Sire of Insanity MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Demon
Power 6
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Equalizes play by forcing all players to discard, beneficial for decks that thrive with fewer cards.
  2. Strips hands, creating opportunities for graveyard plays and accelerating resource accumulation.
  3. Changes gameplay by impacting instant-speed strategies, favoring straightforward topdeck battles.

Text of card

At the beginning of each end step, each player discards his or her hand.

Its victims become mindless lunatics. Conveniently, that's the first step in joining the Cult of Rakdos.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Sire of Insanity, card advantage takes a unique turn. Rather than drawing more cards, it ensures that each player is on an even playing field by having no cards in hand during their end steps. This is especially advantageous for a deck that operates well with few cards and can easily utilize the graveyard or topdeck effectively.

Resource Acceleration: While Sire of Insanity itself doesn’t directly provide mana, its ability to strip away all players’ hands can lead to indirect acceleration. By discarding your hand, you may fill your graveyard with creatures or spells that can be reanimated or cast from the graveyard, thus catapulting you ahead in resources.

Instant Speed: Though Sire of Insanity operates at sorcery speed, its board impact is enormous upon entry. Its end-of-turn ability potentially affects instant-speed strategies by forcing players to play out their hands. Consequently, it can stall opponents from building up complex interactions or holding counterspells and thereby accelerates your game by simplifying the state to a battle of topdecks.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Sire of Insanity forces both you and your opponent to discard your entire hand at the end of each turn. While this can be strategically beneficial, it may also put you at a disadvantage by rapidly depleting your available options and reducing your ability to react to changes in the game state.

Specific Mana Cost: Sire of Insanity’s casting cost requires one black and one red mana in addition to four generic mana. This specific mana requirement means it’s best suited for Rakdos (black-red) decks, potentially limiting its inclusion in more diverse multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of six, Sire of Insanity can be a pretty heavy investment, especially in faster-paced games where lower-cost creatures and spells dominate. This makes it less appealing when players aim for efficiency and early board presence.


Reasons to Include Sire of Insanity in Your Collection

Versatility: Sire of Insanity can be a game-changing addition to various deck archetypes. Control and midrange decks, in particular, may utilize the card’s unique ability to disrupt opponents’ hands, leveling the playing field.

Combo Potential: This daunting creature pairs well with strategies aimed at creature recursion or reanimation, enabling a powerful board presence while keeping opponents’ options limited. It also synergizes with strategies that capitalize on discard mechanics, providing consistent value.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where players are holding onto key cards for late-game plays, Sire of Insanity disrupts those plans by forcing a discard at the end of each turn. This can tilt games in your favor by neutralizing carefully curated hands and forcing a top-decking scenario where the Sire’s impact is often decisive.


How to beat

The Sire of Insanity presents an overwhelming challenge on the battlefield. Known for its ruthless ability to strip players of their hand at the end of each turn, it creates a landscape where strategizing ahead becomes futile. Facing such a relentless force requires resourceful planning and a change in traditional play.

To gain an advantage over this daunting card, consider including instant-speed removal in your deck, as casting them in response to the end step trigger will ensure you can eliminate the Sire before your hand is discarded. Rely on cards with flash, enabling you to cast creatures and other spells at opportune moments. Graveyard-utilizing strategies can also turn the table on the Sire’s ability, as you can harness the cards discarded to spur effects and summon creatures from the graveyard. Lastly, prioritize actions that will keep your vital resources in play, rather than in your hand, to curb the Sire’s debilitating effect. By adapting your tactics and embracing flexibility, you can mitigate the destruction wrought by the Sire of Insanity and emerge victorious with cunning and poise.

Ultimately, swift removal, flash mechanics, and graveyard synergy are key components in outlasting and defeating the insidious dominance of the Sire of Insanity in Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG players, take note: Sire of Insanity is a formidable card for those looking to disrupt the status quo of hand advantage. Perfect for Rakdos enthusiasts and players who relish in watching their opponents squirm, this card transforms the game into a raw battle of topdecks. Its potential to equalize the playing field and shine in graveyard-based strategies makes it a tantalizing choice for your arsenal. Dive deeper with us into the nuances of MTG and discover how you can manipulate the battlefield with Sire of Insanity’s unique ability. Elevate your strategy and ensure your deck leaves a lasting impression at your next duel.


Cards like Sire of Insanity

Sire of Insanity is a unique monster card that reigns over many others in Magic: The Gathering with its ability to force each player to discard their hand at the end of each turn. While this card stands out for its hand-depleting effect, comparisons can be drawn with other cards like Mindslicer. Mindslicer shares the hand-disruption theme but activates upon death, unlike Sire of Insanity, which has a relentless end-of-turn effect.

Another relative in this niche is Bottomless Pit, which also promotes an erratic play environment by making players discard at random during each of their upkeep phases. Though the effects are somewhat similar, Sire of Insanity offers a more immediate and consistent disruption. Then there’s Necrogen Mists, which mandates a discard every turn. While Necrogen Mists affects all players like Sire of Insanity, it’s less severe and can be played around with a careful hand management strategy.

When juxtaposed with its counterparts, Sire of Insanity gives players an aggressive edge for eliminating opponents’ tactical options, effectively leveling the field and setting a frantic, unpredictable pace for the remainder of the game.

Mindslicer - MTG Card versions
Bottomless Pit - MTG Card versions
Necrogen Mists - MTG Card versions
Mindslicer - Odyssey (ODY)
Bottomless Pit - Stronghold (STH)
Necrogen Mists - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Sire of Insanity by color, type and mana cost

Pavel Maliki - MTG Card versions
Rohgahh of Kher Keep - MTG Card versions
Razing Snidd - MTG Card versions
Carnival Hellsteed - MTG Card versions
Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats - MTG Card versions
Malfegor - MTG Card versions
Rakdos the Defiler - MTG Card versions
Deepfire Elemental - MTG Card versions
Grief Tyrant - MTG Card versions
Undead Leotau - MTG Card versions
Vein Drinker - MTG Card versions
Deathbringer Thoctar - MTG Card versions
Defiler of Souls - MTG Card versions
Igneous Pouncer - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Ringleader - MTG Card versions
Dragonlord Kolaghan - MTG Card versions
Swift Warkite - MTG Card versions
The Big Idea - MTG Card versions
Mary O'Kill - MTG Card versions
Rakdos, the Showstopper - MTG Card versions
Pavel Maliki - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Rohgahh of Kher Keep - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Razing Snidd - Planeshift (PLS)
Carnival Hellsteed - RNA Guild Kit (GK2)
Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats - Zendikar Rising Promos (PZNR)
Malfegor - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Rakdos the Defiler - RNA Guild Kit (GK2)
Deepfire Elemental - Commander 2013 (C13)
Grief Tyrant - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Undead Leotau - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Vein Drinker - Commander 2017 (C17)
Deathbringer Thoctar - Commander 2013 (C13)
Defiler of Souls - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Igneous Pouncer - Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas (DDH)
Rakdos Ringleader - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Dragonlord Kolaghan - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Swift Warkite - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)
The Big Idea - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Mary O'Kill - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Rakdos, the Showstopper - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sire of Insanity MTG card by a specific set like Dragon's Maze and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Sire of Insanity and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sire of Insanity Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-05-03 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-05-03Dragon's MazeDGM 1042003normalblackPeter Mohrbacher
22019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 2752015normalblackThomas M. Baxa

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sire of Insanity has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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