This thing isn't fragile, so you can attack to tap it and then untap it for the utility. It's really expensive, perhaps too much so to be a contributor outside of casual. He could definitely break a stalemate in limited.
God_of_Destruction
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(5 votes)
I love this card, though a little pricey for 7 mana, still does what hatred really means...
BDragon123
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I personally like Arcane Teachings on this bad boy over Viridian Longbow or Paradise Mantle. The Lightning Greaves, however, are a great idea. :) Overall a very good card. 7 mana might be a BIT much, until you really think about the fact that you can untap it to deal 5+ damage.
metalevolence
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
has a huge presence on the board, and has "hate" on it for bonus points. timmy-licious goodtimes ensue; one of my favorite casual cards.
@Darkfury: I think you've got 'shroud' confused with 'protection'. If a creature has an enchantment on it (or an equipment) and gains shroud, the enchantment doesn't fall off. The creature can't be targeted by any enchantments that are played later, but whatever is on before the shroud effect resolves stays on.
This is different from protection. If a creature gains protection from red, any red enchantments it has will fall off. This is not true of equipment- any equipment that a creature has on it will remain, no matter what type of Protection the creature gains.
So getting Arcane Teachings, then putting the greaves on makes for a powerful combo.
KarmasPayment
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
The flavor text is pure epic.
darkcider
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
also think of it as dealing -5-5 counters...read the wording beneath wither closely then the activation cost :)
ragegoblin13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i like this card.i use it as a three part combo thou..Magus of the Arena and Kusari-Gama ..i play them in a red/black deck and have a ton of mana abilities..i have a Soul Collector and Kumano,Master Yamabushi my deck works well and gets the high powered creatures out fast..if mana isnt an issue id recommend having these guys in a red black deck anyday
Exart
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Why give him such modest tap abilities? How about Elemental Mastery? This combo rocks so hard in casual. Combine with Primal Forcemage or In the Web of War and proceed to deal fuckloads of damage while Hateflayer takes care of anything nasty on the other side of the board.
thrallallmighty
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wery cool card,it is expensive but its realy wery good you attack wit him and then untap him and deal 5 damege to somone or put 5 -1-1 counters on target creature
@RowanKeltizar Oh my god.. Splinter twin? seriously? Did you work for the japanese torture comitee or something? Ugh thats just depressing.. this card is phenomenal by itself, it can attack, then throw some damage out, and theeen block.. but with splinter twin.. ugh... easy game winner byebye
Tommy9898
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
He attacked with it, I double blocked. He tried to untap it, I snakeformed. He used a pump spell after it resolved, I used another snakeform. God the prerelease was fun.
now, im going to say Banishing Knack is the worst card on this list for our big cuddly ball of death here, because it doesnt directly involve a red win condition. sure it opens the door for unrelenting siege, but Hateflayer can use some help along the lines of defense or damage, because that isnt exactly the cheapest of untap costs.
kiseki
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Preface: if you believe, like Schlock, that there is no such thing as "overkill", then skip this post. I prefer Kyren Negotiations and even Bramblesnap over those other combos. These are easier to build synergistic decks around. If someone Terrors your 'Flayer, you are only down one half of your combo. And since you can play the negotiations first, there will be more mana available to mess with the Hateflayer when it no longer has summoning sickness. Lets be reasonable: if you have a free tapping effect with a 'Flayer out, is your opponent really concerned with how potent it is? The other cards are more powerful in a vacuum, but I will sacrifice a small amount of power for better synergy and tempo.
ROBRAM89
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Arcane Teachings = "2R: Choose one - Put seven -1/-1 counters on target creature, then put one -1/-1 counter on target creature; OR deal 8 damage to target player."
Tap Hateflayer to add 1 mana to your mana pool, pay 1 mana and untap to add +2/+2, tap again to add another mana, then pay 1 mana and untap to deal 7 damage. Repeat, adding +2 damage every time (7 -> 9 -> 11 -> 13, etc.)
endersblade
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Arcane Teachings is really the way to go. Sure, it's mana intensive. But the turn after you drop the flayer, you can drop teachings on it and use flayer's ability at least once (depending on the type of mana ramp you're doing). That's 7, minimum, directly to your opponent's face. Or, you could tap it for 1, Untap it for 7, then swing with it for either 7 more to the face, or -7/-7 to a creature or two of his. This guy can get extremely ugly, extremely fast. He's the main focus of my red elemental deck.
