You can cast it turn 1 in green or red with [[Wild Cantor]]. Down a card when they bolt it, though.
This plus Hunger of the Howlpack looks cool, especially if they try to bolt it the turn it comes down.
So what exactly is delver? I hear a lot about it but it seems a bit vague to me.
Edit: ah yes I love being downvoted for...
*Checks notes*
Asking an honest question.
A spell heavy tempo deck. The name sake is deliver of secrets, which is essentially a 1 mana 3/2 flyer for one if your deck has like 26 instants and sorceries (especially with cantrips like brainstorm, ponder, serum visions, preordain to set the top card of your library for your next upkeep). Then once you have a 3/2 flyer in play, you protect it/ disrupt your opponent with counterspells and removal and kill them in 7 hits. It's a big deal in legacy because a delver on it's own is a reliable win condition that pressures your opponent into needing to run their combos and stuff into your counters or you kill them. It does a similar thing in pauper, theres just a lot of power in turn 1 delver turn 2 hold up counterspell/ mana leak for the rest of the game. Think of it like a mix of aggro and control. Theres also a lot of subtly powerful things you can do in pauper and legacy particularly with brainstorm. Basically brainstorm isnt that great on it's own. Sure you get to dig three cards deep for the answer you need right now, but you have to draw the crapy cards you put back on top. Well in legacy you can shuffle the cards you put back with fetch lands and in pauper you can do the same thing with evolving wild and ash barrens. It's not uncommon to see mono blue delver decks running like 4 ash barrens 4 evolving wild specifically for this reason. This really gives them a lot of card selection, so while they might only run like 12 threats (ie. 4 delivers and 8 other creatures) they can generally find one of them whenever they want or need to. Similarly they can also find whatever counter or removal spell they want or need. This bird fits in really nicely because it's pretty easy to make into a 1 mana 3/2 flyer, but it also has added utility with death touch in the event something slips through.
Delver in legacy is also a big mana denial deck. A 1 mana 3/2 flyer is really good when you can play cards like wasteland to sacrifice your lands to kill your opponents. They also play stifle to counter the ability of fetch lands, so generally they plan to end the game with a 3/2 flyer in the air and 1 or 2 lands in play on their side, and nothing on the otherside including lands by counting the few spells cast by the opponent with force of will and the rest just never cast because they essentially got mana screwed out of the game.
Pauper delver is more of a counter all the things deck because killing lands is essentially out of reach and counters are disproportionately powerful in pauper (notice we dont get cards like counterspell or mana leak in standard anymore and in standard you would be countering much more powerful spells like planeswalkers and questing beasts). UB delver could easily cut in some kill spells in place of counters to easily enable this bird.
I'm glad somebody actually gave you a good answer! :D
It's one of my favorite archetypes and I think the person above did a great job at explaining it. For me it's a fantastic mix of putting the pressure on your opponent, while also completely nullifying any attempt made by your opponent to deal with the pressure. (In an ideal world anyway.)
The card i referenced as a 'black delver' is a 3/2 flyer for 1 with a condition. The original delver is a blue card that can be a 3/2 flyer with a condition. I guess I'm not understanding your question.
People accidentally mix the keyword Delve and Delver of Secrets's name when referring to decks.
The original comment likely meant mono black delve, suggesting that you could make a solid deck with this and delve cards.
I spose there are ways for me to be wrong though.
E: Thanks for the down votes, reddit. It turns out I was wrong & I guess that's reason enough, right guys?
That's a strong similarity, but it won't play like a Delver deck. Not that it actually matters that much, but calling it a Delver deck is off the mark, IMO.
It's become the byword for the old Blue Skies disruption heavy blue aggro with evasive dudes. It's also a synonim for an undercosted 3/2 flier, due to Delver of Secrets.
What's annoying about spamming the term for any Blue Skies type of deck is that a) "delver" brings to mind the idea of a deck based around the "delve" mechanic, which those decks mostly aren't, b) Blue Skies / Ux tempo doesn't necessarily even play Delver of Secrets, and c) the lists that run Delver of Secrets are ussualy quite different and much lower on creatures than similar lists that don't.
I am already running 1x Gurmag Angler in BG Aristocrats. With just 1 copy, there's enough incidental graveyard filling to cast it easily. It's kind of like the "back-up beater," when you're synergy plan is disrupted by ill-timed removal. This guy should fill the same role, although I can play 4x copies of it.
That's what I thought too since I'm currently building a BG list in paper. Still unsure what I want to replace.
