Funny story. A casual 4-player FFA 60 card game I participated in when SOI was still fresh had Player A attack Player B with a 6/6 Darksteel Juggernaut while he was at 8 life. Player A had one card in hand. Player C(Me, who wanted to help a brother out), cast Path to Exile on his Juggernaut and, who’d of thunkit, he countered it with Confirm Suspiscions and killed Player B. I ROFL’d so hard I almost had to concede. Like, talk about shock face lol. Oh yeah, I lost that game...
Holy **** that's scary. I had to read that three times before I understood what happened there. I bet Player B was just thrilled with your olive branch.
Unless I have another way to use the mana productively at instant speed, if I'm holding up 5 mana, then I'm severely retarding the development of my own gameplan. At least this gives you something if you're forced to just burn it on a mediocre spell to avoid completely wasting your turn, but in almost all decks I'd rather just play a CMC2 counter, even one with a drawback, than have a card that needs to keep this much mana up.
Not even talking about Force of Will and all the goodies that take a lot less mana.
I like the design of the card, and even at 5 cmc I'd run this any day over something like Scatter to the Winds, but the problem is we've just gotten too many good "counterspell that also does x" cards. Something middle of the road like this never fits in a typical counterspell package, unless maybe your deck has a specific clue token theme.
If I ran Baral and wanted to jam as many decent counterspell variants as possible, this would probably make the cut.
Not even talking about Force of Will and all the goodies that take a lot less mana.
This right here. Confluence is the best comparison to demonstrate why this card simply isn't all that good. Operating on the same access, with confluence if you catch a guy unable to pay 3 mana, you counter their spell and draw 2, putting you a card behind this but you also don't have to pay mana to crack clues. Sometimes, this will be better, because sometimes you'll have to dedicate more confluence modes to countering the spell, and only draw one card, or none. Seems pretty comparable so far. Then you realize that the "counter spell, draw cards" mode is costed this way because of how flexible confluence is. You can also just fire it off to draw 3, or bounce creatures, or do a little of each. Without all that flexibility, Confirm Suspicions is just overcosted. "Counter target spell, draw 3" directly would be worth 5, or even 6, but having to pump an extra 2 per card drawn is a lot outside of dedicated draw go and artifact shenanigans (because then the draw coming in the form of clues is a feature, not a drawback). It helps that you don't have to pay the full 11 up front, and can pay to crack clues whenever, but holding up 5 mana for a counter demands a more immediate payoff. It doesn't draw you three, it gives you the potential to draw 3 at some future point. You might never get the mana free to do so, or maybe the next payer overloads a Vandalblast to deal with all the mana rocks and other artifacts and your clues get swept up before you even get to untap.
Private Mod Note
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Unless I have another way to use the mana productively at instant speed, if I'm holding up 5 mana, then I'm severely retarding the development of my own gameplan. At least this gives you something if you're forced to just burn it on a mediocre spell to avoid completely wasting your turn, but in almost all decks I'd rather just play a CMC2 counter, even one with a drawback, than have a card that needs to keep this much mana up.
True enough, though you are in blue.
The only exceptions I can think of involve Seedborn Muse or a lot of mana rocks and Unwinding Clock. Well, I shouldn't say that. Bear Umbra and Sword of Feast and Famine, but I have uses for that mana. Paradox Engine and those same mana rocks (and mana dorks) could also work, but that raises the question as to why I'm not just winning the game. So, I guess, Reset? Powerful, but not powerful enough to build an entire game plan out of it.
That said, even among CMC=5 counters, there are better ones.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
The most group huggy of group hug cards. I can (and have) gone on diatribes about making group hug effective by breaking the symmetries. If you play a Howling Mine and your deck runs more mana efficient, you can overperform the rest of the table with the extra cards. If you play a Mana Flare and your deck runs more expensive spells that do more per card, you can get more out of the extra mana. If you give everyone cards and mana, you've really just unlocked the floodgates and there's no stopping anyone. The card's still fun though.
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Zedruu: "This deck is not only able to go crazy - it also needs to do so."
The most group huggy of group hug cards. I can (and have) gone on diatribes about making group hug effective by breaking the symmetries. If you play a Howling Mine and your deck runs more mana efficient, you can overperform the rest of the table with the extra cards. If you play a Mana Flare and your deck runs more expensive spells that do more per card, you can get more out of the extra mana. If you give everyone cards and mana, you've really just unlocked the floodgates and there's no stopping anyone. The card's still fun though.
Also, this was briefly a mean card when The Elf Who Shall Not Be Named was legal.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
A lot of times I'm just tempted to play this for the Exploration tagged onto it for my lands style decks, but honestly we've got a lot of options to choose from out there nowadays. Giving opponents cards isn't always as bad as people make it out to be, but there are games where this will sit in your hand unplayed because the commanders sitting across from you are big jerks.
