A free 1/1 creature? That's free? That loves Ornithopter? Yes, please.
zarakstan
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
The new (in my opinion) improved ornithoper. Sign me up!
Cyberium
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(5 votes)
If one uses equipment or aura, Ornithopter would still be better for offense. However, in this block metalcraft could always use another free artifact...
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If Scars turns out as broken as Mirrodin (which I don't think will happen), this could be insane. As is, it's merely great, especially with all the equipment in the set.
NecroticNobody
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Just like Infiltrator Lens is this set's Skullclamp, this is this set's Ornithopter.
tantallum99
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(8 votes)
Ornithopter's land-roving bro
stratoscythe
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(5 votes)
free creature is free...
Chrome_Coyote
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
A cool idea. Great if with effects that cause you to return an artifact to your hand. I'm still fond of Ornithopter, but this is great in a fast weenie deck.
faisjdas
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
@ DonRoyale
Obviously you didn't play during something called mirroden block. Ornithopter was in a deck that had about 50% of the cards in it banned. In standard.
It was very good in this deck. Very good.
BadProgram
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(7 votes)
Great thing about this and Ornithopter is I just add them into any deck without mana adjustment, get 3-4 of the combo of two on turn 1 and set off all the metalcraft abilities just as easily as artifact lands, then you just attack with them.
MasterOfEtherium
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(9 votes)
Favorite Card Ever LOL. So Cool Though!
Pwnsaw
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(9 votes)
Never underestimate the power of FREE.
crimson149
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
You can't spell Memnite withou Tin Meme. 4/5 for free artifact creature.
SorianSadaskan
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
This has just become friends with Steppe Lynx, Elite Vanguard, Plated Geopede, Goblin Guide, Goblin Arsonists...... and Bushwhacker.
>XD
Gesepp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Were so many Re-words quite necessary for the flavor text? We like puns, not alliteration, WotC.
RichardJesperson
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
For no reason, at the prerelease this got the nickname 'Memnite Shyamalan'.
For a card that's supposed to be reminiscent of the Mirrodin block, I have to say it does its job well. For example, much like Mirrodin, it's really cheap.
RedCravat
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
great card to set the a creature standard. 1/1 for 0. All other abilities and power/toughness will adjust cost and color
DoctorKenneth
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
MTG's card of the day compared this to Dryad Arbor and, as expected, Ornithopter. It went on to reason that it should "probably" be okay, since the two mentioned comparison cards didn't exactly tear up the tournement scene.
While I agree that Memnite is "probably" okay- that is, not about to become the next 'Goyf or even Baneslayer- I kind of disagree with making such a direct comparison. The card is great, and a little bit groundbreaking- but this is an entirely new beast from Ornithopter and kin. This hasn't been done before, and I really don't think it will behave the same way as things we've already seen.
The Dryad Arbor is an especially troublesome comparison. Yes, it's a 1/1 for technically 0. But it takes up a land drop. And that. Means. Everything. It means that your 1/1 is not even as expendable as a Llanowar elf- you'll be losing out on land when it dies, and thus precious card advantage. It means that, since it's affected by summoning sickness, it basically takes up your one-drop as well. That's not very aggro-happy.
Ornithopter is a much closer comparison. A 0/2 flyer for free has long since been the target of equipment other such boosts, evading in for serious damage. It's always been a secondary target, though, to Birds of Paridise- since the latter will boost your mana early, in order to get the killer equipment online faster. Ornithopter will, regretibly, often sit there, useless, until you can get him boosted. There is no doubt he will win you games when you're quick about getting him swinging. But the longer he sits there, the less impressive his 0-mana cost is.
Memnite punches in early. I believe the loss of evasion was a small price to pay for being able to hit (nearly) right out of the gate. But with the right set of tools (Quietis Spike, perhaps?) the Thopter certainly redeems itself. At the very least, timing seperates the 0/2 and the 1/1 greatly, and I think both will hold tournment places in the coming weeks. It lends itself too well to the ever-quickening metagame to NOT be used.
TDL
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Microsoft Word told me that "skirr" wasn't a word. But I know better.
allmighty_abacus
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Between this, ornithopter and the whole metalcraft mechanic I think WotC found a great, nonbroken alternative to affinity for artifacts that still fits in with the flavor of mirrodin. Also, alongside ornithopter this works wonders with steel overseer and tempered steel for a surprisingly fast artifact aggro deck.
Nagoragama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
I didn't know skirr was a word until I saw this card. Looked it up in the dictionary and sure enough, it means to scurry, or a grating, whirring sound. Both meanings make sense for this creature.
As for the creature itself, it's quite cla s s y. Affinity decks love free creatures as do the new Metalcraft cards. Sure to see play in several formats.
ChampionofSquee
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
aside from the fact that memnite is just totally freaking awesome, i'd also run it just because of it's awesome art and excellent flavor. A baby memnarch? totally! also when paired with Kuldotha Rebirth it becomes 3 1/1's on turn 1 for R. That is awesome. also metalcraft never came so easily.
Forger
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
Everytime I look at this I see a kind of Quadraxis ?! Does anyone agree?
iantewks
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
MAKES ME SO HAPPYYY
tcollins
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Ornithopter did it better. Still very powerful.
justicarphaeton
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(5 votes)
It's october 2010 and this must be the most expensive common printed in a standard legal set at the moment....
Andon_A
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(22 votes)
The epitome of vanilla 1/1s. Seriously, you can't get any cheaper than 0 or more vanilla than colorless.
pulamog
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
aw Kuldotha Rebirth boom!!
ROBRAM89
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
Instant classic of bold design. This should goes in the base set and stay there. This will be to artifacts what Llanowar Elves is to green.
ZombieSnail
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Anything better would either have to untap lands or give you mana, effectively creating a negative CMC Wizards should have futureshifted that, but now they'll steal my idea anyways In spite of that, you still don't screw with Memnite. The coolest thing in the whole set. 5.0/5 ;)
count_dorku
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
If anyone needs me, I'm going to go throw away those Fugitive Wizards. (Admittedly I should probably do that anyway.)
andoroth
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(6 votes)
The. Best. Card. Ever... You can use it in this crazy B/G deck, where one of the win conditions in dropping a swamp, 2 dark rits, playing memnite, exiling an elvish spirit guide for a G mana, playing concordant crossroads, and then throwing down a phage with haste to make the opponent lose first turn!! and you didn't even NEED memnite in that combo - it's just there!! O_O
Great in:
Super agressive decks
Metalcraft/Affinity decks
Storm decks
Am I missing anything?
gradaxer
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Just a wonderful little creature. However, the best part is that the flavor text uses the word "skirr", my nomination for "Best Word in a Flavor Text".
DacenOctavio
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
One last hurrah for Affinity and the horrible mean monster it was. Oh well, let's just blow up some moxes and battlecry our way to victory even faster.
Affinity for . . . wait, what? Always free?
DiasFlac420
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(7 votes)
It's a 1/1 creature for FREE. Yes, that's right, it's CMC is 0. Zero. It costs NOTHING to play. Yes, you read that correctly, absolutely nothing. You can drop 4 of these in on your first turn even if you didn't draw a SINGLE land. Why would this be given any less than 5 Stars?!
blink182zombies
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(9 votes)
Lol this has the best power-mana cost ratio of all cards in Magic. When you divide by zero, things apparently don't blow up, they make Memnites.
Hand_Bannana
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
if u look REALLY closely at the land behind him, i think those are mountain ranges. when u look at him at a glance he looks small. plus being a 1/1 automatically makes u think small. but look at the artwork i think this guy is bigger than memnarch himself honestly. those look like mountains to me. especially under his front right leg and beside his hind left leg.
SeiberTross
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Amongst the combos.
Plains, Quest for the Holy Relic, Memnite, Memnite, Mox Opal, Glint Hawk, return Mox Opal & Replay, spit out another Glint Hawk, return a memnite & play, pop the quest to get a 7/7 destroy target permenent via Argentum Armor.
If you go first, its essentially a first turn win floating around in Standard.
Henrietta
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(5 votes)
I think it's a bit inaccurate to say it costs nothing to play, as it costs you a card for something that's almost completely useless on its own. You can play it for no mana and then it can accomplish nothing and I'd rather just pay mana for something that will have a much bigger impact on the board. Not that I'm saying Memnite is bad, as it obviously works well together with a number of cards, just that it's not an auto 5 star and there's more to think about than "OMG CMC0!!".
AlunJaceImpostor
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
1/1 for 0 is a 5/5 card on its own, but add to that that it's an ARTIFACT i.e. metalcraft pumper, kuldotha fodder etc etc in standard alone?
6/5
Paleopaladin
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
5/5 playability, duh.
BUT very, very foolish by R&D. Why not give it vanishing? That would fit nicely still in block and limited since there are plenty of proliferate cards to cheat its life out longer and it would still be useful since so many would just sac it for some other effect prior to its last counter going.
