Pointed Discussion

Jin-Gitaxias?

Proliferate? This seems to be The Abyss, only toned down a lot. If you can get several counters on it, it'll be painful, but this strikes me as taking too long to get going. Now, if it were at the start of every upkeep... it would probably be too good, alas.

A black deck with dangerous ability, just as it should be. With proper card draw this card would wipe your opponent's advantage clean while keeping yours.

Well , if you are losing, might as well drag the rest of the table with you ... :P

Move over, Archangel's Light

It's pretty bad.
I love the flavor text, I love the art, I love the flavor itself...
It's just not all that good. ):

: NaJin It that betrays does not work with this card. You're EXILING not SACRIFICING.

This card is amazing. I wouldn't even care if it sucked, with this flavour/art/flavour text I'd love it regardless.

I hope I'll open one of these in a draft, I so want to cast this and ruin the game. I will probably lose, but it'd be so worth it.

"Ftaires! We haue found ftaires!"

Token generator? or Mind Unbound // Psychic Vortex?

Edit : Well, I'm misread... this one is unlike smoke stack and can't combo with It that betray .

Remember, once this starts getting to be too much for you, you can exile it to its own ability.

I feel like this wants to be run with Balance. badly.

In the prereleaseI won a game with the opponent with no cards on the board or in hand with 2 5/5 flying demonds thanks to using this and demonic rising. A very powerful effect that has to be built around for it not to hurt you as much as your opponent

Paradox Haze would be one of the best things for getting more mileage out of this.

This card has many, many uses. One is to run with discard. Get your opponent down to zero cards in hand, then drop this bad boy. You get to lose cards in hand, whereas your opponent has to sacrifice permanents. After a couple rounds of this, simply sacrifice Descent to itself, and look at the board state.

If you had merely 2 more cards in hand than your opponent (Mind Rot + Mind Rot), you have a three-permanent advantage. Which is worse, losing cards in hand, or permanents? Well they 2 more permanents than you for the cost of only your cards in hand, in addition to the fact you can sacrifice it to itself gives you an advantage of 3.

Alternatively, run with card draw, token making, etc. for similar effects.

Oddly no one has mentioned the obvious in-set synergy with Griselbrand yet.

it looks cool, but I'm not really sure how to use it effectively.

This sort of works with misthollow griffin, just exile if from your hand the first time it goes off, then cast it, repeat with multiple griffins

We all go a little mad sometimes

Come, almost there now, just down these steps!

Hey uhh guys.. Am I the only one who thinks the wood under our boots looks, perhaps.. a bit rotted for the likes of three 1/1 Eager Cadets??

What!? Rotted you say?? Don't be a FOOL! The oak will hold. We are eager and must move swiftly down these steps where even if we survive the fall, which is inevitable, certain doom awaits us all around the corner in the dungeon by a 7/7+ oppressed demon flyer with trample and other goodies that will more than likely mame and torture us 1x1 and extremely slowly and delight in our anguish rather than just killing us quickly! But not to fear, for we represent the light and are eager and our hope will guide the 1/1 army of tokens to us shortly where they too will be slaughtered and die a gruesome painful death in the name of Avacyn who could've came in and whooshed down with her wings and slaughtered the evil and been back already but had she, you would never get to die with honor for someone who knows not even your name and wouldnt be caught DEAD on these steps. Onward!!

Yes, very much aware that I have no idea what I'm talking about and wrote a horrible and meaningless story that had little plot, if any whatsoever and was about as entertaining as folding clothes.. They can't ALL be winners, CAN they? You know what.. HERE! ::Opens door, throws long rectangular white box out into the lawn:: Take your cards and get the F**K out of my house!!!!! By the way.. Your deck BLOWS. ::slams door::

Well, look on the bright side... at least it's not Archangel's Light.

