This card provides an extra 10 life, unless poison counters have been chipping away at that "second life total". Of course, it becomes much better with Melira, Sylvok Outcast or Death's Shadow.
PhyrexianFailure
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
this is basically 10 life for 3 mana, that combos with stuff like melira in standard or deaths shadow.
Leonidus78
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Now all that phyrexian mana life loss doesn't seem so bad.
gongshowninja
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(10 votes)
Technologic.
Thrull_Champion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Combo with Leeches
scumbling1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"This is more than just an extra 10 life. You can use this to pump infinity life into your new Immolating Souleater just in time for its first attack,"
You can't pay life that you don't have. In most cases, you'd be pumping the Souleater no more +10/+0; now if it only had Infect....
Atali
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(8 votes)
Does NOT combo with Leeches
I repeat DOES NOT combo with Leeches
Leeches deals damage to you after removing the poison counters, which Phyrexian Unlife will convert back into the same amount of poison counters. The only way it would work is if you could raise your life to more than 0 before using Leeches, but then raising your life to more than 0 turns off the poison effect anyway.
Wait until your life total becomes 0 or less and play Repay in Kind to take out all opponents.
NocteMundi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Reminds me of that old PlayStation 3 ad...
Stray_Dog
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Favourite art of the set. Her body has been compleated but her consciousness yet remains, trapped in a porcelain shell. Doesn't look like that mouth could move to voice her screams either.
Polychromatic
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(6 votes)
Without a debt one of the best pieces of art in the set.
Thunduaga
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
well actually this does combo with Melira, Sylvok Outcast because Phyrexian Unlife sais "As long as you have 0 or less life, all damage is dealt to you as though its source had infect." but Melira, Sylvok Outcast sais "You cant get poison counters" So the lightning bolt bolts you for 3 poison and you never receive them
dragonlordged
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Stick this in a deck with Delaying Shield. That'd be fun.
Card advantage and a giant creature from dark tutelage... the only problem i'm having is how to protect unlife... with something other than blue
Enemy_Tricolor
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(9 votes)
Iconic art. The card is cool, but Jason Chan nailed everything that's creepy and awesome about white-aligned Phyrexians. Outstanding.
Mephastopheles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just to reiterate, that art is incredible.
I wonder how to put this to the best use? I think the answer might be Suicide Black, with a modest amount of incidental lifegain, and possibly Repay in Kind as a finisher. That way, you don't need to worry about taking damage; you can hover around the zero mark, or just above, and continue to play aggressively. I think that might be how this card works; it makes it very difficult for an opponent to put you on the defensive.
WateryMind
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Jesus that is some creeeeeeeeeepy art right there. o.o
I find it astounding that these two were in the same set.
bugggaman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I have a feeling you can burn someone down by giving this to your opponent with Bazaar Trader . Turn Unlife into artifact with Liquimetal Coating and give to opponent using Bazaar Trader?Unlife probably got its own deck now considering you only need to do 10 damage instead of 20.
POSSIBLY A NEW PYROMANCER DECK RIGHT THERE?
infernox10
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(7 votes)
That picture...
Not too many cards in MTG truly startle me.
This one definitely does.
blindthrall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Art reminds me of Brazil.
Splizer
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Its cards like this and Norn's Annex that are the reason why for once, just this once, that white is my favourite colour in this set.
DeathDark
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Disgusting against Black lifegain/lifeloss decks, as with this you're immune to lifeloss.
Gelzo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I had this and Melira in my sealed pool today and went with a GW deck with both. Sadly, I never got a chance to play the card.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This art is absolutely horrifying/creepy. I normally don't feel that way but this art is just crazy good/disturbing. The card is mediocre. This is essentially life gain and in anything but standard I imagine this will likely be a neat combo piece.
However, great combos with cards that say you can't get poison counters. Neat also that it doesn't care about "life loss", doesn't care about "paying life", so it does allow for interesting combos with things like Channel (infinite mana), with anything in the set that allows the alternative life pay, especially immolating souleater, death's shadow, suicide black, etc..
