As a person who has a Sedris EDH deck I can enjoy the return of Unearth. This seems like its going to be a solid card in standard.
MadMethod
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
So they fixed unearth on a card related to the god of the dead... Nice.
I really like the fact that this and Erebos, God of the Dead have synergy in their life-related abilities.
Dylken
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Hello Obzedat, my old friend. Glad you came out to play again :)
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@poprockmonster:
Blink cards will come back, though.
Say you target a card with Cloudshift, or use Obzedat's ability - in each case after the creature has been Unearthed by the Whip.
The Whip will inevitably send the creature to exile as a replacement effect of the spell/ability that removed the card from the battlefield.
But then the second part of Cloudshift/Obzedat etc. looks for the card in exile to return it to the battlefield - and exile is exactly where the whip sent the card.
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(5 votes)
Where There's a Whip! There's a Way! Where there's a Whip! There's a Way!
We don't wanna go to war today, but the lord of the lash says nay nay nay! We all gotta march all day all day and night!
Where There's a Whip There's A Way! Left-Right! Left-Right!
A crack on the back says "We're gonna Fight!" We're gonna march all day and night and ohhh! For we are the slave of the Dark Lord's will!"
Left-Right! Left-Right! Left-Right! Left-Right! Where There's a Whip There's A Way! Left-Right! Left-Right!
I like the abilities on the whip more than I do its wielder, really. It can offer some awesome combos late game, and has a super-beneficial static ability.
"When a problem comes along- you must whip it!"
Continue
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
"Creature cards in your graveyard have unearth . Activate this ability only once per turn."
poprockmonster
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Type your comment here.
Sonserf369
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The sure saved the best one of the cycle for last. This thing is synergistic with its owner, and even on its own is sure to help reanimator decks.
SyntheticDreamer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Every creature in your deck has unearth . Really, really good. Obzedat will enjoy this.
pedrodyl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Should have been called a scrourge, because that sounds better
No thanks, I'll just keep my creature in play where it belongs.
jollyreddragon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Lumovanis I think that, as this card says next end step, not your end step or this turn's end step, you just allow yourself to keep the creature as a blocker for one turn using that interaction, with it disappearing at your opponent's end step.
Of course, you could embrace the exile-at-EOT clause by running it with Gilded Drake (or Confusion in the Ranks, I suppose) to just steal a creature.
Anyways, an interesting card to compare to the Whip is Mimic Vat. The Vat is less expensive, can repeatedly recur one very good creature, can be used to recur opponents' creatures if you want, and can be activated at instant speed. The Whip is easier to abuse (especially with exile/return effects and phasing), doesn't need to be on the field before the desired creature dies, and allows you to recur creatures in a more flexible order. Oh yeah, and the whole lifelink thing is pretty relevant, too.
@jollyreddragon: Lumovanis is correct. The Whip creates a delayed triggered ability to exile the creature at the beginning of the NEXT end step. At that time - ONLY that time - the ability is put onto the stack; afterward, there are no more delayed triggers waiting to go onto the stack. So, if you end the turn with Sundial of the Infinite while that single delayed trigger is on the stack, it simply doesn't resolve, and it never checks again. However, if it would leave the battlefield at any time, it'll still be exiled, since that is a characteristic of the reanimated creature.
Another option to do this kind of thing is Teferi's Veil, since the creature won't exist while the trigger resolves, but it will have never left the battlefield. Phasing is pretty cool like that.
LordRandomness
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Among other ways of getting around the exile clause, Pull from Eternity amusingly works quite well.
Raexs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This thing absolutely dominated during the Pre-release. Mostly due to the lifelink part. With all the gigantic creatures in Theros, all that life-gaining made it nearly impossible to keep up with. The unearthing is just icing, really. Such a good card.
cmlobue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Can this keep a commander from returning the command zone? I mean, card text trumps game rules, and this says "instead of putting it ANYWHERE ELSE". If so, this needs to be in every EDH deck that supports black.
Unholy_Blue_Mage
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
''If it would leave the battlefield, exile it instead of putting it anywhere else.'' Unfortunately for those hoping to cloudshift or bring back obzedat, this effect is a replacement effect; that means that even if you exile a creature with another effect, it's the whip which will end up exiling it. the game ends up losing track of the replaced effect, so when it checks for the card, it's not linked with it's original effect anymore, so there's a fizzle. As for the first part of the the text, if you can cancel the delayed ability, it won't trigger again, but the creature will still get exiled if it leaves the battlefield. Now for the command zoning, remember it can replace ANY exile, even that of the whip, so you're not losing your commander.
TowerDefender
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Could make some huge Voracious Wurms for Jarad to fling at your opponent.. Gigantic Wurms with Lifelink.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@cmlobue: You really need to read cards before you comment. The whip can only exile creatures from YOUR graveyard. Unless you plan on exiling your own commander for some reason, your comment makes no sense.
Doom_Lich
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Unholy_Blue_Mage: It only replaces the card going to zones other than exile. Instead of putting it anywhere else means that it only replaces it if it would be put anywhere else. The text is formatted a little deceptively but it most definitely doesn't replace exiling.
