Choose a nonland card name and a number. Target opponent reveals their hand, graveyard and library. If the number of cards in these zones with the chosen name is exactly the chosen number, exile all of them. That opponent shuffles their library then draws a card for each card exiled from their hand in this way.
I have a feeling this isn't as skill testing as the text implies. Are there many cards you would want to extract that are run in variable amounts?
Ignoring cards typically splashed as a 1-of or 2-of in certain deck lists, I get the impression that the presence of this card within a format would make it skill-testing.
It might be dangerous to put four copies of a staple card into your deck if players are using this, for example, but if you put in three and someone guesses correctly or your opponent doesn’t use this card, you made your deck less consistent for what feels like no reason.
Not a huge thing but I can see what the card is trying to do.
Yes, the idea behind this card is that if everyone is running 4 of everything, it becomes a powerful metagame option. So the mere fact that someone could run this in their deck means that players will have to think about how many copies of each card they want rather than just defaulting to 4 copies. This will be especially true for combo decks since they're most susceptible to this card. Furthermore, I wanted the baseline effect of the card (you get to see your opponent's deck and hand and draw a card) to be good enough that the card might see play even if there's no particular deck you're hoping to stop with it.
The card functions a little differently in singleton formats like Cube and Commander where it becomes easier to guess the number but removes a smaller fraction of the opponent's deck. Its get-information-and-cantrip mode may be more powerful in these environments as well, as information on your opponent's deck is typically more valuable in a singleton format.
This card incentivizes talking forever to search your opponent's library, because if you do, every subsequent cast of this spell is a Cranial Extraction for half price. And since the library is revealed, it's a public zone, so they can't lie to you if you ask them how many of a given card are in it. This means you can quickly ask them "How many of Card A are in your deck? How many of card B?" and so on through every card in their deck. As long as you did that in a timely manner, it wouldn't be illegal.
This card incentivizes talking forever to search your opponent's library, because if you do, every subsequent cast of this spell is a Cranial Extraction for half price. And since the library is revealed, it's a public zone, so they can't lie to you if you ask them how many of a given card are in it. This means you can quickly ask them "How many of Card A are in your deck? How many of card B?" and so on through every card in their deck. As long as you did that in a timely manner, it wouldn't be illegal.
That doesn’t quite seem to be true. If my opponent shuffles the library to change the order of cards and then draws a card, it is no longer known for certain how many copies of each card are in the library.
With that said, this card should DEFINITELY make opponents shuffle their deck so you don’t have perfect knowledge of what they will draw.
That doesn’t quite seem to be true. If my opponent shuffles the library to change the order of cards and then draws a card, it is no longer known for certain how many copies of each card are in the library.
It doesn't matter, since it counts cards in the hand and graveyard. As long as nothing gets exiled, the number of cards with that name in those zones will remain constant.
Thinking on this more I feel the problem is there is no risk to not running this card. 1B: look at the opponents hand and deck, draw a card. This feels like an ok card. Maybe not as a sorcery but the added advantage of stripping combo makes what should only ever be a sideboard card into a reasonable maindeck card.
While I'm not sure how reasonable a position it is. I feel when obvious sideboard cards are in the mainboard something has gone terribly wrong. (As with all things exceptions apply.)
I agree that the card is a bit pushed when it comes to mana cost, but at 2B I think it would be far too weak to be even a viable sideboard card. Also, in a format like Modern, if you want to win then paying 2 mana to just get information and draw a card is not something you should be planning on doing most games. The card would likely still be powerful because of its versatility, but I don't think it would be a mainboard card unless the meta was very combo-heavy.
Also, I edited the text to include your opponent shuffling after the reveal. I meant this originally but forgot to add it.
Honestly, limiting it to JUST the library instead of hand + library, while not following the normal templating for the card, would make it a bit trickier to use and would remove the problem of people randomly demanding to know what you have (as that information changes unknowably as soon as you draw your next card).
Looks like a great card. Makes people think more about deck building. At 2 mana it seems a bit strong but 3 is too weak. This is one of those moments where it feels like 2.5 mana is right. I think all in all you did well here.
Sorcery
Choose a nonland card name and a number. Target opponent reveals their hand, graveyard and library. If the number of cards in these zones with the chosen name is exactly the chosen number, exile all of them. That opponent shuffles their library then draws a card for each card exiled from their hand in this way.
If no cards were exiled in this way, draw a card.
Ignoring cards typically splashed as a 1-of or 2-of in certain deck lists, I get the impression that the presence of this card within a format would make it skill-testing.
It might be dangerous to put four copies of a staple card into your deck if players are using this, for example, but if you put in three and someone guesses correctly or your opponent doesn’t use this card, you made your deck less consistent for what feels like no reason.
Not a huge thing but I can see what the card is trying to do.
The card functions a little differently in singleton formats like Cube and Commander where it becomes easier to guess the number but removes a smaller fraction of the opponent's deck. Its get-information-and-cantrip mode may be more powerful in these environments as well, as information on your opponent's deck is typically more valuable in a singleton format.
That doesn’t quite seem to be true. If my opponent shuffles the library to change the order of cards and then draws a card, it is no longer known for certain how many copies of each card are in the library.
With that said, this card should DEFINITELY make opponents shuffle their deck so you don’t have perfect knowledge of what they will draw.
It doesn't matter, since it counts cards in the hand and graveyard. As long as nothing gets exiled, the number of cards with that name in those zones will remain constant.
While I'm not sure how reasonable a position it is. I feel when obvious sideboard cards are in the mainboard something has gone terribly wrong. (As with all things exceptions apply.)
Also, I edited the text to include your opponent shuffling after the reveal. I meant this originally but forgot to add it.
You mine as well make this a fateseal discard; or like an index discard.
Land, artifact, enchantment; could become a new discard archtype.