This is REALLY expensive, which totally undermines whatever usefulness it would have. Red decks are supposed to work a bit quicker than this, especially the sacrifice Goblin style decks that are common now. So I mean, by the time you have 7 land available to throw, your player should ideally be dead... Which is a pity, because this card is awesome, just waaaay too much to come into the game early enough to be particularly useful.
Ennor
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card is awesome... in multiplayer. Outside that, it just too expensive: 7 cmc it's a lot... really. Sad, because it's quite original, and I think helps red to be a bit more interesting as a color... I hope one day this is reprinted at 5 cmc, so it becomes more playable...
Kenji18
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
It seems to curve well into Obliterate, and while searching for it on the gatherer, i came across Vicious Betrayal, both of which would be good cards to use with this. I guess when I saw this card, I didn't immediately think "monored deck," but instead I thought mass removal.
When you play Obliterate, it wipes out artifacts, lands, and creatures, but not enchantments, all the dead creatures will mean pain for you opponents. Also, the lack of lands will also mean that your opponents hand size will build up, making Vicious Shadows more potent. Further, if you have Protean Hulk in play when you obliterate, you will have the only creatures on the board after the wipe.
Another way to go would be elf mana ramp, drop the shadows, then drop a devour creature, which I assume this card was designed for, to convert all the elves into damage.
I love this with ball lightning, hellspark elemental and friends... :D
Mode
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
that card sounds very black, i guess it even was for a certain period of time during playtesting, also since it resolves around dying creatures.
i agree with kuzimo: the cost is a pity, the effect is somewhat interesting, but there's no way you're able to build something useful around this as a lategame-card. half the cost to let this card finally be some fun.
like that it's a rather useless card: seven mana for an effect that doesn't do anything by itself? - next!
But both of these combos have other ways to win, so, w/e, just another cheap rare to be used as a finisher in a deck full of expensive infrastructure.
GooberSnotpants
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
stick an elemental mastery on someone and have fun. Unplayably expensive for the most part though... perhaps for my multiplayer deck.
Redeemer707
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card became incredibly overpowered with the new eldrazi spawn. For each one sac'd it hits them, your opponent will die quick if they play it slow, maybe add a howling mine or 2. Just get a ton of land via fetch cards and your set. Seething song is always helpful if you play type 1 a lot. 4.5/5
Use it in a devour deck as a finisher? build up the tokens, drop a devourer and tell them good game.
diabloknk
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
A textbook johnny card.
Near useless when printed, or at least so difficult to use that it wasn't really worth it. With the release of Rise of the Eldrazi, it suddenly became a hell of a lot more powerful. Eldrazi spawn are perfect for this card. You can sac them to get the mana to cast it, and then sac them to trigger its effect.
A deck designed around this card can be fairly powerful in casual, but I'll admit it's not tournament-quality. Just make sure to include: A bunch of eldrazi spawn producers (I recommend Growth Spasm, Nest Invader, Brood Birthing, and Emrakul's Hatcher). Howling Mine and Font of Mythos. And this card. And you've got a pretty decent and fun deck going. It's not tournament-quality, so Spike won't like it, but Johnny will love it because it's unique, and Timmy will like it because the effect gets massive.
This card may not be the most powerful, but it is definitely fun.
Malnourished_Student
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm sooo tempted to put this in my RG Eldrazi Spawn deck. I'm fairly confident I could drop it turn 5 or definitely turn 6, and when that happens it's likely game. I can just sac the half dozen minimum Eldrazi Spawn I have for lethal damage more than likely.
7 cmc does hurt no doubt about that.
Kindulas
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i don't get it, why two stars, this card is a monster i mean its only not useful when your playing spike style or aggro, of course it costs 7 mana chances are your opponent has at least one card and in a sacrifice deck... many cards for 7 mana are higher rated and far less deadly, i mean yeah we wish it was black but really? can someone elighten me on why we think it's not worth 7 mana?
Pwnsaw
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card win's edh games out of nowhere, its just freaking dumb.
IMO this is the second best monored EDH card after Insurrection, and don't think this is only true because of how it works out with Kresh. Even if you're not playing a lot of creatures, it's likely that someone else at the table will be, and you can use their deaths to hurt anyone. Most prevalently, it is a win condition, but even if you have only a few creatures, or nothing but the threat of killing the creatures of others, this acts as a deterrant as well. Your opponents may even intentionally reduce their hand size to avoid greater damage.
Also, if you are using a lot of creatures, try not to let this get taken. I've found that turbo fog is more than willing to adapt its strategy.
sarroth
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
(Spoiler) Use in Commander/EDH with this summer's UR legend Nin, the Pain Artist as your commander: For those who haven't seen her, she has Pay {X}{U}{R}: Deal X damage to target creature, it's controller draws X cards. Kill the creature, VIcious Shadows triggers and goes on the stack, the creature's controller draws cards to finish Nin's trigger, VS goes off and deals damage to the player. Maybe you even have a Runeflare Trap in hand as well. Seeing a fun deck yet?
A bit of a steep mana cost for my taste but my buddy runs this in his goblin deck and with Blood Rites and I begin to weep.
OmegaSerris
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I think this was another one of those 'testing the waters' cards.
In the set after this one, we got Runeflare Trap. A little cheaper, but utilizes the Trap subtype to allow it to be even more playable when it counts (they have a lot of cards) opposed to this which is so late in the game it barely shocks them at time. Next set, we got Molten Psyche, which is arguably close is mechanic and is still in .
Then we come to the current embodiment of this effect, one of the nigh broken sword that ironically ruins RDW's day; Sword of War and Peace. I'm pretty sure it is second only to Feast and Famine in power for the whole cycle.
