Birthing Pod deck, with Fleshwrithers. Transfigure your Fleshwrithers into Phyrexian Obliterator, then pod another 4-drop into this guy. That's at leasta 12-point lifeswing, with an otherwise empty board. A bit janky? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
.Blaze.
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Mono-Black EDH has a new friend.
Continue
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
@darkterrorblade: Sweet zombie Jesus, that's 60 from just the tokens alone.
anotherfan321
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Lord of Tresserhorn, actually token COPIES do have mana cost. They take everything about the card with them. Most tokens don't have mana costs, 'cause why would they? But copies work.
kajillion
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Token copies of creature cards have mana costs.
sceadu
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
MMM Rite of Replication and this is nice especially in Commander. Now all I need to do is actually acquire these cards and a Kokusho, the Evening Star and make a Lazav Commander deck that can win out of nowhere :D
Taudisban
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
They'll print a black sweeper in the next set and then MBC FOREVER!
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Continue: Really? I thought tokens have 0 CMC, so they have no mana symbols to trigger devotion.
Of course, it is still relevant, since you trigger the EtB fives times.
EDIT: Durrr. Yes, there's a difference between tokens created by spells and copies of creatures... *facepalm*
Pendulous
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
That's at least a two life drain, on a 2/4 for five. Assuming you have no other black cards in play.
Oh, and relevant creature type. This thing is sweet.
Flyheight
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
MBC curve topper in standard? Maybe? Am I being too optimistic?
Legendxp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Gray Merchant of Orzhov
Purplerooster
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Seems Thrull-ish.
Eternal_Blue
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is a lot like having a second set of Corrupts in your mono-black deck. Of course, the perfect deck to utilize this will need to be built around it. But if you go with suicide, or perhaps even MBC it shouldn't be too much of a problem. In Limited it isn't that great (obviously), but it's still a good pick if you already have other black creatures. As for me, I am definitely looking forward to building a deck for this in Pauper.
pedrodyl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Essentially a dude with haste and lifelink for a turn.
Going into my friend's Balthor, the Defiled EDH deck. It is zombie tribal and with constant mass reanimation, this thing will nuke the hell out of everyone. Since it's worded like extort, it's really powerful for multiplayer.
Pantheon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Theros mono black seems really powerful, especially since, of the current group of gods, Erebos, God of the Dead's activated ability is card avantage rather than having something to do with creatures.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel was a bomb at pre-release! My playgroup of 7 (including me) had a massive free for all game using our pre-release decks.
When I cast this zombie merchant he netted me 35 life since my devotion to black was 7. I brought everyone to 8 or 10 and I went up to 50!
Many turns later, with 3 players left in the game, one of my opponents cast his copy of this gray dealer in merchandise. He gained 21 life with his own (coincidental) devotion to black being 7.
Great swings in life total and all of us were playing 2 color decks, I can only imagine how powerful this will be in mono-black.
Sleepy_Jackdaw
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
In sealed at the prerelease, this was perfect in U/B control. Routinely drains for 5; board presence + life stabilization + damage is simply awesome value, especially in control.
EternalUnreality
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
After playing this at the sealed pre-release, I'm going to say this is one of the strongest limited commons ever printed, and definitely the strongest limited-environment common in Theros.
Merchant is a conflux of self-synergy. 1) Your opponents don't want to bounce him, because he gets recast, 2) they don't want to destroy him, because Black reanimates, 3) Even if they respond to his trigger, it's still on the stack -- sure the resolved trigger does less, but it's still going to resolve, and 4) he's still got 4 toughness, and can chump block like a champ. Coupled with a slow format like Theros, and it's okay to have extra commons in the 5-CMC slot than you normally would have.
@Eternal-Blue this card is amazing in limited. its easy to drain for three or four life plus.
lordchimera
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Another good reason to be hated in multiplayer.....
SyntheticDreamer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like this. I can see a mono-black deck using it: If you run Geralf's Messenger and Phyrexian Obliterator and get this guy out when both are out, each opponent is losing 9 life when he hits the table. Then...Corrupt.
Paradigm012
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Pulled 2 of these in the pre-release for my BU control deck. Game one round one, my opponent's opening was: Turn 1: Soldier of the Pantheon Turn 2: Pump spell to save said soldier Turn 3: Anax and Cymede Turn 4: Phalanx Leader and a second pump spell Turn 5: Celestial Archon
Being a slow deck, I didn't think it was possible for me to be more dead than I already was. Until I played our merchant friend on turn 5 (devotion = 4), my second one turn 6 (devotion = 6). I spent turn 7 killing his troublesome creatures and had one of my merchants die as he tried to push through more damage. Turn 8 I cast Rescue from the Underworld, saccing the one still alive to get them both back. I won the next turn.
tl;dr this thing is freaking insane for a common, and I am so in love with it right now <3
Lueseto
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I never thought I'd say this about any card, but it would be so damn good if it costed ...
