The thing about Archmage Ascension is that you can't build a deck around it. This is one of those cards that you need a deck that already runs really well and this just happens to go well in it. It feels like one of those cards where you go, "Aha! This was exactly what I was looking for!" That explains why it is currently rated a 2.5/5
Essentially: Don't force this in your deck. It will either fit perfectly or it won't fit at all.
Posted By:
dberry02
(1/10/2011 5:58:37 PM)
Who said you have to wait till your turn. Just use something that will let you draw cards during your opponents turn. In a standard game that will half the time.
Posted By:
Facse1010
(10/5/2009 10:06:42 AM)
Don't count on the card, but you can do some cool stuff. Enchant Gilder Bairn with Ocular Halo, untap him after your end step. Repeat the next turn and this is ready to go.
If you can put one Wheel of Sun and Moon into the library, you have a very evil cycle going on. Whatever your opponents destroy short of Archmage Ascension or Wheel of Sun and Moon you will be able to get back in no time flat.
If your running green/blue already you might be able to get this thing working without gilder bairn if you are patient. Cards like Shielding Plax and Snakeform can help for this.
Posted By:
A0602
(11/10/2009 4:12:54 PM)
I think Aaron Forsythe's comment on Planar Portal should give some insight into the difficulty of bringing this card online.
"As I designer, I like this card about a tenth as much as I like Jayemdae Tome. As designers, we strive to make sure the game has the right amount of variance in it; variance leads to replayability and it keeps the outcomes of individual games in doubt longer. Players, at least those whose primary goal is winning, strive to reduce the variance in the game as much as possible. Things like tutors, scry, and card drawing are used to make sure the same spells come up in essentially the same order--or at the very least at close to the right time--game after game. If a deck can consistently assemble a game-winning combo on turn two, players will do that over and over and over. Games like that get really boring really fast, so we need to fight back against that. The mystery of the draw is a vital part of the game."
There's some food for tho... (see all)
Posted By:
Lyoncet
(3/13/2011 5:11:12 PM)
It is slow, but not necessarily as slow as people think. Guys, it doesn't have to be YOUR turn! Get a few activated ability/instant drawers, and you'll be set in three turns instead. Good ones to use: Pulse of the Grid, Reckless Scholars, Arcanis the Omnipotent. Works especially well in multiplayer.
Posted By:
littlebeast
(12/16/2009 2:04:12 PM)
Pretty easy with Consecrated Sphinx, Thrummingbird, or Reckless Scholar. Amazing with Gitaxian Probe both for getting online and for abusing the search. Preordain is pretty obvious too. Jace Beleren also gets you there. This is going in my standard Grixis control.
By the by, Throne of Geth and Ichor Wellspring seem to like this card too.
Posted By:
DacenOctavio
(6/4/2011 9:58:17 PM)
Could this card actually see use with Scars thanks to Proliferate? I doubt it, but if you think about it, if you're able to draw 2 cards on each of your turns (ie. Venser + Wall of Omens, either Jace, Preordain etc.) and Proliferate on each of your turns, it'd take only 3 of your turns to go online. If you're able to draw 2 cards on your opponent's turns also, that's 2 of your turns. It still seems way too reliant on other cards to become active, but it has more potential now.
Posted By:
JaxsonBateman
(9/6/2010 12:02:03 AM)
With scars of mirrodin now this card could be a real threat. With proliferate such as thrumming bird you can put it at 6 counters relatively quickly. Then you search out mind spring and cast that. Say you throw 6 mana into it and you get to search your deck for 4 cards which isn't right. I think my favorite idea is searching out an echo mage and two mind funerals. This is an instant win unless your opponent has 25 more lands in their deck.
Posted By:
fbninja
(10/30/2010 6:17:41 PM)
Works great with Contagion Engine (or any proliferate for that matter)!
Posted By:
Destruction3402
(3/20/2011 7:03:32 AM)
Getting the counters on it isn't going to be as hard as you'd think. On your turn, your draw step already gets you halfway to a counter; all you need to do is get one more card drawn on your turn to get the counter. Save the effects that let you draw multiple cards for your opponents' turns, and use the single-card draws on your turns.
@HairlessThoctar:
Just because you're drawing a lot of cards doesn't mean you're getting cards that will help you at that moment. I'd much rather take the time to get enough counters to do the Tutor effect than draw a random card every turn and pray it's something that isn't completely useless in my current situation.
Posted By:
Diachronos
(9/3/2010 3:16:18 PM)