@sincleanser
At the beginning of every turn, with Phyrexian Arena, you lose one life and you draw an additional card. No matter what. With Necropotence, you can draw back a seven card hand, and dig almost to the end of your life for a card that will ensure victory, if needed. Alternatively, you do not need to lose the one life if you have the cards you need in your hand. With a Swamp and a Dark Ritual on turn one, you can get your combo going without the opponent having a chance.
Posted By:
EnderofGames
(10/29/2011 11:34:56 PM)
Not that the card needs any help, but it is beyond hilarious with Eternity Vessel.
Posted By:
lordof1000mimes
(11/27/2011 11:26:33 PM)
I love black magic, Blue can suck it.
Posted By:
Xineombine
(3/27/2013 8:42:26 AM)
Awesome card, especially in a life drain deck where you don't care about spending a few life points. I always tutor for this first. After I get a few more swamps and Cabal Coffers out with it, I usually have enough mana to play 3 or 4 cards per turn, which gives me huge board advantage fast. Not to mention it's great synergy with Vampire Nocturnus.
Posted By:
hunter90000
(8/18/2010 2:58:53 AM)
This card is so broken in EDH where you have 40 life. It should be banned. On top of that I've seen people use this with Soul conduit. I thought they learned super efficient draw power is OP. ;=0
Posted By:
alblast
(8/4/2011 5:38:44 PM)
One of the loading screens for MTG: Duels of the Planeswalkers says this: "Having one life is fine… as long as your opponent has zero!"
People don't truly understand what that line means until they understand a card like Necropotence. This card is the prime example of a simple truth that all good players know: your life total is nothing more than a resource, and having 1 life means nothing when your opponent has zero.
Posted By:
Werewolf-
(9/19/2012 7:34:52 PM)
This thing is so deviously powerful. If you get it out with Nirkana Revenant, you could easily play half your deck in a couple of turns.
I laugh whenever someone doesn't understand the power behind this machine... And then I put my whole deck on the board...
5/5
But the old art was waaaaayyyy cooler... Can I get an Amen?
Posted By:
BloodJunkie
(1/15/2011 11:24:07 AM)
This card is stupid, just bloody stupid. A broken, overpowered mistake of a card, and I hope they never print anything like it again.
...and yet they did with Yawgmoth's Bargain and Griselbrand. It's like they learned nothing.
Posted By:
Continue
(7/24/2013 5:24:18 PM)
The Skull is so awesome because it sort of lets you set your own pace in the game at the cheap price of losing life. Exchanging one life for one card is definitely a good bargain. 1st turn, Dark Ritual, Necropotence, lose 5 life, sets aside 5 cards, next turn you might have got your finisher already, and then you can stop drawing, or go for a drain life... with the new Vampire Nighthawk, losing life won't even hurt.
Anyway it's an advanced card... beginners won't understand which is one of the nice things in Magic... the game is not as obvious as it seems at first sight.
Posted By:
LeoKula
(10/19/2009 1:12:53 PM)
While Runeflare does hurt bad when you play it, it won't let you just pay R for it, because you don't actually draw any cards.
Posted By:
Luke_BPC
(8/14/2010 5:41:37 PM)