Pointed Discussion

This, or Banefire?

@Necrolysis

Definitely Banefire, IMO.

I wonder if the exiling ability would work on a planeswalker as well...?

I doubt it, but then again...

Best art ever.

@Delnad: Planeswalkers aren't creatures. You were correct in being doubtful.

Demonfire is better with aggressive decks, since they tend to run on low mana and low hand. Banefire is better for a tempo or control deck, slower but tends to get enough mana for a 5+ damage.

With that said, I think both are good in their own field. One clear advantage Demonfire has is that not only it exiles creatures it doesn't have to be 5+ to achieve its highest effect. However, such power comes at a requirement of empty hand, which isn't always the best thing (or the easiest) for non-aggressive decks.

@Delnad
You need to read the card.
It says if a CREATURE would be put into the graveyard, exile instead.
The only Planeswalker that can currently be exiled with this is Gideon when he's a creature.

I get both. Keep in mind Banefire cost about 4x of Demonfire, and its only benefit is it's easier to be anti-counter. However Demonfire's exile creature is very good against any kind of graveyard resurrection deck, such as Grave Pact, or Oversold Cemetery, which is a good counter against burn decks.

Also correction for @ Delnad, you can't cast this on Gideon, because he's never a creature during your turn.

This is a nice finisher in burn, where control decks might try to stabilize at low life totals, this can just knock the rest off. Although I'd love to see a spell like this that had shroud or hexproof so redirect doesn't work on it...

Yay! Another strictly better versions of Blaze.

To hit Gideon Jura you would need to use something like Quicken, but with the Hellbent clause the damage would connect.
Great card, sure Banefire is better 90, no 95 percent of the time, but there was a three year difference between the two and the power level jumped. This was made when Blaze was the norm for X damage.

If you don't meet the hellbent condition, you still have an almost Disintegrate (which prevent regeneration). The ability to exile the dying creature is something that I value very high, for all the recurring ability like Unearth, Persist, Undying, Dredge and so on... The hellbent ability is just a nice surplus, that if you want to gain you have to plan it a little during deckbuilding, or know that this is you last spell you cast. That's another nice thing that makes me love this more than Banefire: it's the definitive spell, your last resource, your final answer...

Nice art, also!
5/5

@ Delnad:

The wording specifically says "if a creature dealt damage this way would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead." The only planeswalker so far who becomes a creature is Gideon Jura; because there is a Hellbent 'damage can't be prevented' clause, you could in fact bypass his ability, damage and exile Gideon with this spell. Note because this is a sorcery and Gideon only animates on its controller's turn, you would need an effect such as Quicken or Leyline of Anticipation to pull this off.