I've never liked these cards, it's just too much of a trouble for just one card. 1. you have to have enough mana for this 2. Enough for the creature 3. Enough for the ability 4. You get 1 card!!! YAY! There are so many better ways of spending your mana, this is useless
dgregory
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I think this has a place in nearly any deck. If a creature's about to die (Doom Blade on the stack, about to be killed in combat, etc.) you may as well profit from your creature's end rather than just watch it go to the graveyard.
Nighthawk42
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
From my experience in limited, not worth the card slot there. On the occasions when you could activate it without trading a creature for a card (creature about to die) there is nearly always something more important that you need your mana for and unless you use it twice you're just getting back to even and costing yourself 5+ mana in the process.
Using Jayemdae Tome, Greed, Browse, etc as a reference a card should cost about 4 mana without the sacrifice. Using Jalum Tome a card for a discard costs 2...seems this should be cheaper, but I think they're trying to avoid easy combos.
In constructed it might have a place in some sort of trick deck, but that's about it.
theelk801
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
It's like Rod of Ruin but worse.
Well, maybe just as bad. Still though, why do they make these uncommon?
snyden
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is useful for decks that need some way to sacrifice creatures consistantly, decks running cards that have creatures that die at the end of turn anyway, like Ball Lightning or anything unearthed, decks that take control of opponents creatures until end of turn, or decks that have creatures that have abilities that activate when they come into play, and a way to retrieve them from the graveyard.
In other words, it is for decks that make the sacrifice of a creature work to its own advantage to maximize the mana cost. Even then it is still a bit expensive unless it helps you out powerfully to offset the mana cost.
Splenivore
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
So you’re down two cards and before you ever see a card out of this. That’s underwhelming. I suppose it would be nice to have around for when your opponent tries to use removal on your creatures: you still lose your creature, but at least you’re not down a card. This would be especially nice to save something like Bloodghast from something like Path to Exile.
True_Mumin
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Apparently, since the Great Skullclamp Disaster of 2004 Wizards have become really, really careful about letting players sacrifice their creatures to draw cards. I'm sure this ability was way cheaper in early design, but they eventually decided to make it more expensive, just in case.
richter25
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I made a deck recently running hellspark elementals, Bloodghasts and Quest for the gravelord amongst other things. Do you think this would be beneficial considering the decks speedy aggro oriented? Maybe useful against a stalling control deck? Sideboard or maybe run one or two in deck or not at all? Any info greatly appreciated thx.
PhagePoker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(9 votes)
I'm glad they still print cards like this. It makes me feel better about pwning people with Baneslayer Angel. 1/5
Can i block a creature and still use the carnage altar's ability?
Yakutsk
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
You could potentially combo this card with Bloodghast. Then it's basically, a free card for three mana every time you play a land.
Duffey
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This thing is really here just for a way of destroying ur own creatures if u need to :/ maybe worldwake or rise will bring something that makes this better but blah
Gaussgoat
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This and Act of Treason are best friends. Hi! I just stole your creature and beat you up with him. Ooops! He's dead! I'll draw a card now :D
4/5
EvilCleavage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I give it a solid three for the instances it is useful, because in those instances it works wonders, i like using it with roil elemental
KarmasPayment
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Laff @ Phyrexian Vault. You can sacrifice one (1) creature to it to draw one (1) card.
This card has a higher activation cost obviously but can sac multiple creatures at once if someone Wraths. I don't see much use for this outside EDH but cards like Grave Pact, Abyssal Gatekeeper and Butcher of Malakir make this card stronger and even capable of killing pro-creatures while still drawing.
gelleetin
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Very versatile in the right deck (token, recursion, etc.). Especially useful in recursion decks because of all the Path to Exile's, Oblivion Ring's, and Journey to Nowhere's running around. Mana cost seems about right for the effect, though of course it is a bad fit for faster decks.
MasterOfEtherium
★☆☆☆☆ (1.9/5.0)(10 votes)
Card Doesnt Deserve The Artwork
tcollins
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Cathodion will give you infinite card draw if you pay the initial {3} to get the ball rolling with the right graveyard recursion.
Test-Subject_217601
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sort of like Phyrexian Vault, with the numbers switcheda bit.
TAGVoar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I always like to give cards the benefit-of-the-doubt, well, there are some exceptions. But I agree, this is a terrible card. Culling Dais, you tap it, sac a creature, then pay {1}, sac the Dais, and draw a card. Sure, a lot more could go wrong, but if your opponent hasn't killed the Dais by that point, they aren't going to. Granted, I could see this being useful if you had a crap-load of mana out on the table, and, maybe, say a bunch of Core Prowlers, and your opponent has a few poison counters... But the only reason I would ever see to use this card, is if you didn't have any other choice to sac your creature, and you really wanted it to hit the graveyard (Like Protean Hulk.)
