I think you're all looking at the card in isolation; and in that light what you're saying is true.
But it fits perfectly in with the thems of Rise of the Eldrazi. It works well with everything else in Zendikars 3rd act. Five colorless isn't really that much with all the eldrazi colorless mana generators; further more it fulfills one of the main game play changes of the act by slowing the play action down.
Excellent card for the set.
Posted By:
PhyrexianLobbiest
(6/1/2010 12:30:30 PM)
Seems very effective in EDH (if nowhere else).
Plus it's just so damn pretty.
Posted By:
HairlessThoctar
(1/4/2011 8:45:48 PM)
This card's costing just made sense, and I actually don't think it's that horrible anymore.......
Generally speaking card draw in any color is either mana intensive or life intensive (Look at things like Book of Rass, or Jayemdae Tome).
So, assume you have 20 life, this in play, and have taken four going to 16. You activate this thing for {2} and TAP, gain 2 life, draw a card. you are now at 18 and have another card, YAY!!
Now lets look at Book of Rass. You have this in play with 20 life, pay {2} and 2 life, draw a card. you are now at 18 and have a card, YAY!!
Both these scenarios have you at the same life total. They are very functionally the same (even though you could get more cards out of the Book than the Vial). In fact in this scenario, if you were to take 4 damage with the Book you'd be at a lower life total (14 life) than with Angelheart Vial.
Yes, Book of Rass can n... (see all)
Posted By:
Bigg_ol_FATTKIDD
(5/19/2012 11:51:48 AM)
I might buy this card just for the art because Chippy is awesome but its a little too expensive. It should cost 4 to be honest.
Posted By:
BloodCrank
(7/29/2012 5:05:18 PM)
No... just... no. Nice art, nice flavor text, but too expensive all around. I think this is the entire block's worst rare.
Posted By:
SolidSoldier
(4/20/2010 4:35:12 AM)
Nice art, horrible card.
Take sun droplet and farsight mask, put them on a pile, bang on them with a hammer until they stop doing their job and you end up with this.
Sun droplet costs 2 mana instead of 5, requires then no more activation costs, and gives you your life back far quicker and twice as efficient as this card.
Farsight mask, while just an average card by itself, at least draws you a card for each creature dealing damage to you, having the change to draw you far more cards than this (and also requires no more activation costs).
This this is just too slow, clunky, ineffective and expensive.
Posted By:
majinara
(4/17/2010 2:28:32 AM)
Beautiful art and flavor text, but I don't like it. You pay five mana and wait to be damaged for the opportunity to spend two more mana to gain two life and a card. Survival Cache is so much better than this it's not even funny. 2.5/5
Posted By:
dudecow
(4/16/2010 6:46:12 PM)
I whisper back at Iona: "You're kidding, right"
Posted By:
metalevolence
(11/3/2010 1:00:18 PM)
When you first pull this out of a booster you get excited, then you read the text. I actually just now noticed the card draw, so it's not quite as bad as I thought, but instead of wasting your 5 mana drop on this you could be putting a serious beater out that might not only stop all that life loss the Vial alleviates, but put some pressure on your opponent.
Best uses for this: non-white/non-blue decks looking for some lifegain or card draw, especially ones with self damage. Could be useful in my W/B Pestilence deck for those few plains I end up with. I get the feeling this can be abused with charge counters. Coretapper/Energy Chamber or the obvious Doubling Season?
Posted By:
TheKeiser
(6/19/2010 1:51:29 AM)
4 stars for the art alone.
Posted By:
TheGoodDoctor20
(10/18/2011 7:13:11 PM)