Pointed Discussion

I just put in 'Red Rare Instants and Sorceries' into Gatherer (phrased as 'Red Rare Not-Artifact, Not Creature... etc.' and I'm having fun looking at all the BOOM. :D

So far, I can't find anything remotely as destructive as "Decree of Annihilation', which I think should be in every single Red EDH deck ever built.

Funny. It combines Armageddon and Wrath of God into one thing, and its red.
Probably not as good as either, since they are played in different decks. but you can irritate people with this in casual games.
@DarthParallax; See Apocalypse. There is no 'boom' greater than that.

This card is underrated, and I feel people may not be appreciating its niche. There is an art to playing these red mass destruction cards. Sometimes just simply resetting the game is a good play, but the real trick is to build so that you have finishing creatures that will survive the destruction, while your opponent may not. There are five categories of creatures that have this added survivability factor:

1) Suspended and Phased
2) Indestructible
3) Creatures that naturally recur, e.g. Persist and Tuktuk the Explorer
4) Creature generating permanents of a type that isn't destroyed
5) Regenerating creatures

Decree of Annihilation is the most absolute of the list, but it's difficult to build around because it only leaves category 1 intact, and the 3 or 4 cards of category 4 that are enchantments and planeswalkers. Obliterate and Jokulhaups are a bit easier because they allow category 2 and 3 to survive. However, this card is the only one that allows category 5, regenerators, a chance to live. along with creature producing artifacts. Those are only two categories, but together they comprise about 90% of the cards of this type. Consequently, Devastation fits seamlessly into far more decks than does Jokulhaups.

In short, Decree and Jokulhaups are great in a Jhoira of the Ghitu EDH deck, but Devastation remains good even in decks where all you have to survive are things like Spiritmonger, Mortivore and Summoning Station.

I run this in my red artifact EDH deck - and don't forget something like uthden troll.

@Kryptnyt: Now there's a bigger boom than Apocalypse in the form of Worldfire

Always comboable with the various red enchantments that deal out damage. Manabarbs, sulfuric vortex, spiteful visions, and similar.

Get ahead of your opponent and use one of these "destroy everything ever" cards in red (but doesn't touch enchants) and you'll be set. The opponent will be stuck burning themselves to try and kill your enchants and it's unlikely they'll come back

A curve may look something like:
Kederekt Parasite
(something)
Sulfuric Vortex
Spiteful Visions
Seething Song, Seething Song, Manabarbs, Jokulhaups ( think I'm a mana off, but you get the idea..)

So good. I was thinking 'I need a jokulhaups that doesn't destroy artifacts...' and then I found it.

It's going straight into my Tajic EDH deck. Since he's indestructible, and I run a lot of equipment, I can just cast it after I have pretty much anything on him, and I will usually gain a huge lead if not win. No blockers, no mana to recover, I get free swings with my sword of fire and ice to recover quickly and put a deadly clock on my crippled opponent.

This is a very powerful card specifically because it spares artifacts. In many ways, it can be thought of as an upgrade to Wildfire, as while it doesn't combo as comfortably with Covetous Dragon, it does take mana rocks (Fire Diamond and friends) as partners in crime, along with creatures that regenerate, persist, or preferably have undying (Hound of Griselbrand says hello). Yes, Apocalypse and Decree of Annihilation are more total, but that also makes them harder to leverage to your own advantage.

In my opinion, this card (or at least its rules text) is due for a printing in a "real" set rather than just Portal, Starter, and Master's Edition

The art is so good I can barely stand it.