This card doesn't allow you to pay life when at 0 or less, so it doesn't really combo with anything that requires life payment unless going to exactly 0 works for it
GoatKnapper
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(6 votes)
uhhhhhhhhh... Soul Conduit ... no one mentioned it, just add Phyrexian mana firebreathers
Ranmara
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Does this work in 2 headed giant? We played it in a release tourney but the enemy team said "You don't lose the game at 0 life but your team-mate does, therefore your team loses". Is that correct?
psyklone
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
There is a major difference between dealing dmg as though the source had infect, and dmg is dealt to you in the form of poison counters.
The first instance means if dmg to you is redirected to a creature, it gets -1/-1 counters.
The second instance means the creature gets poison counters, which doesn't really do anything.
Maybe this can be exploited (say if the redirect happened after you take the dmg).
As is my mantra, don't expect your local judge to know.
Deepfried-Owls
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(21 votes)
Do you... not like my make-up..?
...?
/tilt head
Cryonic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think it's important to note that the card specifically says that damage is dealt as though it's source had infect. That means that cards such as Bloodchief Ascension or Sanguine Bond will not cause you to gain poison counters because they deal in life-loss, which is not synonymous with Damage. Decks using cards like the examples as win conditions will be completely hosed.
MindEcho
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(7 votes)
For me personally, I think the card is total crap. I understand why they went there, but how about changing poison damage into regular damage... I mean the concept is crap, the card is crap, but the art is AMAZING!!!
I would get 9 foild ones just to scare the hell out of anyone that opens my binder... Page one baby!!! :-)
Dark515
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Isn't this card like 10 more life AFTER you're at or under zero? Lets say you get dealt 15 combat damage and you're at 12 life; this would bring you to -3 life (because the combat damage was simultaneous, you'd be over 0 life when it happened). Now further damage would result in poison counters.. unless you can regain the life back over 0 before they could damage you again. This is my understanding of this card anyway.
Ximenez
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(7 votes)
Ad Nauseum
Cheza
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Great art!!
As already written, it's sad that it basically gives you +10 life. The drawback => you can't pay life as you could do with +10 life, but for the benefit that this could work with some poison counter abusal. However there are no cards that benefit from the number of poison counters you have.
Another fact. If you regain lifepoints to raise your life-total to 1+, you won't get poison counters on the next attack, since damage is dealt simultaneously.
In my opinion, this card DEFINITELY needs phyrexian mana!!!
jemas42
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
It doesn't combine with leeches, annoyingly enough. If Leeches dealt life loss as opposed to damage, then it would, but it deals damage, which means it'll deal the poison counters right back.
Still, combos with Melira or Death's Shadow (or, under the right circumstances, Near Death Experience) so it could be funny. Otherwise, it's just a fun little stall tactic, especially if you've got enough lifegain to get back up after taking the odd poison counter (pray they don't have proliferate though).
Though, odd question, how does this work with damage being dealt. I mean, let's say you're brought down to below 0 by combat damage. Since all the damage is dealt at the same time, wouldn't it not register you as 0 until after all the combat damage is dealt. IE that combat phase drags you down to 0 and THEN this card kicks in after combat is over?
It's worth thinking about.
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Well, it still can combo with Leeches. You just need to find at least a third card that can prevent the damage you would take. I suggest putting them in a Cleric deck with Battletide Alchemist, or to use them with Purity, or maybe simply use Story Circle/Circle of Protection: White. There's lots of options. But as a two card combo, yeah, they won't work.
Tjokkie
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Phyrexian cosmetic surgery= fail.
sonorhC
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
So I guess I'm the only one who noticed that in most circumstances, this is functionally the same as Delusions of Mediocrity: Your opponent either disenchants it, or has to do an extra ten damage to finish you off.
