not gonna enjoy arguing that because it says "TARGET PLAYER" and not target creature you don't get to make me sac my big creatures so deal with the 1 life you gain from me sac'ing the 1/1 weeny whose only use is to chump block
HairlessThoctar
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
This doesn't seem like it should be rare.
But then you stop and think. Do you really want to see MORE of these in limited? Of course not.
DonRoyale
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
I don't like it because I play 2 creatures in my Grixis Control deck; 2 copies of Sphinx of Jwar Isle. This gets around pesky shroud creatures and eats them for lots of life.
I like the card because my deck struggles to stay above single-digit life totals while trying to cast Cruel Ultimatum. Thus, this will be used in said deck. In multiples.
It's a love-hate relationship, really.
But good card is good. Really, really good.
dacow
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
this card is going to be quite an interesting one, what really makes it good is the rebound. against control decks, its going to be clutch, for other decks its mainly 2 creatures for 1 which works well against any non-token deck
faisjdas
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
A 2 for 1 with built in lifegain.
Also, it can still be a nice play against arggo, even if they only have one creature on the board. You kill their one creature, and they won't even drop a creature their next turn, considering it's just giving you free life.
Temple_Garden
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This is going to be fun to play against. Yay! More black removal you can do nothing about in standard.
dudecow
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I pulled a foil one at the prerelease, and it was really good. But it was kind of annoying when they had 5 Eldrazi Spawn out. It'll probably be better in standard than limited, because less spawn will be played.
A0602
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Awesome killing, would have liked it if they made it so that they could only sacrifice a nontoken creature, because I figure that eldrazi spawns are going to be the creatures they sack...
ByGoblinsBeDriven
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
So I was just kind of browsing through the RotE sortable spoiler to see if there was anything new for my Vampire deck. I seriously have no idea how I missed seeing this thing when the set was revealed. I think about it like this: this card costs the same as Tendrils of Corruption but has the possibility of gaining you more life than Tendrils (given that it rebounds), plus it serves as a handy solution to creatures that are too big to be Tendril'd. I am definitely going to try and get a playset of these.
Sacrier
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is a dissappointing rare IMO. In a format with spawn everywhere, basically what this card gets you is two life for 4. :-\
Donovan_Fabian
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is good.. but not nearly as good as one might think. Why? Because the standard environment it exists in is filled with eldrazi tokens. In a normal eldrazi vs eldrazi'esque battle (and of course you don't necessarily need to be running eldrazi to play cards like growth spasm), your opponent will not hestitate to sac. their eldrazi spawn. Basically you get to slow down your opponent a little bit, take out a couple chump blockers, and gain 2 life. Which isn't to bad for 4 mana, but not quite the hype that people are making out of it.
f_fivefiftyseven
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
@ Sacrier
While you are right in that if a player has any Eldrazi Spawn Tokens, they'll sac them instead of their fatties, your forgetting that you can use this AFTER they've sacrificed them all to play their favourite fattie or level up their Transcendent Master during your next turn. The only big monster I see being a problem for this card is Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, because of the built in Timewalk, meaning that you have survive a round of this slamming you for 15 points of flying damage, plus sacrificing 6 permanents, plus an extra turn of whatever they've got lying around.
which when you think of it almost makes it seem like playing 4 mana to get rid of a couple of spawn might not be the worst idea ever
SolidSoldier
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
For those who doubt this card's prowess, think about this: Gatekeeper of Malakir costs 3B to make your opponent sac a creature. This is only 1B plus 3 colorless, so only 1 mana more to play, plus you get some life, PLUS you can play it again on your next turn. How is this card not playable in constructed?
ClockworkSwordfish
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
This isn't so great within RoE, but in other formats where there are less likely to be swarms of 0/1s, this is darn fun. Wreaks havoc on decks that don't run many creatures.
TheGodOfWar91
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
You're killing 2 creatures and essentially gaining the same life you probably would with Tendrils of Corruption, but for the same CMC. It also gets rid of Shrouders like Jwar Jwar.
I can't give it anything less than a 5/5.
dgregory
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Such a cruel card. A lot's been said about how it's a 2-for-1 kill spell and, while that's true, you get the most value out of playing this when they have only 1 creature. You know exactly what they're going to sacrifice and with the rebound floating over their head next turn, most people won't play a creature spell their next turn if they know it's just going to be eaten right away.
So really, instead of 2 cruel edicts, you're getting an edict+a mini time walk. There is nothing wrong with that.
Arxonius
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card will be awesome in Vintage or Extended against Green creatures and White creatures with protections, plus it gives you some life 5/5
Zeha
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
a bomb in limited ran two of these
Swordfishtrombones
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
IMO one of the best cards in the eldrazi set. Major props, 5/5, not only does black need this to battle the broken forces of white/blue, it benefits from the life gain as well. punch in the face to white makes my day. Rids the field of jwar jwar/baneslayer, gaining 10 life off it, or two walls of omen gaining 8 life. absolutely amazing.
flipsyalec
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i've used 4 copies of this card heavily in local standard tournaments, and it's my favorite card in my deck. playing red/black is it's best fit. plenty of spot removal for small critters they have floating around, and use this to make them sack something like wall of denial, or baneslayer. heck, i even fired one off just to rid my opponent of two khalni plant tokens. ended up keeping me alive for one more turn where i drew my lighning bolt for the win.
want some laughs? try firing it with a fully countered pyromancer's ascension or two on the board. one sided day of judgment plus life gain? yes please!
