If Grixis is viable again, this will NOT be relevant. You're playing three colors and you're not including a marginally useful colorless land. The amount of times that this two damage will matter is far outweighed by the amount of times that you'll draw this land instead of the color you need.
Posted By:
auriscope
(9/23/2011 4:51:37 PM)
Way too expensive.
Posted By:
Gcrudaplaneswalker
(9/22/2011 9:37:18 PM)
I have seen a lot of comments on here I agree with. I have to say though that I can completely see why R&D built the card the way they did. That reason is Inkmoth Nexus. Inkmoth Nexus, at the same rarity, activates for (essentially) the same effect. Now you may say, "OMFG obv you can't read n00b." Infect counters take 10 to kill you. Inkmoth does 1/10th of the necessary lethal damage. This also does 1/10 (2/20)th of the required damage to the player. Inkmoth was arguably extremely broken. In order to prevent a repeat they dramatically increased the cost of the activation for this ability.
Do I think they are very different cards? Yes. The differences are glaring. Do I think this would have been perfectly playable and costed as {2}{R}{B}, {TA}: Deal 2 damage to target creature or player? Heck yes (essentially evening it out a 5cmc activation instead of 6) or even {1}{R}{B} for an effective 4cmc. But when players are so quick to abuse the... (see all)
Posted By:
alphagprime
(9/10/2012 10:51:53 AM)
I agree with Chozo, this is perfectly acceptable, even good as a 2-of. If Grixis-colored control becomes good again then this will be a roleplayer. Always being able to do something even if you can't play a spell is invaluable. This is kinda like Barbarian Ring.
Posted By:
dudecow
(9/22/2011 5:20:29 PM)
Would have been an acceptable card if it could target creatures and players, or if the ability was about two mana cheaper. As written, it's a really underwhelming card. I plan on running a couple in my Black/Red Vampire Weenie deck just because I don't need lots of land to get the job done. The hope is that, if I've managed to survive to late game (spoiler alert: I won't), I'll be able to use these to keep the pressure on my opponent even after I'm top-decking.
Posted By:
SkaerKrow
(10/19/2011 8:50:04 AM)
People who think this is bad are dumb. It's two damage a turn, every turn. Late in the game when you're in top deck mode and you draw a land, you can still spend your mana to deal 2 damage to your opponent. This inevitably draws the game closer to the end with 2 guaranteed damage every turn.
Worst rare? This isn't even the worst rare land.
Posted By:
Nagoragama
(9/26/2011 3:50:11 AM)
Does anyone else feel like this should do more for that cost? Like maybe the life is lost instead of damage? Or more damage? Or damage a creature or player? Or life gain as well?
I don't think the card is exactly bad, just not very good. I'd throw 1-2 into BE Vampires.
Posted By:
isaacboyd
(10/16/2011 12:28:43 PM)
>Rare Land
>Produces mana and has an extra ability
>Has a clock
Posted By:
Gaffy00
(9/22/2011 9:05:44 PM)
Anyone who says things like "Late in the game when you're in top deck mode and you draw a land, you can still spend your mana to deal 2 damage to your opponent" understand very little about that kind of situation; if you are top-decking and have nothing else to play, you are probably dead. Cards are not good because they are only useful when you have nothing else to play, as that should never happen in a finely tuned deck.
This land costs 6 mana (including tapping itself) to do 2 damage, only to a player.
+
This ability is only useful if you have nothing else to play, i.e. you are in trouble.
+
Add to that the fact that it taps for colorless and drawing it early may hurt your mana base.
= One of the worst cards from the Innistrad set.
Posted By:
BuffJittePLZ
(10/4/2011 5:42:47 AM)
@BuffJittePLZ
Hardly. Yes it's a bit weak in constructed, but in limited this can virtually win games. Additionally, it provides an outlet for your excess mana when you deliberately don't want to cast any spells (for example when you're trying to transform your werewolves).
Posted By:
Atali
(10/6/2011 12:27:21 PM)