If you're in RG, Tunnel Ignus. Actually, there are a lot of "group slug" options you can use to discourage players from actually playing that extra land. You're tossing in Zo-Zu, the Punisher and Ankh of Mishra, which will hurt you, but Tunnel Ignus means they'll hurt more.
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():
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
There are a lot of synergy "combos" with cards like these (I say "combo" because they don't go infinite or win the game), and this is low key one of the best. It's neat that you can paint everything one color, or leave some things untouched, and it replaces itself. It makes something like Perish a one sided 5 mana wrath. Really, in order for something like this to be worth it, you'd need a bunch of those kind of effects, so you'd need to go beyond mono blue to get a critical mass, but I'd see this being a must include in a "fun with colors" deck.
Also, rainbows man.
Private Mod Note
():
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Yeah, and she's probably the best bet for wacky color shenanigans anyway, given those 3 colors have the best ability to take advantage of color magic.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
It's got its uses for sure. Being a one stop matters, as does self sacrifice and even it being a 1/1. I'm sure there's a way to go infinite with it. Certainly if you can take advantage of etb and death triggers there could be something there.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
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Holy **** that's scary. I had to read that three times before I understood what happened there. I bet Player B was just thrilled with your olive branch.
Not even talking about Force of Will and all the goodies that take a lot less mana.
I like the design of the card, and even at 5 cmc I'd run this any day over something like Scatter to the Winds, but the problem is we've just gotten too many good "counterspell that also does x" cards. Something middle of the road like this never fits in a typical counterspell package, unless maybe your deck has a specific clue token theme.
If I ran Baral and wanted to jam as many decent counterspell variants as possible, this would probably make the cut.
This right here. Confluence is the best comparison to demonstrate why this card simply isn't all that good. Operating on the same access, with confluence if you catch a guy unable to pay 3 mana, you counter their spell and draw 2, putting you a card behind this but you also don't have to pay mana to crack clues. Sometimes, this will be better, because sometimes you'll have to dedicate more confluence modes to countering the spell, and only draw one card, or none. Seems pretty comparable so far. Then you realize that the "counter spell, draw cards" mode is costed this way because of how flexible confluence is. You can also just fire it off to draw 3, or bounce creatures, or do a little of each. Without all that flexibility, Confirm Suspicions is just overcosted. "Counter target spell, draw 3" directly would be worth 5, or even 6, but having to pump an extra 2 per card drawn is a lot outside of dedicated draw go and artifact shenanigans (because then the draw coming in the form of clues is a feature, not a drawback). It helps that you don't have to pay the full 11 up front, and can pay to crack clues whenever, but holding up 5 mana for a counter demands a more immediate payoff. It doesn't draw you three, it gives you the potential to draw 3 at some future point. You might never get the mana free to do so, or maybe the next payer overloads a Vandalblast to deal with all the mana rocks and other artifacts and your clues get swept up before you even get to untap.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
True enough, though you are in blue.
The only exceptions I can think of involve Seedborn Muse or a lot of mana rocks and Unwinding Clock. Well, I shouldn't say that. Bear Umbra and Sword of Feast and Famine, but I have uses for that mana. Paradox Engine and those same mana rocks (and mana dorks) could also work, but that raises the question as to why I'm not just winning the game. So, I guess, Reset? Powerful, but not powerful enough to build an entire game plan out of it.
That said, even among CMC=5 counters, there are better ones.
On phasing:
The most group huggy of group hug cards. I can (and have) gone on diatribes about making group hug effective by breaking the symmetries. If you play a Howling Mine and your deck runs more mana efficient, you can overperform the rest of the table with the extra cards. If you play a Mana Flare and your deck runs more expensive spells that do more per card, you can get more out of the extra mana. If you give everyone cards and mana, you've really just unlocked the floodgates and there's no stopping anyone. The card's still fun though.
*A Wild Notion Thief Appears*
Also, this was briefly a mean card when The Elf Who Shall Not Be Named was legal.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Marath, Will of the Wild
Friendly Kess Twin Combo
Tatyova - Sir Bounce A Lot
Gonti's Luxury Pie
Prime (Eldrazi) Speaker Zegana (Retired)
On phasing:
Really good Brightflame?
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.
Also, rainbows man.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I also go with Dromar, the Banisher using this.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Could be useful with Perish.
On phasing:
Yeah, and she's probably the best bet for wacky color shenanigans anyway, given those 3 colors have the best ability to take advantage of color magic.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Here, hold this black mana for me. Excellent in a deck with lots of death triggers.
Definitely prefer it over "when XY dies" variants as it is standalone and adds mana of color.
“I once had an entire race killed just to listen to the rattling of their dried bones as I waded through them.”
—Volrath
Infinite mana engine with Salvaging Station?edit: Oh poop, I inadvertently read that as "non-artifact creature card"... forget it.
Not sure what cards with death triggers would go with it....
It's got its uses for sure. Being a one stop matters, as does self sacrifice and even it being a 1/1. I'm sure there's a way to go infinite with it. Certainly if you can take advantage of etb and death triggers there could be something there.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!