This card is pretty good. The fact that it
removes a creature from the game is nice. But
also, I like the fact that it uses the Hellbent
mechanic to make sure it doesn't get countered
or prevented. This can end up being a very
frustrating card for the control deck to be up
against. Blaze and Fireball found there way into
a lot of decks, so we shouldn't expect anything
different from Demonfire.
Yesterday
we looked at a not terribly good X spell from
Dissension. Today we've got one of the best
X-spells ever printed. At its core, this is the
old favorite Disintegrate. A card we haven't
seen in print for many years. R&D has favored us
by tacking on a couple of really great abilities
with the Hellbent mechanic. First of all is the
most important ability - uncounterability. Red
decks often have a problem against dedicated
blue control decks in that once the initial
onslaught slows down, the blue player can
counter anything that matters. With Demonfire,
this is of little concern. You can throw your
hand to the winds and once you reach the bottom
of the pile, finish off whatever is left with
this unstoppable blast. The unpreventable
ability is perhaps just as important. Even if
you can get past the counters, there's a world
of damage prevention effects out there. This
usually doesn't come up much in tournament play,
but in a draft environment that contains Prahv,
this can be a very good thing.
Here’s an interesting card, I say interesting
because for some reason it keeps reminding me of
Urza’s Rage. The card is very far from being an
Urza’s Rage but I can only assume is its
Hellbent effect that triggers the connection
between the two.
It’s safe to assume that if you’re playing this
card it’s mainly because you’re planning to make
sure your opponent can’t counter it, meaning
you’re probably running a Hellbent deck and
you’re facing a control deck. Other than packing
this card in the side board of very few specific
decks to seal the deal against a control deck I
simply don’t see another use for it in
constructed.
Plain and simple.
1.5/5
BMoor
Demonfire
For several years, there have been two great
“XR” spells: Fireball and Blaze. Fireball is
about the best one ever printed, with Blaze only
a small step behind. Demonfire is strictly
better than Blaze. That’s all I should have to
say, really. In constructed, it’s a great
finisher as well as a hoser for graveyard
recursion strategies like Dredge and Soulshift.
In limited, if you have an opportunity to put
this in your deck, YOU TAKE IT. Even if your
already sloidly in other colors, splash red just
for this if you have to. Just play it.