This card is amazing because a) it's already pretty good on its own and b) it's a pretty amazing combo piece.
a) on its own, it's a 5/5 with wither for 7. When it attacks (and you always want to attack with it), you wait to see how blockers are assigned. If it becomes blocked, just pay 2R and untap it to blast the blocker (with wither damage nonetheless) so Hateflayer will probably survive combat - even if it was blocked by a darksteel colossus, it shrinks it to a 1/1. If it goes unblocked, you can still have it either blast any creature your opponent may have or punch him in the face. AND, the best ting is, it can still block next turn, so it has pseudo-vigilance.
Good 'ol hateflayer. Keep on flaying' hate and I'll keep loving you.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ohohoho this is awesomesauce. Tap abilities are everywhere, UNTAP abilities are few and far between, especially ones as awesome as this. Five damage is a lot, especially with Wither, and this thing can both attack AND lash you in the same turn. Of course 7 mana is a lot, especially for red, but the awesome effects are probably worth it.
Comments (35)
This is different from protection. If a creature gains protection from red, any red enchantments it has will fall off. This is not true of equipment- any equipment that a creature has on it will remain, no matter what type of Protection the creature gains.
So getting Arcane Teachings, then putting the greaves on makes for a powerful combo.
you attack wit him and then untap him and deal 5 damege to somone or put 5 -1-1 counters on target creature
Paradise Mantle
Splinter Twin
Elemental Mastery
Quicksilver Dagger
Viridian Longbow
Fire Whip
Power of Fire
Lavamancer's Skill
Banishing Knack
other awesomeness:
Lightning Greaves
Loxodon Warhammer
Basilisk Collar
Quietus Spike/Gorgon Flail
Fireshrieker
Grappling Hook
Friends:
Heartstone
Training Grounds
now, im going to say Banishing Knack is the worst card on this list for our big cuddly ball of death here, because it doesnt directly involve a red win condition. sure it opens the door for unrelenting siege, but Hateflayer can use some help along the lines of defense or damage, because that isnt exactly the cheapest of untap costs.
I prefer Kyren Negotiations and even Bramblesnap over those other combos. These are easier to build synergistic decks around. If someone Terrors your 'Flayer, you are only down one half of your combo. And since you can play the negotiations first, there will be more mana available to mess with the Hateflayer when it no longer has summoning sickness.
Lets be reasonable: if you have a free tapping effect with a 'Flayer out, is your opponent really concerned with how potent it is?
The other cards are more powerful in a vacuum, but I will sacrifice a small amount of power for better synergy and tempo.
Tap Hateflayer to add 1 mana to your mana pool, pay 1 mana and untap to add +2/+2, tap again to add another mana, then pay 1 mana and untap to deal 7 damage. Repeat, adding +2 damage every time (7 -> 9 -> 11 -> 13, etc.)
Also, Elemental Mastery + Phyrexian Altar on this guy makes for an easy win.
a) on its own, it's a 5/5 with wither for 7. When it attacks (and you always want to attack with it), you wait to see how blockers are assigned. If it becomes blocked, just pay 2R and untap it to blast the blocker (with wither damage nonetheless) so Hateflayer will probably survive combat - even if it was blocked by a darksteel colossus, it shrinks it to a 1/1. If it goes unblocked, you can still have it either blast any creature your opponent may have or punch him in the face. AND, the best ting is, it can still block next turn, so it has pseudo-vigilance.
b) in a combo... Possible ones are Arcane Teachings, Training Grounds, Rings of Brighthearth... Possibilities are endless.
Good 'ol hateflayer. Keep on flaying' hate and I'll keep loving you.
Flayer of the Hatebound
Throw in Izzet Guildmage and some burn spells/counterspells/removal (or infinite combo choices) for good measure. If you want a party, throw in Rakka Mar and Intruder Alarm.
SO many ways to win... perhaps not in a competitive scene; but it would be oh so fun to try.