As a competitive player I reered once I first saw this. I guess I have a closed mind when it comes to higher mana cost cards like this, and it took me two weeks of owning it until I actually read it.
This is a very powerful card. Edicts and mana nerf plus a Promise of Power type effect without the entwine to boot. It's a late game bomb that is done justice if you don't even have a single creature out when you play it. Try it, it's fun!
stormkeeper
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I would have given the elemental flying or tremple, or maybe even haste... but still a very good card, a good finisher if you have 2-3 other hybrid creatures in play.
4/5
batycrabs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(5 votes)
err runway, if you don't have any creatures out it only gives you a 5/5, and for 8 mana that's not worth it at all. however, with the steep mana cost accounted for, in end-game this is a great siegebreaker, and is a really good start to a final attack
Elysiume
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
No, the token is put into play before the other effects. Read the rulings--
5/1/2008 The parts of the spell happen in order. When determining how many black creatures and how many red creatures you control, keep in mind that you just put a creature into play that's black and red.
So at the very least you get a 5/5 token, force them to sacrifice a creature and a land. Then if you already have some creatures down...
Twigster
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This card is insanely good: combine with a load of cheap red/black creatures on previous turns, and you just erased their field and mana.
and the best part is that this is a sacrifice, not a destroy effect. That means all those invunerable cards go too. And no regenerate effects! It even gets rid of progenitus!
Vinifera7
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I think I like this card even more than Cruel Ultimatum. Even if you cast it without a single creature, it will still give you a 5/5 Elemental token, sac one creature, and sac one land. If you manage to play this with several Black/Red creatures, it will devastate their field and rape their mana pool. Without a mana pool, having cards in hand doesn't really help the opponent anyway.
fetuss
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Very good, but the high mana cost obviously is a turn off.
bowlofgumbo
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Really can be a devastating card...but wholly crap talk about expensive >_< Gotta be careful with 8 drops for accessibility issues alone.....
Danjen
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
As stated in other comments, this is a very powerful card, if it goes off. Sure, blue might try to counter it, but if it resolves, it can end the game right there.
This is amazing in a G/br ramp deck featuring Garruk and Fertile Ground; I once dropped a turn 5 Bogardan Hellkite into a turn 6 Din. So it's like... Hellkite blows their dudes up, then Din nukes their fatties and lands.
Designer_Genes
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Had none of the Ultimatums been printed, this card would be the high costed finisher of choice in 5cc.
Donovan_Fabian
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card is insane, even if they have progenitus you can force them to sacrifice it, and wipe their mana at the same time or at least set them back a bit. The token itself automatically gives you at least a sacrifice and a land destruction against your opponent. Now, what happens if your playing a token deck? Or even better using a lot of hybrid mana creatures so you have a lot of red and black splash. You annihalate there entire creature base and most of their mana in one turn and you get a 5/5 creature to smash them with to boot after they have nothing on the board. This is equivalent to an ultimatum card, even if it costs 1 more mana than cruel ultimatum, you can play this as early as turn 5 in a ramp deck, and thats devastating. You play bitter blossom on turn 1 or 2, ramp some mana and then drop this on turn 5.. you just killed all their creatures, got a 5/5 and set them back a land or two. I will be including one of these in my deck if it wasn't immediately obvious how good this card is.
aliceburton
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
seething song x2 or 2 other small mana accelerator cards = this comes out on turn 6....
Gaussgoat
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This guy is devastating, and with some mana ramp you can get an 8CC out pretty fast in a black/red deck. Fire off a couple of Dark Ritual and then go bannanas. The land destruction capability is silly.
Huge late-game, 4.5/5
Tobolococo
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
it is well balanced and shouldn't cost less than 8 but in a deck with no mana aceleration it can be dificult to get 8, if you actually can get this on the table, its definetly a finisher, i mean it fucks your opponent real good.
long story short: when you play this if you have at least 2 more creatures besides the token, then your opponent will most likely want to concede, too bad it aint standard legal anymore.
nibelheim_valesti
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If only this had been Tribal - Elemental... would have been so much fun to build around.
The only reason it's not is to moderate its effectiveness. And that really undermines the whole concept of Tribal.
Baconradar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A really flavoursome and cool finisher that is rarely a win-more, since even with no creatures it's very effective.
Great art also.
KingCody77
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(2 votes)
suddenly the 0/1 red Kobolds from Kher Keep that you didn't block with are more than 0/1 pest and he understands why you Terminate your Sprouting Thrinax
TheTellion
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
the land destruction on this is sick, as many have already said, just a little mana ramp and BOOM! 4.5
NedjimbO_Goblin_Mage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This was my favorite shadowmoor card when the set came out and still is my favorite card from that set.
