Fire Covenant

Instant

As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay X life.

This deals X damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures.

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
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (48)

DemonDragonJ on Fire Covenant or Reckless Assault?

7 months ago

Caerwyn, yes, that makes sense, and I even asked several of my friends about this, and they all agreed that Fire Covenant was the preferable card, so I shall keep it, in this deck, and hope that WotC eventually prints a strictly better version of Reckless Assault, since I like that card's concept.

DemonDragonJ on Fire Covenant or Reckless Assault?

7 months ago

Caerwyn, plakjekaas, Fire Covenant is a one-time effect, while Reckless Assault can be used over many turns; what if I use the instant, and then an opponent later summons a creature that I wish to destroy? Also, I certainly do not intend to defeat my opponents with the enchantment, but one never knows when even a single point of damage shall make a difference, and it also would be useful for dealing with annoying planeswalkers, as well.

RiotRunner789, I previously had a Pestilence Demon in this deck, but I removed it, because of how expansive it is.

plakjekaas on Fire Covenant or Reckless Assault?

7 months ago

It's worse, you need to pay for the enchantment too.

If all three opponents have a 3/3 you'd like to get rid of, Fire Covenant will cost you 3 mana and 9 life to get rid of them all, at instant speed.

Reckless Assault would cost you 4 mana at sorcery speed, and then 9 mana and 18 life at instant speed for the exact same result of killing three 3/3s.

433% more mana, 200% more life, gets worse in scaling the more you want to target. And you think it's superior, because it can target players? Would you play Pestilence over Toxic Deluge as well, for the sole purpose of wiping the board? Or does the deck need a wincon so badly you'd want to pay 240 life and 120 mana to kill your opponents?

Reckless Assault is the opposite of efficient, keep the Fire Covenant, that might be one of the best cards in the deck.

DemonDragonJ on Fire Covenant or Reckless Assault?

7 months ago

I have a copy of Fire Covenant in my Tariel, Reckoner of Souls EDH deck, as that deck can afford to pay the life that that spells requires, but I am considering replacing that card with Reckless Assault, since I feel that the enchantment is overall a superior card; it does require a greater investment of both life and mana, but that fact that it can target anything and can be used repeatedly makes it worth that higher cost, in my mind.

What does everyone else say about this subject? Should I replace Fire Covenant with Reckless Assault? I certainly am eager to receive your responses.

DreadKhan on Sauron The Grixis Lord

1 year ago

If you want to keep your budget fairly low, there are the signets (Rakdos Signet, Izzet Signet, and Dimir Signet) and the talismans (Talisman of Dominance, Talisman of Indulgence, and Talisman of Creativity) to start with, but Grixis has access to a really good new option, Relic of Sauron, which I think is great. I'm not sure if it's really a good card, but Firemind Vessel exists. There is also Myriad Landscape, which can find a colour you don't have yet (and gets 2 of that colour). An option if you keep your fairly high (which is fine btw) land count would be to replace a land with Temple of the False God.

Since you actually need to ramp a few times from 3 mana to cast Sauron, you might run something weird like Dreamscape Artist, that can help get you to Sauron mana to get your deck online, including fixing your mana. It's incredibly janky, but Apprentice Wizard can help cast Sauron's colourless cost.

I could be wrong, but I think Arcane Adaptation is usually better than Xenograft. I think Maskwood Nexus is also better. I think you could find much better cards than Ugluk, including many that are lower to the ground. Foray of Orcs is not very high impact for the mana when there are cards that can just remove any creature for less mana, or cards like Fateful Showdown for similar. I would even play Fire Covenant over it. Torment of Golum sounds to me like an outright bad card, ymmv, but I think you can find something that works similar for less. I'm also unsure if Surrounded by Orcs is worth casting, adding only 3 power isn't very impressive, and if the army dies you lose the buff forever.