(Also relevant is that it would be replacing an action with an identical action, so it'd still go through anyway.)
LiXinjian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This Whip can return Obzedat from the graveyard, and as long as you keep putting Obzedat's exile trigger on top of the whip's, the legendary creature WILL be coming back, since it's own trigger will be exiling it before the whip does.
Citz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Actually, this card doesn't work with Aetherling or Obdezat. Look at Aetherling's ruling. Similar to how an already exiled Aetherling wouldn't return if another Aetherling's ability was activated.
"Ætherling's first ability will return it to the battlefield only if that ability also exiled it. If Ætherling left the battlefield in response to that ability, it won't return, even if it was exiled by another spell or ability."
MostlyLost
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is the ultimate grinder card. Lifelink AND recursion? It's like all of your creatures are Thragtusks. It's closed out many games in my mono black devotion deck, including one where I played Gray Merchant of Asphodel, then teched Devour Flesh on myself to sac it and bring it back with the Whip next turn.
EDIT: So it turns out Aetherling and Obzedat, etc. actually will come back if they get exiled. Here's the ruling from Wizards: "If a creature returned to the battlefield with Whip of Erebos would leave the battlefield for any reason, it’s exiled instead. However, if that creature is already being exiled, then the replacement effect won’t apply. If the spell or ability that exiles it later returns it to the battlefield (as Chained to the Rocks might, for example), the creature card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. The effects from Whip of Erebos will no longer apply to it."
Deadling
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I do enjoy life link decks. When you're at double your starting life total, early to mid game, it really tends to make people squeemish. This was a nice addition to the precon deck I bought for filler cards, and the two boosters it came with, lol.
Galerion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Im for renaming it to Whip of Obzedat since having them both is just ridiculous.
Hammerbrother
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If i use the Whip to bring back a creature on say my Opponients turn would the creature leave play on that players end step?
Habreno
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hammer, you can't do that because you can't activate the Whip on your opponent's turn.
As a question for you all: I whip a creature, then cast Rescue from the Underworld and sacrifice the whipped creature as part of the cost. I know the whipped creature gets exiled, but does Rescue still grab it back?
I want to say yes, because it refers to the sacrificed creature, but not sure.
DragonsRCool
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Habreno you are correct, that totally works.
somegeek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Type your comment here.
orzhov20
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hammer brother, did you read "activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."?
sky_fire
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Repeatable sorcery speed reanimation with Conjurer's Closet. You even get haste!
From the rulings: "if the sacrificed creature is put into another public zone instead of the graveyard, perhaps because it’s your commander or because of another replacement effect, it will return to the battlefield from the zone it went to."
MasterOfParadox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I just came back from the Born Of The God, playing the Destined to Thrive box and playing Jund. Am I supposed to get to 75 life in Limited? No? Anyways, works great with tribute.
CaptElephant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This whip is underrated at 3.5. It brings great survivability and repeatable unearth to reanimator / gy decks in one affordable package.
Nothing like bringing in a lifelinking ashen rider for 4!
CptStormCrow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Super fun in EDH.
Last week I whipped an 86/86 lord of extinction into play thanks to mesmeric orb. 86/86 lifelink haste? yes please :)
Stig1t2Me
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Has anyone noticed how effective this would be in a Rakdos deck? I have not yet had the chance to play it in such a context, but it looked too good in theory for me to resist putting it in my Rakdos deck. It helps to mitigate the tendency of Rakdos to hurt itself (or to allow the oppponent to attack uncontested due to creatures with unleash being unable to block) because Rakdos's creatures gain lifelink. Whip of Erebos's static effect also assists the creatures brought back by its activated ability. The activated ability gets even more efficient when a creature with unleash returns from the graveyard; creatures brought back don't get the opportunity to block since they get exiled at the end of the turn, so unleashing them has no drawback, and that increased power from unleashing them further fuels their lifelinked attack. I'd say I should wait to see how Whip of Erebos works in practice to know for certain that it belongs in my Rakdos deck, but until then, I am very happy to have it.
Overall, this card's effects are slightly out of character for black, but that makes it all the more welcome. I would think the static effect is more characteristic of white, and the activated ability more characteristic of red. It even comes with a reasonable mana cost. As a result, I'm happy to give this card a 4.5/5; it's very good, but it is not so overpowered as to jeopardize my relationships with the people with whom I play MTG.
Edit: I would strongly recommend that players who use this card in a Rakdos deck make sure they don't run Rain of Gore... I can't believe I missed that.
PopcornBunni
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A card responsible for the continuation of reanimator, which sees itself in continual top-8ing decks, and grants an extremely useful limited ability outside of constructed has a 3.4/5.
Okay.
mitten82
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Eidolon of the Great Revel
infernox10
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's ridiculous how many games you'll win that you shouldn't have because all you did was topdeck a Whip.
P1aneswalker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Subtle and deadly...perfect.