The words above are all I've been dreaming of since I started MTG/MTGO again...
May this card grant those words a gathering in one glorious deck summary.
:D
Maybe even some "Suicide" Black cards like Sangrophage may get some new usage. :)
GhostCounselor
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Oh my goodness gracious..
Subtly, this is borderline Qasali Pridemage level in terms of commons. I've been playtesting this in Legacy Reanimator, and it has proven to be awesome. There is absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, like reanimating Griselbrand and then reanimating this guy. The swing that this provides in a game can be devastating, and it drastically forces your opponent to reconsider their plan of action if this comes out after Griselbrand. Very fun in reanimator, and even gets there in whip-animator in standard.
ixobelle
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
BEASTMODE in 2 headed, works well with things like Relentless Rats, or anything else that uses more than one black for CMC
FaceClaimer
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I play this in my mono black zombie deck in casual and he basically says this: "you don't have to block ANYTHING. just leave the life totals to me."
seriously. play this guy in mono black. you won't regret it.
Toquinha1977
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Backbreaking in limited. Easily my favourite common in the set, and quite possibly constructed worthy. Also gets around damage prevention (all damage counts as life loss, but not all life loss counts as damage) and doesn't target. If it cost 2BBB, that'd be kinda awesome-er, but it'd change things a bit at common.
This (Any creature with devotion really.) plays real nice with a comfy Conjurer's Closet to slip into.
Kelptic183
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Propaganda got your Demigod of Revenge deck down? No worries, the Gray Merchant of Death has your back! Also deserves mention that if you play this the turn after Divinity of Pride, you have some serious lifegain going and your Divinity is almost definitely an 8/8.
Ruaranicus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@EternalUnreality yeah I managed that in a draft once... and I had an Insatiable Harpy on the board as well...
Joseph_Curwen
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
The Lovecraftian vibe i get from this card and its art is simply delicious. He brings to mind the king in yellow, pickman, or doctor munoz.
Drewskithelegend
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Mikaeus the Unhallowed, Griselbrand, Phyrexian Obliterator, Liliana of the Veil... Oh my Jesus this card would have been too good if it had been present any earlier than Theros. What am I saying, It's still crazy good as it is. I cannot believe this is a common. 5/5
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That seems pretty amazing, especially for a common! Does his own 2 black mana count into the devotion when you play him?
somegeek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Arachnos - his own black mana does count towards his trigger. That ETB trigger goes on the stack once he's on the battlefield.
SWFTWLF
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Even using something as simple as a Whip of Erebos and/or a Sanguine Bond can make this card amusing in all formats. Or just raid them back from the grave somehow, reanimate, Golgari tricks, flash summon...
This may as well be a black Fireball that only needs 5 land and nets you lots of life. It's just a damn shame for Standard that Exquisite Blood is gone or this would literally be the only creature you needed 4 copies of.
Pinto331
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Compare with Kokusho, the Evening Star to get an idea of just how ridiculously good this guy is. Sure coco-puffs comes with a better creature body, but being on the curve isn't what made him so good. This guy doesn't even wait for an excuse to die, he just does the job right out of the gate.
Standard's already seeing him tear things up, but I think he's going to make the biggest waves in EDH. A Kokusho that can be used with flicker and bounce? As if we didn't have enough reason to run Deadeye Navigator already.
masterSDF
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I've been enjoying this card with a few 3-drops (like nightveil specter) and the beloved 4-drop Desecration Demon. In a UB control deck he is the finisher out of nowhere. One of the best commons of the last 5 years (at least)
I remember when my friend drafted two at the pre-release, I started calling it a "Great pain in the Ass-phodel"
Moxxy
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Easily the most powerful common and one of the most powerful cards period in this set. Don't forget his own mana cost counts towards the devotion.
Heretical_Tarp
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Absolutely the most powerful common in Theros. Competing cards for that title are Gods Willing and Dragon Mantle, although those are excellent for their efficiency, while this guy is excellent for his power. In Limited, he is absolutely first-pick material, if you didn't get any excellent rares and expect Black to be open.
AncientTimer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
After extensive playtesting it can be said that this thing is overpowered. Too many sudden game endings out of nowhere. Gets pretty boring after a short while.
