Combos Browse all Suggest
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 |
| Freeform | Legal |
| Highlander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Leviathan | Legal |
| Limited | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Modern Beyond Horizons | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Planar Constructed | Legal |
| Planechase | Legal |
| PreDH | Legal |
| Quest Magic | Legal |
| Vanguard | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
Volcano Hellion
Creature — Hellion
Volcano Hellion has echo (X), where X is your life total.
When Volcano Hellion enters the battlefield, it deals an amount of damage of your choice to you and target creature. The damage can't be prevented.
SaberTech on What exactly is the hard …
7 months ago
As someone who runs Volcano Hellion combos in one of my bracket 3 decks, I do think that comboing off like that on turn 3 goes against the spirit of the play experience that Bracket 3 tries to foster. This is just my interpretation, but I was under the impression that Bracket 3 was more about encouraging medium-speed games where people are setting up and making their initial swings at each other before the real haymakers begin to land starting with turn 6. Even if you can get your expensive combos out earlier thanks to ramp, waiting until turn 6 to complete a combo is more in spirit with what bracket 3 is attempting to achieve.
That being said, Commander damage takes a lot of the sting out of life gain combos since any commander that can deal at least 1 combat damage is a way of taking a player down regardless of their life total. That player going off with Volcano Hellion on turn 3 could arguably be doing the other players a favour since it makes it clear to the other players that many turns sooner that they need to team up to make sure the Hellion player goes down to either commander damage or another combo first.
If a turn 3 Volcano Hellion combo is followed up with something that uses life as a resource though, like Necropotence, then I think that's a bit unfair for bracket 3.
As for Archon's Glory's bargain cost making it a three card combo instead of just two, I think that's a technicality that's trying to skirt the rules a bit. The idea behind a combo requiring three specific cards is that it mathematically reduces the chances of getting all the pieces before turn 6. It also makes the combo easier to identify and disrupt if the pieces of the combo need to be played across two or more turns. A three-card combo would generally take more mana and turns to play out. Saying that Archon's Glory requires two resources total (the spell and a permanent that you can sacrifice to bargain) to give lifelink is technically true but since the sacrificed permanent could be a wide variety of things it isn't quite in line with what the allowance of three-card combos is trying to achieve.
StopShot on What exactly is the hard …
7 months ago
Disclaimer: (This is not a "who-is-the-antagonist" post. This matter has already long been resolved respectfully with an in-game vote. This example is given to point out potential gray-areas over what defines a 2-card combo with the intent to invite thought and discussion on what the nitty-gritty details and restrictions should entail when deck-building combos under the bracket system.)
The other day my playgroup had a bracket 3 match that caused an argument over what constitutes a 2-card combo over a play one of my opponents made. Bracket 3 officially states that there are:
No 2-card combos (before turn 6)
[Combos are] game-enders, lockouts, or infinites
In the game my opponent played a turn 1 Enlightened Tutor to fetch a Sol Ring, turn 2 played the Sol Ring, and on turn 3 played a Volcano Hellion having it deal 1 trillion damage to itself, but with its ETB ability on the stack they casted Archon's Glory bargaining the Sol Ring to give the Volcano Hellion lifelink which would result in my opponent gaining 1 trillion life by turn 3.
The playgroup insists the play is a 2-card combo that violates the spirit of bracket 3, because:
- The combo was pulled off by turn 3 and not turn 6 or later.
- The combo is a 2-card combo and not a 3-card combo as any sacrificed permanent required to bargain Archon's Glory shouldn't count in a mana-rock heavy format.
- The infinite life gain counts as a lockout since some decks would be unable to realistically break the lock via commander damage.
My opponent and a bystander watching the game argue the play fits within the confines of bracket 3, but for different reasons from each other:
- Ramp and Sol Ring shouldn't be factored in on how early a 2-card combo can occur when deck-building combos, otherwise ramp should count as an extra card in the combo making it a 3-card combo as the ramp was necessary for pulling off the combo early.
- If there had not been any ramping the combo would have occurred by turn 5 at the earliest with no means to win until turn 6 or after.
- The card bargained with Archon's Glory should count as card 3 as it was necessary to pull off the combo which is why they're running Archon's Glory over a card like Swift Justice.
- It doesn't fit the bracket definition of a combo as it's not a game-ender because it doesn't end the game, it's not an infinite because it's a one-time effect that is not loopable by itself, and it's not a lockout because it doesn't impede the functions of anyone's deck and players can still cast spells and attack no differently than before.
There was also discussion if bargaining a token for Archon's Glory would have still made it a 3-card combo if they had sacrificed a treasure token instead of a mana-rock. This further begged the question if and when any card should be counted as being a part of a combo like in the combo Flameshadow Conjuring + Felidar Guardian + Mountain. (The Felidar Guardian always blinks the Mountain effectively untapping it so you can always pay the Flameshadow Conjuring's triggered ability while the hasty token blinks the original Felidar Guardian to restart the loop.) Since the basic land is necessary for the combo, would a basic Mountain count as card 3 of the combo or does it go against the spirit of the 2-card combo rule? Molten Echoes + Felidar Guardian isn't allowed in comparison as it's a 2-card combo that doesn't require blinking a mana source to generate infinite hasty tokens, yet that combo is no less difficult to pull off than the Flameshadow Conjuring variation.
How would you best define what is or is not a 2-card combo before turn 6?
Strangelove on
The Black Rose Grand Theft
3 years ago
Np marco-online, you got me brewing! I definitely leaned into the aristocrats.
For more thievery, I think you might like Callous Oppressor or Thalakos Deceiver.
I also thought Volcano Hellion was really cool, but I did end up cutting it.
Lagwire on
COME AT ME (but not me)
4 years ago
So much has changed now, I think it would be a very powerful deck even in a 1v1 now. Thanks for checking it out, I don't think there's much more to add to this. I added in some infinite combos / instant kills but they could easily be sided out in favor of more hospitable cards. If that is the route you would want to take, I would recommend removing Angel's Grace, Chance for Glory, and Volcano Hellion for any cards you desire.
Andramalech on
Wicker Man (Stung By Bees)
4 years ago
This is incredible! Had something in Jund colors a minute ago doing this. However, Volcano Hellion can reaaaaaaally ramp up those numbers when you target Hornet Nest. Even the slightest bit of lifegain could turn the tide for you, with a few bodies to spare. A spot for Klothys, God of Destiny could do some work, producing some mana ramp value. With Rhythm of the Wild on the field... things could get even crazier. Really love what you've done though!
*Did not realize it was for Pioneer, my bust
freezerboy on
Gisela's Fury
4 years ago
Got a couple good potential damage options here. Mainly taken from my own deck Scorching Winds that I've found to be pretty useful. We have a different theme, but you may find some others that I've forgotten especially since you're running Repercussion:
Volcano Hellion, Martyrdom, Pyrohemia, Star of Extinction, Flamekin Village, Master Warcraft, Intimidation Bolt, Comeuppance
I've had some good success using the last ditch effort cards like Chance for Glory, but that's personal preference of course. Always good to see a Gisela deck.
freezerboy on Off color cards help for …
4 years ago
Interesting...I'll add those in. I have a similar interaction in another of my decks with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Volcano Hellion and Boros Reckoner. I like the idea that a lot of things need to be working together to make it happen. thanks for the tip.
CaptainToll on
Green Marchesa, True Hair
5 years ago
The only way I understand how Volcano Hellion would be working, is with Pariah on Brash Taunter/Stuffy Doll. Are the other interactions flying over my head? :D Sorry, if I am being dense :)