@donovan_fabian if you don't like it against spawns, sideboard it out and put shrivel in.
Sugga
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This in Legacy or Vintage? I can see it happening. At least two in my deck! 4,5.
Laguz
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Strangely enough, this card is terrible in draft. You're almost always going to kill two eldrazi spawn tokens and get a measly two life. It's in constructed that this really shines, especially later in the game.
Just once, I'd like to be able to choose what my opponent has to sacrifice.
Far too often I find myself with a card like this or cruel edict or what have you and my opponent is playing white weeny or worse- a token deck. Nobody wants to sacrifice a baneslayer if they have a soldier token out : /
Pwnsaw
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oddly enough, this card does not feel overpowered for the cost. Its a bonafide two for one, but you generally don't get to eat their best dude. If they have tokens or disposable men such as bloodghast, or squadron hawk the effect is heavily dampened. This card is a bit worse in practice than it looks on paper.
Four mana is enough to get extra value out of your removal. This is either a supplement to one for one spot removal, or used in concert with sweepers like pyroclasm or consume the meek to eat their fatties.
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The true beauty of this card is when you have 4 in your hand, cast one, they sac, next turn you cast the other and they sac 2, and next turn they sack 1, did this when I was playing vamp against infect, won me the game. This is simply great, one of the cards that are better in standard than in draft. I have begun preferring sacrifice to traditional black removal "so, I see you just got out your sphinx of jwar isle, Emrakul frost titan, well guess what!" >:)
Getting rid of 2 creatures with 1 spell, this is both card advantage, creature advantage and life advantage. If you worry of token/weenie decks, just keep shrivel/marsh casualties in sideboard.
(good at getting rid of your own abyssal persecutor too^^).
desolation_masticore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That tasted great! What's next!
JWalks82
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A fantastic removal card, and not to mention another effective way to get your Abyssal Persecutor off the field when you need to.
TPmanW
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Trying to combo this with some sort of Razia's Purification type effect, but I can't fin many options... That or maybe something that limits the number of creatures you can play like ethersworn canonist.
majinara
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Definately a good card. Though I wonder which is better: this, or chainer's edict.
Reasons for this one: + gains life + kills two creatures for four mana, beeing much cheaper than the flashback of chainers
Reasons for chainers: + can be played on turn 2 instead of turn 4 + you can choose when to play it a second time, instead of beeing forced + if it lands in your graveyard for other reasons (mill, discard) you can still play it at least once, while consuming vapors is then lost
Smauls
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you're playing against a white wheenie deck, this is still useful. Play Pelakka Wurm and gain 7 life. Next turn, play this on your wurm. Draw a card. Then play Rise From The Grave to retrieve your wurm for another 7 life. With rebound, you can repeat - playing this on your wurm (rebound) to draw another card, then rising it from the grave for another 7 life. It's a four card combo for 21 life (a whole games worth plus 1) and drawing two cards. 4/5
TheSwarm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Standard Tourney, I was playing Shape Anew combo. late game, finally pull off the combo landing a blightsteel collossus with canopy cover. Come at me. He taps four mana and Im thinkin "four mana? Say wha?" Consuming vapors. I sink into my chair and shuffle the thing back into my deck, silently sobbing.
Bootsgamer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I really enjoy playing this life gaining, card advantage, controlling power card!
Kills 2 for 1 gains life and controls.
Vinifera7
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
At first I was like, "I think I'll stick with Gatekeeper thanks," but then I saw Rebound. Wow.
Blackshayde
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a very good card. The lifegain is most of the time negligible, because the opponent is going to sacrifice a low mana cost creature most of the time. And against aggro decks with lots of creatures, its weak, but aside from that, its great. For one card, you kill 2 creatures and gain life twice, which is some serious card advantage.
igniteice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Compared to Tribute to Hunger, I'd rather run one Consuming Vapors over two Tributes. Even though Tribute is instant, and can't be redirected, it also means carrying an extra card, and spending mana on a second cast (either the same turn for 2 more mana than consuming vapors does over two turns, or spread out over two turns, limiting mana usage on the second turn). However, Consuming Vapors can have its downsides. For instance, if you need to get rid of the only creature an opponent has, this is great, but then the rebound is usually wasted as the smart opponent delays the cast by a turn. In those instances, it would clearly have been better to run Tribute.
On the flip side, Consuming Vapors can be used in a pinch for your own lifegain, as you can target yourself with it to get rid of creatures that are locked down by an opponent (Pacifism, Pariah, etc.).
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Role-player in EDH. With Avatar of Woe pruning my opponent's field, and this to kill any big game that I ordinarily can't remove due to Shroud or Protection, I was able to get my Wrexial-wielding opponent to concede while he had over 50+ life on me. I normally tutor for this; it even pimp-slaps Inkwell Leviathan.