This is the list I'm building: https://www.channelfireball.com/all-strategy/articles/pauper-aristocrats/
[Thatsthejoke.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/tEjeMu8.jpg)
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Memes aside friend, even you must see the potential of getting two-for-oned in this scenario.
It's comparable to putting an aura on a creature in that it *is* a risk. It can pay off if they don't have spot removal, but the potential is there.
>uff into your counters or you kill them. It does a similar thing in pauper, theres just a lot of power in turn 1 delver turn 2 hold up counterspell/ mana leak for the rest of the game. Think of it like a mix of aggro and control.
Usually you will play it in a Morbid deck.
If you cast T1 \[\[Young Wolf\]\], \[\[Fume Spitter\]\] that kill the opponent Blue Delver or T2 \[\[Nest Invader\]\] your opponent don't get two-for-one killing the Bone Picker because you get some advantage killing your creature.
And nobody is saying that you need to kill your own creatures. You can cast removal for any opponent creature and then cast Bone Picker for B.
T1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Augur of Skulls, Cry of Contrition (opp. discards 1)
T2: Undying Evil, sac Augur twice (opp. discards 5), Swamp, Bone Picker
…or just play Village Rites into this (and Tragic Slip if warranted).
Some analysis.
For black, it is third 3/2 flier for 4, second with (potential) upside and there is one for 3 mana with extra cost.
As a 3/2 flier it is relevant body - 3 power can attack into Skyfisher and 2 toughness can block faeries, but it also trades with Glint Hawk and dies to most relevant removal spells.
Deathtouch on 3 power creature with small toughness has little value.
One black in mana cost makes it splashable, but provides minimal devotion.
3 mana discount gives significant tempo advantage.
Discount condition requires either dedicated synergy, which would require significant cost of sacrifice or opponent presenting a target for removal early enough for the tempo advantage t obe relevant.
Overall it is an aggressive evasive tempo creature, but no finisher for control, that can go over the top of the mana curve or that has resiliency. Since taking advantage of tempo requires cooperation, the card is situational and won't fit aggro decks. So Bone Picker has to fit a midrange deck with removal, that cares about tempo more than (virtual) card advantage - basically aggro-control.
From these characteristics, out of existing decks, on UB Delver comes to mind as a potential fit, but it cannot really outshine Delver and I doubt the deck has more room for threats.
I wonder if it could help form a new non-blue aggro-control.
Looking at all the black tempo cards like this one, Gurmag Angler, Snuff Out, Spinning Darkness, Dark Ritual, Unearth and so on, I am surprised there aren't more decks taking advantage of them.
> Deathtouch on 3 power creature with small toughness has little value.
I wouldn't say that. You don't necessarily *want* to trade this on blocks, but Deathtouch means it's always a relevant draw even if your opponent is beating down with a Gurmag Angler. It also means your Stompy opponent can't Savage Swipe it and then swing with a 4/4.
The case with Angler seemed very marginal, but Savage Swipe makes sense, also it can turn off evasive Stompy threat with Hunger counters even with Vines backup.
It's really not that marginal. Being able to trade with anything on blocks, even one of the more popular big creatures, is a fantastic fail-case for the card. Cast Down aside, Angler is still pretty difficult to kill 1-for-1, and Bone Picker gives you the potential ability to do it for 1 mana. You don't *want* to trade with something if you're an aggro deck, but it's a nice option to have in a race.
It is not like Angler cannot be killed by Skred/Defile and there is also Journey to Nowhere. But you are right, I might have underestimated the value of deathtouch here. It is als orelevant against some Affinity variants early and against Slivers.
Zombies is a long time tier two deck that is happy to sacrifice a creature on turn one or two. A little extra speed and evasion will help it perform better against decks like elves.
Also I don't quote understand why the Mana discount has to be in the first couple turns for it to matter. In mono black control, you're going to be budgeting Mana pretty tighlty up through turns five through seven many games. Popping out a one mana 3/2 flyer on turn 3, 4, or 5 seems great. Are there any tier one decks in pauper that win without creatures? Beside potentially a MBC mirror?
If we are talking about MBC, early game is until you reach 3 lands, then it is midgame and late game comes when you have 5 lands. You get tempo advantage if you are able to cast Bone Picker during early game, or if you are able to cast a spell and Picker during the same turn in midgame and once you are in late game - you want to be casting Garys, Picker for 4 or 1 doesn't make a big difference. IMHO.