Got one of these in a booster box along with Griselbrand, Tamiyo, and a Bonfire of the Damned. Now i'm just waiting to sell this thing cause im sure somebody will break it and make it worth a ton. Say what you want but it's just not worth the slot in my monoblack deck.

and@oj48 i didn't realize that only your opinions mattered here, just because you like the card doesn't mean you need to call everyone who doesnt a "***got" and tell people to "suck a d**k". grow up.

I warned you about stairs bro!!!!

I told you dog!

Escher, you fool! Look what you've done!

For any game that drags out, it's easy to screw over your opponents. If you need to, you can exile it to itself to end the descent. All you need is some kind of card or permanent advantage. I think tokens would be the easiest, but massive card draw would also work.

I know it doesn't fit the theme of the set, but is anyone else bothered by the fact this card doesn't have the madness mechanic?

The card itself has some potential with the proliferate mechanic, and could be useful against creatureless control decks, since they would have to choose between exiling cards from their hands, or exiling lands (aside from a few utility permanents, things like Oblivion Ring) The best thing this card has going for it is the fact that the effect happens simultaneously, unlike cards like Howling Mine where your opponent benefits first. (Although this effect might not be considered a benefit)

Can I play with madness?

Hmm...does this deserve the second worst mythic spot? (after Archangel's Light)

I think this card is much better than people give it credit for. Yes it is slow, but there is a lot to like when you begin to think about the card in light of certain match ups. It is good against hexproof, undying, and indestructible creatures. It is also good against decks that rely on morbid, flashback, and other graveyard mechanics since the cards are exiled rather than put into the graveyard. The card is also versatile in the sense that it targets every possible card in magic: It can cause players to exile creatures, planeswalkers, enchantments, artifacts, instants, sorceries, and lands. When you begin to think about the wide spectrum of decks and card types this card could create problems for, it makes the card worth something if the card can be placed in a deck that can alleviate its affect on you.

If you truly want to understand how to use this card, then you have to think in terms of two things: 1) permanents per card and 2) cards per permanent. If you have cards that produce 2 or more permanents, then this card can create serious card advantage. The same is true for cards that draw more cards. Once Descent into Madness has decimated your opponent's board, then just use it to destroy itself at the opportune time.

So here are some cards that can net you 2+ permanents with just 1 card:

Anything with living weapon
Thopter Assembly for an endless amount of tokens
Pentavus
Triskelavus
Lingering Souls
Increasing Devotion
Precursor Golem
Blade Splicer
Feed the Pack
Endless Ranks of Dead
Army of the Damned
Grave Titan
Chancellor of the Forge

Few ways to play this.

Play in G/B for accel and tokens (saps, eldrazi, ect). By the time you drop this on turn 4-5 you shoulc have those token generators in place and a few out, if not a bunch. Once that happens after 1-2 turns the game will be yours.

This card will lock down the game when played with some fast creatures/things to kill.

Token makers/pumpers:
Let's say we have you reach turn 5 with Awakening Zone or Greener Pastures (because after a bit, we will have card advt) in play 2-3 Eldrazi or Saps on the field. You have Bestial Menace, Life and Limb, Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder, Deranged Hermit(echo? she's food for the decent), Saproling Symbiosis (when you're ahead, get more ahead), Rhys the Redeemed (maybe you could run this is G/B Elf lol, there is this guy Nath of the Gilt-Leaf, that discard + this + tokens OOOooooOOO), Parallel Lives (not saying doubling season :P, but yeah Parallel Lives isn't broken ;D), For when you're little dudes may die Ooze Garden & Necrogenesis, Master of the Wild Hunt (Because MORE TOKENS), Jade Mage (is fun) & the bigger one Nemata, Grove Guardian (MORE FUN).