JMan_Zx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Played EDH with friend. He had Whip out. He casts commander from command zone. When I kill it, he chose to let it go to graveyard instead of command zone. Then he whips the commander back. End of turn, instead of exiling it, he then puts it into commander zone. Rinse and repeat. ... Planar Cleansing while his commander was in graveyard, ready to be whipped. ... For the rest of the game, he just stared at the commander in his graveyard. Needlessly to say, he was sad.
Comments (44)
Nice.
I really like the fact that this and Erebos, God of the Dead have synergy in their life-related abilities.
Blink cards will come back, though.
Say you target a card with Cloudshift, or use Obzedat's ability - in each case after the creature has been Unearthed by the Whip.
The Whip will inevitably send the creature to exile as a replacement effect of the spell/ability that removed the card from the battlefield.
But then the second part of Cloudshift/Obzedat etc. looks for the card in exile to return it to the battlefield - and exile is exactly where the whip sent the card.
We don't wanna go to war today,
but the lord of the lash says nay nay nay!
We all gotta march all day all day and night!
Where There's a Whip There's A Way!
Left-Right! Left-Right!
A crack on the back says "We're gonna Fight!"
We're gonna march all day and night and ohhh!
For we are the slave of the Dark Lord's will!"
Left-Right! Left-Right! Left-Right! Left-Right!
Where There's a Whip There's A Way!
Left-Right! Left-Right!
WHERE THERE'S A WHIP THERE'S A WAY!
"When a problem comes along- you must whip it!"
No thanks, I'll just keep my creature in play where it belongs.
I think that, as this card says next end step, not your end step or this turn's end step, you just allow yourself to keep the creature as a blocker for one turn using that interaction, with it disappearing at your opponent's end step.
Of course, you could embrace the exile-at-EOT clause by running it with Gilded Drake (or Confusion in the Ranks, I suppose) to just steal a creature.
Anyways, an interesting card to compare to the Whip is Mimic Vat. The Vat is less expensive, can repeatedly recur one very good creature, can be used to recur opponents' creatures if you want, and can be activated at instant speed. The Whip is easier to abuse (especially with exile/return effects and phasing), doesn't need to be on the field before the desired creature dies, and allows you to recur creatures in a more flexible order. Oh yeah, and the whole lifelink thing is pretty relevant, too.
@jollyreddragon: Lumovanis is correct. The Whip creates a delayed triggered ability to exile the creature at the beginning of the NEXT end step. At that time - ONLY that time - the ability is put onto the stack; afterward, there are no more delayed triggers waiting to go onto the stack. So, if you end the turn with Sundial of the Infinite while that single delayed trigger is on the stack, it simply doesn't resolve, and it never checks again. However, if it would leave the battlefield at any time, it'll still be exiled, since that is a characteristic of the reanimated creature.
Another option to do this kind of thing is Teferi's Veil, since the creature won't exist while the trigger resolves, but it will have never left the battlefield. Phasing is pretty cool like that.
(Also relevant is that it would be replacing an action with an identical action, so it'd still go through anyway.)
"Ætherling's first ability will return it to the battlefield only if that ability also exiled it. If Ætherling left the battlefield in response to that ability, it won't return, even if it was exiled by another spell or ability."
EDIT: So it turns out Aetherling and Obzedat, etc. actually will come back if they get exiled. Here's the ruling from Wizards:
"If a creature returned to the battlefield with Whip of Erebos would leave the battlefield for any reason, it’s exiled instead. However, if that creature is already being exiled, then the replacement effect won’t apply. If the spell or ability that exiles it later returns it to the battlefield (as Chained to the Rocks might, for example), the creature card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. The effects from Whip of Erebos will no longer apply to it."
As a question for you all: I whip a creature, then cast Rescue from the Underworld and sacrifice the whipped creature as part of the cost. I know the whipped creature gets exiled, but does Rescue still grab it back?
I want to say yes, because it refers to the sacrificed creature, but not sure.
Rescue from the underworld does work with this.
From the rulings: "if the sacrificed creature is put into another public zone instead of the graveyard, perhaps because it’s your commander or because of another replacement effect, it will return to the battlefield from the zone it went to."
Am I supposed to get to 75 life in Limited? No?
Anyways, works great with tribute.
Nothing like bringing in a lifelinking ashen rider for 4!
Last week I whipped an 86/86 lord of extinction into play thanks to mesmeric orb. 86/86 lifelink haste? yes please :)
Overall, this card's effects are slightly out of character for black, but that makes it all the more welcome. I would think the static effect is more characteristic of white, and the activated ability more characteristic of red. It even comes with a reasonable mana cost. As a result, I'm happy to give this card a 4.5/5; it's very good, but it is not so overpowered as to jeopardize my relationships with the people with whom I play MTG.
Edit: I would strongly recommend that players who use this card in a Rakdos deck make sure they don't run Rain of Gore... I can't believe I missed that.
Okay.
He casts commander from command zone. When I kill it, he chose to let it go to graveyard instead of command zone.
Then he whips the commander back. End of turn, instead of exiling it, he then puts it into commander zone. Rinse and repeat.
...
Planar Cleansing while his commander was in graveyard, ready to be whipped.
...
For the rest of the game, he just stared at the commander in his graveyard. Needlessly to say, he was sad.