Pointed Discussion

With the transmuter, this will be put your rival on a 2 turn clock by turn 5. But otherwise a bit expensive to hardcast.

I've decided to use him in vintage tendrils of agony.
Ideal first turn: 'thopter, lotus petal, tolarian academy, tap academy for two, sac the petal, play tinker, play the sphinx. First turn, they are at ten. Second turn, attack and make an oh-so-easy tendrils storm for six.

it looks good with the transmuter, and maybe usable with some help of the etherium sculptor. it's not a bad card to say the least, a 5/5 flyer who can reduce an opponent to 10 life no matter how much life they have. if used with chandra he's deadly, bring him out to drop them down, then use her to put them out.

Cheating this into play with the Master Transmuter is the way to go. It's great against people who like to gain unreasonable amounts of life in order to stall the game. :D

this then searing winds auto win.

master transmuter+ magistersphinx + Hidetsugu's second right....... you win

bring this down with master transmuter for one island at your opponent end of turn, and then swing for tha kill with flyers.

With the removal of Mana Burn in Magic 2010, Magister Sphinx + Hidetsugu's Second Rite = automatic win. Of course, that requires you to play 4 colors, or do some mana fixing tricks. You can also use the uber-broken Master Transmuter to help get this baby out.

This is a beast in Elder Dragon Highlander. One guy put this into play with Sharuum the Hegemon and set my life to 10 (from 40), bounced it and got it into play again next turn putting another player at 10 (from nearly 40), then I Cloned it and set him to 10 (from 40) and later his Sphinx died and he reanimated it with Sharuum again to target the last player. Nearly 120 life taken, by this guy alone. (Well, him and his clone!)

I wonder if this will rise in popularity at all in Zendikar since they're introducing the new "10 or less life" mechanic on many cards (mainly black so far by the looks of things.)

Sure it might be difficult to hardcast with any reliability to work in some kind of combo, but perhaps it'll find a niche.

Also the argument could be made that by the time you can hardcast this, if the opponent isn't already at 10 or less life you're probably screwed anyway, but I was thinking more to counter life gain decks (again depending on if they also rise in popularity - looks like quite a few new life gain cards are also coming) or against some other combos that may arise.

This card doesn't seem to require much skill to play. I hate playing well, and dropping an opponent to less than ten life, and then him topdecking this garbage.

Compare to Sphinx of the Steel Wind. (You're probably not hardcasting either, so ignore the 1 colorless difference) Unless they're at 100 life, I'd rather have the Steel Wind.

Bouncing this in and out of play with Master Transmuter is the way to go. In late game, I've had him take 30 billion+ life from one player. (no exaggertion, the guy had Rhys the Redeemed and 4 soul's attendants).

Another use is when someone's life is really high, just play this to get it down to 10. Good against lifegain decks too.

Burnt Offering this guy into Sorin's Vengeance.