Meh. A bit on the weak side. Could have easily been 7/7 or having trample or fear or anything. By itself, it's a 6/6 flyer and two tokens for 7 mana, with a heavy drawback. That's not that good. And if you have a ton of black permanents in play, the question is why you didn't win yet. Sure it's good in limited. 99% of all rares and uncommons are good in limited.
In Commander it's so-so. In mono-black Commander decks that need tokens it's acceptable. In the worst case, you can still sac itself. Though it's better if you have creatures you actually want to sac.
3/5
.Blaze.
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Mono-Black EDH I guess. Outside of that it should be a strong card in limited.
blurrymadness
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
It's ok Abhorrent Overlord, I'll still love you <3 -Timmy
uclaswag
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
A decent way to get rid of Abyssal Persecutor in a casual Demons tribal deck. Demons are generally undercosted but with penalizing effects, so it's nice to get a late-game savior if you're getting pinged to death by a Grinning Demon. Plus the art is awesome.
the sac ability should be negligible pretty much all of the time
Mesmerist
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
You should read devotion again Majinara before commenting on cards with it. Your statement about needing a lot of black permanents for this guy to be good is off considering him and say gravepact alone put out 5 flying 1/1 tokens.
You'll at least get two attacks out of him cause you can sac the two Harpies to him, but he's not a bomb in the sense of dealing all 20 by himself too easily.
WeeDragonuats
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Amazing with Whip of Erebos; you play the demon, get at least four harpies, and then sac it to itself and bring it back with the whip (getting at least four more harpies). And it can still take an attack.
Ferlord
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I always like Demon's that have a bonus and a drawback. Demons have always been affiliated with tempting offerings which later backfire. In this case, it just starts becoming a problem later.
This will be a good limited creature since you get at least 2 1/1 flyers when it comes into play (that is, unless Devotion doesn't count it's own symbol count...). A 6/6 flyer is hard to deal with, no matter the limited environment.
BastianQoU
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Ferlord: Devotion counts itself, as the ability triggers when the creature enters the battlefield. So the check for your devotion happens after the creature is already on the field, meaning you will always get at least 2 harpies with him.
That said, in a vacuum, AO gives you 7 points of flying for your first attack, for 7 mana. Not bad for a black creature. Still in a vacuum, he kills himself after two swings, which is the cost of him being so efficient otherwise. Add a few more black mana symbols on your field, and he can get pretty crazy.
I like him.
the_blind_pony
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Most "metal" card ever! I can't help, but sing War Pigs each time I cast this.
Taudisban
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I kind of think Majinara doesn't play limited. 99% of all rares AND uncommons are good in limited? Yeah, just straight up no. I'd actually go out on a limb here and say that this guy gets more out of constructed because of how much easier it is to find resilient black permanents.
TexasDice
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
My sealed pool was garbage. Like really, really, REALLY garbage. I had little to no removal in any color (especially in black *fffff*) but that Demon still won me three rounds. I think he is the best of the promos for limited, especially sealed. I might be wrong, but I think I'm right.
Dabok
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Good Guy Abhorrent Overlord. Is a demon in this era of magic. Still has a drawback like the old ones do, so they don't feel left out and outclassed.
Toquinha1977
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Solid card with a lot of great interactions in the set. My favourite: sacrifice it with Rescue from the Underworld and reanimate anything with ETB triggers (especially any of the Devotion to black cards). Even if doing this doesn't allow you to dodge the beginning of upkeep trigger to sacrifice (I wasn't sure because Rescue from the Underworld and this card both say "beginning of upkeep"), you get a bigger army (bonus points if you can give your guys haste).
PlanesMoyza
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Beside the exquisite illustration, Kaalia is ALWAYS hiring!
lordchimera
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This guy is what is called a Daemones Chthonian or Daimones Khthonioi in Greek myth. But his form is more like a the traditional demon in Christian thought.
kinghydra510
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Uh I notice it doesn't say "at the beginning of your upkeep sacrifice a creature OR DESTROY THIS CARD" so what happens if you run out of creatures to sacrifice?
Singe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Follow this up with Demon of Death's Gate as you can sac three tokens for part of the cost. It also comes with 3 Black symbols for Devotion.
highdesertvike
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I like this guy A LOT for mono-black. You should have PLENTY of black mana symbols out there by the time you're able to cast him. And say you do drop him after a boardwipe, okay, he still generates 2 Harpies. Sac one on the following turn, you're swinging in for 7 points through the air, then on 2nd main phase, cast Disciple of Bolas, sac the Overlord and net yourself some nice card draw and lifegain. And, if you have the mana to cast Rescue from the Underworld, you've got even better options.
Too many people look at cards in a vacuum, when interaction with other cards is what makes the game fun...at least to me.
i ran at the prerelease and opened a purphoros, i put both in my deck, I NEVER PULLED OF THE COMBO :(
JCthulhuM
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@WeeDragonuats: That doesn't work, because the whip exiles this guy at the end of your turn, so unless you have a Rescue from the Underworld handy, he won't be around for you to sac him to himself.
Now, Gift of Immortality with this guy is just insane. Even if all you have is the Overlord, that's two 1/1 flyers every turn for free.
Kontrah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card reminds me in a way of Skeletal Vampire. Back in Time Spiral standard, that guy was often seen as a one or two-of as a control deck finisher, and I see this card as potentially serving similar purpose. Although he lacks the vamp's regeneration, the fact he can spawn a variable number of fliers on ETB compensates somewhat, in addition to his increased p/t. And he even gives you a sacrifice outlet.
When he rotates out I'll be sure to stick him in my mono-black Modern deck with four Bad Moon and lots of two and three swamp permanents.