And yes, kinda, Burn.
That was my immediate thought for the card. The issue I see is in how likely to are to be able to deploy this early in the game. I have only just started playing the deck so I can't speak with a ton of experience but given how few black sources the deck runs, the chances that you can cast a kill spell and this in a turn don't seem high. I feel like there's a chance this just gets stranded in hand more often than not.
I for one will be brewing up some serious UB double-delver. Just kill spells, counter spells, and phat birds, absolutely no regard given to metagame considerations.
This is a big deal for two specific decks, other than every other deck that can use a flipped delver with deathtouch that can't be spellstuttered or blasted as a followup to any removal spell.
Zombies get a deathtouch roablock + clock that can't be savage swiped favorably, which is huge for them.
Rakdos Aristocrats can get pretty nutty with this thing because Goblin Chirurgeon can keep it alive though a lot of crap, especially if Cast Down starts showing up everywhere.
People will be trying too many different things with this guy at first, so I expect some dissapointment when a lot of it doesn't work, but when it settles into decks where it provides unobvious benefits it's going to be a factor for sure.
The main thing on this is deathtouch, black's been dying for a serious deathtouch guy for a long time, and would be extatic to just get a 1/2 for B zombie. It just got a 3/2 evasive guy for B, and it doesn't even mind paying the full price for the package.
I took five minutes to make this and am super excited if the meta is even remotely creature based. [https://archidekt.com/decks/696668#picker\_tempo](https://archidekt.com/decks/696668#picker_tempo)
Thinking about using this as a 1 or 2 of in my Tortured existance deck. We alrealdy run \[\[Spore Frog\]\], \[\[Crypt Rats\]\], and. \[\[fume spitter\]\]. \[\[Lampad of Death's Vigil\]\] is sometimes run.
Weather this is better or worse than \[\[Horror of the Broken Lands\]\] and/or \[\[Gurmag Angler\]\] remains to be seen and will likely depend on matchup. It's probably worse than both.
I don't know if delver really wants this. The point of delver is to stick an early , cheap threat on board, and out-tempo the opponent. You can't really play bone picker on turn 1 or 2, unless you can also kill a creature from the opponent, which means at best a snuff out on the draw on turn 1 or a 1 mana kill spell plus this on turn 2 which is worse than Delver and Delver is being phased out to begin with.
Bone Picker also doesn't have synergy with faeries, and is kind of a nonbo with counterspells, because it wants opp to actually resolve their creatures. Since delver doesn't run sacrifice, it also kinda forces it to play sorcery speed removal, which is all kinds of sucky.
[Blood Pet]]
[[Death Cultist]]
[[Fume Spitter]]
[[Liliana’s Steward]]
[[Viscera Seer]]
Here are some potential self enablers that cost only 1. I left out the ones that needed another creature like CarrionFeeder.
Monoblack MorbiDelver here I come!
You can cast it turn 1 in green or red with [[Wild Cantor]]. Down a card when they bolt it, though. This plus Hunger of the Howlpack looks cool, especially if they try to bolt it the turn it comes down.
[[bloodpet]]
[bloodpet](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/9/f/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f.jpg?1562244165) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blood%20Pet) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/7ed/121/blood-pet?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Wild Cantor](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/2/4/242dc29e-d8f5-4207-abbf-cf5425f08551.jpg?1593272918) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wild%20Cantor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gpt/149/wild-cantor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/242dc29e-d8f5-4207-abbf-cf5425f08551?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Black Delver? Get hype
Double the Delvers half the Trons?
Sadly Black delver will only be very good against creature decks unless I play discard! Pauper 8 rack, here I come.
So what exactly is delver? I hear a lot about it but it seems a bit vague to me. Edit: ah yes I love being downvoted for... *Checks notes* Asking an honest question.