Card Advantage:
Abundant Growth, sexy card, nets you a permanent, manafix, AND replaces itself, definitely a good choice here. Bloodgift Demon Can keep that hand advantage going. Gaea's Blessing counters mill so hard, returns cards that die, and draws you a card, so sexy. Maralen of the Mornsong is not particularly good, but in this case, she can be (she can also be gotten rid of with this ;D). We don't mind anything they draw with this card out, we just want them to die. With Malaren you get what YOU want, it seems nifty, BUT it defeats any other card draw. Rites of Fourishing can rush out stuff, and with a deck of the style I'm talking you're GOING to be faster than them, and anything they do get out, will be exiled soon enough. Snakeform for that card draw and ANY pesky dudes. Unearth Cycle cards are always nice, and this one can bring back any of those =< CMC creatures mentioned earlier. Triumph of Ferocity there is no downside to this card, which I like, the plan with this one is to have them remove all those pesky creatures and allow you to at least tie or have the strongest one, netting you an extra card every turn for , now that is good. Wall of Blossoms so expensive, yet so good, wall and Cantrip for .

Seriously though, this card is fine, it DEFINITELY needs to be built around, but if it is it can really be pulled off.

I honestly think in retrospect that B/G Elves is the best way to go with this card, because that way this card isn't really a major part of the win con, but just another lovely piece of the puzzle.

Maybe in a B/U bounce deck? That way WORST case you bounce this bad boy back, or their stuff, forcing the decisions to be made on in-hand cards rather than on the field.

I really like this card, it's unique and has a VERY VERY black effect. The Exile is what makes this fair, because if any of the cards (hand, or in play) would go to the grave, this card would be broken quickly (maybe it could use a manacost to REALLY be broken) A black recursion deck, madness, hellbent, this card would be able to fuel all of that to a great extent, and that would KILL the opponent's tempo, hand, and board at once. Very glad it's exile and not graveyard.

I'll think of a deck list and put it up here later.

Amazing. I had the same odds of drawing an Avacyn or a Gisela or a Griselbrand or a Tibalt, all of which can go for over fifteen dollars. or a Tamiyo, which goes for over thirty. Instead I got this, which is worth 2. And my friend opened a pack and drew a Tibalt about thirty seconds ago. KMN. 0.5/5

EDIT: Okay, I amended my decision. I changed it to a 1.5/5, because while it takes up a much needed Mythic slot, it's ability can be useful. Okay, 2/5. But that extra .5 is for the art and flavor.

Play a few Misthollow Griffin's with this for the lulz.

combo with sundial of the infinite when you can afford to

i can't help but wonder how well this card might work with something like temporal mastery. how much would that extra turn hurt your opponent(s) while the descent is on the field? maybe something like lighthouse chronologist could be used to possibly abuse this card. thoughts?

I rate this card high because its the type of thing that changes the entire game when it is employed and forces everyone to play differently. At that point we're not playing Magic anymore so much as Descent into Madness. One question though; If you have this card and Endless Ranks of the Dead, do you get to choose which triggers first during your upkeep or is there some other criterion for determining the order?

-----Combo 2 Update-----
Krenko, Mob Boss + Krenko's command
All you need to start Descent into Madness.

Because Krenko, Mob Boss doubles the goblin you have while Descent into Madness only takes one more permanents per tick. Krenko would actually out run the stairs.

turn 2 Krenko's command
turn 4 Krenko, Mob Boss
turn 5
2 goblins + Krenko
tap Krenko = 5 goblins + Krenko
Cast Descent into Madness.

beginning of your upkeep
Stairs(0) +1 despair token
exile 1 goblin token
4 goblins + Krenko
tap Krenko = 9 goblins + Krenko
pass turn

beginning of your upkeep
Stairs(1) +1 despair token
exile 2 goblin token
7 goblins + Krenko
tap Krenko = 15 goblins + Kreanko
pass turn

beginning of your upkeep
Stairs(2) +1 despair token
exile 3 goblin token
12 goblins + Krenko
tap Krenko = 25 goblins + Kreanko
pass turn

Therefore there is no such word as "sanity" in a goblin's dictionary.
Wait do they even know how to write?!

