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A Complete Review of Odyssey (black)

115. Afflict 2B Instant (C)
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Draw a card.

==> FUN: 2
Flare without the option of hurting players.

--
116. Bloodcurdler 1B Creature - Horror 1/1 (R)
Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, put the top card of your library into your graveyard. Threshold - Bloodcurdler gets +1/+1 and has "At the end of your turn, remove two cards in your graveyard from the game." (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 2
I can see Bloodcurdler being useful if you want your deck to balance on the verge of threshold for Wayward Angel or if you're trying to get flashback cards into your graveyard. There are easier ways to do that, though.

117. Braids, Cabal Minion 2BB Creature - Minion Legend 2/2 (R)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact, creature, or land.

==> FUN: 3
The effect is nice, but Braids is within Shock range and if you don't have a Dark Ritual (which happens to be rotating out of type 2 when Odyssey rotates in) it'll be hard to get this in play before your opponent has plenty of lands to sacrifice to it while he waits for some removal or just runs you over. Of course, if you manage to get a Nether Spirit in your graveyard on your first turn and ritual this out on your second turn, most opponents will have a big problem.

--
118. Buried Alive 2B Sorcery (U)
Search your library for up to three creature cards and put them into your graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

==> FUN: 4
Always a great way to start off a graveyard deck. A solid reprint.

--
119. Cabal Inquisitor 1B Creature - Minion 1/1 (C)
Threshold - 1B, Tap, Remove two cards in your graveyard from the game: Target player discards a card from his or her hand. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. (Play this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 2
A more limited version of Cat Burglar. It's cheaper, but the drawback looks crippling.

--
120. Cabal Patriarch 3BBB Creature - Wizard Legend 5/5 (R)
2B, Sacrifice a creature: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. 2B, Remove a creature card in your graveyard from the game: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.

==> FUN: 4
A bit like Phyrexian Plaguelord, but bigger and it requires mana to kill creatures. On the other hand, with some creatures in your graveyard, it doesn't cost you any cards.

--
121. Cabal Shrine 1BB Enchantment (R)
Whenever a player plays a spell, that player discards X cards from his or her hand, where X is the number of cards in all graveyards with the same name as that spell.

==> FUN: 4
It's better than the blue Shrine and if you follow this up with a Traumatize it should be devastating against anything but Highlander decks.

--
122. Caustic Tar 4BB Enchant Land (U)
Enchanted land has "Tap: Target player loses 3 life."

==> FUN: 2
Your opponent will die a quick death if he can't get rid of it. On the other hand, a Stone Rain will set you back two cards and for 6 mana there are quicker gamewinners, like Cabal Patriarch.

--
123. Childhood Horror 3B Creature - Horror 2/2 (U)
Flying Threshold - Childhood Horror gets +2/+2 and can't block. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 3
Not that good before threshold and black may have a harder time reaching it with all the graveyard effects it usually has.

--
124. Coffin Purge B Instant (C)
Remove target card in a graveyard from the game. Flashback B (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

==> FUN: 2
Not as good as Cremate, but with all the graveyard effects in this set it should still be a very useful card.

--
125. Crypt Creeper 1B Creature - Zombie 2/1 (C)
Sacrifice Crypt Creeper: Remove target card in a graveyard from the game.

==> FUN: 3
You can never have too many zombies, especially if they have a useful ability. Reuse it with Lord of the Undead.

--
126. Cursed Monstrosity 4B Creature - Horror 4/3 (R)
Flying Whenever Cursed Monstrosity becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it unless you discard a land card from your hand.
"Run away! It's an . . . um . . . run away!" -Nomad sentry

==> FUN: 1
At least it has good flavor text. Other than that it's just a bland, overcosted rare with a crippling drawback.

--
127. Decaying Soil 1BB Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a card in your graveyard from the game. Threshold - Whenever a nontoken creature is put into your graveyard from play, you may pay 1. If you do, return that card to your hand. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 3
I usually love graveyard recursion, but this is just too slow (you have to reach threshold before it becomes useful) and it'll eventually stop being useful and stop copies you draw later on from becoming useful. On the other hand, with an Ashnod's Altar in play and a 0cc creature, you can use it to get as much mana as you want.