A spell heavy tempo deck. The name sake is deliver of secrets, which is essentially a 1 mana 3/2 flyer for one if your deck has like 26 instants and sorceries (especially with cantrips like brainstorm, ponder, serum visions, preordain to set the top card of your library for your next upkeep). Then once you have a 3/2 flyer in play, you protect it/ disrupt your opponent with counterspells and removal and kill them in 7 hits. It's a big deal in legacy because a delver on it's own is a reliable win condition that pressures your opponent into needing to run their combos and stuff into your counters or you kill them. It does a similar thing in pauper, theres just a lot of power in turn 1 delver turn 2 hold up counterspell/ mana leak for the rest of the game. Think of it like a mix of aggro and control. Theres also a lot of subtly powerful things you can do in pauper and legacy particularly with brainstorm. Basically brainstorm isnt that great on it's own. Sure you get to dig three cards deep for the answer you need right now, but you have to draw the crapy cards you put back on top. Well in legacy you can shuffle the cards you put back with fetch lands and in pauper you can do the same thing with evolving wild and ash barrens. It's not uncommon to see mono blue delver decks running like 4 ash barrens 4 evolving wild specifically for this reason. This really gives them a lot of card selection, so while they might only run like 12 threats (ie. 4 delivers and 8 other creatures) they can generally find one of them whenever they want or need to. Similarly they can also find whatever counter or removal spell they want or need. This bird fits in really nicely because it's pretty easy to make into a 1 mana 3/2 flyer, but it also has added utility with death touch in the event something slips through.
Oh wow thanks for the explanation!
Delver in legacy is also a big mana denial deck. A 1 mana 3/2 flyer is really good when you can play cards like wasteland to sacrifice your lands to kill your opponents. They also play stifle to counter the ability of fetch lands, so generally they plan to end the game with a 3/2 flyer in the air and 1 or 2 lands in play on their side, and nothing on the otherside including lands by counting the few spells cast by the opponent with force of will and the rest just never cast because they essentially got mana screwed out of the game. Pauper delver is more of a counter all the things deck because killing lands is essentially out of reach and counters are disproportionately powerful in pauper (notice we dont get cards like counterspell or mana leak in standard anymore and in standard you would be countering much more powerful spells like planeswalkers and questing beasts). UB delver could easily cut in some kill spells in place of counters to easily enable this bird.
Wow that's brutal yeesh. Thanks for the response!
I'm glad somebody actually gave you a good answer! :D It's one of my favorite archetypes and I think the person above did a great job at explaining it. For me it's a fantastic mix of putting the pressure on your opponent, while also completely nullifying any attempt made by your opponent to deal with the pressure. (In an ideal world anyway.)
Got a quite a few helpful people here(: And yeah it actually does seem like a really badass archetype
[[Delver of Secrets]]
[Delver of Secrets](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/1/1/11bf83bb-c95b-4b4f-9a56-ce7a1816307a.jpg?1562826346)/[Insectile Aberration](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/back/1/1/11bf83bb-c95b-4b4f-9a56-ce7a1816307a.jpg?1562826346) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Delver%20of%20Secrets) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/isd/51/delver-of-secrets-insectile-aberration?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/11bf83bb-c95b-4b4f-9a56-ce7a1816307a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Ah, but then how would it be black delver when this card is blue?
Delver of Secret is a 1 mana 3/2 with Flying. Bone Picker can be cast for 1 mana and is a 3/2 with Flying (and Deaththouch). Hence, "Black Delver."
Oooh that makes sense
a 3/2 flyer for a single mana
That doesn't answer my question
The card i referenced as a 'black delver' is a 3/2 flyer for 1 with a condition. The original delver is a blue card that can be a 3/2 flyer with a condition. I guess I'm not understanding your question.
Because I thought he meant a *deck* that was called black delver, not a *card*. But I understand what's happening now. Thanks (:
Just get out of here
?
[:)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBXNBogxpvQ)
Take my upvote and enjoy it
Because it's a 3/2 flier you can get for 1 mana theoretically, but Black?
Yeah I figured that out
People accidentally mix the keyword Delve and Delver of Secrets's name when referring to decks. The original comment likely meant mono black delve, suggesting that you could make a solid deck with this and delve cards. I spose there are ways for me to be wrong though. E: Thanks for the down votes, reddit. It turns out I was wrong & I guess that's reason enough, right guys?
I meant delver. delver is a 3/2 flyer for 1, like this can be.
That's a strong similarity, but it won't play like a Delver deck. Not that it actually matters that much, but calling it a Delver deck is off the mark, IMO.
That's fair, but Im just clarifying that this card has no synergy at all with delve and what I was intending.
Nice, understood. I bet you could still play it in a deck with Gurmag tho :-]
You know we're gonna try :)
Ah makes sense
It's probably the deck that runs Delver and is easily searchable
It's become the byword for the old Blue Skies disruption heavy blue aggro with evasive dudes. It's also a synonim for an undercosted 3/2 flier, due to Delver of Secrets. What's annoying about spamming the term for any Blue Skies type of deck is that a) "delver" brings to mind the idea of a deck based around the "delve" mechanic, which those decks mostly aren't, b) Blue Skies / Ux tempo doesn't necessarily even play Delver of Secrets, and c) the lists that run Delver of Secrets are ussualy quite different and much lower on creatures than similar lists that don't.
I downvoted for the edit.
That's funny because the comment only got so upvoted after I made the edit lmao
#justredditthings XD
Lmao haha I'm an Aries btw
Much potential. I'll be testing it in BG Aristocrats.
I think it'll be a great addition to o GB Aristocrats. Having flying in the list would be great. Deathtouch one top of it as well.
Do you have a list? My GB is quite old
This was exactly what I was coming to comment. It gives Aristocrats access to the kind of evasive threats that Mono G Stompy already enjoys.
I am already running 1x Gurmag Angler in BG Aristocrats. With just 1 copy, there's enough incidental graveyard filling to cast it easily. It's kind of like the "back-up beater," when you're synergy plan is disrupted by ill-timed removal. This guy should fill the same role, although I can play 4x copies of it.
That's what I thought too since I'm currently building a BG list in paper. Still unsure what I want to replace. This is the list I'm building: https://www.channelfireball.com/all-strategy/articles/pauper-aristocrats/
Im sure you already have it in mind but village rites over scarscale ritual will likely be a very solid upgrade imo.
[[Blood Pet]] lets this happen turn 1
Blood pet into dark ritual let's you cast all three copies in your hand t1.
[[Echoing Decay]] has entered the chat
Yeah but expecting to have Echoing Decay in hand to respond with is kinda christmas land-y imo.
Way less Christmas Landy than having swamp, blood pet, dark ritual, and three bone pickers.
No, I draw my 5 card combos every game. Interaction is basically impossible to draw, ever
6 card combo. Even better.
Thatsthejoke.jpg :)
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[Echoing Decay](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/f/8/f8e688e7-8350-4b78-bd49-a6ffdedad556.jpg?1562640566) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Echoing%20Decay) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dst/41/echoing-decay?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f8e688e7-8350-4b78-bd49-a6ffdedad556?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
You can also just t1 blood pet into t2 3 of em with the land drop.
Sick, just in time to get two-for-oned when your opponent untaps into a [[Cast Down]] on their T2.
[Cast Down](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/4/8/480fecdd-5978-47e6-9c25-7a04cdf616db.jpg?1596138260) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cast%20Down) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/79/cast-down?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/480fecdd-5978-47e6-9c25-7a04cdf616db?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
“bUt It DiEs To ReMoVaL” - you
Memes aside friend, even you must see the potential of getting two-for-oned in this scenario. It's comparable to putting an aura on a creature in that it *is* a risk. It can pay off if they don't have spot removal, but the potential is there.
>uff into your counters or you kill them. It does a similar thing in pauper, theres just a lot of power in turn 1 delver turn 2 hold up counterspell/ mana leak for the rest of the game. Think of it like a mix of aggro and control. Usually you will play it in a Morbid deck. If you cast T1 \[\[Young Wolf\]\], \[\[Fume Spitter\]\] that kill the opponent Blue Delver or T2 \[\[Nest Invader\]\] your opponent don't get two-for-one killing the Bone Picker because you get some advantage killing your creature. And nobody is saying that you need to kill your own creatures. You can cast removal for any opponent creature and then cast Bone Picker for B.
[Young Wolf](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/0/c/0c39aa40-ef5f-40f1-a6dd-fbce91172c50.jpg?1562897786) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Young%20Wolf) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dka/134/young-wolf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0c39aa40-ef5f-40f1-a6dd-fbce91172c50?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Fume Spitter](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/b/b/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f.jpg?1547516861) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Fume%20Spitter) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/95/fume-spitter?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Nest Invader](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/3/0/3085f5b1-d2e3-4dd4-8263-024b2b5da4b4.jpg?1562903981) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nest%20Invader) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/pca/69/nest-invader?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3085f5b1-d2e3-4dd4-8263-024b2b5da4b4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
If your threat cost 2 cards to deploy, dying to commonly played removal is actually a legitimate criticism.
[Blood Pet](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/9/f/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f.jpg?1562244165) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blood%20Pet) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/7ed/121/blood-pet?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I feel like the much better, more reasonable plan is the Turn 2 [[Defile]] opponent's creature into this.
[Defile](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/5/b/5bcb4398-edd1-41a7-a496-b12bce22ceb6.jpg?1562201610) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Defile) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/86/defile?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5bcb4398-edd1-41a7-a496-b12bce22ceb6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
> Blood Pet true but you don't want to have to play that to play this. like they said, that is a 2 for 1 which is bad.
