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Magic: The Gathering Card Comments Archive

War's Toll

Multiverse ID: 107492

War's Toll

Comments (27)

VampireChild85
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0) (9 votes)
Type your comment here.
Azr43l
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0) (5 votes)
This looks like it would be fun with Manabarbs.
ordaikenogvorius
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0) (4 votes)
I don't understand this card, does it lock down their mana?
darkfury
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0) (3 votes)
actually useless with mana barbs, as manabarbs only triggers if the mana check passes. this is really for amping up the power of Yawgmoth's agenda
it doesnt lock down their mana, it locks down their board. some cards can fix that (any card that lets you play multiple lands a turn), but not many
Gezus82
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0) (2 votes)
awesome flavor!
I so want to make a deck based on this
littlebeast
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0) (3 votes)
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

...

Oh, okay, you can use more than one mana by tapping lands in response to the ability. BUT STILL WOW.
fastpond
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0) (1 vote)
lol this is a trap if ever i saw one!
Duddits
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0) (3 votes)
Hmmm... are you sure it doesn't lock down mana? The ability seems very similar to Mana web. Unfortunately, there are no rulings, but I don't see why the target player couldn't tap the lands forced to tap by this card's effect for mana. If that's the case, it seems it would be a very good combination with Manabarbs.
Kurraga
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you have Manabarbs then the player tappings lands would choose which to use for mana (to play spells during that phase) and takes 1 for each land tapped this way, makes manlands useless and stops your opponent doing things during your turn. So it seems pretty good. Make one of their creatues attack then throw down a Fog/Holy Day and attack without the chance of them doing the same to you.
ChampionofSquee
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
the thing is if someone wants to surprise you with an instant or something, this stops that, or if they want to counter a spell. If someone wants to play a few creatures this doesn't stop them, but if they want to giant growth their attacker to take out your blocker, they can't cast any creatures that turn unless they have flash. Great lock down card. Kazuul is good with this so you don't get hit to death by weenies. also if an opponent is running a flying weenie deck this and Raking Canopy completely take out their creature base.
Kruggles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Excellent counter for an Exalted deck, for obvious reasons. Also hoses Blue/white control. They either spend all their mana during a mainphase or leave mana open for one counter on an opponent's turn.
GoblinNaysayer93
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card makes everyone become very indecisive in multiplayer. Blue players don't want to cast anything on their turns, and most people hate not having blockers either. Sure it doesn't affect some players, but more often than not it's useful. 4/5
djflo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use Rhystic stuff.
Arachibutyrophobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
oh, I get this card now. basically, it forces your opponents to use all of their mana at once (during one step). definitely is useful, but not as good as I originally thought.
GrimjawxRULES
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0) (2 votes)
I love this card in multiplayer. Demanding total commitment from all players is really fun, especially if you're running stuff like To Arms! or Copperhorn Scout to untap your creatures afterwards.
igniteice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
No, War's Toll does not lock down mana on Magic Online, since you can tap your lands for mana in response to it. It does force an opponent to tap all of their lands, however. This technically does lock down mana for all other turns ;-)
OmegaSerris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yes, exactly. This is great against Blue players. If they want to play something on their turn, no counterspells on yours. Same with White, they can't leave defenders (other THAN defenders/walls) if they want to attack. It pretty much forces your opponent to play like a Red player, and Red's enemy colors DO NOT enjoy that.

Even the ally colors wouldn't be all that happy. Green having to swing with it's mana bugs and having little access to it's combat tricks. Black not being able to mess with it's instant speed kill spells and having to swing it's littler, utility creatures (Royal Assassin, for example).

