Paradox Engine is a card coming out in Aether Revolt that is getting a lot of attention. It will go infinite with mana rocks and mana dorks very easily, as long as you have a steady stream of cards to cast.
People want to put it into a deck with Isochron Scepter. All you need is 2 mana in rocks or dorks to cast your spell infinite times.
This card seems like it will be more played than Prophet of Kruphix. It may demand a high price as well, since it is very easy to build around and could easily end up in other formats.
Any spell with Buyback, from Sprout Swarm to Capsize will need to be considered.
Do you have any niche applications you are looking to exploit? Are you worried about the impact in your playgroup? It will also be good in all those Winter Orb decks.
I think it will probably not take long to get banned, as broken as it appears to be. I am looking forward to acquiring one, since it does so much work, but if you don't kill it, then you probably die instantly. It might be funny in a depala deck, as a way to actually break her ability, or at least dig enough for it to matter.
I feel like Paradox Engine is going to be abused like crazy. "Oh you like to play elf/druid-ball? Knock yourself out!" I plan on getting one for Selvala to help keep me going during my more explosive turns, as well as one for an elf deck I'm looking to make. At least until its potential ban.
Not sure if this will get banned. There are loads of ways to go infi with mana rocks so that alone isnt ban worthy. But also there are loads of commanders this card goes off with. Arcanis, that other blue wizard, the new UG partner guy and probably a dozen more. But again you could always use mind over matter or other such goodies to combo out with. But hey its a colorless easy to cast card that can power on loads of combos so its possbile this card is OP. But i think it will be fine. I would like to try it out with loads of tapping effects just to see what kind of nonsense can happen.
It's been heavily discussed in another thread. The "cast a spell" trigger is a fairly hefty restriction for a combo. Intruder Alarm with an "comes into play" trigger can go infinite with way fewer cards (as little as 2) and it isn't banned, or even considered broken.
It's been heavily discussed in another thread. The "cast a spell" trigger is a fairly hefty restriction for a combo. Intruder Alarm with an "comes into play" trigger can go infinite with way fewer cards (as little as 2) and it isn't banned, or even considered broken.
Devil's Advocate, though: Intruder Alarm is symmetrical, so it could let an opponent combo off. The opponent doesn't even need to be making creatures, since each creature ETB you cause will untap their creatures as well.
That would actually be a point that Intruder Alarm should have been banned first if Paradox Engine were actually going to get hammered, since that would indicate Alarm might interact poorly with the format being multiplayer like Painter's Servant apparently does. Yeah, I know it's been a long time since a generic combo enabler has been printed, but all I'm seeing is that it's yet another combo card and it's admittedly good for poor Phenax, who could really use a lifeline.
It's stupid easy to break so long as you have enough non land mana and spells to trigger it. The buyback spells have already been mentioned, of course. However, it does pretty well with just about anything else. So long as most of the spells you are casting have "draw a card" attached, you can pretty well go ***** nuts with it and it won't be hard to get your meta to hate it. Sure, it won't be quite as ubiquitous as prophet of kruphix was, but it fits in far more deck archetypes too because of its non colored nature.
It's been heavily discussed in another thread. The "cast a spell" trigger is a fairly hefty restriction for a combo. Intruder Alarm with an "comes into play" trigger can go infinite with way fewer cards (as little as 2) and it isn't banned, or even considered broken.
Devil's Advocate, though: Intruder Alarm is symmetrical, so it could let an opponent combo off. The opponent doesn't even need to be making creatures, since each creature ETB you cause will untap their creatures as well.
I play Intruder Alarm and sometimes I can't play it because my opponent will combo off (If I'm against Krenko, for example). It also only untaps creatures, not mana rocks. I think there is a very big difference. Especially as this is colorless.
I'd say the biggest issue with this is that there's almost no reason you run this aside from enabling combos. As for.if it will get banned, by their own statement, they ban cards that seem like they'd be fair, but aren't. No one thinks anything like that about this card. So unless it starts showing up in every deck, I think it'll hang around.
This card is broken, in the same way that Intruder Alarm is broken. Intruder Alarm is not banned. Sol Ring is not banned. Mana Crypt is not banned. We are talking about the idiots at Rules Committee for commander. The joke that they are. They don't care about unbalanced game-play. Its not in their brain capacity to spend time or inclination to bother with particular cards. That would require effort, which they don't like.
