Not as good as Mikaeus the Unhallowed. But since we get Mikaeus TOO, I'm sure this guy will end up making the various Undying decks 'win more.'
SarpNasty
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
If you can pump you're creatures, they do more damage. Play this, it deals 4 damage to a the opponent. Next turn, play Falkenrath Aristocrat and a Mutagenic Growth in response to the Flayers ability. The aristrocrat deals 6 damage. That's 10. Swing for 6 in the air. That's 16. Sacrifice the Flayer for the aristocrat's ability. it has undying and comes back and deals 5 damage. that's 21.
RAV0004
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
the problem being that Mikaeus is triple black, while Vorapede is triple green. Rootbound geist is double green.
In color we get pyreheart wolf (too expensive, too weak, and actively prevents your creatures from dying) and falkenrath stalker.
In decks where the "enters from graveyard" trigger is more important, edh decks will cry since the generals who want to do it are mostly black and white. Karador, Shirei, etc. I guess Sedris could use thits...
He IS pricy... I guess I'll have to wait to see how he does in a game before I judge!!
majinara
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Commander Review: fun in a reanimation deck, like bladewing the risen. But since recursion and reanimation is popular in Commander, this can also backfire, so I'd only include the guy in decks which reanimate a lot. 3/5
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
At first I really underestimated this, until I realized how easy it is to three-for-one somebody! This guy is really good, and is very resilient to wraths
This does look like something from the cover of a SLAYER! album.
joker53
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Friend of mine managed to Fling one today at the launch party. That's 9 damage without help, but he actually had a Curse of Bloodletting on the table. Epic limited combos.
Jannissary
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Combo piece if I've ever seen one.
In a deck based around Flashback/Unearth/Undying/Persist, everybody's going to hate this guy.
treehead
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
If there are two flayers on the battle field and a creature with undying returns to the battle field, does the creture deal the damage once or twice? Is the Flayer ability redundant or stacked?
Atali
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
The ability stacks, treehead.
TherealphatMatt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is INSANE. At rare, too! Thank you very kindly, Wizards.
I would honestly consider running this over a titan, in the right deck. This is balls-to-the-walls insane. By himself, he is potentially a 3-for-1 (he's a creature twice, and he can very easily burn something to death). With even a couple other Undying creatures, he's just crazy.
Enemy_Tricolor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have fun playing at FNM, win or lose. I'm generally a nice person. But the thought of this hitting the board, having to trade a creature or a removal spell to deal with it, only to have it do 4 damage to something and jump back out would make me punch my mother if she played it.
SeiberTross
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I want this guy to work with Nim Deathmantle. Seems fairly do-able and you should have a number of options to delay till you can bust out the combo.
evol4276
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This and Warstorm Surge with some undying does a bit of dirty work, even if a bit expensive
roguepariah
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This easily earns its place in my casual reanimator. Reanimate this for 4 dmg. Next turn reanimate It That Betrays. @SarpNasty Gentle reminder, creatures only deal damage when they are put into play from the graveyard.
This plus Ion Storm makes a lovely little engine. 1R for five damage is pretty nice. If only there was a way to sacrifice a creature for redmana. Hit//Run is nice too.
Sing its name to the tune of "everybody dance now"
rebelrebel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm not sure if anyone else realizes that if you have 2 of these out, then wipe the board, that's 20 damage to your opponents dome...
jldm777
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I hate thing this with a passion. It is annoying to get rid of, a dirtbag with fling, and you might as well give up if the opponent has this+Birthing pod+hex parasite on the field.
nygrzg25
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
You could win the game in one swoop with this card in a Reanimator deck. Push him along with Artisan of Kozilek and anything with over +10 Power into your graveyard. Then you pay 3 mana to cast Victimize, and then sacrifice a creature (doesn't what the creature is because you've won the game anyway). Then you bring back Flayer, that deals 4 damage to your opponent right there due to his ability, then you bring back Artisan of Kozilek who in turn (because of his ability) brings back the creature with +10 power. That's 20 damage right there plus the 4 damage Flayer did by himself. And if you're opponent is still standing because he has like 30 life he's pretty much dead next turn anyway. GG.
FoxOfEmbers
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
One word; Frites. He does so, soo, much work in Frites.
