Corrupt Eunuchs

The lineage of red creatures that staple a small burn spell to a body runs deep, and this one sits in the early-era branch where the rate was still raw: four mana for a 2/2 that pings two damage on the way in. The 2/2 frame matters as much as the trigger. This was never a creature you cast for combat; it was a removal spell with a fragile reusable shell, the kind of two-for-one that traded a little efficiency for the comfort of a permanent left behind. The damage clause targets a creature only, so it cannot reach to the face or break a stalemate by going upstairs, which keeps it honest as a board-control tool rather than a clock. Red rarely gets to do this cleanly: the color's identity leans toward damage that goes anywhere, and tying it to a creature's entry is a quiet concession that red's repeatable removal usually comes attached to a body it would rather not be paying for.