Though we got a taste of it in Lorwyn Eclipsed, it’s easy to forget just how strange the original Lorwyn block was. Aesthetically and mechanically, the set was packed with some of the most unique designs the game has seen. Hostility is one such MTG card, offering a one-of-a-kind effect with one-of-a-kind artwork to match. While this card has been lost to time somewhat, a surprise video appearance has thrust it back into the spotlight this week.
Hostility MTG
Hostility stepped back into the conversation today thanks to a new YouTube video from MTG content creator Maldhound. The card was discussed there as a potential hidden Commander for a Lagomos, Hand of Hatred deck, but it has potential far beyond that, too.
While Hostility is in play, all of your direct burn damage is converted into 3/1 Elemental Shaman tokens instead. This essentially triples your damage output, provided you have a clear path to swing. Even if you can’t, however, the tokens are great at holding down the board as well. Unlike most similar effects, these tokens can block, and they don’t vanish at the end of the turn.
The best way to maximize your token generation with Hostility is to leverage multi-opponent burn spells. Boltwave, for instance, will net you nine 3/1s for just a single red mana. If you’re in Rakdos colors, Blood for the Blood God works even better, creating a whopping 24 3/1 tokens. With boards on this scale, lethal swings are trivial to make.
You can lean harder into this game plan by running board-wide anthem effects, like Fire Nation’s Conquest. There are even some great options here that capitalize on the fact that all the tokens are Elementals. Shared Animosity and Creeping Trailblazer are great options in this regard.
If you’re up against wide boards or cards like Ghostly Prison, you can still leverage Hostility’s tokens via sacrifice outlets. Goblin Bombardment can convert them back into straight burn damage, for example, or Phyrexian Altar can convert them into mana. You can also run ping effects, like Impact Tremors and Agate Instigator, which will deal your original burn damage when the tokens enter.
Turning Up The Heat
In addition to just being a fantastic token generator, Hostility also has a number of potent infinite combo lines up its surreal sleeves. For the most part, these combos require a sacrifice outlet that can produce red mana, like Phyrexian Altar or Thermopod.
Perhaps the jazziest of these lines involves forgotten burn spell Pulse of the Forge. As long as you have an opponent with more life than you, this spell can create four 3/1 tokens and bounce right back to your hand. You can then sacrifice three of the tokens to your outlet, then repeat the process for infinite 3/1s with Haste. This should end the game on the spot, with or without an extra damage outlet.
You can pull off similar combos with Reiterate and a spell like Fling or Thud. Provided you have a creature with seven or more power, you can sacrifice it to your Fling spell, copy it with a bought-back Reiterate, and create seven tokens. You can then sacrifice these to pay for another Reiterate, copying the original Fling again for seven more tokens. As with the Pulse of the Forge combo, this will net you infinite tokens and infinite mana.
If you want to get really funky, Hostility also opens up some really unique lines with Atla Palani, Nest Tender and Mirror Entity. Entity can make all of your tokens zero-toughness Eggs, which will let Atla Palani empty out every creature in your deck onto the board. This will kill Hostility as well and shuffle it back into your deck, letting you rinse and repeat for infinite enters and dies triggers.
Slow Fire Burning
While it’s at its best in combo brews, Hostility can still do a ton of work in more general MTG Commander decks. In Spellslinger lists that want to run burn spells anyway, it’s a great way to nab extra value. The card is also great in Elemental Typal decks, where you can tutor it up with Flamekin Harbinger and power it out with Flamebraider. Wherever you slot it in, that self-shuffle effect is an incidental hedge against Mill decks, which is a nice bonus.
Despite all of this utility, Hostility is very underplayed in current Commander. According to EDHREC data, just 1.56k lists run the card in total, which feels criminally low. While it’s tricky to cast, it still deserves more use outside of the handful of Elemental decks that use it currently.
Sad as it is to see such a unique card so neglected by players, the silver lining here is that Hostility is incredibly cheap to pick up. You can snag a near-mint copy of the card, in any of its six printings, for around $0.15-0.20. For a rare with a one-of-a-kind effect, that’s not bad at all.
While there are limited options here for those wanting to bling things up, you can grab the foil Lorwyn printing of Hostility for around $3.00 near-mint. This makes it an easy pickup for anyone looking to spice up their Elemental deck, or even just a red Burn list.
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