If this is the best they can do to deal with that combo then it’s probably just best to ban the book permanently.. this should a common.. a chaff common at that.
One of your opponents has a powerful artifact or enchantment that will win them the game next turn/prevent you from winning this turn. You are a smart player who doesn't run terrible cards like Dire-Strain Rampage. You topdeck a Harrow. You lose.
Similar situation, but you topdeck a land. Wouldn't it be nice if that Harrow in your graveyard could save you? You lose.
You keep an opening hand with three lands and a Naturalize, but you never draw any more lands. Wouldn't it be nice to have a ramp spell in hand? You lose.
Dire-Strain Rampage is worse than Harrow at ramp and worse than Naturalize at removal, but it's both. That means there are many situations where it's good enough and the "better" card is worthless.
Please, mill me. Mill my important cards. Mill my lands. Mill it all. Because I will still deal 20 damage before you can mill 45 cards most every time.
One of your opponents has a powerful artifact or enchantment that will win them the game next turn/prevent you from winning this turn. You are a smart player who doesn't run terrible cards like Dire-Strain Rampage. You topdeck a Harrow. You lose.
Similar situation, but you topdeck a land. Wouldn't it be nice if that Harrow in your graveyard could save you? You lose.
You keep an opening hand with three lands and a Naturalize, but you never draw any more lands. Wouldn't it be nice to have a ramp spell in hand? You lose.
Dire-Strain Rampage is worse than Harrow at ramp and worse than Naturalize at removal, but it's both. That means there are many situations where it's good enough and the "better" card is worthless.
Using that logic almost every crap card is actually good. Draft chaff is god-tier if you construct very specific, very unlikely circumstances to justify the conclusion you already reached.
Dire-Strain Rampage is worse than Harrow at ramp and worse than Naturalize at removal, but it's both. That means there are many situations where it's good enough and the "better" card is worthless.
I mean, sure, but for every weird corner case where you want settle for this card, there are a dozen cases where you don't want it. We're used to flexible cards costing more, sure, but couldn't there have been just one or two downgrades to balance out the flexibility? Did it really need seven downgrades and a double rarity upshift?
And as opposed to Harrow it will not leave you crestfallen over a counterspell, which many people seem to not take into consideration.
Oh, Mana Leak, you have hurt me so much in the past, but never quite so much as when I had to hold onto my Harrow and play my lands one at a time, because my opponent just wouldn't tap out.
Somebody else who gets it, sure, this card is really bad when using it on the opponent's stuff, but the ramping effect has one upside to compensate for the otherwise nerf in comparison with Harrow, which is all fine until somebody counters it and laughs at you Stone Raining yourself for nothing. I would consider playing this card in a Gruul ramp deck...which is absolutely not my thing anyway:D
One of your opponents has a powerful artifact or enchantment that will win them the game next turn/prevent you from winning this turn. You are a smart player who doesn't run terrible cards like Dire-Strain Rampage. You topdeck a Harrow. You lose.
Similar situation, but you topdeck a land. Wouldn't it be nice if that Harrow in your graveyard could save you? You lose.
You keep an opening hand with three lands and a Naturalize, but you never draw any more lands. Wouldn't it be nice to have a ramp spell in hand? You lose.
Dire-Strain Rampage is worse than Harrow at ramp and worse than Naturalize at removal, but it's both. That means there are many situations where it's good enough and the "better" card is worthless.
Using that logic almost every crap card is actually good. Draft chaff is god-tier if you construct very specific, very unlikely circumstances to justify the conclusion you already reached.
wantsettle for this card, there are a dozen cases where you don't want it. We're used to flexible cards costing more, sure, but couldn't there have been just one or two downgrades to balance out the flexibility? Did it really need seven downgrades and a double rarity upshift?2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Somebody else who gets it, sure, this card is really bad when using it on the opponent's stuff, but the ramping effect has one upside to compensate for the otherwise nerf in comparison with Harrow, which is all fine until somebody counters it and laughs at you Stone Raining yourself for nothing. I would consider playing this card in a Gruul ramp deck...which is absolutely not my thing anyway:D
Unrelated to the card's playability: Werewolves come in "strains?" Is lychanthropy viral on Innistrad? Or perhaps bacterial?