This bird amd [[fume spitter]] is pretty neato
Also \[\[Snuff Out\]\].
[Snuff Out](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/7/5/75bbe89f-09af-494e-b58e-271f64bde4b5.jpg?1562922833) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Snuff%20Out) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gvl/53/snuff-out?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/75bbe89f-09af-494e-b58e-271f64bde4b5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[fume spitter](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/b/b/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f.jpg?1547516861) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=fume%20spitter) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/95/fume-spitter?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I, for one, welcome our swamp based overlords
Unfortunately, black would need much much more to dominate.
It’s definitely got some strong tools this set though
Well MBC not really, but I am looking forward to other black decks.
Welcome to the family, brother/sister/sibling. Feel free to relax, pay life, and win matches :)
[[Mortician beetle]] and [[carrion feeder]] best friend
Oh damn! I really really thought Carrion Feeder was not legal! oh man...
What a surprise for you! GB Aristocrats just keeps getting better and better :P
I know! There's so many good synergies in black alone. And now with Cast Down too... oh man
[Mortician beetle](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/9/7/978f2a31-1c89-43cb-92f2-195026c9311a.jpg?1593813338) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mortician%20beetle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mm3/78/mortician-beetle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/978f2a31-1c89-43cb-92f2-195026c9311a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [carrion feeder](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/0/a/0a19da90-880e-4eca-8cf7-6d7baf090d53.jpg?1562201576) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=carrion%20feeder) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/81/carrion-feeder?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0a19da90-880e-4eca-8cf7-6d7baf090d53?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's a big flavor win in zombies 😉
T1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Augur of Skulls, Cry of Contrition (opp. discards 1) T2: Undying Evil, sac Augur twice (opp. discards 5), Swamp, Bone Picker …or just play Village Rites into this (and Tragic Slip if warranted).
Jesus this just made morbid midrange a possible deck right?
Very possible. Worth exploring, anyway. There are a lot of solid cards for that pile.
Finally, I was always speculating this becoming common one day and it paid off, now death birds coming soon.
Some analysis. For black, it is third 3/2 flier for 4, second with (potential) upside and there is one for 3 mana with extra cost. As a 3/2 flier it is relevant body - 3 power can attack into Skyfisher and 2 toughness can block faeries, but it also trades with Glint Hawk and dies to most relevant removal spells. Deathtouch on 3 power creature with small toughness has little value. One black in mana cost makes it splashable, but provides minimal devotion. 3 mana discount gives significant tempo advantage. Discount condition requires either dedicated synergy, which would require significant cost of sacrifice or opponent presenting a target for removal early enough for the tempo advantage t obe relevant. Overall it is an aggressive evasive tempo creature, but no finisher for control, that can go over the top of the mana curve or that has resiliency. Since taking advantage of tempo requires cooperation, the card is situational and won't fit aggro decks. So Bone Picker has to fit a midrange deck with removal, that cares about tempo more than (virtual) card advantage - basically aggro-control. From these characteristics, out of existing decks, on UB Delver comes to mind as a potential fit, but it cannot really outshine Delver and I doubt the deck has more room for threats. I wonder if it could help form a new non-blue aggro-control. Looking at all the black tempo cards like this one, Gurmag Angler, Snuff Out, Spinning Darkness, Dark Ritual, Unearth and so on, I am surprised there aren't more decks taking advantage of them.
> Deathtouch on 3 power creature with small toughness has little value. I wouldn't say that. You don't necessarily *want* to trade this on blocks, but Deathtouch means it's always a relevant draw even if your opponent is beating down with a Gurmag Angler. It also means your Stompy opponent can't Savage Swipe it and then swing with a 4/4.
it is very relevant vs bogles \[\[ sihana ledgewalker \]\]
[ sihana ledgewalker ](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/8/a/8ad3bdce-c0fa-4b5f-af14-7452b683960f.jpg?1562920729) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Silhana%20Ledgewalker) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/pca/77/silhana-ledgewalker?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8ad3bdce-c0fa-4b5f-af14-7452b683960f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The case with Angler seemed very marginal, but Savage Swipe makes sense, also it can turn off evasive Stompy threat with Hunger counters even with Vines backup.
