Possibly my new favorite god, and definitely one of the better ones. The only problem is that I can't see that ability ever going exactly the way you want it. If you really want that creature, your opponent will pay the life; if you really want to kill your opponent, they'll let you take the creature. Still, looking forward to what will be played with him. High Priest of Penance seems like a fun thematic choice.
Hivis_of_the_Scale
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This being in standard with Whip of Erebos and Obzedat, Ghost Council is going to be sick!
TheJord01
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Not going to be the powerhouse people are predicting it to be, mark my words.
SpaceMagic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For Shakuras!
Seriously, though, it looks like Zeratul just became one with the Void.
TheWallinator74
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
One could certainly argue that Athreos is the strongest of the Gods. But they would be wrong, because Xenagod was so powerful, he had to be killed.
Xenagod: 1 Athreos: 0
JediSpidey
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
How does Athreos and Whip of Erebos work together? You Whip any creature, attack opponent who blocks and kills it, or kill spells it, or you sack to Cartel Aristocrat, so that it is destroyed/dies, then how does resolution of Athreos and Whip resolve? With Athreos, Opponent does not want to pay so..if creature dies return it to your hand. With Whip, if creature leaves the battlefield, exile it.
I would hope that the ruling would be as the active player you place both effects on stack, Whip then Athreos. Ahtreos resolves and creature returns to hand. Whip resolves but there is no creature in play. Which would allow you to cast as new creature, kill it, whip it.. rinse and repeat.
Or does Whip not care and exiles it from hand also with the "replacement effect"?
Cyberium
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Echo creatures, Evoke creatures, to name a few. Let's see how willing your opponent would let you return those to your hand.
Once again, Orzhov seems to get the shaft. The ability is nearly useless since you probably need to deal more than 3 damage, and an opponent will make any creature that can do that stay dead. Worst part is, it still can get countered or exiled or arrested or bounced once it's played!
I have no beef with the body/cost, so long as you manage to get it online...
EDIT: I know my opinion is not the popular one, but this card was a let-down for me (I don't play standard, by the way).
sweetgab
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(6 votes)
@TheWallinator74: It probably has more to do with Xenagod being more of a jerkass.
Well, yes, there's Donate and its ilk. But I'm trying to think of something that Commander Athreos could use.
EDIT: And now I find that even the Gauntlets won't work with Ivory Mask, since they can only swap artifacts, lands, and creatures...True Believer, yes, but...(sigh) This tactic is going to get consigned to the likes of Oloro and Sydri, isn't it?
Oh man, what a hilarious commander. Fill your deck with creatures they can't afford to let you recur (Yosei, Kokusho) and things that make it a bad idea to pay life (Wound Reflection, Sorin Markov), and then WATCH. THEM. SQUIRM.
In multiplayer, this card is made by the fact that you target one player to choose, instead of "Any player may pay 3 life. If no player does..." So you can either pick a player who can't afford the 3 life, or make deals with the weakest player; if they give you back your creature, you'll use it against the strongest player.
Splizer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Divinity Of Pride begs an audience. It's not just that it activates devotion so easily for an indestructible attacker, but your opponent has to pay 3 life to make sure that the Divinity Of Pride stays dead and doesn't activate devotion again. Because NO ONE would want to pick the second option :p (So in that case, keep Unburial Rites in the hole)
Goatllama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Athreos knows the way.......!
Belgarath123
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pod just got a new toy
RedJaron
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Brings up an interesting new concept. Tank your own creatures just to hit your opponents. Something like Curse of Death's Hold turns any creature into a Lightning Bolt almost. Load your deck with cheap weenies ( which and have a lot of, ) and just pelt away. Tack on Dictate of Erebos and it gets really one-sided. Add a sac outlet for more fun. Altar's Reap, Disciple of Griselbrand, Gnawing Zombie, Launch Party, and others.
LordOfTheFlies87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Metal.
itsmeyouidiot
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I for one welcome our new junk overlords.
New_Flesh
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Probably the second best playable God in power(after Thassa) Easily the best God in terms of flavor.