Pol_Pot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
At first glance, Carnage Altar definitely looks like crap. Sacrificing a guy and paying 3 mana just to draw a card definitely comes off as being incredibly inefficient. However, unlike similar cards (such as the previously mentioned Phyrexian Vault and Culling Dais), Carnage Altar merely asks that you provide bodies and mana. Altar doesn't need to be tapped, nor does it have to blow itself up at the end. Definitely screams COMBO CARD, in my opinion.
Silly and practically useless. I can get much more bang for my buck out of combining Dragon Appeasements (yes, multiples work beautifully) and any spawn generator.
@ KarmasPayment: Sure, spending {3} per card draw is fine, but why not make {1} at the same time you'd be able to draw cards, and then use that floated mana to cast any spells you just drew? That's what the combo I just described is wonderful for. Just, don't sac all your spawns at once. One wrong move and a couple removal spells later, you could be left with no generators and just a fat enchantment that makes you skip your draw step. Definitely sac in moderation :)
EDIT: This is nice for dealing with any removal people throw at your guys, it's just a steep activation cost.
dberry02
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This actually isn't too bad on your mana curve since you pay 2 to play it on turn two, then you can activate it on turn three for 3 mana.
Salient
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It's like James Paick actively tries to turn in the most uninspiring unmemorable art possible for each card he's assigned.
"Carnage Altar" is not a card that should have unmemorable art; can you imagine what Chippy or Daarken would've done with it? Cripes.
The artwork reminds me of the altar in the first Narnia movie.. Poor Aslan:(
KokoshoForPresident
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
They're trying to make their uncommon artifacts less unfair. It worked until they reprinted Skullclamp for commander.
MindAblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like the art, a lone altar on an ominous, cloudy backdrop. Too bad the card sucks, even in my Glissa EDH deck where tokens are flying around like crazy that's a lot of mana burnt to draw one card.
blurrymadness
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Even at exorbitant costs, being able to turn card neutrality into card advantage is a big deal. While there are better versions of this; this counters any kill spell they throw at any creature (being any side-effects the kill spell has, such as killing similarly named creatures, exiling it, gaining them life, returning to their hand, or whatever) are nullified; and on top of the bonus of their spell fizzling and such, you gain a card.
Yeah it's three mana, so you need to be in a control deck or have dumped your hand already and yeah it's mediocre, but it's actually still useful. This isn't a card draw engine; this is an anti-removal card. Culling Dais is indeed much better most of the time; as are many sacrifice outlets; but give the card what is due.
Comments (34)
1. you have to have enough mana for this
2. Enough for the creature
3. Enough for the ability
4. You get 1 card!!! YAY! There are so many better ways of spending your mana, this is useless
Using Jayemdae Tome, Greed, Browse, etc as a reference a card should cost about 4 mana without the sacrifice. Using Jalum Tome a card for a discard costs 2...seems this should be cheaper, but I think they're trying to avoid easy combos.
In constructed it might have a place in some sort of trick deck, but that's about it.
Well, maybe just as bad. Still though, why do they make these uncommon?
In other words, it is for decks that make the sacrifice of a creature work to its own advantage to maximize the mana cost. Even then it is still a bit expensive unless it helps you out powerfully to offset the mana cost.
4/5
You can sacrifice one (1) creature to it to draw one (1) card.
This card has a higher activation cost obviously but can sac multiple creatures at once if someone Wraths. I don't see much use for this outside EDH but cards like Grave Pact, Abyssal Gatekeeper and Butcher of Malakir make this card stronger and even capable of killing pro-creatures while still drawing.
Granted, I could see this being useful if you had a crap-load of mana out on the table, and, maybe, say a bunch of Core Prowlers, and your opponent has a few poison counters... But the only reason I would ever see to use this card, is if you didn't have any other choice to sac your creature, and you really wanted it to hit the graveyard (Like Protean Hulk.)
However, unlike similar cards (such as the previously mentioned Phyrexian Vault and Culling Dais), Carnage Altar merely asks that you provide bodies and mana. Altar doesn't need to be tapped, nor does it have to blow itself up at the end. Definitely screams COMBO CARD, in my opinion.
Want an interesting use for it? Myr tribal/combo.
also, this card does not need to tap to use it's effect makes it abusable incombo decks
@ KarmasPayment:
Sure, spending {3} per card draw is fine, but why not make {1} at the same time you'd be able to draw cards, and then use that floated mana to cast any spells you just drew? That's what the combo I just described is wonderful for. Just, don't sac all your spawns at once. One wrong move and a couple removal spells later, you could be left with no generators and just a fat enchantment that makes you skip your draw step. Definitely sac in moderation :)
EDIT: This is nice for dealing with any removal people throw at your guys, it's just a steep activation cost.
"Carnage Altar" is not a card that should have unmemorable art; can you imagine what Chippy or Daarken would've done with it? Cripes.
Yeah it's three mana, so you need to be in a control deck or have dumped your hand already and yeah it's mediocre, but it's actually still useful. This isn't a card draw engine; this is an anti-removal card. Culling Dais is indeed much better most of the time; as are many sacrifice outlets; but give the card what is due.
2.5/5