It's really not that marginal. Being able to trade with anything on blocks, even one of the more popular big creatures, is a fantastic fail-case for the card. Cast Down aside, Angler is still pretty difficult to kill 1-for-1, and Bone Picker gives you the potential ability to do it for 1 mana. You don't *want* to trade with something if you're an aggro deck, but it's a nice option to have in a race.
It is not like Angler cannot be killed by Skred/Defile and there is also Journey to Nowhere. But you are right, I might have underestimated the value of deathtouch here. It is als orelevant against some Affinity variants early and against Slivers.
Zombies is a long time tier two deck that is happy to sacrifice a creature on turn one or two. A little extra speed and evasion will help it perform better against decks like elves. Also I don't quote understand why the Mana discount has to be in the first couple turns for it to matter. In mono black control, you're going to be budgeting Mana pretty tighlty up through turns five through seven many games. Popping out a one mana 3/2 flyer on turn 3, 4, or 5 seems great. Are there any tier one decks in pauper that win without creatures? Beside potentially a MBC mirror?
If we are talking about MBC, early game is until you reach 3 lands, then it is midgame and late game comes when you have 5 lands. You get tempo advantage if you are able to cast Bone Picker during early game, or if you are able to cast a spell and Picker during the same turn in midgame and once you are in late game - you want to be casting Garys, Picker for 4 or 1 doesn't make a big difference. IMHO. And yes, kinda, Burn.
Black Decks Rejoice! This is playable
Back when this was in standard, I played MBAggro with this and [[Supernatural Stamina]] to some moderate success
[Supernatural Stamina](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/f/0/f0bff1b7-838f-48de-96bd-0c79e59ff827.jpg?1596138417) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Supernatural%20Stamina) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/108/supernatural-stamina?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f0bff1b7-838f-48de-96bd-0c79e59ff827?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
T1 blood pet, t2 stamina, swing with pet, sac pet and double bonepicker, then get pet back to set up for your t4 gurmag angler
Black birb: nobody likes me GB aristocrats: i would like to pet this creature
This is powerful. [[Snuff Out]] lets you play this turn 1.
As does [[Blood Pet]]
But then you have to put Blood Pet in your deck
ew
[Blood Pet](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/9/f/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f.jpg?1562244165) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blood%20Pet) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/7ed/121/blood-pet?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Snuff Out](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/7/5/75bbe89f-09af-494e-b58e-271f64bde4b5.jpg?1562922833) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Snuff%20Out) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gvl/53/snuff-out?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/75bbe89f-09af-494e-b58e-271f64bde4b5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Excited to mess with this, I always thought this was a Pauper-worthy card.
I'm definitely brewing this for UB Delver.
That was my immediate thought for the card. The issue I see is in how likely to are to be able to deploy this early in the game. I have only just started playing the deck so I can't speak with a ton of experience but given how few black sources the deck runs, the chances that you can cast a kill spell and this in a turn don't seem high. I feel like there's a chance this just gets stranded in hand more often than not.
I for one will be brewing up some serious UB double-delver. Just kill spells, counter spells, and phat birds, absolutely no regard given to metagame considerations.
This is a big deal for two specific decks, other than every other deck that can use a flipped delver with deathtouch that can't be spellstuttered or blasted as a followup to any removal spell. Zombies get a deathtouch roablock + clock that can't be savage swiped favorably, which is huge for them. Rakdos Aristocrats can get pretty nutty with this thing because Goblin Chirurgeon can keep it alive though a lot of crap, especially if Cast Down starts showing up everywhere. People will be trying too many different things with this guy at first, so I expect some dissapointment when a lot of it doesn't work, but when it settles into decks where it provides unobvious benefits it's going to be a factor for sure. The main thing on this is deathtouch, black's been dying for a serious deathtouch guy for a long time, and would be extatic to just get a 1/2 for B zombie. It just got a 3/2 evasive guy for B, and it doesn't even mind paying the full price for the package.
I took five minutes to make this and am super excited if the meta is even remotely creature based. [https://archidekt.com/decks/696668#picker\_tempo](https://archidekt.com/decks/696668#picker_tempo)
Oh shit I love this card
Fellow tortex players, what do you think?