DacenOctavio
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@ nygyrzg25:
Artisan of Kozilek must be cast to trigger his recursion ability. Using another spell or ability to pit him in play does not trigger him, but Flayer of the Hatebound only triggers on reanimations from *your* graveyard, whether or not you control the creature. Even if you cast a creature from your graveyard, it will not trigger the Flayer as that card entered play from the stack, not the graveyard.
This guy is pure evil in casual reanimation decks. Discard him early and Rise from the Grave/Unburial Rites him turn 4-5 for some damage, a hard-to-kil critter and a Warstorm Surge. Yes, a Warstorm Surge. Because you aren't putting creatures into play from anywhere else then the grave in a reanimation deck, are you?
MightySqueeth
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
My favourite thing to do with this card? Use buried alive to put this, bladewing the risen, and bogardan hellkite in my graveyard. reanimate/ exhume the flayer (4 damage) then dread return bladewing who in turn gets your hellkite out of the graveyard (14 damage) then for serious overkill sac all 3 creatures to flashback dread return (the flayer undies for 5 damage) then let dread return target the now dead bladewing who comes back again with Bogardan Hellkite again (another 14 damage) for a total of 37 damage
Pentavite625
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This guy loves Bloodghast.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(6 votes)
Why even go there... No need for "Devil" creature type. Already pushing it with demons, why do you want to fuel the fire? Make something else up instead.
Play his ability to get Flayer out of the graveyard, he deals 4 dmg, he has haste until end of turn, another 4 dmg, he then dies because of Apprentice Necromancer's effect, undying ticks and he comes back as a 5/3, dealing another 5 dmg for total of 13 damage during turn 3-4 (4 if you don't have enough money for entombed and you play with Buried alive instead... like me)
If you use buried alive, you could always put a second Flayer in your graveyard and use Undying Evil on Apprentice Necromancer so he won't die the first time you use his abiliy, in order to summon a second Flayer the next turn and overkill your opponent...
Stinga
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@nygrzg25 I don't want to be *that guyt* but the Artisan of Kozilek only works when you cast it. Reanimating it does not activate the ability.
Stevenbutts
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Æther Rift
mazzu94
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Guys i need an help: if i have on the field one flayer and other two creatures with the ability "immortal" and i use a sorcery to destroy them all togheter (like "deal 3 damage at every cratures") how i have to calculate damages?? Do the flayer return with the others, before or after? thanks!!
enjoy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
grimoire of the dead
Osprey_93
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Looks pretty cool, though I don't think I'd ever use this over Warstorm Surge.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm pretty sure Living Death effects work with him if you want big instant wins..
T1 Swamp, Putrid imp T2 dicard flayer, stinkweed, and 2 demons 7+ power
This reminds me of Rage Extractor... The more the merrier xD except unlike the extractor, you have to wait until this guy dies before he does his work. And he costs 2 more... okay fine, he's a lot worse :P But seriously, having 4 in play and wrathing yourself... Magic Chinese New Year land xD
Still, he could do well in a deck that just utilises him as a 6CMC beat stick that Lava Axes things and takes two removals to get rid of... maybe even Korozda Gorgon the turn before to abuse his ability and keep him alive while nuking the enemy...
TravisBlanchard
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He lays down a beating in reanimator decks
Shadowcurtiss
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@treehead I run a Flayer Reanimator, yes, each flayer sees the reanimated creature and triggers seperately. Its ungodly fun.
djflo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@MightySqueeth - your combo is pretty cool, style points worthy. Unfortunately, you cannot do the last part (sacrificing Flayer, Bladewing and the Bogardan Hellkite to reanimate Bladewing).
Before you pay costs, in this case sacrificing your creatures, you must nominate targets, in this case a creature card in your GY. Thus, Bladewing will not be in your GY to target when you need it to be (unless you've got another in there by some other means).
a friend of mine is playing this in his grixis deck with grimoire of the dead. he discarded it , sedris and some other stuff for the grimoire. then he activated the grimoire. then i died from 20 damage to the face.
SyntheticDreamer
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Thanks to littleteapot's comment, I can't help but imagine this guy showing up at a party and then, all of a sudden, DEMONIC DANCE PARTY.
Lord_of_phyrexia
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
thank you littleteapot, now i can't get "everybody dance now" out of my head.
Flay, flay now, everybody Hate, hate now, everybody Kill, kill now, everybody FLAYER OF THE HATEBOUND!
