Gray Merchant of Asphodel is one of the newest "Theros" spoilers revealed today Sept. 2, 2013 from Wizards of the Coast's upcoming expert "Magic: The Gathering" expansion set in an article on DailyMTG.com. Gray Merchant of Asphodel is a common black creature that can be a devastating for your opponents, especially in multiplayer games.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - 3BB
Creature - Zombie (Common)
When Gray Merchant of Asphodel enters the battlefield, each opponent loses X life, where X is your devotion to black. You gain life equal to the life lost this way. (Each B in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.)
2/4
Gray Merchant of Asphodel may help make mono-black decks "a thing" in Standard. Enchantments like Underworld Connections and Dark Prophecy will help build your devotion to black and Gray Merchant of Asphodel recoups the life you'll lost by running them. You'll be gaining massive amount of card advantage in the meantime, especially with two-for-ones like Shadowborn Demon.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel shines in multiplayer games like Commander. If you thought dealing five or more damage and gaining that much life was great, try multiplying that by four or more. Gray Merchant of Asphodel isn't too shabby in limited either, especially when in multiple.
Want to really abuse Gray Merchant of Asphodel? Try pairing it with cards that will flicker it back in and out of play. It's a shame that Geralf's Messenger is rotating: It'd really be the Zombie Apocalypse for your opponent.
How will you use Gray Merchant of Asphodel?
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