Pointed Discussion

Seems sweet for a sacrifice build. Pops out tokens like nobody's business while protecting you as you build your engines. Definitely going into my Savra deck.

Shame e doesn't continually make snakes. Still, this card is not only useful as a sac outlet, but as deterrent. Don't forget the snakes have deathtouch...

This art is amazing! She is swirling like a demented Fathom Mage.

"How do you know that someone is REALLY awesome?"

"Well, how? Tell me."

"When even Sorin Markov thinks so!"
(Look at flavor text.)

I wonder where he hides the snakes.

As you would expect, works great with things like Viscera Seer.

If you use this with Grave Pact, you will make people very sad.

If you use this with the Shattergang Brothers AND Grave Pact... You will lose friends.

And if you run those with Black Market, I think you win the game for eternity.

Surprisingly enough, a Snake token generator that you do not want in a Snake deck.

Excellent card which does its job in every other deck, however, and it's splashable as well.
Which is not surprising, coming from a Commander Set after all. Notice how it says "each upkeep".

You can't go wrong with this - if your opponent does not respond to this immediately, you'll get a deathtoucher.
And as long as its on the field, it costs your opponent either tempo or a creature each attack, since it makes sure you'll always have a 1/1 deathtoucher ready.

In Commander, this gives you a huge political advantage, since every player that wants to attack you will have to deal with your poisonous Snakes. This is probably the most defensive black card I've seen in a while.

Also if you have a sacrifice outlet - particularly thanks to that wording - this makes an extraordinary token generator!
You couldn't possibly ask for more from a three-drop than getting a creature each turn for free.

Another last thing that you don't think of immediately:
This is an amazing card to get unblocked attackers.

Since the ability can trigger during your opponents' turns, you're able to attack with a snake each turn even if the old one gets blocked, so your opponent is very likely to just want to take the one damage.
The synergy with Ninjutsu in particular is excellent: If your opponent doesn't trade the snake for one of his creatures, you trade the snake for one of your ninjas. Either way, you get a new snake next upkeep!

Interestingly, one of the setting-types that MAGIC has only very finely scratched the surface of is a Desert-y world reminiscent of the Pharoahs of Egypt.

This is probably my current favorite card in Gatherer to start out a Theme Deck for Egypt with, because all of the Arabian Nights cards are too weak or too strong, and most of the other fitting cards (Artifacts and Enchantments in places like Legends or the Dominaria Blocks) would not be noticeable as "Egyptian" over "just Magical". (Graverobbers, Curses, Jinxed Idols and things)

For curiosity's sake: Tomb (I wonder what I'll see when I click)

Enough is ENOUGH!

I have HAD IT with these 1/1 fighting snakes on this multiplayer plane!

I always read this as "Ohiomancer" at first glace. Fitting enough, I suppose, given the abundance of snakes and "3 AM Walmart'ers" therein.

2013/11/12: EDIT

Oh, wait. Conspiracy got a new ruling as of 2013/09/20. "Affected spells, cards, and creatures lose all of their other creature types." I don't know whether it always worked like that and they made the ruling to clarify the card's effect, or if it was a functional change. I was under the impression creatures kept their old types and just added a new one.

So yeah, either way, there's your pratical, sensible and feasible way to abuse this, for . Drop Conspiracy, name Goat, and your Ophiomancer will check for Snakes and pop out a 1/1 Goat with deathtouch on your turn and everyone else's. Multiple Ophiomancers will drop multiple Goats.

Just beware of the Goatnapper. Maybe you should name Sheep instead.

2013/11/03:

If you manage to hit yourself with an Ego Erasure every turn, then you get a new token every turn. Of course, the downside is probably not worth it, in particular because it makes all of your tokens except the new one 0/1 chumps with deathtouch, makes your other creatures smaller, and makes you spend an awful lot of mana in a convoluted combo to get a limited amount of weakened tokens.

For all the trouble you'd have pulling that off, you'd be better off exhuming a Verdant Force and casting a Bow of Nylea.

Other than that, things like Artificial Evolution change all instances of snake, not just a single one (can't make it "as long as you don't control any Snakes, put a Phelddagrif token into play..."), so I really can't think of a pratical, sensible and feasible way to abuse this ability by popping the tokens regardless of still having tokens in play.

So, we're left with a single token in play, replaced every upkeep if necessary. And the token is a 1/1 with deathtouch. And this card is black. While I can't think of a good way to abuse it, I can certainly think of many good ways to use it. And that is great design.

This thing is my favorite card of the set. Amazing art, great feel, perfect for my Lyzolda deck. I overlooked it before because I didn't notice the "each upkeep" clause. But I love it now.

I love this card. I just wish it existed back when I still had my Savra EDH deck.

A deathtoucher that replaces itself is a very powerful deterrant. Outclasses Giant Scorpion rather handily.

This card is insane. Absolutely insane. A free creature each upkeep? with deathtouch? combo with grave pact and a few sac outlets? you can sac it, make each player do the same with grave pact, pump your mortician beetles, then you get one NEXT UPKEEP! meaning you will immediately have a deathtoucher to block with. Insane. I mean, this card is NECESSARY in EVERY sac deck.

This. This is the combo answer to contamination that makes your mono black deck win every time.

For shame, Gatherer commentariat! Snakes on a Plane references are played out...

The correct reference would have been: "Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?"

You boys better shape up! Wizards lobs a softball like that and nobody knocks it out of the park...

Love this card. As others have said, contamination works wonders with this... and so does Carrion Feeder

Contamination

sooo many combo possibilities. I just threw this in with contamination and what a killer my deck became. beware though, you *** off a lot of people

Yes! I have been waiting for a token generator like this! Amazing!

Play Teysa, Orzhov Scion as your general with a repeatable sac outlet, like carrion feeder and every full round you get one free removal and an extra creature to boot.

You know where Ophiomancer really appreciates putting her snakes?

In a Mortarpod!

You can kill one creature on each of your turns with this.

Conspiracy a type other than snake for non-stop snake action!!!

Great for when you need something 'cheesy' to throw away for big gain like Contamincation, Sheoldred, Braids, Slum reaper, Fleshbag etc etc.

I consider this card something like a Bitterblossom 'lite'. Can't make as many tokens but makes them more often if needed. (1/1 death touch blockers EVERY upkeep if you used one to block the previous opponents turn.

Lovely damn card and cost a BIT less than bitterblossom.