MTG’s upcoming Duskmourn set is living up to its 80s horror setup with a surprising sequel to an infamous banned card.
The Meathook Massacre made quite a splash when it debuted as part of Innistrad: Midnight Hunt. Magic’s most recent return to its beloved gothic plane is still fresh in many players’ minds, and The Meathook Massacre plays a large part in that.
Now, MTG’s Lead Designer Mark Rosewater has given his customary list of early, context-free spoilers for the next MTG set: Duskmourn: House of Horror. Among these spoilers is a card title that has immediately intrigued players: Meathook Massacre 2.
So, what makes Meathook Massacre iconic enough to deserve a direct sequel, other than Duskmourn intentionally playing with horror movie tropes from the 80s onwards?
While its adjustable board-wipe effect might lead opponents to take this card for a Sorcery on first blush, Meathook’s real strength comes from its nature as an Enchantment.
This card makes a huge impact when it enters and can substantially set back opponents who might have been closing in on the win, but it then sticks around and helps accrue value for its player turn after turn by adding to their life totals and draining opponents’.
In fact, The Meathook Massacre was for a time the only card banned in the Standard format. Its board wipe effect is doubtlessly powerful, but its lifegain and drain were the real powerhouse, easily serving as a win-con as well as a value engine.
The real trouble began when Sheoldred, the Apocalypse entered standard in Dominaria United. Sheoldred proved to be absurdly powerful and useful, quickly racking up an insane price tag.
Together with The Meathook Massacre, Sheoldred, the Apocalypse allowed mono-black decks to quickly become dominant in the format.
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It remains to be seen whether The Meathook Massacre 2 will be tamer in an effort to reduce potential mono-black synergies, or will live up to its predecessor’s power and utility.
While Sheoldred, the Apocalypse remains an absurdly powerful card, mono-black is no longer in the overwhelmingly dominant position in Standard that it was following Dominaria United’s release.
Still, with Dominaria United remaining in Standard rotation until late 2025, Wizards will want to think twice before printing a Meathook Massacre sequel that hews too closely to its predecessor’s capabilities.
Power Creep is an ever-advancing factor in MTG design, as proven by showstoppers in sets like Modern Horizons 3.
As such, it wouldn’t be surprising for Meathook Massacre 2 to arrive as a souped-up sequel that takes its design in a slightly different direction
However, Duskmourn has a chance to truly lean into its 80s-movie stylings by acknowledging that horror franchise sequels are by and large worse than the original.
Whatever form it shows up in, Meathook Massacre 2 is liable to be one of Duskmourn: House of Horror’s most sought-after cards.
If it winds up being well-received by players, this could even be the start of a whole string of Massacre movies. Maybe Ravnica’s Massacre Girl could even take up a new career as a slasher on screen only.
