If only they replaced the words "its controller" with "a player" this card would be so much better. Combining this card with Wall of Shards would have been pretty devastating.
Archomental
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Still, what a devastating blow to any life-gainers, vamp runners, etc
Ritius
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
It would have been nice if they had tacked another ability to it and upped the mana cost a bit. As it stands.... well, it's kind of sideboard fodder.
Etregan
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(9 votes)
The wording prevents you from using Beacon of Immortality to kill a player. It also means that Wall of Shards can't be used to harm your opponent.
AbyssalManZero
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I give this card a 5/5 rating for being such a cheap ENCHANTMENT (instead of just an instant), being so evil!!
Never had the honor of owning a copy but a totally awesome card!
Hokeymon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(3 votes)
No fair! They made False Cure look like it's uncommon now
izzet_guild_mage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's not meant as a combo card, the wording prevents that almost entirely...but man, is this one hell of a hoser. Every playgroup has one person that this thing will always wreck, deck after deck after deck...
Qazior
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The wording also prevents opponent life gainers from killing you with their targeted spells (like Beacon of Immortality)
EnsoZero
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Good sideboard material for any matchup against people running lifelinkers *cough* BSA *cough*.
channelblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I wish it just worked for any ability, but it's pretty good in the sideboard. Screws with vamps something major.
Ideatog
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Hallelujah it's raining men! Or parts of them anyway...
Definitely prefer False Cure. Enchantments can be removed, but barring a few exceptions) the only thing you can really do about False Cure is counter it. That, and the player/ controller thing is huge.
applecorn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i don't see how this is a counter to Beacon. you are doubling that persons life. ergo, if they have 20 life they wouldn't gain 20 life, but lose it ... dead.
raadface
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
take that life gain decks well. the few of you out there lol
ninjaman98
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This guy is great, firstly, it ***es off people who are playing white decks full of things like Soul Warden, furthermore, you can annoy them by playing Healing Salve to do damage to them!, its basically a white Lightning Bolt! Also you must remember, tis is basically preventing anyone from gaining life, so you can beat don those white-weenie decks before you can say Healing salve! Oh wait...
supershawn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
too specific, I don't really like cards designed to crush one specific deck type.
blurrymadness
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
@etegan That's not true. Beacon of Immortality is a spell that causes you to gain life, Rain of Gore thus would still work as normal. You are correct about the cumulative upkeep as that's a cost and not part of the ability, but beacon of immortality should work as normal.
EDIT: (seconds later) you meant if YOU used it and were using Rain of Gore. Whoopsie Daisy. And.. lulz, it censored c u m. I thought they got rid of that censor...
Deepfried-Owls
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fantastic counter to any form of life gain and it reaks of black and red flavor. Sanguine Bond turns your life gain into danger for the enemy, red shuts down enemy life gain and in this rendition, you shut it down by inverting their life gain.
The only unfortunate wrinkle is that your life gain is affected as well.
Great niche card, and it isn't too bad for riskier decks and since it's from Guildpact; Hellbent decks. Works well with the new phyrexia mana too, especially if you can shut down your enemy. If they were going to turn to life gain, you can turn it against them.
It's too bad that the wording prevents white removal that gives life to the removed cards owner, usually equal to the removed creature's CMC or toughness from turning into dangerous pseudo burn.
TheMurderousKitten
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
@ninjaman98: No, your Healing Salve does not function as a Lightning Bolt. Read the wording on this card carefully. It says, "If a spell or ability would cause its controller to gain life, that player loses that much life instead." If you are targeting another player with your Healing Salve, the spell is not causing its controller to gain life. It is causing another player to gain life. Therefore the life gain would work, and Rain of Gore would not do any damage. If you were to use your Healing Salve on yourself, however, it would be just like hitting yourself with a Bolt. Same problem as the Beacon of Immortality.
Purple_Shrimp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
gross
Russian.Thunder
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
20/5 for flavor alone. You can't beat how brutal the idea of this card is (except for maybe Avatar of Slaughter).
Love. It.
leomistico
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Very narrow, but hoses a lot of decks in its time, that usually ran Faith's Fetters, Loxodon Hierarch and the like... It's not a main deck card, but in the side it does it job!
4/5
JL2736
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + Donate + Lich's Mirror = they lose infinite times. I know it's technically a draw, but still...
Zacklar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i have a question here let's suppose im playing this, and my opponent for some reason drops a thing that says "Player's can't gain life" what happens if let's say he uses Healing Salve?
does he loses the life due to a replacement effect? or does it fizzles because it cannot make its controller gain life?
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Lich's Mirror + Rain of Gore combo works like this:
You Donate or Puca's Mischief the Mirror. They have the Mirror. You play Rain of Gore. Don't use Illusions of Grandeur, because it will cause you to draw.(You gain 20 life, but instead lose it because of the Rain of Gore) Use any of a number of combos that result in killing them- like Deciever Exarch/Splinter Twin, or Dark Depths/Vampire Hexmage, and then you will kill them without killing yourself. The Mirror will NOT shuffle itself back into their library!