If your opponent doesn't pay the toll your creatures won't cross the river to the underworld. Delicious!
Enelysios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I do not get why people are all over this. I love it, but I like punisher cards and Vorthos stuff. Choosing a player is cool, you can make alliances and keep recurring your creatures. In most situations though his effect is going to be largely ignored by opponents.
Your opponent choosing just ruins the effect for competitive circles though. I suspect this is another 'punisher' card everyone is calling overpowered that will sink into relative obscurity. (Vexing Devil?) These cards are fun and popular, but not great. The excitement over this god is just insane though. That's a good thing, glad to see people excited to play a new card without them resorting to absurd powercreep.
Athreos punishes Mogis, but Pharika holds down Athreos.
N3wtn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like him, but man is he going top be a pain in the butt Commander to deal with, there's just so many good sacrifice mechanics in his colors. One of the few I wouldn't feel bad tucking.
@Trygon_Predator There's only one true God of Metal, and that's Mogis.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's good. It really is in a W/B aggro shell. But how much is enough? I'd say around 3, because these can sometimes turn out to be a dead draw.
Tribor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pulled this guy at the prerelease, and he was amazing whenever he hit the board. Nobody wants to pay 3 life when you chump block their attackers, and him reviving your creatures means that his devotion will stay high. In a life drain deck he's an excellent blocker AND a good attacker if you need to apply some extra pressure. Having him come out turn 3 is just icing on the cake.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Amusing combo with and novel approach to Treacherous Pit-Dweller: Your opponent loses 3 life when they take it, and another 3 when it dies on their side. If they refuse to pay either one, you get your dweller back! The fact that it says "creature you own" is actually pretty interesting.
avimkv
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Utterly useless....... on token creatures.
GoDz_JtFr
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Use him with Spark Trooper if you really want your opponent to hate you.
I believe you can stack the triggers, similar to how whip works with Obzedat. Your creature would die and then you can have the opponent decide whether or not he or she wants to pay the life, if they don't put it back into your hand. And then whip would just say hey, there's nothing here anymore, okay then.
ummm...Geralf's Messenger? Play: Drain 2 Dies: Pay 3? No: Play it again: Drain 2 Yes: Sweet, take 3, Drain 2 dies again: Pay 3? Yes: Sweet, take 3 No: Sweet I'll get it back Play: Drain 2
Arachnos
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
So I guess he's the MTG version of Charon?
Imagine this thing + any mass removal. Evil. Absolutely evil.
Turn 1: godless shrine, thoughtseize Turn 2: swamp, Heartless Summoning Turn 3: blood crypt, Athreos, god of passage Play Perilous Myr for free take 2 damage goes back to my hand unless you pay 3 life. Oh so you payed 3 life? Play myr retriever for free, pick up perilous myr from graveyard, and myr retriever goes to my hand unless you pay 3 life.play perilous myr again, goes back to my hand unless you wanna pay 3 life again, GG
Already have a deck in the brewing. Wizards what have you done....
mooshimanx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Strangely both under and over-hyped.
This is a good card, but it isn't really a card you build your entire deck around. I don't think he kills your opponent fast enough (or reliably enough, since your opponent can give you the creature back) for mass-murdering your own guys to be a viable win condition. Moreover, your opponent still gets the benefit of a bounce if they don't take the life penalty.
But what this card does is does very aggressively costed, is almost always relevant, and is never detrimental to you. Not to mention, he's an indestructible 5-power body if you get enough guys out (literally Obzedat, one other guy and himself on the board make him active) I'm not sure why pretty much any deck playing non-token creatures wouldn't want the effect on the game-state that Athreos provides for just three mana.
