At the beginning of your precombat main phase, choose one or more -
· Sell Contraband - Create a Treasure token. You lose 1 life.
· Buy Information - Draw a card. You lose 2 life.
· Hire a Mercenary - Create a 3/2 colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling. You lose 3 life.
Pseudo Black Market Tycoon+Phyrexian Arena+Bitterblossom, all wrapped up in one. While the mana cost isn't particularly steep, the life loss is unpreventable and much steeper than it's previously mentioned contemporaries. With that said, the value is immense, and the card pays for itself almost immediately, both in terms of mana and cards. Card looks very versatile, and while it will almost always get sideboarded out vs aggressive decks, I could see this get played in aggressive decks, midrange decks, a variety of combo decks, and even some control decks in matchups where they might need some acceleration and card draw.
Also worth noting, you get to pick your poisons after already drawing your first card for the turn, allowing you to make a more informed decision. The card does suffer from being a pretty middling topdeck, especially when behind. I do personally really like that you can cast your off color 7-drop fatties on turn 5 in reanimator decks with this card as a backup plan, and that it's castable on turn 2 off of a mana dork. Definitely a test for us.
I've wanted more black lifegain for a long time and this card makes me want it even more.
If you can gain a lot of life, the card is very good. A lotus petal and a card a turn is a fantastic rate.
The problem is black has so many good cards that deals small amounts of damage to you that the life loss really start to add up. Not even being able to shut it off is a problem too.
Not sure how I feel about it overall. The lifeloss is unprecedently high as is the value generated for it's cost.
I'm thinking of sylvan library, which I commonly pay 4-8 life for.. but it's in a color with much less life loss and much more life gain.
I love everything it does, and I like how skill intensive it is. But it's super durdly, and when a durdly card costs a lot of life, aggro decks tear you to shreds for it.
Thinking about this card reminds me of how much I love Pestilence, which gets around the life toll by dominating the board in a way this can't. Like a pestilence deck, you'll be scrambling for any life gain. Unlike with pestilence, a white deck with a lot of life gain can simply splash this card for goodstuff.
Seems like a lot of work and life for a Llanowar Visionary. Seems cool for EDH if you’re into Phyrexian Arena, but the life loss is too much for me in 1v1 and it seems pretty slow too.
Pretty confident this would make it as end step, but having to wait a while turn for rebate/blocker bites. It is still a lot of value in the right matchups but I think your life total will be a bit too constrained a bit too often.
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I primarily play limited, so most of my spoiler season comments view cards through that lens.
I think this is too slow, same as Phyrexian Arena, unless you are really leaning into paying a lot of life. A little too much suicide in my Suicide Black. It's a very cool design though.
Black Market Connections
Enchantment
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, choose one or more -
· Sell Contraband - Create a Treasure token. You lose 1 life.
· Buy Information - Draw a card. You lose 2 life.
· Hire a Mercenary - Create a 3/2 colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling. You lose 3 life.
Pseudo Black Market Tycoon+Phyrexian Arena+Bitterblossom, all wrapped up in one. While the mana cost isn't particularly steep, the life loss is unpreventable and much steeper than it's previously mentioned contemporaries. With that said, the value is immense, and the card pays for itself almost immediately, both in terms of mana and cards. Card looks very versatile, and while it will almost always get sideboarded out vs aggressive decks, I could see this get played in aggressive decks, midrange decks, a variety of combo decks, and even some control decks in matchups where they might need some acceleration and card draw.
Also worth noting, you get to pick your poisons after already drawing your first card for the turn, allowing you to make a more informed decision. The card does suffer from being a pretty middling topdeck, especially when behind. I do personally really like that you can cast your off color 7-drop fatties on turn 5 in reanimator decks with this card as a backup plan, and that it's castable on turn 2 off of a mana dork. Definitely a test for us.
I've wanted more black lifegain for a long time and this card makes me want it even more.
If you can gain a lot of life, the card is very good. A lotus petal and a card a turn is a fantastic rate.
The problem is black has so many good cards that deals small amounts of damage to you that the life loss really start to add up. Not even being able to shut it off is a problem too.
Not sure how I feel about it overall. The lifeloss is unprecedently high as is the value generated for it's cost.
I'm thinking of sylvan library, which I commonly pay 4-8 life for.. but it's in a color with much less life loss and much more life gain.
Last Updated 02/07/24
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Thinking about this card reminds me of how much I love Pestilence, which gets around the life toll by dominating the board in a way this can't. Like a pestilence deck, you'll be scrambling for any life gain. Unlike with pestilence, a white deck with a lot of life gain can simply splash this card for goodstuff.
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On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms: