wouldnt use it in two headed giant but put on a double striker and bam, those massive life gain decks have a problem now
Rocketz
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I just booster packed one of these. It's a great addition to my swamp walk deck. I either equip it to one of my many swamp walkers so it deals combat damage every turn or equip it to Blood Cultist to destroy a creature per turn and gain a +1/+1 counter each time.
Then sac like 10 creatures and kill an enemy with over 1000 health. Hooray
Universalis
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The text says combat damage, so Deathbringer Thoctar's ability doesn't trigger the card's effect, am I wrong?
Kenji18
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Universalis: You are correct. The Deathbringer Thoctor's ping ability will not trigger the "lose half your life" ability. It is the deathtouch that is important.
Douchette
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
If you are looking for a good combo for Deathbringer Thoctar, the card Death Baron will work much better, especially if you are running a zombie deck. The reason is, if you are using the combo to take out creatures one by one, you do not need to direct attck the opponent, and Quietus Spike only applies to one creature. Death Baron's bonus applies to all your zombies, therefore it is much better, especially if you are going to run a zombies deck.
SavageBrain89
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Equip to a cheap unblockable creature and attack with Finest Hour in the battlefield. Let's say that the unblockable creature with the Quietus Spike equiped to it is Jhessian Infiltrator. I attack with the infiltrator, first combat step it deals at least three damage, then the opponent loses half (lets imagine that the opponent is at twenty life) putting them down to eight remaining life. Second combat phase I attack again, this time putting them at two life. Next turn they die; theres a good combo with Quietus Spike.
hail_squishface
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
my friend put one of these on a wojek embermage. would've been a funny combo if i didn't kill the mage. good card. so many possibilities.
coyotemoon722
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Amazing. Get this out early in a 1 on 1 and turn cripple the other player. 5
JaxsonBateman
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Works quite well on creatures with trample, especially if they can regenerate or are indestructable. I've got one in my artifact deck and enjoy getting it out with Darksteel Colossus - it says to the opponenet "ok, either block all 11 of my damage and potentially lose every creature you're blocking with, or let even 1 damage get through and lose over half your health". Not a decision anyone besides a life gainer or someone already on low health wants to have to make.
Endlessor
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If, for example, i attack with 2 creatures and one is equiped with Quietus Spike, while my opponent has no creature onto the battlefield. How the damages are dealt to my oppponent? Is the dammage done by creature One go first then the dammage by creature 2 (equip whit Quietus Spike), then the opponent lose half is life round up? Or, the opponent life is going half round up, then my creatures deal their damages?
Madawasp
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(5 votes)
This card equipped on Kor Duelist ftw. Turn 3 hitting someone for 16 damage!
MrPink343
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(8 votes)
Kor Duelist likes this card. Anything that enables a 1/1 to hit for 16 damage on turn four is alright in my book.
hanoverfitz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(5 votes)
do you have to equip every up keep
faisjdas
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Great with dark ritual . . . but then again any black/colourless card is great with dark ritual.
HairlessThoctar
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(5 votes)
For something that's actually easy to cast, try this on Kor Duelist.
fabujs
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(6 votes)
If the equipped creature has double strike. And the other player is full life.
Example: 1/1 creature + Quietus Spike + Something that gives double strike..
The result will be: 19->9->8->4 ?????
Belz_
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Huh... so if I have an Inkfathom Infiltrator equipped with this and Fireshrieker, I can drop my opponent from 20 life to 3 in one turn. Neat...
Zulp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm liking this in a R/U deck with lots of Gelectrodes. And of course Goblin Sharpshooter breaks it wide open.
BlackAlbino
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
kor dualist? try cunning sparkmage
Tezz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
it needs to be combat damage, so gelectrode, cunning sparkmage and other pingers dont work. you need unblockable
XTwistedsoulX
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Double strike, unblockable, any evasion makes this card awesome. Death touch for the pingers works vs creatures but they won't hit a player for half there life. I love this card. Building a deck for it now.
ninjaduckie
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I know this card is freakin awesome! BUT. every single time I try to put it in a deck I always end up taking it out for just about any other card. Its great but I just can not find any use for it. I think that because it becomes such a huge threat it almost always becomes priority to remove it.
