Impetuous Devils: Creative Red Play and Risk-Reward Tactics

Impetuous Devils: Creative Red Play and Risk-Reward Tactics

In TCG ·

Impetuous Devils — Eldritch Moon card art by Filip Burburan

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Creative Red Play: Embracing Risk and Reward with Impetuous Devils

Red decks have long thrived on speed, audacity, and a healthy appetite for risk. Impetuous Devils embodies that ethos in bold strokes: a {2}{R}{R} package that arrives as a 6-power on a 4-mana frame, complete with haste and trample. This rare devil from Eldritch Moon isn’t just a big body; it’s a catalyst for aggressive, edge-of-the-seat combat sequences 🧙‍♂️🔥. When you cast this creature, you’re signaling that you’re in for a fast, adrenaline-fueled race—one where every decision counts and every point of damage matters. The red mana identity is on full display here, marrying raw aggression with clever combat misdirection.

The card’s combat trigger changes how both players think about blockers. “When this creature attacks, up to one target creature defending player controls blocks it this combat if able.” That line reads like a dare: you pick a potential blocker and force it into the fray, if one exists. With Trample in the mix, you’re not just asking for a stall; you’re pushing to overwhelm. If your opponent has a single, fragile creature they hoped to trade off later, Impetuous Devils can melt that plan away while you steamroll for the edge. It’s tempo with a bang—all the more satisfying when you’ve saved a few burn spells to clear the way for a lethal final swing ⚔️.

“Trample, haste. When this creature attacks, up to one target creature defending player controls blocks it this combat if able. At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature.”

That flavor text—okay, that’s the card’s actual rules text—hints at the playstyle: this is a tempo card with a built‑in time limit. You get one furious burst of aggression, then you must deal with the consequences as the creature vanishes at the end step. It’s a pressure engine that rewards precise timing and careful support spells. The risk is real: a 6/1 body won’t weather a long board stall, but the payoff can be spectacular when you pick your battles and your burn carefully 💎.

Strategies to unlock the Devil’s Potential

  • Speed and pressure: Deploy Impetuous Devils as an opening gambit to force early blockers, then follow with bold combat tricks or burn to remove those blockers and trample through for decisive damage. The haste ensures you don’t waste a turn waiting for the opponent’s defenses to crumble.
  • Blocker-bait and switch: Target a key blocker to manipulate your opponent’s defense. If they sacrifice removal to save a different threat, you’ve already spent their resources to clear the way for your other attackers or planeswalkers later in the game.
  • Protection from the sun, not from the storm: Pair it with cheap removal or burn to ensure that when Impetuous Devils attacks, you maximize the trample damage and minimize the risk from combat tricks like mass removal. A well-timed Lightning Bolt or similar spell can turn a forced-block situation into a clean 6 damage swinging straight to the face.
  • Tempo windows in Modern/Legacy: In formats where Impetuous Devils is legal (Modern, Legacy, etc.), lean into red’s fast tempo shell. The card’s 4‑cmc frame fits nicely beside efficient removal, mana acceleration, and cheap hasty threats, creating a sequence that improvises victory from speed and misdirection 🔥.

One thing to respect is the card’s vulnerability: a domain of blockers or a well-timed removal spell can shut down your clock if you overcommit. The sacrifice at the end step ensures you’re playing a game of quick gambits rather than a drawn-out siege. That makes Impetuous Devils a perfect foil for creative players who love to weave risk with reward and color their games with bold, aggressive lines 🎨.

Art, design, and the flavor of red ruin

Filip Burburan’s art for Impetuous Devils captures that moment of raw, molten energy—the kind of image that makes you feel the heat of red magic in your bones. The card’s design emphasizes speed (haste) and overwhelming force (trample), but the human element of the block-forcing line adds a strategic layer that invites players to craft deliberate, tempo-forward sequences. It’s a rare creature that rewards both flashy plays and careful planning, a balance that resonates with longtime MTG fans who savor the grit of red deckbuilding 🧙‍♂️💥.

From a collectible standpoint, Impetuous Devils sits in Eldritch Moon’s cycle as a rare red creature—the kind that invites a bit of risk, a dash of spectacle, and the occasional “did you see that?” moment when a single attacking devil breaks through a carefully constructed defense. Its rarity and modern-legal status (playable in Modern and Legacy, among others) give it a place in both nostalgic collections and competitive decks. The card’s price and availability might swing with the market, but its core thrill remains evergreen: a big, red hammer swinging through a tight corridor of blockers and responses 🔥.

Interwoven with the shop’s world

As you explore Impetuous Devils, you might notice the joy of discovery that mirrors modern MTG culture: you chase that moment of pure tempo where a single creature, a clever line, and a well-timed spell tilt the narrative in your favor. It’s the same excitement that fuels the broader MTG community—where strategy meets storytelling, and every card becomes a doorway to a fresh, creative tactic. If you’re curating a red-tempo or aggro shell, Impetuous Devils offers a tantalizing grindstone for your ideas—an engine for big turns and big smiles 🎲.

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Impetuous Devils

Impetuous Devils

{2}{R}{R}
Creature — Devil

Trample, haste

When this creature attacks, up to one target creature defending player controls blocks it this combat if able.

At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature.

ID: 1ba7acc0-6ef0-4c34-be23-118e1872271f

Oracle ID: 01add64a-205d-4c0e-a393-89e7a1a0ea44

Multiverse IDs: 414431

TCGPlayer ID: 120502

Cardmarket ID: 291158

Colors: R

Color Identity: R

Keywords: Haste, Trample

Rarity: Rare

Released: 2016-07-22

Artist: Filip Burburan

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 15332

Penny Rank: 10805

Set: Eldritch Moon (emn)

Collector #: 132

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — not_legal
  • Timeless — not_legal
  • Gladiator — not_legal
  • Pioneer — legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — not_legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — not_legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — not_legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — not_legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.20
  • USD_FOIL: 0.40
  • EUR: 0.09
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.35
  • TIX: 0.02
Last updated: 2025-11-20