This card is terrifying for sure. Its actually more scary than Intruder Alarm, which combos with just about everything. This card combos with everything. As long as you have Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Grim Monilith, etc, this card with basically break the format. You just got to hope a player doesn't resolve it.
Kozilek decks (both types of him), will break this card. Mono Green decks get to do the infinite thing, with a tap draw source and mana producing creatures.
As far as combos, there are are probably an infinite number of them. Whats an infinite number of infinites?
I feel the problem is worsened by that fact that it is colorless. At least Mind Over Matter is 4 blue. Mind Over Matter is completely broken, but at least you have to build a mana base to support it.
Public Mod Note
(Jivanmukta):
Warning for Flaming - Jiv
I think its one of those cards you can easily break, and will fall out of favor quickly. Of course some people will still play it, like Palincron or DeN to do busted stuff. The community at large I think will shun it quickly.
If people are sick of reading about stuff just stop taking part. You have 100% control over what you read. Simic Ascendancy isn't going to get banned just because you didn't tell someone to shut up on the internet.
I think its one of those cards you can easily break, and will fall out of favor quickly. Of course some people will still play it, like Palincron or DeN to do busted stuff. The community at large I think will shun it quickly.
Like the community shunned Prophet of Kruphix? LOL. By the "community at large", do you mean the people you play with? No the community will use and abuse it at every stage, and so they should, nice new toy.
Of note for extra fun you can fetch with Captain Sisay Skyship Weatherlight to get any number of combination of artifact and creature cards to do fun stuff. The Sky.. is the limit
I actually think this will be a slow-burner at first. It's got a pre-sale price of $80, so I think there is a lot of speculation that it could break into other formats as well.
Good deck builders will see its value straight away and break it. The thing is that any artifact deck that runs the usual suspects like, Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Grim Monolith, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Gilded Lotus, etc, can essentially just put it into their decks without actually much thought. But I think it's going to take players a while to realize that it doesn't just need to be a combo card, but one that just provides amazing value. Even if they do, if the price stays above $50 then you just won't see it that much as a value card.
I went ahead and made the deck with Captain Sisay and the Paradox Engine. Might as well plug it here
I actually think this will be a slow-burner at first. It's got a pre-sale price of $80, so I think there is a lot of speculation that it could break into other formats as well.
The masterpiece has a pre-sale price of ~$80.00. Like most masterpieces.
As for the card, I think people are seriously overvaluing it. Yes, it can be a strong enabler, and can be particularly strong with a select few Commanders (it will be included once I rebuild my old Dralnu, Lich Lord deck).
But overall, it is actually not that good. It is dependent on a very specific board state, as well as being able to cast spells.
As a dedicated combo piece, it is inefficient at its best outside of something like or Captain Sisay.
If you have enough "overpowered artifacts" there is a limit to what removal can be there. Tarmogoyf also eats removal as it hits play, and doesn't do a thing for a turn either: yet it's still undeniably popular.
This card fits well in any suit heavy focused on artifacts: A combo enabler, a stax circumvention, an heavy mana enabler, a safeguard for stompy decks.
It's not a matter of "do I want the card", rather "can I fit it in somewhere". I'm personally thrilled to see if it can fit in my stax/combo teferi deck. While I won't use it during the combo, it might actually allow pseudo combos while building up to a true combo. Unlike true combo decks my deck first builds a stax shell, and then starts working on the chain veil + mana artifacts. Being able to do 3 times +1 a turn for teferi/tezeret is certainly handy.
If you have enough "overpowered artifacts" there is a limit to what removal can be there. Tarmogoyf also eats removal as it hits play, and doesn't do a thing for a turn either: yet it's still undeniably popular.
This card fits well in any suit heavy focused on artifacts: A combo enabler, a stax circumvention, an heavy mana enabler, a safeguard for stompy decks.
It's not a matter of "do I want the card", rather "can I fit it in somewhere". I'm personally thrilled to see if it can fit in my stax/combo teferi deck. While I won't use it during the combo, it might actually allow pseudo combos while building up to a true combo. Unlike true combo decks my deck first builds a stax shell, and then starts working on the chain veil + mana artifacts. Being able to do 3 times +1 a turn for teferi/tezeret is certainly handy.
