In a format with access to cards like Reanimate and Animate Dead, I have trouble finding room for Raise Dead type effects in my decks (Phyrexian Reclamation is the only one I use regularly). That said, if you do want such an effect, especially if you can benefit from the discard, this is a decent example.
I generally think of reanimator cards and recursion cards as having different functions. Reanimator cards are specifically a win condition. Someone tosses It That Betrays on the battlefield early on, the game's over.
Conversely, there are times when I would rather just hardcast something. Usually that would be x-cost creatures or creatures with kicker. Or the ETB trigger is something I want to use later (or even something with flash where I just want a rattlesnake).
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I've been thinking about changing my Bladewing the Risen deck to something different, since I apparently have a Badlands now. This God seems pretty fun to me. Turn Black Sun's Zenith into a powerful draw card that comes back. I might pick this guy up before brawl drives the price up further.
He's not super OP like the Scarab God, and you can't make Dagoth Ur jokes with him. And I can't think of any Scorpion King jokes that are funnier than The Rock's CG in that second mummy movie. Overloading on -1/-1 counter shenanigans is a bad idea, but there's a few nice options like Necroskitter to consider.
He's probably the weakest of the 3 bug gods, but that's not really saying much. He cheats Commander tax, kills in 3 hits with any power boost, can draw cards even without a dedicated build, can influence combats you aren't even a part of, and can take out small utility guys. Seems solid to me, just suffers from not being in a broken color combo.
It's legendary and says "draw a card" so it's probably a really fun commander.
I've seen a Scorpion God deck with minimal creatures but maximizing destroy effect and black card draw, using TSG's ability only to get more cards. Because TSG goes back to hand after death, global removal becomes relatively painless. It's a rare and fun Rakdos style, people should give TSG a try.
Though I'm using him in my Bolas and Egyptian Gods deck instead of on his own atm.
I like the text box, I like the P/T, I'm fine with the CMC, especially given that it will often dodge commander tax. I just wish it was RBG. I'd love to build a Jund -1/-1 counter deck, running cards like this and Everlasting Torment alongside Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons and Flourishing Defenses, but there's no real general for it that synergises with the overall plan, and I've never been able to come up with a two colour list that I'm happy with.
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I like the text box, I like the P/T, I'm fine with the CMC, especially given that it will often dodge commander tax. I just wish it was RBG. I'd love to build a Jund -1/-1 counter deck, running cards like this and Everlasting Torment alongside Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons and Flourishing Defenses, but there's no real general for it that synergises with the overall plan, and I've never been able to come up with a two colour list that I'm happy with.
Jolt539 on YouTube came up with a good 1v1 list, which could be modified to multiplayer when needed.
This and Corpseweft aren't really all that bad, but I do suggest using them with Rings of Brighthearth to get more mileage out of your graveyard gas; it's a non-renewable resource unless you're doing something abominable with Riftsweeper while you're already set-up to win. These are pretty mana-efficient tokens, and allow for EOT bears and such, so they could be welcome in overrun strategies; but maybe just having something less mana efficient like Jade Mage is superior.
Good for when you need to pick a card "at random", to reduce your graveyard. Mostly I don't exile my own cards from the graveyard except for that, as a win condition, or to hose reanimator spells. (Or if my strategy actually involves exiling my own cards, like The Scarab God. Or if it's one of the half-dozen or so flashback variants on creatures and spells.)
I would probably not use it in Tasigur, mostly because I'd probably be busy using Tasigur's delve ability.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Good for when you need to pick a card "at random", to reduce your graveyard. Mostly I don't exile my own cards from the graveyard except for that, as a win condition, or to hose reanimator spells. (Or if my strategy actually involves exiling my own cards, like The Scarab God. Or if it's one of the half-dozen or so flashback variants on creatures and spells.)
I would probably not use it in Tasigur, mostly because I'd probably be busy using Tasigur's delve ability.
Eh, it helps you ensure that you get exactly what you want from Tasigur. So does his delve, but having options is nice.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Bear with me, but I can barely imagine a world where Bearscape is used for making your primary plan come to bear and not, instead, used as a vehicle to make unbearable bear puns. I hate to say it, but that's the truth laid bare.
Okay, now that that's out of my system, I will just say that I prefer Night Soil. Cheaper cost for both casting and activation, can hose opponents' graveyards, and the tokens are a more useful creature type. Sure the token is smaller and you need to remove creature cards, but generally the total number of creatures in my opponents' graveyards is going to be larger than the number of non-creatures in mine.
Not that black is short of sac outlets, but I never underestimate a free sac outlet. Snipe an indestructible creature before you get boardwiped.
It's not that this isn't good, it's just that I've never really had anywhere specific to use it. I just feel like there's better sac outlets and better ways to nuke creatures. That's just me though, I could be underselling this.
Phyrexian Plaguelord
Not that black is short of sac outlets, but I never underestimate a free sac outlet. Snipe an indestructible creature before you get boardwiped.
This is on my list of potential sac outlets to include if I do get around to making a Garna, the Bloodflame deck, simply because being able to take out 1-2 utility creatures every turn without additional mana investment ain't half bad. If you start getting into Sneak Attack silliness, you are looking at giving -4/-4 to one creature and -1/-1 to another (or the same one if you're so inclined) as many times as you want for only RR.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I generally think of reanimator cards and recursion cards as having different functions. Reanimator cards are specifically a win condition. Someone tosses It That Betrays on the battlefield early on, the game's over.
Conversely, there are times when I would rather just hardcast something. Usually that would be x-cost creatures or creatures with kicker. Or the ETB trigger is something I want to use later (or even something with flash where I just want a rattlesnake).
On phasing:
It's legendary and says "draw a card" so it's probably a really fun commander.
Looks like a strong option there. Potentially creatureless control? He beats down pretty hard on his own.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Edit:added rest of my thoughts
amazingly epic sig courtesy of DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Planes.
I've seen a Scorpion God deck with minimal creatures but maximizing destroy effect and black card draw, using TSG's ability only to get more cards. Because TSG goes back to hand after death, global removal becomes relatively painless. It's a rare and fun Rakdos style, people should give TSG a try.
Though I'm using him in my Bolas and Egyptian Gods deck instead of on his own atm.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
I like how it can turn Carnifex Demon and Black Sun's Zenith into a sort of Biomantic Mastery.
On phasing:
Jolt539 on YouTube came up with a good 1v1 list, which could be modified to multiplayer when needed.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Bearscape
Must have in bear tribal. Could be good synergy with random graveyard effects like Deadbridge Chant if you're digging deep for synergies.
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Marath, Will of the Wild
Friendly Kess Twin Combo
Tatyova - Sir Bounce A Lot
Gonti's Luxury Pie
Prime (Eldrazi) Speaker Zegana (Retired)
Yeah, I'm pretty sure the most recent bear we've gotten is Bruse Tarl.
I would probably not use it in Tasigur, mostly because I'd probably be busy using Tasigur's delve ability.
On phasing:
Eh, it helps you ensure that you get exactly what you want from Tasigur. So does his delve, but having options is nice.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Okay, now that that's out of my system, I will just say that I prefer Night Soil. Cheaper cost for both casting and activation, can hose opponents' graveyards, and the tokens are a more useful creature type. Sure the token is smaller and you need to remove creature cards, but generally the total number of creatures in my opponents' graveyards is going to be larger than the number of non-creatures in mine.
Not that black is short of sac outlets, but I never underestimate a free sac outlet. Snipe an indestructible creature before you get boardwiped.
It's not that this isn't good, it's just that I've never really had anywhere specific to use it. I just feel like there's better sac outlets and better ways to nuke creatures. That's just me though, I could be underselling this.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.