Another extremely pushed card for mono black. It seems that the designers are not getting right the substantial difference between swingy lifedrain effect and simple lifeloss & lifegain effects. At least the mana costs do not reflect that. Compare this card to Fanatic of Mogis and Nylea's Disciple. Clearly the merchant should cost more colorless mana to be balanced.
kor6sic6
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Throwing this guy into my Mikaeus zombie tribal deck, because why not? Possible play: have Mikaeus out (along with anything else including Whip), cast Merchant. Then, destroy Merchant. Undying triggers, then destroy Merchant again. Then Whip him back. Oi. Just the possibility of triggering his craziness three times in one turn is nuts. Maybe throw in a Strionic Resonator for a fourth trigger.
blindthrall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Gay Merchant of Assfodle.
DoorDie
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Although not evident, truly a mistake of a card. When pros say they'll snap-keep this over Erebos in draft, something's off in the design.
Honestly I was more upset at Fanatic when the set was spoiled, but I've come to learn how important hiding devotion in other card types is. Black does that very well, red not so much.
Stuflames
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
And if you don't believe the Gray Merchant of Asphodel about the quality of his goods, just read these True Customer Testimonials!
"play this guy in mono black. you won't regret it." -FaceClaimer
"Merchant is a conflux of self-synergy." -EternalUnreality
"After extensive playtesting it can be said that this thing is overpowered." -AncientTimer
"Easily the most powerful common and one of the most powerful cards period in this set." -Moxxy
deggdegg
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
How is this only a 3.7... basically defines a deck archetype.
Okuu-chan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So strong, you won't believe it's a common!
Just pulled this play off in an EDH game in my Ghave deck:
1. Had 13 creatures in my graveyard. Tap Crypt of Agadeem for 13 mana. 2. Cast Immortal Servitude for 5. Get back Divinity of Pride, Vizkopa Confessor, and Phyrexian Plaguelord. 3. Tap one more to use the remaining 5 B to cast Gleancrawler. 4. Gray Merchant. 11 life drain. Had it been a multiplayer game, the results would have been disastrous.
PopcornBunni
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The fact that this guy is already seeing play in Modern decks and nearly tripled the price of Phyrexian Obliteratior should say a lot.
Get your 500 playsets now. This common merchant may just offer you some business tips in the future.
obesechicken13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As EternalUnreality said, this card seems to synergize very well with black.
You could probably make a deck around Grey Merchant Anything that can send him to the graveyard is good because you can bring him back for a life swing.
Obviously he works well with devotion so he combos well with any cards that provide lots of black devotion like nightveil spectre or desecration demon. All the sacrifice cards are good when used on him because you can get some use from him, perhaps declare him as a blocker, then sacrifice him and bring him back to reactivate the on battlefield enter effect. Sanguine bond doubles his effect.
Pipikako
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In mono black multiplayer deck this zombie pwns ! I mean pwns hardcore !
tehsquirrely
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Needs a standard ban, or at least restriction. Monoblack Merchant decks absolutely dominate the format, no one even considers playing anything else.
TexasDice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you think Gary is good in standard and limited, you should see the what the card does to pauper...
mark_ray
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
one of the best cards every made, stack it along side Fanatic of Mogis, two cards that have won me games and lost me games in draft, limited and constructed formats.
would rally like to see the devotion mechanic continue in regular sets
Comments (63)
Of course, it is still relevant, since you trigger the EtB fives times.
EDIT: Durrr. Yes, there's a difference between tokens created by spells and copies of creatures... *facepalm*
Oh, and relevant creature type. This thing is sweet.
Am I being too optimistic?
Gray Merchant of Asphodel was a bomb at pre-release! My playgroup of 7 (including me) had a massive free for all game using our pre-release decks.
When I cast this zombie merchant he netted me 35 life since my devotion to black was 7. I brought everyone to 8 or 10 and I went up to 50!
Many turns later, with 3 players left in the game, one of my opponents cast his copy of this gray dealer in merchandise. He gained 21 life with his own (coincidental) devotion to black being 7.
Great swings in life total and all of us were playing 2 color decks, I can only imagine how powerful this will be in mono-black.
Merchant is a conflux of self-synergy. 1) Your opponents don't want to bounce him, because he gets recast, 2) they don't want to destroy him, because Black reanimates, 3) Even if they respond to his trigger, it's still on the stack -- sure the resolved trigger does less, but it's still going to resolve, and 4) he's still got 4 toughness, and can chump block like a champ. Coupled with a slow format like Theros, and it's okay to have extra commons in the 5-CMC slot than you normally would have.
Someone, somewhere is going to have the lucky opportunity to Rescue from the Underworld a Gray Merchant of Asphodel with a Gray Merchant of Asphodel, and his or her opponent will cry. 16 point life swing for 5-CMC.
