Havoc Festival

Enchantment

Players can't gain life.

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player loses half his or her life, rounded up.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (49)

MightyPox on Demon Till Your Dreams Come True

3 months ago

Hi Rocketman! How is it going?

Nice to see your Rakdos primer is still active and updated!
I appreciate the new section about Rakdos Game Theory!
Haven't played Magic for some time now but my buddy and I will be getting back at it soon. In preparation for that I went through the Rakdos-coloured demons on Gatherer and saw that there are new demons to consider for the deck.

Bloodletter of Aclazotz
We can always use effects like Archfiend of Despair/Fiery Emancipation, so this one's really good.
My deck does most of it's damage during my turn anyhow. Definitely adding it to the deck.

Infernal Sovereign
An effect in the vein of Recycle/Null Profusion on a 6/6 flying, trampling demon may help us in a pseudo combo turn.
I'm usually always playing a land and/or spell each turn or drawing/filtering cards in other ways so skipping the draw step is not a great set back. Not sure about this one but will be testing it.

Bringer of the Last Gift
Living Death is one of my favourite cards in this deck and here it is stacked on a 6/6 flying demon.
The only draw back is that it has to be cast for {6}{B}{B} which is a steep price as most of the expensive demons are reanimated. Only Hellcarver Demon may cheat it into play.
Nevertheless I will try this one out, maybe in place of Patriarch's Bidding.

Scourge of the Skyclaves
This one has been around for a while now and most of the time it will be {5}{B}{B}: everybody loses half of his or her life.
In an earlier iteration of the deck I ran Havoc Festival which was nice because it speeds up things and my opponents would lose the life before me and not simultaneously.
Still for this deck I'm always looking for demons that do "crazy things" and maybe one day I will test this guy.

Concerning The Balrog of Moria: I read that you had this one on and off your deck and I think I like it.
All of it's abilities are relevant to us. If I find space for him I will test him for sure!


I read through your change log/Rakdos Game Theory/user comments and I understand that you emphasize playing the commander and therefore divert slightly away from the demon-theme.
While I think that your success proves you right, I just can't bring myself to cut a lot of demons from this deck - I'm a flavour freak on this one. :D
I'm really light on Rakdos protection (Tibalt's Trickery, Lightning Greaves and Not of this World are the only ones right now). Maybe if I could find room for Bolt Bend and Deflecting Swat I could see myself casting Rakdos more often.
On the other hand: since I've been playing this deck 1vs1 most of the time, connecting with Rakdos is devastating for my opponent and almost always leads to victory.
I also had situations when I had the mana to cast Rakdos very early in the game but had also options to do crazy stuff that could potentially win me the game.
Albeit risky I mostly tried the crazy things because this is my only deck that can do this kind of thing - the Rakdos thing. :D

I'm looking forward on reading what you think about the demon suggestions I made in this post!

jamochawoke on Wacky Waving Infallible Life Flailing Masochists

6 months ago

This is a really solid deck!

But how would you deal with things that mess up your lifegain?

I mean stuff like Erebos, God of the Dead, Forsaken Wastes, Everlasting Torment, Havoc Festival, Knight of Dusk's Shadow, Leyline of Punishment, Giant Cindermaw, Rampaging Ferocidon, and Witch Hunt.

I've seen people just scoop and leave when they were running a lifegain-based deck when they run into those cards. You've definitely got removal for sure, but you should either run more or have ways of digging for them just in case since those are total hosers for your strategy.

Also, to note, Atarka's Command, Molten Disaster, Sudden Shock, or Skullcrack could kill you in the middle of doing stuff so you shouldn't get too low if you've got a red player on the board. I've seen this very thing happen to someone running a K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth deck. Just something to keep in mind!

legendofa on I LOVE CHAOS

1 year ago

FormOverFunction If you're talking about my deck with Havoc Festival, it didn't make the cut because it forces damage on people. The idea behind the deck is that it gives people extra options, which they can use or not as they want. It's about giving people opportunities, and if they use those opportunities to hurt people, that's on them.

Don't get me wrong, HavocFest is a great card (and easy to cheese with Wound Reflection, if you're into that sort of thing). It's just too unfriendly for this specific deck list.

FormOverFunction on I LOVE CHAOS

1 year ago

Circu, Dimir Lobotomist is hilarious when you start hitting all of the staples that everyone has come to rely on. Sort of expected Havoc Festival to make the cut for the party deck, but since it wasn’t there I’ll mention it now! I feel like if a card is going to fit in this discussion it should hit everyone like havoc festival does, one-sided craziness just doesn’t strike the right chord for me. Sort of wish they’d go back to the Mudslide format, where you have to take a bite of the sandwich like everyone else.

Gleeock on I LOVE CHAOS

1 year ago

DreadKhan I've checked that deck out, I dig the style :)

I've used Thieves' Auction in Kardur, Doomscourge to rearrange the balance of power, you can guess I always choose Kardur first in the auction :) .. That deck has Havoc Festival as well :) -- Cardura treats your BPH

legendofa on 2 card 6 cmc or …

1 year ago

Any color or other requirements?

Realm Razer + Tyrant of Discord

Enter the Infinite + Omniscience

Havoc Festival + Wound Reflection

Chandra, Awakened Inferno + Worldfire

mrweaselman on Giggly Boys (EDH)

1 year ago

Blade of the Oni, Dream Devourer, Gibbering Fiend, Rakdos Firewheeler, Rakdos Headliner, Spear Spewer, Thermo-Alchemist, Witty Roastmaster, and Kardur's Vicious Return are not very good imo.

Scourge of the Skyclaves is just an expensive combo with Wound Reflection. Havoc Festival is slightly cheaper and better in most situations, especially in chaos.

Syphon Mind is better than Blightning. Banefire is better than Demonfire. Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip is better than Demonic Gifts. Curtains' Call is better than Murder. Baleful Mastery is better than Doom Blade.

WriteToLive on PAIN!!! Agony!!!

2 years ago

Warlock Class, Havoc Festival, War's Toll, Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage, Heartless Hidetsugu, Tibalt, Rakish Instigator