Hell's Caretaker

[depolarization]

With this old buddy of mine back in standard, I was wondering what do you guys think of the old graveyard cha-cha-cha.

Such things like a rat/caryatid exchange can widen that card advantage gap rather large in just a few turns.

I know the old Triskelion is back (in extended) as well so this bad boy is like a colorless fussilade to the face.

Though it's been mentioned before that graveyard dump is phased out of Standard (and replaced with Dredge)...it's still in extended. I think the Caretaker has a bit of potential for some craziness, especially with things like Akroma still in the format. I know he can only do this during your upkeep, but anything else would be just game breaking.

I think there is a place for him in either format. I also think that if you can get him and Savra: Queen of the Golgari out, it's even more sexy.

 

[jorael]

Hmm... Caretaker & Savra is interesting.

I really like the slowness the Caretaker and the fact that it's a 4 mana 1/1, meaning you invest quite some mana and the creature is vulnerable to most creature removal.

The card seems good with Dredge too: just put your preffered fatty in play by saccing something else. And you could add Golgari Thug to make sure you can draw the Caretaker when it's dredged away.

 

[Shabbaman]

Well, Gifts ungiven is a form of graveyard dump. BTW, I'd sooner use doomed necromancer instead of the caretaker. But I'm probably biased since I own 4 'mancers and no caretakers

 

[depolarization]

Aye, the Nezumi Graverobber is also a little more robust...since it seems later in the game you can do stuff with it. I actually am liking this little reanimating guy. Seems to be a lot faster and cheaper than the golgari guildmage as much as I like her and if you ahve 10 mana, you can do the ability twice....but...why? His ability to screw an opponent's graveyard over is also nice.

But c'mon? Check out that sweet wallpaper from www.magicthegather.com! Just wish magic cards were 18"x24" beautiful art prints sometimes...though the tables we'd play on would be huge and the boosters would cost over $100 each and try storing thousands of those things...nuts?! You would need a library! Ack! the trees cry...

 

[Killerbob]

Do this has to be standard or extended?

Back in the old days I played Hells caretaker with intruder alarm and merfolk looter. If youre lucky enough to get 1 caretakers, 1 intruder alarm and 1 looter in play, and 1 caretaker in your graveyard, you can mill whole you deck until you find a triskelion and finish all opponents off.

 

[Ferret]

Okay, let's look at neat things that you could do with this guy:

Got a Nekrataal in your graveyard and another in play? Well, something's going to die on their side every turn!

You could use it with Sengir Autocrat to keep your Fallen Angels fed well every turn (personal experience on this one, kids. It works well!)

All those other "comes into play" critters from Urza Block could be nice and useful - never worry about echo costs again (of course, they'll never stay in play that long).

Use those annoying cards that make you discard your own hand and throw big ass critters in your graveyard that you have no chance of casting (Sliver Queens, Dragons, Green Beasites w/ casting costs that make you want to scream) and for the price of one creature (even the Caretaker, himself!) and they're in play making life hard on other people...

See, 1,001 uses. An army knife that doesn't even need a Swiss Army logo on it...

-Ferret

"Did you know you can actually get army knives w/ Flash drives on them now?"