Rotted Ones, Lay Siege MTG Card
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Scheme |
| Released | 2010-06-18 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Archenemy Schemes |
| Set code | OARC |
| Number | 38★ |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Scheme |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Steve Prescott |
Key Takeaways
- Generates continuous zombie tokens, enhancing board presence without depleting your hand.
- Stipulates a card discard, which could strain strategies if hand resources are low.
- Benefits from graveyard synergies, making it adaptable in specific MTG deck builds.
Text of card
When you set this scheme in motion, for each opponent, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield that attacks that player each combat if able.
"Don't come back until you've got brains in your teeth."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Rotted Ones, Lay Siege allows you to potentially create multiple Zombie tokens during each of your end steps, offering substantial card advantage as you build an overwhelming board presence without dipping into your hand.
Resource Acceleration: With each Zombie token that’s put onto the battlefield, you’re effectively accelerating your resource deployment, enabling you to utilize other cards or abilities with the additional creatures at your disposal.
Instant Speed: The instant speed of this spell provides the versatility to react to your opponents’ moves, catching them off guard by increasing your zombie army at the end of their turn, thereby negating any potential sorcery-speed removal they might have planned for your next turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The card demands that you discard another card to unleash its full potential. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted or when every card you hold is crucial for your strategy going forward.
Specific Mana Cost: Rotted Ones, Lay Siege has a mana cost that includes both black and green. This can be restrictive, as it requires a deck specifically tailored to support these colors, reducing its versatility in various deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to play Rotted Ones, Lay Siege is significant when you consider the pace of the game. There are alternative creatures or spells that could be a better choice, as they might provide a similar level of impact on the game for less mana, allowing for a more efficient use of your resources.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Rotted Ones, Lay Siege shows a flexible performance in decks that aim to manipulate graveyard resources. Its ability to turn each creature in your graveyard into a potential threat amplifies its usefulness across various game scenarios, fitting seamlessly into decks themed around creature recursion or sacrificial strategies.
Combo Potential: This card thrives in combinations that capitalize on creature death for profit, enabling explosive turns where your graveyard morphs into an army. It synergizes well with cards that fill the graveyard, multiplies the impact of death triggers, and other mechanics that exploit the number of creatures in play.
Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely on board wipes to maintain control, Rotted Ones, Lay Siege can flip the script, immediately presenting new challenges post-wipe. Its design is particularly potent if the current meta shifts towards longer games where graveyard size increases, making this card a sleeper hit to consider for its comeback capabilities.
How to Beat
Rotted Ones, Lay Siege is a potent force on the battlefield that can quickly overwhelm opponents in a game of MTG. Facing this card requires a strategy that can efficiently deal with the undead horde it aims to assemble. A good starting point is to manage the graveyard. Cards that exile or shuffle graveyard contents back into a player’s library will hinder the card’s ability to capitalize on death triggers and reanimating creatures.
Cards with graveyard hate abilities such as Scavenging Ooze or Leyline of the Void can be powerful counters, preventing the Rotted Ones from ever taking hold. Sweeper spells like Wrath of God or Damnation allow you to deal with an already established board and reset the playing field. Spot removal spells also play an important role, with options such as Path to Exile or Murderous Rider offering a quick response to the card’s activation.
Ultimately, speed and disruption are key. Rotted Ones, Lay Siege loses much of its threat when you can keep the board clear and avoid falling prey to a critical mass of zombies. By incorporating these strategies, players can negate its impact and maintain control over the game.
Cards like Rotted Ones, Lay Siege
Rotted Ones, Lay Siege is a unique strategy for players seeking to fortify their position with undead hordes in Magic: The Gathering. It stands alongside cards like Open the Graves, which similarly interacts with creature death to create zombie tokens. While Rotted Ones demands a more focused deck synergy on zombies themselves, Open the Graves doesn’t specify and can potentially suit a broader range of black decks.
Moan of the Unhallowed is another parallel, offering an immediate influx of zombie tokens. But unlike the progressive army-building facilitated by Rotted Ones, Lay Siege, Moan is a one-time event. Then there’s From Under the Floorboards, providing both zombies and life gain, but missing the continuous siege element of Rotted Ones, Lay Siege. Moreover, From Under the Floorboards works on a different axis with its madness ability, which offers flexibility in how it’s cast.
Comparing these choices shows Rotted Ones, Lay Siege’s potential for creating a persistent zombie threat, distinguishing it in the pantheon of zombie-themed cards. Its ability to generate a formidable board presence over time can be a game-changer, making it a valued ally in the arsenal of MTG zombie deck architects.
Cards similar to Rotted Ones, Lay Siege by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rotted Ones, Lay Siege MTG card by a specific set like Archenemy Schemes, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Rotted Ones, Lay Siege and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rotted Ones, Lay Siege card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2010-06-15 | Each of these Zombies must attack its designated player, not a planeswalker that player controls. |
| 2010-06-15 | For each Zombie token you put onto the battlefield this way, make sure it’s clear who its designated player is. A token’s designated player won’t change for the rest of the game. |
| 2010-06-15 | If one of these Zombies can’t attack its designated player during any given turn (because that player has left the game, due to a spell or ability such as Chronomantic Escape, or because a player on the opposing team has gained control of it, for example), it may attack another player, attack a planeswalker an opponent controls, or not attack at all. If there’s a cost with having that creature attack its designated player, you aren’t forced to pay that cost, so it may attack another player, attack a planeswalker an opponent controls, or not attack at all. |
| 2010-06-15 | If there are multiple combat phases in a turn, each of these Zombies must attack its designated player in each of them that it’s able to. |
| 2010-06-15 | If, during your declare attackers step, one of these Zombies is tapped or is affected by a spell or ability that says it can’t attack, then it doesn’t attack. If there’s a cost associated with having that creature attack, you aren’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to attack in that case either. |
