Hahaha I thought that too. I think this guy is some kind of cultist though based on the flavor text.
C5r1a5z0y
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
It always seemed like Dark Ritual should have had an additional cost like this (though I love it to death in its existing form :-). I mean, what's really dark about it if you have to only pay mana, just like every other spell you cast?
Dark Ritual is an inherent part of playing black. It makes black tempting. Unfair power. Unholy power. Absolute power. No matter the cost. You resort to black to get that kind of power.
"If there is such a thing as too much power, I have not discovered it." - Volrath.
This being said, I don't know how I feel about this card. I mean, it's cool. Definitely a good card, perhaps better than the ritual in certain situations. It's just that it seems to walk a line that it ALMOST starts to cross. Wizards crossed that line with Phyrexian mana in a sense, because it allowed colors besides black to abuse life as a resource. I actually adore the concept. They just need to be a little more careful next time they deal with it (*cough*cough*mental misstep*cough*dismember*HACK*).
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Certainly useful, and IMHO, what Dark Ritual should have been. After all, Dark Ritual doesn't have any "dark" about it, except tapping black mana... you'd think it would have been more evil given its name. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see if this card is played.
Haliax
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
In standard, I think I'd pair this with Priest of Urubrask along with Past in Flames.
I think i'm gonna use this with a Cathodion, mmm don't know what for yet
ChaosBlossom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you want a crazy way of using this then try a turn 1 Titan:
play 2 memnites and a mox opal, use the mox opal for the red mana and sacrifice a memnite play a mountain then you can play geosurge followed by an Inferno Titan or any big red monster you like.
It's a nice idea but you have a slim chance of getting that exact opening hand.... would kill to see it happen though
dontmess17
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
with the way Kessig Wolf Run is being used...
T1 forest, any green 1-drop (Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradise, etc)
T2 mountain, Infernal Plunge, Festerhide Boar. morbid is on so its a 5/5 trampler
T3 get the wolf run down and start running roughshod.
all things considered its very realistic.
you could also, if you have them, put down Swiftboot Boots T2 and then plunge, boar, and equip turn 3, so it doesn't die to removal.
and if you sac'd a llanowar elf or a birds of paradise then you could Caravan Vigil on the same turn you plunged for more wolf run fun :D
SeiberTross
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This will be a bit of a rant, but this is crazy good. Completely underrated by the community, the sheer power of mana producers should never be underestimated. Especially in red.
This is almost like a more flexible ritual to me, good for old perilous myr/goblin sac decks, this is great for red aggro decks, mimic vat decks, this enables more use out of creature steal effects, (makes act of aggression an instant speed 1 cost colorless creature steal?), and brimstone volley? You know, the 1 cost 5 damage spell with this?
That means 10 damage possibilities in terribly easy fashions. In limited, I sac'd my no longer effective Bloodcrazed Neonate to this, then cast brimstone volley, used my untapped land to flash in Snapcaster Mage, played brimstone volley with flashback. That's 5 mana folks.
This + Brimstone Volley + Goblin Grenade could mean the re-enabling of Kuldotha Rebirth decks as help for the finishers, maybe that won't happen, but don't be surprised if this gets increasingly popular in a number of strategies.
Mirran_Savior
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
trowa_barton03 If you want to give your friends a heart attack, there's always Wurmcoil Engine
Emcee117
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A lot of shmancy cards listed for these combos (not that there's anything wrong with shmancy), but this seems like it would play really well with a humble Doomed Traveler. One-drop common, plus he either nets you a better creature in the bargain, or a target for your second Infernal Plunge. That's still RRRRRW on turn two, so you can play it with your Worldgorger Dragon or Curse of the Fire Penguin or whatever shamncy card you like.
Ok, ok. Sure you can Turn 2 Titan or whatever with this. Awesome. But why play a titan when you can just get a Turn 2 Standard win?
Turn 1:
Memnite, Memnite, Mox Opal, Mountain Tap Opal and Kuldotha Rebirth it. Infernal Plunge a Memnite, Goblin Chiefain Swing for 8.
