It's like something that found its way out of Homelands.
dingophone
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
This isn't terrible, Skinrender's just amazing. That being said, 5 mana for a 2/2 french vanilla is pretty underwhelming. Undying would have been very nice. 1/5
NoobOfLore
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(6 votes)
Pretty bad compared to both Skinrender (which is, to be fair, really awesome), and Morkrut Banshee, although I see the place where you might play this guy over her, since she has no guarantee of setting off her CIP. It's comparatively sad. For all these numbers put together, I'd probably say that it would go better at common than at uncommon.
Schlapatzjenc
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why? It's like printing Chimney Imp with no abilities for same CMC.
Firenzen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Strictly better than Skinrender!
Mightyass
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
At 4 mana it would be a limited bomb, now its a "fair" Shriekmaw or Skinrender... 2/5. I can hardly imagine a black limited deck not playing this.
This card is dope in limited, which is clearly all it was intended for. The simple fact that it's a zombie is worth a lot, given how deep the love is in this set. I like it a lot - not a first pick, but use it a bit and I think the 'ZOMG, WORST CARD EVAR' talk will fall off.
blindthrall
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
The flavor text says it all. "Choke on my bone, MTG players!"
Tezz
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Uncommon???
SkaerKrow
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Behold, blessed crap.
count_dorku
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Dear Development:
Have you gone completely farbog? No, seriously, what the frell? Five mana? Five?!
Radagast
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Not only is it terrible, it is baffling why it is uncommon.
Black has a grand(?) tradition of horribly, costly common creatures. Bog Hoodlums, Dripping Dead, and other jank. To fit the bill, this terrible thing should have cost 5B and been common. Instead, we get a staggeringly bad uncommon that can barely do anything in Limited.
MrBarrelRoll
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
This is a limited card, and a pretty good one at that. Definitely first-pickable, depending on the pack. It's removal, it has legs, it 2-for-1s, what's not to like?
luca_barelli
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
A lot of people on here apparently haven't played limited. Removal + a creature in one package is always good, especially in this block. For constructed, though, this is obviously total trash. 1.5/5
PhyrexianFryCook
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't understand why this doesn't have undying, that would have made perfect sense here.
dontmess17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
doesn't matter if he chokes or not, all his stuff has undying so he must too. even Fling on something stupid like a Rotting Fensnake is better than this boneflinger
loose35007
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Can I shoot the -2/-2 at say, Elite Inquisitor? Or because he's got protection from zombies I can't target him?
@ loose35007
Elite Inquisitor has protection from zombies, so it can't be the target of abilities from zombie sources.
longwinded
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This was apparently part of an uncommon "creature types matter" cycle. Originally it was -X/-X, where CX is the number of zombies you control. They had trouble balancing it, ran out of time, and eventually just punted and changed X to 2... and left everything else the same.
There have actually been a lot of "candid confession" stories on the site about Innistrad/Dark Ascension/Avacyn Restored development. For example, the confession that Archangel's Light was a last minute replacement for a card that they thought might be broken.
Horsethief
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why did they even make this card. Crap version of skinrender. I guess they thought skinrender was too good but didn't want to completely flush him out of standard so they make this piece of crap.
LordOfTheFlies87
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Decent in limited. Relax yous guys.
Totema
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Gisa's messenger throws bones. Geralf's Messenger explodes, then comes back to explode again. I think we all know who the better alchemist is.
You know what would've made sense? If it had a Skirsdag High-Priest kind of morbid effect. The effect would be that when a creature you control dies (you can make it a certain tribal, whatever), deal deal -1/-1 to a creature other than Farbog.
Well? It's throwing the bones of something dead. Would it make sense if a creature of yours didn't die before this came in as it is? I don't think so.
Either that, or make -2/-2 into -X/-X, where X = total creatures in your graveyard.
Now THAT'S bone-throwing, Gisa.
Goatllama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh my fatherofmachines, Phyrexia does it SO much better.
kaneofchaos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Are you guys serious? This guy is AMAZING! And the best part is he can kill another Boneflinger! That is the same thing as card advantage to me. I would know because I am pro.
JunkHarvester
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
More like FARTBOG Boneflinger. hahahahahahahahahahaha
HuntingDrake
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What happens when you change Disease Carriers/Hornet Harasser/Undead Executioner's dies-trigger to an ETB-trigger? Keening Banshee says it gains flying. Skinrender says it gets +1/+1 and a far deadlier effect. Only the Boneflinger answers that question with a reasonable "It gets a little more expensive."
Comments (36)
Why do they even print this shit? What's the god damn point?
HA HA! HA HA HA!
~Geralf
It's comparatively sad. For all these numbers put together, I'd probably say that it would go better at common than at uncommon.
Have you gone completely farbog? No, seriously, what the frell? Five mana? Five?!
Black has a grand(?) tradition of horribly, costly common creatures. Bog Hoodlums, Dripping Dead, and other jank. To fit the bill, this terrible thing should have cost 5B and been common. Instead, we get a staggeringly bad uncommon that can barely do anything in Limited.
1.5/5
@ loose35007
Elite Inquisitor has protection from zombies, so it can't be the target of abilities from zombie sources.
There have actually been a lot of "candid confession" stories on the site about Innistrad/Dark Ascension/Avacyn Restored development. For example, the confession that Archangel's Light was a last minute replacement for a card that they thought might be broken.
Geralf's Messenger explodes, then comes back to explode again.
I think we all know who the better alchemist is.
Well? It's throwing the bones of something dead. Would it make sense if a creature of yours didn't die before this came in as it is? I don't think so.
Either that, or make -2/-2 into -X/-X, where X = total creatures in your graveyard.
Now THAT'S bone-throwing, Gisa.
Keening Banshee says it gains flying. Skinrender says it gets +1/+1 and a far deadlier effect. Only the Boneflinger answers that question with a reasonable "It gets a little more expensive."