New Phyrexia is on Gatherer! First! this is pretty cool, it can be played at instant speed to two for one.
AnTzero
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(7 votes)
If you have Rage Extractor out this card is well worth the 4 life.
healingbolt
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(5 votes)
3 mana and 4 life to 2-for-1 opponent. Might be playable , since it's colourless.
Vividice
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(6 votes)
Colorless Threaten. Gives non-red Aggro Decks a valuable option for the final swing. E.G. White Weenie Decks could steal a Titan and alpha strike for the win quite often.
MasterOfEtherium
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(12 votes)
That Elephant Is All Kabal From MK Style. And Yeah Act Of Treason/Threaten 4 All Colors.
friendtoall17
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(5 votes)
I like the instant speed of this card. This could be a very good defensive card against a deck running Phyrexian Obliterators, especially if it looks totally hopeless and you're being attacked by a pair of them.
Never fear - use this card, grab one of the obliterators, block their obliterator with your stolen one, and it looks like the board will be squeaky clean. Now, it's (essentially) starting the game all over again...only now, the opponent's deck has two less obliterators. Granted, your deck will be missing things as well, but it's a small price to pay to slay two obliterators.
majinara
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(8 votes)
Not bad. Not awesome either. The comparison to threaten ain't quite true, since threaten is a sorcery, and this is an instant, making it more similiar to ray of command.
Amnatto
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Awesome card. Colorless Threaten (Or act of treason), and Instant speed. I don't know if this will be standard playable, out side of the odd Rage Extractor deck, but in EDH and some other formats, this will rule.
kiseki
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
The beauty is in the flexibility. I'm so pleased to see this at instant speed for between 3 and 5 mana. My green/red control deck had to make due with Word of Seizing and Act of Treason. The horrible things you do to your opponent with this and Helm of Possession are well worth the 2 or 4 life if you don't quite have the red mana to run both.
avenged492
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(3 votes)
only decent part of the card is the flexibility for all 4 colors...I would never run it in any of my red decks.
themlsna
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
At first I didn't notice the instant speed on this, and was a bit underwhelmed. The alternate casting cost is cool, but without instant, this card wouldn't shine as well as it does. 4/5
Polychromatic
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(12 votes)
Urabrask looks like he's just sort of chilling in the background there.
"Yo dawg, I heard you like creatures, so we took one of theirs so you can attack with their creature while you attack with their creature!" - Urabrask the Hidden
FaltonOV
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I enjoy the instant speed of this card, especially for use with black decks- they don't much care about the loss of the life, and they could use it for sacrifice; green decks running Birthing Pod would also find this card useful.
Magnor_Criol
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It's easy to overlook the instant speed on this card, since these sorts of effects are almost always sorcery-speed.
The instant speed is what makes this card great, though, that and the Phyrexian mana. It's expensive, but it's potentially really awesome.
Advantage over Blind with Anger: potential 3-cost if you don't mind paying 4 life, can find legends, impervious to Hisoka's Defiance (not that the last means much) Advantage over Disharmony: Usable for your own attack Advantage over Grab the Reins: Actually untaps the target, same 3-cost situation as Blind with Anger
Truth be told, 4 life feels a little excessive for this kind of effect (2 life, no. 4 life, yes). In a red deck with no blue (q.v. Ray of Command), I'd probably pick Blind with Anger or Grab the Reins first. Although if none of the above are options (e.g. Standard), this really is a good scheme for red to play with (alpha strike? What alpha strike?). I'm just leery about the 4 life payment that's implicit in what truly pushes it past BwA...
Leshrac_Nightwalker
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is very, very playable.
Also, on a flavour note, I'm really struck by the look of the converted loxodons (Ichor Explosion, Loxodon Convert), and this is probably my favourite depiction because of the creepy glowing red eyes. It's actually very interesting that we see Urabrask overwhelming a white Phyrexian, rather than one of the remaining Mirrans; Phyrexia doesn't even play nice with its own.
cytokin_x
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@EverJohnny
Ehhh... You do realize that it says "...untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn." Don't you?