Destruction3402
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Card advantage, always a good thing. And on top of that, you gain some life. Definitely a 4.5/5
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Solidsoldier Gatekeeper of Malakir is less situational. If the sacrifice won't help as much as another spell, playing him for 2 to lay down some beats is helpful. If you need the thing dead T3 he can come in and snipe it a turn earlier than this while still giving you a blocker/beater. He directly pushes you towards the end game by being able to apply damage.
This all applies to vampire nighthawk as well, as she also acts as conditional removal.
With all of that, this card is best utilized when they have 2 creatures on the field so you get it's full value. However, this means they may just lay something useless (A 1-drop that doesn't scale/help that they topdecked) and you'll only kill the things you didn't need to. In the end that means this card waits even longer to be effective.
This card is good for sure, but it's made for a deck that splashes black and probably clears out tokens efficiently. Also, it's not like you can't play with both this and the gatekeeper. Use him and something that eats tokens early, then when they lay a bigger beater, hit them with this.
Dragonshoredreamz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is totally playable in constructed! I've proven this to myself many times.
@UNATCO: I don't get the connection. How does using Consuming Vapors on yourself benefit Desecration Demon? His ability is only useable by the opponent, and he only gets a +1/+1 counter if they're sacrificed to the Demon's effect, NOT to anything else.
Comments (43)
But then you stop and think.
Do you really want to see MORE of these in limited?
Of course not.
I like the card because my deck struggles to stay above single-digit life totals while trying to cast Cruel Ultimatum. Thus, this will be used in said deck. In multiples.
It's a love-hate relationship, really.
But good card is good. Really, really good.
Also, it can still be a nice play against arggo, even if they only have one creature on the board. You kill their one creature, and they won't even drop a creature their next turn, considering it's just giving you free life.
While you are right in that if a player has any Eldrazi Spawn Tokens, they'll sac them instead of their fatties, your forgetting that you can use this AFTER they've sacrificed them all to play their favourite fattie or level up their Transcendent Master during your next turn. The only big monster I see being a problem for this card is Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, because of the built in Timewalk, meaning that you have survive a round of this slamming you for 15 points of flying damage, plus sacrificing 6 permanents, plus an extra turn of whatever they've got lying around.
which when you think of it almost makes it seem like playing 4 mana to get rid of a couple of spawn might not be the worst idea ever
I can't give it anything less than a 5/5.
So really, instead of 2 cruel edicts, you're getting an edict+a mini time walk. There is nothing wrong with that.
want some laughs? try firing it with a fully countered pyromancer's ascension or two on the board. one sided day of judgment plus life gain? yes please!
@donovan_fabian if you don't like it against spawns, sideboard it out and put shrivel in.
Far too often I find myself with a card like this or cruel edict or what have you and my opponent is playing white weeny or worse- a token deck. Nobody wants to sacrifice a baneslayer if they have a soldier token out : /
Four mana is enough to get extra value out of your removal. This is either a supplement to one for one spot removal, or used in concert with sweepers like pyroclasm or consume the meek to eat their fatties.
Getting rid of 2 creatures with 1 spell, this is both card advantage, creature advantage and life advantage. If you worry of token/weenie decks, just keep shrivel/marsh casualties in sideboard.
(good at getting rid of your own abyssal persecutor too^^).
Reasons for this one:
+ gains life
+ kills two creatures for four mana, beeing much cheaper than the flashback of chainers
Reasons for chainers:
+ can be played on turn 2 instead of turn 4
+ you can choose when to play it a second time, instead of beeing forced
+ if it lands in your graveyard for other reasons (mill, discard) you can still play it at least once, while consuming vapors is then lost
Kills 2 for 1 gains life and controls.
to sacrifice a low mana cost creature most of the time. And against aggro decks with lots of
creatures, its weak, but aside from that, its great. For one card, you kill 2 creatures and gain life twice, which is some serious card advantage.
On the flip side, Consuming Vapors can be used in a pinch for your own lifegain, as you can target yourself with it to get rid of creatures that are locked down by an opponent (Pacifism, Pariah, etc.).
And on top of that, you gain some life.
Definitely a 4.5/5
Gatekeeper of Malakir is less situational. If the sacrifice won't help as much as another spell, playing him for 2 to lay down some beats is helpful. If you need the thing dead T3 he can come in and snipe it a turn earlier than this while still giving you a blocker/beater. He directly pushes you towards the end game by being able to apply damage.
This all applies to vampire nighthawk as well, as she also acts as conditional removal.
With all of that, this card is best utilized when they have 2 creatures on the field so you get it's full value. However, this means they may just lay something useless (A 1-drop that doesn't scale/help that they topdecked) and you'll only kill the things you didn't need to. In the end that means this card waits even longer to be effective.
This card is good for sure, but it's made for a deck that splashes black and probably clears out tokens efficiently. Also, it's not like you can't play with both this and the gatekeeper. Use him and something that eats tokens early, then when they lay a bigger beater, hit them with this.
I've proven this to myself many times.
-Swag_Crow