MTG Salvation

Ophiomancer 2B

Creature — Human Shaman
At the beginning of each upkeep, if you control no Snakes, put a 1/1 black Snake creature token with deathtouch onto the battlefield.

2/2


I think this card is worth discussing. While he can't make more than 1 snake at a time he can do so each upkeep, so if they don't answer him at instant speed it's three power for 3 mana over two bodies. One of those bodies is an awesome blocker, and will replace itself by the time you untap if it dies. I think this card could play really well in the ever popular pox/braids/smokestack deck, as well as a good ground mucker in B/x control builds.

I want to test him. What do you guys think?

EDIT: He would also play really well with Curse of Shallow Graves

I generally like these type of cards, I think this one will play out a lot like Xanthrid Necromancer. A card that is cubeable, I am running it, but is probably for larger cubes.

I may try this, along with the new curse. I fear it is just to slow. If they aren't aggro they kind of ignore it and let you have one dude, if they are are aggro they blow it up. And it feels really slow when you are behind because you are waiting until your next turn to get the blocker you need.

Quote from dschumm

I generally like these type of cards, I think this one will play out a lot like Xanthrid Necromancer. A card that is cubeable, I am running it, but is probably for larger cubes.

I may try this, along with the new curse. I fear it is just to slow. If they aren't aggro they kind of ignore it and let you have one dude, if they are are aggro they blow it up. And it feels really slow when you are behind because you are waiting until your next turn to get the blocker you need.

He makes tokens each upkeep, so you are going to get the blocker you need if he lives until their upkeep.

I love the flavor, and he's cute. I don't know that he pushes out any of black's other three-drops. At a certain point cube is just full of incredible cards, and it takes a very pushed card to make its way in.

Seems really fun with Skullclamp. Getting the blocker on their upkeep is sweet, and allows you to use it to feed Braids/Smokestack more reliably. I'm definitely going to consider this guy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this isn't actually all that great with Smokestack and Braids. On upkeep, it won't trigger at all if you have a snake. You don't get the opportunity to stack the triggers so you sacrifice a snake first to braids, and then get a new snake to replace him, because the trigger won't happen, since you control a snake.

EDIT: Didn't realize I got the token on their upkeep. Makes sense now.

Ya, it gets a token on each upkeep, so you should always have one to sacrifice to it.

The title should read 'Ophiomancer'. Ophio- is a Greek prefix pertaining to ophis, meaning 'awesomeness'.

This guy is also really good. He's a sick, sick defender, always providing you with a 1/1 deathtouch in every upkeep, and it's brutal with sacrifice effects and a ton of other stuff.

If this guy and Curse of Shallow Graves test well, I'll likely reconsider adding Carrion Feeder.

The title should read 'Ophiomancer'

My bad for the typo. Is there any way to fix that?

Man. Pox is making out like a champ here. Just make it a zombie shaman!

One slight downside is the art for this card is a little weak, imo.

Wow! For a guy running pox and tokens...this is an auto include. He makes DEATHTOUCH tokens and makes double the amount you would expect. You can grow an army AND sac every turn to the abyss or braids. He does die to almost all removal but hey, you will probably at least get a 1/1 deathtouch on the card's worst day. God forbid your opponent doesn't have removal in their hand.

Quote from shredguitar7690

Wow! For a guy running pox and tokens...this is an auto include. He makes DEATHTOUCH tokens and makes double the amount you would expect. You can grow an army AND sac every turn to the abyss or braids. He does die to almost all removal but hey, you will probably at least get a 1/1 deathtouch on the card's worst day. God forbid your opponent doesn't have removal in their hand.

You can't grow an army per se. Only one snake at a time. I still think that's pretty good

You can still slowly grow an army since you get two snakes for each set of turns, one on your opponent's upkeep and another on your own, while Abyss and Braids only kill a snake on your own turn.

Ophiomancer 2B

Creature — Human Shaman
At the beginning of each upkeep, if you control no Snakes, put a 1/1 black Snake creature token with deathtouch onto the battlefield.

2/2

You can only have one snake at a time, unless I'm grossly misinterpreting this card.

I don't think you'd ever get two snakes, since the trigger will see that you already have a snake and so you won't get a second. I would think you could stack the triggers in combo with Smokestack or something, though. I'm no rules guru, but I would think that it would trigger, check to see if you already have a snake in play and then either give you a snake or do nothing. Not triggering at all doesn't make sense to me, but then again there are quite a few rulings in Magic that don't make sense to me.

With all that said, I really like this card and will probably at least give a test. It goes really nice into the Pox attrition list and I'll take all the support for that deck that I can get.

I didn't read each upkeep. That makes a HUGE difference. Considering Skullclamp is an autopick for me no matter what else is in a pack, and I laugh maniacally every time I do, we have reached win with this card.

And yes play Carrion Feeder. He is very good and just getting better. With so much removal in cube he was already picking up free counters all over the place. 2 new token makers in this set?! nutz!??!

Is is weird that I want to play Bad Moon now? Are there any better black Anthems, or more carrion feeders I am missing?

Quote from noshadowkick

You can only have one snake at a time, unless I'm grossly misinterpreting this card.

You are right.

What I want to do now that I know it triggers each upkeep is throw all those snakes at my opponent with Goblin Bombardment or Blasting Station. Yay, fun times!

I share dschumm's enthusiasm about this card

Quote from Konfusius

You are right.

What I want to do now that I know it triggers each upkeep is throw all those snakes at my opponent with Goblin Bombardment or Blasting Station. Yay, fun times!

I've actually thought long and hard about Mortarpod. More expensive to use but tapping is for wussies.

And for everyone thinking of adding in more ways to kill their own creatures. Please add Abyssal Persecutor he misses you.

This is going to be an obnoxious card to see on the other side of the board. I mean, a 1/1 deathtouch blocker can hold the fort pretty well, and it will just keep coming back. Yes, the main body can be removed, but it will still use a token to trade with a good creature, so even at its worst, this guy looks like a 2B investment that will eat a removal spell and trade the snake for a better creature in combat. And that's if you can't take advantage of the token generation.

Woop! Totally missed the "if you control no snakes" part. But on the plus side, for pox, you would rarely have to worry about having to sac one of your important creatures. I guess I'm not completely sold on this for a token deck now that I read it better though since it only provides decent value when you have a sac outlet. I want to include this card but I am wary on including cards that fit one archtype and are duds for others. How do you all think this card would fare in decks OTHER THAN pox?

Also for pox, is this better in the 3 drop slot than nether spirit?

It's a fine card. It'll still be a card advantage generating 3-drop that plays an amazing defensive role for black control decks.

Quote from shredguitar7690

Woop! Totally missed the "if you control no snakes" part. But on the plus side, for pox, you would rarely have to worry about having to sac one of your important creatures. I guess I'm not completely sold on this for a token deck now that I read it better though since it only provides decent value when you have a sac outlet. I want to include this card but I am wary on including cards that fit one archtype and are duds for others. How do you all think this card would fare in decks OTHER THAN pox?

Also for pox, is this better in the 3 drop slot than nether spirit?

This guy looks like good value for any black deck that's not aggro or aggressive midrange, and gets even better with sac effects - or Skullclamp

I've been happy with Attrition in my pox supporting cube so this is an autoinclude for me.