You can certainly shave some lands if you add more ramp sources, though I wouldn't go below 36 lands with a 6 mana Commander that needs 3 colours to cast. You can sneak that lower with a better mana base, but that increases the cost. If you lower your land count to 36, you could also look at the Guild Bounce lands, Dimir Aqueduct, Rakdos Carnarium and Izzet Boilerworks, each of these is a dual land that is cheap and helps you hit more land drops. They aren't great if you have lots of 'Enters tapped' lands, but without mostly Basics they are solid in a 3 colour deck. Guildless Commons also exists, but in a 3 colour deck I'd be more leery of it.

MtgHarmacist on Ah Ah Ah Ah Stayin' Alive!!!

2 years ago

Another card I thought about adding to your list for my deck is Fire Covenant for a defensive offensive spell

DreadKhan on tBZ_Garna-Bloodfist

2 years ago

I suspect cards like Rite of the Raging Storm would probably work in here, you'd either get in for 5 each turn or get a card, and nobody else can swing at you with the tokens/changelings. Since you can also use Goblin Bombardment after a creature has dealt damage, you can kill any creature before combat actually ends, so you'd still get the card even if they let the creatures hit them. Any token generator that would ever be worth using is probably good in here too, even Orochi Hatchery could draw a lot of cards if people have to block. The best way to force people to block would be any kind of power buff that is global, I like Berserkers' Onslaught in Red, double damage also works well with any other buffs you can add. I guess there is stuff like Judith, the Scourge Diva too. The effect is pretty clunky, but with your Commander Captive Audience looks a lot better, those tokens are much more valuable, and it still usually a death sentence for one player.

Zulaport Cutthroat is a great Aristocrat to look at, I usually don't bother with it but at your budget maybe Butcher of Malakir can be a real nuisance, as can Ogre Slumlord if you're losing lots of non-tokens. If you find yourself running more wipes/removal, Sangromancer can generate a lot of life.

Not sure if they're within your budget, but Fire Covenant and Phyrexian Purge can both clear a ton of other people's stuff. Make an Example might be the best sorcery speed removal effect ever printed, it's non-targeted and uses sacrifice, but you choose the piles that die so you always hit what you need to hit with it. Ashes to Ashes/Reckless Spite can clear a couple bodies. In Rakdos I feel like you want some of the following, Feed the Swarm, Chaos Warp and Wild Magic Surge to deal with awkward permanent types.

DreadKhan on unthinkable apocalypse

2 years ago

I'm not certain the Commander has enough explosive power to consistently win vs 2 decks, but I have very good results in 1 v 1 with my Rakdos deck, and it often has spare cards by the end of the game, be it wipe or removal, because the deck just runs so much of those, with lots of the removal hitting more than 1 target (I love stuff like Phyrexian Purge, Fire Covenant, Make an Example, and Volcanic Offering can each be a terror of a card, and a deck running all of them has lots of pinpoint removal that will clear lots of stuff out. Ashes to Ashes and Reckless Spite also exist fwiw, and if you aren't certain you'll have creatures out, Tergrid's Shadow can do a bit of work, as can Plaguecrafter or Demon's Disciple, cards Sedris can recur for 2B even. Another value card is Dredge the Mire, which can cheat in the 3 worst creatures in people's graveyards, note certain creatures will kill you if you control them, so check before playing! Necromantic Selection not only clears the field, it also gives you back the best thing, this is extra juicy if you use some sort of Indestructible creature(s) that won't die. If you consistently have a fairly big creature, or one with Deathtouch and Lifelink, Chandra's Ignition is one sided by definition, one of many cards that shines brightly with Basilisk Collar (which is also very good with Jaya Ballard, Task Mage or even good old Banshee, Jaya's 6 damage wipe really is amazing if you've got Collar on her, though it'll kill her too). If you expect to have multiple opponents, Goad is a very strong effect, Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant is potentially pretty solid, lots of card draw. There is also Kardur, Doomscourge that will force everyone's hand. Spectacular Showdown is a great card if you've actually got a board of your own to finish people off, keep in mind that on your next turn, you not only won't have been attacked by any pre-existing creature, everyone else will have swung for the fences with Double Strike, and they will likely have nothing left to defend with, making your Double Strikers very effective. Another Goad source that is great with a creature heavy board is Agitator Ant, which is hilarious a lot of the time. If you're using Goad effects, War Tax can let an opponent have a way around them, if there is a tax to attack Goad fails, and War Cadence is absolutely devastating with Goad, even a tax of 1 to block can make blocking impossible for weenie decks, and you can use either on anyone's turn.

As you've got access to Blue, there are a few non-Rakdos tricks you can use, the most hilarious I know of is Mass Diminish, note that it lasts until your next turn and have a good laugh. There is also Sudden Spoiling, which is powerful but lasts for that turn, or Polymorphist's Jest, which is similarly a 1 turn solution. I use Mass Diminish more aggressively, to make a player hyper-vulnerable to attackers (and make them unable to counter attack), getting two casts is just savage. Visions of Duplicity can create some chaos with it's two casts, Cultural Exchange is obscene if someone else has better creatures. Bident of Thassa is glorious if you want both of it's effects, forcing people to attack is incredibly mean, and this doesn't require you to run a weenie like Goblin Diplomats, but that's also a fun card fwiw. If you're going to run Oriq Loremage, you might slip in a huge creature to Unearth, something like Dragon Tyrant can be huge and not break the bank, Double Strike and Firebreathing are really good together, and you won't have to pay the upkeep with Unearth, he's dead before that matters.

I was looking at your land count and average Mana Value and I think you probably are running too few lands at this point, it's very tempting to cut them, but 30 is probably too few for a MV that is over 2.5. You might get away with adding 2 mana ramp, but I'd still aim for at least 36 lands (or MDFCs that count as a land, you probably already have the best two MDFCs in those colours, but people also run Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip) to ensure you can consistently cast stuff. There is a smattering of ways you can run less lands/ramp, but these all come with downsides, but in Grixis you can run 4 solid Bounce Lands, Dimir Aqueduct and Guildless Commons should be in here as well if you want a lower land count, these let you hit another land drop when you draw them. You might also run stuff like Thran Dynamo or Worn Powerstone to help you hit higher MVs sooner, ramping by only 1 mana feels bad compared to hitting a land drop most of the time, there is also Gilded Lotus, but hitting 5 mana can be rough. Coalition Relic can charge for 1 turn, Skyclave Relic is super versatile/rugged, and Everflowing Chalice can be huge if you want, 6-10 mana is absurd but sometimes comes up. Cantrips like Ponder and Preordain are also good at digging for a land, but I know in Talrand it stings pretty bad when you Preordain and don't find a land and I needed one. As for some cards to remove, I'll take a look, but if I'm trying to build a deck that can handle attention, I look first at cards that will hurt only 1 player, unless that card will almost certainly end that player, either right away or in a few turns.

A few to consider removing (I may be missing why you have them in, so user discretion is advised or something): Archive Trap, Outpost Siege, Palace Siege, Ponder, Preordain, Haunting Echoes, Cruel Ultimatum (this seems insanely hard to cast, and hits only 1 player, unless you can copy it I'd run Captive Audience if I want to hose one player hard), Cranial Extraction, Cormela, Glamour Thief, Kess, Dissident Mage, Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger, Lobber Crew, Loyal Subordinate, Nekusar, the Mindrazer, Obeka, Brute Chronologist, Phenax, God of Deception, Runo Stromkirk  ^Flip, Spear Spewer, and Thermo-Alchemist.Some maybe cards include Angrath, Captain of Chaos, and Cryptolith Fragment  ^Flip (for another land, maybe a better rock, there is Thought Vessel, but fixing is sweet in Grixis).

Hope some of this is helpful!