incase they ever do get to play a creature, with all the grixis discard and milling going on, why not just take it and beat them with it? =D
PhageRules1
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(8 votes)
I wish that this name had been given to a creature, but I still love the card. Name, art, mechanic, and flavor text are all awesome and converge beautifully. The mechanic is a perfect idea; the combination of two fairly-oft-used mechanics (temporary theft and temporary putting a creature into play) combine to form something that also incorporates removal. Very elegant. And to top it off, it's an excellent use of gold hybrid.
Dingo777
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(9 votes)
hehe, steal my opponents 30/30 feral hydra, bet he was wondering why I pumped it up at the end of his turn
Studoku
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(6 votes)
Really good card and I say that as someone who's been on the receiving end of it. My opponent controlled my 19/19 rockslide elemental, forcing me to block with my 17/17 algae gharial.
This art is awesome. It actually inspires awe in me.
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(9 votes)
I think this is one of the most elegantly designed cards I've seen in quite some time. A perfect mashup of the three colors' abilites, all rounded up in a nice and very much playable package. Two thumbs up!
God_of_Destruction
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
I run three of these in my black-red deck...i stole a 25/25 scavenger drake and 20/20 rockslide elemental in a multiplayer game and used those creatures to attack their former master... it feels like u are Nicol Bolas in reality...
Mprime818
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
What awesome artwork, worthy of the title of Bolas hands down from the art to the card itself, to the flavor text... This card gets oohhhhs and ahhhhs as well as style points everytime it is played in my shop... i usually wait until turn 7 so i can countersquall any counter attempt and take life...
Talshor
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(5 votes)
This card is awesome in any deck that can play it, but is more mana-expensive than Act of Treason. 4.5/5 Also: Epic art & FT
MasterOfEtherium
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(5 votes)
Oh My God Absoloutley Epic Card The Promos Are Sick To
Archangelion
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
It should be more expensive than Act of Treason, it kills the creature when your done punching your opponent with it. Yes, I think it IS Battlegrace Angel, the artwork suggests so.
FD_02
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Amazing art, amazing flavor and one of the best cards that can completely screw up your opponent's board advantage. It's Mind Control with Act of Treason and a little bit of Terminate mixed in.
Poor Battlegrace Angel, the card where she's depicted as a slave is better than her actual card.
Jokergius
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
Who wants to be like good ol' Bloas? Bitter, old, cranky, but destructive? Then look no further, 'cause here's "Slave of Bolas!"
cadenblade
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This is a great card. just wish it cost one less. Def a good control card since you actually get to destroy the creature at the end of the turn. Not only do you smack them in the face with their creature, you get rid of it when you're done. hahaha }:)
DragonLord132
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Awesome! Grab your opponent's biggest creature and swing with it, it dies when blocked(destroying more creatures) or it deals life damage than it's sacrificed. All of this for 5! Where mono-color would have been 6.
AXER
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
So when you sacrifice the creature you gained control of, does it go to its owners Graveyard or to yours?
Air_Silverblade
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
The art is so awesome, that it makes me feel sad for that poor angel..
I don't know why you are all so exited about this card. In my opinion it falls short. Personally, after seeing the art on a separate occasion I was quite disappointed by the card itself.
Mind control is just so much better, it takes the creature and lets you keep it for the same price as this one. Also, this one requires you to use a two colored deck at least, mind control can be used in a pure blue deck. Overall, Mind control is just better. Also, if you just want something dead, there are much cheaper ways to kill something.
I do admit that I like the elegance of the idea: take the creature, and kill it when your done. If only it were a little cheaper than it might look much better.
base rating: ***
Elegance of design: +* Comparative failure: -* Cost: -*/2
Final: ** */2
Donovan_Fabian
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(8 votes)
I think some people criminally under rate this card primarily because they don't understand how big of a utility it really is that the creature is sacrificed at the end. There are no other targeted sacrifices in the game (that I can think of off the top of my head), all others are like cruel edict or barter in blood. This mean it just devastates indestructibles, and doesn't care about the creatures size or color. It's not good against shroud, persist, or protection from color x (although if your playing red you can use banefire for that), but it just tackles everything else you can think of. I think many people forget that how powerful the card is also scales with the creature in play, and is one of the best ways to follow up an austere command or a damnation; clearing the board of any follow up creature they might have to try to regain a lead.
For example, its distinctly more powerful on (and these are examples of creatures I've actually used this on):
Magus of the disk (wrath field by auto untapping it with the spell)
Mangara of corondor (exile itself and other target creature for a 2 for 1)
Rampaging baloths (steal the creature then drop your own land to keep a token)
Admonition angel (same as above)
Baneslayer (get a 5 point life gain and deal 5)
to name a few, and even more so that you can remove their biggest threat and hit them with it. It's hybrid mana cost allows you to play it in blue black or red black as well, so its playable in merfolk or grixis or esper or jund. For jund colors you can use rise from the grave on the creature you just killed or even follow up with a vengeful rebirth, take creature and hit them with it, burn another creature with the vengeful rebirth for 5 while bringing back the slave of bolas, and then use it again. How many other removals give you that kind of card advantage? Other removals rather are efficient low cost removal, but only get rid of one creature at a time or give trade offs (like fiery justice and path to exile), barring cards like lavalanche.