Yah, a smart person. Listen I don't mind at all if people don't cotton onto this card as simply a value card, rather than a combo card. It one of those cards that can sort of pays for itself with the right amount of artifact/creature mana. If you have a Mana Vault say in play then casting it out is easy, and another cheap spell can mean you can get a chain of spells going in that same turn. In the absence of the chain veil, Teferi +1 ability is relevant because you can draw into a spell, to untap your artifacts.
Based on the history of the RC, Paradox Engine will never be banned. By their own logic, if someone is using this to break the game, let them and never play with them ever again afterwards.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Level 1 Judge
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
Based on the history of the RC, Paradox Engine will never be banned. By their own logic, if someone is using this to break the game, let them and never play with them ever again afterwards.
Imagine if WotC used the same principle for Vintage, Modern, Standard...Magic would have died a decade ago. Formats grow, the RC does not. Fail.
I give it 30% odds on being banned. Seems fairly busted. Could have fun fair uses too.
As someone interested in using this card fairly, I'm worried that this card will just be accidentally broken as opposed to being deliberately so. At worst, this card seems like Mirari's Wake. Maybe playtesting will demonstrate otherwise, but with something as common as Sol Ring in play, every spell I cast is going to refund me 2 mana, and that doesn't even take into consideration anything else it might do. That worries me.
I don't think Paradox Engine will be banned, nor do I believe the Rules Committee should ban it (at least, if it doesn't prove itself to be even more dangerous than everyone believes it to be). Having said that, I'm still unsure if there's any fair way to use the card without it coincidentally being bonkers.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WUBRGMr. Bones' Wild RideGRBUW Trap your friends in an endless game with this 23-card combo!
I give it 30% odds on being banned. Seems fairly busted. Could have fun fair uses too.
As someone interested in using this card fairly, I'm worried that this card will just be accidentally broken as opposed to being deliberately so. At worst, this card seems like Mirari's Wake. Maybe playtesting will demonstrate otherwise, but with something as common as Sol Ring in play, every spell I cast is going to refund me 2 mana, and that doesn't even take into consideration anything else it might do. That worries me.
I don't think Paradox Engine will be banned, nor do I believe the Rules Committee should ban it (at least, if it doesn't prove itself to be even more dangerous than everyone believes it to be). Having said that, I'm still unsure if there's any fair way to use the card without it coincidentally being bonkers.
The issue is that there are a ton of cards that make the game go haywire on accident.
Private Mod Note
():
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Level 1 Judge
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
The issue is that there are a ton of cards that make the game go haywire on accident.
That's what I learned after putting a copy of Mind Over Matter into my deck. It would just accidentally win the game. Mind Over Matter didn't combo so much with specific cards as much as it did any Magic cards in general. There would be situations where I'd have Gilded Lotus on the battlefield, Blue Sun's Zenith in hand, and realize that I just drew my entire library infinite times and decked everyone. All I wanted to do was untap my Pyxis a bunch!
I'm worried that Paradox Engine will be just like Mind Over Matter but worse. It costs less to cast, doesn't require quad UUUU since it's an artifact, and the payoff is so much bigger. The condition for using it (casting a spell) is a little bit more difficult than discarding a card, but with a rock or two in play, lots of spells start to become free, so even its limiting stipulation can become less detrimental. I'm not sure where I'm going with any of this. I guess all I mean to convey is that I'm worried the card won't be able to be played fairly, despite the best intentions. I don't think that necessitates banning Paradox Engine, but I do believe the cause for concern is justified.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WUBRGMr. Bones' Wild RideGRBUW Trap your friends in an endless game with this 23-card combo!
There are 57 varieties of infinite mana combos with this probably. I'm a little jaded to that now, especially since there are already mana infinite mana combos (including in black). Paradox Engine is a busted combo-enabler for sure that I'll Krosan Grip on sight if I can just like Ashnod's Altar, Rings of Brighthearth, and other enablers.
Though I might still acquire a copy. For science.
There probably are not-so-oppressive ways to use it, such as in a deck without mana rocks (or just a couple of non-crazy ones like Marble Diamond) and without crazy activated abilities like Arcanis. Combined with some instant-speed combat tricks it could just be pseudo-Vigilance. But it also doesn't make a lot of sense to build a deck with such restrictions around a single card just in case you happen to get it on the field.
