Erebos is coming back to MTG Standard with a few improvements as a Bleak-Hearted God in Theros: Beyond Death.
Originally printed in the Theros expansion, Erebos returns to Magic: The Gathering Standard with a couple of upgrades. Like the other Gods in Theros: Beyond Death (THB), Erebos, Bleak-Hearted relies on the Devotion mechanic to become a creature. He also has a passive of Indestructible and can draw cards upon a controller’s creatures dying.
- Indestructible.
- As long as your devotion to black is less than five, Erebos isn’t a creature.
- Whenever another creature you control dies, you may pay two life. If you do, draw a card.
- 1B, Sacrifice another creature: Target creature gets -2/-1 until end of turn.
Erebos has a CMC of four (one Black). He works in similar ways to Midnight Reaper and Trail of Crumbs in that when a controller’s creature dies, that player can pay two life to draw a card.
Unlike Midnight Reaper, Erebos is harder to remove once he’s on the battlefield. But a player can always choose whether to pay the two life for cantrip. At worst, he’s a combat trick and a sacrifice engine. And when the stars align, he’s a 5/6 producing card draw with the death of each of your creatures.
Erebos, Bleak-Hearted isn’t an overpowered God and will likely get played in Mono-Black decks. Even if he doesn’t get played too much, the artwork by Chase Stone is worth admiring and collecting.
Related: MTG Theros: Beyond Death reveals free sacrifice outlet with Woe Strider
Set to release digitally on Jan. 16, Theros Beyond Death has an official release date of Jan. 24.
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