RowanKeltizar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@hanoverfitz: No
surewhynot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
From the flavor of what the thing does, along with the artwork, it seems safe to say that this spike is evil. I wish there was flavor text for it, maybe then we could know why it's so deadly, and why it's kept wrapped in cloth. Can someone even touch it? Or is it so lethal that its mere contact is life-threatening?
As for the actual equipment itself, this thing is harsh. You force your opponent to either kill off one of his creatures, or lose half his life. Both outcomes are really bad late(r) game since it might mean killing off one of your key assets...or losing half your freakin' health.
feronimus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
gelectrode with ( or not ) freed from the real cabuummm !!
ddde
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(10 votes)
I'm going to have to go with Ronin Cliffrider as probably the best card to pair this with. When you attack with this you ping each creature for one, killing them via deathtouch, before blockers get declared, and then you swoop in doing 2 damage to your opponent and causing him to lose half his remaining life.
greyhour
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
3 mana for Phantom Warrior, a 2/2 unblockable. Then attacth this spike and the game will be over no more than three turns later.
Critiquer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Is this a reference to the suicide pills from "Children of Men"?
Storm crows weapon of choice when slaying his foes
Wormfang
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this + any landwalker
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hilarious in EDH / Commander. Watch their hitpoints just vanish!
RakshaGoldenCub
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Raksha Golden Cub + Quietus Spike + Whispersilk Cloak. Let's suppose your opponent has 20 life. Raksha deals 5 damage (15), then he/she loses half his/her life (7) then Raksha deals another 5 damage (2) and your opponent loses half of those 2 life (1). If you had Shuko or something like that that gives +1/+0 then Raksha deals 6 damage (14) and the opponent loses half his/her life (7). Until now, the same. But things change when Raksha deals yet other 6 damage (1) and the opponent loses his/her last life, courtesy of the Spike. Nice!
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If it didn't specify combat damage, I would have slapped it onto Rumbling Slum in a multiplayer game.
ZuesAscendant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Madawasp: It's 15 damage (assuming they have 20 life)
Kor Duelist deals 1 damage, they go to 19, Quietus Spike triggers and halves their life to 9.5, which is rounded up to 10. Duelist hits a second time, they go to 9, Quietus Spike reduces them to 4.5, which is rounded up to 5. Still not bad for a 1/1.
jsttu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
so nice. I run with boros swiftblade, who is a cheap doublestriker. Add in a sunforger to search for silver bullets and thundersong trumpeters to clear the way and you have a respectable deck.
I have to say this is a potentially pretty sweet card, since I just got through a game where my opponent had 4,000,000 life. Yes, really. Four Celestial Mantles can do that. Good thing I had an unblockable Platinum Angel with shroud and infect to pull me through. Still, I have to say Quietus Spike would've been nice as an option.
sorin688
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this one is so sooo awesome it costs little and if you put it on a creature with tramplethats powerful you can kill many at one time and then once you hit your opponent hes half dead. then in like third move you are at 20 to 10 and pwoning so this put on all four this card get a any price. its very good how ever make shure to use at begining so it most efevtive
PhyrexianAdvocate
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fantastic in EDH, especially if your using a general like Eight-and-a-Half-Tails that makes your creatures nearly impossible to block.
Tetsu_tora
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This + Stormcrow= GG
umumwhatshisname
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ebonblade Reaper with this and double strike ko's opponents with 1 attack
even just with a viridian claw this is good. First strike + deathtouch and your opponents will never want to attack. Is nice.
raptorman333
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I run this in my unblockable deck. gg
Annoyilator
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
QUESTION: If the equip cost just says "Equip: 2" without including "Equip only as a sorcery" or words to that effect, does that mean it equips as an instant?
Jake1991
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
@ Annoyilator:
Equipping is always at sorcery speed, unless an effect states otherwise.