ICEFANG13
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
"You cannot play life you don't have" if it says pay x life, and you are negative, you can't pay it. Just like, unless you can print more money at a whim, you can't spend money you don't have, you could be in debt to something and see it as I have -$40, you can't spend it down more.
As for 2headed giant, I wish I could give you the best answer, at one time, I knew it for sure, but I think they changed it, and then changed it back, its getting confusing.
I think, as the way I knew it, you have a life total that is shared (30), but each player has 15 life to their name.
For example, if you played Magister Sphinx and target one of your heads and you are at 30 life between yourselves, yours becomes 10, and your other head stays at 15, making your new life total 25.
If you use this, it has no effect until you are at 0 (so that's all we will look at) you are at 0, to be at zero, you 'two' must be at zero, the other head loses, and that makes both of you lose. Its actually a rule, if one head dies, the other dies too, no effect would protect you.
Haha, same thing for players that concede. Anyway, I think its no, you should look it up to be sure.
Lastly, I'm sure you are wondering, if 'we' are at 1 life, what is each of our life totals? I am fairly certain its 1 for both of you if some effect cared, otherwise, a giant would lose when they get to 1 life instead of 0.
Blackshayde
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is a total bomb with Death's Shadow. The Shadow grows in power even when you are at negative life and you can keep losing life for even more power, so long as the opponent does not do 10 damage before that. In other words, you cannot lose the game on the condition that you lose life, you need to take damage. This means this card should find a warm place in the heart of any Black mage.
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Combos nicely with cards like Death Wish, which cause you to "lose half your life, rounded up". Which means if you are at -9, you gain 5 life. :D
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This makes Phyrexian mana firebreathing insane. Won't work with regular "pay x life" cards though, as you can't pay life that you don't have.
@jemas42: No, if you were at 4 life, and took an Abyssal Persecutor to the face, it would technically bring you to -2 life (which is possible with that particular card, as well as Platinum Angel). State-based actions would check after all damage is done, and Unlife's replacement effect would start. So if you got hit yet again with A.P. you'd be at -2 Life, 6 Poison.
May I also mention that this is not strictly worse than Angel. In this Metagame, the Angel is going to die. Quicikly. But other than the occasional Naturalize or Ancient Grudge, which most people are foregoing for broader cards in the sideboard, This could stay on the board long enough to get your win con out. Of course, if you start taking poison counters then you're looking down aggro, control bashers, or burn, and you have a limited window to take care of businiess. Overall, subpar in competitive standard, but comborific in formats like Casual, Modern, or even Commander! 3.5/5
Lueseto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Am I correct in thinking this is worse than winning 10 life? (of course there are a couple strange interactions out there, like death's shadow, but generally speaking...)
Arachibutyrophobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
so outside of combo decks, this card basically gives you 10 life. not bad.
shotoku64
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(8 votes)
So this card is basically +10 life for 3 mana. That's pretty nice in itself.
jilting_joker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card + Leeches = delay loss and deal damage in the process
I can see this being really good with Fateful Hour cards.
MacBizzle
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
The look on your opponents face when you told him that yes, you can go to a negative life total, and no, you don't take poison counters, because you were at 3 life, and combat damage happens simultaneously, giving this card's second ability no time to activate in between creatures damaging your face. Of course, if he brought some first strikers along...
State based effects or not, ALL combat damage happens at the same time, with the exception of the first strike round. That uncalculated green player just wasted his overrun and now he's tapped out.
Psychrates
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sweet piece for my Enchantrageddon deck.
BlackAlbino
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
At least a 4 star card
Chandra_Beleren
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Making an immortality deck with this, Melira, and Platinum Angel. Beautiful combo.
If you're at 1 life and get attacked by a 2/2 and a 3/3 creature at the same time, what happens?
Goatllama
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
"Make. Me. Pretty."