NeoSin
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
It involves Bolas, so its epic.
EvilCleavage
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Ok I think why a lot of people stay away from this card is because it is expensive. straight up, and if it gets countered your out 5 mana. Not very great in that scenario. But amazing when it works. 4/5
OpenSeasonNoobs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Anyone feel like Wizards is just replicating Yawgmoth in Nicol Bolas and saying it's different by adding blue and red to it..?
Anyway, it's an amazing card. Some people are saying it's overcosted, but think about it this way, it's a Terminate and an Act of Treason all rolled up into one card and not adding any cmc. Great late game, deserves a 2 of in a grixis discard/control if not a 4 of.
Mindbend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
ray of comand is better if used right
flanker7
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Best Art ever, Such emotion! Such flavor! Not to mention the insane card effect!
iNathan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
very good card indeed. and the picture is so cool. i just wish the angel in the picture was also her own card! she looks so cool.
channelblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
thanks for the reveillark! so i get a flying beater for a turn, you lose a creature, and I get to empty my gy back onto the bf? Sounds good to me.
mdakw576
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I don't know why you are all so exited about this card. In my opinion it falls short. Personally, after seeing the art on a separate occasion I was quite disappointed by the card itself.
Mind control is just so much better, it takes the creature and lets you keep it for the same price as this one. Also, this one requires you to use a two colored deck at least, mind control can be used in a pure blue deck. Overall, Mind control is just better. Also, if you just want something dead, there are much cheaper ways to kill something.
- Mind control doesn't untap the creature, so if you want to use it on something tapped you have to wait until the next turn to start using it. This is probably the most important point; an aggro or mid-range aggro deck doesn't want to wait that long. - Mind control can be destroyed by things like naturalize/oblivion ring/qasali pridemage/etc. - Mind control is generally worse on things that have leave battlefield abilities, such as sprouting thrinax (you gain the 3 tokens).
Mind control may still be better, but it's not "so much better". Both have their applications.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Angel rape
LarsBM
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I got a higher testosterone level than IQ, but I still admit feeling sad about that girl...
CerealBoxOfDoom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'd be worried if this didn't cost extra. I've noticed multicolored spells get alot of special treatment. Especially for grixis colors.
Bursama
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(9 votes)
I'll take your Darksteel Colossus, hit you for 11 damage and then sacrifice it. Thank you very much.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Although Act of Treason + Fling can yield better results, this is better in terms of card advantage.
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Bolas, you make good cards.
ZombieSnail
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Off the top of my head, my favorite art of the whole game. Aside from the awe, the wonder and the beauty, it shows that Bolas indeed has excellent taste in slaves. An iconic and powerful card from an awesome set, 5/5
darkgnosis
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I absolutely love the fact that it is an angel that is depicted here. Her completely brainwashed look perfectly captures Nicol Bola's sheer power/influence in the grand scheme of things. Love it. 10/10 for flavour alone.
Moleland
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(30 votes)
"Hey can I borrow that for a moment? Thanks...
Whoops - I think I broke it. My bad."
AngelPhoenix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Let's see. Works on any creature without shroud. Gives you the creature for a turn, thereby reducing their army by one, and increasing yours by one. Gives the creature haste so you can attack with it right off. And then SACRIFICES that creature, subverting indesturctablity and regeneration.
Protection you say? Well, in casual, run with moonlace and/or Ersazt Golems. Emrakul, the Aeons what? Emrakul the Aeons MINE!!!
Easily my favorite multicolored spell of all time (Dakkon Blackblade takes the M/C Summon spot), and one of my favorite cards ever printed.
Endomarru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Akroma no!
Dr.Pingas
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@Angelphoenix; The Erstatz Golems and Moonlace wont work on Emrakul because of how protection works. Before you even cast the spell (this one for example), he's already exempt from being a target. You'd have to target another creature with this and redirect it after it's colorless.
Astraea
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
While this is a fantastic card, I think I still prefer paying the 1 extra mana for Spinal Embrace.
Gelzo
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
If I wanted to have an effect like this in my deck, I'd just use Act of Treason and a sacrifice engine. Viscera Seer, for example.
Keiya
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Endomarru: You actually can't target either version of Akroma with this card, as they both have protection from it in some way (Akroma, Angel of Wrath is pro / while Akroma, Angel of Fury is pro ). If anything, I'd say the art much more closely depicts Battlegrace Angel than Akroma, which would make sense since Battlegrace is from the Alara block.
dragonhat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Besides being an endless supply of gleeful cackling from stealing your opponent's new Eldrazi, this card is helpfully versatile. The hybrid mana cost allows it to go in lots of decks. I run a red-green-black Jund deck, and I still run two of these things. One wouldn't be enough. My opponent thinks the danger is passed, then... Opponent: Okay, since you took and killed my Flameblast Dragon, I'll play my Hellkite Overlord! What are you going to do about that, huh? Me, assuming I don't steal it with Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund: I think I'll steal that and kill it as well. Thanks.
