Pointed Discussion

A definetly weaker version of Retaliator Griffin.

Honestly, I can't figure out why. It's so...hard to abuse.

Fate Transfer? Just throwing it out there.

I guess if the board's otherwise clear, you can get use out of him with Flame Rift....

It's fun to note that this comes down first turn with a Mana Crypt.

Sure, I can think of a million better things to play along with a Mana Crypt, but we're talking about Blood Hound here; the card needs some serious help.

"Then it becomes a way to double the output of pyroclasm or similar while clearing the board and being "immune" to its effects."

Pyroclasm doesn't damage players.

I've been trying to think of ways to make this card effective (as i own it, and it seems to have some potential..). Only thing i can think of is making it unblockable via whispersilk cloak. It would pretty much mean that if you survive all damage done to you, you're able to deal the same +1 to your opponent. I was also thinking of phasing to get more use out of the counters, but there isn't any solid combo with it..

I actually found a use for him in a hound tribal deck. Comboed with Jackal Pup (can still help take out creatures and you receive damage) on the defensive to receive counters, then switching to the offensive on the next turn with Lava Hounds (4 more counters).

Go for the attack, and depending on what the opponent does, I also have Blood Lust and Fling handy to capitalize on more damage. Since I run the Jackal Pups anway, might as well go for a total sligh strategy, though the deck is really more for fun anyway :D

combo with sundial of the infinate blood hound only losses it's conters at the begining of your end step.

@Demage:
Retaliator Griffin only gets counters from damage dealt to you by sources your opponents control. It doesn't combo with, say, Lava Hounds and Volcano Hellion, whereas Blood Hound would.

goes pretty well with Pyrohemia/ spiteful visions/ pestilence/ breath of darigaaz/ earthquake

Heartless Hidetsugu; tap and swing. Possibly give Hidetsugu lifelink to continue without losing breath for further turns.
Or make this little doggie unblockable.

If you say this is bad, it's because you never played agaist two of them!

I've been running a black/red bloodhound deck. The key is to use treacherous link with crypt rats or thrashing wumpus. Put a vampiric link on crypt rats and boom. If you have a treacherous link on the rats and a bloodhound you can clear the board most likely and super pump your blood hound . Double life link rats and they have no chance and your wolves are huge lol. Does depend on black alot but, you can use a fling or something similar for a quick strike. For a creature removal spell i sugeest ashes to ashes. Maybe use simulacrum? Demons with their strong abilities and their painful (downsides) are something i was thinking about. What do you guys think?

Bioshift under Isochron Scepter for the lulz :)

IT SPECIFIES AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR END STEP!

You know what that means?

Sundial of the Infinite stops it from losing counters, since you skip your end step and it's not an end of turn thing. So hey, very angry hound. If you're having trouble from lack of evasion, you can activate Sundial and play Madcap Skills in the space of the same amount of mana it costs to play Blood Hound. So hey, up to you.

Little weird that it says end of turn on the card though. Must be because of the whole "gets counters on anyone's turn but only loses them on yours" thing.

OMG, curves into Volcano Hellion
Kill their beefy blocker, attack with a gigantic attacker with a 6/5 backup.

I've played variations on a casual deck with this guy for years. Flame Rift, Ancient Tomb and Fling were the obvious ones around the time when he came out, but when Tarnished Citadel came out during Odyssey that was the final piece. I'd play a deck that only needed to successfully attack with him once, and it was pretty easy to keep the board clear in red, and then I'd play Final Fortune to repeat. The counters build up fast when you're killing yourself with the tombs and the citadels. Lava Hounds is another obvious buddy. The deck I run them in is red and white, you can play life gain cards like Life Burst in case you're getting a bit too close when getting the combo ready, but in general, you only need to get the Hound to attack once to get some necessary cards in motion. One of my favorite Johnny cards.