To clear up a misconception many people seem to be having, possessed portal says that at the end of each turn EACH player sacrifices a permanent unless they discard a card. This means that there is no way to stop the portal making you sac or discard by bouncing it. Bouncing it at your upkeep will allow you to draw a card, but it will also allow your opponents to use any instant speed draw they might have.
Posted By:
KingSupernova
(9/23/2013 10:28:03 PM)
This is one of the most evil cards ever printed.
Posted By:
MrQuizzles
(5/2/2010 10:31:16 AM)
Because those cards are devasting in the early game.
I agree nonetheless, it could have been cheaper - but take a look at Balance for example. There are really strong decks you can build around it.
This would also be the case if this card had a low mana cost.
I'd actually have loved to see that card with a moderate cost to make it more playable (it would still likely not have been that effective in standard against Ravager affinity back then - although two Myr Retrievers for example would have saved your side already)
Like this it can still find use, but you won't be able to build an effective deck with this at the center. 8 mana is not a cost you can rely on...
Although you don't have to hardcast it of course, Ar(censored suffix for being a vulgar expression of "sperm" although nobody would ever notice that, lol) Dagsson for instance could help here.
Posted By:
Mode
(9/3/2009 8:25:04 PM)
Why does it cost so much? Because it's probably one of the most unfair cards in the game. You just combo it with something like a discard strategy and anything you have that makes tokens, and your opponent no longer draws cards and has to sac. something a turn while you calmly throw away your tokens. It's powerful, to powerful as a matter of fact, in terms of the game of magic.
How many other cards give you an affect so over the top, that it says something akin to, "nobody draws cards the rest of the game" and then you may as well tack onto that "if you're ahead on the board, you may now instant win" because it's essentially the same thing. Some examples of how this can get really out of hand is the telepathy card and oona, or mass token producers ant queen, mycoloth, or at least multiple single token producers working in effort. You know your opponent doesn't have the removal for it and then they can't draw it once the portal is played.
Not really sure why wizards ever prin... (see all)
Posted By:
Donovan_Fabian
(2/6/2010 1:55:46 AM)
Great combo with Barren Glory. It practically stops the game so you can easily sacrifice all your permanents and discard your hand in peace. Once Possessed Portal and Barren Glory are the last two permanents you control, you sac the portal and win in your next turn. And you're opponent will just be staring at you thinking "What the f***..."
Posted By:
Arachibutyrophobia
(9/20/2009 4:13:13 PM)
@achilleselbow: yes that works. A few years ago I watched a Vintage Dredge player Dread Return Sharuum the Hegemon, which put Possessed Portal into play. From there he continued dredging and discarding as normal, but the opponent was locked out of the game.
Posted By:
NeverendingDream
(3/24/2011 2:37:30 AM)
This stupid thing looks really annoying, Which means I must get one.
4/5 Stars
Posted By:
Hunter06
(2/4/2013 8:03:42 PM)
Great!
This is perfect for my Chimney Imp deck.
Posted By:
LasherHN
(1/6/2010 9:54:08 AM)
Ivory Gargoyle
Posted By:
roguepariah
(5/10/2012 9:51:00 AM)
I won a game with this once. It was one of the most depressing games I have ever played.
Posted By:
Yirktos
(4/6/2013 6:22:04 PM)