Magic: the Gathering is going small and furry in the next Standard-release set, with the all-animal plane Bloomburrow set to hit the shops on 2nd August. Thanks to Wizards of the Coast, we’ve got a slithery preview card that is going to prove quite the adversary for our squirrels and otters – Rottenmouth Viper! 

Rottenmouth Viper is a 6/6 creature that costs 1 black and 5 generic Mana, however this cost can be reduced for each non-land permanent you sacrifice. This could be in the form of creatures, artifacts. One of the most advantageous ways to cast Rottenmouth Viper is to tap and sacrifice 3 Treasures, since that would give you 3 Mana plus have a cost reduction of 3. A turn three 6/6 snake? Better run away quick!

One of the best things about Rottenmouth Viper is that you get instant value once it enters the battlefield. As it enters, you put a Blight counter on it, and each opponent loses 4 life unless they sacrifice a nonland permanent or discard a card. It’s perfect Commander material since the trigger can affect multiple opponents, but because it isn’t Legendary, we’ll have to throw that plan out the door.

If a 6/6 on turn three isn’t tough enough to deal with, its bite gets more venomous with each attack. Each attack adds an additional Blight counter, leading to severe palpitations for your opponent. Assuming Rottenmouth Viper survives a turn, on your first attack it will already have 2 Blight counters. Imagine losing 8 life, discard 2 cards, or sacrifice 2 non-land permanents on their board – terribly rotten for your opponent. 

What Kind of Decks Can Rottenmouth Viper Fit In?

Since Bloomburrow is the latest set for Standard format and the list of eligible cards will be refreshed on 30th July, Bloomburrow will lay the groundwork for a new meta environment. So what kind of Standard decks might Rottenmouth Viper be the most effective in? 

In line with Rottenmouth Viper’s sacrifice theme, a green-black deck focusing on Food tokens or dying triggers would be its natural home. In Standard, cast Rottenmouth Viper by sacrificing cards such as Etched Familiar, Gruff Triplets or Flitting Guerilla to get some value back despite losing a creature. Etched Familiar will drain the opponent for 2 life, the Triplets makes his brothers bigger, and Guerilla puts a creature from the Graveyard back on top of your deck, ready to cast next turn. 

Or how about using your opponent’s cards as casting fodder for Rottenmouth Viper? A red-green Standard deck can have cards that temporarily gain control of creatures, which can then be sacrificed to bring a cheaper Viper onto the battlefield. There’s Awaken the Sleeper, Furnace Reins, and Take for a Ride to steal a big threat, deal some damage and let it die to Rottenmouth Viper’s cost. You will need considerable Mana to do this, but all fun, crazy things do come at a price.

Although Rottenmouth Viper isn’t eligible to be a Commander, there are plenty of discard or sacrifice Commander decks that it can slot right in. Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal as a Commander forces opponents to throw cards away, and Rottenmouth Viper does the same but in spades. Should the opponent choose to discard cards, Aclazotz creates 1/1 Bats to pile on the pressure. Rottenmouth Viper will be a small cog in a big machine of discard spells, but once it hits the board, it’s going to cause a lot of problems since its triggers affect each opponent.

End Step

A very powerful addition to black for the new Standard meta, Rottenmouth Viper will also be worthwhile replacement in many Commander decks. Its ability to cause massive life and card loss if left unchecked makes it a kill-on-sight target, though by then it would have already left a mark thanks to its Enters trigger. Even if you’re not casting it at a reduced cost, it’s still an incredibly strong card that will see play in multiple formats.