Deadly Tempest MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants card advantage by clearing multiple threats with a single card, balancing the battlefield.
  2. Acts as a game reset, catching up players behind on board to neutralize fast ramp threats.
  3. Despite not being an instant, it offers significant tactical control with proper timing.

Text of card

Destroy all creatures. Each player loses life equal to the number of creatures he or she controlled that were destroyed this way.

When the winds blow out of the abyss, death is the only harvest.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deadly Tempest helps to clear the battlefield, which in turn often results in card advantage. This is because it can destroy multiple creatures your opponents control while you control how many resources you commit to the board before casting it.

Resource Acceleration: Although Deadly Tempest itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it acts as a reset button, slowing down opponents who may have ramped out threats quickly. This allows players who cast Deadly Tempest to catch up in games where they may be falling behind on board presence.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant, the ability to sweep the board at sorcery speed can still be pivotal. By carefully timing your plays, Deadly Tempest can function similar to an instant by setting up a turn where your opponents are less likely to commit more resources, thinking they are safe to overextend.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Deadly Tempest, the drawback comes in the form of potential backlash. Wiping the battlefield clean of creatures can cause you to discard cards, particularly if you’re commanding a large creature presence yourself.

Specific Mana Cost: Deadly Tempest’s mana cost is locked into two black mana symbols, making it a challenging fit for multicolored decks that might struggle with mana consistency. This requirement can hamstring your ability to cast it on curve, especially in decks that have three or more colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Six mana casts a long shadow over this spell’s usability. While it is powerful, the cost is hefty, and by the time you’re able to cast Deadly Tempest, players may have already established a resilient board state or could be holding up counterspells to negate its effect.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Deadly Tempest is a key sweeper card that can reset the board, fitting well into control decks or any black-centric deck that requires a way to remove multiple threats at once.

Combo Potential: This card excels in scenarios where you combine it with life-gain effects or when you want to manipulate death triggers to your advantage, maximizing the benefit you get from a single card.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where creature-heavy decks or token strategies are prevalent, Deadly Tempest serves as a crucial answer to wide board states, maintaining its relevance in diverse MTG matchups.


How to beat

Deadly Tempest is a powerful sweeper in Magic: The Gathering, known for clearing the board by destroying all creatures and causing life loss equal to the creatures each player controlled that were destroyed. Defeating this card revolves around strategy and foresight. Start by not overcommitting creatures to the battlefield if you suspect your opponent might cast it. Instead, maintain a reserve of creatures in your hand to rebuild after a potential sweep.

Additionally, consider using creatures that have indestructible or those that can regenerate. Cards that grant your creatures hexproof or protection from black can also save your army from the destruction caused by Deadly Tempest. Counterspells are another robust solution; keeping mana open allows you to counter Deadly Tempest and prevent it from resolving. Lastly, having cards that benefit from creatures dying, such as those with death triggers or that accrue value from graveyard interactions, can turn the tide in your favor even after a Deadly Tempest resolves.

Understanding that Deadly Tempest can be a game changer means playing smart, keeping a cool head, and retaining resources for post-sweeper recovery are key tactics in maintaining the upper hand against this formidable MTG card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the delicate balance in MTG often involves understanding when and how to use powerful cards like Deadly Tempest. The art lies in not only leveraging its strengths but also in mitigating its weaknesses. As a strategic sweeper, it can offer players the leverage needed to tilt the battlefield in their favor. But savvy opponents will always look for counterplays. To increase your proficiency in the game, becoming adept at using and countering such influential spells is crucial. Enhance your control techniques and expand your collection’s versatility—delve deeper into the strategic nuances of Deadly Tempest with us and refine your gameplay to triumphant efficiency.


Cards like Deadly Tempest

Deadly Tempest cuts through the tapestry of MTG’s vast array of mass removal spells. It’s a commanding card, often paralleled with the likes of Damnation and Wrath of God. All three clear the battlefield with sweeping destruction. Yet, Deadly Tempest holds a unique position; it punishes players further by inflicting damage equal to the number of creatures they controlled that were destroyed. Damnation and Wrath of God, classical and powerful as they are, remove creatures without this additional penalty.

In contrast, cards such as Toxic Deluge offer a customizable wipe that can be tailored to a player’s current mana availability, potentially sparing their own creatures if played smartly. But again, it does not tax opponents’ life totals directly for the creatures lost. And then there’s Blasphemous Act – extremely cost-effective in a creature-heavy environment, yet it differs by targeting all creatures for a set damage amount, rather than destroying them outright, which can have different implications depending on creatures’ toughness and indestructibility.

Assessing value and impact, Deadly Tempest delivers a potent concoction of creature removal and direct player punishment. Within the realm of mass removal spells in MTG, this dual-threat ensures it remains a formidable option for controlling crowded boards while strategically chipping away at opponents’ life totals.

Damnation - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Toxic Deluge - MTG Card versions
Blasphemous Act - MTG Card versions
Damnation - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Wrath of God - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Toxic Deluge - Commander 2013 (C13)
Blasphemous Act - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Deadly Tempest by color, type and mana cost

Kiss of Death - MTG Card versions
Dark Offering - MTG Card versions
Rain of Daggers - MTG Card versions
Corrupt - MTG Card versions
Poison Arrow - MTG Card versions
Morbid Hunger - MTG Card versions
Haunting Voyage - MTG Card versions
Zombie Apocalypse - MTG Card versions
Choice of Damnations - MTG Card versions
Beseech the Queen - MTG Card versions
Nightmare Incursion - MTG Card versions
Stolen Grain - MTG Card versions
Blood Tribute - MTG Card versions
Essence Feed - MTG Card versions
Hex - MTG Card versions
Grave Exchange - MTG Card versions
Assassin's Strike - MTG Card versions
Undercity Plague - MTG Card versions
Sip of Hemlock - MTG Card versions
Spiteful Blow - MTG Card versions
Kiss of Death - Portal Second Age (P02)
Dark Offering - Starter 1999 (S99)
Rain of Daggers - The List (PLST)
Corrupt - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Poison Arrow - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Morbid Hunger - Odyssey (ODY)
Haunting Voyage - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Zombie Apocalypse - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Choice of Damnations - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Beseech the Queen - The List (PLST)
Nightmare Incursion - Eventide (EVE)
Stolen Grain - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Blood Tribute - Commander 2017 (C17)
Essence Feed - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Hex - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Grave Exchange - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Assassin's Strike - Jumpstart (JMP)
Undercity Plague - Gatecrash (GTC)
Sip of Hemlock - Theros (THS)
Spiteful Blow - Journey into Nyx (JOU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deadly Tempest MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2015 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Deadly Tempest and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Deadly Tempest Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2015-11-13 and 2021-04-23. Illustrated by Cliff Childs.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-11-13Commander 2015C15 192015normalblackCliff Childs
22015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 422015normalblackCliff Childs
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6162015normalblackCliff Childs
42020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1312015normalblackCliff Childs
52020-09-26The ListPLST C15-192015normalblackCliff Childs
62021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1402015normalblackCliff Childs

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deadly Tempest has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Deadly Tempest card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2015-11-04 Creatures that aren’t destroyed this way (perhaps because they regenerated or have indestructible) don’t count toward the life lost.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks