ramping ? Amazing !). Pentad Prism and Sphere of the Suns are pretty good rock to give away.

I love your idea to run Angel of Destiny : that's a so good political card, I've never seen it used like this.

In a nutshell, I think it's a really cool deck to play, Zedruu's ability is what make me fall in love with her, so I love seeing how people exploit it. Have fun, and don't forget to spray joy with our MotherGoat !

Tzefick on Barabbas, False Prophet

5 years ago

I would always try to pair these types of effects with Sulfuric Vortex , Leyline of Punishment , Witch Hunt or their ilk.

I don't think it's a bad thing to change it to trigger on life loss. Transcendence works with Evra, Halcyon Witness . Whenever you activate her ability while having more life than she has power, you lose that life and then gain double back, effectively gaining the difference in life. You still have more life than Evra has power, so you can keep pumping up her power and your life total. Then you can finish with Chandra's Ignition . Granted that's a lot of mana.

Transcendence has the issue that it immediately kills you at 20+ life, while a modernized version with a softer drawback could be utilized in interesting fashion.

If it only triggers on damage, it is effectively a catch-all against black's life drain abilities and it means you can freely pay life to keep below the threshold - eliminating the drawback. And it is a creature, so black has plenty of ways to sacrifice it to get out of the drawback. All-in-all I don't think it needs to be easy to eliminate the drawback, because it is easy to get rid of the effect.