Worthless. Six mana (and nine mana flashback) need to perform far better effects than slight life difference.
KrosanGardener
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(8 votes)
Man! If I had 16 black mana, there's nothing I'd rather spend it on.
Waaaaait a minute! That's untrue.
Sheph
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(11 votes)
It is true, this card is very expensive. Take for example a card with the same effect, Essence Drain (one black mana, and 4 cololess). Same effect but 1 colorless cheaper, and only requires 1 black mana. Usually that is how it works with flashbacks though, they add a little to the mana cost.
My point is however, this card is not "worthless", rather it is synergetic. I have this card in a flashback deck, and i can cast it on you..say... 40 times? I only have one but because of it's flashback ability it has advantages other cards don't. Combine it with 3 or 4 catalyst stones and you are looking at 2 to 3 mana 6 life swing.
When rating cards it is important to understand that almost every card has it's place in magic, and it's spot to shine.
xNavarone
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(8 votes)
@sheph
you know you can only flashback once and then its out of the game?
dberry02
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Man, you must be STARVING to cast morbid hunger...
Just remember kids: A starving Planeswalker is a dead planeswalker.
blindthrall
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@Sheph: When playing Magic it's important to understand what "removed from the game" means. And no, I'd say about 10% of cards are turds that won't shine no matter how much you polish them. That percentage goes up the older the card is.
A3Kitsune
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Increadibly powerful in Limited. M:tG R&D member and former Pro Tour player Zac Hill has stated that this is "probably the best or second-best black common in Odyssey Limited. Neutralizing two of your opponent's threats with a single card is just that good."
iUseBreakOpen
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Here's the article that A3Kitsune mentioned: http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/ld/173
Unfortunately, "good in limited" is too often a euphemism for "terrible unless the only alternatives are worse." Saying something is better than Filthy Cur, Zombie Assassin, and Patriarch's Desire is not exactly a testament to the card's power.
The-Earth-Dragon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The only reason I didn't give it 0.5/5 is the fact it targets creatures or players. So if I was playing sealed, I might find a place for it, but not a chance outside of that.
twiddleman12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
SUCKS!!! @Sheph: NOOB!!!
TheWrathofShane
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is a 12 point life-swing over two turns, but outclassed by sorin's vengeance for sure.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Well, Flashback is honestly a crazy good mechanic. I keep undervaluing it. Snapcaster Mage looks pretty god-awful, unless you know 'Wait. Flashback is a crazy good mechanic.' Other than that, he's a Flash creature....that I guess you can block with....and he doesn't even have flying? Yeah. He'd be broken even at {U} mana more for how good flashback is, if he had flying.
SO, gentle Gatherers, PLEASE BE considerate to Flashback first.....That Said, it *is* still overcosted even for a Flashback card.....but not for an OLD Flashback card. Remember that Drain Life has been a very popular Win-Con for a long time. To deal 3, gain 3, I would Today pay....probably {3}{B}{B}? On a Flashback card....I'm not sure at all what I would cost the CMC and Flashback cost on a Flashback card of this effect today. Close your mind a little bit to the costs, and this Effect IS worth actually trying to win-con with. And that ISN'T true of a lot of effects. In fact, I think that it's a good testament that, while Power Creep is real and all, it's slow.
This card is BAD, don't get me wrong. It's just not playable anywhere today unless you set some kind of weird restriction like "Use the Legacy Banned List, but all Modern-card framed cards are also illegal, including ones that have been reprinted in the Modern-card frame."
WOW. Actually I'd be REALLY interested in playing that format. LoL, pretty much it is honestly "Junk: the Gathering", since all the good cards that aren't Reserved will get Reprinted, and all the good stuff that's not Reserved is already Banned probably. :P Not even Nicol Bolas is legal in that format XD
Still, there are a lot of cards I don't even WANT to be good. A lot of cards whose effects they have NOT gone back to and made better versions of. Life Draining is not one of those and never will be one of those and there always be a way to Frankenstein Together a "Build a Better Morbid Hunger". In fact Tendrils of Agony shows that this card in the same family of cards that are the Absolute Best in the Game.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Olivier Ruel maindecked one of these at Pro Tour Osaka and came in 5th, and you're giving it a 1.3/5? Sure, it's not exciting, but it's a hell of a lot better than any of you are giving it credit for. The mere fact that it can take out two threats makes it worth a 3/5 from me. Just remember: It's not for aggro decks. It's for control.
Comments (13)
Waaaaait a minute! That's untrue.
My point is however, this card is not "worthless", rather it is synergetic. I have this card in a flashback deck, and i can cast it on you..say... 40 times? I only have one but because of it's flashback ability it has advantages other cards don't. Combine it with 3 or 4 catalyst stones and you are looking at 2 to 3 mana 6 life swing.
When rating cards it is important to understand that almost every card has it's place in magic, and it's spot to shine.
you know you can only flashback once and then its out of the game?
Just remember kids: A starving Planeswalker is a dead planeswalker.
Unfortunately, "good in limited" is too often a euphemism for "terrible unless the only alternatives are worse." Saying something is better than Filthy Cur, Zombie Assassin, and Patriarch's Desire is not exactly a testament to the card's power.
@Sheph: NOOB!!!
Other than that, he's a Flash creature....that I guess you can block with....and he doesn't even have flying? Yeah. He'd be broken even at {U} mana more for how good flashback is, if he had flying.
SO, gentle Gatherers, PLEASE BE considerate to Flashback first.....That Said, it *is* still overcosted even for a Flashback card.....but not for an OLD Flashback card. Remember that Drain Life has been a very popular Win-Con for a long time. To deal 3, gain 3, I would Today pay....probably {3}{B}{B}? On a Flashback card....I'm not sure at all what I would cost the CMC and Flashback cost on a Flashback card of this effect today. Close your mind a little bit to the costs, and this Effect IS worth actually trying to win-con with. And that ISN'T true of a lot of effects. In fact, I think that it's a good testament that, while Power Creep is real and all, it's slow.
This card is BAD, don't get me wrong. It's just not playable anywhere today unless you set some kind of weird restriction like "Use the Legacy Banned List, but all Modern-card framed cards are also illegal, including ones that have been reprinted in the Modern-card frame."
WOW. Actually I'd be REALLY interested in playing that format. LoL, pretty much it is honestly "Junk: the Gathering", since all the good cards that aren't Reserved will get Reprinted, and all the good stuff that's not Reserved is already Banned probably. :P Not even Nicol Bolas is legal in that format XD
Still, there are a lot of cards I don't even WANT to be good. A lot of cards whose effects they have NOT gone back to and made better versions of. Life Draining is not one of those and never will be one of those and there always be a way to Frankenstein Together a "Build a Better Morbid Hunger". In fact Tendrils of Agony shows that this card in the same family of cards that are the Absolute Best in the Game.