The only real place for this card is in multiplayer, but it looks very fun to play with large groups.
Guest1503904935
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I have been wondering what the erata would be for this card b/c it says (when ever a permenant an opponent controls is put into a graveyard) does that mean from anywhere or only from play? or would it be possible to make them discard a card and if it was a permenant take control of it unless they pay 3 life?
Bozerg
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
I don't think a player can control anything that isn't in play. I think they can "own," but I don't think they can control. You don't "control" cards in the hand, library, graveyard, or out of game zones. I have never seen any card referencing control in a game zone other than "in play." That said, I also can't see any reason to have it worded the way it is (as opposed to "Whenever a permanent an opponent controls is put into a graveyard from play") except as a way to save text space on the card.
Arvesius
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(10 votes)
I think the "from play" clause was left out because it is not needed; permanents by definition are cards that are in play. So cards in the hand, library, graveyard, etc are not permanents, they're just cards.
Demonic_Angel13
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This guy is deadly but the mana cost is a poblematic issue. Wish he was a zombie demon. that would be great.
The_Somnambulist
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I love this card in my deck where the mana comes quickly, despite it being 5 colors (try Shard Convergence) or using Maelstrom Archangel or Mindwrack Liege. I like to use the other cards in my deck to either destroy or even better sacrifice the opponent's creatures to work with this card even on 1-on-1.
I'm surprised that more people haven't thought of playing this card through a Dragon Arch. It doesn't matter what colour deck your playing, you can just throw him in there where you like. In a monoblack deck, I've managed to play him in one turn with a lucky draw (Swamp, 3x Dark Ritual, Dragon Arch, The Prince). Great fun!
What I'd like to know, though: The Prince's ability works on Permanents, which includes Enchantment - Auras. Do they just come into play and do nothing, or can can you pick a target for them?
spoonish
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
im pretty sure that putting the permanent in play under your control is effectively like playing it again. so if it was a creature enchantment, i think you can choose the new target for em..
and i think other 'comes into play' triggers go off as well, right? imprints, cascades, so on?
SuperStuffyDoll
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(7 votes)
Play this card with traumatize and you get half the opponent's library on your side in one turn. It's awesome.
Rafiqofthemany
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(6 votes)
Try Using Tramatize with it. You win the entire game.
defenestrator
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I love this card - I have a Grixis deck called Speed Demon, using losts of mana acceleration (Urza's Filter is surprisingly good, as is Drastic Revelation), but there's a better way to get this into play. Turn two, play Rakdos Carnarium or Dimir Aqueduct, turn three play Exhume. Then get Defiler of Souls into play sharpish.
To end a multiplayer game quickly: Pox or BOOM/Bust = good times, good game
agalloch
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(7 votes)
The Traumatize idea won't work. No card in your deck or your hand is a "permanent you control".
blckwtrpark
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
I have a question, i was recently in a casual game where two different people had prince of thralls in play and a third player who was an opponent of both sacrificed a creature. I would assume that both prince of thralls abilities would trigger, causing the controller to have to choose to lose life twice, but who gets priority on the steal? Or do they both trigger simuateously? And if so does that create a copy of the sacrificed creature? I'm terribly confused. Also I once equipped him with unscythe killer of king, and blocked to kill a creature. Does unscythe trigger first overriding the possibility to steal it with prince?
Donovan_Fabian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
As it costs 8 mana the only time this card seems useful is with telemin performance and memory erosion, as to simply remove the card memory erosion will put a few things into the graveyard, probably a creature, and allow you to take over that creature asap. Otherwise you need some negates and counter spells to back up the vulnerable 8 mana creature on the field. Discard would also help with its ability, like sedraxis specter.
As for the dragon arch comment, yes, dragon arch is awesome.. but many of us use only recent cards due to playing extended and standard, where dragon arch isn't a legal option. By that comparison, there are several much easier choices, including mox cards and others. For more recent sneaking big creatures into play there is mosswort bridge and elvish piper.
Using the Shadowmoor hybrid 1-drops in combination with Demon's Herald, potentially you could drop the Prince into play third turn.
Spideredd
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
DarkbladeWraith , when you take control of an enemy aura, I believe that you would select new targets for them. Please do correct me if I am wrong, I'd like to know
Kontrey
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Card made to combos with Malfegor, Ajani... Perfect in Grixis deck with lot of destroy, sacrifice, etc.