This card is great in any strong BR aggro deck, especially zombies or tokens and goes great with stuff like Deathbringer Thoctar (my favorite alara reborn card) or nucklavee
I personally run 3 copies in a multiplayer deck with wort the raidmother. Good times.
desolation_masticore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Too bad call the skybreaker couldn't have an effect like this, or any effect at all really. Never bought shadowmoor because eventide exists, but love awesome cards like this in it.
@Kingcody777 I still don't understand why you terminated your own thrinax. Saproling tokens are green. Just green. GREEEEEEN!
Carkki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Turn 1-3. Whatever you like. Turn 4. Murderous Redcap. Turn 5. Land + Burnt offering on the redcap = 8 mana and at least two BR creatures as you cast this.
And that's not even hard to pull off. I still can't believe how many awesome cards the "Army of Entropy" theme deck provides...
DarthParallax
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Play with Spectral Rider. Why pair a mono- creature with a heavy Sorcery?
An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw
Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky For he saw the Riders coming hard and he heard their mournful cry
Yippie yi Ohhhhh Yippie yi yaaaaay Ghost Riders in the sky
Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, their shirts all soaked with sweat He's riding hard to catch that herd, but he ain't caught 'em yet 'Cause they've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky On horses snorting fire As they ride on hear their cry
As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name If you want to save your soul from Hell a-riding on our range Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride Trying to catch the Devil's herd, across these endless skies
Yippie yi Ohhhhh Yippie yi Yaaaaay
Ghost Riders in the sky Ghost Riders in the sky Ghost Riders in the sky
DivineNocturnus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Really expensive but it can turn the tide of a battle late game.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have to ask myself whether this card would really have been broken if the token had haste. It seems flavorful (and red) that a horde of burning stampeding beasts would have haste. Since it costs 8, would it really be too much to be able to clear the way, then get that 5 damage in before the opponent can start chump blocking it?
Play a bunch of little black-red creatures in the first four turns, maybe using some token producers like Mogg War Marshal and Kathari Bomber, then cast the hymn, the Fireherd and your set. Not tournament worthy but awesome nonetheless.
C1455
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Koth people. That makes a turn 5 din.
psychichobo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Arachnos: This card wins you the bloody game, what more do you want!?
Comments (29)
This is a very powerful card. Edicts and mana nerf plus a Promise of Power type effect without the entwine to boot. It's a late game bomb that is done justice if you don't even have a single creature out when you play it. Try it, it's fun!
4/5
5/1/2008 The parts of the spell happen in order. When determining how many black creatures and how many red creatures you control, keep in mind that you just put a creature into play that's black and red.
So at the very least you get a 5/5 token, force them to sacrifice a creature and a land. Then if you already have some creatures down...
and the best part is that this is a sacrifice, not a destroy effect. That means all those invunerable cards go too. And no regenerate effects! It even gets rid of progenitus!
This is amazing in a G/br ramp deck featuring Garruk and Fertile Ground; I once dropped a turn 5 Bogardan Hellkite into a turn 6 Din. So it's like... Hellkite blows their dudes up, then Din nukes their fatties and lands.
Huge late-game, 4.5/5
long story short: when you play this if you have at least 2 more creatures besides the token, then your opponent will most likely want to concede, too bad it aint standard legal anymore.
The only reason it's not is to moderate its effectiveness. And that really undermines the whole concept of Tribal.
Great art also.
This card is great in any strong BR aggro deck, especially zombies or tokens and goes great with stuff like Deathbringer Thoctar (my favorite alara reborn card) or nucklavee
I personally run 3 copies in a multiplayer deck with wort the raidmother. Good times.
I still don't understand why you terminated your own thrinax. Saproling tokens are green. Just green.
GREEEEEEN!
Turn 4. Murderous Redcap.
Turn 5. Land + Burnt offering on the redcap = 8 mana and at least two BR creatures as you cast this.
And that's not even hard to pull off. I still can't believe how many awesome cards the "Army of Entropy" theme deck provides...
An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw
Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For he saw the Riders coming hard and he heard their mournful cry
Yippie yi Ohhhhh
Yippie yi yaaaaay
Ghost Riders in the sky
Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, their shirts all soaked with sweat
He's riding hard to catch that herd, but he ain't caught 'em yet
'Cause they've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire
As they ride on hear their cry
As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name
If you want to save your soul from Hell a-riding on our range
Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the Devil's herd, across these endless skies
Yippie yi Ohhhhh
Yippie yi Yaaaaay
Ghost Riders in the sky
Ghost Riders in the sky
Ghost Riders in the sky
Play a bunch of little black-red creatures in the first four turns, maybe using some token producers like Mogg War Marshal and Kathari Bomber, then cast the hymn, the Fireherd and your set. Not tournament worthy but awesome nonetheless.