Henrika Domnathi – Crimson Vow
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2021
Ratings:
Constructed: 4.00
Casual: 4.50
Limited: 4.67
Multiplayer: 4.67
Commander [EDH]: 4.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
With the number of double-faced cards there have been in the last year’s sets, I feel like they’re pretty much as “normal” now as the regular kind of card. It’s pleasing to see that this doesn’t mean there aren’t unusual things they can do: Henrika, for example, has a transform trigger with a timing requirement but an element of choice for you. So for example, if you have enough mana and need an immediate aggressive boost, you can transform her on the very first combat and go all in. If you don’t, you can gain some attritional advantage; there is, notably, no way to transform her back to her starting face, so you’ll pretty much have to put her in an aggressive deck and make it count. But that’s okay – there have always been cards like that.
I should probably also note that she interacts well with the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths that use keyword counters.
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multipayer: 4/5
Commander: 4/5 (technically the command zone is a way to get back to her initial face)
Henrika Domnathi is interesting: incremental advantage that turns into a flying threat, or just a flying threat then and there. Her triggering at the start of combat means you can get immediate value (by either forcing sacrifice or getting another card), and she’s pretty nifty once she does flip. A 3/4 with evasion, lifelink, deathtouch, and the ability to pump a team can really push a game into a much faster tempo, and while lacking haste means she’s not likely to want to flip immediately, it’s a nice looming threat. 3 toughness is slightly awkward before she flips, but it’s not terrible (especially if you can take a creature out with her, though note that everyone sacrifices), and she’s a workhorse card who can help support her tribe in a long game. Mono-black means that she’s at home in all strains of Vampire deck, and that’s not so bad for as solid as she is as a value piece.
Constructed: 4
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 5 (answer her immediately, or you’re in trouble)
Multiplayer: 4
Commander: 4 (as David mentioned, you can usually get multiple uses out of her front side as a commander, and she’s certainly threatening; that said, mono-black usually has better Commander options, as do Vampires)
Henrika Domnathi
A fun card and a pretty good money black commander that is focusing on creatures. Right when she comes out of the command zone move to combat and she can transform. She gets buffed and gets some pretty insane effects and on top of that for three mana you can buff creatures you control that have those same effects. She can easily be a game winner the turn the tide in your favor in your commander pod. In standard I think she’s still pretty good, four mana for a 3/4 flying, deathtouch, and lifelink is solid and can also turn the tide of the game in your favor. Even if you don’t want to transform her right away you can use one of the other abilities to gain some value or make your opponent sacrifice their only creature that has been running a rampage on you for three turns. One of the better mythic cards printed in the set for sure! I’d say it is worth picking up a couple to hold or at the very least make for a fun commander deck!
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 5/5
Limited: 5/5
Multiplayer: 5/5
Commander: 4/5
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