It would still be reasonably strong and wouldn't needlessly obsolete so many other creatures if it were given "Vanishing 4".
Demonic_Math_Tutor
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Love the little guy. This is the ideal Tinkertarget. Check this out! Turn one win Mountain, Ornithopter, Black Lotus Sac Black Lotus for Tinker Sac Ornithopter/Memnite Search library for Blightsteel colossus Tap mountain for Burst of Speed You win
gasimakos1
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(8 votes)
this card does not deserve 5 stars. ornithopter was a similar card from antiquities that had a cc of zero. it was a 0/2 flying artifact creature. was that a 5-star card? no. no one played that card for years because, at the time, its power level wasn't even close to the that of cards like ancestral recall, black lotus, library of alexandria, or even mishra's factory and dark ritual. the rating system for cards should be comparative and all tournament-legal cards should be taken into account. otherwise, what's the point of having a rating system?
also, you have to ask yourself whether or not the inclusion of memnite in any type of deck automatically makes that deck better. no, it does not. hence, it does not deserve 5/5.
don't get me wrong - its a decent card. but, it's not ever going to have an effect on a game that's comparable to that of cards like balance, time vault, and yawgmoth's will. those are 5/5 cards. this is not.
Gabriel422
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It's 5/5 stars not because it's the most powerful card in the world (it is decent and sees play) - it's 5/5 because it's a bold move on Wizards's part and it's Affinity done right.
Hand_Banana is right, this guy looks way too big to be a 1/1. but I'm not complaining...
Combolulz
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(6 votes)
I told my teacher about this guy , because the dude was there when mtg first came out he was like "There has to be a drawback" I showed him the card and he was like "...I actually like it."
Joseph_Leito
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
I once pulled a playset of these in a draft (late picks, no one picked them up) which led to the funniest turn 1 I've ever had:
Not a magical game winning move, but having 3 1/1s and a 3/3 swinging on turn 2 was great in a draft. Didn't get quite that lucky in my other matches, but I like Memnites.
jfre81
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
The greatest 1/1 vanilla weenie of all time, bar none.
yyukichigai
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
My only complaint with this card is that I bought a whole box of Scars and didn't even get one. What the hell?
Anyway, this is an amazing card, a nice concept that I'm surprised wasn't done sooner. Probably my second favorite zero-drop critter behind Shield Sphere, and only narrowly edging out Phyrexian Walker. Definitely at the right rarity, too: a 0 cmc 1/1 with no abilities isn't quite worth a rare slot, but is definitely on the high edge of the uncommon rarity.
LordofAwesome33
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I love this card for the sweet and simple fact that no one would think to be scared of it. It's always the little guys that get the glory if you play them right. I've had this guy piggy back my entire Esper EDH through a game and lead me to victory. Now I'm throwing together a Grixis version because I have better cards for it.
Wait...Phyrexian Walker...is that you? Wow, you're in great shape!!
Tapir
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(8 votes)
From a ratio of power to CMC standpoint, this is always better than Death's Shadow.
Splizer
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Probably one of the most aggressive creatures available in Standard today, and it's an option for every colour.
Also, its Memnarch's little babies! Oogle-boogle-little Memnites, coochy-coo...
rankodd
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Steel Overseer, Freed From the Real, Tolarian Academy, and this little baby and all his 0CMC friends. Extra bonus points if you Flash a Protean Hulk in at the end of the other guys turn 2, pull 16 0CMC artifact creatures, and use the Academy/FFTR/Steel Overseer to pump for at least 12 +1/+1 counters and swing for 148 on your turn 3.
The best CMC to P/T ratio ever. Seriously it's basically infinite.
Ferlord
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Friend: You've got nothing to block my Phage the Untouchable. Prepare to lose! Me: Oh? Are you so sure? Memnite Shyamalan wouldn't agree! Memnite Shyamalan (voiced squeakily by me): WHAT A TWIST! Friend: NO. STOP. SHUT UP. YOU'VE SAID THAT 10 TIMES BEFORE, AND I'M NOW GOING TO HAVE TO PUNCH YOU!
And he punched me.
And I lost...
I guess I deserve that
grim1020
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's a free 1/1, you can't get much more vanilla or much more free, this would definitely be a great card if only it didn't die from removal.....I guess I'll still give it a 5/5 though because the art work is ok
TheWallinator74
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Combos with decks.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yet another source of fuel for my Salvage Titan deck. Oh how much fun I'll have.
rspitzy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
good in a non-land deck
ForgeMaster117
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Make your oppenet crap themselves when you draw four of them in your startting hand with three lands. "Play a land" "Tap 0 four times" "Memnite" What can you do with four 1/1s on the field and ready to attack by round two? In a Equipment Deck, that 1/1 turns into a big tank in no time at all.
