This shining example of Wizards' neverending
quest to provide card names that are harder and
harder to spell is also a surprisingly potent
finisher. Remember, winning the game usually
requires 20 points of normal damage, but only 10
poison counters. While most 4/4 dragons need to
hit 5 times to put away a game, Skeeter here can
do it in three, or two with as little as +1/+0.
Add to that the fact that Skeeter can give
itself haste if you slow-roll it as a six drop,
and a player who had allowed himself to get to
six poison counters thinking he had enough
blockers to hold you off may just lose from
nowhere. Skeeter can even regenerate itself,
giving it a defense mechanism against some kill
spells. And of course, flying allows it to sneak
that infect damage through blockers. Alas, it
still can't stand up to Baneslayer Angel's 5
power and first strike, but it still makes an
admirable win condition.
What's the difference between a "regular" rare
dragon and a mythic dragon? Based on this card,
it has something to do with poison, something to
do with necrogen, and a lot to do with being
undead and able to shred creatures and players
alike. Skithiryx is one of the few creatures
that takes people out as fast as an Eldrazi, one
of the few creatures that Troll Ascetics and
Inferno Titans fear to attack, and may end up as
the flagship for a generation of black decks,
poison-based and otherwise. Like many black
cards, he demands a commitment, but he more than
delivers on it. If you were lucky enough to get
him at the pre-release a couple of days ago, put
him in a deck and embrace the night . . .
Magic The Gathering Card of The Day: Skithiryx,
The Blight Dragon
Welcome back readers today's card of the day
marks the triumphant return of poison to the
game of Magic. This dragon provides a win
condition in of itself, with the ability to
regenerate and poison players this card is a
perfect example of a flavorful and powerful
card. In standard a poison or proliferate deck
is bound to emerge and this card may see play as
a part of it, mono black control can always use
a new win condition and this card fits the bill
nicely. In extended and eternal this card may
see play but its expensive mana wise although
time will tell. In casual and multiplayer this
card is a godsend, as an Elder Dragon Highlander
general this card can kill players left and
right, the ability to regenerate is icing on the
cake and haste means it can swing out of
nowhere. Poison I think will be a hit with
casual players but it will need more support to
see the limelight, this card can mop up games
rather quickly. In limited its a bomb pure and
simple, evasion, a built in way to kill
creatures, regenerative a powerful card. Overall
this card is a powerful and flavorful mythic
that will see extensive casual play buts its
tournament quality is still up in the air.
Today's card of the day is Skithiryx, the
Blight Dragon which is a five mana Legendary 4/4
Flying with Infect and the option to pay one
Black for Haste or two Black to Regenerate.
In order the Legendary isn't a big drawback as
it isn't too likely you'll often have more than
one available to play and not have it removed,
Flying is rarely a bad thing, and 4/4 is decent
for the cost. Infect against creatures is
nice and it won't take long in a dedicated
Infect deck for a Flying 4/4 to end a game.
Haste is nice to get that first attack in, but
you'll need to wait for six mana instead of five
or play it as a topdeck even later in the game.
The regeneration effect is a bit more useful in
the Standard formats as many destroy effects
have lost the can not regenerate clause older
cards like Wrath of God and Terror once had and
it allows the 4/4 body to block larger creatures
to build up -1/-1 counters. It doesn't
help against the fairly common exile effects or
various forms of bounce, but otherwise Skithiryx
is difficult to get rid of whenever some mana is
left untapped. A bit mana intensive, but a
this dragon can be the finisher for the likely
dangerous Infect deck that will be seeing
serious play across formats once Scars of
Mirrodin is legal.
For Limited this is the kind of card that once
opened will quickly determine the rest of your
picks in Booster draft. Cards like Corpse
Cur gain additional value as a means of
recovering a discarded or destroyed dragon.
Flying, regenerate, and Infect are all very
useful abilities in Limited and the Legendary
tag is hardly a drawback in a format where
seeing a second copy is extremely unlikely.
Two Black in the casting cost out of five is
reasonable, but keeping the mana sources
untapped for regeneration may be slightly more
difficult depending on how much of the deck is
Black. Even without that aspect this is a
very powerful card that should be drafted first
and given serious consideration in Sealed as
well. Few cards can stand up to in the air
and Infect can win games quickly with support
from any kind of power increase.