They should have reworded it to somehow allow you to get Akroma and other 'Protection' Angels from this. Because come on, it's freaking BOLAS.
Some kind of temporary Mindslaver effect targetting the player, then a Donate? You control their choice of what to Donate to you? idkn...
TheWallinator74
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Do you see this angel, Planeswalkers? This is the fate of those who would defy Lord Bolas. So make the right choice and join Lord Bolas' legions.
Hercynian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great artwork on a great card. Kill spell and damage spell in one. Also if it's your opponent's megalonoth or something then you are removing what is probably their only blocker as well.
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Slave of Bolas is an absolutely brutal card. In some ways it is even better than Control Magic.
"Oh, you just played a Wurmcoil Engine on your previous turn? Okay, on my turn, I'll use Slave of Bolas on it, attack, you take six, I gain six, at the end of my turn, it dies, and I get the creatures."
Comments (51)
This art is awesome. It actually inspires awe in me.
Also: Epic art & FT
Poor Battlegrace Angel, the card where she's depicted as a slave is better than her actual card.
Mind control is just so much better, it takes the creature and lets you keep it for the same price as this one. Also, this one requires you to use a two colored deck at least, mind control can be used in a pure blue deck. Overall, Mind control is just better. Also, if you just want something dead, there are much cheaper ways to kill something.
I do admit that I like the elegance of the idea: take the creature, and kill it when your done. If only it were a little cheaper than it might look much better.
base rating: ***
Elegance of design: +*
Comparative failure: -*
Cost: -*/2
Final: ** */2
For example, its distinctly more powerful on (and these are examples of creatures I've actually used this on):
Magus of the disk (wrath field by auto untapping it with the spell)
Mangara of corondor (exile itself and other target creature for a 2 for 1)
Rampaging baloths (steal the creature then drop your own land to keep a token)
Admonition angel (same as above)
Baneslayer (get a 5 point life gain and deal 5)
to name a few, and even more so that you can remove their biggest threat and hit them with it. It's hybrid mana cost allows you to play it in blue black or red black as well, so its playable in merfolk or grixis or esper or jund. For jund colors you can use rise from the grave on the creature you just killed or even follow up with a vengeful rebirth, take creature and hit them with it, burn another creature with the vengeful rebirth for 5 while bringing back the slave of bolas, and then use it again. How many other removals give you that kind of card advantage? Other removals rather are efficient low cost removal, but only get rid of one creature at a time or give trade offs (like fiery justice and path to exile), barring cards like lavalanche.
Anyway, it's an amazing card. Some people are saying it's overcosted, but think about it this way, it's a Terminate and an Act of Treason all rolled up into one card and not adding any cmc. Great late game, deserves a 2 of in a grixis discard/control if not a 4 of.
Not to mention the insane card effect!
Mind control is just so much better, it takes the creature and lets you keep it for the same price as this one. Also, this one requires you to use a two colored deck at least, mind control can be used in a pure blue deck. Overall, Mind control is just better. Also, if you just want something dead, there are much cheaper ways to kill something.
- Mind control doesn't untap the creature, so if you want to use it on something tapped you have to wait until the next turn to start using it. This is probably the most important point; an aggro or mid-range aggro deck doesn't want to wait that long.
- Mind control can be destroyed by things like naturalize/oblivion ring/qasali pridemage/etc.
- Mind control is generally worse on things that have leave battlefield abilities, such as sprouting thrinax (you gain the 3 tokens).
Mind control may still be better, but it's not "so much better". Both have their applications.
Aside from the awe, the wonder and the beauty, it shows that Bolas indeed has excellent taste in slaves.
An iconic and powerful card from an awesome set, 5/5
Whoops - I think I broke it. My bad."
Protection you say? Well, in casual, run with moonlace and/or Ersazt Golems. Emrakul, the Aeons what? Emrakul the Aeons MINE!!!
Easily my favorite multicolored spell of all time (Dakkon Blackblade takes the M/C Summon spot), and one of my favorite cards ever printed.
The Erstatz Golems and Moonlace wont work on Emrakul because of how protection works. Before you even cast the spell (this one for example), he's already exempt from being a target. You'd have to target another creature with this and redirect it after it's colorless.
Opponent: Okay, since you took and killed my Flameblast Dragon, I'll play my Hellkite Overlord! What are you going to do about that, huh?
Me, assuming I don't steal it with Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund: I think I'll steal that and kill it as well. Thanks.
Some kind of temporary Mindslaver effect targetting the player, then a Donate? You control their choice of what to Donate to you? idkn...
"Oh, you just played a Wurmcoil Engine on your previous turn? Okay, on my turn, I'll use Slave of Bolas on it, attack, you take six, I gain six, at the end of my turn, it dies, and I get the creatures."
4.5/5