It looks like WotC realizes what life gain is good - on cards that have other useful effects. This is a good example of that philosophy.
Posted By:
Equinox523
(5/10/2011 10:12:17 AM)
Coyotemoon... you can't really compare this to Countersquall. Both spells are counter magic, but they serve different purpose and both are designed to be in different types of decks.
Countersquall is hard counter, it's much more efficient, but it's not so flexible in terms of use. With Offering, you can face creature heavy decks without having almost dead card in your hand. Countersquall is somewhat aggressive, Offering is with it's lifegain part defensive card. I agree it should be hard counter as well with 4 CMC, but soft counters are not so bad. Most of your plays, your opponent will cast spells without having 4 mana available (and it serves it's purpose of a counter magic), and if he will, he is probable to cast some combo, which is screwed if he pays the additional 4 mana or not, and you still gain 4 life, which is not breathtaking on it's own, but can you buy you turn or two, which can be really, really important.
Offering is not bad card, it just need the ... (see all)
Posted By:
Narim
(5/27/2011 12:20:15 PM)
The Awkward moment when you use this to counter a Rest For The Weary .
Posted By:
Combolulz
(6/1/2011 8:16:28 AM)
Vaishinos be gettin' sigil'd all over the place.
A cool card from a very cool set. Blue-aligned Bant stuff is generally very awesome. I loved Alara (:
Posted By:
axiobeta
(9/7/2011 6:30:19 PM)
So it's an Overrule locked into X=4, for which you get a discount of {2}. Interesting...
Posted By:
LordRandomness
(11/28/2011 12:18:36 AM)
If it isn't a hardcounter, you're pretty much screwed. If they can pay an extra 
for it, they're either just toying with you, or you've waited too long to drop this.
Posted By:
DoragonShinzui
(3/22/2012 9:45:24 AM)
It's a Mana Leak stapled to a Sacred Nectar with an extra 
in the soft counter clause.
Posted By:
NuckChorris
(7/2/2012 9:47:44 AM)
Compatible with Sunforger.
Posted By:
DacenOctavio
(11/2/2012 7:38:42 PM)
4 extra mana is hard to come up with. Might as well be a hardcounter. Lifegain is best when its tacked onto something else! I would pay extra for a cancel that gains 4 life.
But just make sure you have some wrath in your deck to keep aggro humbled. There is a lot of nasty critters that can hit the table before 4 mana.
Posted By:
TheWrathofShane
(11/27/2012 10:53:27 AM)
@NuckChorris: I was actually thinking more Convolute+Sacred Nectar...until I found that SN costs 1W, not W. So maybe more those two put together with a discount of 1?
Posted By:
SkyknightXi
(2/26/2013 8:48:53 AM)