Good with Wheel And Deal.
Posted By:
chasemedallion
(8/11/2011 3:16:36 PM)
the oracle text is an abomination. just read the original card.
Posted By:
Arachibutyrophobia
(11/12/2011 7:23:35 PM)
Unfortunately, it's cards like this that made wizards think that we're too dumb for cards like this.
We're not dumb! Your wording is dumb! Your wording! Start printing cool cards again please!
Posted By:
Laguz
(3/5/2012 5:50:55 AM)
The oracle seems like it could need a bit of rewriting to make it easier to understand:
"If you would draw a card other than the first card you draw during your draw step, you discard a card first before drawing. If you can't, you skip the draw and put the top card of your library into your graveyard."
There, that's better. It's still the correct mechanic, I just attempted to clarify it.
Basically, this completely hoses spells and abilities that causes players to draw cards by causing them to discard a card before each time they get to draw. In case they have no cards in hand to discard, they get milled 1 card instead and don't get to draw. As it is, it hoses blue pretty efficiently with the exception of cards such as Fact or Fiction which doesn't use the draw mechanic, but just puts the cards into your hand.
Unique, cheap, hoses draw spells and combos pretty well with Forced Fruition and force-draw decks (Howling Mine/aut... (see all)
Posted By:
GrimjawxRULES
(4/24/2012 12:44:19 PM)
looking at the rulings, I think the next errata'd version (and every other confusing card effect) should begin with "Here's what happens" on the card.
Posted By:
WarioMan
(1/24/2012 4:49:22 PM)
Reminds me of Animate Artifact with its counter-intuitive Oracle text.
Posted By:
Tiggurix
(5/30/2012 2:38:27 PM)
I think the oracle text was written by Mephistopheles as some sort of demonic torture device... arrrrggg its working....
Posted By:
Fragskull
(11/7/2009 9:46:43 AM)
Check out the awesome errata text: "Here's what happens when Chains of Mephistopheles replaces a player's draw" is as close as Wizards will ever come to admitting "our Oracle text is awful and we're sorry." :)
For those who are curious about the "one card infinite loop" -- nope. For the same reason that Mox Diamond actually will come into play after you discard one land, Chains of Mephistopheles actually will let you draw a card after you've discarded exactly one card. Replacement effects like this are static abilities, not triggered abilities -- they describe a change to how the game is played, rather than an ability which triggers or resolves. (This also means you can't respond to the replacement effect with an activated ability or an instant or even a mana ability. It's a bit weird. I was asking about this on Wizards' Q&A a while ago; I'll edit this comment to link to that Q&A thread sometime later.)
In the case of Mox Diamond, the change-in-gameplay only matt... (see all)
Posted By:
Salient
(8/15/2011 2:32:29 PM)
I sense fun with Temple Bell and the Madness mechanic! Oh, and Anvil of Bogardan...oh, wait, no, that's just an UTTER DRAW HOSER, except with Madness, of course.
Posted By:
Ragamander
(11/15/2010 1:10:06 AM)
I would play this card, except if it was bad in testing, I would not play it instead. If I didn't play it, I would play a different card, but if I didn't play a different card, I would increase the number of a card I already had in the deck instead.
Posted By:
Tilled
(10/5/2009 5:23:44 PM)