Stinga
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A fun combo with this is Darksteel Sentinel. Not ubergood but very fun. Attack each turn and force them to lose a creature or take half their health and still be ready to kill whatever attackers they send at you while being very hard to get rid of.
Mentis_Materiei
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Unblockable was the first thing I thought of when I first saw this. This was the first thing I thought of when I saw Invisible Stalker. Very mean...
democidist
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.6/5.0)(5 votes)
@ddde: Ronin Cliffrider doesn't deal combat damage to each creature defending player controls, so that combo doesn't work.
@Annoyilator: Yes, that is correct.
@Jake1991: No, you're wrong, look things up before you talk out of your ***.
10Fold
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
@democidist Deathtouch+Ronin Cliffrider DOES work. Deathtouch states any damage, not any -combat- damage is considered lethal.
Equip is always sorcery speed. Cards like Brass Squire may be able to ATTACH at instant speed, but the keyword Equip means " Attach this equipment to target creature. Play this ability only any time you would cast a sorcery."
And finally, try looking up the rulings yourself before you call others out on them.
Aside from that, solid card. 4 please.
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(8 votes)
In EDH this reads:
Elder Wand
Equipped General has : Destroy target creature or player. Equip target General
WOW.
Also, speaking of EDH, this is going straight into my Kaalia of the Vast/Concerted Effort deck, along with Kor Duelist. (Thanks for the tip ppl who mentioned the Duelist!)
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Actually the only thing this needs is a creature with trample. Each blocker would be able to absorb only 1 damage because of deathtouch. The costs and the combat damage trigger remind me of a sword (as in Sword of Light and Shadow), except not so broken.
bantar
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
wound reflection, but I still think that equipments aren't that good and that wound reflection costs too much. Who knows though in black with dark rituals.
CorkBulb
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(11 votes)
UGH! I can't stand all these rules arguments! It drives me CRAZY
@democidist:
No, you are wrong! Jake1991 is correct. 10Fold already pointed this out but since there seems to be some disagreement, I will cite the official comprehensive rulebook:
702.6a Equip is an activated ability of Equipment cards. “Equip ” means “: Attach this permanent to target creature you control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.”
@ZeusAscendant and RakshaGoldenCub:
No, the loss of life is rounded up. 19 would result in a loss of 10. It says so in the ruling.
As for deathtouch, if any creature deals any damage at any time with deathtouch, the creature that it dealt damage to is destroyed. This includes combat damage, ability damage and damage from effects like "fighting", such as from prey upon. If the ability or an effect says "this creature will deal damage to another creature", or "X deals damage to Y", and the creature has deathtouch, the creature dealt damage is destroyed. This DOES NOT have to be targeted.
Ronin Cliffrider that has gained deathtouch will destroy all of the defending player's creatures.
And yes, all Deathbringer Thoctar needs is deathtouch and a single counter and he will wipe the field of all targetable creatures.
If a creature has double strike and is not blocked, it will deal its combat damage once, then the triggered ability will activate, players get priority, the ability will resolve and half the damaged player's life, then it will deal its power again, the triggered ability will activate, players get priority, the ability will resolve and half the damaged player's life a second time. So, a Kor Duelist will result in a loss of 16 life: 20-1=19/2(round up)=9-1=8/2=4. This is also a good time to note that the loss of life is rounded up. So, if your opponent has 19, they will lose 10 (it says so in the damn ruling people!)
The same thing goes for multiple quietus spikes on the same creature or different creatures. The ability triggers for each spike and are put on the stack. The abilities will then resolve one at a time, halving the defending player's life total each time. If a Kor Duelist has multiple spikes on him, each one will trigger twice. Ouch.
And finally, the "loses half his or her life" will only trigger with combat damage, not ability or effect damage, since it specifically states it on the card. To clarify, combat damage is dealt by a creature, equal to its power, to the defending player, during the combat phase of an attack. So a Prodigal Pyromancer equipped with a spike will not cause your opponent to lose half his or her life when he pings. He WILL, however, kill any non-indestructible creature he pings if he still has deathtouch at the time his damage ability resolves.