GlassJoetheChamp
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The thing I love most about this card is that it unofficially declares that cards like Fugitive Wizard and Eager Cadet are out of the picture for good.
Jayquaz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mana curve? What mana cruve.
Dream_Twist
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I want to see it in Magic 13. C'mon Wizards!
KnexWiz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Currently, on the gatherer, this is the highest rated card with the mirian water mark, I can see how they lost the war when thier best card was this...
Anyone ever noticed how similar this looks to a Nest Invader?
MasterOfParadox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combos with no mana. :3
SirLibraryEater
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I don't know, I'd like it more if the CMC was a little lower
Dragonshoredreamz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Incredible card.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a bad card.
There, I said it. Yes, it has an infinite P/T to CMC ratio. No, that does not mean you should play it. Think about it this way: You're playing mono-black aggro. Would you rather have a 1/1 for 0 or a 2/2 for 1? Many new players would opt for the 1/1 for 0 simply because it's free. This is a mistake; in such a deck, I would choose Rakdos Cackler over Memnite every time. What exactly will a 1/1 with no abilities do? It dies to practically everything in the game. Sure, it may not cost any mana, but it costs a card, and that's often more important.
However... this is also a great card. In almost every deck, Memnite is terrible, but in Cheeri0s or Affinity, it's a must-have card simply because it costs 0 (and in Affinity's case, because it's an artifact). This isn't a card you can just put into any deck, but in the decks you can put it in, it shines. Therefore, it deserves a 5/5.
shotoku64
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think wizards should consider taking Memnite into core sets.
Comments (95)
Obviously you didn't play during something called mirroden block. Ornithopter was in a deck that had about 50% of the cards in it banned. In standard.
It was very good in this deck. Very good.
>XD
Great card though; fits on virtually any deck.
Tolarian Academy, Black Lotus, Skullclamp, Glimpse of Nature, Auriok Steelshaper, Kobolds of Kher Keep, Kobolds of Kher Keep, Kobolds of Kher Keep, Kobolds of Kher Keep, Crimson Kobolds, Crimson Kobolds, Crimson Kobolds, Crimson Kobolds, Crookshank Kobolds, Crookshank Kobolds, Crookshank Kobolds, Crookshank Kobolds, Memnite, Memnite, Memnite, Memnite, Brain Freeze. Good game, brother.
While I agree that Memnite is "probably" okay- that is, not about to become the next 'Goyf or even Baneslayer- I kind of disagree with making such a direct comparison. The card is great, and a little bit groundbreaking- but this is an entirely new beast from Ornithopter and kin. This hasn't been done before, and I really don't think it will behave the same way as things we've already seen.
The Dryad Arbor is an especially troublesome comparison. Yes, it's a 1/1 for technically 0. But it takes up a land drop. And that. Means. Everything. It means that your 1/1 is not even as expendable as a Llanowar elf- you'll be losing out on land when it dies, and thus precious card advantage. It means that, since it's affected by summoning sickness, it basically takes up your one-drop as well. That's not very aggro-happy.
Ornithopter is a much closer comparison. A 0/2 flyer for free has long since been the target of equipment other such boosts, evading in for serious damage. It's always been a secondary target, though, to Birds of Paridise- since the latter will boost your mana early, in order to get the killer equipment online faster. Ornithopter will, regretibly, often sit there, useless, until you can get him boosted. There is no doubt he will win you games when you're quick about getting him swinging. But the longer he sits there, the less impressive his 0-mana cost is.
Memnite punches in early. I believe the loss of evasion was a small price to pay for being able to hit (nearly) right out of the gate. But with the right set of tools (Quietis Spike, perhaps?) the Thopter certainly redeems itself. At the very least, timing seperates the 0/2 and the 1/1 greatly, and I think both will hold tournment places in the coming weeks. It lends itself too well to the ever-quickening metagame to NOT be used.
As for the creature itself, it's quite cla s s y. Affinity decks love free creatures as do the new Metalcraft cards. Sure to see play in several formats.
Does anyone agree?
Wizards should have futureshifted that, but now they'll steal my idea anyways
In spite of that, you still don't screw with Memnite. The coolest thing in the whole set. 5.0/5 ;)
You can use it in this crazy B/G deck, where one of the win conditions in dropping a swamp, 2 dark rits, playing memnite, exiling an elvish spirit guide for a G mana, playing concordant crossroads, and then throwing down a phage with haste to make the opponent lose first turn!!
and you didn't even NEED memnite in that combo - it's just there!! O_O
Me: For my first turn, i'll play three memnites, sack one for kuldotha rebirth, and put 3 1/1 goblin tokens into play. Go.