--
128. Decompose 1B Sorcery (U)
Remove up to three target cards in a single graveyard from the game.

==> FUN: 1
Rapid Decay was so good, they had to make a balanced version, no cycling and not an instant... At least this one isn't rare.

--
129. Diabolic Tutor 2BB Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a card, and put that card into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

==> FUN: 5
I considered subtracting one point for the wimpy name compared to Demonic Tutor, but I'm too happy they made it an uncommon so it won't cost me an arm and a leg to get four. I don't think Diabolic Tutor will prove to be strong, but for casual players like me who don't have the money to buy four of every rare they want to play with, tutors are great. Diabolic Tutor compares to Demonic Tutor as Elven Cache does to Regrowth: double the price for the same effect.

--
130. Dirty Wererat 3B Creature - Minion Rat 2/3 (C)
B, Discard a card from your hand: Regenerate Dirty Wererat. Threshold - Dirty Wererat gets +2/+2 and can't block. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 3
Dirty Wererat can help you reach threshold, so it'll be easier to get the enhanced effect. But still, I'm not crazy about it losing the ability to block. It takes away options that make the game too straight forward.

--
131. Dusk Imp 2B Creature - Imp 2/1 (C)
Flying

==> FUN: 1
Feral Shadow without the option of sacrificing three specific creatures for Spirit of the Night.

--
132. Entomb B Instant (R)
Search your library for a card and put that card into your graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

==> FUN: 3
I love subtle cards like this, but I'll hate opening one of these as a rare. It's just not impressive enough. Entomb can be used to fetch a Nether Spirit or any card with flashback or just a huge creature to animate the turn after.

--
133. Execute 2B Instant (U)
Destroy target white creature. It can't be regenerated. Draw a card.

==> FUN: 1
The anti-white version of Slay. I'm not a big fan of colorhosers, especially when they're as limited as this one. An additional problem is that white has a lot of creatures with protection from black (and instants and enchantments that give it to a creature), so Execute likely won't be able to get rid of the creatures you most want to get rid of.

--
134. Face of Fear 5B Creature - Horror 3/4 (U)
2B, Discard a card from your hand: Face of Fear can't be blocked this turn except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures.

==> FUN: 1
Six mana for a 3/4 with Fear is way too expensive. And the Fear even has to be activated at a large price. This card is just wrong.

--
135. Famished Ghoul 3B Creature - Zombie 3/2 (U)
1B, Sacrifice Famished Ghoul: Remove up to two target cards in a single graveyard from the game.

==> FUN: 3
A bit expensive as a creature, but with a useful ability.

--
136. Filthy Cur 1B Creature - Hound 2/2 (C)
Whenever Filthy Cur is dealt damage, you lose that much life.

==> FUN: 1
I remember a time when black got 2/2s for B with a suicidal drawback. Filthy Cur may look a bit like Jackal Pup, but it's nowhere near as good.

--
137. Fledgling Imp 2B Creature - Imp 2/2 (C)
B, Discard a card from your hand: Fledgling Imp gains flying until end of turn.

==> FUN: 2
Nothing special.

--
138. Frightcrawler 1B Creature - Horror 1/1 (C)
Frightcrawler can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures. Threshold - Frightcrawler gets +2/+2 and can't block. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 3
It's useful enough without threshold and pretty strong with.

--
139. Ghastly Demise B Instant (C)
Destroy target nonblack creature if its toughness is less than or equal to the number of cards in your graveyard.

==> FUN: 2
It's cheap removal, but it won't get rid of a mana creature on turn one or a Jade Leech on turn three. A bit too risky. By the time it's useful, you should have enough mana to cast better removal.