Turn 2:
Swing 9. Goblin Grenade for 5 to bring the total to 22 damage. (Just in case one of the gobos was blocked)
That's 8 cards. 7 in starting hand, drawing into Grenade. Sure, you'll rarely get all 8 cards (I've only pulled it off twice) but you will typically enough of them to hit hard enough to guarantee a Turn 3 win. I mean, come on, Turn 2 win in STANDARD?
Red Dark Ritual? What are you doing here?... dropping like a champ with Memnite and Ornithopter you say? Creating excellent synergy with all those Morbid creatures from this block you say? Well, I'll leave you to it then.
adrian.malacoda
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@slipinmanna
No. The mana is generated by Infernal Plunge, not the creature.
infernox10
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Odd that in the flavour text he's sacrificing himself for Griselbrand, yet the doesn't help pay for the that Grizly needs...
Needs to be instant speed! Then i would be on board with this card!
VirusVescichetta
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + Priest of Urabrask + This = 5 mana on turn 2, with a really good hand. Which is incidentally what Urabrask the HIdden costs. That's a really good hand but still.
niallcmurray86
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Honestly I remember how Dark Ritual was the life blood of competitive black decks back in the days and this could really do the same for red or red/black.
iHARBiNG3R
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
That awkward moment during mid fall when you realize that Griselbrand actually needs {B} and not {R}....
Psychrates
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Forest, tinder wall, sac, lumberjack, crimson wisps, sac forest to cast this for Geosurge, another Crimson Wisps, 7 red CMC hasted phatty in one turn plus catrip 2x.
I ca't do this all the time but near-versions pop up inmy deck w/ alarming frequency, IMO.
TowerDefender
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Burning-Tree Emissary and this is RRRG mana to spare on turn two. Christmas-land 4 emissaries, sac one then play Festerhide Boar or any achievable 4 drop! Super unlikely. -Edit: they can't remove your creature in response as it is a cost paid at casting like the rulings for Purify the grave if I've understood the rules right, that makes this a bit better than I thought at first.
Mode
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"A stupid card considering that we have Culling the Weak." -- Arachibutyrophobia
Well, Culling the Weak (or Dark Ritual) is a whole different story available in a different Format. Shock for example was never considered bad either while Lightning Bolt wasn't available in Standard or Extended.
Still, I think this should have been an Instant. Would have pushed the card into a whole different league admittedly, allowing you to chump-block or cast this in response to removal, followed by a burn spell. But it would have been damn interesting to see how this turns out.
Dmitri_volisov
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great combo card and also cool with any sort of storm . i built this super speedy goblin artifact/kuldothra deck where I put things like ornithoptors first turn for free , then sac it with the mountain i played and play Goblin Chieftain right off the bat . Flattened many opponents with that combo and people were legitimatly impressed with my deck .
Here is the deck list if you want "
4 ornithoptor 4 raging goblin 4 signal pest 4 goblin arsonist 4 goblin chieftain 2 hero of oxid ridge 1 hellrider 4 goblin warcaller 1 krenko , mob boss
4 mountain artifact land ( forgot what it was called) 14 mountains
Most of this deck was standard up until recently but I added some old cards when it rotated . / PS . this is my first post ,how do you rate the card with the stars ? It give this a 4.5 out of 5
Lazrbeams
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Really bad compared to culling the weak which never made any waves really, I think wizards is really scared of mana accel like this.
Comments (40)
Hahaha I thought that too. I think this guy is some kind of cultist though based on the flavor text.
T1: Goblin Arsonist
T2: this, Geosurge, Furyborn Hellkite
I'm not saying it'll always work out. What I am saying is you can get a 12/12 flier on turn two.
Just to 1-up you :P
Turn 1: Mountain, Memnite, Infernal Plunge, Goblin Arsonist, Infernal Plunge, Geosurge, Furyborn Hellkite
Dark Ritual is an inherent part of playing black. It makes black tempting. Unfair power. Unholy power. Absolute power. No matter the cost. You resort to black to get that kind of power.
