Slime Against Humanity is a common green sorcery first introduced in the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) expansion Murders at Karlov Manor. Costing three mana (two generic and one green), it creates a 0/0 green Ooze creature token with trample and places X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is equal to two plus the total number of cards named Slime Against Humanity or other Ooze cards you own in your graveyard and in exile. The most significant feature of this card is its final line of text: "A deck can have any number of cards named Slime Against Humanity."

This unique rule allows players to bypass the standard deck-building restriction that limits a player to four copies of any single card (or one copy in the Commander format). Since its release, Slime Against Humanity has become a focal point for players looking to build high-synergy, theme-focused decks that scale exponentially as the game progresses.

Breaking Down the Mechanics of the Ooze

The power of Slime Against Humanity lies in its mathematical scaling. Unlike many "token maker" spells that have a fixed impact, this sorcery becomes more efficient the more times it is cast or discarded.

The Mathematics of X

The variable X is calculated at the moment the spell resolves. The formula is $X = 2 + (Total \ Slimes \ and \ Oozes \ in \ Graveyard \ and \ Exile)$. This means the first time the spell is cast in a game, it typically creates a 2/2 creature (assuming no other Oozes are in the graveyard). However, by the fifth or sixth casting, players are often putting 7/7 or 8/8 creatures onto the battlefield for just three mana.

One critical aspect of this card that differentiates it from older cards like Relentless Rats or Rat Colony is the inclusion of the exile zone in the count. Historically, "graveyard hate" cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void would completely shut down decks relying on graveyard size. Slime Against Humanity is resilient to these effects. Even if an opponent exiles your graveyard, the count remains the same, as the card checks both zones simultaneously.

The Value of Trample

The inclusion of the "Trample" keyword on the Ooze tokens is a game-changer. In previous iterations of "any number" decks, such as those featuring Shadowborn Apostle, the resulting creatures often lacked a way to push damage through a line of small blockers. By giving every Ooze token trample, Slime Against Humanity ensures that as they grow larger, they remain lethal threats regardless of the opponent's board state.

Why the "Any Number" Rule Matters for Deck Variety

The "any number" rule is a rare mechanic in Magic, reserved for cards that represent a swarm or a spreading infection. Slime Against Humanity is the first time this mechanic has been applied to an Ooze-themed spell that interacts with both the graveyard and exile.

Commander and the Singleton Override

In the Commander (EDH) format, the fundamental rule is that a deck must consist of exactly 100 cards, with no two cards sharing a name (except for basic lands). Slime Against Humanity is one of the few cards that can legally override this rule. A Commander deck can contain 30, 40, or even 50 copies of this card.

This creates a unique gameplay experience where the deck's consistency is nearly 100%. If half the deck is the same card, the player is almost guaranteed to have a play on turn three, four, and five. The challenge shifts from "finding the right card" to "managing resources and protecting the board."

The History of Multi-Card Mechanics

To understand the impact of Slime Against Humanity, one must look at its predecessors:

  • Relentless Rats: The original. It grew based on other rats on the battlefield.
  • Rat Colony: A cheaper, more aggressive version that only cared about other rats in play.
  • Shadowborn Apostle: Used to tutor for massive Demons.
  • Dragon's Approach: A burn spell that could summon Dragons from the library.

Slime Against Humanity is arguably the most robust of these because it does not require the creatures to stay on the battlefield to provide value. Once a Slime spell is cast or milled, it contributes to the strength of every future Slime for the rest of the game.

Strategic Archetypes for Slime Against Humanity

Building a deck around this card requires more than just jamming 40 copies into a pile. Successful builds leverage the specific strengths of various color combinations.

Mono-Green: Maximum Consistency

The most straightforward way to play Slime Against Humanity is in a Mono-Green shell. The focus here is on ramp and redundancy.

  • Utility: Using cards like Thrumming Stone allows a player to chain multiple Slime spells in a single turn through the Ripple 4 mechanic.
  • Support: Saryth, the Viper's Fang can give the Oozes hexproof while untapped, protecting the massive investment of mana and time.
  • Card Draw: Harmonize or Return of the Wildspeaker are essential to keep the hand full of Slimes.

