not bad. best when it gets to axe an artifact creature deck to bits, and has a whole 2nd choice for practically 'free' to use on someone else.
when in doubt, pick artifacts, and cmc 3 or less, and you'll probably hit enough stuff in any given game to make it worth paying 6.
Crag-Hack
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I love finding just the right combination of destruction effects to ravage my opponent the most =)
JaxsonBateman
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
How is this possibly a 4? Come on people, it's a 4.5 to 5. It's just a powerhouse of a sweeper; yes, it costs 6, but it's so versatile and so powerful. In a worst case scenario it's just more Day of Judgments which is rarely a bad thing. Best case scenario, it's a one sided sweeper, getting rid of all their best permanents while leaving yours alone. It's just great.
Personally, I've got it in a white/black 'sweeper' deck, that consists of 4 Wrath of God, 4 Damnation and 4 Austere Command among other things. The Austere Command is just so strong against any deck relying on power artifacts and enchantments, and so versatile that it still helps against creature decks. Why, just the other day I won a game against a guy who had no creatures in his deck, all thanks to Austere Command continuously sweeping away his artifacts (it was a blue deck designed around MCing creatures with Vedalken Shackles and Crown of Empires). Managed to comprehensively win thanks to Austere Command, despite having 3 dead cards in hand (2 Wraths and a Damnation).
There aren't many cards which can go so far towards deciding the outcome of a game.
sincleanser
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
The most destructive white card ever printed.
Asmodi0000
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
An important thing to keep in mind is the order in which the effects happen.
For example, a creature that is enchanted by Indestructibility would be destroyed (since enchantments are destroyed before creatures), but an artifact that is enchanted by Indestructibility wouldn't be destroyed (since the enchantment would break after all breakable artifacts were checked).
This makes a lot of interesting things happen. Aegis Angel would be able to protect just about anything (except for herself), and Angelic Overseer would die if all the humans on the board were less than 3 CMC (assuming the last two options were picked). Eldrazi Monument dies well before you destroy any creatures, and those pesky creatures enchanted by Shield of the Oversoul can have fun eating dirt before they die.
Artifact creatures also make things interesting. If there's an Iron Myr with a divinity counter on it from That Which Was Taken, and the first and third options are chosen, then there's a brief instance where you try to destroy the Iron Myr but find it immune to your power. Of course, once That Which Was Taken is out of the way, that Myr quickly learns humility, and of course death.
Baconradar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When white says 'all that is destroyed' it means it.
In many ways this is reminiscent of balance (though nowhere near as strong or unfair) because you can very easily set up entirely one sided sweeps, even in multiplayer.
Totema
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Should have named it "Explody Command".
NeoKoda
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Asmodi, I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Everything is destroyed at once, on resolution. But I'm not %100.
coff
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
If options 3 and 4 are chosen how does that interact with Wurmcoil Engine? Can you stack it so the tokens will die as well?
MithosFall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
No matter which two are chosen, those permanents are destroyed at the exact same time. If you chose the second and third options, and there's an aura making a creature with converted mana cost 3 indestructible, the creature lives and the enchantment dies.
Jayquaz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It,s a build-a-board wipe
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Coff: No, everything is destroyed at the same time and the tokens come after the destruction.
And wow white really does get things done: 'Why destroy some stuff when I can destroy EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE?!'
cha0sc0w
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I know that when you play a card like ponder, the first part happens first, then the second part. You can't draw the card, then shuffle your deck.
These effects are seperated by semi-colons so I believe that they would happen in order from top to bottom, not at the exact same time.
So, if you have eldrazi monument out, and use destroy all artifacts and destroy all creatures of cmc 3 or less, the monument would die, then the creatures would die, they would not be indestructable for the resolution of the second part.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Needs instant, blue got instant so stop being unfair R&D.
blurrymadness
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This and the new Merciless Eviction compete for deck slots; but both are *awesome* main deck. You have a counter to nearly anything if the game is going on for awhile, and what's more, you can counter some strategies without hurting your own much.
In the end I've gone with Eviction because in {B}{W} I feel i'll have the mana more reliably, exiling is a nice upside, and because 4 copies of that after shipping is still worth less than a single copy of this (so I saved $10)
Winhert
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey its ok, but... wait what... choose TWO? Alright, this is great.
