Magic: The Gathering card. Information from Magic: The Database
Card Title: Total War
Card Type: Enchantment
Color: Red
Edition(s): Ice Age
Artist(s): Drew Tucker
Casting Cost: 3R
Rarity: Rare 1
Card Text: Whenever any player declares an attack, destroy all untapped non-wall creatures that player controls that don't attack. Do not destroy creatures the player did not control at the beginning of the turn.
Rulings:
- Info: Color=Red Type=Enchantment Cost=3R IA(R1) + Text(IA+errata): Whenever a player declares one or more attackers, destroy all untapped non-Wall creatures that player controls that didn't attack, except for creatures the player hasn't controlled continuously since the beginning of the turn. [ Oracle 00/02/01 ]
- Destroys creatures as a triggered ability on the declaration of attackers. [ D'Angelo 00/03/09 ]
Card Rulings as of March 20, 2002
Card Evaluation:
I have never seen this card played, and I was surprised to find that I own one.
When it was in print, it did not see play. Now that it is out of print, it really doesn't see any play. BUT! It is actually a pretty cool card.
Lets look at the drawbacks, and fixes:
- If you want to attack, you have to attack with everything, or you lose the ones that hang back untapped.
- -This precludes non-aggressive utility creatures in the deck, such as Birds of Paradise, or Soldier of Fortune. Essentially, every creature in your deck must be an attacker, unless you can tap them before your attack.
-
- -You have no defense for when your opponent swings all his creatures at you.
- These disadvantages are easily remedied:
- -Don't put any non-aggressive creatures in your deck, or make sure that they are tapped before you declare your attack.
- -Walls are not affected by Total War, so if you put walls in your deck you will have defense against the opponent's attack.
- How will your opponent react to this card?
- More than likely he will choose not to attack at all, at least until he thinks that he has the upper hand. Most people don't play with walls, so when he does finally attack, he will be left totally open against your own full swing.
- How to take advantage of this:
- Use Arcum's Whistle or Bullwhip to force an attack. These work better than Nettling Imp or Norrit because they can't be destroyed by Total War.
Here are a few other cards (mostly
white and
green) that work well with Total War.
- Good attackers/blockers:
- Flowstone Charger, Apes of Rath
- "Fog" effects:
- Holy Day, Fog, Spore Frog, Respite, Moment's Peace, Constant Mists, Darkness
- Cards that laugh at massive attacks:
- Orim's Prayer, Worship, Briar Patch
- Good Walls:
- Angelic Wall, Wall of Razors, Wall of Resistance, Wall of Stone, Wall of Dust, Wall of Essence, Wall of Glare, Wall of Swords, Wall of Nets, Wall of Shadows, Wall of Tears
- Punishment for attacking:
- Powerstone Minefield, Caltrops
- Cards that force/prevent attacks:
- Oracle en-Vec, Arcum's Whistle, Bullwhip, Siren's Call, Festival, Keldon Twilight
Here is a deck listing. This hasn't been tested, so be forewarned.
This is a Red/White deck that combines aggressive red creatures with white defenses.
Lands:
13 Plains
7 Mountain
4 Battlefield Forge or Plateau
Creatures:
4 Flowstone Charger
3 Shivan Dragon
2 Angelic Wall
4 Wall of Resistance
4 Wall of Glare
Spells:
4 Total War
4 Powerstone Minefield
3 Glorious Anthem
4 Worship
Artifacts:
4 Bullwhip
Sideboard:
You decide. This is made for casual play.
The first few rounds will be spend consolidating your defense with the mana-cheap walls. By turn four play Total War if you've drawn it, or a Flowstone Charger if you haven't. After that, instigate attacks with Bullwhip and handily repulse them with your walls or let them get outright killed with one or more Powerstone Minefields. The Flowstone Chargers will die to your Minefield unless you have a Glorious Anthem in play, but that isn't such a big deal once the Shivan Dragon hits the board. He should be able to mop up what is left of your opponent. I put a slighly higher Mountain count that this deck needed so that you can pump him just a little bit bigger. Worship will keep you in the game, even if your opponent makes it through the Minefield.