I feel like this is one of those cards where it'd be funner to be the opponent. "You can have this lovely washer and dryer or you can trade it all for what's in this box!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcG8z2OTAWs
This card is very close to Scry 2, then draw two cards. VERY close.
It's not the same because your opponent can make it so that the two face-up ones are better than the two face-down ones.
If he does, though, the better cards are exactly the ones you are looking at. If you like 'em, pick 'em. If you don't, pick the other pile.
If they make the face-up pile bad, it's even closer. You just pick the non-revealed pile.
Your opponent doesn't know if you want lands or spells, or which spells you want. If you need lands and the face-up pile is 2 spells, pick the other pile. Even if the other pile is two spells you are digging 4 cards deeper for the land.
It's exactly the same if you need spells and stare at two lands. Bin then, and take the face-down pile.
2 to the yard is even better than scry 2, actually, in this block.
Put 4 cards face down because, "&^#@ you! I'm not going to give you information and then let you choose like some sucker."
Seriously, I'm going to always be tempted to make the face up cards slightly better than face down pile just to stick it to the gamblers. Very fun card.
Just looking at this from the standpoint of its raw effect, this is better than Draw 2, and worse than Scry 2, Draw 2. Draw 2 isn't worth 4 mana in constructed. Scry 2, Draw 2 also probably isn't worth 4 mana in constructed, but at instant speed, in Standard, it might be? Probably not though, and this is worse than that anyway.
Comparisons to FoF should just not be happening, as this is not a 3-for-1. Reliable 4-mana 3-for-1s make it in constructed, but there's a way higher bar for 2-for-1s. I feel confident this is worse than Epiphany at the Drownyard.
I think it is playable in standard, I will definitely test it, I will play both this and take inventory you'll only want this in a deck wanting to fill the graveyard.
Perhaps fringe playable in modern but unlikely, thirst for knowledge and esper charm are better, but not available to every deck.
Which of the following cards are playable as an instant for 3U?
1. Look at the top 2 cards. Put them in your hand, or mill them and draw 2 cards.
2. Mill a card, draw 3 cards.
3. Look at the top card of you deck. Put it in your hand or mill it and draw 3 cards.
I think 2 and 3 are worth it, while 1 is more meh. While you'll have more fun and could possibly gain equity by being a good person reader, you can always treat this as if your opponent isn't making decisions, unless the entire contents of your hand are known or something.
I'm kinda surprised to see so many positive reactions here. Granted, I knew this would have its audience, but I was expecting more negativity, as power-wise, this IS a strictly weaker FoF after all.
I decided to be happy that people still play for fun =)
It's a strictly weaker Fact or Fiction, sure, but the reason why most FoF knockoffs suck is because YOU don't get to make the choice. This one you do, and they made it an instant to boot. It's a neat variation that might actually be useful.
A smart opponent will almost always split the piles 2 and 2, and they'll never knowingly put a game-winning card in the face up pile because then you'd just take that pile. That means taking the face-down pile is usually the optimal choice. Knowing this, a smart opponent will always put the weaker cards in the face-down pile if there isn't an obviously game-winning card in the 4. That means functionally, this card gets you the card you're fishing for if it's in your top 4, and gets you the two worst cards in the top 4 if it's not. In a vacuum, it's worse than instant scry 2 draw 2, but can be a bit better in the right deck, since the cards go to the graveyard instead of the bottom of the library. Not bad, but not great either. Very fun though. Shame it wasn't 5 cards, it would have added an extra dimension to the mind games and made it much more playable.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"I am confident that if anyone actually
penetrates our facades, even the most
perceptive would still be fundamentally
unprepared for the truth of House Dimir."
Reasonable card. If you don't need what's gave up then just take the face down card regardless of what it might be. If what's face up is good then don't risk the trick.
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
Personally I will always pick the bigger pile unless I'm dead on board without a mass removal. And if it's a 2-2 split I will pick the cards I can see unless I don't like what I see lol.
I disagree with the idea that revealing five cards would be better. If that was the case it would almost always be better to take the three card pile. This makes it much more engaging as you have to think further than just what pile has the most cards.
Why would this ney you one card? If you're picking the one card pile, aren't you getting what you wanted?
Not if your opponent is good at playing mind games. Enjoy your basic land.