Comradebananahead
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Zombify is the card to use with this one. Get this card in your graveyard using any card that causes you to discard, and then just use zombify to get it into play. Dread return, and rise from the grave also work.
VoidedNote
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
This is a great card but... as I used to do all the time on the Xbox Live Magic game... *persuades and watches Nicol Bolas try to pay three life when he's at one*
redmagic123
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
put whispersilk cloak on this guy and your good
getz19
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
A 7/7 for 8 multi-colored mana cost with a great ability? Not bad. But not good enough to make it a MYTHIC rare. If it was 7/7 for 8 with trample or maybe flying then it's mythic. Still a great card 4/5.
I like this alot more than it that betrays because this is anything destroyed, not just saced. Him+defiler of souls and some counters=you win. This guy and hellkite overlord are the two best hugedudes of shards. And I have em both in the same deck =)
Ashamed
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
@ blckwtrpark
Rule 410.3 If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, each player, in APNAP order, puts triggered abilities he or she controls on the stack in any order he or she chooses. (See rule 103.4.)
103.4. If multiple players would make choices and/or take actions at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the next player in turn order (usually the player seated to the active player's left) makes any choices required, followed by the remaining nonactive players in turn order. Then the actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the "Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) order" rule.
In short: it means you look at the person who's turn it is and then look at the next person (clock-wise or counter clockwise, whatever order you went in) and the first person who you see with Prince of Thralls first gets the permanent.
The player who sacrificed a permanent could CHOOSE to pay 3 life, but it's kinda redundant because only one person would get the card.
Also, for the Unscythe, Killer of Kings question: you put the abilities on the stack, so you choose which goes on first (put the one you want to happen first last.) However, because Thrall's ability happens before; it -WOULD- override Unsycthe's ability (the card no longer is in the graveyard.) So Unsycthe's ability would just fizzle out unless your opponent payed 3 life and you chose to put Unsycthe's ability on the stack first, in which case you'd be able to put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
KaijeSonra
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
So if someone were to use a card such as Day of Judgment would you get all the creature permanents destroyed this way even though the Prince would get destroyed in the process? would it matter who played the judgment?
iNathan
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
wooooh! i had lots of fun with this card last time i played it.
Zoah
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
redmagic123... Even without the whisper silk this guy looks hard to take out... A, he's black, which makes him immune to ninety percent of black creature kill. B, he's big enough to take two bolts and walk away
Although there is always that pesky blue stuff. (Smile)
DeathDark
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Ashamed / blckwtrpark
Note that Unscythe says "may" in its effect. Thus, if one wishes, they can just take out Unscythe's effect altogether, making things obviously simpler.
@KaijeSonra
With Day of Judgment, all creatures are put into the graveyard at the same time. After this happens, Prince of Thralls isn't on the battlefield in order for his triggered ability to activate.
For some flavor points, the term "Prince" originally was a synonym for "King." Also, Prince of Thralls is one of the few demons without flying (alongside "Ob Nixilis, the Fallen")
infernox10
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
All I'm saying is that with the Eldrazi Annihilate mechanic, this guy is some serious "gimme gimme gimme".
EpitomeOfEvilness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Did anyone else notice that his mana cost is UBeR?
GengilOrbios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
what happens when the creature your opponent controls has persist and then is put into a graveyard???
OmegaSerris
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@GengilOrbios From the rulings: If the permanent that caused the ability to trigger leaves the graveyard before the ability resolves (because it's a token and it ceased to exist, or because a spell or ability removed it from the graveyard), the ability will still resolve. The opponent will have the option to pay 3 life. But whether or not that player pays the life, nothing will be returned to the battlefield.
@DeathDark You might be wrong there... Rule 410.10d "permanents that leave play at the same time see everything that leaves play at the same time they do"
So his ability would trigger for each thing dying (under opponent control). The same is true for Deathgreeter and friends.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Blood Tyrant should be legendary in a block with cards like this.
Now this is a story all about how, my life got turned upside down, I'd like to take a minute and just sit right here, I'll tell you how I became the fresh Prince of Thralls...
lorendorky
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So I could cast the Prince... or Nicol Bolas Planeswalker. Easy choice for me.
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
At first I was like....'darn, this card suffers from high CMC, and all those colors'....then Premium Deck Series Graveborn came out and I was like: "Oh..well, I guess...that doesn't...matter now...''
A good Reanimator deck wants to specially tailor its creature 'toolbox' to be good at any point in the game. Crosis, for example, is great to Reanimate on turn 2 or 3, because his ability will be relevant and activatable by turn 3 or 4 barring catastrophe, and his disruption can ensure that his attacks destroy opponents in a timely fashion.
However, putting all your eggs in Crosis is dumb. The first 'KILL DAT NOW PLEEZ!' instant from your opponent might set you back a whole turn. Prince of Thralls is an excellent card to play late game* right before you do something that only a Reanimator is enough of a douchebag to do:
Armaggedon. That card costs 4, so you should be thinking about Reanimating the Prince on turn 3*.
*To clear up confusion, Turns 3-5 are considered very late game for Reanimator. More common is the Turn 1 win-by-default: "Swamp, Dark Ritual, Entomb, Exhume, doo yoo haz answer 4 dat? No? K, scoopy time then. I win. :)"
This with Killing Wave seems like it'd be really mean.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What's weird is how he isn't legendary. I mean, a pair of these basically means "Whenever anything dies, you get it."
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great card, though I have no idea why he's not a Legend. He is huge, has an epic ability, and even his flavor text makes it clear that this guy is overwhelmingly powerful... and yet you can have several of them in play at a time and not use them as a Commander. Too bad, really.
steinburger1109
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Anti-undying as an added bonus.
OrzhovGhostCouncil
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is an absolute powerhouse as long as you can play a board wipe like Damnation or Planar Cleansing after this hits play.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Black + Huge + high mana cost => only a few black removals can get there Huge => red removal can't usually get there Ability => Go ahead and wrath of god; I dare ya. Demon => Mega-cool-awesome
Tough to cast; but you can do it T5 morgue toad and nothing else or you can do it T3-T4 with toad + any black accelerant.
TexasDice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Be on your guard against Karrthus EDH, or you will choke on your own cruelty.
TaskMaster1983
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Building a deck for a friend of mine and I've got a "Stack" question regarding this guy.
Shadowborn Apostle (unlimited in deck, sacrifice 6 of them to bring any demon into play) You've got a Grave Pact in play (Anytime a creature you control dies, each opponent sacrifices a creature). You sacrifice the 6 Shadowborn Apostles to bring out Prince of Thralls. Your creatures dying cause your opponent to sacrifice SIX creatures because of the Grave Pact. Does Prince of Thralls' ability cause them to come into play under your control? Meaning, does he enter play as part of the fast effect BEFORE the Apostles hit the graveyard?
MindAblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Taskmaster1983
No, what happens is this;
You announce your intention to activate the Shadowborn Apostle's ability when you have priority.
You pay the cost of the Apostle's ability, saccing the creatures causing Grave Pact to trigger. Once the apostle's ability is on the stack you receive priority again and then the Grave Pact triggers go on the stack on top of the Apostle's activated ability and this resolve first.
The key here is the triggered ability cannot go on the stack until you have priority, so you can't steal all their stuff with that combo. I like your train of thought though.
Comments (48)
Good cards that work well in combos with this are: Malfegor, Thraximundar, Deathbringer Thoctar, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, Ajani Vengeant, and Armegeddon. Keep in mind that it's ANY opponent's permanent, so why not go for their lands sometimes too? :D
What I'd like to know, though: The Prince's ability works on Permanents, which includes Enchantment - Auras. Do they just come into play and do nothing, or can can you pick a target for them?
and i think other 'comes into play' triggers go off as well, right? imprints, cascades, so on?
To end a multiplayer game quickly: Pox or BOOM/Bust = good times, good game
As for the dragon arch comment, yes, dragon arch is awesome.. but many of us use only recent cards due to playing extended and standard, where dragon arch isn't a legal option. By that comparison, there are several much easier choices, including mox cards and others. For more recent sneaking big creatures into play there is mosswort bridge and elvish piper.
Using the Shadowmoor hybrid 1-drops in combination with Demon's Herald, potentially you could drop the Prince into play third turn.
Please do correct me if I am wrong, I'd like to know
Rule 410.3
If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, each player, in APNAP order, puts triggered abilities he or she controls on the stack in any order he or she chooses. (See rule 103.4.)
103.4. If multiple players would make choices and/or take actions at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the next player in turn order (usually the player seated to the active player's left) makes any choices required, followed by the remaining nonactive players in turn order. Then the actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the "Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) order" rule.
In short: it means you look at the person who's turn it is and then look at the next person (clock-wise or counter clockwise, whatever order you went in) and the first person who you see with Prince of Thralls first gets the permanent.
The player who sacrificed a permanent could CHOOSE to pay 3 life, but it's kinda redundant because only one person would get the card.
Also, for the Unscythe, Killer of Kings question: you put the abilities on the stack, so you choose which goes on first (put the one you want to happen first last.)
However, because Thrall's ability happens before; it -WOULD- override Unsycthe's ability (the card no longer is in the graveyard.) So Unsycthe's ability would just fizzle out unless your opponent payed 3 life and you chose to put Unsycthe's ability on the stack first, in which case you'd be able to put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
A, he's black, which makes him immune to ninety percent of black creature kill.
B, he's big enough to take two bolts and walk away
Although there is always that pesky blue stuff. (Smile)
Note that Unscythe says "may" in its effect. Thus, if one wishes, they can just take out Unscythe's effect altogether, making things obviously simpler.
@KaijeSonra
With Day of Judgment, all creatures are put into the graveyard at the same time. After this happens, Prince of Thralls isn't on the battlefield in order for his triggered ability to activate.
For some flavor points, the term "Prince" originally was a synonym for "King." Also, Prince of Thralls is one of the few demons without flying (alongside "Ob Nixilis, the Fallen")
From the rulings:
If the permanent that caused the ability to trigger leaves the graveyard before the ability resolves (because it's a token and it ceased to exist, or because a spell or ability removed it from the graveyard), the ability will still resolve. The opponent will have the option to pay 3 life. But whether or not that player pays the life, nothing will be returned to the battlefield.
@DeathDark
You might be wrong there...
Rule 410.10d
"permanents that leave play at the same time see everything that leaves play at the same time they do"
So his ability would trigger for each thing dying (under opponent control). The same is true for Deathgreeter and friends.
A good Reanimator deck wants to specially tailor its creature 'toolbox' to be good at any point in the game. Crosis, for example, is great to Reanimate on turn 2 or 3, because his ability will be relevant and activatable by turn 3 or 4 barring catastrophe, and his disruption can ensure that his attacks destroy opponents in a timely fashion.
However, putting all your eggs in Crosis is dumb. The first 'KILL DAT NOW PLEEZ!' instant from your opponent might set you back a whole turn. Prince of Thralls is an excellent card to play late game* right before you do something that only a Reanimator is enough of a douchebag to do:
Armaggedon. That card costs 4, so you should be thinking about Reanimating the Prince on turn 3*.
*To clear up confusion, Turns 3-5 are considered very late game for Reanimator. More common is the Turn 1 win-by-default: "Swamp, Dark Ritual, Entomb, Exhume, doo yoo haz answer 4 dat? No? K, scoopy time then. I win. :)"
Huge => red removal can't usually get there
Ability => Go ahead and wrath of god; I dare ya.
Demon => Mega-cool-awesome
Tough to cast; but you can do it T5 morgue toad and nothing else or you can do it T3-T4 with toad + any black accelerant.
Shadowborn Apostle (unlimited in deck, sacrifice 6 of them to bring any demon into play) You've got a Grave Pact in play (Anytime a creature you control dies, each opponent sacrifices a creature). You sacrifice the 6 Shadowborn Apostles to bring out Prince of Thralls. Your creatures dying cause your opponent to sacrifice SIX creatures because of the Grave Pact. Does Prince of Thralls' ability cause them to come into play under your control? Meaning, does he enter play as part of the fast effect BEFORE the Apostles hit the graveyard?
No, what happens is this;
You announce your intention to activate the Shadowborn Apostle's ability when you have priority.
You pay the cost of the Apostle's ability, saccing the creatures causing Grave Pact to trigger. Once the apostle's ability is on the stack you receive priority again and then the Grave Pact triggers go on the stack on top of the Apostle's activated ability and this resolve first.
The key here is the triggered ability cannot go on the stack until you have priority, so you can't steal all their stuff with that combo. I like your train of thought though.