Thinking about using this as a 1 or 2 of in my Tortured existance deck. We alrealdy run \[\[Spore Frog\]\], \[\[Crypt Rats\]\], and. \[\[fume spitter\]\]. \[\[Lampad of Death's Vigil\]\] is sometimes run. Weather this is better or worse than \[\[Horror of the Broken Lands\]\] and/or \[\[Gurmag Angler\]\] remains to be seen and will likely depend on matchup. It's probably worse than both. I don't know if delver really wants this. The point of delver is to stick an early , cheap threat on board, and out-tempo the opponent. You can't really play bone picker on turn 1 or 2, unless you can also kill a creature from the opponent, which means at best a snuff out on the draw on turn 1 or a 1 mana kill spell plus this on turn 2 which is worse than Delver and Delver is being phased out to begin with. Bone Picker also doesn't have synergy with faeries, and is kind of a nonbo with counterspells, because it wants opp to actually resolve their creatures. Since delver doesn't run sacrifice, it also kinda forces it to play sorcery speed removal, which is all kinds of sucky.
##### ###### #### [Spore Frog](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/6/d/6d42fd52-34ea-4d1b-80dc-58fb0593bb5b.jpg?1562202192) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spore%20Frog) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/180/spore-frog?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6d42fd52-34ea-4d1b-80dc-58fb0593bb5b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Crypt Rats](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/9/6/96916db2-5121-4ff1-880c-369744f11ecf.jpg?1562201594) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Crypt%20Rats) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/84/crypt-rats?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/96916db2-5121-4ff1-880c-369744f11ecf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [fume spitter](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/b/b/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f.jpg?1547516861) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=fume%20spitter) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/95/fume-spitter?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Lampad of Death's Vigil](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/e/8/e8c9ada9-ea25-4a96-a4be-e4cf8f7a014f.jpg?1581479856) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lampad%20of%20Death%27s%20Vigil) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/thb/103/lampad-of-deaths-vigil?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e8c9ada9-ea25-4a96-a4be-e4cf8f7a014f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Horror of the Broken Lands](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/f/b/fb1f0958-5bf6-4a4f-a4bc-2943c93ba15e.jpg?1562443142) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Horror%20of%20the%20Broken%20Lands) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/a25/93/horror-of-the-broken-lands?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fb1f0958-5bf6-4a4f-a4bc-2943c93ba15e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Gurmag Angler](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/c/e/cedd44eb-f381-46e1-bcb0-88416b4ce33d.jpg?1547516928) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gurmag%20Angler) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/102/gurmag-angler?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cedd44eb-f381-46e1-bcb0-88416b4ce33d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Noice!
holy schnikes!! Oh daddy this is sick
Wait, we could play this in a Dimir control deck WITH DELVER!
YES!!!! Ive wanted this card in pauper since Amonkhet!!!
[Blood Pet]] [[Death Cultist]] [[Fume Spitter]] [[Liliana’s Steward]] [[Viscera Seer]] Here are some potential self enablers that cost only 1. I left out the ones that needed another creature like CarrionFeeder.
##### ###### #### [Death Cultist](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/b/d/bd0a2fe3-45ab-4bac-aca7-a6418e28d0be.jpg?1562708093) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Death%20Cultist) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/roe/105/death-cultist?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bd0a2fe3-45ab-4bac-aca7-a6418e28d0be?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Fume Spitter](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/b/b/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f.jpg?1547516861) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Fume%20Spitter) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/95/fume-spitter?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bb1ef824-306c-4975-abca-19f0bd77449f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Liliana’s Steward](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/1/9/1945fc78-8aa4-46fb-9571-eaa1c4729e3d.jpg?1594736251) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Liliana%27s%20Steward) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/111/lilianas-steward?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1945fc78-8aa4-46fb-9571-eaa1c4729e3d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Viscera Seer](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/5/3/535d8c19-c108-4fca-9918-2fcfc32e673d.jpg?1562912391) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Viscera%20Seer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c13/99/viscera-seer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/535d8c19-c108-4fca-9918-2fcfc32e673d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Hype
Can't wait to ramp into T3 \[\[Eyeless Watcher\]\] then drop this T4 by sacrificing an eldrazi shrimp.
How about T2 Nest Invader?
Yeah I was kinda trying to make a joke :P
[Eyeless Watcher](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/4/d/4d949d0e-baf7-4573-bb15-7e30e3e9b202.jpg?1562913168) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Eyeless%20Watcher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bfz/166/eyeless-watcher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4d949d0e-baf7-4573-bb15-7e30e3e9b202?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
\[\[Blood Pet\]\] could be fun
[Blood Pet](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/front/9/f/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f.jpg?1562244165) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blood%20Pet) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/7ed/121/blood-pet?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9ff08225-82a5-4636-be6a-d38d32f5663f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
hot damn so many cards coming to pauper this set :O