When they die, they gain 20 life...but lose 20 life instead. When they die, they gain 20 life...but lose 20 life instead. When they die, they gain 20 life...
repeat ad infinitum. It works because 'control' is different from 'ownership'. Donate cards are wierd.
DoragonShinzui
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
God of War? Wad of Gore! *Ba dum, tish!* Nothing quite like a complete hose to any lifegain deck in any capacity. You wanna Exsanguinate all of us? Do it! I dare you!
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
to potentially change the whole landscape of the game? Yes please.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't like it. In some situations it will hose a deck, in other situations it might help out a tad bit, and in most situations this is a dead draw. 2/5
Alms Beast if you really want to have fun. Lifelink on another player's creature. Such a manipulable card. Also, True Conviction is finally not super ultra disgustingly OP.
Quantumbiologist
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Suddenly Alms Beast is playable and has a purpose - Being scary! I eat your dudes and you lose life :O. This and False Cure in a deck is just nuts. Think about it you gain life and stall until you draw either of those and then the deck suddenly becomes aggro life hate.
As of 4/15/2013 Lifelink gets through, previously it did not (and caused damage too)!
This is no good as previously a source for gaining life (damage as I can see as opposed to the ability lifelink) didn't exist. Also there are many combos that this also breaks now, ie: Alms Beast + Rain of Gore. It still prevents a large amount of life gainers out there, but the most common is stopped! Before you could discourage an attacker/blocker but now that isn't there. Please Wizards, modify this card to adjust to the new rulings!
Jamesy
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I think the ruling on this needs to be revised. Lifelink is an ability (702.14a) that causes its controller to gain life (702.14b). It meets the card's conditions perfectly.
If the card text specifically mentioned activated or triggered abilities, the ruling might make sense, but in its current state its a contradiction in terms.
SAUS3
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Jamesy WTF I just read the rulings. That is so stupid! They should definitely change it...
Duskmantle
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This turns Alms Beast in BWR into a monstrosity that gives players' creatures the OPPOSITE of lifelink. How wonderful. xD
Chiky911
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
4/15/2013 This does not apply to life gain caused by combat damage from a creature with lifelink.
you must be f****ing kidding me? why not!? that was the best part of it -.-
Innistrader
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In my playgroup, Elixir of Immortality is used excessively for emergency lifegain. Of course, nobody would like me anymore if I played this.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the card you replace the Terminates in your deck with when you're playing casual vs. a Felidar Sovereign Johnny.
troll_berserker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This would be a fantastic sideboard card if it could hit lifelinkers. However, its inability to stop Lifelink makes this card only half as effective as it should be. Wizards should errata this or change the ruling, because this is just confusing and embarrassing.
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm listening to Slayer's Reign in Blood as we speak! Happy St. Patty's Day!
Stuflames
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'll add another: wtf are they thinking in the ruling?!? It's a blatant, unsupported exception of a single ability, reverse this clear mistake wotc.
questionflanger
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The ruling makes no sense at all. Still an awesome card though. I love cards that get printed with no other real purpose than spite for a particular strategy.
strider24seven
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
To assuage any issues that people have with the Lifelink+Combat Damage ruling:
The ruling is not a mistake; it makes perfect sense, given the way Lifelink works. First, take a look at the Lifelink entry in the comprehensive rules:
702.15. Lifelink 702.15a Lifelink is a static ability. 702.15b Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule 119.3. 702.15c If a permanent leaves the battlefield before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had lifelink. 702.15d The lifelink rules function no matter what zone an object with lifelink deals damage from. 702.15e Multiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant.
The reason for all the confusion is rule 702.15b, which has been bolded for convenience. According to this rule, whatever source is responsible for dealing the damage is what causes the life gain, not the lifelink ability itself.
"Combat Damage" is not a spell or ability, and thus is not affected by Rain of Gore. Do note, however, that other abilities capable of inflicting damage, such as Brion Stoutarm's ability or Soul's Firewill cause life gain via Lifelink, and will be affected by Rain of Gore.
Now for specific replies to Gatherer posters who are mistaken, misinformed, lacking information, or just plain wrong about Rain of Gore:
@O0oze That is not entirely correct, if you actually read the rulings. Rain of Gore does not apply to life gain caused by combat damage from a creature with Lifelink. Other abilities or spells that cause a creature with Lifelink to deal damage will be affected by Rain of Gore.
@Duskmantle, toXicus, Quantumbiologist Rain of Gore does not affect Alms Beast in any way, nor does it affect creatures attacking or blocking it, as life gain caused by combat damage from a creature with Lifelink is not affected by Rain of Gore.
@milez0 See my replies to O0oze, Duskmantle, toXicus, and Quantumbiologist.
@Zacklar If players cannot gain life, then the life gain event never occurs. So casting Healing Salve (1st mode) with Havoc Festival and Rain of Gore will have the following effects: increase Healing Salve's controller's storm count by 1.