My opponent is going to play mind games when I know the entirety of my deck compositions and they don't? Why would you ever go for the 1 card when you have 3 cards in the other pile? Why? The opponent isn't forcing you to make stupid decisions.
You can play some mindgames with the caster of this card. Show them something good up top to make them think that what is face down is better, especially if they are looking for one card. When they get the facedown card they realize it's a land or irrelevant to the situation.
1) If you just want two random cards for 4cmc at instant speed (Inspiration), this gets you there.
2) If you want three random cards for 4cmc at instant speed, sometimes you can that.
3) If you want to dig for a particular card, this digs you 4 deep, and you can always get that card if it was in the 4.
4) If you don't need whatever's face-up, you can always gamble on what's face-down and sometimes get something incredible.
5) This fills your graveyard.
6) In multiplayer, you can choose an ally so you can get whatever you want.
So for 4, you can, at instant speed, dig 4 for any single card, OR two random cards, OR sometimes three bulk random cards, OR sometimes take a chance at getting something incredible if you don't need the face-up card(s), while filling your graveyard.
The FLOOR on this card is Inspiration, which is already almost good enough, PLUS filling your graveyard. The ceiling is pretty high, letting you dig 4 deep for ANYTHING or drawing 3 for 3U instant speed - your choice.
Some people will think this card gives your opponent choices. They think it's a punisher card, like Browbeat or Steam Augury. Actually, Fortune's Favor is a modal card with a very decent floor and a high ceiling. It takes some skill to play optimally, but it should be very good in at least combo and permission, and maybe midrange reanimator.
The FLOOR on this card is Inspiration, which is already almost good enough, PLUS filling your graveyard. The ceiling is pretty high, letting you dig 4 deep for ANYTHING or drawing 3 for 3U instant speed - your choice.
no the floor of this card is worst 2 out of 4 random cards. At least with inspiration you don't have to reveal the cards. You do make a good point with #3, but thats not enough to sell me on the card. Maybe if you are really good at poker then it's fine, but this is miles weaker than fact of fiction and I just can't imagine it being worth playing in any constructed deck except maybe brainless blue. Control certainly doesn't want this over an answer, a planeswalker, or Read the Bones.
Yeah, it's worse than fact or fiction, fact or fiction was a busted instant-win card.
The right play is always to take the face up card if it's what you need and the face down cards if it isn't, so the right play for the opponent is always to show you the card they think you need (otherwise, you're just going to take what you need PLUS more). The BEST they can do is if there's more than one card that will give you what you need, to show you the worst of them.
You'll never get "worst two out of four random cards." You're going to get either the best one or a good one.
Unless of course, you don't need any of the four cards, in which case you spent four mana to avoid four turns of durdling, which is also fine.
The FLOOR on this card is Inspiration, which is already almost good enough, PLUS filling your graveyard. The ceiling is pretty high, letting you dig 4 deep for ANYTHING or drawing 3 for 3U instant speed - your choice.
no the floor of this card is worst 2 out of 4 random cards.
Not quite. If you just pick a pile with your eyes closed you'll still end up with an average case.
At least with inspiration you don't have to reveal the cards. You do make a good point with #3, but thats not enough to sell me on the card. Maybe if you are really good at poker then it's fine, but this is miles weaker than fact of fiction and I just can't imagine it being worth playing in any constructed deck except maybe brainless blue. Control certainly doesn't want this over an answer, a planeswalker, or Read the Bones.
This is instant-speed card draw with a strong digging and selection component at a fair mana cost. How could blue control NOT want this?
It's not the same because your opponent can make it so that the two face-up ones are better than the two face-down ones.
If he does, though, the better cards are exactly the ones you are looking at. If you like 'em, pick 'em. If you don't, pick the other pile.
If they make the face-up pile bad, it's even closer. You just pick the non-revealed pile.
Your opponent doesn't know if you want lands or spells, or which spells you want. If you need lands and the face-up pile is 2 spells, pick the other pile. Even if the other pile is two spells you are digging 4 cards deeper for the land.
It's exactly the same if you need spells and stare at two lands. Bin then, and take the face-down pile.
2 to the yard is even better than scry 2, actually, in this block.
This card really is great.
