I agree with majinara - in general, this card is rather useless.
Although there's one good use i could think of this, since you might imprint instants that provide an additional combat phase (the only choice for this currently being Savage Beating) and equip an unblockable attacker with this card to win the match.
But that still does not make the casting and equip cost of this card cheaper.
On the other hand, you can circumvent that problem by tutoring it with Stonehewer Giant, than i could actually imagine this card to have some good use.
Overall it's not advisable using in most decks, but it has some decent narrow uses which can make it handy.
When considering that Savage Beatings is from the same Set, i'd actually guess that this card's costs were increased for being afraid of abusing this combo.
Maybe we'll see another version which is cheaper yet can only imprint spells with a cheap mana cost someday...
Posted By:
Mode
(11/21/2009 8:45:17 AM)
You know what, majinara, this card could still be fun in casual. Here's how to (almost) fix all the problems you mentionned:
1) Use it on a white creature with shadow (low casting cost, protection from something, good evasion... you know, something like Soltari Monk or Soltari Priest).
2) Use it with a charm of any kind, seeing as how charms generally have multiple effects. Some of them even allow you to draw cards, solving your card advantage problem. Say... Esper Charm, Naya Charm, Rith's Charm, Evolution Charm.
3) If you really want, you could use it with Enlightened Tutor or Eladamri's Call to go search your library for enchantments/creatures.
Posted By:
nammertime
(11/9/2009 12:50:44 PM)
Facts that tell us this card is terrible:
- I need to have a good instant in hand that makes sense on this card
- I need to have a good creature in play. it should have evasion, be large enough to not die easily, but not too large, since else I win by combat damage anyway
- must pay a whoopping 7 mana to equip this
- hope the creature gets through
- I can play this instant only during my turn when it hits the opponent, means the "surprise" effect of beeing an instant is totally gone
If I do hit my opponent once this way, I paid 7 for that instant, which most likely would be cheaper, so I wasted mana. And I also used up two cards (this artifact and the instant), instead of just the instant, which means that I wasted cards. Once I hit my opponent twice, I STILL don't have card advantage. I used two cards, and got two spells. And if the instant does cost 4 or more, I paid barely less mana than for playing the instant. So to make this card good, I need to hit my opponent three times. And ... (see all)
Posted By:
majinara
(2/6/2009 1:21:12 AM)
Can someone give me an Instant or two that would be worth jumping through the hoops for? I'm not being a wise-arse, I'm honestly curious.
Posted By:
Reliquium
(11/19/2009 4:49:46 PM)
Imprint Savage Beating as Spellbinder enters the battlefield. The following turn, equip Spellbinder to Invisible Stalker, then infi-loop attack phase for the win.
Win by turn 4:
Turn 1: Island
Turn 2: land, Invisible Stalker
Turn 3: land, Spellbinder - imprint Savage Beating
Turn 4: land, equip Spellbinder to Invisible Stalker, attack with Invisible Stalker to deal combat damage to target player, thus triggering Spellbinder to play a copy of Savage Beating, rinse and repeat this process an infinite number of times this turn.
This combo is effective because Invisible Stalker is hexproof; however, a foil to this combo includes cards such as Fog which prevents all combat damage, or Pariah which redirects damage.
Posted By:
jilting_joker
(11/15/2011 4:45:14 PM)
facts tell us facts are wrong. Great card
Posted By:
Waldo420
(4/27/2009 4:58:42 PM)
It's a very cool concept. On that note, whispersilk cloak and surkar spellblade
or Invisible Stalker and Searing Wind... oh god...
Turn 2 stalker
turn 3 this
turn 4 equip: Turn 4 Searing wind, repeat.
Posted By:
Kindulas
(6/12/2012 6:56:39 PM)
This is one of the sticks you can stick something on to have something on a stick, if sticking things on sticks is your schtick.
Lavaball Trap. Unlike Searing "I can't think of anything better" Wind, you can actually spring a copy of the Trap before you've assembled the stick, for massive advantage.
Posted By:
Salient
(1/6/2013 11:05:30 PM)
this card is amazing with might of the oaks
Posted By:
kikukillerofkings82
(9/7/2009 7:30:42 AM)