I really hate how this falls in the CMC-3 slot (where my zombie lords go), but I just have to make room for it anyways... It's just too awesome to pass up.
SgtSwaggr
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(13 votes)
Kitchen Finks , is that you?? How much you've changed!
Kryptnyt
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I think this is the best card in the set. Seems too easy to sac it, remove a counter with Hex Parasite, and repeat. It's just that Wizards still refuses to print good sac engines.
This card works really well outside of zombie decks too, a sacrifice/recurring utility.
Paladin85
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This is a crazy aggro card
T1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, this guy, opponent takes 2 T2: Assuming you attack, opponent takes 5 after, if it gets removed, opponent takes 4 and now you have a 4/3 T3 and after: Proceed to panic opponent with his other friend friends
The only not so good part is the BBB casting cost, which you can get by with dark rituals or just playing mono black
DarthParallax
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(7 votes)
If this doesn't make Mono-Black, nothing will. I highly doubt Mono Black will get anything like this and Phyrexian Obliterator in Standard at the same time again.
pedrodyl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not the most amazing thing to first turn Dark Ritual into, but still pretty damn impressive. I suppose it doesn't really matter that it comes into play tapped, unless you really wanted to give it haste. But black doesn't really do that too much...
BluthBanana
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I underestimate this card. I will lose to this card.
8Netherwind8
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(7 votes)
I love that this has Undying (kewl mechanic) AND his chest looks like someone stuck a Duracell in 'em... "Nothing outlasts the Coppertop!"
So, new munchable dead guy... who should I start feeding you to with Grave Pact out?... Zombie entourage in my GB Saproling deck with Ghave, Guru of Spores ? Naw, how about an unthreatening Mortician Beetle with this as as a "Power Supply" for Phyrexian Tower / Ashnod's Altar , massive tokens a la Innistrad, and then the 'piece de resistance'... Thraximundar. Forget the Bunny... Coppertop Engine ftw!
Oh, and TY WIZARDS for bringing back my favorite tribe in a BIG way the past few months! Viva la Z-Day!!
DaMaster012
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(12 votes)
Oh God, Geralf equipped this guy with Jarate! RUN FOR YOU SANDVICHES!!!
ZirilanoftheClaw
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
went straight into my Gravecrawler + Nantuko husk + Grave pact deck
Funny how they try to enforce Mono Black Decks with cards like this and Phyrexian Obliterator. Even would have made this card amazing. And to truly mirror Kitchen Finks it should have been costed
ajolt151
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I combo this with Altar's Reap for some fun card drawing, life sucking action :)
TherealphatMatt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
so somebody said "Remember Kitchen Finks?" and the reaction of R&D was "LET'S MAKE ANOTHER, GENTS!"? What are they huffing?
That said, this is crazy good. Amazing in monoblack. MIGHT even see play in older formats where Dark Ritual and similar stuff is available. 4 damage, a 3/2, and a 4/3 for 3 mana is just crazy.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(11 votes)
shouldn't it be gisa's messenger? since it's black?
1919
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
....is that a battery on his chest!?!?
Superllama12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Really, really good...except in limited. It is hard as hell to get those three , especially in a 3+ color deck that seem to be really good in Innistrad limited. However, running monoblack with maybe a splash of another color could theoretically make it work, but good luck pulling that off!
Mike-C
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
@1919: NOPE. It's the He-Man chest plate! You know.. You hit it and it shows where he's been damaged but still kickin?? lol
Gcrudaplaneswalker
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is incredible. You pay B to damage your opponent for 4 life then BB for a 3/2 undying. Gotta love it!! 5/5
Enemy_Tricolor
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Hold my messages, please.
htgtmd
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(10 votes)
Don't shoot the messenger! ...he'll come back to kill you
Paleopaladin
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(6 votes)
Time may prove that this new addition to black's already amazingworld of three drops surpasses them all.
I'm going to get flamed, but I don't love the art on this.
brbrcket
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is one of my favorite creatures in the game now. I've won games against tough opponents by no other reason but the sheer loss of life this card hits them with, even if they have blockers and kill spells, this guy just laughs when he dies, often delivering the final push to win it.
Even better is his brokeness with other cards. Want him to block? Amulet of Vigor. Need a friend? Gravecrawler. Want more of em? Any copy card can enter the battlefield as a copy of anything else when it undies. With a +1/+1 counter. He makes Phantasmal Image insane.
Great art, but when I pulled him at the prerelease, I though the front chest thing was a Jiggy from Banjo-Kazooie.
Solid 5/5. A must have for any mono black deck
MrFluffyThing
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If we could ever get this working in a {B}{U}{W} deck, this would be even more awesome. I'd love to attack for 3 damage, sacrifice it to Disciple of Griselbrand to trigger undying, then phase it out until end of turn with Venser, the Sojourner to make it deal 2 more damage and remove the +1/+1 counter. If I can get through, that's a potential 7 damage a turn for {1}. Now to figure out the mana curve...
Love it. Looks threatening and makes my friends do stupid mistakes while trying to get rid of it. 5/5
kiseki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In your head... In your head... Zombie, zombie, zombie...