Sac your Overlord, force your opponent to sac a creature, then return Overlord to the battlefield and gain at least 5 1/1 Harpies? Count me in!
Reeltempting
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is garbage. He shouldhave been a 5 casting cost, maybe 3b 2 colorless. 7 casting cost in standard is a no go...not for this power...in EDH (commander) there are just too many better cards to put him in your deck. Especially in 4-5 player games where some ass plays blue red with constant unsummon and wheel of fortune type of effects.
I just cannot see this guy ever being played. Sure everyone will always talk about how he is good with this combo or that combo, in actual live play you will be wishing you were holding GriselBane, Minions of Leshrac(sp), Skittles(Infect Flying Legend), etc. etc. etc.
This guy is a total miss and shouldhave either lower casting cost or been uncommon.
talcumpowder0046
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Under the right mono-black conditions, this bro can swing for 10 a turn or more and cause death triggers. 4/5
surewhynot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The "drawback" is often a useful benefit in black. Besides, by the time you cast this guy, he should be able to amass you a pretty sizable army of Harpies.
Heretical_Tarp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Total bomb in Theros Limited. He hits the table so hard it leaves dents. Killer creature in a vacuum. Shuts down the Akroan Horse. Enables Tymaret. Insane with Phalanx Leader (everything is insane with Phalanx Leader) and the only non-rare non-combo defense is... oh wait, there isn't one. They Sip of Hemlock the demon, you get to keep the harpies. Phenomenal pull for any black draft.
gus_aspara
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Bunny demon.
Drewskithelegend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Opened him,BR scry land, Mogis, Grey Merchant and whip in prerelease. Before then I thought it was a bad card...
PopcornBunni
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Very black; very strong. Swings for a minimum of 7 in the air for 7 mana on its own. A limited bomb and killer Timmy card that just screams "This card is black!"
Posted By: highdesertvike "Too many people look at cards in a vacuum, when interaction with other cards is what makes the game fun...at least to me."
While it's true that Melvins care about a card's interactions with itself and Johnies care about the interaction with other cards, some cards, like this one, just get to get away with both.
The only players that don't like this kind of dude are the most efficiency-crazed constructed Spikes. This thing is a monster of self-synergy and game synergy that hits the board in a way that's too big to ignore.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh hey, that looks like Stonehenge in the background. Wonder what's up with that.
Comments (37)
3/5 Stars
Sure it's good in limited. 99% of all rares and uncommons are good in limited.
In Commander it's so-so. In mono-black Commander decks that need tokens it's acceptable. In the worst case, you can still sac itself. Though it's better if you have creatures you actually want to sac.
3/5
<3
-Timmy
Phyrexian Obliterator plus Grave Pact and Dark Prophecy?
Shoot.
This will be a good limited creature since you get at least 2 1/1 flyers when it comes into play (that is, unless Devotion doesn't count it's own symbol count...). A 6/6 flyer is hard to deal with, no matter the limited environment.
Devotion counts itself, as the ability triggers when the creature enters the battlefield. So the check for your devotion happens after the creature is already on the field, meaning you will always get at least 2 harpies with him.
That said, in a vacuum, AO gives you 7 points of flying for your first attack, for 7 mana. Not bad for a black creature. Still in a vacuum, he kills himself after two swings, which is the cost of him being so efficient otherwise. Add a few more black mana symbols on your field, and he can get pretty crazy.
I like him.
I think he is the best of the promos for limited, especially sealed. I might be wrong, but I think I'm right.
Is a demon in this era of magic.
Still has a drawback like the old ones do, so they don't feel left out and outclassed.
I like this guy A LOT for mono-black. You should have PLENTY of black mana symbols out there by the time you're able to cast him. And say you do drop him after a boardwipe, okay, he still generates 2 Harpies. Sac one on the following turn, you're swinging in for 7 points through the air, then on 2nd main phase, cast Disciple of Bolas, sac the Overlord and net yourself some nice card draw and lifegain. And, if you have the mana to cast Rescue from the Underworld, you've got even better options.
Too many people look at cards in a vacuum, when interaction with other cards is what makes the game fun...at least to me.
Now, Gift of Immortality with this guy is just insane. Even if all you have is the Overlord, that's two 1/1 flyers every turn for free.
When he rotates out I'll be sure to stick him in my mono-black Modern deck with four Bad Moon and lots of two and three swamp permanents.
Sac your Overlord, force your opponent to sac a creature, then return Overlord to the battlefield and gain at least 5 1/1 Harpies? Count me in!
I just cannot see this guy ever being played. Sure everyone will always talk about how he is good with this combo or that combo, in actual live play you will be wishing you were holding GriselBane, Minions of Leshrac(sp), Skittles(Infect Flying Legend), etc. etc. etc.
This guy is a total miss and shouldhave either lower casting cost or been uncommon.
Killer creature in a vacuum. Shuts down the Akroan Horse. Enables Tymaret. Insane with Phalanx Leader (everything is insane with Phalanx Leader) and the only non-rare non-combo defense is... oh wait, there isn't one. They Sip of Hemlock the demon, you get to keep the harpies.
Phenomenal pull for any black draft.
Posted By: highdesertvike "Too many people look at cards in a vacuum, when interaction with other cards is what makes the game fun...at least to me."
While it's true that Melvins care about a card's interactions with itself and Johnies care about the interaction with other cards, some cards, like this one, just get to get away with both.
The only players that don't like this kind of dude are the most efficiency-crazed constructed Spikes. This thing is a monster of self-synergy and game synergy that hits the board in a way that's too big to ignore.