Soul__Power
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ultimately, I like Blood Artist better. Different cards, but they both work in similar ways and at the end of the day, I'd rather have the sure thing in Blood Artist than give my opponents any kind of options.
vantha
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
I can't understand why people aren't rating this card higher. Paying 3 life is big, especially in the colors of Orzhov. the midgame and the long game are what's working for this god. You can pay the 3 life in the early game but in the late game when your life total is already 10 or less, you simply can't afford to let them have the additional card advantage. Yes, I said card advantage, because now all the time and effort you have put into blocking and killing their creatures is nullified when they get the creatures back to their hand. to put it simply they are drawing the creature spells and you aren't. I compare this card to Sword of Light and Shadow That card was playable and it returned a creature to your hand and gained 3 life. While the effect is similar but its essentially the same, you are 3 life up on your opponent who has lost 3 life.
surewhynot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Like @vantha said, the big thing to remember here is the colors Athreos is in. Orzhov is notorious for bleed or lifeshift strategies. To think against a proper Orzhov deck you will have 3 life to spare is just silly. The other thing Orzhov does well (and why I love the guild so much) is stacking disadvantages. It's very likely that there will be no good option to take.
Also, for anyone looking to make an EDH with this guy, Magus of the Disk is really, REALLY mean.
Pipikako
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the best god out there. 5/5
WarioMan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Its German name is Athreos, Gott der Überfahrt. 5/5
BaneReckoning
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@OlvynChuru Wizards already stated that split mana cost creatures like divinity of pride only allow the use of on color in the use of devotion. But regardless that is a nice one for devotion if you do have athreos out.
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great, Zur the Enchanter gains another god-pawn he can tutor up at will. Muahahahaha!
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So it's free Lightning Bolts or free Disentombs any time a creature dies? At three mana? On an indestructible creature? In the colors with the most board sweepers? There's no way this could be abused.
FaceClaimer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In case you EDH players forgot, there's this general who came out recently i don't know if you've heard of him but keep thinking Athreos is the best thing since Black Lotus.
This guy works very well with affinity decks. arcbound ravager+memnite+athreos can do this on turn three and can make an infinite arcbound ravager late game.
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@j_mindfingerpainter
Really? Nearly useless, you say? Wow. That ability is so useful; I don't know what you are talking about. Want to kill my Mirror Entity? I guess you have to pay 3 life. Want to kill my Divinity of Pride (which automatically makes Athreos a creature)? I guess you have to pay 3 life, otherwise I just put it back out again and you just wasted your removal spell. Not to mention that this guy only costs THREE MANA!
@BaneReckoning
I know that Divinity of Pride only counts as five devotion. Keep in mind that Athreos gives you two devotion by himself. Athreos plus Divinity is seven devotion which is enough for him to become a creature.
djohn230
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy makes Drown in Sorrow a win condition...
Phyrexian_Niv_Mizzet
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this card! My favorite JIN God. Running this guy as a general in EDH is just the right power level. You're not everyone's number 1 target, but you're definitely a threat. Running spells that drastically drop an opponent's life total, such as Ebonblade Reaper, Temporal Extortion, or Blood Tribute can easily force someone to give your creatures back every time. Also, board wipes are an obvious include and are plentiful in these colors. 4.5/5
Wicked_Truth22
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
hmmmmm..... Endless Whispers & Bronze Bombshell seems like a funny way to die!!!
Android21A
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Does this work with Angel of Jubilation?
Araes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This could be excellent with Legendaries with enter the battlefield effects, like Ghost Council of Orzhova. Particularly with how the new legend rule works. Effectively, you're casting them to get their ETB and then one of them returns to your hand. Early game with cheap legends, or late game with huge ones, when you don't have something better to do with mana.
Comments (56)
Possibly my new favorite god, and definitely one of the better ones. The only problem is that I can't see that ability ever going exactly the way you want it. If you really want that creature, your opponent will pay the life; if you really want to kill your opponent, they'll let you take the creature. Still, looking forward to what will be played with him. High Priest of Penance seems like a fun thematic choice.
Seriously, though, it looks like Zeratul just became one with the Void.
Xenagod: 1
Athreos: 0
I would hope that the ruling would be as the active player you place both effects on stack, Whip then Athreos. Ahtreos resolves and creature returns to hand. Whip resolves but there is no creature in play. Which would allow you to cast as new creature, kill it, whip it.. rinse and repeat.
Or does Whip not care and exiles it from hand also with the "replacement effect"?
By the way, Kami of False Hope...
