Net results: You mill 15 cards from your opponent, create a 60 point life swing (that opponent lost 30, you gain 30), and you have a 20/20 flyer on the table set to mill 20 (or 60) cards next turn.
Atali
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Lavamancer's Skill wouldn't do much for him, it would give him a 2 damage ping, which can only be pointed at creatures, and wouldn't trigger his mill ability OR his +1/+1 counter ability since it's not combat damage.
asandberge
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Pretty worth it.
First Turn Attacking: 5 mil Next: 10 Next: 20 Next: 40 (Usually the end)
Not as good as Phage, but still worth it. Play with Experiment Kraj for double.
Gareth32
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
My EDH general.
Loren_Lithium
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm running The Mimeoplasm for my edh commander. And when you combine Szadek, Lord of Secrets with a strong booster as part of The Mimeoplasm's ability you can end up decking people out in one hit. Example: I used that exact style (mainly as an accident) and in just a few turns I was making other players deck out by removing all there deck in one hit. I was doing over 160 points of damage, but with Szadek's ability I was making them remove that many cards from their decks. While I wouldn't recommend this as a great way to make friends, it is incredibly effective. Now with that said I would not use him as my commander. He costs way too much for his ability. But if you can cheat him out by using Mimeoplasm or some other mana ramp style he can make a huge difference in the game. Still a solid 5/5 from me though.
Superllama12
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
A great card, but my only problem is that in a pure milling deck, it usually gets out late enough that you end up just chumping with it...either that, or my friend's mill deck sucks...but when I have gotten to use it, it kicks ass, and is very fun to loom it over their head
CrowJonSnow
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
@ asandberge
experiment kraj isn't very good with szadek, as his two abilities are not activated abilities. his first, flying, is a passive ability his second, the milling and counter doubling, is a triggered ability, not an activated one spikeshot elder's ability is an activated one, as you choose when to activate it.
the test of a good card is how quickly people try to kill it, and this guy draws a lot of attention, especially in multiplayer formats. hit one person for 5, then 10, then 20, then maybe 40. they're dead hit another person for 80, they're dead, then another for 160. everyone's dead
Great card, gets huge when unblocked. Won all my games in limited when I pulled two of him.
Totema
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Mill? In EDH? An interesting concept.
Narim
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
After all those long years, Szadek finally got a weapon fit of his greatness. It's Trepanation Blade. Yes, it sounds pretty sadistic. Yes, it is pretty sadistic.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Narim: ...Holy shit.
@Parallax: doesn't really work because ability damage does not count as combat damage.
Cloudeye
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ahhh, Szadek. The One and Only millpire.
wholelottalove
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Card really is too big to be a Commander. With the amount of removal in commander, this might see one play before the game is over.
handoflazav_414
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Master. Greetings, nice to see you're well. um, what will Lazav say?
Edit: been using this guy a lot in my U/B mill deck and actually took him out today. With the release of gatecrash, there's so many better options to use for milling than Szadeck. He just costs so dang much (and I already have Oona in there too). Might put in a couple dark rituals and see if I can't ramp him earlier tho...
Bobth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Tonymitsu: You don't deal any damage with this card. It adds +1/+1 counters and mills instead of dealing damage.
Here's the total number of cards this combo mills, with no blockers, assuming you play it on turn 7:
Turn 8: 5 Turn 9: 15 Turn 10: 35 Turn 11: 75
With a Fireshrieker (or any form of double strike):
Turn 8: You start at 5/5, doubled is 10. For the second strike, you start at 15/15, doubled is 30. 10+30=40. Turn 9: You start at 45/45, doubled is 90. For the second strike, you start at 135/135, doubled is 270. 40+90+270=400.
Seems viable in EDH to me, though the initial casting cost is probably too high to beat the faster and more overpowered commanders.
SnackyNorph
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I am sick of these unwieldy, bulky text boxes. Wizards, I beg of you: Make mill a keyword. Please.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
if only he were a Vampire Wizard. I know of this neat enchantment that would break the hell out of him. it's Red. makes him a motherflippin Sith Freakin Lord. only works best if he's a Wizard though. :/
Pyromancer's something, I think it was called. enchanted creature gets: t: shock. :D
Atali: I'm talking about Vorthos here, not Spike. It's a SZADEK that SHOOTS FIRE! COME ON! :D What's not to love? :P
Actually...maybe this is more like Evan, Orange Player than Vorthos, Flavor Player >.< Vorthos is Death's Shadow. :P
Comments (25)
Whispersilk cloak and surestrike trident make for a not so interesting game.
If you want a blue and black commander who gets half a deck, then its this guy.
Turn X- Activate Bloodchief Ascension
Next turn- Cast him
Following Turn- Give him double-strike; very common in red (Assault Strobe, Double Cleave, Psychotic Fury) or artifact (Fireshrieker, Grappling Hook), swing.
Net results:
You mill 15 cards from your opponent, create a 60 point life swing (that opponent lost 30, you gain 30), and you have a 20/20 flyer on the table set to mill 20 (or 60) cards next turn.
First Turn Attacking: 5 mil
Next: 10
Next: 20
Next: 40 (Usually the end)
Not as good as Phage, but still worth it. Play with Experiment Kraj for double.
experiment kraj isn't very good with szadek, as his two abilities are not activated abilities.
his first, flying, is a passive ability
his second, the milling and counter doubling, is a triggered ability, not an activated one
spikeshot elder's ability is an activated one, as you choose when to activate it.
the test of a good card is how quickly people try to kill it, and this guy draws a lot of attention, especially in multiplayer formats. hit one person for 5, then 10, then 20, then maybe 40. they're dead
hit another person for 80, they're dead, then another for 160. everyone's dead
doesn't die to doom blade, but does die to the rarer kill cards, like go for the throat or rend flesh
5/5
@Parallax: doesn't really work because ability damage does not count as combat damage.
um, what will Lazav say?
"wait... HE DOES WHAT??"
Edit: been using this guy a lot in my U/B mill deck and actually took him out today. With the release of gatecrash, there's so many better options to use for milling than Szadeck. He just costs so dang much (and I already have Oona in there too). Might put in a couple dark rituals and see if I can't ramp him earlier tho...
Here's the total number of cards this combo mills, with no blockers, assuming you play it on turn 7:
Turn 8: 5
Turn 9: 15
Turn 10: 35
Turn 11: 75
With a Fireshrieker (or any form of double strike):
Turn 8: 15
Turn 9: 45
Turn 10: 105
With an Inquisitor's Flail and Fireshrieker (as per Curlie-Joe's suggestion):
Turn 8: 40
Turn 9: 400
Here's the breakdown on that last one...
Turn 8: You start at 5/5, doubled is 10. For the second strike, you start at 15/15, doubled is 30. 10+30=40.
Turn 9: You start at 45/45, doubled is 90. For the second strike, you start at 135/135, doubled is 270. 40+90+270=400.
Seems viable in EDH to me, though the initial casting cost is probably too high to beat the faster and more overpowered commanders.
Pyromancer's something, I think it was called. enchanted creature gets: t: shock. :D
Atali: I'm talking about Vorthos here, not Spike. It's a SZADEK that SHOOTS FIRE! COME ON! :D What's not to love? :P
Actually...maybe this is more like Evan, Orange Player than Vorthos, Flavor Player >.< Vorthos is Death's Shadow. :P
He mills X cards where
X=5*2^(n-1)
n is the number of times he has attacked