Hope this clears everything up.
Everything that could have possibly have been said about this card has been said, so my rating will simply follow. I'm not a fan of equipment in general, since it slows down your tempo, requires a creature to actually attach to, and usually just makes a removal magnet out of it. But this gets a solid 4/5
Morgaledh
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th'unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin?" -Shakespeare, Hamlet.
Ender-A
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
@DarthParallax
No... Quietus Spike doesn't cause the creature to do half their health in damage, it causes the player to lose half their life. The life loss is not attributed to the commander, so it doesn't count for the "20 commander damage" rule.
Anywho, CorkBulb is entirely correct.
Cyanide17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Obscenely powerful. Thankfully it doesn't seem to interact with infect in any way. But really, how did this get printed?
azure_drake222222
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
QUIET!
Haplo81
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The text is a misprint, it should read "3: Target player loses the game unless he has artifact removal or reusable creature kill."
Bobth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Vorapede is pretty much the perfect creature to equip this to, having undying and vigilance to benefit from being a great blocker with the deathtouch, and trample to hit the enemy player. Invisible Stalker is obviously good too, but doesn't use the deathtouch at all, and can benefit from many other, purely offensive equipments as well, such as Loxodon Warhammer.
Vastator
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. This is a masterpiece of cruelty, I doff my hat for you oh most loyal of friends. I love thee so! Such loveliness shall not be kept hidden. I shall make a world of thee.
Theater aside, here's a down to earth reason why this is so obscenely over powered:
I run this in a black-white knight deck that has knights that have protection against every color except for blue ...
With double strike, if your opponent is at 18 let's say ... and I have my Knight Exemplars (2 of the 4) out with my Mirran Crusader, I hit you for 4, you are now at 14, Quietus Spike kicks in, you are take down to 6, I hit you again, you are down to 2, Quietus Spike Kicks in, you are now at 0.
Dead as the proverbial dodo (no doubt cooked and eaten by the knights in their grand feast)
Jabbersnatch
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Vastator Incorrect, if you are describing your unblocked +2/+2 Mirran Crusader with Quietus Spike attacking an opponent at 18 life. You don't round whole numbers. You would do 4 damage, then reduce their life by 7 down to 7. You would then do 4 damage again, then reduce their life by 2 (rounded up from 1.5). They would have 1 life left.
@O0oze Or actually, use on Master of Cruelties for no effect whatsoever. He already has Deathtouch, and if unblocked he assigns no combat damage.
Comments (66)
wouldnt use it in two headed giant but put on a double striker and bam, those massive life gain decks have a problem now
Then sac like 10 creatures and kill an enemy with over 1000 health. Hooray
Example: 1/1 creature + Quietus Spike + Something that gives double strike..
The result will be: 19->9->8->4 ?????
As for the actual equipment itself, this thing is harsh. You force your opponent to either kill off one of his creatures, or lose half his life. Both outcomes are really bad late(r) game since it might mean killing off one of your key assets...or losing half your freakin' health.
cabuummm !!
Kor Duelist deals 1 damage, they go to 19, Quietus Spike triggers and halves their life to 9.5, which is rounded up to 10. Duelist hits a second time, they go to 9, Quietus Spike reduces them to 4.5, which is rounded up to 5. Still not bad for a 1/1.
Equipping is always at sorcery speed, unless an effect states otherwise.
@Annoyilator: Yes, that is correct.
@Jake1991: No, you're wrong, look things up before you talk out of your ***.
Deathtouch+Ronin Cliffrider DOES work. Deathtouch states any damage, not any -combat- damage is considered lethal.
Equip is always sorcery speed. Cards like Brass Squire may be able to ATTACH at instant speed, but the keyword Equip means " Attach this equipment to target creature. Play this ability only any time you would cast a sorcery."
And finally, try looking up the rulings yourself before you call others out on them.
Aside from that, solid card. 4 please.
Elder Wand
Equipped General has
Equip target General
WOW.