HowardTreesong
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Bit demanding with the specific black mana so I tend to use mostly in mono-black. I finally have four of these and the undyding matched with the sting for 2 life when they enter the battlefield makes me happy. Wish I had four gravecrawlers to match!
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
BEST CARD IN THE SET. KEV WALER KILLED IT
Bobth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Probably one of the best aggro cards in any color ever. If it dies, it's 4 burn damage and a 4/3 body for 3. If it doesn't, it's 2 burn damage and a 3/2 (going unblocked or killing a bunch of chumps) for 3. Even if Path to Exiled or Pacifismed, does 2 damage for 3 mana, which is fine considering what happens to any other card that gets targeted by those types of cards. I didn't think Shambling Remains would ever get better, especially not in monocolor, though Remains is still better when facing counterspells.
blindloyalty
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Looks like he's missing a puzzle piece :P
If you're a fan of this guy's insta-stab ETB mechanic, Scars of Mirrodin's Pierce Strider and Inquisitor Exarch have it as well, pinging for 3 life and 2 life respectively on ETB. They don't have undying, but I find Postmortem Lunge to be a rather decent substitute.
Specter_Fanatic13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Let's see Gisa kill THIS messenger!" -Geralf
rogelio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Kitchen Finks sure has made a turn for the aggro.
Obvious synergy is obvious, but having Diregraf Captains out on the field only make it a little more reluctant to kill. You've got your Messengers pinging your opponent in the beginning for two, and if you've got at least two Captains out, they'll ping for another two as they die... and another two by the Messenger as it un-dies. So you're essentially taking six life for every Messenger you have.
Then if you want, sac a Fume Spitter or splash white to Cloudshift it to get rid of that +1/+1 counter and have Undying trigger again. Lots of possibilities for this card.
alphagprime
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have a mono-black destro deck he is perfect for right along:
It's all about keeping the opponent's board clear and daring them to clear mine or using mine as canon fodder to clear theirs. It may not seem like it but it works pretty well. Typically I just frustrate my opponent into make a wrong move (allowing me to chump block, removing one of my creatures) triggering either a Tragic Slip or Bone Splinter in response, and then just keeping the board clear as long as possible to push through a few swings, a Mortis Dogs + Bone Splinters, or a Flesh Allergy.
LordOfTheFlies87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
F'ing DIRTY.
Cygore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My girlfriend runs a blue black zombie deck and this guy is the nastiest thing to deal with in it. Phantasmal Image on top of that makes my dick hurt. The two damage he deals each time he enters the battlefield adds up, especially if your opponent gets one out right after the other. When he comes back as a 4/3 he becomes a little harder to deal with that early in the game. Now combo him with Diregraf Captain and you're getting hit with a lot of aggro and early direct damage.
Eddie_Antilles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A good solid pick for Black Aggro, but harder to squeeze elsewhere.
That canister has enough poison in it for two lifetimes. This is a beautiful card – and it only gets better in foil. The shine perfectly highlights the toxic gas.
psychichobo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
'Well, that three black mana in his cost should balance him - only usable in mono-black decks!' 'Um, sir...' 'It's not like there's a dual land available for every colour in standard, after all!' 'Sir...' 'Or like we'll next release a block with common and easily available dual lands!' 'Sir, I need to tell you-' 'Or shocklands! Pff. No siree, this guy is definitely for mono-black!' '... never mind...'
RecurringMemories
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy is pretty awesome; the fact that unless he get's exiled or bounced he hits for 4 is great. The only downside is triple black. Would have been much m ore abusable at 1BB.
Also, I hate the art. It's pretty lame.
Vastator
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
One of my favorite cards, but I only use it in my deck with my Simic Guildmage since the Undying is a bit of a drawback when compared to regenerate or abilities like that of Gravecrawler
Otherwise, this is an awesome card 4.5/5
Coglineerro
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yes, the card is great, but what makes it a 5/5 to me is the flavor. Geralf and Gisa are constantly warring with each other and this is a carrier for his message, "Die!" You have to love a flavorful card that is also powerful. Very rare occurrence.
Silence9
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Bad artwork, but very strong card. Two Black shocks on a creature? First a 3/2 then a 4/3? Card advantage.
Reishyn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The fact that this is still rated less than 4 stars depresses me. This is one of the best black 3-drops to have come around in a while.
TheShadow344
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Me: Geralf's Messenger enters the battlefield. You lose 2 life. I then sacrifice it to Carrion Feeder. Messenger comes back due to undying. Lose another 2 life. Then I remove the +1/+1 counter from the Messenger using Thrull Parasite... And then I sacrifice the Messenger to the Feeder again. Lose another 2 life.
My opponent: I'm replacing Fog for our next match.
Aremath
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love undying, especially when you get value out of it. This card is sweet, and I'm confused about the <4 rating.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Whole Lotta creature for 3 measly mana. Your opponent is most likely going to loose 1/5 of his health (4 life) just from the ETB effect. Not to mention your swinging and possibly taking other creatures out with it. At least its still weak against exile, and the seldom played auras.
Blow up the board, a bunch of -1/-1 counters fly everywhere and eventually when everything is dead they repeatedly land on this guy and he just comes back and saps someone for some life.
Burningsickle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
simply amazing, and fun card. I have observed my friend masterfully run this with phyrexian obliterator and geth's verdict... It gets out of hand very quickly.
Comments (60)
T1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, this guy, opponent takes 2
T2: Assuming you attack, opponent takes 5 after, if it gets removed, opponent takes 4 and now you have a 4/3
T3 and after: Proceed to panic opponent with his other friend friends
The only not so good part is the BBB casting cost, which you can get by with dark rituals or just playing mono black
I suppose it doesn't really matter that it comes into play tapped, unless you really wanted to give it haste. But black doesn't really do that too much...
So, new munchable dead guy... who should I start feeding you to with Grave Pact out?... Zombie entourage in my GB Saproling deck with Ghave, Guru of Spores ? Naw, how about an unthreatening Mortician Beetle with this as as a "Power Supply" for Phyrexian Tower / Ashnod's Altar , massive tokens a la Innistrad, and then the 'piece de resistance'... Thraximundar. Forget the Bunny... Coppertop Engine ftw!
Oh, and TY WIZARDS for bringing back my favorite tribe in a BIG way the past few months! Viva la Z-Day!!
Even
That said, this is crazy good. Amazing in monoblack. MIGHT even see play in older formats where Dark Ritual and similar stuff is available. 4 damage, a 3/2, and a 4/3 for 3 mana is just crazy.
I'm going to get flamed, but I don't love the art on this.
Even better is his brokeness with other cards. Want him to block? Amulet of Vigor. Need a friend? Gravecrawler. Want more of em? Any copy card can enter the battlefield as a copy of anything else when it undies. With a +1/+1 counter. He makes Phantasmal Image insane.
Great art, but when I pulled him at the prerelease, I though the front chest thing was a Jiggy from Banjo-Kazooie.
Solid 5/5. A must have for any mono black deck
In your head...
Zombie, zombie, zombie...
If you're a fan of this guy's insta-stab ETB mechanic, Scars of Mirrodin's Pierce Strider and Inquisitor Exarch have it as well, pinging for 3 life and 2 life respectively on ETB. They don't have undying, but I find Postmortem Lunge to be a rather decent substitute.
Obvious synergy is obvious, but having Diregraf Captains out on the field only make it a little more reluctant to kill. You've got your Messengers pinging your opponent in the beginning for two, and if you've got at least two Captains out, they'll ping for another two as they die... and another two by the Messenger as it un-dies. So you're essentially taking six life for every Messenger you have.
Then if you want, sac a Fume Spitter or splash white to Cloudshift it to get rid of that +1/+1 counter and have Undying trigger again. Lots of possibilities for this card.
Blistergrub
Blood Artist
Mortis Dogs
Bone Splinters
Tragic Slip
Flesh Allergy
Sylvok Lifestaff
Nim Deathmantle
It's all about keeping the opponent's board clear and daring them to clear mine or using mine as canon fodder to clear theirs. It may not seem like it but it works pretty well. Typically I just frustrate my opponent into make a wrong move (allowing me to chump block, removing one of my creatures) triggering either a Tragic Slip or Bone Splinter in response, and then just keeping the board clear as long as possible to push through a few swings, a Mortis Dogs + Bone Splinters, or a Flesh Allergy.
4.5/5
And it isn't Kitchen Finks, it's Murderous Redcap.
your wallet is saying, "Please don't..."
Player 1: "I'll play a Geralf's Messenger. You lose 2 life. Go."
Player 2: "I'll play a Kitchen Finks. I gain 2 life. Go."
Player 1: "I'll attack with Geralf's Messenger."
Player 2: "I'll block with Kitchen Finks. My 3/2 trades with your 3/2."
Player 1: "You lose 2 life. Go."
Player 2: "I gain 2 life. I pass."
Player 1: "I'll attack with Geralf's Messenger."
Player 2: "I'll block with Kitchen Finks."
Player 1: "YES!!! It's finally DEAD!"
Player 2: "During combat, I'll play Hunger of the Howlpack."
Player 1: "NOOOOOOOOO"
I see some synergy there.
'Um, sir...'
'It's not like there's a dual land available for every colour in standard, after all!'
'Sir...'
'Or like we'll next release a block with common and easily available dual lands!'
'Sir, I need to tell you-'
'Or shocklands! Pff. No siree, this guy is definitely for mono-black!'
'... never mind...'
Also, I hate the art. It's pretty lame.
Otherwise, this is an awesome card 4.5/5
Geralf's Messenger enters the battlefield. You lose 2 life.
I then sacrifice it to Carrion Feeder. Messenger comes back due to undying. Lose another 2 life.
Then I remove the +1/+1 counter from the Messenger using Thrull Parasite...
And then I sacrifice the Messenger to the Feeder again. Lose another 2 life.
My opponent: I'm replacing Fog for our next match.
This, Blowfly Infestation, Carnifex Demon
Blow up the board, a bunch of -1/-1 counters fly everywhere and eventually when everything is dead they repeatedly land on this guy and he just comes back and saps someone for some life.