In Maelstrom Wanderer, for example, all it takes is Gilded Lotus and Crystal Shard to cast the entire deck.
Any general that taps will benefit, from Phenax, God of Deception to Krenko, Mob Boss.
People want to put it into a deck with Isochron Scepter. All you need is 2 mana in rocks or dorks to cast your spell infinite times.
This card seems like it will be more played than Prophet of Kruphix. It may demand a high price as well, since it is very easy to build around and could easily end up in other formats.
Any spell with Buyback, from Sprout Swarm to Capsize will need to be considered.
Do you have any niche applications you are looking to exploit? Are you worried about the impact in your playgroup? It will also be good in all those Winter Orb decks.
8.RG Green Devotion Ramp/Combo 9.UR Draw Triggers 10.WUR Group stalling 11.WUR Voltron Spellslinger 12.WB Sacrificial Shenanigans
13.BR Creatureless Panharmonicon 14.BR Pingers and Eldrazi 15.URG Untapped Cascading
16.Reyhan, last of the Abzan's WUBG +1/+1 Counter Craziness 17.WUBRG Dragons aka Why did I make this?
Building: The Gitrog Monster lands, Glissa the Traitor stax, Muldrotha, the Gravetide Planeswalker Combo, Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Clues, and Tribal Scarecrow Planeswalkers
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
In Progress
GBIshkanah, Grafwidow ~ BWGRTymna the Weaver & Tana, the Bloodsower ~ UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ~ RGAtarka, World Render
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
[EDH Non-Primers] Newzuri | Breya
I play Intruder Alarm and sometimes I can't play it because my opponent will combo off (If I'm against Krenko, for example). It also only untaps creatures, not mana rocks. I think there is a very big difference. Especially as this is colorless.
Time will tell if it is broken in EDH.
8.RG Green Devotion Ramp/Combo 9.UR Draw Triggers 10.WUR Group stalling 11.WUR Voltron Spellslinger 12.WB Sacrificial Shenanigans
13.BR Creatureless Panharmonicon 14.BR Pingers and Eldrazi 15.URG Untapped Cascading
16.Reyhan, last of the Abzan's WUBG +1/+1 Counter Craziness 17.WUBRG Dragons aka Why did I make this?
Building: The Gitrog Monster lands, Glissa the Traitor stax, Muldrotha, the Gravetide Planeswalker Combo, Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Clues, and Tribal Scarecrow Planeswalkers
This card is terrifying for sure. Its actually more scary than Intruder Alarm, which combos with just about everything. This card combos with everything. As long as you have Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Grim Monilith, etc, this card with basically break the format. You just got to hope a player doesn't resolve it.
Kozilek decks (both types of him), will break this card. Mono Green decks get to do the infinite thing, with a tap draw source and mana producing creatures.
As far as combos, there are are probably an infinite number of them. Whats an infinite number of infinites?
I feel the problem is worsened by that fact that it is colorless. At least Mind Over Matter is 4 blue. Mind Over Matter is completely broken, but at least you have to build a mana base to support it.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
I fell asleep last night thinking of this for Captain Sisay. Yes I have no life. Some mana dorks/rocks like: Birds of Paradise, Avacyn Pilgrim, Lanawar Elves, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Fellwar Stone, Gold Myr, Copper Myr, Selesnya Signet, Beastcaller Savant, Bloom Tender, Gemhide Silver, Harabaz Druid, Manaweft Silver, Quirion Elf, Sylvan Caryatid, Voyaging Satyr, Somberwald Sage, Shaman of Forgotten Ways, Glided Lotus. Cryptolith Rite, Earthcraft as basically unlimited mana for this combination.
Fetch Paradox Engine with O'Captain! My Captain!
Fetch and play out all the 1 and 2 CMC legendary creatures in WG only needing 2 sources of above mana dorks/rocks (some you only need 1 of like Somberwald Sage, Shaman of Forgotten Ways, Glided Lotus, Bloom Tender, Cryptolith Rite, Earthcraft):
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, Eladamri, Lord of Leaves, Gaddock Teeg, Isamaru, Hound of Konda, Kataki, War's Wage, Kentaro, the Smiling Cat, Kytheon, Hero of Akros, Melira, Sylvok Outcast, Mikaeus, the Lunarch, Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter, Rhys the Redeemed, Saffi Eriksdotter, Sensei Golden-Tail, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Sram, Senior Edificer.