--
140. Gravedigger 3B Creature - Zombie 2/2 (C)
When Gravedigger comes into play, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

==> FUN: 2
Gravedigger is a useful card, especially with bounce effects, but it's already been in so many sets. It's even in seventh, so there's little point of it being in Odyssey as well.

--
141. Gravestorm BBB Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent may remove a card in his or her graveyard from the game. If that player doesn't, you may draw a card.

==> FUN: 4
You won't get nearly as many cards from Gravestorm as from Phyrexian Arena, because any card in his or her graveyard can counter one of your draws. Still, you should get some cards out of it, especially if you cast it early on. It works pretty well with Oath of Ghouls too.

--
142. Haunting Echoes 3BB Sorcery (R)
Remove all cards in target player's graveyard other than basic land cards from the game. Search that player's library for all cards with the same name as cards removed this way, and remove them from the game. Then that player shuffles his or her library.

==> FUN: 5
This is just mean! Cast it right after a Traumatize to _really_ traumatize someone! Even if you only cast it by itself you should be able to remove a lot of cards from opponent's library, clogging up his library with basic lands. Also a good choice for a discard deck.

--
143. Hint of Insanity 2B Sorcery (R)
Target player reveals his or her hand. That player discards from it all nonland cards with the same name as another card in his or her hand.

==> FUN: 2
An interesting idea, but it'll often get nothing at all. On the other hand, when it does get anything, it gets at least two cards, because all copies of a duplicate have to be discarded. So it might be ok early in the game, but later on if you're playing discard, an opponent usually won't have more than one or two cards in his hand at any one time. Hint of Insanity will just be a dead card at that point.

--
144. Infected Vermin 2B Creature - Rat 1/1 (U)
2B: Infected Vermin deals 1 damage to each creature and each player. Threshold - 3B: Infected Vermin deals 3 damage to each creature and each player. (Play this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 1
A more limited version of Crypt Rats. Splashability doesn't really make up for that.

--
145. Innocent Blood B Sorcery (C)
Each player sacrifices a creature.

==> FUN: 4
The new Diabolic Edict. This one is a bit more limited because it's not an instant and you don't really want to be playing any creatures yourself, but that's a small price to pay to be able to play eight Edicts.

--
146. Last Rites 2B Sorcery (C)
Discard any number of cards from your hand. Target player reveals his or her hand, then you choose a nonland card from it for each card discarded this way. That player discards those cards.

==> FUN: 4
Sure, you lose card advantage with Last Rites, but you can discard cards you don't need at the moment or are better off in your graveyard, like Nether Spirit, whereas you pick the cards your opponent will discard, so he'll usually be stuck with just a few lands. The hardest part if estimating how many cards you should discard. It helps if you're playing against someone who doesn't have a pokerface. If your opponent's eyes lit up when he took a look at his opening hand, discard as many as you can spare.

--
147. Malevolent Awakening 1BB Enchantment (U)
1BB, Sacrifice a creature: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

==> FUN: 3
At first, Malevolent Awakening looks a lot like Recurring Nightmare, but the big difference is that you still have to cast the creatures with this. That means no huge creatures getting into play cheap and if you want to run useful creatures of all five colors, you better make sure you have the right mana to cast them. Still, it's not a bad card, but I've seen better, like Phyrexian Reclamation.

--
148. Mind Burst 1B Sorcery (C)
Target player discards X cards from his or her hand, where X is one plus the number of Mind Burst cards in all graveyards.

==> FUN: 4
The black Burst is the best one so far, because it translates directly into card advantage, unlike the white and blue ones. The first one cast will be ok, but nothing special. Later ones will go from good to great, although if you play them in a discard deck, your opponent will probably have an empty hand by that time.

--
149. Mindslicer 2BB Creature - Horror 4/3 (R)
When Mindslicer is put into a graveyard from play, each player discards his or her hand.

==> FUN: 4
A perfect card to top off a black weenie deck. Empty your hand and cast this. Suddenly Wrath-ing doesn't look so good anymore. Control decks are going to hate this guy. Time to start playing with remove-from-game removal again. It's a good thing Odyssey has a few options when it comes to that.