Them: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...
Good times.
easily 5/5
Super agressive decks
Metalcraft/Affinity decks
Storm decks
Am I missing anything?
Affinity for . . . wait, what? Always free?
Plains, Quest for the Holy Relic, Memnite, Memnite, Mox Opal, Glint Hawk, return Mox Opal & Replay, spit out another Glint Hawk, return a memnite & play, pop the quest to get a 7/7 destroy target permenent via Argentum Armor.
If you go first, its essentially a first turn win floating around in Standard.
6/5
BUT very, very foolish by R&D. Why not give it vanishing? That would fit nicely still in block and limited since there are plenty of proliferate cards to cheat its life out longer and it would still be useful since so many would just sac it for some other effect prior to its last counter going.
It would still be reasonably strong and wouldn't needlessly obsolete so many other creatures if it were given "Vanishing 4".
Turn one win
Mountain, Ornithopter, Black Lotus
Sac Black Lotus for Tinker
Sac Ornithopter/Memnite
Search library for Blightsteel colossus
Tap mountain for Burst of Speed
You win
also, you have to ask yourself whether or not the inclusion of memnite in any type of deck automatically makes that deck better. no, it does not. hence, it does not deserve 5/5.
don't get me wrong - its a decent card. but, it's not ever going to have an effect on a game that's comparable to that of cards like balance, time vault, and yawgmoth's will. those are 5/5 cards. this is not.
Or, for a lot less $$$$ for legit cards, you can do this:
Hand:
Mountain, this, 2 Lotus Petal's, Mass Hysteria, Tinker, Mox Opal
Tinker into a Blightsteel Colossus winnage!
Turn 1: Memnite, Memnite, Memnite (Only got three) Plains, Ardent Recruit
Opponent: o.O
Not a magical game winning move, but having 3 1/1s and a 3/3 swinging on turn 2 was great in a draft. Didn't get quite that lucky in my other matches, but I like Memnites.
Anyway, this is an amazing card, a nice concept that I'm surprised wasn't done sooner. Probably my second favorite zero-drop critter behind Shield Sphere, and only narrowly edging out Phyrexian Walker. Definitely at the right rarity, too: a 0 cmc 1/1 with no abilities isn't quite worth a rare slot, but is definitely on the high edge of the uncommon rarity.
Skullclamp and Skeleton Shard.
Master Transmuter and Just about any artifact you want to abuse. (Treasure Mage, Trinket Mage, etc etc etc)
(Tempered Steel and Kuldotha Rebirth)
Wait...Phyrexian Walker...is that you? Wow, you're in great shape!!
Also, its Memnarch's little babies! Oogle-boogle-little Memnites, coochy-coo...
Me: Oh? Are you so sure? Memnite Shyamalan wouldn't agree!
Memnite Shyamalan (voiced squeakily by me): WHAT A TWIST!
Friend: NO. STOP. SHUT UP. YOU'VE SAID THAT 10 TIMES BEFORE, AND I'M NOW GOING TO HAVE TO PUNCH YOU!
And he punched me.
And I lost...
I guess I deserve that
"Play a land"
"Tap 0 four times"
"Memnite"
What can you do with four 1/1s on the field and ready to attack by round two? In a Equipment Deck, that 1/1 turns into a big tank in no time at all.
2 memnites
1 ornithopter
1 phyrexian walker
1 shield sphere
1 kuldotha rebirth
1 mountain
Nothing at all!
NOTHING AT ALL!
:3
There, I said it. Yes, it has an infinite P/T to CMC ratio. No, that does not mean you should play it. Think about it this way: You're playing mono-black aggro. Would you rather have a 1/1 for 0 or a 2/2 for 1? Many new players would opt for the 1/1 for 0 simply because it's free. This is a mistake; in such a deck, I would choose Rakdos Cackler over Memnite every time. What exactly will a 1/1 with no abilities do? It dies to practically everything in the game. Sure, it may not cost any mana, but it costs a card, and that's often more important.
However... this is also a great card. In almost every deck, Memnite is terrible, but in Cheeri0s or Affinity, it's a must-have card simply because it costs 0 (and in Affinity's case, because it's an artifact). This isn't a card you can just put into any deck, but in the decks you can put it in, it shines. Therefore, it deserves a 5/5.