"Neheb The Eternal: Afflicting us all"

"Neheb The Eternal: Afflicting us all"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I like mechanics that give opponents choices but choices that don't feel like choices at all since there will be an effect whatever happens. So that it just ends up as choose your poison and drink it.

Afflict is one of those mechanics. And no one embodies this mechanic more than our dearly departed but now returned Minotaur Neheb the Eternal. Now in his Lazotet encased "Glorified" body Neheb wants your opponents to feel the pain by his hands or by Afflict. Your opponent's choice.

At 5 mana and 4/6 stats you would want to block Neheb when he attacks. Only he has Afflict3. Which means if he is blocked opponents still lose 3 life. That is a reduction of 1 damage but there is still damage nonetheless.

Of course Neheb thrives on this aggression and on your 2nd main phase you can add red mana for each 1 life your opponents have lost this turn. It doesn't necessarily need to have come from Neheb himself but it has to happen before your 2nd main phase.

So if you attack with 2 creatures with 2/2 and both deal damage you get 4 red mana. You casted a Lightning Bolt directly to an opponents face you get 3 mana on your 2nd main phase.Afflict 3 means 3 red mana.

So what do you spend this red mana? Well to cast more creatures of course so that when they attack and damage next turn you get to have more red mana.

My dream in an EDH game is to deal 21 damage and then cast an Blaze or Fireball someone for the remaining 20 damage! 

Neheb the Eternal deserves a place in your aggressive decks. Imagine big monsters damaging and you able to cast even bigger monsters next turn because of his Red mana creating ability. I know what my next project would be. Now on to more brewing.