Uses of Underworld Cerberus?
Standard forum
Posted on Oct. 14, 2013, 4:39 p.m. by acbooster
So I bought a pack of Theros yesterday and pulled an Underworld Cerberus . What cards does he go well with? I had a deck planned out until I re-read him, seeing it said that they all went to the hand and not the battlefield. The way I had it planned out was to get all the graveyards full, cast Crypt Incursion or Rakdos Charm on my opponent, then kill the Cerberus to get them all on the battlefield.
What makes me mad is that there's no real efficient way to properly use his ability in Standard.
October 14, 2013 4:54 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #4
It would play nicely with Rescue from the Underworld . Since Rescue doesn't state that you must return it from a graveyard it would be returned anyway even from exile. Sac him as an additional cost to Rescue to go get something then you can return your graveyard AND underworld back.
Thoughts?
October 14, 2013 5:10 p.m.
Not sure how that would work, or even if it would. Might have to open it as a topic on the Q&A.
October 14, 2013 5:13 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #6
Well I know Rescue from the Underworld works with the Whip of Erebos (expensive and inefficient but doable.)
October 14, 2013 5:26 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #8
Hmm, well it WOULD work if Underworld Cerberus didn't make everything non targetable in the yard. Way to RTFC me. Ignore the ramblings of an insane man.
October 14, 2013 5:34 p.m.
Actually, it still wouldn't work. When Underworld Cerberus moves to the Exile zone, Rescue from the Underworld loses track of it, and will not return it to the battlefield. The same is true with Whip of Erebos.
October 14, 2013 5:39 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #10
Actually Rescue from the Underworld does work with replacement effects like Whip of Erebos .
This is a quote from the Theros FAQ "* However, if the sacrificed creature is put into another public zone instead of the graveyard, perhaps because its your commander or because of another replacement effect, it will return to the battlefield from the zone it went to."
If you were able to pick legal targets in your graveyard it would work correctly. However, not being able to target anything in your own grave means that the thought was moot.
October 14, 2013 5:54 p.m.
Snowblindblitz says... #11
It does work. Rescue from the Underworld brings back the saced creature regardless of where it goes due to being a replacement effect. However, the second part of Underworld Cerberus does create problems, but Whip of Erebos and an ungodly amount of mana does work with Rescue.
October 14, 2013 6:03 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #13
Apoptosis we were discssussing the situation that COULD happen if Underworld Cerberus didn't prevent targeting graveyards.
If you could target your graveyard it would go like this:
Cast Rescue from the Underworld sacing Underworld Cerberus . His replacement effect sends him into exile but since Rescue from the Underworld doesn't specify a zone that things return from both he and the card targeted would be returned to the graveyard.
This is all hypothetical however.
I apologize for derailing this thread. Hit me up personally if you still have questions.
October 14, 2013 6:09 p.m.
Sorry Ohthenoises, tired. I get the discussion now. But sacing Underworld Cerberus is part of the casting cost for Rescue from the Underworld , which means Cerberus is no longer in play when Rescue resolves, so why can't you target a creature in the yard and have both return?
October 14, 2013 6:19 p.m.
Except that Underworld Cerberus doesn't have a replacement effect. It has a death trigger, which means what actually happens is that it hits the graveyard, then moves to exile when its ability resolves, which means that it actually falls under this part of the FAQ:
"If either the sacrificed creature or the target creature card leaves the graveyard before the delayed triggered ability resolves during your next upkeep, it wont return."
I am definitely wrong about the Whip, however.
October 14, 2013 6:42 p.m.
He's a perfect addition to tribal Minotaurs or your Rakdos Aggro running x4 Spike Jester . Not to mention he's a b**** to block. I like him, About all this rules-intensive stuff, I'm not sure. I just like throwing out my Spike Jesters again.
Apoptosis says... #2
It's a finisher for Radkos aggro. Lots of little guys die, and he brings them all back. Of course, as the control player I would want to kill this thing at your end step so that they come back but then must be discarded again.
October 14, 2013 4:53 p.m.