Do you seek to lay waste to your opponent’s creatures and make sure they are dead and buried? Well now you can with the Infernal Intervention Intro Pack from Magic: The Gathering 2015. One of five new intro decks, they are the perfect place to start for new players and are fun to play for anyone. This one in particular is sure to make an impact, most likely to your oppositions face.
26 Land
- 13 Swamp
- 13 Mountain
18 Creature
- 3 Typhoid Rat
- 2 Torch Fien
- 2 Gargoyle Sentinel
- 2 Carrion Crow
- 2 Goblin Roughrider
- 1 Wall of Fire
- 1 Gravedigger
- 1 Zof Shade
- 2 Nightfire Giant
- 1 Indulgent Tormentor
- 1 Thundering Giant
The main focus of this deck is to level everything that is thrown at you. By combining the destructive colour of Red and the life devouring colour of Black, your arsenal is stocked to the rafters with death and mayhem. It ranges from burning away creatures, outright destroying them, and life point manipulation. Couple this with a healthy roster of creatures and you are set to decimate all who stand in your path.
For the early stages of the game, the 1 mana cost Typhoid Rats can make your opponent really think about their moves. It may only be a 1/1 creature but it has the ability Deathtouch. This ability allows it to destroy anything it deals damage to. Even the biggest hydra can fall at the claws of this little beast. For the mid to late game, the 5 mana cost Indulgent Tormentor can squeeze life and resources out of the other player if they are not careful. They either have to pay 3 life or sacrifice a creature to prevent an extra draw in your standby phase. Combine these cards with the other spells at your disposal and you can manipulate the boards to the way you want it.
16 Spells
- 2 Profane Momento
- 1 Clear a Path
- 2 Lightning Strike
- 1 Festergloom
- 1 Stab Wound
- 1 Burning Anger
- 2 Flesh to Dust
- 1 Cone of Flame
- 2 Blastfire Bolt
- 1 Caustic Tar
- 2 Heat Ray
The creatures of torture in this deck are accompanied by spells of equal punishment. For the most part you will be laying waste to your opponent’s armies with a plethora of burn cards. These include the Cone of Flame which can potentially turn 3 monsters to a crisp or, deal 6 points of damage to a player’s life. Whatever the problem that lies ahead, there will be a burn spell for it.
On the Black mana side of things, creature removal and manipulation awaits your command. Sometimes you might have something too big to burn standing in your way. Do not worry, Flesh to Dust and Clear a Path can destroy them outright. Or, if you are feeling particularly mean, enchant the brute with Stab Wound which will bleed the controller dry as long as it remains on the field.
Other Key Cards
Other key cards to this deck include the Profane Momento and the Enchantment Burning Anger. The former is a 1 mana cost Artifact that allows you to gain 1 life whenever a creature enters your opponent’s graveyard. With the amount of ways to destroy said monsters, you can foresee a lot of life coming your way. As for Burning Anger, it can enchant a creature and grant an ability which can deal damage to another creature or player equal to its power by tapping it. Cast this on Typhiod Rats and you have a damage dealing, Deathtouch machine that doesn’t have to enter battle with anything.
Overall, the Infernal Intervention Intro Pack is fun to play and offers good strategy and playability. Although it is a foundation from which to build a better deck around, the core elements are there and can lead onto a more ferocious and consistent threat on the local tournament scene. It possesses good removal, board control, and life point manipulation. It can slow up, however, from time to time. In a deck that possesses 26 mana and no draw cards or searchers you can grind to a halt when you don’t receive the cards you need. That aside, it is great for beginners and casual play with friends.
