Athreos (Orzhov God)
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on April 12, 2014, 3:42 p.m. by ChiefBell
I think this guy is INSANE.
I'm already playing a deck with 4x Desecration Demon , Blood Baron of Vizkopa and Alms Beast .
This guys just means that board wipes are no longer my worst enemy when I have a semi-established board state and fits nicely in the 3cmc slot.
It's kind of like super reanimator.
What do you guys think?
Dalektable says... #3
It's going to really make my opponent question whether he should board wipe when I have both Athreos and Xathrid Necromancer on the field.
April 12, 2014 3:47 p.m.
Not really a "super reanimator" since the creature goes to your hand, but its ok. Maybe a 1-of in a pod deck to get more value when you pod?
April 12, 2014 3:47 p.m.
Bromjunaar says... #5
Hm... What about a self-board wipe? (Say we're using the one coming in JOU) If you wipe your own board with 5-6 creatures on your side and Athreos out (we'll even include Xathrid Necromancer in this, you would either do a ton of damage or you would get everything back with all that your opponent controls dying. I'm not saying to do it just to do it, I'm saying that we don't have to worry about running board wipes of our own for when the deck this is in comes up against an aggro deck that needs cleaned out.
April 12, 2014 3:52 p.m.
Yep - it just makes everything trickier for the opponent.
He'll fit right in in some sort of orzhov midrange in standard, and I can see him maybe working his way into modern.
April 12, 2014 4:01 p.m.
Dalektable says... #7
I'm going to make him work in modern. I'll abuse the crap out of him.
April 12, 2014 4:04 p.m.
Necrotesque says... #8
In modern there is unlimited shenanigans with this God. From BW Aggro Knights of infinite returns to abilities that trigger upon death and sacrificial effects to rinse and repeat
April 12, 2014 4:23 p.m.
But in pod. He breaks shit. Both finks and redcap turn him on
April 12, 2014 4:42 p.m.
ChiefBell: well.. In pod (melira pod) finks and redcap would be returned to your hand instead of the battlefield, which would break the combo. Altho, you could sac him before comboing, and he would be great until you get all combo pieces.
April 12, 2014 5:19 p.m.
notamardybum says... #11
Athreos makes me happy to run a different type of deck. I've been waiting for him to come out, and I'm stoked he's not terrible, but the best part... he's a 3 drop.
Time to break out the playset of High Priest of Penance
April 12, 2014 5:26 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #12
Personally, I think for a 3-drop that this guy is over the top.
April 12, 2014 5:49 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #13
I'll also add that there is absolute no reason anyone should not be playing BW next set. It's already one of the most powerful archetypes and this just pushes it way over the edge.
April 12, 2014 6:05 p.m.
The 3 CMC for an indestructible 5/4 is insane. Anything past that is icing on the cake, and boy am I gonna get fat.
April 12, 2014 6:18 p.m.
I think it can fit nicely in a modern b/w weenie build. He makes a decent beater if you get the devotion. But his real use will be making people really think about wiping the board.
April 12, 2014 6:53 p.m.
Meh. Letting the opponent choose is pretty bad. Fun in EDH though.
April 12, 2014 7:34 p.m.
Whilst that is certainly usually the case, the fact that he is a 3 drop alleviates this problem, and the fact that both options are pretty horrific for the opponent also makes it better. It's like saying Jace's +1 is bad because it lets the opponent choose - it's not because it gets something done either way (you always get to draw a card). Similarly for this - they either let you have the creature back in which case they take damage, or they don't - in which case they take damage. It's not the kind of choice seen in Browbeat for example, because here the opponent is choosing between damage now or damage next turn, instead of two totally different outcomes.
April 12, 2014 7:40 p.m.
Eh, still don't like it. In addition to giving your opponent some choices, he does very little on his own (hard to enable either ability). EDH only imho.
April 12, 2014 7:44 p.m.
Very true that he 1) does nothing the turn he's played (most likely anyway) and 2) nothing on his own.
Although I think he's like.... a support card. I guess that's how I would describe him.
April 12, 2014 7:50 p.m.
I'm totally fine with paying three mana for an indestructible enchantment that either forces my opponent to lose life or gives me my creatures back when they die. That will be HUGE in a deck where all your creatures are usually one or two drops. (Weenie decks)
April 12, 2014 8:15 p.m.
Yes, he's very good, but the only fault I find is that I was going to make him the commander of my Orzhov Sac/Recur deck. Still could become it, but less useful then a straight life loss when dies trigger would have been.
