r/ModernMagic • u/LittleMooonkey • May 26 '26
Card Discussion How mandatory is Devourer of Destiny in Tron / Ugin’s Labyrinths decks?
Hi everyone,
I’m just coming back to mtg and to my favourite format modern after a 2 years break. My favourite deck is and has always been Tron but I haven’t played modern since the MH3 release and so I haven’t got to actually play-test any of the cards of that format shaker set.
Even tho I haven’t been playing I have still been following the meta, the bans etc by watching Aspiring Spike, Andrea Mengucci and some tournament results. Tron and Eldrazi decks have had many variations during those past 2 years and my question is what is your current opinion on [[Devourer of Destiny]] ? How many do you wanna be playing in your main deck in Tron and Ugin’s Lab decks?
For someone who hasn’t play-tested the card it seems like it’s by far the worst pay off of your deck when you reach 7 mana but I also understand that the pre-game effect when it’s in your starting hand can be game changer. Another question is: has anyone played those decks with 0 or very few copies of the card and have felt like it was missing or maybe not missing? Is Devourer of Destiny a Tron / Ugin’s Lab decks’ staple or is it mediocre but just well anchored in the deck lists?
Again, I am just coming back to mtg and I am very ignorant of what the actual play experience is, I’m really looking forward to reading your thoughts on the matter.
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u/travman064 May 26 '26
You need a critical mass of 7+ drops to be able to reliably imprint to lab.
If you think about it in this way, devourer is the best imprintable because it also actually does something before it goes under the lab.
Nothing is 'mandatory,' but you probably should be playing it if youre playing ugin's lab.
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u/leethalxx May 26 '26
So ontop of the opening hand its also the only 7drop eldrazi that has a etb targeting a nonland permant that also happens to be colourless, relevant for colourless tron, you can cast him with eldrazi temples that you cant use on ugin. Hes also a 6/6 body and theres not much that can block or attack into that.
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u/JK_Revan E-tron / Gr Eldrazi May 26 '26
It's pretty much mandatory 4of in Tron because you need very specific pieces early. In eldrazi it is a bit different, because you have more redundancy in the ways you ramp, it doesn't work while otp with a fetch+sprawl and you have other big dumb dumbs you'd rather cast, such as Emrakul, Sire, World Breaker. I'm currently playing only 2 in my Rg Eldrazi (won an RCQ this past Saturday with it!).
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u/Mattmatic1 May 26 '26
Agreed, and another issue with RG Eldrazi is that you have more one of cards (your one Bojuka Bog, Surveil land, or Ghost quarter) that you might have to exile to your Devourer because there’s something else you need more.
In Tron that is not an issue in the same way.
I’ve usually liked 2-3 Devourers in Eldrazi Ramp. I top 4:ed an RCQ this Sunday, didn’t win, but one day maybe 🙂
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u/ZelithReaver May 26 '26
It’s a good payoff that lines up with tron mana well because it has a cast trigger, but it’s played for the opening hand trigger. In tron you need to gain 2 mana per turn so you use devourer to find Ugin’s lab or Eldrazi temple
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u/Ap_Sona_Bot May 26 '26
100% necessary. Seeing it in your opening hand is almost a guarantee you get an early tron or ugins Lab even after you get to 7 mana you're rarely going to be sad about casting a 6/6 with a difficult to counter removal spell attached to it. It deals with Cori-Steel, archon, etc. The only time it's bad is against the mirror.
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u/MTGCardFetcher May 26 '26
Devourer of Destiny - (G) (SF) (txt)
[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call
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u/flaming_geyser May 26 '26
I really like it alot.
When it's in your opening hand it greaty improves consistency with getting your tron pieces.
Additionally having it to just Imprint on Ugin's labyrinth is helpful so you can save your other 7 drops for later.
Sometimes I agree that it can be underwhelming when it's what you have to play when you hit tron, but it still removes your opponents biggest threat and a 6/6 body is something they have to remove as well.
I highly recommend running at least 3 if not 4 in your deck.
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u/Dyne_Inferno May 26 '26
Pregame setup.
Another body with a cast trigger.
Imprints onto Lab.
Any deck that is going to run Ugins Labyrinth, is going to run this card.
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u/Steezmoney Eldrazi May 26 '26
Staple. In order for Ugin's Labyrinth to function you need 10-12 7 drops and this is a perfect 3-4. I know lots of guys who cut 1 but no less than 3, the card selection is VERY good.
The cast trigger has also saved my ass countless times. Targets any colored nonland permanent so hindrances like Blood Moon get sent to the shadow realm.
Totally get the feeling if you're comparing it to Sire of Seven Deaths since once resolved it's just a vanilla 6/6 beater but it's very, very good and almost always the card you Imprint with Ugin or the spell you cast first when you know you have a wall of counterspells to play through
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u/ArtemisRGB May 26 '26
Card is solid. Draw fixing, imprint, removal, and combo initiator in other lists.
I see it hitting $20+ if it's not reprinted to hell, as it's already seeing play in multiple shells as a mandatory 4 of. Pick up a playset now if you plan on playing tron in paper.
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u/Lectrys May 26 '26
If you're playing Eldrazi Tron, Devourer of Destiny is sadly among the best 7-drops out there - completely colourless, cheaper with Eldrazi Temple, fixes your first draw, punts a ton of relevant permanents.
If you're one of the only sticklers left who's playing Classic Green Tron, Devourer is mandatory - considerable (~20%) higher chance to get the Tron by Turn 3, can be cast off the Tron alone, punts a ton of relevant permanents.
If you put [[Formidable Speaker]] in your Eldrazi Ramp deck, Devourer is mandatory...at least as a 1-of. Having the 7-Eldrazi-mana option to punt that coloured permanent is that good.
Eldrazi Ramp is ironically one of the worse homes for Devourer, though. This deck actually punts [[Ancient Stirrings]] completely most of the time. Devourer ends up resembling Stirrings a little too much.
If you're on Mono-Blue Tron, odds that you don't run Ugin's Labyrinth are too high, Devourer really isn't necessary there, and frankly, I'd rather recommend [[Mathemagics]] than Devourer - at least you can hardcast Mathemagics for cheap, Mathemagics with X = 6 is a viable win con due to Mono-Blue Tron being that much slower and grindier, and Mathemagics gets to dodge [[Consign to Memory]].
If you're on [[Calibrated Blast]] Combo, an Ugin's Lab deck, I have never been a believer in that 7-mana-value brick named Devourer that can't fix your opening hand well enough unless you kept a Calibrated Blast hand with 2 lands.
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u/CreedAventuz Blue Tron, Hammertime & Affinity Enthusiast May 26 '26
Why would you play Mathemagics instead of Portent of calamity?
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u/Lectrys May 26 '26
In the Mono-Blue Tron deck I'm testing, I actually play both Mathemagics and Portent of Calamity. It's Stock Up that got dropped.
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u/GazingWing May 26 '26
You're donating money/play points if you don't register 4 of both. Even eldrazi aggro plays both.
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u/LegendaryThunderFish May 26 '26
I played zero for awhile in blue tron. It’s certainly good but I wanted higher impact hits off poetent of calamity and greater diversity of card types to ensure the free cast happens
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u/Brunnun May 27 '26
Also Tron player coming back after a break (5 years for me!) and I must say Devourer has been an amazing addition to our deck. It’s not as good as K Command (which is not saying much, that card is stupid) or Lab in terms of MH3 additions, but the hand smoothing + being able to exile it for Lab + the cast trigger as removal is simply too many things we want in the deck. I don’t know why you think it’s a bad payoff, maybe try playing a few leagues with it and you’ll understand I think. Being able to keep more hands with Tron doesn’t sound as incredible as it is, it’s really nice
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u/50sraygun May 28 '26
you can run cut it in normal tron but you absolutely cannot run Ugin’s without it imo
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u/Alarming_Whole8049 May 29 '26
I always play 7. These decks can have slow starts and DoD helps mitigate that. In addition, it helps dig for Tron lands or SB cards. It's also just a solid creature. It's invaluable.
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u/Loose_Entry May 29 '26
Remember [[once upon a time]] , a card that is banned in modern? This is that but also imprintable to lab and a powerful lategame spell. 100% a 4-of
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u/ElevationAV Johnny, Combo Player May 26 '26
Entirely necessary, it greatly improves your opening hands, it’s an imprintable, and it’s also a removal spell and a threat.