Sasooli
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@sonorhC: You say 'in most circumstances' it's functionally identical to Delusions of Mediocrity, but there are two important differences even without any poison counter-based shenanigans: First, you can't be killed by Drain Life-type effects, and second as other people have pointed out if you take a bunch of damage simultaneously to push you below 0 life it doesn't spill over into poison. So for instance, if I'm at 1 life and my opponent has the creatures to swing for 11 damage casting this would buy me an extra turn but Delusions wouldn't.
SolomonRedfang
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@azure_drake222222:
Both creatures deal damage at the same time, ie, you drop down to -4 life. If one has first strike, the other deals damage as poison counters- you're at negative life when it deals damage to you. If one has double strike, you take normal from the first strike and infect from the second strike, again when you're at negative life.
This is the centerpiece of my "what's a life-total?" deck. Lose life however you can with this out, then Soul Conduit, Death's Shadow or Repay in Kind, and wonder why nobody else can survive like you, even if you do cry oil.
"Who gets the negative life total? Whooooo gets the negative life total?
Guest1162619373
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@NARFNra :: you cannot give someone a negative life total with Reverse the Sands. The minimum you can give them is 1 life. You want to use something more like Mirror Universe if you want to give them a life total of 0 or less life.
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So if you have Death's Shadow out with this and your life total is less than 0, say, -3, does he get +3/+3, instead of -X/-X?
Megadog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Guest1162619373 You can, because it redistributes the totals, not the life itself. If you are on, say, -5, then one player must end up on -5.
Comments (84)
You can't pay life that you don't have. In most cases, you'd be pumping the Souleater no more +10/+0; now if it only had Infect....
I repeat DOES NOT combo with Leeches
Leeches deals damage to you after removing the poison counters, which Phyrexian Unlife will convert back into the same amount of poison counters. The only way it would work is if you could raise your life to more than 0 before using Leeches, but then raising your life to more than 0 turns off the poison effect anyway.
dark tutelage and Death's Shadow
Card advantage and a giant creature from dark tutelage... the only problem i'm having is how to protect unlife... with something other than blue
I wonder how to put this to the best use? I think the answer might be Suicide Black, with a modest amount of incidental lifegain, and possibly Repay in Kind as a finisher. That way, you don't need to worry about taking damage; you can hover around the zero mark, or just above, and continue to play aggressively. I think that might be how this card works; it makes it very difficult for an opponent to put you on the defensive.
I find it astounding that these two were in the same set.
POSSIBLY A NEW PYROMANCER DECK RIGHT THERE?
Not too many cards in MTG truly startle me.
This one definitely does.
However, great combos with cards that say you can't get poison counters. Neat also that it doesn't care about "life loss", doesn't care about "paying life", so it does allow for interesting combos with things like Channel (infinite mana), with anything in the set that allows the alternative life pay, especially immolating souleater, death's shadow, suicide black, etc..
The first instance means if dmg to you is redirected to a creature, it gets -1/-1 counters.
The second instance means the creature gets poison counters, which doesn't really do anything.
Maybe this can be exploited (say if the redirect happened after you take the dmg).
As is my mantra, don't expect your local judge to know.
...?
/tilt head
I would get 9 foild ones just to scare the hell out of anyone that opens my binder... Page one baby!!! :-)
Lets say you get dealt 15 combat damage and you're at 12 life; this would bring you to -3 life (because the combat damage was simultaneous, you'd be over 0 life when it happened). Now further damage would result in poison counters.. unless you can regain the life back over 0 before they could damage you again. This is my understanding of this card anyway.
As already written, it's sad that it basically gives you +10 life. The drawback => you can't pay life as you could do with +10 life, but for the benefit that this could work with some poison counter abusal. However there are no cards that benefit from the number of poison counters you have.
Another fact. If you regain lifepoints to raise your life-total to 1+, you won't get poison counters on the next attack, since damage is dealt simultaneously.
In my opinion, this card DEFINITELY needs phyrexian mana!!!
