To much mana needs to be invested before abuse starts to click. 4B for one card 1-1/2 turns later? (Three to cast, one for upkeep) Better cards for Black if card draw's required...
Keegan__
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It's good with Donate + Underworld Dreams or Æther Snap, but yes, there are better black draw cards.
Elysiume
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
So if you keep it up for 5 turns, you pay a total of 18 (3+1+2+3+4+5) mana for it, and get 15 cards. Then you lose 10 life. Most times it will only get to 3 or so counters if you want to be casting any spells, but it still seems pretty cool and interesting.
themicronaut
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Awesome card on a marginal card. I know that they wouldnt reprint a card with the power of Necropotence but this thing is a stinker.
i think the best of use for this is for a black red storm, but you better be packing 4 dark rits and tons of red accel. might work however. and vampire hexmage works. but hey if you take 18, but win that turn, still worth it. maybe use braids of fire with it too
Tommy9898
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I do like the clever design space for using cmulative upkeep. It's the only upkeep card that doesn't do anything else its only there for the counters. Also, Vedalken Mastermind in case you ever have the need to try and use this card.
Malnourished_Student
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Perhaps use Vampire Hexmage to clear the age counters off before letting it die?
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I'd say the safest card to use with it would be Erase.
Kirbster
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Let it build up a couple counters then throw down Eon Hub.
What a neat take on fixing Necropotence. Instead of paying life for cards directly, the player is slightly handicapped by the size of their manabase and has to balance the upkeep cost with casting spells to maintain tempo. That being said, there are some amazing combos with this card. I think I might want a playset, and I don't even play mono black.
Belz_
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@Vedalken_Arbiter: You do realise, of course, that Braid of Fire produces red mana, yes ?
scumbling1
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
"@Vedalken_Arbiter: You do realise, of course, that Braid of Fire produces red mana, yes ?"
You do realize that Agent of Stromgald converts red mana to black, yes?
metalevolence
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
You can just bounce it.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The simple solution seems to be to bounce it once it gets too big...
Fireballmage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Bazaar Trader makes the drawback a lot easier to handle. :D
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As with most suicide black cards, has to be very carefully managed, but the advantages are worth it, especially if you have some way to turn all of those dead cards in your hand into fuel.
As a side note, a rather fitting method of maintaining the etchings at the level you want would be the new Hex Parasite. It even has mana and life pay for its effect.
ParishInquisitor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like the idea of one Phyrexian innovation mitigating the drawback to another. I put this into my mono-black EDH in place of Necropotence. I feel this is more balanced; every time I played necro I won too easily.
Comments (24)
Also, Vedalken Mastermind in case you ever have the need to try and use this card.
T2: Land, Braid of Fire
T3: Land, Phyrexian Etchings
T4: ?????
T5: Profit
You do realize that Agent of Stromgald converts red mana to black, yes?
As a side note, a rather fitting method of maintaining the etchings at the level you want would be the new Hex Parasite. It even has mana and life pay for its effect.