Comments (51)
Never had the honor of owning a copy but a totally awesome card!
Definitely prefer False Cure. Enchantments can be removed, but barring a few exceptions) the only thing you can really do about False Cure is counter it. That, and the player/ controller thing is huge.
well. the few of you out there lol
That's not true. Beacon of Immortality is a spell that causes you to gain life, Rain of Gore thus would still work as normal. You are correct about the cumulative upkeep as that's a cost and not part of the ability, but beacon of immortality should work as normal.
EDIT: (seconds later) you meant if YOU used it and were using Rain of Gore. Whoopsie Daisy.
And.. lulz, it censored c u m. I thought they got rid of that censor...
The only unfortunate wrinkle is that your life gain is affected as well.
Great niche card, and it isn't too bad for riskier decks and since it's from Guildpact; Hellbent decks. Works well with the new phyrexia mana too, especially if you can shut down your enemy. If they were going to turn to life gain, you can turn it against them.
It's too bad that the wording prevents white removal that gives life to the removed cards owner, usually equal to the removed creature's CMC or toughness from turning into dangerous pseudo burn.
Love. It.
It's not a main deck card, but in the side it does it job!
4/5
let's suppose im playing this, and my opponent for some reason drops a thing that says "Player's can't gain life" what happens if let's say he uses Healing Salve?
does he loses the life due to a replacement effect?
or does it fizzles because it cannot make its controller gain life?
You Donate or Puca's Mischief the Mirror. They have the Mirror. You play Rain of Gore. Don't use Illusions of Grandeur, because it will cause you to draw.(You gain 20 life, but instead lose it because of the Rain of Gore) Use any of a number of combos that result in killing them- like Deciever Exarch/Splinter Twin, or Dark Depths/Vampire Hexmage, and then you will kill them without killing yourself. The Mirror will NOT shuffle itself back into their library!
When they die, they gain 20 life...but lose 20 life instead.
When they die, they gain 20 life...but lose 20 life instead.
When they die, they gain 20 life...
repeat ad infinitum. It works because 'control' is different from 'ownership'. Donate cards are wierd.
*Ba dum, tish!*
Nothing quite like a complete hose to any lifegain deck in any capacity. You wanna Exsanguinate all of us? Do it! I dare you!
Restoration Angel the Thragtusk, I FREAKIN' DARE YOU! NOW YOU DIE!!!
This is no good as previously a source for gaining life (damage as I can see as opposed to the ability lifelink) didn't exist. Also there are many combos that this also breaks now, ie: Alms Beast + Rain of Gore. It still prevents a large amount of life gainers out there, but the most common is stopped! Before you could discourage an attacker/blocker but now that isn't there. Please Wizards, modify this card to adjust to the new rulings!
If the card text specifically mentioned activated or triggered abilities, the ruling might make sense, but in its current state its a contradiction in terms.
WTF I just read the rulings. That is so stupid! They should definitely change it...
4/15/2013 This does not apply to life gain caused by combat damage from a creature with lifelink.
you must be f****ing kidding me? why not!? that was the best part of it -.-
Of course, nobody would like me anymore if I played this.
The ruling is not a mistake; it makes perfect sense, given the way Lifelink works. First, take a look at the Lifelink entry in the comprehensive rules:
702.15. Lifelink
702.15a Lifelink is a static ability.
702.15b Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule 119.3.
702.15c If a permanent leaves the battlefield before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had lifelink.
702.15d The lifelink rules function no matter what zone an object with lifelink deals damage from.
702.15e Multiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant.
The reason for all the confusion is rule 702.15b, which has been bolded for convenience. According to this rule, whatever source is responsible for dealing the damage is what causes the life gain, not the lifelink ability itself.
"Combat Damage" is not a spell or ability, and thus is not affected by Rain of Gore. Do note, however, that other abilities capable of inflicting damage, such as Brion Stoutarm's ability or Soul's Fire will cause life gain via Lifelink, and will be affected by Rain of Gore.
Now for specific replies to Gatherer posters who are mistaken, misinformed, lacking information, or just plain wrong about Rain of Gore:
@O0oze
That is not entirely correct, if you actually read the rulings. Rain of Gore does not apply to life gain caused by combat damage from a creature with Lifelink. Other abilities or spells that cause a creature with Lifelink to deal damage will be affected by Rain of Gore.
@Duskmantle, toXicus, Quantumbiologist
Rain of Gore does not affect Alms Beast in any way, nor does it affect creatures attacking or blocking it, as life gain caused by combat damage from a creature with Lifelink is not affected by Rain of Gore.
@milez0
See my replies to O0oze, Duskmantle, toXicus, and Quantumbiologist.
@Zacklar
If players cannot gain life, then the life gain event never occurs. So casting Healing Salve (1st mode) with Havoc Festival and Rain of Gore will have the following effects: increase Healing Salve's controller's storm count by 1.
Edit: strider24seven: thats for correction. didnt see that one.