#desecration demon

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Desecration Demon by Jason Chan

[loreleywrites]

Arbitrary Card of the Day 9-5-17: Desecration Demon

Today's arbitrary card of the day is Desecration Demon. This card is a triggered ability nightmare, as its ability triggers on every single combat. That means it happens when you want to attack, but also when your opponents want to attack. It triggers when it's already tapped. It triggers if your opponent controls no creatures. It triggers if it can't attack or block or any other reason. And it's on you to announce all your triggers. Good luck. Hope that 6/6 flier for four was worth it. 

[peculiarflavor]

Rejected Flavor Text:

“I found out that if you refer to it as ‘performance art,’ instead of ‘grave looting,’ not only are you protected legally, but the National Endowment for the Arts will send you a check every month, too.” –Festunael, the Desecrator

[magic-the-beefening]

“Oh good, another skull for my collection.”

[avatar-of-woah]

Mogis Vs. Desecration Demon

       Firstly, I know i haven't gotten around to writing my article on GPPHX i have been incredibly busy and getting this ball rolling was unfortunately not one of my priorities. Here's a little something for now.

       I wanted to explore some of the similarities and differences between Mogis, the god of slaughter and desecration demon. I was initially very excited by Mogis but found him to be incredibly underwhelming. Hopefully I can explain why or at least give you all some facts to make your own decisions about. I chose desecration demon as the comparison because i found them to have similar enough abilities that the opponent is faced with similar decisions to make based upon their presence on the board. Ultimately I want to explain why I will most likely not main deck Mogis again, at least not for a while and some situations where he might fare better than the mono black staple desecration demon.

       Let us begin by taking a look at each card side by side. ( sorry i don't know how to upload pictures but when I figure it out  I will edit them in until then i will just lay out the cards in text.)

Mogis, God of slaughter :

CMC: 2BR

P/T: 7/5

Oracle text:

 Indestructible 

As long as your devotion to black and red is less than seven, Mogis isn't a creature. At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, Mogis deals 2 damage to that player unless he or she sacrifices a creature.

       Now for desecration demon.

Desecration Demon

CMC: 2BB

P/T: 6/6

Oracle text:

Flying

At the beginning of each combat, any opponent may sacrifice a creature. If a player does, tap Desecration Demon and put a +1/+1 counter on it. 

       Okay, now that we have them to reference lets take a look at the similarities. They each have a converted mana cost of four with black being a part of it. They both abilities that allow an opponent to sacrifice a creature to "appease" them and potentially render them useless for a time.

       With that though we can start on the differences for that is where they begin. They are both creatures… kind of. If you don't have the devotion for Mogis to be active, the sacrifice will completely negate his ability witch deals a whopping two damage. In most cases its not enough damage to convince your opponent to sacrifice a useful asset, especially if you do have the devotion for Mogis to be active. He charges on the ground for 7, witch can unfortunately be blocked by what ever it is his ability would want your opponent to sacrifice, therefore often leading to that exact scenario. Taking the two for not sacrificing and blocking him with what ever chumps are around. Your BEST CASE SCENARIO is having him activated to a creature while your opponent is devoid of creatures, giving him the potential to deal nine damage by himself witch is impressive, but if you have the devotion to have him active and your opponents board is clear chances are the first turn you deal nine with him is GG. I love the card, but he does not threaten enough pain to elicit the sacrificial slaughter for witch he is named. The two damage is underwhelming and I have rarely had a sacrifice made to mine.

       Now though, lets go onto Desecration demon. He IS a creature, in all the conventional senses, which can be an asset or a downside but I find that it leans toward the prior. He is susceptible to dreadbore and hero's downfall where Mogis is protected by his Indestructibility, but you don't need a swathe of red and black mana symbols to deal a considerable chunk of six damage. This also isn't a regular six damage, this six has wings. Not only do you have to hope to have a creature to block but you also have to hope that it has flying and a lot of the time your going to come up short on the flying even if you have a creature. Never fear, once EACH turn you have the ability to sacrifice one of your creatures to tap the demon. Most likely you will do this at the beginning of combat on their turn, but I am sure there are plenty of reasons and/or situations where taping him down on your turn could be better or at the very least useful. Great, you can let the demon clear your board while you hope to draw some removal spell for the big bad demonic baddie. Awesome plan right? Well hopefully because if you don't get that removal before you run out of things to feed it you will be in for a world of hurt. Why you say? Well, thats because each time you feed the demon you are giving him a +1/+1 counter, and adding just one counter to him takes his damage alone down from a four turn clock to a three turn, so be careful sacrificing!

       In the end, i find that Desecration Demons ability will elicit sacrifices more often from your opponents than Mogis's will for fear of the 6 for flying. Even if they tap down your demon every turn and get that removal spell and you never deal damage with it chances are quite likely that they used up a fair amount of resources getting rid of it. The fact that sacrificing will only prevent two damage, and the other seven that Mogis can deal comes on the ground makes him all but useless in comparison to the demons flying, growing power/toughness sacrifice inducing board presence. But of course as always feel free to make your own decisions, I only hope to assist with my experience, perspective and idea's.

       On a similar note, keep a look out for Master of the Feast to at the very least join desecration demon in their 1 black devo. He is a three drop devotion giver who will also put your opponents on a four turn clock if they don't answer him fast, though his ability to grant opponents card drawing will help them answer him. Who knows, but I will give him a try undoubtedly in my mono black devo build.

[magicjudge]

Can I respond to Desecration Demon's triggered ability? Thus getting priority during the combat phase but before attackers are declared?

Yes.

You get priority in the beginning of combat step even if nothing triggers then anyway.

[mtgtutorials]

I think I have this right, I have a Desecration Demon in play I declare beginning of combat. He sacrifices a creature to tap him. I can let that resolve but before moving to the next step I can cast Crypsis to untap him before I declare attackers is that correct? In a multiplayer game can I ask if anyone else wants to do anything? or will my opponents have an option to sac a creature if they haven't done so?

I think I have this right, I have a Desecration Demon in play I declare beginning of combat. He sacrifices a creature to tap him. I can let that resolve but before moving to the next step I can cast Crypsis to untap him before I declare attackers is that correct?

This works.

In a multiplayer game can I ask if anyone else wants to do anything? or will my opponents have an option to sac a creature if they haven’t done so?

Players don’t get a second chance to sacrifice creatures to the Demon's ability. However, they can still play other instant-speed effects (such as removal spells or Twiddle) before you move to the Declare Attackers step, in order to stop the Desecration Demon from attacking.