The effect sounds so appealing for a rat tribal. The mana cost, unfortunately, does not. Yet as Pohl said, this still proofs quite useful with cards that replenish your life, like Tainted Sigil or Children of Korlis.
Forgeling
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Sun Droplets, Tainted Sigil and Children of Korlis don't work with this. notice it says PAY life.
inmypants22
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Best token engine that makes 1/1 that you need to pay life for. Ok not really.
UltimaCenturion
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I must wonder if this creates an infinite combo with the one card (I really can't remember what its called!) that gives you 1 life every time a creature comes into play. :D If you run extended with this, you can also run Dark Ritual, as to make it easier to play.
holgir
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
@Forgeling: Sun Droplet doesn't get counters, but Tainted Sigil and Children of Korlis do work (paid life equals lost life).
@UltimaCenturion: This is no infinite combo with Soul Warden or Essence Warden because the rats aren't put into play one by one but all at once as soon as no one wants to spend any more life (and you can't spend more life than you actually have, not with Platinum Angel out either).
poopooparty
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
A couple of hissing iguanars and deathgreeters out with a vampire aristocrat make this card sort of worth playing. Pay 10 life for 10 rats, sac em' right away 20 life back to you 20 damage to opponent
Horrendously overcosted. Would have been fun, if not always practical, at a more decent cost.
HairlessThoctar
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
So stupidly fun in multiplayer. Or in any casual life-gain decks.
donjohnson
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Good late game if youre life is higher. Either your opponent wont risk the life and you have a few extra attackers/blockers or they cant resist getting some tokens and make it easier to take them out.
Ameisenmeister
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think with Soul Warden you could pay ten billion life and get them back immediately.
Edit: Nope, I was wrong. The card says "pay" therefore you can't pay more life than you have.
__Silence__
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have a quick question about this... could you use it with Lich's Tomb to get your life to 0 and just sac the rat each time then use Repay in Kind
In a multiplayer game I played this and then next turn dropped massacre wurm it killed both my opponents.
TheLionsMane
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This reminds me of Join Forces, a mechanic that came out with the Commander decks. Mana-Charged Dragon is the only one I can think of right now. Maybe this gave them the idea.
Diabloboy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i love this card. i run it in a casual LifeGain deck as a possible finisher. After a Beacon of Immortality or 2 and other lifegain then just drop a ton of extra life and kill ur opponent next turn despite how much he paid
Domak
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Wouldn't having a single card out like essence warden mean I get infinite rats? Seems ridiculous.
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use this to get a ridiculous amount of rats with Marrow-Gnawer.
NuckChorris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why can't Wizards ever make one of these weird cards that puts a fun spin on the game competitive? This card would look great with in the top right.
Ferlord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
to all those who say, "infinite rats because of Soul Warden", here's an example of what would happen, using Johnny, Timmy, and Spike as our players:
Spike plays the card, and pays 12 life. Johnny wants something, so he pays 6 life. Timmy doesn't care much, so he just pays 1 life. Spike can now pay more life if he wants. He pays an extra 5 life, totaling 17 life. Johnny has had enough of this, and pays no life.
The card's first effect is over. Spike lost 17 life, Johnny lost 6 life, and Timmy lost 1 life. Now, the second part of the card activates. Spike gets 17 1/1 black rats, Johnny gets 6 1/1s, and Timmy gets a 1/1.
The card is now in the graveyard, the effect is over, and you can't pay anymore life.
You don't get your rats immediately after you've paid the life, so Soul Warden doesn't give you infinite rats.
However, if Soul Warden were out, she'd negate the life you paid, plus add what your opponents got.
Goatllama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Look at that disgusting vermin! Oh, and those are some big rats, too.
Buderus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
There is no next round after this card, if you play it you should instantly win.
You have the advantage to prepare your deck for this situtation, soul sisters for instance to get the lost life back. Haste, all the "creature enter/leaves battlefield - get damage" cards, and even direct burn (if enemy spends 17 Life for rats just bolt him).
I see this in an rwb deck, accelerate with seething song and dark ritual and stabalize with white
i keep a few rotating 'why not?' slots open in my rat deck(read: pack rat deck) for cards just like this one. i could see it being a fun card to hit the table later on in multi-player, and if the mana isn't there, an easy choice for discard to make more pack rats. you want an awesome combo? pay three or four life, and let the pack rats enjoy the boost. or marrow-gnawer. or let your opponents cash in and then drop a pestilence rats. this one won't necessarily win you the game, but it'll make getting there fun, and that's why you're playing in the first place.
Comments (31)
Yet as Pohl said, this still proofs quite useful with cards that replenish your life, like Tainted Sigil or Children of Korlis.
If you run extended with this, you can also run Dark Ritual, as to make it easier to play.
@UltimaCenturion: This is no infinite combo with Soul Warden or Essence Warden because the rats aren't put into play one by one but all at once as soon as no one wants to spend any more life (and you can't spend more life than you actually have, not with Platinum Angel out either).
Or in any casual life-gain decks.
Either your opponent wont risk the life and you have a few extra attackers/blockers or they cant resist getting some tokens and make it easier to take them out.
Edit: Nope, I was wrong. The card says "pay" therefore you can't pay more life than you have.
It's funny because suture priest!
Spike plays the card, and pays 12 life.
Johnny wants something, so he pays 6 life.
Timmy doesn't care much, so he just pays 1 life.
Spike can now pay more life if he wants. He pays an extra 5 life, totaling 17 life.
Johnny has had enough of this, and pays no life.
The card's first effect is over. Spike lost 17 life, Johnny lost 6 life, and Timmy lost 1 life.
Now, the second part of the card activates.
Spike gets 17 1/1 black rats, Johnny gets 6 1/1s, and Timmy gets a 1/1.
The card is now in the graveyard, the effect is over, and you can't pay anymore life.
You don't get your rats immediately after you've paid the life, so Soul Warden doesn't give you infinite rats.
However, if Soul Warden were out, she'd negate the life you paid, plus add what your opponents got.
You have the advantage to prepare your deck for this situtation, soul sisters for instance to get the lost life back. Haste, all the "creature enter/leaves battlefield - get damage" cards, and even direct burn (if enemy spends 17 Life for rats just bolt him).
I see this in an rwb deck, accelerate with seething song and dark ritual and stabalize with white