Kafkanod
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@MithosFall;NeoKoda
You're wrong: the creature would also be destroyed. From the Lorwyn FAQ:
The _Lorwyn_ set features a cycle of five cards with "Command" in their name. These are modal cards in which you choose two modes rather than one. * The chosen modes will have their effects in the order they appear on the card.
@coff
You don't stack the modes, you stack the spell, so you can't choose the order. The third mode has its effect before the fourth, but even if they were reversed, Wurmcoil's Engine triggered ability would still be on the stack after Austere Command finishes resolving, so the tokens would not be on the battlefield yet.
CogMonocle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's worth noting that destroy effects put things into the graveyard immediately, and don't wait for SBAs. How is your creature indestructible when the enchantment you were using to make it indestructible is in the graveyard?
Tsuichoi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You look at this card, and its clearly amazing- but unlike similar"choose" effects, I am always blown away by the fact that you get to pick TWO! Your essentially picking a selection of your choice of solar tide (which also costs six), Purify (cmc 5), or some combination of the two IN ONE CARD (which if you play EDH, I shouldn't have to explain the importance of)
Having those kinds of options, the kind that let you sculpt the board-state to your liking is kind of card advantage that wins you games. Very well designed, very powerful, and yet still fair.
Comments (21)
when in doubt, pick artifacts, and cmc 3 or less, and you'll probably hit enough stuff in any given game to make it worth paying 6.
Personally, I've got it in a white/black 'sweeper' deck, that consists of 4 Wrath of God, 4 Damnation and 4 Austere Command among other things. The Austere Command is just so strong against any deck relying on power artifacts and enchantments, and so versatile that it still helps against creature decks. Why, just the other day I won a game against a guy who had no creatures in his deck, all thanks to Austere Command continuously sweeping away his artifacts (it was a blue deck designed around MCing creatures with Vedalken Shackles and Crown of Empires). Managed to comprehensively win thanks to Austere Command, despite having 3 dead cards in hand (2 Wraths and a Damnation).
There aren't many cards which can go so far towards deciding the outcome of a game.
For example, a creature that is enchanted by Indestructibility would be destroyed (since enchantments are destroyed before creatures), but an artifact that is enchanted by Indestructibility wouldn't be destroyed (since the enchantment would break after all breakable artifacts were checked).
This makes a lot of interesting things happen.
Aegis Angel would be able to protect just about anything (except for herself), and Angelic Overseer would die if all the humans on the board were less than 3 CMC (assuming the last two options were picked). Eldrazi Monument dies well before you destroy any creatures, and those pesky creatures enchanted by Shield of the Oversoul can have fun eating dirt before they die.
Artifact creatures also make things interesting. If there's an Iron Myr with a divinity counter on it from That Which Was Taken, and the first and third options are chosen, then there's a brief instance where you try to destroy the Iron Myr but find it immune to your power. Of course, once That Which Was Taken is out of the way, that Myr quickly learns humility, and of course death.
In many ways this is reminiscent of balance (though nowhere near as strong or unfair) because you can very easily set up entirely one sided sweeps, even in multiplayer.
And wow white really does get things done: 'Why destroy some stuff when I can destroy EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE?!'
These effects are seperated by semi-colons so I believe that they would happen in order from top to bottom, not at the exact same time.
So, if you have eldrazi monument out, and use destroy all artifacts and destroy all creatures of cmc 3 or less, the monument would die, then the creatures would die, they would not be indestructable for the resolution of the second part.
In the end I've gone with Eviction because in {B}{W} I feel i'll have the mana more reliably, exiling is a nice upside, and because 4 copies of that after shipping is still worth less than a single copy of this (so I saved $10)
You're wrong: the creature would also be destroyed. From the Lorwyn FAQ:
The _Lorwyn_ set features a cycle of five cards with "Command" in their name. These are modal cards in which you choose two modes rather than one.
* The chosen modes will have their effects in the order they appear on the card.
@coff
You don't stack the modes, you stack the spell, so you can't choose the order. The third mode has its effect before the fourth, but even if they were reversed, Wurmcoil's Engine triggered ability would still be on the stack after Austere Command finishes resolving, so the tokens would not be on the battlefield yet.
Having those kinds of options, the kind that let you sculpt the board-state to your liking is kind of card advantage that wins you games. Very well designed, very powerful, and yet still fair.