Yes, you *can* use it for a "minor reduction in damage", but you can also use it for the obvious benefit of hitting someone with their own creature, or taking a potential blocker *and* hitting them with it. Effects like this are usually decent, especially as instants.
EverJohnny
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This isn't a creature kill spell, it's an under powered Time Walk or a minor reduction in damage. Think about it: if you cast this before your opponent declares attackers, they just won't attack. If you use it to steal an attacking creature, all you're doing is removing that creatures from combat, which is somewhat useful against a sworded creature (trading 4 life for 3 life and effects), although with the addition of Sword of War and Peace this card is less valuable. You won't be able to block with the stolen creature unless it had vigilance (Sun TItan is the only vigilance creature seeing standard play right now). Red decks won't play this (they have three spells that are strictly better), and it doesn't really have a slot in other decks.
Edit: Disregard that, I can't read. Also auto-wins against Exarch-Twin if they don't have removal (cast in response to first copy, make arbitrarily large number of copies on end step, profit).
Toasticus
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Just about goes without saying, but this is good friends with sac effects such as Viscera Seer, Throne of Geth, or to add insult to injury, Fling.
In a draft one guy managed to drop this on my 8/8 Mycosynth Fiend to block and kill another of my attackers, and then Artillerize it. That hurt.
Flyheight
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
This is not creature steal, this is creature kill.
Mindbend
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
in limted this should read, win target game.....
Misery55
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Temporary creature control of this sort is one thing, but the beauty of this card is two things:
1, It's using Phyrexian Mana instead of normal red, which both makes it splashable into non-red decks, and also makes it easier to cast in, say, red/white decks that have good lifegain to them.
2, The fact that it gives temporary haste to that creature. Your opponent drops some horrid giant terror such as Kozilek, Butcher of Truth? Dont just smack it with some sort of removal... Use this on it, and smash your opponent with it first! If you paid for this with life instead of red mana, you may have extra mana left, since it would then only cost 3, to use ACTUAL creature removal on it afterwards! Take your opponents horrible giant beast, smash them with it, and then put it out of it's misery!
Oh yeah, really loving this card so far.
EpitomeOfEvilness
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Won quite a few games at the prerelease with my Green-Black-Blue deck. Steal an attacker, use it to block.
jfre81
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Would be overcosted and strictly worse than Act of Treason except for the instant speed and splashability without even needing to convert mana. How about sticking this in your black deck to steal a creature for a free swing? Then sacrifice it for something on the same turn. Paying life to play another color's spell seems right up black's alley anyway. You can also take one of their weenies with an annoying ability and chump block their creature with it. Fling is handy too, and can be used on attack or defense. Either way, their creature's toast.
reddaemon
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Why is this card rated so low? It's a hard counter for the Deceiver Exarch, and Splinter Twin combo. If you cast Act of Aggression in response to them casting Splinter Twin on Deceiver Exarch, you take it before they are able to use it. Generate a token, and wait for the ability that exiles the token to go on the stack. Respond to that ability by generating a million tokens and they will stay on the battlefield until the end of the NEXT end step, which will be your turn. Keep the original tapped when it goes back to your opponent and on your turn, swing in with tokens generated by his exarch.
SeiberTross
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is an amazing tool across many formats. Instant speed colorless steal has great implications in multiplayer and EDH/Commander.
PanzerDragoon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In constructed this card does offer some flexibility at the expense of some life, BUT there are a dozen other options that work just as well, or better. I personally cannot see running more than 1 of these as a "just in case" card.
In sealed/draft this can be a game changer and/or game ender. It would be very high on my list.
A touch on the expensive side, as is most of the Red Phyrexian Mana cards, but this is a massive effect. Lots of chaos, lots of mayhem, and can really turn any aggressive strategy on its head.
GracefulInferno
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Handles Geist of Saint Traft quite nicely. Swipe the angel he makes and block him with it.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I remember when Zendikar was in standard and Vampire decks would sideboard this and 2 Teetering Peaks against Valakut to finish them off the turn they play their Primeval Titan. They would attack them with their own titan, grabbing both Peaks and making it 10/4. If they didn't just win that turn, they would just sac the titan to Viscera Seer.
asskicker123456789
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
F**k yeah, INSTANT SPEED Act of treason, can even target legendary creatures!!!, the best part? pay 4 life and use in without red mana, for no more than Act of treason costs....