Then fetch up Gaea's Cradle tapping for 20+ mana. Play out a card from your hand. Search for Akroma's Memorial. Then search for Myojin of Life's Web, Selvala, Heart of the Wilds and then Selvala, Explorer Returned. This will give you unlimited mana and draw.
Finish everybody that turn with a Nylea, God of the Hunt or Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. Or if you like to play with your food, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite to land lock opponents.
Of note for extra fun you can fetch with Captain Sisay Skyship Weatherlight to get any number of combination of artifact and creature cards to do fun stuff. The Sky.. is the limit
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
Good deck builders will see its value straight away and break it. The thing is that any artifact deck that runs the usual suspects like, Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Grim Monolith, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Gilded Lotus, etc, can essentially just put it into their decks without actually much thought. But I think it's going to take players a while to realize that it doesn't just need to be a combo card, but one that just provides amazing value. Even if they do, if the price stays above $50 then you just won't see it that much as a value card.
I went ahead and made the deck with Captain Sisay and the Paradox Engine. Might as well plug it here
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/multiplayer-commander-decklists/766834-captain-sisay-and-the-paradox-engine
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
The masterpiece has a pre-sale price of ~$80.00. Like most masterpieces.
As for the card, I think people are seriously overvaluing it. Yes, it can be a strong enabler, and can be particularly strong with a select few Commanders (it will be included once I rebuild my old Dralnu, Lich Lord deck).
But overall, it is actually not that good. It is dependent on a very specific board state, as well as being able to cast spells.
As a dedicated combo piece, it is inefficient at its best outside of something like or Captain Sisay.
A Dying Wish
To Rise Again
Chainer, Dementia Master
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
As someone interested in using this card fairly, I'm worried that this card will just be accidentally broken as opposed to being deliberately so. At worst, this card seems like Mirari's Wake. Maybe playtesting will demonstrate otherwise, but with something as common as Sol Ring in play, every spell I cast is going to refund me 2 mana, and that doesn't even take into consideration anything else it might do. That worries me.
I don't think Paradox Engine will be banned, nor do I believe the Rules Committee should ban it (at least, if it doesn't prove itself to be even more dangerous than everyone believes it to be). Having said that, I'm still unsure if there's any fair way to use the card without it coincidentally being bonkers.
Trap your friends in an endless game with this 23-card combo!
The issue is that there are a ton of cards that make the game go haywire on accident.
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
That's what I learned after putting a copy of Mind Over Matter into my deck. It would just accidentally win the game. Mind Over Matter didn't combo so much with specific cards as much as it did any Magic cards in general. There would be situations where I'd have Gilded Lotus on the battlefield, Blue Sun's Zenith in hand, and realize that I just drew my entire library infinite times and decked everyone. All I wanted to do was untap my Pyxis a bunch!
I'm worried that Paradox Engine will be just like Mind Over Matter but worse. It costs less to cast, doesn't require quad UUUU since it's an artifact, and the payoff is so much bigger. The condition for using it (casting a spell) is a little bit more difficult than discarding a card, but with a rock or two in play, lots of spells start to become free, so even its limiting stipulation can become less detrimental. I'm not sure where I'm going with any of this. I guess all I mean to convey is that I'm worried the card won't be able to be played fairly, despite the best intentions. I don't think that necessitates banning Paradox Engine, but I do believe the cause for concern is justified.
Trap your friends in an endless game with this 23-card combo!
Turn 1 : Swamp, Sol Ring, Mana Vault
Turn 2 : Swamp, Paradox Engine
Turn 3 : Isochron Scepter exiling Dark Ritual, Tap Sol Ring Activate Isochron Scepter, Black floating... Repeat.
BWREDGAR MARKOV VAMPIRESBWR
Though I might still acquire a copy. For science.
There probably are not-so-oppressive ways to use it, such as in a deck without mana rocks (or just a couple of non-crazy ones like Marble Diamond) and without crazy activated abilities like Arcanis. Combined with some instant-speed combat tricks it could just be pseudo-Vigilance. But it also doesn't make a lot of sense to build a deck with such restrictions around a single card just in case you happen to get it on the field.
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R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko