A little slow or too much self-distructive also for graveyard-decks. Even if some decks could use it (but nobody does right now) I think it's not "so good".
Lame card. There are way better cards to use in your dredge deck.
Sironos
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
A 2 cmc 1/1 with a drawback? Donate i guess, horrible card.
majinara
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Sheesh, it's no drawback. Think some more. :) You can use him with pedantic learning as a card draw engine. Or to get narcomoeba into play, or any incarnations or stuff with flashback/unearth/retrace in your graveyard, or get threshold. Not saying he is the most efficient, but I put him sometimes in very large decks of mine.
allmighty_abacus
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@majinara
The fact that this card perpetually mills you is a major drawback. And pardon me while I laugh at you for considering this card and pedantic learning a card draw engine. Finally, this is not a viable option for getting cards into your graveyard as you don't get to choose what cards go into your graveyard (unless you decide to waste more slots on ponder and the like).
Seems like it was intended to use with the flashback and threshold mechanics... and perhaps Mortal Combat? (it was originally printed in the same set, after all) Using it with Narcomoeba and Donate, as mentioned by some of the other reviewers, also seems like a good idea :)
gotohells
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
this could be good in an EDH garveyard based deck
Ratoly
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
You guys are all missing the point: HE'S RIPPING PHONE BOOKS IN HALF! Strictly better than Scornful Egotist. That wuss couldn't even kill you.
Anyway, this was originally intended to rapidly give you Threshold. Don't know why its rare when Book Burning can immediately give you threshold without the ongoing mill at common.
Saxican
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I use this in a relentless rats deck with bloodbond march seems to work well most of the time, unless I milll off all my lands:/
NuckChorris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why the bad ratings? This card shreds!
RunedServitor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Only good if you're planning to reanimate things or for giving to people who aren't.
WannabeJedi1337
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Casual card. I want to get a play set of these with some Laboratory Maniacs Some Morgue Theft to help if you self mill the Maniacs before you get a chance to use them.
and if they get out of hand, attack with them, block with them, what have you. Chances are, he's not going to stay there permanently
night8883
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is beastly if you know what you are doing. He's a set it and forget it, usually underestimated by opponents because it seems like such a negative effect. Pretty soon you are milling your deck for six, then seven, maybe even drawing your opponent to waste removal targeting it instead of your Laboratory Maniac. You could even donate him! Since Octopuses are my favorite animals, I have a soft spot for one going berserk in a library haha.
MisterAction
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Few things are more satisfying than turning a card that appears to have a drawback that you either negate or turn into an asset (Treacherous PIt Dweller, Mercenary Knight, Esperzoa).
However, while Cephalid Vandal can certainly help you, it's 2 for an otherwise vanilla 1/1, meaning that the only "advantage" is that you mill yourself and it's actually priced higher because of that. The other cards I listed are priced lower because of their drawbacks.
This card is far from worthless, but if I want to mill myself I'll stick with Mesmeric Orb. Same price, more powerful self-milling, and to compensate for its "drawback" it can ruin your opponent's day.
Awesome counter type. He is now forever The Shredder!
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@allmighty_abacus
Sigh... really? In the right deck (a lot of decks), milling yourself is not a drawback! Surely you know that! I mean, you are an experienced player, aren't you? Seriously, the blatant ignorance of some people who have commented on this card is just so sickening.
Comments (21)
The fact that this card perpetually mills you is a major drawback. And pardon me while I laugh at you for considering this card and pedantic learning a card draw engine. Finally, this is not a viable option for getting cards into your graveyard as you don't get to choose what cards go into your graveyard (unless you decide to waste more slots on ponder and the like).
Just stick with corpse connoisseur, buried alive, entomb or any of those blue "draw X, discard Y" type cards.
Using it with Narcomoeba and Donate, as mentioned by some of the other reviewers, also seems like a good idea :)
Anyway, this was originally intended to rapidly give you Threshold. Don't know why its rare when Book Burning can immediately give you threshold without the ongoing mill at common.
Some Morgue Theft to help if you self mill the Maniacs before you get a chance to use them.
and if they get out of hand, attack with them, block with them, what have you. Chances are, he's not going to stay there permanently
However, while Cephalid Vandal can certainly help you, it's 2 for an otherwise vanilla 1/1, meaning that the only "advantage" is that you mill yourself and it's actually priced higher because of that. The other cards I listed are priced lower because of their drawbacks.
This card is far from worthless, but if I want to mill myself I'll stick with Mesmeric Orb. Same price, more powerful self-milling, and to compensate for its "drawback" it can ruin your opponent's day.
Laboratory Maniac
Sigh... really? In the right deck (a lot of decks), milling yourself is not a drawback! Surely you know that! I mean, you are an experienced player, aren't you? Seriously, the blatant ignorance of some people who have commented on this card is just so sickening.