Fleshbag Marauder is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
When this creature enters, each player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
Complete guide
Fleshbag Marauder is a staple in black decks that focus on sacrifice synergies and board control. This Zombie Warrior provides a powerful effect by forcing every player, including you, to give up a creature as soon as it hits the battlefield. It is an efficient way to deal with untargetable threats or to trigger your own death-related abilities.
Symmetrical Sacrifice
When Fleshbag Marauder enters the battlefield, its triggered ability goes on the stack. Unlike targeted removal, this ability affects 'each player,' meaning it bypasses keywords like Hexproof, Shroud, and Protection. However, you are not exempt from the effect; you must also sacrifice a creature, which can be the Marauder itself if you choose or if it is your only creature.
Resolution Step-by-Step
The ability resolves in a specific order based on turn sequence. First, the active player (the player whose turn it is) chooses a creature they control. Then, each other player in turn order makes their choice, knowing what the players before them have picked. Finally, all chosen creatures are sacrificed simultaneously. This means no one can wait to see if someone else sacrifices a specific creature before making their own decision.
Strategic Considerations
A common mistake is forgetting that this ability does not target. You cannot choose which creature your opponent sacrifices; they always choose for themselves. Furthermore, if you have no creatures on the battlefield other than Fleshbag Marauder when its ability resolves, you are forced to sacrifice the Marauder. This is often used intentionally to trigger 'dies' abilities or to put a Zombie into the graveyard for later recursion.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you control Solemn Simulacrum and cast Fleshbag Marauder, you can choose to sacrifice the Simulacrum when the Marauder's ability resolves. This allows you to trigger the Simulacrum's 'dies' ability to draw a card, while still forcing your opponents to sacrifice their creatures.
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Zombie' chosen as the creature type, Fleshbag Marauder's ability will trigger an additional time. As the first trigger resolves, each player sacrifices a creature. Then, as the second trigger resolves, each player must sacrifice another creature. This can effectively clear a small board.
If you play Fleshbag Marauder onto an empty board, its own ability will trigger. When it resolves, you are the only player with a creature, so you must sacrifice the Marauder. Even though it leaves the battlefield immediately, every opponent must still sacrifice a creature if they have one.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Fleshbag Marauder
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
When its ability resolves, you may sacrifice Fleshbag Marauder itself. If you control no other creatures, you'll have to sacrifice Fleshbag Marauder.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
As Fleshbag Marauder's ability resolves, first the player whose turn it is chooses a creature to sacrifice, then each other player in turn order does the same knowing the choices made before them. Then all those creatures are sacrificed simultaneously.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Necroduality + Rot Hulk + Fleshbag Marauder
- 1Cast Rot Hulk by paying
. - 2When Rot Hulk enters, it and Necroduality trigger.
- 3Resolve the Rot Hulk trigger, returning Fleshbag Marauder from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 4When Fleshbag Marauder enters, it and Necroduality trigger.
- 5Resolve the Fleshbag Marauder trigger, sacrificing it and causing each opponent to sacrifice a creature.
- 6Resolve the Necroduality trigger, creating a token copy of Fleshbag Marauder.
- 7When the token Fleshbag Marauder enters, it triggers, sacrificing Rot Hulk and causing each opponent to sacrifice a creature.
- 8Resolve the Necroduality trigger from step 2, creating a token copy of Rot Hulk.
Liliana, Untouched by Death + Rooftop Storm + Fleshbag Marauder
- 1Activate Liliana's third ability by removing three loyalty counters from it, allowing you to cast Zombie cards from your graveyard this turn.
- 2Cast Fleshbag Marauder either from your hand or from your graveyard by paying
. - 3When Fleshbag Marauder enters, it triggers, causing you to sacrifice it and each other player to sacrifice a creature.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight + Vizier of Remedies + Fleshbag Marauder
- 1Cast Fleshbag Marauder by paying its mana cost.
- 2When Fleshbag Marauder enters, it triggers, causing you to sacrifice it.
- 3When Fleshbag Marauder dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield without a -1/-1 counter on it due to Vizier of Remedies.
- 4Repeat from step 2
Solemnity + Luminous Broodmoth + Fleshbag Marauder
- 1Cast Fleshbag Marauder by paying
. - 2When Fleshbag Marauder enters, it triggers, causing you to sacrifice Fleshbag Marauder and each other player to sacrifice a creature.
- 3When Fleshbag Marauder dies, Luminous Broodmoth triggers, returning Fleshbag Marauder from your graveyard to the battlefield without a flying counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Burakos, Party Leader + Haunted One + Relic of Legends + Fleshbag Marauder
- 1Cast Fleshbag Marauder by paying .
- 2When Fleshbag Marauder enters the battlefield, it triggers.
- 3Holding priority, activate Relic of Legends' second ability by tapping Burakos, adding .
- 4Burakos triggers, giving it and all creatures you control that share a creature type with it +2/+0 and undying until end of turn.
- 5Resolve the Fleshbag Marauder trigger from step 2, causing you to sacrifice Burakos, and each opponent to sacrifice a creature.
- 6When Burakos dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 7Activate Retribution of the Ancients by paying and removing the +1/+1 counter from Burakos, giving Fleshbag Marauder -1/-1 until end of turn.
- 8Fleshbag Marauder dies as a state-based action due to having 0 toughness, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter from it.
Kenrith, the Returned King + Earthcraft + Agatha of the Vile Cauldron + Fleshbag Marauder
- 1Activate a basic Swamp by tapping it, adding .
- 2Activate Kenrith's fifth ability by paying due to Agatha, returning Fleshbag Marauder from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 3When Fleshbag Marauder enters, it triggers.
- 4In response, activate Earthcraft by tapping Fleshbag Marauder, untapping the basic Swamp.
- 5Resolve Fleshbag Marauder's ability, sacrificing it and causing each other player to sacrifice a creature.
- 6Repeat.
Ratadrabik of Urborg + Leyline of Singularity + Fleshbag Marauder
- 1Cast Fleshbag Marauder by paying its mana cost.
- 2When Fleshbag Marauder enters, it triggers, causing you to sacrifice it.
- 3When Fleshbag Marauder dies, Ratadrabik triggers, creating a token copy of Fleshbag Marauder that is a 2/2 legendary Zombie in addition to its other types.
- 4Repeat from step 2 using the Fleshbag Marauder token instead.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Fleshbag Marauder
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