No comments? Honestly? This guy is just plain cruel! He cycles through your deck, and can also beat people in the face.
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I agree, Cycling is the crucial part which makes this card that interesting. What a pity this doesn't work with Heartstone...
Ajani_is_da_man
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Type your comment here.
kabal363
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I love returning this card too my hand just to discard Bridge from Below. Always ***es my friends off.
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So... basically its ": discard a card, then draw a card. Use this ability only during your upkeep." ? I can see it being useful with some graveyard shenanigans, but honestly, it seems just a little overpriced...
There was no such thing as being overpriced when Cabal Coffers was around. Back then you could MirariDiabolic Tutors and actually win games on the back of that broken land.
face-fister
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I hope this guy stalks, tortures, and murders everyone who gave him a rating lower than 5.
Degrees of separation until someone mentions Doubling Season: 4.
atemu1234
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Useful with Rooftop Storm. {1}{B} to return a card to your hand and then play him?
richardshort
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
if, instead of Cycling 1B, this had 1B: Move Undead Gladiator from your hand to your graveyard. It would STILL be very playable in a reanimator deck. With Cycling, you also get to draw a card each time you send it to the yard. Excellent card. 5*
Krysto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Massively useful utility zombie, this guy is feels overlooked due to his low cost-to-p/t ratio, but to be honest, the Gladiators aren't here to be put into play much, that's more of a last resort.
For 2 mana on turn 2, you get this guy in your grave (a good place to be in a zombie deck) and draw a card, so it covers much needed speed boosting, making him a suitable replacement for Sign In Blood.
For 2 mana the next upkeep, he's back in hand and your bomb (let's say for example, a Helldozer or anything with a high CMC) is in your grave, that's also a good thing. You can probably use the remaining 1 mana you're left with for a gravecrawler or something of the sort. If you don't have a bomb in hand, see case B below.
Turn 4 rolls around and you exhume or animate dead or even hardcast a zombify/dread return and your bomb is now in play (preferably the former 2, since the extra 2 mana left over will be necessary as a backup). Your bomb is now in play 2-3 turns early. If the bomb is still safe, you can recycle the gladiator again if you'd like.
Turn 5 - Unleash hell.
Case B, if you don't have or don't want to rely on your bomb. Instead, swap the gladiator with a 3-drop such as a tribal leader (Death Baron, etc.) or a powerful 3-drop (Geralf's Messenger or Phyrexian Crusader), then cast Unearth on it for a bit more speed, you can always drop another card out of hand later.
Point is, he's utility to the extreme - putting creatures into your graveyard and putting cards in your hand when you need them, and in the late game he's a glass cannon that can be a blocker/deterrent or a heavy hitter.
All of his abilities can be used around T-2, and sets up some huge killing combos short of what Entomb and Buried Alive can do.
Comments (13)
I can see it being useful with some graveyard shenanigans, but honestly, it seems just a little overpriced...
This links to Bridge from Below which links to Mimic Vat which links to Precursor Golem which links to Doubling Season.
Degrees of separation until someone mentions Doubling Season: 4.
For 2 mana on turn 2, you get this guy in your grave (a good place to be in a zombie deck) and draw a card, so it covers much needed speed boosting, making him a suitable replacement for Sign In Blood.
For 2 mana the next upkeep, he's back in hand and your bomb (let's say for example, a Helldozer or anything with a high CMC) is in your grave, that's also a good thing.
You can probably use the remaining 1 mana you're left with for a gravecrawler or something of the sort. If you don't have a bomb in hand, see case B below.
Turn 4 rolls around and you exhume or animate dead or even hardcast a zombify/dread return and your bomb is now in play (preferably the former 2, since the extra 2 mana left over will be necessary as a backup). Your bomb is now in play 2-3 turns early. If the bomb is still safe, you can recycle the gladiator again if you'd like.
Turn 5 - Unleash hell.
Case B, if you don't have or don't want to rely on your bomb. Instead, swap the gladiator with a 3-drop such as a tribal leader (Death Baron, etc.) or a powerful 3-drop (Geralf's Messenger or Phyrexian Crusader), then cast Unearth on it for a bit more speed, you can always drop another card out of hand later.
Point is, he's utility to the extreme - putting creatures into your graveyard and putting cards in your hand when you need them, and in the late game he's a glass cannon that can be a blocker/deterrent or a heavy hitter.
All of his abilities can be used around T-2, and sets up some huge killing combos short of what Entomb and Buried Alive can do.