Although others have already replied to SlackWareWolf with decent rebuttals, I feel like I've got to add my 2 cents, being that I was there, back in the days he writes about so much.
I started playing Magic before the game was even a year old. Legends was brand spanking new and in all the gaming and comic book stores. Friends passed around "spoiler" lists (as we called them) that described all the cards already in existence - without those, you wouldn't even have known what was already out there. Arabian Nights and Antiquities were the only other expansion sets released so far. Revised Edition was new; Unlimited Edition was already sold out. Alpha Edition Black Lotus had gone UP TO 40 dollars when in mint condition. I remember thinking about how ridiculous that was, that someone would pay forty bucks for a piece of cardboard. :-) The easiest way to become familiar with the Alpha/Beta/Unlimited cards (still my all-time favorite set) was to own the Collector's Edition box set. That was... (see all)
Posted By:
DrJack
(10/22/2013 11:08:52 PM)
This and Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind just make me laugh.
Posted By:
deathbyminions
(7/12/2012 9:53:52 PM)
this is an absurdly broken card
in a reanimator deck
S***T HITS THE FAN!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By:
ZirilanoftheClaw
(10/24/2010 1:20:01 AM)
I wish Wizards would just change the oracle wording on ante cards and make them playable again. This is the most powerfully fun card ever.
Posted By:
Gilgamesh3000
(7/19/2009 11:09:41 AM)
Ante DOES still exist.... How is it tht people realize that people do in fact still play for Ante? At my House, we still do sometimes because it's fun. This game was originally played for Ante, and in Revised, there was a Rule Book that came with every Starter Deck, and inside, it had a "House Rules" section, which, showed very common House Rules people used, and one of them was that you didn't have to play for Ante because back then it was REQUIRED. Every game was for Ante.
Another common House Rule, was a Mulligan. Today that's a standard rule you can use even in a tournament, but back then you couldn't because it was only a House Rule.
Also this card is NOT more powerful than Ancestral Recall. I've been playing this game for 16 years now, and I can tell you that one Black Mana is NOT always worth drawing that many cards, you'll deck yourself. Ancestral Recall is worth a crap load of money because it's the best draw spell in the game. This card isn't nearly as good because you ... (see all)
Posted By:
SlackWareWolf
(4/12/2010 12:30:15 PM)
But u can't use it unless u r playing for ante. So that means u usually cannot use this card. its still ridiculously powrfl under very unusual conditions!!!!!
Posted By:
Th3_Dark_On3
(7/17/2009 6:39:19 PM)
So powerful that its not wise to have 4 in a deck
Posted By:
SPhoenix
(2/12/2011 3:51:26 AM)
What about an alternative cost to putting the top card of your library in the ante for non-ante games? Since this card is so powerful, it must be somewhat punishing. I'm thinking we could change the rules definition of "add to ante" text for those old cards to something like:
"Random opponent gains ownership of this card until end of game. That player may play the card now for 
or 2 life, otherwise they must add the card to their hand."
Maybe a little complicated, but I like the mechanics of it... It still plays along with the original concept of ante cards... that your opponent gets the card. It's just that now we're looking at it in terms of them getting the card for this game only instead of for permanent ownership. It gives your opponent a really big chance of having a huge payoff. For a measly if they have it, or 2 life if they don't, they can play whatever you gave them immediately... Emrakul, the Aeons Torn anyone? Can you imagine your oppone... (see all)
Posted By:
Callahan09
(5/23/2013 7:39:37 AM)
Why not play four to cut your deck down to 56 cards. Make your deck a bit more efficient... Wonder why it was banned though.
Posted By:
Swordhand
(1/8/2010 2:41:52 PM)
Timetwister, 2 less mana and draw only for yourself.
Ancestral Recall, draw 4 more.
Time Walk, who cares about a turn when you can have 7 draw steps.
Moxes and Black Lotus, why get mana to play a combo when this is a combo?
*uses this and draws Imperial Seal*
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Posted By:
001010011100101110
(9/18/2011 5:46:20 PM)