This is the answer to Bolt. They reprinted this so that it could hose Lightning Bolt, but that, to me, begs the question of why they just didn't reprint Counterspell. I understand from the point of people complaining it's unfun to play against, however, it's also true that NO ONE plays Cancel competitively, and hardly even in draft. Even in Standard, keeping Dissipate mana open is difficult. As for modern, a Counterspell repint would help a control deck rise, instead of combo and agro ruling it. Furthermore, this is easier to cast, and for the first 4 or 5 (sometimes 6) turns, it is essentially a hard counter. I don't see why this and Bolt can be reprinted, but Counterspell can't.
Edit: Cheza, You're a moron.
Posted By:
swords_to_exile
(7/22/2012 3:34:00 PM)
@Cheza.
1) Not all games of magic end in the early game. And past the normal curves and into later phases, mana leak becomes nearly useless. Yes, most situations in the early game mana leak is nearly unstoppable, but late game it loses its strength. It is actually a gamble.
2) Counterspells are very fun to play as is. It can be frustrating for the other guy, but at the same time whenever somebody loses its going to be frustrating. And there are plenty of sideboard options to hose blue and mass counterspell strategies. Not only that, playing 
does not guarantee victory, the game is rather well balanced.
3) You should design your own card game, since your so brilliant and the entire R&D team is not as smart as you. Start small with pencil and paper like the first MTG team did. Then worry about mass production and getting investors after you game is established.
4) Your idea sounds like a massive lockdown, which is no fun at all. Yeah, lets delete all of blues old cards and give them p... (see all)
Posted By:
TheWrathofShane
(7/31/2013 3:34:31 PM)
I don't mind losing, but cards that promote non-interactive gameplay (discard, land destruction, counterspells) take absolutely no skill or creativity to use and are never fun to play against, even if I win. I just don't understand why anyone enjoys this card. You play a game to interact with others, right? The fact that this card is splashable in every deck on MTG is ruining the game.
Those that say these are useless late game are just wrong. In fact, this card makes almost all late game 5-9 drops, and X cards completely unplayable, again without requiring any skill or creativity on the part of the mana-leaker.
Blue has so many other things that work well. extra turns, milling, great creatures, the best drawers in the game. Blue players that can't build a successful deck without this have absolutely no construction creativity or gameplay skill.
I can't think of or imagine a single way in which this card improves the gameplay of MTG.
1/2 star.
Posted By:
hypa_dude
(11/23/2013 6:36:04 PM)
Mana Leak will usually counter the thing it targets. But it rarely results in a 2 for 1, and can be a poor topdeck lategame, so I'd say its far from being so powerful that its unfun.
That doesn't make blue a color that i'm gonna go easy on, though. The only reason I like playing against most blue decks is because I get to kill them. Even when i'm playing a blue deck myself!
Mana leak will always be an option for aggro decks that wish to overextend and counter a Wrath of God, usually leading to a win. It might seem unfun to some at first, but consider that the slot could instead be filled by Winter Orb! Good luck playing around that sucker.
Posted By:
Kryptnyt
(9/20/2011 1:07:26 AM)
Consider playing Isolation Cell first to make mana leak more of a viable use for a counter. Watch your opponents rage as they are all too tapped out of mana to counter your Mana Leak with another counter spell.
Posted By:
Wahsayah
(1/7/2012 5:31:19 PM)
Nothing against its current flavor text, but what if this spell's flavor text just said "Whoops."
@cvvc, The day I figured out I use blue too often was when I realized I had at one point Cancelled Mana Leak and Mana Leaked Cancel on another occasion.
Also satisfying to Mana Leak your opponent's Fog
Posted By:
Stig1t2Me
(2/4/2013 10:20:27 PM)
Really good, especially since it's splashable. Multi-color decks often enjoy this more than Counterspell, depending on if they'd rather remand for the cantrip, sage's dousing for the cantrip + cost reduction, or some such.
Posted By:
blurrymadness
(7/18/2013 2:52:17 PM)
Mana Leak should have came back in M14 for the shear fact that it is just fun. Fun is subjective, but both sides can work with it and around it. It's always nice to slow down the game a bit and this is an unobjective way to do it. It's multicolor friendly and as it isn't a hard counter, you can get around it. I've not really liked Standard once it was assumed you had to win by turn four or five as I feel that the game is too short, and this helps keep the game going a bit.
Posted By:
sincleanser
(7/22/2013 8:28:13 PM)
Personally, I like Spell Syphon just a little more, but this is good if you don't want to have a big board position or if you aren't in mono-blue.
Play this with Goblin Electromancer to get punched in the face.
Posted By:
SirLibraryEater
(12/28/2013 9:55:37 AM)
If this is considered too good for Standard right now, what about a version that counters unless they pays 2? That would still be way better than Stymied Hopes. I think it would be a fairly reasonable card to print.
Posted By:
sweetgab
(1/16/2014 7:13:21 PM)