--
150. Morbid Hunger 4BB Sorcery (C)
Morbid Hunger deals 3 damage to target creature or player. You gain 3 life. Flashback 7BB (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

==> FUN: 2
A good effect, but too expensive.

--
151. Morgue Theft 1B Sorcery (C)
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. Flashback 4B (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

==> FUN: 2
One more mana gets you Death's Duet without having to worry about paying the flashback cost.

--
152. Mortivore 2BB Creature - Lhurgoyf */* (R)
Mortivore's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creature cards in all graveyards. B: Regenerate Mortivore.

==> FUN: 3
Strong, but too similar to the real Lhurgoyf. A big black creature with regenerate is likely going to be very popular, though.

--
153. Nefarious Lich BBBB Enchantment (R)
If you would be dealt damage, remove that many cards in your graveyard from the game instead. If you can't, you lose the game. If you would gain life, draw that many cards instead. When Nefarious Lich leaves play, you lose the game.

==> FUN: 5
A more usable version of the old Lich card. It's still a very risky card, but it has two separate plusses. First, it translates lifegain to carddrawing, which means Healing Salve becomes an Ancestral Recall and Ivory Tower means an Ancestral Recall every turn. Secondly, if you're low on life it can keep you alive for a bit longer by acting as a Crumbling Sanctuary for your graveyard. It's too dangerous to play it in a serious deck, because a single Disenchant or Boomerang will kill you. Maybe it'll see some play in a combo deck, but I doubt it.

--
154. Overeager Apprentice 2B Creature - Minion 1/2 (C)
Discard a card from your hand, Sacrifice Overeager Apprentice: Add BBB to your mana pool.

==> FUN: 1
A really bad version of Basal Thrull, which wasn't a powercard to begin with. It's no replacement for Dark Ritual.

--
155. Painbringer 2BB Creature - Minion 1/1 (U)
Tap, Remove any number of cards in your graveyard from the game: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards removed this way.

==> FUN: 3
A bit too fragile to be good, but if your opponent can't get rid of it, it's a good way to get some creatures out of the way. It's competing with too many other cards that want to use the graveyard as a resource, though.

--
156. Patriarch's Desire 3B Enchant Creature (C)
Enchanted creature gets +2/-2. Threshold - Enchanted creature gets an additional +2/-2. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

==> FUN: 2
As a creature pumper it's not that strong without threshold and way too risky with it. Only a huge creature would survive it. As removal it's too expensive and dependant on threshold.

--
157. Repentant Vampire 3BB Creature - Vampire 3/3 (R)
Flying Whenever a creature dealt damage by Repentant Vampire this turn is put into a graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on Repentant Vampire. Threshold - Repentant Vampire is white and has "Tap: Destroy target black creature."

==> FUN: 2
Not a bad creature, but worse than Sengir Vampire. It doesn't help that its threshold ability won't usually give it a counter and turning white will only make it vulnerable. Strong against black, but only until it gets terrored.

--
158. Rotting Giant 1B Creature - Zombie Giant 3/3 (U)
Whenever Rotting Giant attacks or blocks sacrifice it unless you remove a card in your graveyard from the game.

==> FUN: 3
A cheap creature with a drawback that isn't too bad, except during the first few turns of the game.

--
159. Sadistic Hypnotist 3BB Creature - Minion 2/2 (U)
Sacrifice a creature: Target player discards two cards from his or her hand. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.

==> FUN: 3
This looks like it's better than Cat Burglar because it can empty someone's hand faster, but you still only get one card advantage each time you use it and if you have no creatures you want to get rid of, it's an expensive 2/2. On the other hand, Sadistic Hypnotist doesn't need to tap, which means you can use it to empty your opponent's hand the turn it comes into play. I could well be underestimating him.

--
160. Screams of the Damned 3BB Enchantment (U)
1B, Remove a card in your graveyard from the game: Screams of the Damned deals 1 damage to each creature and each player.