Simic (Green-Blue): Protection and Velocity

Adding Blue to the deck provides access to superior card draw and counter-magic. In our testing, Simic builds tend to be the most resilient in competitive environments.

  • Self-Mill: Blue offers cards like Consider or Thought Scour, which can put Slime Against Humanity directly into the graveyard to buff the ones still in hand.
  • Consistency: Echoing Equation (the back side of Augmenter Pugilist) can turn a board of small utility creatures into copies of a massive Ooze token for a sudden lethal swing.
  • Protection: Standard counter-magic like Negate or Swan Song helps prevent board wipes like Farewell or Sunfall that could exile the tokens.

Golgari (Green-Black): Graveyard Manipulation

Golgari is perhaps the most thematic home for an Ooze deck. Black provides the best tools for putting cards into the graveyard.

  • Tutors: Cards like Entomb can place a Slime in the graveyard for just one mana.
  • Recursion: While you don't necessarily want to bring the Slimes back to your hand (you want them in the graveyard/exile), Black allows you to bring back key Ooze creatures like Mimeoplasm or Necrotic Ooze that synergize with the theme.
  • Mass Removal: Having access to Toxic Deluge allows the player to clear the opponent's board while their high-toughness Oozes survive.

Synergy Analysis: Beyond the Slime Spell

While the sorcery is the star, several other cards elevate the Slime Against Humanity strategy from a gimmick to a powerhouse.

The Role of Non-Spell Oozes

The card text specifically mentions "Ooze cards," not just Slime Against Humanity cards. This means tribal Ooze creatures contribute to the X value.

  • Biowaste Blob: In a deck where you are constantly casting Ooze spells, the Blob can multiply rapidly, creating a board state that is difficult to manage.
  • Aeve, Progenitor Ooze: Aeve thrives on a high storm count. In a deck utilizing Thrumming Stone to cast multiple Slimes, Aeve can enter the battlefield and create a dozen Ooze tokens at once, all of which contribute to the scaling of future Slime Against Humanity spells.
  • Umori, the Collector: Often used as a Companion in Commander, Umori can reduce the cost of every Slime Against Humanity to just two mana (1G), significantly increasing the deck's speed.

Enabling the Strategy with Artifacts

  • Thrumming Stone: This is the "holy grail" for any deck running 20+ copies of a single card. The Ripple 4 ability means every time you cast a Slime, you look at the top four cards of your library and cast any other Slimes found there for free. This can result in 10 or more Oozes entering the battlefield in a single turn.
  • Herald's Horn: By naming "Ooze," you reduce the cost of the creatures and gain a way to filter the top of your deck.
  • Emerald Medallion: A simple cost-reducer that makes every Slime cost only two mana, allowing for double or triple spells in the mid-game.

Advanced Rulings and Timing

Understanding the technical nuances of Slime Against Humanity is vital for competitive play.

Face-Down Cards and Exile

A common question arises regarding face-down cards in exile (such as those exiled by Gonti, Lord of Luxury or a Foretell mechanic). According to official WotC rulings from February 2024, if you own face-down cards in exile, they do not count toward the value of X, even if you are allowed to look at them and know they are Slimes. The card must be face-up to be identified as a "card named Slime Against Humanity" or an "Ooze card."

Resolution Order

Slime Against Humanity does not count itself when determining the value of X. The card remains on the stack while it is resolving. It only moves to the graveyard after the token has been created and the counters have been placed. Therefore, if you have zero Slimes in your graveyard and exile, the first one you cast will always result in a 2/2 token (2 + 0), and that specific card will then land in the graveyard to buff the second casting.

Interaction with Copy Effects

If you use a spell like Twincast or Fork to copy Slime Against Humanity, the copy will create a token based on the number of cards in the graveyard and exile at the time the copy resolves. However, the copy itself is not a "card" and never goes to the graveyard; it ceases to exist once it leaves the stack. Thus, copying the spell helps you board-wise but does not contribute to the permanent scaling of future Slime spells.