"If there is such a thing as too much power, I have not discovered it." - Volrath.
This being said, I don't know how I feel about this card. I mean, it's cool. Definitely a good card, perhaps better than the ritual in certain situations. It's just that it seems to walk a line that it ALMOST starts to cross. Wizards crossed that line with Phyrexian mana in a sense, because it allowed colors besides black to abuse life as a resource. I actually adore the concept. They just need to be a little more careful next time they deal with it (*cough*cough*mental misstep*cough*dismember*HACK*).
play 2 memnites and a mox opal, use the mox opal for the red mana and sacrifice a memnite play a mountain then you can play geosurge followed by an Inferno Titan or any big red monster you like.
It's a nice idea but you have a slim chance of getting that exact opening hand.... would kill to see it happen though
T1 forest, any green 1-drop (Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradise, etc)
T2 mountain, Infernal Plunge, Festerhide Boar. morbid is on so its a 5/5 trampler
T3 get the wolf run down and start running roughshod.
all things considered its very realistic.
you could also, if you have them, put down Swiftboot Boots T2 and then plunge, boar, and equip turn 3, so it doesn't die to removal.
and if you sac'd a llanowar elf or a birds of paradise then you could Caravan Vigil on the same turn you plunged for more wolf run fun :D
This is almost like a more flexible ritual to me, good for old perilous myr/goblin sac decks, this is great for red aggro decks, mimic vat decks, this enables more use out of creature steal effects, (makes act of aggression an instant speed 1 cost colorless creature steal?), and brimstone volley? You know, the 1 cost 5 damage spell with this?
That means 10 damage possibilities in terribly easy fashions. In limited, I sac'd my no longer effective Bloodcrazed Neonate to this, then cast brimstone volley, used my untapped land to flash in Snapcaster Mage, played brimstone volley with flashback. That's 5 mana folks.
This + Brimstone Volley + Goblin Grenade could mean the re-enabling of Kuldotha Rebirth decks as help for the finishers, maybe that won't happen, but don't be surprised if this gets increasingly popular in a number of strategies.
Mountain
Memnite
This
Semblance Anvil exile another creature
2 free Myr Superion
Turn 1:
Memnite, Memnite, Mox Opal, Mountain
Tap Opal and Kuldotha Rebirth it.
Infernal Plunge a Memnite, Goblin Chiefain
Swing for 8.
Turn 2:
Swing 9.
Goblin Grenade for 5 to bring the total to 22 damage. (Just in case one of the gobos was blocked)
That's 8 cards. 7 in starting hand, drawing into Grenade. Sure, you'll rarely get all 8 cards (I've only pulled it off twice) but you will typically enough of them to hit hard enough to guarantee a Turn 3 win. I mean, come on, Turn 2 win in STANDARD?
No. The mana is generated by Infernal Plunge, not the creature.
I ca't do this all the time but near-versions pop up inmy deck w/ alarming frequency, IMO.
Well, Culling the Weak (or Dark Ritual) is a whole different story available in a different Format.
Shock for example was never considered bad either while Lightning Bolt wasn't available in Standard or Extended.
Still, I think this should have been an Instant.
Would have pushed the card into a whole different league admittedly, allowing you to chump-block or cast this in response to removal, followed by a burn spell. But it would have been damn interesting to see how this turns out.
Here is the deck list if you want "
4 ornithoptor
4 raging goblin
4 signal pest
4 goblin arsonist
4 goblin chieftain
2 hero of oxid ridge
1 hellrider
4 goblin warcaller
1 krenko , mob boss
4 krenkos command
4 dragon fodder
3 infernal plunge
4 kuldothra rebirth
4 mountain artifact land ( forgot what it was called)
14 mountains
Most of this deck was standard up until recently but I added some old cards when it rotated .
/
PS . this is my first post ,how do you rate the card with the stars ? It give this a 4.5 out of 5