Pointed Discussion

I'm a big fan of shades. This guy just smashed and if they trade their X/X big guy for it you've gotten value.

Weird card. I like it. Allows you to go all out, which is what shades should do, and then it lets you do it again.

Shades are bad because of their mechanics. Adding an ability that only makes you waste more mana on it does not make it a good card. Better than the other shades? Most of them. Is it good yet? No.

Green gets a 4/4 for 4, White gets a 3/3 with a relevant keyword for 4, blue gets a 2/2 with a relevant ability for 4, and Red often gets a 3/2 with a relevant ability or keyword for 4, all at the same power level.

Black gets an x/x with Upkeep equal to it's power.

Allows you to beat with your spare mana. Undying gives it durability that allows you to get very aggressive with it. As long as you're paying attention and have the right mana, you shouldn't lose it in a standard combat situation.

Hard to justify stuffing it in a constructed deck, but will have a presence in limited.

This shade--two of them, to be exact--contributed strongly to more of my wins than any other at PR's this weekend. It is a bit expensive to cast for a 1/1, but not really for limited. Once on the board with some swamps, it becomes a monster of board control. As long as I had mana open--not hard in the creature-driven green/black deck I was running--the instant-speed pump ability holds opponents in check unless they are hitting with deathtouch or a big creature themselves. Equipped with Angelic Armaments, he was just flat stupid-strong in the format. With 2 shades on the field, I could hold 1 back to block (undying not yet triggered) while sending the other in and selecting pump after blockers were declared. Bottom line, as long as you are running sufficient land, it is a remarkably adaptable tool in the sealed format. I will take 2 in my sealed pull any day!

This multiverse have seen better shades, and much better shades as well ( no, I'm not talking about Nantuko). But to be honest, it have seen much worse ones too.

This guy takes out what might be the Shade's biggest weakness: Vulnerability when he enters the field. Now this guy can chump right after casting, and still be in good enough form to swing for dangerous amounts of damage the next turn. Tapping out for this guy while your opponent is holding a lightning bolt is no longer a death sentence for the guy.

This might not be a top-tier shade regarding playability,
but it ranks high both in artwork an flavor.
(A if you think this shade wasn't already scary enough until you manage to build up your courage dare to turn against it, just go ahead, try to kill it. It will just come back more intimidating and be like "You better don't dare to make that mistake again and better run away immediately this time...")

Also it seems very flexible for limited.

I think that Liliana of the Dark Realms will be making cards like this at least a tad more valuable.

Anyone who thinks this card is bad hasn't seen its use in Mono Black Control, he wrecks faces and takes a mutilate like a champ. Show me something else to do with all that black mana once your hand is empty?

Does a decent Restless Apparition impression, but the higher CMC makes it much less aggressive.

Removal dies to Evernight Shade.

Costly but worth the cost. Obviously it's not a card you want in your starting hand but well worth it later on. In the Black-White deck I use I played this guy when I had 6 swamps and 5 plains. With Blessing and Divine Favor enchanted on him and a few 'Exaltion' creatures in play, I made him huge after I'd used him to get rid of a few Green creatures my opponent controlled.