So there you go, while in itself it wasn't that awesome of a card, it did give us a handful of decent progeny. Yeah, there were older versions like Adamaro, First to Desire, Gaze of Adamaro, and Sudden Impact. But this was the first sustained effect (Enchantment) to throw direct damage. (And give me a break, I'm grasping at straws here to legitimize the printing of this thing. :-P)
4wolf359
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not sure why this is rated so low on here, it combines perfectly into Jund mechanics despite the hefty cost. Run it with Lavalanche or Balefire Dragon, or any devour creature. Ha. HA HA HA...
Mr.Wimples
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Like Sarroth mentioned, I use this card in a Nin, The Pain Artist EDH deck to great effect. Pop this out and no one will want to throw down a boardwipe. Especially with Nin out. Considering you cast this for 7 mana, you can force someone to draw up to 5 cards at that point. So even if they had 0 cards in hand, which us highly unlikely in EDH anyway, only 8 creatures need to be on the board for a kill. This card is top-notch board insurance against wrath happy friends.
Tezz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Godcard in edh. Terrible everywhere else, but still worth 4.5/5
TinGorilla
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I use this in EDH to counter Consecrated Sphinx. I've killed two players in one turn after one decided to clone the other's sphinx and they both drew half their decks. Of course this only really works when they get greedy and tap out to draw as much as they can (another opponent of mine used the sphinx with Rings of Brighthearth and Jace Beleren)
Even with its high cost, it does a good job of punishing those pesky blue mages.
brunsbr103
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
when I looked at this card and realized that i could only see it played in a commander deck I realized to my horror that I am a spike!
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use in a Devour deck.
Laugh manically.
aboblyndsae
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hilariously good with Ashnod's Altar to bring it out quickly and fuel it. I put this in a Goblin deck with Krenko, Mob Boss and was able to bring out the Altar, play this, and kill two opponents from near-full life all in the same turn.
O0oze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this card's effect has nothing to do with itself: how the hell is the death of a creature connected to damage equal to the number of cards in the hand?
Ran this in a Boros EDH fling-theme deck with Brion Stoutarm and other nasty things like Warstorm Surge, Purphoros, God of the Forge Nova Chaser and Phrexian Dreadnaught.
A few multiplayer games later and not only am I public enemy number 1, but my metagame suddenly became a little more focused on enchantment removals.
Comments (31)
When you play Obliterate, it wipes out artifacts, lands, and creatures, but not enchantments, all the dead creatures will mean pain for you opponents. Also, the lack of lands will also mean that your opponents hand size will build up, making Vicious Shadows more potent. Further, if you have Protean Hulk in play when you obliterate, you will have the only creatures on the board after the wipe.
Another way to go would be elf mana ramp, drop the shadows, then drop a devour creature, which I assume this card was designed for, to convert all the elves into damage.
A simple Phyrexian Altar or Skullclamp *eep* would be pretty awesome, too.
i agree with kuzimo: the cost is a pity, the effect is somewhat interesting, but there's no way you're able to build something useful around this as a lategame-card. half the cost to let this card finally be some fun.
like that it's a rather useless card: seven mana for an effect that doesn't do anything by itself? - next!
OR
2x Myr Retrievers on a Ashnod's Alter cycle.
But both of these combos have other ways to win, so, w/e, just another cheap rare to be used as a finisher in a deck full of expensive infrastructure.
Near useless when printed, or at least so difficult to use that it wasn't really worth it. With the release of Rise of the Eldrazi, it suddenly became a hell of a lot more powerful. Eldrazi spawn are perfect for this card. You can sac them to get the mana to cast it, and then sac them to trigger its effect.
A deck designed around this card can be fairly powerful in casual, but I'll admit it's not tournament-quality. Just make sure to include:
A bunch of eldrazi spawn producers (I recommend Growth Spasm, Nest Invader, Brood Birthing, and Emrakul's Hatcher).
Howling Mine and Font of Mythos.
And this card. And you've got a pretty decent and fun deck going. It's not tournament-quality, so Spike won't like it, but Johnny will love it because it's unique, and Timmy will like it because the effect gets massive.
This card may not be the most powerful, but it is definitely fun.
7 cmc does hurt no doubt about that.
IMO this is the second best monored EDH card after Insurrection, and don't think this is only true because of how it works out with Kresh. Even if you're not playing a lot of creatures, it's likely that someone else at the table will be, and you can use their deaths to hurt anyone. Most prevalently, it is a win condition, but even if you have only a few creatures, or nothing but the threat of killing the creatures of others, this acts as a deterrant as well. Your opponents may even intentionally reduce their hand size to avoid greater damage.
Also, if you are using a lot of creatures, try not to let this get taken. I've found that turbo fog is more than willing to adapt its strategy.
In the set after this one, we got Runeflare Trap. A little cheaper, but utilizes the Trap subtype to allow it to be even more playable when it counts (they have a lot of cards) opposed to this which is so late in the game it barely shocks them at time. Next set, we got Molten Psyche, which is arguably close is mechanic and is still in
Then we come to the current embodiment of this effect, one of the nigh broken sword that ironically ruins RDW's day; Sword of War and Peace. I'm pretty sure it is second only to Feast and Famine in power for the whole cycle.
So there you go, while in itself it wasn't that awesome of a card, it did give us a handful of decent progeny. Yeah, there were older versions like Adamaro, First to Desire, Gaze of Adamaro, and Sudden Impact. But this was the first sustained effect (Enchantment) to throw direct damage. (And give me a break, I'm grasping at straws here to legitimize the printing of this thing. :-P)
Even with its high cost, it does a good job of punishing those pesky blue mages.
Laugh manically.
A few multiplayer games later and not only am I public enemy number 1, but my metagame suddenly became a little more focused on enchantment removals.