Turn 1: Soldier of the Pantheon
Turn 2: Pump spell to save said soldier
Turn 3: Anax and Cymede
Turn 4: Phalanx Leader and a second pump spell
Turn 5: Celestial Archon
Being a slow deck, I didn't think it was possible for me to be more dead than I already was. Until I played our merchant friend on turn 5 (devotion = 4), my second one turn 6 (devotion = 6). I spent turn 7 killing his troublesome creatures and had one of my merchants die as he tried to push through more damage. Turn 8 I cast Rescue from the Underworld, saccing the one still alive to get them both back. I won the next turn.
tl;dr this thing is freaking insane for a common, and I am so in love with it right now <3
It's still very fun! Talk about turn 3 Geralf's Messenger, turn 4 Phyrexian Obliterator, Turn 5 this!
The words above are all I've been dreaming of since I started MTG/MTGO again...
May this card grant those words a gathering in one glorious deck summary.
:D
Maybe even some "Suicide" Black cards like Sangrophage may get some new usage. :)
Subtly, this is borderline Qasali Pridemage level in terms of commons. I've been playtesting this in Legacy Reanimator, and it has proven to be awesome. There is absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, like reanimating Griselbrand and then reanimating this guy. The swing that this provides in a game can be devastating, and it drastically forces your opponent to reconsider their plan of action if this comes out after Griselbrand. Very fun in reanimator, and even gets there in whip-animator in standard.
"you don't have to block ANYTHING. just leave the life totals to me."
seriously. play this guy in mono black. you won't regret it.
Oh my Jesus this card would have been too good if it had been present any earlier than Theros. What am I saying, It's still crazy good as it is. I cannot believe this is a common. 5/5
This may as well be a black Fireball that only needs 5 land and nets you lots of life. It's just a damn shame for Standard that Exquisite Blood is gone or this would literally be the only creature you needed 4 copies of.
Standard's already seeing him tear things up, but I think he's going to make the biggest waves in EDH. A Kokusho that can be used with flicker and bounce? As if we didn't have enough reason to run Deadeye Navigator already.
I call him MFing Gray Oak.
Competing cards for that title are Gods Willing and Dragon Mantle, although those are excellent for their efficiency, while this guy is excellent for his power.
In Limited, he is absolutely first-pick material, if you didn't get any excellent rares and expect Black to be open.
Another extremely pushed card for mono black. It seems that the designers are not getting right the substantial difference between swingy lifedrain effect and simple lifeloss & lifegain effects. At least the mana costs do not reflect that. Compare this card to Fanatic of Mogis and Nylea's Disciple. Clearly the merchant should cost more colorless mana to be balanced.
Possible play: have Mikaeus out (along with anything else including Whip), cast Merchant. Then, destroy Merchant. Undying triggers, then destroy Merchant again. Then Whip him back. Oi. Just the possibility of triggering his craziness three times in one turn is nuts. Maybe throw in a Strionic Resonator for a fourth trigger.
Honestly I was more upset at Fanatic when the set was spoiled, but I've come to learn how important hiding devotion in other card types is. Black does that very well, red not so much.
"play this guy in mono black. you won't regret it."
-FaceClaimer
"Merchant is a conflux of self-synergy."
-EternalUnreality
"After extensive playtesting it can be said that this thing is overpowered."
-AncientTimer
"...quite possibly constructed worthy."
-Toquinha1977
"Easily the most powerful common and one of the most powerful cards period in this set."
-Moxxy
Just pulled this play off in an EDH game in my Ghave deck:
1. Had 13 creatures in my graveyard. Tap Crypt of Agadeem for 13 mana.
2. Cast Immortal Servitude for 5. Get back Divinity of Pride, Vizkopa Confessor, and Phyrexian Plaguelord.
3. Tap one more to use the remaining 5 B to cast Gleancrawler.
4. Gray Merchant. 11 life drain. Had it been a multiplayer game, the results would have been disastrous.
Get your 500 playsets now. This common merchant may just offer you some business tips in the future.
You could probably make a deck around Grey Merchant
Anything that can send him to the graveyard is good because you can bring him back for a life swing.
Obviously he works well with devotion so he combos well with any cards that provide lots of black devotion like nightveil spectre or desecration demon.
All the sacrifice cards are good when used on him because you can get some use from him, perhaps declare him as a blocker, then sacrifice him and bring him back to reactivate the on battlefield enter effect.
Sanguine bond doubles his effect.
would rally like to see the devotion mechanic continue in regular sets