Although its now undermined by Tsabo's Decree, this card is the classic tribal hoser for black. Its still pretty decent sideboard tech in casual and can really ruin the day of an elf or sliver player...
GrimGorgonBC
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(11 votes)
DIE ELF DIE!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
DavidDark
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(5 votes)
reprint please!!!
Hibron
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card and others like it are the only way to beat a sliver deck. Unless you can deploy really fast. 5/5
erazkillyou
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Oh my slivers! Nooooooooooooooo
EvilCleavage
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(6 votes)
Ya, this is totally underrated! I think if it was 4 mana then it would be huge! It's amazing how one mana can make a huge difference. Nonetheless, this card is awesome and it whoops all those tribal decks that have come out in the last few years. Faerie's, Elf's, Vampires, Treefolk, Giant's, Slivers, Merfolk, Kithkin, Eldrazi, Soldiers, Knights, Etc!!
BryanFR
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(6 votes)
too bad that Uncle Istvan isn't a creature type anymore...
Kryplixx
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
Amazing flavor text. 5/5
dragon504
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(7 votes)
I'd love to see this get reprinted. Anything that can wipe the board of elves is good in my book.
dragonking987
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I hate this card...
Richard_Hawk
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is a bit overrated, its amazing because it can penetrate through tribal and the much dreaded sliver, but really more situational than you think especially in today's play environment. Can still be countered with another spell, and you need to be able to search through your deck to play this at the right time. Sliver decks can still hit you right back after you wipe their board out for one turn. 3/5.
Arthindole
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Every year this card gets more powerful, tribes are becoming way more common. While Tsabo's is a bit better, this does cost 1 less which is helpful imo. Both work well with Death Wish :)
sincleanser
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This in casual play is a good card generally, but when you look at tourney decks, and people that aren't ww or beastial or elves ... it isn't all that good. I mean, how many decks feature 1) Creatures as a predominate wincon 2) They be the same creature TYPE ?
humor_love
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is better than Tsabo's Decree in group when all my new-to-the-game opponents are playing Humans (with Vampires) or Elves. Tribes embody Magic, watered down.
DoragonShinzui
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(6 votes)
Damn, Volrath is hardcore man...
Thoragh
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I like how black could take down Angels with a single card back in the day :D
Pinto331
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@DrJack
The rules are already very clear about creature types. A creature type is a subtype, it comes after the dash. Legend and Artifact are super-types (legend was made one as of the Kamigawa block), so you can't choose those. A creature token's type is specified on the source that created it, such as Raise the Alarm (soldiers) or Beacon of Creation (insects).
If you want a complete list of all the creature types you can choose, look up 205.3m in the comprehensive rules (although you shouldn't don't need to do this during most games).
TwentyFifthBaam
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
At worst its an expensive non-specific removal sorcery. At best, you just wiped their board of infinite platinum angels, and won the game.
Lord_Ascapelion
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
At the very worst, this can allow you to kill a hexproof creature. Especially nice if they have more than one on the board.
Fuminy
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Try using this against a portal deck. Everything is summon creature XD 5/5
Goatllama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Volrath don't f*** around.
psychichobo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Considering how many tribal decks I see these days I should grab me a playset, if only to get rid of the bloody Vampire Hordes that crop up.
Honestly, Ravnica coming back with its guilds has made life much easier for me. I'm not fighting annoying tribal decks, just colour based ones. A very pleasant change.
DrJack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
...Well?
Where are the rulings on this card? Why doesn't the oracle text make the card's effect any more clear? What constitutes a "creature type"? Does "Legend" count as a creature type? Or is that just a "super type" or whatever they consider legends now? For token creatures, what exactly counts as their creature type? Most importantly, can you use Extinction to destroy artifact creatures? The oracle text doesn't give us a clue. Come on Wizards, this card really needs some rulings!
@ Pinto331, what you said is all true, but still. It would be really nice if the Oracle clarified what a "creature type" is for players who need it, so you don't have to go digging through the comprehensive rulebook. Many of the Oracle rulings state the stupidly obvious. That's OK, sometimes people can overlook the obvious. But a card like Extinction could really use some reminders. This is one of the only times I went to look at Oracle rulings because I was genuinely curious how the card worked. I'm actually quite surprised the card itself didn't have reminder text. They put all kinds of useless reminder text on everything else, ranging from how "flying" works to when the "upkeep" happens. Furthermore, rules have changed over the years. Back when I started playing, "Legend" was a valid creature type.
gut.gemacht
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Back when the flavor text of magic was sometimes borderline too f***ed up. Volrath's Genocide®
Comments (24)
The rules are already very clear about creature types. A creature type is a subtype, it comes after the dash. Legend and Artifact are super-types (legend was made one as of the Kamigawa block), so you can't choose those. A creature token's type is specified on the source that created it, such as Raise the Alarm (soldiers) or Beacon of Creation (insects).
If you want a complete list of all the creature types you can choose, look up 205.3m in the comprehensive rules (although you shouldn't don't need to do this during most games).
5/5
Honestly, Ravnica coming back with its guilds has made life much easier for me. I'm not fighting annoying tribal decks, just colour based ones. A very pleasant change.
Where are the rulings on this card? Why doesn't the oracle text make the card's effect any more clear? What constitutes a "creature type"? Does "Legend" count as a creature type? Or is that just a "super type" or whatever they consider legends now? For token creatures, what exactly counts as their creature type? Most importantly, can you use Extinction to destroy artifact creatures? The oracle text doesn't give us a clue. Come on Wizards, this card really needs some rulings!
@ Pinto331, what you said is all true, but still. It would be really nice if the Oracle clarified what a "creature type" is for players who need it, so you don't have to go digging through the comprehensive rulebook. Many of the Oracle rulings state the stupidly obvious. That's OK, sometimes people can overlook the obvious. But a card like Extinction could really use some reminders. This is one of the only times I went to look at Oracle rulings because I was genuinely curious how the card worked. I'm actually quite surprised the card itself didn't have reminder text. They put all kinds of useless reminder text on everything else, ranging from how "flying" works to when the "upkeep" happens. Furthermore, rules have changed over the years. Back when I started playing, "Legend" was a valid creature type.