Assassins are a sneaky lot, and our December card this month is sneakily powerful. He looks unassuming, but he has the guile and cunning to spell death for the unwary. Meet the Night Mother’s secret weapon: Black Hand Messenger.
In recent months, monthly cards have been beefy creatures who want to brawl, but the assassin’s art is a subtler one. Black Hand Messenger doesn’t look like much -- with 0 power, he can’t even attack on his own! But what he lacks in stats he makes up for with his abilities.
The key is that Black Hand Messenger’s Drain will apply to all the damage he deals on your turn, so right off the bat, he deals 2 damage to a creature and gains you 2 health. That wouldn’t be a terrible deal on its own as a 3-magicka action. But of course, there’s even more going on here, because even after he’s delivered that first message, this killer sticks around to provide more value.
What will you do with this little 0/2? Will you sacrifice it to something like Desperate Conjuring or Soul Split -- dealing 2 to your opponent and gaining 2 health in the process? Or will you hand this killer a weapon and spend a few turns getting drain hits? The possibilities are endless for a sufficiently resourceful assassin. Just remember: His drain will only apply to his Last Gasp ability if he dies on your turn, so if you need the health, make sure you’re the one who sends him to meet Sithis, not your opponent.
So if you’re feeling tricky, take a break from your holiday festivities for some last-minute laddering, and earn your playset of Black Hand Messengers.