Somehow, with a flyer/unblockable guy encoded with Paranoid Delusions, this translates to 3cmc : opponent loses 3 life. That's not that bad. Admittedly, the second ability is too costly for what it does.
lorendorky
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
That first ability + Jace, Memory Adept = GG Plus this guys colors and abilities lend themselves SO well to Training Grounds.
Given Dimir's already impressive milling arsenal, his first ability outweighs the second by far, but like Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage's token creation, the milling ability is there when you run out of options.
LordOfTheFlies87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Interesting.
Purplerooster
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It would be awesome if you milled your opponent at the same time you brought them to 0 life. You could win two out of three games in just one game!
.Blaze.
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
That moment when you realize the first ability stacks.
Didn't realize this stacks. now extremely excited about it!
Curlie-Joe
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
When I saw this card spoiled, I immediately was so much happier that I pulled a Jace, Memory Adept.
handoflazav_414
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
All of the guildmages just plain suck, so I'm not terribly disappointed with this. Also, the first ability is good since you can mill for damage, too. The second ability just helps Lazav become a creature, and that is an uncertainty.
Much better than Bloodchief Ascension for the Mindcrank combo, since all you need is an activated ability instead of jumping through hoops to get Bloodchief Ascension online.
Yozuk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh Dimir. You know how to steal my heart. Pun always intended.
Negatempest
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Come on you guys. Has no one thought of the Grindstone+ Painter's Servant + Duskmantle Guild combo? Just have your opponent realize that Darksteel Colossus and even Emrakul, the Aeons Torn will no longer save them. Buwahahaha! Edit: Sorry, had to make sure cards were actually marked.
Grimmbone
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just realized how nasty this is with Undead Alchemist 6 mana out. Suddenly the zombies are very scary.
jwaeci
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is simply broken - a two card combo with Mindcrank and this guy is poor design. The designers should be better than this.
RaikNaSeem
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Last night I was playing with my friends and I accidentally came up with this combo: Mindcrank and Duskmantle Guildmage. If I have Mindcrank in play and I activate Duskmantle´s first ability (Whenever a card is put into an opponent’s graveyard from anywhere this turn, that player loses 1 life), does it become an infinity loop when my opponent puts his first card into his grave yard? When he puts one card into his grave yard he loses one life, so Mindcrank makes him put another card in the graveyard, then Duskmantle makes him lose another life activating Mindcrank´s ability once more activating again Duskmantle and so on.
heartstoker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Does the first ability, after paying for activating it, apply also to cards discarded by an opponent, before the ability was activated? For instance when I have Jace's Erasure in play and draw a card in my draw step?
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If only the second ability were more efficient, I would consider running this in a regular mill deck...
Rootkit9208
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In a vacuum, I feel like each of these abilities could have cost 1 colorless less apiece to make this card competitive without being overpowered. Out of the vacuum, though, I feel like the card to really break this little guy in standard hasn't come out yet.
Kontrah
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Its first ability has 'casual multiplayer' written all over it. I have this old discard deck that runs Megrim, Wheel and Deal, Wheel of Fate, and Magus of the Jar. How can I not put this guy in the deck??
moldy_jones
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like this guy with mirko vosk, the new dimir champion.
TowerDefender
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Self-mill, self-mill, self-mill, this guy + Psychic Spiral, scratch that!! That would need 9 mana to pull off.
Ricketyman
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card with Mind Crank is just devestating espically if you have other cards that cause them to lose life or discard a card from anywhere. I play with five other people and you can take them all out during one turn.
Lord_of_phyrexia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@jwaeci: true dat, I actually came on gatherer to say that, huh.
DemonicFork
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card plus Jace, Memory Adept is unreal.
Drop jace on turn five, then on turn six play your sixth mana, pump guildmage twice, play Jace's +0 and you have an instant KO from 20 health.
Plays well with a lot of Dimir mill cards as well, Consuming Aberration coming forcibly to mind
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey there mister memory adept, did you know my 3 mana activated ability stacks? Let's show them mofos how to millkill way before their library runs out of cards.
lbrande
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Epic combo Duskmantle Guildmage + Traumatize (One hit kill)!
RAT666
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The first ability cost combined with the cmc of traumatize is fairly pricey at 8 mana it's it's not easy to pull off early but assuming you can produce 1 swamp and 4 islands by turn five you can play high tide which will give you 7 out of the 8 mana total combined needed to cast traumatize and to bring forth duskmantle's first ability. Just need to get an artifact or an creature out that can produce colored mana or colorless. Hell, a sol ring would be ideal because you can lay down this killer combo turn 4 (Save your comments about Sol Ring I know what all you nerdy card snobs are going to say.)
Ace1989
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Kinda wish that your opponent lost life for every card put into the graveyard so when I attack with a card like Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker the result is panic and disbelief for your opponent. Alas it doesn't work that way. As for its second mill ability its a little costly but in some situations its useful but don't count on it. I find it really only useful if I find myself in a stand still situation where I don't want to attack to mill my opponent and I am out of cards like Paranoid Delusions and other sorcery cards that can mill for much more at a much cheaper cost of mana. Overall very situational but don't overlook it as part of your mill deck.
Ligerman30
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My playgroup's reaction when I play this in my mill deck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsx2vdn7gpY
Stuflames
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Kinda wish that your opponent lost life for every card put into the graveyard so when I attack with a card like Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker the result is panic and disbelief for your opponent. "
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what his first ability does. Both the life loss for every individual card put in the graveyard and panic and disbelief on the part of your opponents.
Comments (35)
Admittedly, the second ability is too costly for what it does.
more practical for the mana: That first ability + Glimpse the unthinkable. 2 of them and that's a wrap.
Drop jace on turn five, then on turn six play your sixth mana, pump guildmage twice, play Jace's +0 and you have an instant KO from 20 health.
Plays well with a lot of Dimir mill cards as well, Consuming Aberration coming forcibly to mind
Let's show them mofos how to millkill way before their library runs out of cards.
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what his first ability does. Both the life loss for every individual card put in the graveyard and panic and disbelief on the part of your opponents.