Pongdok
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This gives Jokulmorder a legitimate use, turning every recursion spell into a huge, cheap burn, then jumping right back into the graveyard to prepare for the next assault. Flayer is a bit pricey, but even if he does nothing but get killed, that's still 9 damage (assuming that you took him from the yard the first time). 4.5/5
DaLucaray
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think the thing we're all forgetting is that the guy's wearing a speedo with a fence on it.
Lazrbeams
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In a dredge deck with no lands, dread return ballustrade spy, dump 4 bridge from below into the yard, and return 4 narcomoeba, dread return this dude, then sac him to cabal therapy, he returns and deals some damage, and make some zombies, then dread return a big golgari grave-troll for the win. The combo is really popular in legacy, and makes dredge even more of an uninteractive combo deck.
Comments (57)
Anyway.
FLAAAAYYYYYEERERRR!!!! \m/
Raining damage! From your lacerated graveyards!
In color we get pyreheart wolf (too expensive, too weak, and actively prevents your creatures from dying) and falkenrath stalker.
In decks where the "enters from graveyard" trigger is more important, edh decks will cry since the generals who want to do it are mostly black and white. Karador, Shirei, etc. I guess Sedris could use thits...
Postmortem Lunge is your best bet here.
3/5
This does look like something from the cover of a SLAYER! album.
In a deck based around Flashback/Unearth/Undying/Persist, everybody's going to hate this guy.
I would honestly consider running this over a titan, in the right deck. This is balls-to-the-walls insane. By himself, he is potentially a 3-for-1 (he's a creature twice, and he can very easily burn something to death). With even a couple other Undying creatures, he's just crazy.
@SarpNasty
Gentle reminder, creatures only deal damage when they are put into play from the graveyard.
Here's my Birthing Pod chain list with him in it.
1- Hex Parasite
2 -Strangleroot Geist
3 -Geralf's Messenger
4 -Pyreheart Wolf
5 -Vorapede
6 -Flayer of the Hatebound
7 -Sheoldred, Whispering One
Undying was MADE for Birthing Pod
Artisan of Kozilek must be cast to trigger his recursion ability. Using another spell or ability to pit him in play does not trigger him, but Flayer of the Hatebound only triggers on reanimations from *your* graveyard, whether or not you control the creature. Even if you cast a creature from your graveyard, it will not trigger the Flayer as that card entered play from the stack, not the graveyard.
Combos with Deathtouch.
Flayer of the Hatebound
Discard him early and Rise from the Grave/Unburial Rites him turn 4-5 for some damage, a hard-to-kil critter and a Warstorm Surge.
Yes, a Warstorm Surge. Because you aren't putting creatures into play from anywhere else then the grave in a reanimation deck, are you?
Play his ability to get Flayer out of the graveyard, he deals 4 dmg, he has haste until end of turn, another 4 dmg, he then dies because of Apprentice Necromancer's effect, undying ticks and he comes back as a 5/3, dealing another 5 dmg for total of 13 damage during turn 3-4 (4 if you don't have enough money for entombed and you play with Buried alive instead... like me)
If you use buried alive, you could always put a second Flayer in your graveyard and use Undying Evil on Apprentice Necromancer so he won't die the first time you use his abiliy, in order to summon a second Flayer the next turn and overkill your opponent...
T1 Swamp, Putrid imp
T2 dicard flayer, stinkweed, and 2 demons 7+ power
Dredge stinkweed and discard him. Songs of the Damned and Living Death
Requires any hand with Putrid or a similar discarder (Oona's Prowler), a decent dredger, Songs and Living Death
Flayer and the demons may come with the dredge. you need 5 creatures in the grave
Still, he could do well in a deck that just utilises him as a 6CMC beat stick that Lava Axes things and takes two removals to get rid of... maybe even Korozda Gorgon the turn before to abuse his ability and keep him alive while nuking the enemy...
I run a Flayer Reanimator, yes, each flayer sees the reanimated creature and triggers seperately. Its ungodly fun.
Before you pay costs, in this case sacrificing your creatures, you must nominate targets, in this case a creature card in your GY. Thus, Bladewing will not be in your GY to target when you need it to be (unless you've got another in there by some other means).
-Swag_Crow
Hate, hate now, everybody
Kill, kill now, everybody
FLAYER OF THE HATEBOUND!
I love it.