Also, speaking of EDH, this is going straight into my Kaalia of the Vast/Concerted Effort deck, along with Kor Duelist. (Thanks for the tip ppl who mentioned the Duelist!)
The costs and the combat damage trigger remind me of a sword (as in Sword of Light and Shadow), except not so broken.
@democidist:
No, you are wrong! Jake1991 is correct. 10Fold already pointed this out but since there seems to be some disagreement, I will cite the official comprehensive rulebook:
702.6a Equip is an activated ability of Equipment cards. “Equip ” means “
permanent to target creature you control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a
sorcery.”
@ZeusAscendant and RakshaGoldenCub:
No, the loss of life is rounded up. 19 would result in a loss of 10. It says so in the ruling.
As for deathtouch, if any creature deals any damage at any time with deathtouch, the creature that it dealt damage to is destroyed. This includes combat damage, ability damage and damage from effects like "fighting", such as from prey upon. If the ability or an effect says "this creature will deal damage to another creature", or "X deals damage to Y", and the creature has deathtouch, the creature dealt damage is destroyed. This DOES NOT have to be targeted.
Ronin Cliffrider that has gained deathtouch will destroy all of the defending player's creatures.
And yes, all Deathbringer Thoctar needs is deathtouch and a single counter and he will wipe the field of all targetable creatures.
If a creature has double strike and is not blocked, it will deal its combat damage once, then the triggered ability will activate, players get priority, the ability will resolve and half the damaged player's life, then it will deal its power again, the triggered ability will activate, players get priority, the ability will resolve and half the damaged player's life a second time. So, a Kor Duelist will result in a loss of 16 life: 20-1=19/2(round up)=9-1=8/2=4. This is also a good time to note that the loss of life is rounded up. So, if your opponent has 19, they will lose 10 (it says so in the damn ruling people!)
The same thing goes for multiple quietus spikes on the same creature or different creatures. The ability triggers for each spike and are put on the stack. The abilities will then resolve one at a time, halving the defending player's life total each time. If a Kor Duelist has multiple spikes on him, each one will trigger twice. Ouch.
And finally, the "loses half his or her life" will only trigger with combat damage, not ability or effect damage, since it specifically states it on the card. To clarify, combat damage is dealt by a creature, equal to its power, to the defending player, during the combat phase of an attack. So a Prodigal Pyromancer equipped with a spike will not cause your opponent to lose half his or her life when he pings. He WILL, however, kill any non-indestructible creature he pings if he still has deathtouch at the time his damage ability resolves.
Hope this clears everything up.
Everything that could have possibly have been said about this card has been said, so my rating will simply follow. I'm not a fan of equipment in general, since it slows down your tempo, requires a creature to actually attach to, and usually just makes a removal magnet out of it. But this gets a solid 4/5
Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin?"
-Shakespeare, Hamlet.
No... Quietus Spike doesn't cause the creature to do half their health in damage, it causes the player to lose half their life. The life loss is not attributed to the commander, so it doesn't count for the "20 commander damage" rule.
Anywho, CorkBulb is entirely correct.
Theater aside, here's a down to earth reason why this is so obscenely over powered:
I run this in a black-white knight deck that has knights that have protection against every color except for blue ...
With double strike, if your opponent is at 18 let's say ... and I have my Knight Exemplars (2 of the 4) out with my Mirran Crusader, I hit you for 4, you are now at 14, Quietus Spike kicks in, you are take down to 6, I hit you again, you are down to 2, Quietus Spike Kicks in, you are now at 0.
Dead as the proverbial dodo (no doubt cooked and eaten by the knights in their grand feast)
Incorrect, if you are describing your unblocked +2/+2 Mirran Crusader with Quietus Spike attacking an opponent at 18 life. You don't round whole numbers. You would do 4 damage, then reduce their life by 7 down to 7. You would then do 4 damage again, then reduce their life by 2 (rounded up from 1.5). They would have 1 life left.
@O0oze
Or actually, use on Master of Cruelties for no effect whatsoever. He already has Deathtouch, and if unblocked he assigns no combat damage.
jabbersnatch: kidding.
i know how the game works...