So i'm bringing this up since i see this played at my local meta by a specific player whenever he is around, now i've been wanting to know what everyone thinks of this particular card in question.
I was only able to get 2 games in with it in my Nath of the gilt-leaf deck my before I had to leave, I saw It one game and just ran far ahead of everyone else it wasn't even funny and the other game I didn't see it
EDIT: I've seen the card only a couple of times before and It's always been a help to me since I never seem to be able to get the many I need to hit all of my land drops, but with the puzzle box it keeps me on top of things while also messing with peoples tutors(that I can't afford) and has thrown a sharuum deck on a pointless spiral, So I love this card from personal experience
It's amazing if you use Niv-Mizzet as your general. Otherwise it just cycles people's hands. More of an enabler I think for draw = damage effects. I think that it would be amazing with Chains of Mephistopheles.
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xMage: Jankmaster Commander - Now Playing WUBSen Triplets - "If you shake my hand, better count your fingersBUWRHomura, Human AscendantRRGBorborygmos EnragedGRURMelek, Izzet ParagonRU
Commander - Still Brewing BRGGyrus, Waker of CorpsesGRBURSaheeli, the GiftedRUWRJor Kadeen, the PrevailerRW
I use it in Kaalia of the Vast. It stops people from getting any decent hand sculpting in, stops long term plans, and keeps my hand stocked with removal, land and angels/demons/dragons.
While it may stop long term plans, it makes Long-Term Plans a great card
It's also really mean with Maralen of the Mornsong.
(Stacking the triggers correctly: Your opponents lose 3 life, tutor for a card, then put their hand on the bottom of their deck. You put your hand on the bottom of your deck, lose 3 life, then tutor for a card.)
Ran it in my Toshiro deck with Psychosis Crawler and tons of wheel effects, Chains and Underworld Dreams, etc. Took deck apart because Chains was too hard to plan around.
Let's suppose we play a duel. You let me lose 3 life, tutor for a card. When Maralen's ability resolves, I just play my recently tutored Beast Within on Teferi's Puzzle Box, or I just kill Maralen so you don't get her ability.
The move you describe doesn't work if you're not playing against donkeys.
Because it's impossible to defend against instant-speed artifact/creature removal spells, amirite?
The problem solves itself. It's not mean. Actually, it's pretty nice if the threat gives you the solution right away.
Of course, you can defend against this. But your opponent will get another removal next turn.
And you can get another answer to the removal they're going to get. See how this works?
Hell, if you managed to protect both pieces before even putting them out (Privileged Position, for example, perhaps with Sterling Grove backup), even better. Your opponents need to rely on instant-speed removal, and there isn't much instant-speed non-targeting removal. Fewer that actually get played.
There may be a few more ways to remove a creature or artifact at instant speed without targeting, but not many. (There's also instant-speed reanimation for any creatures that have non-targeted removal.)
That's why you tutor for something like the knowledge pool/curse of exhaustion thing, or Privileged Position, then stick a sterling grove next to position.
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir would be faster than Knowledge Pool + Arcane Laboratory/Rule of Law/Curse of Exhaustion, since it would only require 1 card, rather than 2. It's also thematic to have Teferi protecting his puzzle-box
(I can't think of anything that would stop Teferi+Maralen+Box, since your opponents would be limited to activated abilities from the hand like Cycling, but the only Cycling removal I can think of is Decree of Pain which only gives -2/-2 when you cycle it, not enough to kill Teferi or Maralen.)
... dang, now I want to try making a UB deck with those 3 cards... D:
(I can't think of anything that would stop Teferi+Maralen+Box, since your opponents would be limited to activated abilities from the hand like Cycling, but the only Cycling removal I can think of is Decree of Pain which only gives -2/-2 when you cycle it, not enough to kill Teferi or Maralen.)
Teferi's Puzzle Box
Card in question is above.
EDH:1 vs 1
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EDH Decks
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I was only able to get 2 games in with it in my Nath of the gilt-leaf deck my before I had to leave, I saw It one game and just ran far ahead of everyone else it wasn't even funny and the other game I didn't see it
EDIT: I've seen the card only a couple of times before and It's always been a help to me since I never seem to be able to get the many I need to hit all of my land drops, but with the puzzle box it keeps me on top of things while also messing with peoples tutors(that I can't afford) and has thrown a sharuum deck on a pointless spiral, So I love this card from personal experience
Currently playing
Nath of The Gilt-Leaf
Teysa, Orzhov Scion
xMage: Jankmaster
Commander - Now Playing
WUBSen Triplets - "If you shake my hand, better count your fingersBUW RHomura, Human AscendantR RGBorborygmos EnragedGR URMelek, Izzet ParagonRU
Commander - Still Brewing
BRGGyrus, Waker of CorpsesGRB URSaheeli, the GiftedRU WRJor Kadeen, the PrevailerRW
It's also really mean with Maralen of the Mornsong.
(Stacking the triggers correctly: Your opponents lose 3 life, tutor for a card, then put their hand on the bottom of their deck. You put your hand on the bottom of your deck, lose 3 life, then tutor for a card.)
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
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EDH Decks:
B Toshiro Umezawa B
W Mikaeus, the Lunarch W
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G
UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born BU
BGU The Mimeoplasm UGB
GUW Rubinia Soulsinger WUG
GRB Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper BRG
I never said it won the game, I said it was mean.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Hell, if you managed to protect both pieces before even putting them out (Privileged Position, for example, perhaps with Sterling Grove backup), even better. Your opponents need to rely on instant-speed removal, and there isn't much instant-speed non-targeting removal. Fewer that actually get played.
There may be a few more ways to remove a creature or artifact at instant speed without targeting, but not many. (There's also instant-speed reanimation for any creatures that have non-targeted removal.)
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir would be faster than Knowledge Pool + Arcane Laboratory/Rule of Law/Curse of Exhaustion, since it would only require 1 card, rather than 2. It's also thematic to have Teferi protecting his puzzle-box
(I can't think of anything that would stop Teferi+Maralen+Box, since your opponents would be limited to activated abilities from the hand like Cycling, but the only Cycling removal I can think of is Decree of Pain which only gives -2/-2 when you cycle it, not enough to kill Teferi or Maralen.)
... dang, now I want to try making a UB deck with those 3 cards... D:
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
For my part, the Box is really fun in my Niv Mizzet deck. Any card that makes games that wacky and dynamic is well worth playing.
Now I think about it, it might be good in mono-white just for the extra card selection. I'll have to give it a try...
RWUNumot, the DevastatorUWR - UBDralnu, Lich LordBU - WBURGReaper KingGRUBW - RBMalfegorBR
Decree of Pain + Slice and dice/Jund Sojourners/Solar Blast work. To be fair, the latter two really suck.
Also cycling Resounding Wave or Resounding Thunder
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)