Yeah, nothing is guaranteed. They could tap utility creatures to keep them from attacking. And they could just leave their mana untapped to play things on your turn. But remember: If they tap out on your turn and play something, just changing phases will force them to empty what is left in their pool, leaving them crippled. My point is, they weren't planning to play that way. It is disruption, plain and simple. And what does disruption cause? Mistakes. Quite an interesting and unique Red card, really. 5/5

Oh, and for those needing ideas of what to do with this: Ball Lightning deck, easy. They can never attack if they want to absorb damage and they can never play spells if they want to tag your hasty creatures. Too bad it is a little slow for those decks, but the effects are perfect for it.

@Duddits
This has a shaky relationship with Mana Barbs. For one, no it doesn't force them to pull mana out of their lands. But if they want to play more than one spell, they HAVE to tap it all at once (in response to this triggering). So for draw spells, it creates a hard choice, tap out and take damage to have the option of playing a spell they just drew, or not. But on the other hand, the limited access to mana this creates means less spells/abilities they are tapping lands for, meaning the Barbs does potentially less damage than it would have anyway.
Toan133
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If I was running a deck based around Exalted, I would just scoop if that hit the table.
wolftree
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like this card in Commander. It tends to accelerate their play so that they empty their hands into your wrath. Mono blue of course has few ways of dealing with this.

Also, the latter ability combos with Sunblast Angel.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I am guessing how this works...
Opponent taps one land, and then this triggered ability goes on the stack.
When the ability resolves, all lands are tapped. So its up to you to tap for mana before the ability resolves.

interesting note, thats 5+ abilities triggering for each land they tap for mana. I cant think of a way to abuse right now, but I am sure there is one.

Also as a side-note, I wonder how this interacts with the "undo" button on MTGO. You tap land, trigger gos on the stack. You undo, does the land untap and trigger go away, or does it stop you from undoing.
Tharios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A few things...

The card does not lock mana, but it does force players to "use it or lose it". They either tap lands so the acquisition of mana goes on the stack and resolves before the effect of War's Toll, or the lose access to it until their next untap phase. As others have pointed out, this means they can either case sorcery-type permanents, or they can cast instant-types; but never both while this enchantment is on the board.

This card isn't a terrific combination with Manabarbs, but it can be worth it. If your own deck is fast enough, they'll have to choose between being overrun by you, or potentially suiciding by Manabarbs.

I myself have these in a deck with 4 Nettling Curse, 4 Hissing Miasma, and an assortment of cards that prevent combat damage such as Darkness, and those that grant me temporary control of one or more of an opponent's creatures. I call it my Kevorkian deck. I plan to add better multi-lands, and eventually 4 Blood Reckoning also. It can be a touch on the slow side, and thus is best in group games, but it's still relatively quick and no slouch in duels.

War's Toll is still a greatly useful card, though it would be so much better if mana burn still existed.
Gabbalis
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combine this with propaganda effects in multiplayer for the following bonuses;

1) Players can't attack you and play cards on the same turn.
2) Players that attack you have to use any creatures they couldn't afford to have attack you to attack other players thus messing up their diplomatic relations.
Raexs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love how this only affects opponents. Certainly a good way to make enemies.
Super fun in multiplayer, assuming you are the controller. As already mentioned, works great with Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs as well as the taxation cards (Ghostly Prison and its ilk.)
Whoever is playing with Sorrow's Path is going to be extra sorry. Or you can just donate your own for some good old-fashioned ribbin'.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You may as well just paint a target on your head. Nobody is going to let you live after this.
RuneMan13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0) (1 vote)
It does lock Mana, I got a ruling from the Magic Hotline,
The tech said they only get the 1st mana not the rest.
Bbone37
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0) (1 vote)
@RuneMan13: I am sorry but that is not correct. The person with whom you spoke doesn't know what they are talking about. First of all, tapping lands is a mana ability and very very few things, if any at all, can stop mana abilities. Even if that were not the case, the the rulings from this site on this very card would prove otherwise: "Your opponent can tap lands for mana in response to the triggered ability. The effect won't prevent your opponent from casting spells or activating abilities, but it will make it difficult for that player to cast other spells or activate abilities later in the turn because players' mana pools empty at the end of each step."