----Combo Two-----

Endless Ranks of the Dead x2 or Endless Ranks of the Dead + Parallel Lives
This requires at least two zombie one the field to trigger.
Turn 1 generic zomibe 1 drop (AKA gravecrawler)
Turn generic zomibe 2 drop (AKA Lotleth Troll )
Turn 3 Do what ever a zombie player wants (AKA BRAINS!)
Turn 4 Endless Ranks of the Dead

Turn 5
Begin of your up keep, put at least one zombie token one to the battle field.
this depends on what you have done on turn 3
Cast either Endless Ranks of the Dead/Parallel Lives

Turn 6
Begin of your up keep, put some zombie tokens on to the battle field.

Dual Endless Ranks of the Dead gives you 3 zombie token, as they trigger separately.
first trigger : 3(origin) + 1(half of origin) = 4(new origin)
second trigger : 4(new origin) +2(half of new origin) = 6

Parallel Lives only trigger once and doubles your token generation
3(origin) + 1(half of origin)x2 = 5

Cast Descent into Madness, and since zombies double themselves every turn for this point you are safe from going mad.
Why, you may ask.
Because zombies have no minds of their own, thus they can't go mad.
Enjoy your opponent's BRAINS... um, I mean MADNESS.

It's actually pretty abusable with Necropotence. Or, if the Skull is too broken / banned for your tastes, you could try Land Tax. Anything that stuffs your hand full of cards works.

Granted, Smokestack is simply a better card. But I don't think this card is too bad; certainly not the worst mythic in the set.

From Gatecrash and for those who run RBW, Assemble the Legion has perfect synergy with this card. Opponents sacrifice their cards while you sacrifice the tokens.

"The stairs lead down in both directions."
Oh f*ck.

Assemble the Legion... and conveniently all within the three colors with all that removal and lifegain to stall for the combo and make it that much more fatal. If you ramp hard enough Diabolic Revelation. Or other tutors if outa standard.

Thrull Parasite to keep it in check.

Also within the three color pie mixture: Obzedat, Ghost Council. I feel fuzzy.

Why is this mythic? It affects everyone equally.

Descent into Madness+Assemble the Legion.

3, 4 turns later, you should be in a pretty good board position.

Assemble the Legion
This
Sire of Insanity

You win!

The search thumbnail looks like a futureshifted card.

@azure_drake: Rarity =/= power level. The idea behind Mythic Rare (when it was originally made, anyway) is that a Mythic is not necessarily a hugely efficient, automatically-tourney-topping card, but that it's big, so big that it's impressive. It should make you say "Oh wow, I want to play that no matter how bad it may actually be. Also, hitting yourself with an effect like this fits perfectly in black.

Obzedat, Ghost Council

Very brutal. It's basically smokestack but less broken. The changes to it do show though. This basically didn't even see any play. I'm glad wizards is still man enough to print epic stuff like this though.

I want to try this card in my zombie horde deck. It would be hilarious because if it goes unanswered, it will just melt all of the players' entire boards and hands.

@azure_drake222222
"Or more to the point, what kind of cards are going to become mythic rares? We want the flavor of mythic rare to be something that feels very special and unique. Generally speaking we expect that to mean cards like Planeswalkers, most legends, and epic-feeling creatures and spells. They will not just be a list of each set's most powerful tournament-level cards. "
-MaRo

This card is Mythic because it has a massive impact on the board state in a flavorful and meaningful way. Though, to that point, Worldslayer is very, very mythic feeling as well despite being a mere rare.

When i see this card, I think of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wp3rzAdwT8

House of Leaves.

If you want to play this card, play Smokestack instead.
@azure_drake222222: because of flavor, which is what makes the card beautiful.

flavor reminds me of ad nauseam.

props to LordOfTheUniverseMCS's suggestion

Combo's with Assemble the Legion for hand/board control

5/5 Stars

@ mike-c: whoah

"The stairs lead down in both directions" ... but not on the artwork -.- Would've been a great opportunity to pain something like Bösium Strip again.

On the same turn play:
This + Assemble the Legion + Mind Unbound.
Yay! It works.