I'm so glad I got these for cheap when Kamigawa came out lol. Now I look at the Power of this card and I just smirk.
Posted By:
JB_Xyooj
(5/10/2012 9:13:14 AM)
An artifact that didn't have the first ability, cost 3 mana, and came in tapped would be a card I'd still love to find in a booster as an uncommon.
If all of those changes were made, it would compare favorably with the Jayemdae Tome family of cards that simply give you an extra card. The digging and stacking is what got it banned, not even really on Power. This card is perfectly fine if not many people have it and you aren't trying to kill each other for $1000's of dollars- just play a bit more quickly, and it's really not the same kind of "Horrible Problem" card like other Banned Cards.
It's in the same league as Ponder, Preordain, and Brainstorm. None of those cards generate much hate, just impressive admiration for quality. Tons of people play those blue spells, and so they played this card. It bogged down Tournaments badly. Counterbalance wasn't the kind of deck people should be aspiring to build, and if Counterbalance got reprinted in Standard, Ponder would ... (see all)
Posted By:
DarthParallax
(10/18/2012 1:12:01 PM)
Ace_Rimmer:
ALL those cards were printed as Mythic for that mini-set. This is not an exception; the theme of the From The Vault: Exiled list is that they were all printed as Mythic Rare status with a special expansion symbol.
TolarianAcademic:
This card did terrible things to Vintage. Think Dark Confidant: Set it up so you only lose 1 life each turn (activate the top at the beginning of your upkeep, drawing the card you want out of three, then putting the Top back on top, and thus drawing the top with the Confidant's ability), and still get two cards before each main phase. Think about being able to play it for FREE each turn with Helm of Awakening. This isn't, as you say, 'not even that great in Legacy, never mind Vintage'. It's worse than you could ever imagine, and I doubt that you have played in those settings enough to come close to being an authority on the matter. And what I've listed here is just the tip of the iceberg. I've used two... (see all)
Posted By:
Lateralis0ne
(9/23/2010 5:16:41 PM)
Wait, now wizards thinks they were so far off on its original rarity that the Exiled made it MYTHIC?
Posted By:
Ace_Rimmer
(9/15/2009 2:11:41 PM)
Insanely powerful artifact. This thing is hyper-evasive and that makes it so much more exciting to play with. I'm not convinced a tonne of people will just happen to have Krosan's Grip in each deck so a bigger threat to me would be if my opponent could mill it.
The artwork is great and it's a really neat concept for a top. I imagine myself travelling through a strange land and coming to a market-village at the base of some great, mist-capped mountain. Upon searching one booth, I come across the top laying on its side. Resting silent. The vendor doesn't seem to realize just what he has in his possession and moments later I leave with it - having payed a few silver pieces.
Definitely a worthwhile addition for any deck! Glad I bought 400 play-sets while they were cheap.
Posted By:
Dragonshoredreamz
(6/18/2013 3:45:46 PM)
Is this card really that good? I mean, if it is, then it wouldn't have been reprinted, right? The main reason cited for it being banned was for logistical purposes (games taking too long). It was a nuisance, and excellent in CounterTop decks in Extended, but wouldn't even be that great in Legacy, never mind Vintage. Notice that for example, Lotus Petal was reprinted, not Black Lotus (indeed, none of the Power Nine were reprinted). This card in particular I find is more of an annoyance than a real threat; sure, sets up a few combos, but nothing too broken, unlike cough * time vault* cough *voltaic key*
And one more thing: how exactly do you set up card advantage with this card? Sure you draw a card, but then you have to put the Top back on the library: 1 + (-1) = 0 i.e. 0 card advantage gained. You come slightly ahead in card quality advantage (and that comes at a cost of 1 mana per turn), but technically speaking card advantage only refers to quantity, not quality.
Posted By:
TolarianAcademic
(5/7/2010 4:31:51 PM)
Spin It Ni GG eR
Posted By:
MasterOfEtherium
(12/11/2010 10:50:02 AM)
Unless there's a way to shuffle your library, all you're really doing is digging one card further down and then stalling your progress once you put this back on top. Not as good as everyone thinks I say.
Posted By:
vh_2k
(1/19/2011 7:41:54 PM)
Fail Card Crystal Ball is soooo much better!!
Posted By:
Zokorad
(4/28/2012 6:35:40 AM)
The funny thing is , this is an Uncommon XD
Posted By:
NicodemusCromwell
(2/9/2012 9:30:05 AM)