==> FUN: 1
Pales compared to Pestilence. Sure, it doesn't have the same drawback, but that's easy enough to get around.

--
161. Skeletal Scrying XB Instant (U)
As an additional cost to play Skeletal Scrying, remove X cards in your graveyard from the game. You draw X cards and you lose X life.

==> FUN: 3
For each card, you pay one mana, one life and one card in your graveyard. That looks like a fair trade. It doesn't have the same possibilities as Necrologia for getting a lot of cards if you have enough life, but it can be burned for one or two cards easily when necessary. Necrologia just has a tendency to sit in your hand until you're too low on life to have much use for it anymore.

--
162. Skull Fracture B Sorcery (U)
Target player discards a card from his or her hand. Flashback 3B (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

==> FUN: 2
Again, the flashback is too expensive to make much of a difference.

--
163. Stalking Bloodsucker 4BB Creature - Vampire 4/4 (R)
Flying 1B, Discard a card from your hand: Stalking Bloodsucker gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

==> FUN: 3
With enough cards in your hand, this guy can't be safely blocked, but not blocking him can be very dangerous.

--
164. Tainted Pact 1B Instant (R)
Remove the top card of your library from the game. You may put that card into your hand unless it has the same name as another card removed this way. Repeat this process until you put a card into your hand or you remove two cards with the same name, whichever comes first.

==> FUN: 3
A black Impulse. It's more risky, though, especially if you're playing a lot of Swamps. On the other hand, you can dig deeper with it. In a Highlander deck it's as good as a Demonic Tutor, but you run the risk of losing most of your library. An interesting card, but not very strong.

--
165. Tombfire B Sorcery (R)
Target player removes all cards with flashback in his or her graveyard from the game.

==> FUN: 1
Another rare hoser. It'll probably see a lot of sideboard play anyway though, depending on how many flashback spells turn out to be playable.

--
166. Traveling Plague 3BB Enchant Creature (R)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, put a plague counter on Traveling Plague. Enchanted creature gets -1/-1 for each plague counter on Traveling Plague. When enchanted creature leaves play, that creature's controller returns Traveling Plague from its owner's graveyard to play.

==> FUN: 5
It's a Takklemaggot that works twice as fast, because it adds a counter during each upkeep. In multiplayer this is even more fun. It's a fun trick to use when you're playing a creatureless deck and not even an Unsummon on the enchanted creature will stop the Plague from spreading.

--
167. Whispering Shade 3B Creature - Shade 1/1 (C)
Swampwalk B: Whispering Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

==> FUN: 2
Compare to Dungeon Shade, which has flying instead of swampwalk. Flying is better evasion.

--
168. Zombie Assassin 4B Creature - Zombie Assassin 3/2 (C)
Tap, Remove two cards in your graveyard and Zombie Assassin from the game: Destroy target nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated.

==> FUN: 3
It can kill two creatures for the price of one if you block with it and use the ability. Even without that, a creature with a built-in Dark Banishing can't be bad. Against a black deck, it's still a 3/2. Still, it's a bit expensive.

--
169. Zombie Cannibal B Creature - Zombie 1/1 (C)
Whenever Zombie Cannibal deals combat damage to a player, you may remove target card in that player's graveyard from the game.

==> FUN: 4
A good ability, but a 1/1 is easy to stop. Still, it'll give certain decks something to worry about. Especially if it can be brought back with a Lord of the Undead.

--
170. Zombie Infestation 1B Enchantment (U)
Discard two cards from your hand: Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token into play.

==> FUN: 4
In most decks, paying two cards for a 2/2 isn't very strong, but I wonder if this card would have had a chance to make it into Necro decks. With a powerful carddrawing engine like Necropotence, it doesn't take much time to swarm your opponent with zombies.

--
171. Zombify 3B Sorcery (U)
Return target creature card from your graveyard to play.

==> FUN: 3
A bit on the expensive side for the effect, there have been cheaper versions.

 
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