Still, combos with Melira or Death's Shadow (or, under the right circumstances, Near Death Experience) so it could be funny. Otherwise, it's just a fun little stall tactic, especially if you've got enough lifegain to get back up after taking the odd poison counter (pray they don't have proliferate though).
Though, odd question, how does this work with damage being dealt. I mean, let's say you're brought down to below 0 by combat damage. Since all the damage is dealt at the same time, wouldn't it not register you as 0 until after all the combat damage is dealt. IE that combat phase drags you down to 0 and THEN this card kicks in after combat is over?
It's worth thinking about.
As for 2headed giant, I wish I could give you the best answer, at one time, I knew it for sure, but I think they changed it, and then changed it back, its getting confusing.
I think, as the way I knew it, you have a life total that is shared (30), but each player has 15 life to their name.
For example, if you played Magister Sphinx and target one of your heads and you are at 30 life between yourselves, yours becomes 10, and your other head stays at 15, making your new life total 25.
If you use this, it has no effect until you are at 0 (so that's all we will look at) you are at 0, to be at zero, you 'two' must be at zero, the other head loses, and that makes both of you lose. Its actually a rule, if one head dies, the other dies too, no effect would protect you.
Haha, same thing for players that concede. Anyway, I think its no, you should look it up to be sure.
Lastly, I'm sure you are wondering, if 'we' are at 1 life, what is each of our life totals? I am fairly certain its 1 for both of you if some effect cared, otherwise, a giant would lose when they get to 1 life instead of 0.
at negative life and you can keep losing life for even more power, so long as the opponent does not do 10 damage before that. In other words, you cannot lose the game on the condition that you lose life, you
need to take damage. This means this card should find a warm place in the heart of any Black mage.
May I also mention that this is not strictly worse than Angel. In this Metagame, the Angel is going to die. Quicikly. But other than the occasional Naturalize or Ancient Grudge, which most people are foregoing for broader cards in the sideboard, This could stay on the board long enough to get your win con out. Of course, if you start taking poison counters then you're looking down aggro, control bashers, or burn, and you have a limited window to take care of businiess. Overall, subpar in competitive standard, but comborific in formats like Casual, Modern, or even Commander!
3.5/5
A person in this position can't lose life. They can take damage in the form of poison counters but...
Life Drain has no answer to this.
I accidentally the game.
State based effects or not, ALL combat damage happens at the same time, with the exception of the first strike round. That uncalculated green player just wasted his overrun and now he's tapped out.
Touch of the Eternal
And some more cards that make you lose life:
Infernal Contract
Reckless Spite
Doomsday
Rain of Daggers
Phyrexian Etchings
Shauku, Endbringer
Embargo
Wretched Anurid
Soulcage Fiend
Howling Banshee
Orzhov Guildmage
Spiteflame Witch
Pox
Forsaken Wastes
Havoc Festival
Liability
Phyrexian Tribute
Isolation Cell
Poisonbelly Ogre
Seizan, Perveter of Truth
Maralen of the Mornsong
Bitterblossom
Dark Confidant
Graveborn Muse
Shepherd of Rot
Both creatures deal damage at the same time, ie, you drop down to -4 life.
If one has first strike, the other deals damage as poison counters- you're at negative life when it deals damage to you. If one has double strike, you take normal from the first strike and infect from the second strike, again when you're at negative life.
This is the centerpiece of my "what's a life-total?" deck. Lose life however you can with this out, then Soul Conduit, Death's Shadow or Repay in Kind, and wonder why nobody else can survive like you, even if you do cry oil.
Makes Fateful Hour slightly less useless.
also that art is scary as Hell.
I don't know why nobody hasn't mentioned Ad Nauseum + Requilary Tower
It's the best card you can throw in a deck like this.
I have that in my deck along with the old Maralen of the Mornsong + Mindlock Orb combo which effectively locks the game
"Who gets the negative life total? Whooooo gets the negative life total?
i think this'll do nicely in my sanguine bond deck with 4 sun droplets, tainted sigil, felidar sovereign, etc.