Wizpal
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The art reminds me of Frankie Peanuts. It has a similar pose. Also I can image questioning my opponents creatures:
You: Hey Tarmogoyf! Two questions ¿Will your answer to my next question be Yes?
Comments (32)
E.G. White Weenie Decks could steal a Titan and alpha strike for the win quite often.
Never fear - use this card, grab one of the obliterators, block their obliterator with your stolen one, and it looks like the board will be squeaky clean. Now, it's (essentially) starting the game all over again...only now, the opponent's deck has two less obliterators. Granted, your deck will be missing things as well, but it's a small price to pay to slay two obliterators.
"Yo dawg, I heard you like creatures, so we took one of theirs so you can attack with their creature while you attack with their creature!" - Urabrask the Hidden
The instant speed is what makes this card great, though, that and the Phyrexian mana. It's expensive, but it's potentially really awesome.
Advantage over Blind with Anger: potential 3-cost if you don't mind paying 4 life, can find legends, impervious to Hisoka's Defiance (not that the last means much)
Advantage over Disharmony: Usable for your own attack
Advantage over Grab the Reins: Actually untaps the target, same 3-cost situation as Blind with Anger
Truth be told, 4 life feels a little excessive for this kind of effect (2 life, no. 4 life, yes). In a red deck with no blue (q.v. Ray of Command), I'd probably pick Blind with Anger or Grab the Reins first. Although if none of the above are options (e.g. Standard), this really is a good scheme for red to play with (alpha strike? What alpha strike?). I'm just leery about the 4 life payment that's implicit in what truly pushes it past BwA...
Also, on a flavour note, I'm really struck by the look of the converted loxodons (Ichor Explosion, Loxodon Convert), and this is probably my favourite depiction because of the creepy glowing red eyes. It's actually very interesting that we see Urabrask overwhelming a white Phyrexian, rather than one of the remaining Mirrans; Phyrexia doesn't even play nice with its own.
Ehhh... You do realize that it says "...untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn." Don't you?
Yes, you *can* use it for a "minor reduction in damage", but you can also use it for the obvious benefit of hitting someone with their own creature, or taking a potential blocker *and* hitting them with it. Effects like this are usually decent, especially as instants.
Edit: Disregard that, I can't read. Also auto-wins against Exarch-Twin if they don't have removal (cast in response to first copy, make arbitrarily large number of copies on end step, profit).
In a draft one guy managed to drop this on my 8/8 Mycosynth Fiend to block and kill another of my attackers, and then Artillerize it. That hurt.
1, It's using Phyrexian Mana instead of normal red, which both makes it splashable into non-red decks, and also makes it easier to cast in, say, red/white decks that have good lifegain to them.
2, The fact that it gives temporary haste to that creature. Your opponent drops some horrid giant terror such as Kozilek, Butcher of Truth? Dont just smack it with some sort of removal... Use this on it, and smash your opponent with it first! If you paid for this with life instead of red mana, you may have extra mana left, since it would then only cost 3, to use ACTUAL creature removal on it afterwards! Take your opponents horrible giant beast, smash them with it, and then put it out of it's misery!
Oh yeah, really loving this card so far.
How about sticking this in your black deck to steal a creature for a free swing? Then sacrifice it for something on the same turn. Paying life to play another color's spell seems right up black's alley anyway.
You can also take one of their weenies with an annoying ability and chump block their creature with it.
Fling is handy too, and can be used on attack or defense. Either way, their creature's toast.
In sealed/draft this can be a game changer and/or game ender. It would be very high on my list.
Fun cards to use with this:
Dracoplasm: sac engine
Demonmail Hauberk: sac engine
Disciple of Griselbrand: sac engine
Rage Extractor: blow stuff up
Gruesome Encore: pull-back after sac, then re-sac... LOL
You: Hey Tarmogoyf! Two questions ¿Will your answer to my next question be Yes?
Tarmo: Nhh... hmm... Yes.
You: ¿Will you block that Knight of the Reliquary and then be Fling'd to your master's face?