Preordain (Magic 2011) - Community - Gatherer

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I really like preordain because it allows me to rip through my deck looking for the perfect card. If you look at it and play it right it speeds up your deck just as much as Ancestral Recall does, you get to zip past three cards for one mana

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Posted By: TheSwarm (8/7/2010 1:14:25 PM)

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I prefer Ponder. While this one lets you drop the unwanted cards to the bottom of your library, that should pretty much happen when you shuffle with Ponder. And Ponder gives you gives you access to three cards rather than two. Good card, but not Ponder good.

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Posted By: JFM2796 (8/1/2011 9:39:47 AM)

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@reapersaurus:

Ponder is my second favorite, tied with Brainstorm, after Fact or Fiction. The only problem I have with Ancestral Recall (yes, technically powerful) is that the actual motions of casting it don't make you feel smart like Ponder, Brainstorm, or Fact or Fiction. Though, yes I will admit Ancestral Recall is better. If it works well enough, I hope that Visions of Beyond gets to reach the top of this list in evil, evil gravyeard decks. :)

At everyone else: Banned where Ponder is Banned. It might not be Restricted in Vintage, but I think this is a clear sign from Wizards that Ponder and Preordain are close enough to equal that it really doesn't matter unless you are playing extremely hard core (harder than most of you probably have played, even if you think you're tough because you always win FNM and even tried out a PTQ and almost made it)

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Posted By: DarthParallax (9/20/2011 5:55:51 AM)

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@Mightyass - I play a Legacy combo deck. I run 4 Preordains and 4 Serum Visions, and I wouldn't dream of using Ponders...

In weighing Ponder against Preordain, people get some funny ideas. First of all, Preordain lets you probe up to 3 cards, not just 2.

But more importantly, there seem to be a lot of people out there who do not realize that when looking for specific combo cards, shuffling is counterproductive. Consider using 2 Ponders: they do not work in tandem. But in this context, without shuffling, every scry increases the value of the next scry with a guarantee of drawing closer to the goal.

Not only that, but a Ponder that yields a top-3 rearrangement really shatters the potential usefulness of another Ponder on the next turn, whereas scry+draw cards chain rather nicely.

Ponder also sticks you with either the set of top-3 that was already there or the uncontrollable results of a shuffle. Preordain gives you much... (see all)

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Posted By: DimirSnail (1/2/2013 8:48:36 PM)

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I am very confused why this is banned. Its a simple draw card, that lets you have some minor deck control and not loose a card for one cmc. Very fair and in the right color.

The only reason they gave was to limit blue red decks of finding there combo cards. Well that seems very narrow to ban an entire utility card. Now if you want to splash blue to get some card draw, 2 great options at the 1 cmc slot are just gone. It does not seem right.

Plus, they said there goal in these bans was to prevent turn 3 wins. Blue red decks dont win on turn 3 there slower, needed the draws to help them run smoother.

I vote this should be unbanned right now, and that Magic BANS the people who passed this nonsense.

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Posted By: TheWrathofShane (10/17/2011 9:55:23 PM)

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