Hidden Horror has good stats and looks cost-efficient. However, in an environment without black acceleration, most of time it will require you to hold in your hand a cheaper creature that could have been played the turn before, making the drawback akin to sacrificing board position. It also has a tendency of becoming a dead draw later. For reanimation decks, it's usually inferior to creatures that allow you to discard cards repeatly, like vampire hounds or Oona's Prowler. Play it in decks with card drawing, as playing it will cost you two cards.
Yup. This guy, + unearth is quite something. With Grave Pact, the creature you sacrifice to put Hidden Horror in play will force all other players to sacrifice a creature as well, so it mitigates the draw back. As Dr. Jones said, play in a deck in which sacrifices pays you off, and that makes you draw (Gempalm Polluter, Unearth, Infernal Tribute, etc.).
Madrai
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
He's very good in reanimation decks, especially in casual.
Turn 1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Hidden Horror and discard a nice fat cow. Turn 2: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Zombify the cow. Turn 3: Profit.
Seen it happen before, and it's rather annoying. Of course, dark rituals just make anything easier.
Tynansdtm
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'd usually rather play Putrid Raptor, but then again I play lots of Zombies. Still, though, Putrid Raptor can be dropped for , instead of (good for a Grixis deck perhaps?), it's a 2/2 instead of being sacrificed, and the discard can wait until you're ready. Only advantage of this one is that it doesn't have to be a Zombie. You can't even reanimate this unless you have a creature in hand, and you can do that with the Raptor.
@carnophage_4ever: You don't sacrifice another creature to it. You discard it. Grave Pact won't trigger.
Mickacabra
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Turn 1: Dark Ritual into Hidden Horror, discard Vengevine. Cast Kobolds of Kher Keep, get back Vengevine. Swing for 4. Turn 2: Swing for 8. Turn 3: Win.
ROBRAM89
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Why is this not rated higher? It's a 4/4 for 1BB with a positive ability in any deck that would play it and a 1BB 4/4 with a slight drawback even for decks that have no business running it.
Discard Big Game Hunter to Hidden Horror, pay Madness cost, target Hidden Horror for destruction.
"I found it!"
Laguz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'll cast dark ritual, play this, discard a basking rootwalla, and swing for 7 on turn two. Yup...that's what i'll do. Yup. Uh huh.
jfre81
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
So, to get a 4/4 on first turn with Dark Ritual that has no drawbacks after the startup costs, I need to discard something for Liliana Vess to bring to life later. You know what, that sounds acceptable. Deal.
Guest1381794618
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'd love to see this guy make a return for Dark Ascension or "Roll". Fits both the flavor and mechanics of the set like a glove.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He's taking a dirt nap. In a less conventional sense
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
...Wow. Simply wow. This thing is the epitome of this archetype. Cheap beater with a "drawback" and a lack of any sort of evasion, at least as a default. I love it. So beautiful.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
OH NO, I have to discard a creature card? WHAT A DISAS- Unburial Rites
Comments (18)
awsome?
Turn 1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Hidden Horror and discard a nice fat cow.
Turn 2: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Zombify the cow.
Turn 3: Profit.
Seen it happen before, and it's rather annoying. Of course, dark rituals just make anything easier.
@carnophage_4ever: You don't sacrifice another creature to it. You discard it. Grave Pact won't trigger.
Turn 2: Swing for 8.
Turn 3: Win.
thank you for curving nicely into zombify/dread return!
"I found it!"