April 12, 2014 9:09 p.m.
megawurmple says... #23
smackjack That's not true. Given that you control both the persist trigger from the Kitchen Finks and the trigger from Athreos, you get to choose what order they go on the stack in as they both trigger at the same time. Therefore, you can simply put Athreos' trigger on the stack first, meaning that persist will resolve first and Kitchen Finks will go back onto the battlefield before Athreos can return it to your hand.
I agree that Athreos has potential to see play in Pod. He offers recursion on your best creatures, meaning your opponent is almost forced to pay 3 life so that you can't keep using Birthing Pod on the same creature over and over. He could theoretically work really well, but only time will tell.
April 12, 2014 9:45 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #24
@TitansFTW This is DEFINITELY going in my Melira Pod deck :D
April 13, 2014 12:03 a.m.
Technically speaking, he's not an Orzhov God. He's a God of the Plane of Theros. Orzhov is a faction that exists solely on the Ravnican Plane.
April 13, 2014 1:10 p.m.
He's the God that represents the Orzhov colours. He can therefore be described as the Orzhov god. Orzhov as an adjective, not a noun.
April 13, 2014 1:14 p.m.
Orzhov is both a noun and an adjective, depending on its usage.
"Kalonian" cards are Green spells within the core sets, but you don't see anyone calling mono-Green decks "Kalonian Aggro".
The term "Orzhov" is specific to the Orzhova Guild on Ravnica. You can tell because it's called "Orzhov".
April 13, 2014 1:18 p.m.
Technically, Orzhov is an adjective, as the guild on Ravnica is the Orzhov Syndicate.
Regardless, just like how decks that are W/U/B are called Esper without necessarily having anything to do with that shard of Alara, W/B cards are colloquially called Orzhov cards, even if they have nothing to do with the guild.
April 13, 2014 1:20 p.m.
SwaggyMcSwagglepants says... #30
Him in my orzhov humans deck is gonna be insane. Athreos is going to help out with regenerating tons of creatures, and I have plenty of removal to keep stuff off the board (go Hero's Downfall ) and maybe I could kill some creatures o get in that last bit of damage to gruul monsters. gruul monsters is a Nightmare
April 13, 2014 1:47 p.m.
I like the synergy with Extort...
My creature dies... you can pay 3 life... otherwise, I will recast it, and extort it, causing you to lose a life, and I'll gain a life... (or more, with more extort triggers).
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel this God is the one which best supports itself for getting the devotion it needs... If they don't pay, you get your devotion back. - This should make it a 5/4 Indestructible fairly reliably... or alternatively, make the 3 life loss fairly reliable.
April 13, 2014 9:41 p.m.
SwaggyMcSwagglepants says... #33
Dreno33 I might care! And maybe some other people. Don't be such a hater.
April 14, 2014 6:45 p.m.
Only because zandl said I was wrong and I said that I disagreed a little.
April 14, 2014 6:50 p.m.
Lol this thread because pointless bickering over microscopic differences that still both refer to the same colors and are understood to all Magic Players.
Technically, the disagreements should be finalized with words from a very wise man by the name of John Wesley, "Agree to Disagree."
April 14, 2014 7:22 p.m.
Technically, this card is OP. I reckon people will make orzhov humans or orzhov control. Soldier of the Pantheon , Tormented Hero , Imposing Sovereign , Underworld Coinsmith , Gnarled Scarhide , Precinct Captain , Xathrid Necromancer , this guy and Cartel Aristocrat will make a brutal aggressive shell, or one could opt for a control shell. This guy, High Priest of Penance , Precinct Captain , Soldier of the Pantheon , Thoughtseize , maybe Xathrid Necromancer as well, Gray Merchant of Asphodel (for a more black-oriented build), heck, even Keening Apparition is broken with this guy. This guy just makes your opponent's life a nightmare. Also: the control build may be the home Godsend has been looking for, in a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx white devotion build splashing black for removal, this dude and maybe one of the 5-drop orzhov mythics.
April 14, 2014 7:43 p.m.
Not a complete nightmare because they get to choose which goes and which stays. I run him in a midrange deck. Desecration demon and Ghost council never felt so right.
April 14, 2014 7:47 p.m.
i put together a b/w human deck in modern that is a whole lot of fun to play. And he is a pretty big piece of the deck.
Dalektable says... #2
I'm in love, that's all there is to it. He fits perfectly into Orzhov Humans decks, which is what I'm currently looking to run. In my deck he's going in in place of Obzedat, Ghost Council which I was using as a finisher. I might even cut something else so he can be a three-of.
April 12, 2014 3:46 p.m.