Scattering Stroke and Draining Whelk cost two and three times what Mana Drain does, and both are darn good.
Posted By:
ClockworkSwordfish
(1/21/2010 4:16:14 PM)
Card advantage. They lose a spell, you gain a potential fatty (even a 3/3 flier is an efficient beater), and best part is most of the time you will be able to attack right off since this will usually be used on the bomb they tried to drop on their turn.
Posted By:
desolation_masticore
(1/24/2011 4:27:37 AM)
Mimic vat, kiki-jiki, soul foundry... oh wait, mystic snake.
Although this one's a beating on its own.
Posted By:
metalevolence
(3/23/2011 7:54:44 PM)
I *love* that they made a card that explains the art of Mana Drain.
It's a cool reference to Mana Drain effect-wise as well.
Posted By:
drpvfx
(11/2/2011 1:58:37 PM)
This is probably my favorite counterspell, if only for the flavor of it.
Posted By:
lukemol
(3/16/2010 6:12:24 PM)
A creature you can afford to use all your mana to play because you are countering a spell; I love this creature, maybe as the only copy in a deck, but still a very effective card.
Posted By:
SweetZombiJesus
(11/19/2010 9:55:39 AM)
@cathode01
What you're saying isn't correct...
"{X} in a card's cost is 0 for the purpose of determining it's converted mana cost"
Fixed! A spell is a card on the stack, and while it's on the stack the value of X is determinated when that spell was casted. While a card isn't on the stack it's called (guess what?) card, and if a card with X in its casting cost, X=0 for the purpose of determining its Converted Mana Cost. So for a Fireball with X=10, its CMC is 11, so the Whelk whould become a 12/12 (or better, a 1/1 with 11 +1/+1 counter...).
As you said, opposed to Overwhelming Intellect, this is an hard counter, so more versatile, and better in that you gain a fatty to beat your opponent with! Drawing some cards isn't so effective, when you haven't any finisher!
A very good card, in my favourite tribe (Illusion), with a lot of card advantage: removal+flying creature! It's not something you see everyday! Very Elegant, too...
5/... (see all)
Posted By:
leomistico
(6/24/2011 2:52:19 AM)
Use this to counter Force of Will.
Posted By:
Elleran
(3/31/2011 9:32:47 PM)
I know from experience, this thing screws over WHATEVER your opponent is trying to do, and gives you card advantage.
Posted By:
Arachibutyrophobia
(8/27/2011 12:14:47 PM)
Got started in MTG when TSP dropped, and this is the first card non-Timmy card that really captured my attention. I think I traded a Bogardan Hellkite for two of these guys. Thanks, Draining Whelk!
Posted By:
ant_ayers
(8/28/2011 7:12:51 AM)