Hour of Devastation Card Image Gallery
I assume, at this stage of the game's lifespan and development, that cards like this come from the question "what's the best thing that does X in Standard/Limited right now?" If X in this question is "instant that does 3 to creature or player", then I'm guessing Open Fire has replaced whatever the answer is, or there is no card in current Standard/Limited that fits this role. Lightning Strike was last in 2015 Core, and I think Lightning Bolt was last in 2012 Core.But man, there are some duds here. Open Fire? Because now apparently Lightning Strike is too good.Razaketh's Rite? We already had ample evidence that Diabolic Tutor is a mediocre, draft fodder card; we didn't need an even more expensive version of it. Overwhelming Splendor? More like Overwhelmingly Expensive Enchantment.
It's definitely incomparable to Mind's Desire. It's really more like Epic Experiment. Actually, it's decently better than that card, because Epic Experiment for 6 CMC would only let you cast up to 4 instant/sorcery spells with CMC 4 or less.Oversoul said:The one that bugs me is Hazoret's Undying Fury, because it's so reminiscent of Mind's Desire and also so unplayable. I think Mind's Desire was probably a hopelessly broken effect, one which they couldn't really balance in a way that would make it "safe" in a format with access to a lot of mana acceleration. But brokenness aside, playing the card is an amazing experience. Mind's Desire flipping another Mind's Desire is unlike anything else in Magic. It's extremely fun, but it's also something that can probably never reappear in any tournament format in the future and I accept that. But this garbage new version of it is just rubbing salt in the wound. It's also a little weird. I mean, yeah, they can't make anything like Mind's Desire that is as good as Mind's Desire. But even if it had just been...
Hazoret's Nerfed Version of Desire
4RR
Sorcery
Shuffle your library, then exile the top four cards. You may cast any number of nonland cards from among them without paying their mana costs.
...then I'd have thought, "Well, it's a new wannabe Mind's Desire. But maybe it's playable."
Add the "with converted mana cost of 5 or less" clause and I lose all interest. They'd be going from making an interesting card to making a lousy one. Even still, some determined "Johnny" player might try to find a way to make this worthwhile. But I'd give up on it. And yet, they didn't stop there. It's like they thought, "This card isn't bad enough." So they made it so that your lands don't untap on your next turn. This is basically "Hey Combo Players, Want a New Toy? Well, You Don't Get One and Also We Hate Your Guts" the card.