Desolation Angel MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The awe-inspiring Desolation Angel presents a unique twist in gameplay when it comes to card advantage. While it doesn’t allow you to draw directly, its ability to destroy all lands upon kicking ensures that, while you sacrifice your own resources, your opponent is likely to be set back far more, essentially generating an advantage through attrition—leaving you as the last one standing with the mightiest board presence.

Resource Acceleration: When examining resource acceleration, Desolation Angel may not grant direct mana or token creation, but what it does offer is a reset button on the game’s resources. By tactically setting up your mana base to recover swiftly post-wrath, you can accelerate past your opponent, who will be scrambling to rebuild their land drops—a powerful position in any match.

Instant Speed: While Desolation Angel does not operate at instant speed, the strategic implications of its cast timing are akin to high-stakes instant-speed plays. Deciding when to deploy this fearsome flyer can change the tempo of the game entirely, acting as a sudden upheaval to skillfully orchestrated plans, and leaving opponents in the dust as you sail towards victory on darkened wings.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A gameplay downside of Desolation Angel is its “kicker” cost, which, when paid, forces you to sacrifice all the lands you control. This significant setback can leave you vulnerable and struggling to rebuild your mana base to play further spells.

Specific Mana Cost: Desolation Angel requires a combination of both black and white mana to cast. This specific mana cost makes it less flexible, as it can only seamlessly fit into decks that are oriented around or can accommodate both of these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering the mana cost of Desolation Angel without its kicker effect, it stands at five mana, which is a hefty price for a flyer without additional immediate impact on the board. This can be restrictive, especially in formats where quicker, more impactful plays are prevalent.

Reasons to Include Desolation Angel in Your Collection

Versatility: Desolation Angel offers flexibility as both a game-ending threat and a strategic play. With its kicker ability, it can transform from a mere deterrent into a powerful force that can sway the tide of a match, appealing to a broad array of deck builds focused on control and disruption.

Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergy with strategies that benefit from resetting the board. When paired with mana acceleration or cards that protect your own land base, Desolation Angel can become a cornerstone of a formidable combo that devastates opponents while you maintain advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where land-based strategies prevail, Desolation Angel shines by hampering opponents’ plans and keeping ramp and multicolor decks in check. Its presence in your collection ensures you have a response to a widespread range of tactics.

How to Beat Desolation Angel

Desolation Angel is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, notably for its game-altering kicker ability that can leave opponents without lands. To stand against such a powerful threat, a strategy focused on prevention and reaction can be key. Countermagic such as “Cancel” or “Mana Leak” can neutralize this Angel before its effect takes place, effectively keeping your lands safe from destruction. Additionally, retaining instant-speed removal spells in your hand, like “Murder” or “Path to Exile”, ensures that if the Angel does hit the board, you can respond swiftly to remove it before the kicker cost is paid.

Another approach is to utilize discard effects to force the Angel out of your opponent’s hand before they even get the chance to cast it. Such strategies rely on cards like “Thoughtseize” or “Duress”, which are potent tools in preempting threats. Lastly, should Desolation Angel’s ability resolve, having a backup plan with land reanimation spells like “Splendid Reclamation” or artifact-based mana generation can help mitigate the impact and keep your game strategy on track despite the setback.