@Tezz - If you have an Izzet Guildmage in play, a Lava Spike and a Desperate Ritual in hand and 5 mana available, you form an infinite combo. Cast the Lava Spike, Splice the Desperate Ritual onto it, then hard cast the Desperate Ritual. Allow the hard cast Desperate Ritual to resolve then respond using the 3 mana from it to activate the Izzet Guildmage's spell copying ability, targeting the effect of the Lava Spike spliced with the Desperate ritual. Allow the copy to resolve (netting you 3 mana and 3 damage via the Lava Spike with splice Desperate Ritual copy) and respond again with a copying of the original effect which is still on the stack, repeat ad nauseum for an infinite loop and infinite damage. You win, but no one will want to play against it much.
Posted By:
markarmor
(8/8/2010 11:21:54 AM)
@Tommy9898:
doesn't wok, the spell would have to resolve in order to get any man. you have to replicate it while it's on the stack. people like to think that you can infi seething song aswell, but, nope....
Posted By:
vomitron6000
(6/17/2010 6:50:34 AM)
2 of these together do wonders. Cast one, splice the other one onto it. After it resolves, cast the second one. They just amplify each-other. Fabulous card...few cards work so well with multiple copies of themselves.
Posted By:
ramaset
(2/4/2011 1:32:33 PM)
I'm surprised that this isn't rated higher than this. Yeah it's not as good as Rite of flame but this paired with a Ruby Medallion makes it 1R for RRR. I use this card also paired with Seething song. I'm sure everyone already does it. However this card, is high up there in the mana acceleration part. This is the kind of card that lets you cast a Dragon on your 2nd turn :D.
Posted By:
Zellgadus
(10/14/2009 6:54:56 PM)
The advantage to splicing it (or any other splice card) is that after you've spliced it, you still have it. A splice card goes back into your hand, not to the graveyard.
Posted By:
sonorhC
(1/8/2013 1:08:56 PM)
@Sothasil
I used to think the same thing - til I realized it doesn't leave your hand.
Posted By:
CogMonocle
(8/9/2013 12:02:15 PM)
People who compare this to Dark Ritual unfavorably make me sigh.
1. It's not from Alpha, it's from Kamigawa. The fact that Dark Ritual has been reprinted so many times is still amazing, considering its ridiculous power. The fact that Desperate Ritual is even close to it is absurdly powerful for Kamigawa.
2. Desperate Ritual is Red. It shouldn't be exactly the same as one of the defining cards in black, any more than Black should have something identical to Lightning Bolt.
3. It has splice. "Ho hum I don't use splice" you say. This card alone makes it worth trying. Your dark ritual goes away, this doesn't have to.
4. Any number of things can shave that 
off of it. There are far fewer things that make a dark ritual free.
5. This is legal in modern. Dark Ritual isn't.
Yeah, it's not gonna get your Phyrexian Negator or Phylactery Lich out on turn 1, but it will allow you to respond with a Ball Lightn... (see all)
Posted By:
Hepatizon
(9/15/2013 5:19:44 PM)
@Tommy9898:
In order to replicate the spell with the Illuminatus you'll need to have the mana beforehand.
Posted By:
Belz_
(4/25/2010 7:24:11 AM)
The not broken way to use it is to play it with other arcane like Lava spike on turn 3, splice with the spike so you have 3 mana and just use it to play something, like a Shinen of Fury's Fire. The net result being on turn 3 in mono red you did 3 damage and got a 2/1 haste critter, so it puts you ahead in tempo and you can use it again later.
The dumb way to do it is in all in red, empty your hand turn 1 or 2 and playing one big creature like deus of calamity.
The way to break it is with Djinn Illuminatus so you keep replicating it, then cast a big fireball.
Posted By:
Tommy9898
(3/8/2010 7:39:48 PM)
How about Simian spirit guide instead? You get the exact same mana accel yet you don't have to tap any of your existing land to play it.
Posted By:
AgesofThunder
(11/8/2009 7:27:29 PM)