MTG Salvation

I love both frames but I think the new frame is preferable for a number of reasons. It's clearer, simpler, and doesn't look outdated to potential new players. I think the future sight frame is hideous and makes no sense as a general purpose frame. It always looked to me like a scope or screen showing the future, not as a real potential future frame.

On topic, the demon is powerful but I don't think I'll run it. It seems too narrow and I don't support a pox theme.

Quote from MrDumpkins

This guy having six toughness makes me think a card like brimstone volley is on their radar, and they didn't want him to die to it. Sort of like how Yeva was a 4/5 in the DoTP game because they didn't want her to die to flame slash (which they had in the core set but removed it due to snapcaster, but happened after the game was finalized). So I'm expecting a good burn spell. Or a good baneslayer esque creature (can't be baneslayer since it's already protected so the 6 toughness is irrelevant against it.)

Looks like I'm most likely going to be wrong in this prediction. With this card spoiled we know why he has 6 toughness and needs 6 creatures in the yard.

Shadowborn Apostle
B
Creature-Human Cleric
A deck can have any number of cards named Shadowborn Apostle.
B, sacrifice six creatures named Shadowborn Apostle: Search your library for a demon creature and put it onto the battlefield.
1/1

Am I missing something? I would rather run Shriekmaw or any of the other 4 drop ETB terrors. The downside seems steep compared to the non-demon targeting restrictions - how many black decks will have 6 creatures in the yard by turn 5 (or earlier)? I feel like creatures on the board is harder to keep around than a mana upkeep cost.

It's not about having 6 creatures in the graveyard. It's a 5/6 flying for 5 that murders a creature when it comes into play. Dropping a small creature or two to be able to bash for 10 before it goes away is well worth the sac drawback. Particularly in cubes that support a Pox/Stax package and have lots of recursive threats, which he is really good with.

That seems like the same logic that lead people to believe that Falkenrath Aristocrat was not strong because you may not have Humans in play. It's merely a bonus on an otherwise strong card.

"Worst" Case Scenario:
3BB:
Destroy target non-Demon Creature. On your opponent's next combat phase, one attacking creature deals no combat damage and takes 5 damage.

Did a little bit of testing and it seems to perform like a bigger Bone Shredder (with corresponding pluses and minuses, although I found was paying the "echo" more on the demon than Bone Shredder.) It isn't as safe as something like Bone Shredder but I'm really liking its ability to essentially trade small guys for 5 flying damage once you got value out of its Murder mode.

It's a small sample size, but I'm liking it so far, but I'll seed it into the packs for a draft on Tuesday and will report on how it plays out.

Having noticed how sparse my black five drop section is - just Shriekmaw, who isn't even always a five-drop - the likelihood is that I'll be testing this come M14 time.

I suspect this card exists because they don't know how to make mono-black midrange viable without being overpowered, and they're specifically hating mono-black control deck build with it.
It basically reads
3BB
Flying
When ~ come into play murder target non-demon creature
This cannot be used in Mono black control builds
5/6

So you really to find a way to use it in a B/x control build, likely with some token generator, shouldn't be too hard.
I mean: Kill a dude, kill a dude, kill a dude, Sorin: make a dude , Demon. ...make a dude.

I had been thinking since RTR day one with jund how powerful Skinrender would be in this enviorn right now.
Necrkataal
Shriekmaw
Faceless butcher would be okay too
But yeah From what I can tell the devs are pretty sketchy about what they print in black... This cards not good... "in a bubble".
It only "Decent" on it own...
but if they print a second guy for cheaper who murders.... that might make a deck.

I play a lot of B/X decks with token generators and recursive threats, so a big Murder on a stick that can bash hard and provide good blocks is a-okay with me.

That is, unless they print a better 5-drop at the same time.

I already run a small Pox package with Reassembling Skeleton, who has exceeded all expectations. I have been thinking of trying out Stinkweed Imp. 5 mana is a lot for a true Pox deck, but it might work.

Seems like it would be fun with abyssal persecutor maybe.

This guys drawback can be totally abused in the right deck.

Example: Cast him with < 6 creatures in your yard and no other creatures on the field. You have an awesome blocker for a turn and you just killed on of their duders. He dies to his own ability and you reanimate with one of blacks many many ways to do that. BOOM. You've killed two of their guys and have a blocker that at this point they probably wont be able to get past.

I really like this card's potential.

Being able to sack himself... is nuts in black in the cube. Love this guy in black/white token/pox builds. Or even in a survival deck. Just awesome.

I would definitely play this card. 187 creatures is one of the best things black does.

Any play reports on this guy yet?

My question is whether this is better than Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief

It is quite a bit better than Drana. Following some testing, I've been very impressed with the Demon in a lacklustre black five slot. The worst case scenario of Murder plus a safe combat phase is often just what is needed, and the option to lose irrelevant creatures to keep a huge beatstick is great. The 5/6 aerial threat is super hard to block profitably; the 6th toughness makes a surpising difference given the amount of 5/xs and 3/x + Swords or Bonespiltters running around.

I'm going to give this guy a shot. I don't want to drop Ob Nixilis for him because I love his value in Crucible/Strip Mine type decks. I like Kokusho but I feel I'll get a lot more value out of the demon.

Remember lads: He survives wildfire! GO DEEP

But then that kills off all the little creatures you'd want to sacrifice to it to keep it alive.

Quote from wtwlf123

But then that kills off all the little creatures you'd want to sacrifice to it to keep it alive.

If you kill enough little creatures the demon's perfectly happy.

Jund Wildfire + This guy + Mana Dorks. They'll all die to the wildfire anyways!

You don't need to spam mana dorks or Wildfire effects (?) for this guy to be good. You just need a bunch of any low cost creatures and a solid midrange or aggro-midrange gameplan. I'm really happy how he's tested so far and for those cards mentioned, I'd happily run him over Ob Nix and especially Kokusho, who is looking pretty outdated these days for cube purposes.

Quote from "[TJS »

Dandy_Lions;10250125']Remember lads: He survives wildfire! GO DEEP

This actually really makes me want to include him (I was on the edge of inclusion anyways...) as I have just put wildfire into the cube and so few creatures we already have survive it.