I have no beef with the body/cost, so long as you manage to get it online...
EDIT: I know my opinion is not the popular one, but this card was a let-down for me (I don't play standard, by the way).
This card is very good against control.
Well, yes, there's Donate and its ilk. But I'm trying to think of something that Commander Athreos could use.
EDIT: And now I find that even the Gauntlets won't work with Ivory Mask, since they can only swap artifacts, lands, and creatures...True Believer, yes, but...(sigh) This tactic is going to get consigned to the likes of Oloro and Sydri, isn't it?
Also High Priest of Penance if you are going modern.
WATCH. THEM. SQUIRM.
In multiplayer, this card is made by the fact that you target one player to choose, instead of "Any player may pay 3 life. If no player does..." So you can either pick a player who can't afford the 3 life, or make deals with the weakest player; if they give you back your creature, you'll use it against the strongest player.
Easily the best God in terms of flavor.
If your opponent doesn't pay the toll your creatures won't cross the river to the underworld.
Delicious!
Your opponent choosing just ruins the effect for competitive circles though. I suspect this is another 'punisher' card everyone is calling overpowered that will sink into relative obscurity. (Vexing Devil?) These cards are fun and popular, but not great. The excitement over this god is just insane though. That's a good thing, glad to see people excited to play a new card without them resorting to absurd powercreep.
@Trygon_Predator
There's only one true God of Metal, and that's Mogis.
I believe you can stack the triggers, similar to how whip works with Obzedat. Your creature would die and then you can have the opponent decide whether or not he or she wants to pay the life, if they don't put it back into your hand. And then whip would just say hey, there's nothing here anymore, okay then.
Oh dear, what have I done?...
Play: Drain 2
Dies: Pay 3?
No: Play it again: Drain 2
Yes: Sweet, take 3, Drain 2
dies again: Pay 3?
Yes: Sweet, take 3
No: Sweet I'll get it back
Play: Drain 2
Imagine this thing + any mass removal. Evil. Absolutely evil.
Turn 1: godless shrine, thoughtseize
Turn 2: swamp, Heartless Summoning
Turn 3: blood crypt, Athreos, god of passage
Play Perilous Myr for free take 2 damage goes back to my hand unless you pay 3 life. Oh so you payed 3 life? Play myr retriever for free, pick up perilous myr from graveyard, and myr retriever goes to my hand unless you pay 3 life.play perilous myr again, goes back to my hand unless you wanna pay 3 life again, GG
Already have a deck in the brewing. Wizards what have you done....
This is a good card, but it isn't really a card you build your entire deck around. I don't think he kills your opponent fast enough (or reliably enough, since your opponent can give you the creature back) for mass-murdering your own guys to be a viable win condition. Moreover, your opponent still gets the benefit of a bounce if they don't take the life penalty.
But what this card does is does very aggressively costed, is almost always relevant, and is never detrimental to you. Not to mention, he's an indestructible 5-power body if you get enough guys out (literally Obzedat, one other guy and himself on the board make him active) I'm not sure why pretty much any deck playing non-token creatures wouldn't want the effect on the game-state that Athreos provides for just three mana.
Also, for anyone looking to make an EDH with this guy, Magus of the Disk is really, REALLY mean.
Wizards already stated that split mana cost creatures like divinity of pride only allow the use of on color in the use of devotion. But regardless that is a nice one for devotion if you do have athreos out.
There's no way this could be abused.
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic
arcbound ravager+memnite+athreos can do this on turn three and can make an infinite arcbound ravager late game.
Really? Nearly useless, you say? Wow. That ability is so useful; I don't know what you are talking about. Want to kill my Mirror Entity? I guess you have to pay 3 life. Want to kill my Divinity of Pride (which automatically makes Athreos a creature)? I guess you have to pay 3 life, otherwise I just put it back out again and you just wasted your removal spell. Not to mention that this guy only costs THREE MANA!
@BaneReckoning
I know that Divinity of Pride only counts as five devotion. Keep in mind that Athreos gives you two devotion by himself. Athreos plus Divinity is seven devotion which is enough for him to become a creature.