Market Analysis: The Value of a Common

From a financial perspective, Slime Against Humanity is an anomaly. Most common cards from modern sets hold a value of less than $0.10. However, because players need 30 to 40 copies to build a single deck, the demand is significantly higher than for a typical common.

Standard Printing vs. Secret Lair

The standard version from Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM #177) has stabilized at around $1.50 to $2.50 per copy. While this seems low, a full set for a deck can cost a player upwards of $80 just for the "basic" versions.

The real interest for collectors lies in the Secret Lair drops. Special art versions, particularly those with unique foil treatments or stained-glass designs (like Secret Lair Drop #7083), have seen prices soar above $250. This is an incredible valuation for a card that is mechanically a common, driven entirely by the "Any Number" rule and the prestige of owning a fully "blinged-out" Slime deck.

Availability and Proxies

Due to the high quantity required, many casual players resort to using proxies for their Slime decks. However, in sanctioned tournament play, players must own the physical cards. This has led to a consistent "buy-out" culture every time a new Ooze-themed commander is spoiled, keeping the price of this common surprisingly resilient compared to other cards in the MKM set.

Why the Ooze Theme Resonates with Players

Beyond the mechanics and the money, Slime Against Humanity appeals to a specific type of Magic player: the "Timmy/Tammy" who loves big creatures, and the "Johnny/Jenny" who loves weird deck-building challenges.

The flavor of the card is impeccable. It represents a growing, unstoppable gelatinous mass that consumes everything in its path. As a player, there is a visceral satisfaction in placing a 2/2 token on the table, then a 4/4, then an 8/8, and eventually a 20/20 with trample. It turns the game into a countdown—can the opponent find an answer before the Slimes become too large to handle?

Furthermore, the name itself—a parody of the famous party game Cards Against Humanity—adds a layer of humor to the table. It’s a "meme card" that actually performs well, which is a rare sweet spot in game design.

Conclusion and Summary

Slime Against Humanity is more than just a common sorcery; it is a deck-building engine that challenges traditional MTG constraints. By leveraging the graveyard and exile zones and providing built-in evasion through trample, it addresses the weaknesses of previous "any number" cards. Whether played in a competitive Pauper deck or a casual Commander pod, it offers a scalable, resilient, and highly thematic experience.

Key takeaways for players:

  • Resilience: It is immune to traditional graveyard exiling.
  • Scaling: Every copy cast makes the next one stronger.
  • Flexibility: It works in Mono-Green, Simic, and Golgari archetypes.
  • Investment: Building a deck requires a high volume of cards, which impacts its market price.

FAQ: Common Questions About Slime Against Humanity

Can I play Slime Against Humanity in a Pauper deck? Yes, Slime Against Humanity was printed at the common rarity level, making it legal in the Pauper format. It has become a popular choice for "Green Stompy" variants in Pauper.

Does Slime Against Humanity count itself when it resolves? No. The card is still on the stack when the token is created. It enters the graveyard only after the spell has finished resolving.

What happens if my opponent casts a card that changes creature types? Since the spell creates an "Ooze creature token," any effect that changes creature types on the battlefield will not affect the scaling of the spell itself, as the spell checks "Ooze cards" in the graveyard and exile, not creatures on the battlefield.

Can I have 40 copies in a 60-card Standard deck? Yes. The card's text overrides the four-copy limit in all formats where it is legal, including Standard, Pioneer, and Modern.

Why is the Secret Lair version so expensive? The high price is due to extreme scarcity and the fact that dedicated Ooze players want their entire deck to match. Since a deck needs ~40 copies, the demand for high-end versions far outstrips the supply from limited Secret Lair windows.

Does "exile" include cards exiled face-down? No. Face-down cards in exile are considered to have no characteristics. They do not count toward the X value even if you are allowed to look at them.

What is the best Commander for a Slime Against Humanity deck? Popular choices include Umori, the Collector (for cost reduction), The Mimeoplasm (for flavor and synergy), and Aeve, Progenitor Ooze (for explosive turns).