However, it is also instant speed. It's fun.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
Seriously, I'm going to always be tempted to make the face up cards slightly better than face down pile just to stick it to the gamblers. Very fun card.
Comparisons to FoF should just not be happening, as this is not a 3-for-1. Reliable 4-mana 3-for-1s make it in constructed, but there's a way higher bar for 2-for-1s. I feel confident this is worse than Epiphany at the Drownyard.
Perhaps fringe playable in modern but unlikely, thirst for knowledge and esper charm are better, but not available to every deck.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
1. Look at the top 2 cards. Put them in your hand, or mill them and draw 2 cards.
2. Mill a card, draw 3 cards.
3. Look at the top card of you deck. Put it in your hand or mill it and draw 3 cards.
I think 2 and 3 are worth it, while 1 is more meh. While you'll have more fun and could possibly gain equity by being a good person reader, you can always treat this as if your opponent isn't making decisions, unless the entire contents of your hand are known or something.
It's a strictly weaker Fact or Fiction, sure, but the reason why most FoF knockoffs suck is because YOU don't get to make the choice. This one you do, and they made it an instant to boot. It's a neat variation that might actually be useful.
"I am confident that if anyone actually
penetrates our facades, even the most
perceptive would still be fundamentally
unprepared for the truth of House Dimir."
Mono Red's Strengths and Mono White's Strengths
I don't really see what's fun about letting your opponent mindgame you either.
Standard:
UR Ral Combo
Modern:
U Merfolk
R Goblins
Commander
RB Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
R Feldon of the Third Path
Fun fact: people will choose a "mystery box" option the vast majority of times one is offered.
Use that information as you will.
Reprint Stasis!
Control needs more love.
EDH:
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm
WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW
WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
My opponent is going to play mind games when I know the entirety of my deck compositions and they don't? Why would you ever go for the 1 card when you have 3 cards in the other pile? Why? The opponent isn't forcing you to make stupid decisions.
1) If you just want two random cards for 4cmc at instant speed (Inspiration), this gets you there.
2) If you want three random cards for 4cmc at instant speed, sometimes you can that.
3) If you want to dig for a particular card, this digs you 4 deep, and you can always get that card if it was in the 4.
4) If you don't need whatever's face-up, you can always gamble on what's face-down and sometimes get something incredible.
5) This fills your graveyard.
6) In multiplayer, you can choose an ally so you can get whatever you want.
So for 4, you can, at instant speed, dig 4 for any single card, OR two random cards, OR sometimes three bulk random cards, OR sometimes take a chance at getting something incredible if you don't need the face-up card(s), while filling your graveyard.
The FLOOR on this card is Inspiration, which is already almost good enough, PLUS filling your graveyard. The ceiling is pretty high, letting you dig 4 deep for ANYTHING or drawing 3 for 3U instant speed - your choice.
Some people will think this card gives your opponent choices. They think it's a punisher card, like Browbeat or Steam Augury. Actually, Fortune's Favor is a modal card with a very decent floor and a high ceiling. It takes some skill to play optimally, but it should be very good in at least combo and permission, and maybe midrange reanimator.
Mono Red's Strengths and Mono White's Strengths
no the floor of this card is worst 2 out of 4 random cards. At least with inspiration you don't have to reveal the cards. You do make a good point with #3, but thats not enough to sell me on the card. Maybe if you are really good at poker then it's fine, but this is miles weaker than fact of fiction and I just can't imagine it being worth playing in any constructed deck except maybe brainless blue. Control certainly doesn't want this over an answer, a planeswalker, or Read the Bones.
The right play is always to take the face up card if it's what you need and the face down cards if it isn't, so the right play for the opponent is always to show you the card they think you need (otherwise, you're just going to take what you need PLUS more). The BEST they can do is if there's more than one card that will give you what you need, to show you the worst of them.
You'll never get "worst two out of four random cards." You're going to get either the best one or a good one.
Unless of course, you don't need any of the four cards, in which case you spent four mana to avoid four turns of durdling, which is also fine.
Not quite. If you just pick a pile with your eyes closed you'll still end up with an average case.
This is instant-speed card draw with a strong digging and selection component at a fair mana cost. How could blue control NOT want this?
Mono Red's Strengths and Mono White's Strengths
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG