What were they thinking? mmm....lets make something just broken...
liir007
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(10 votes)
Card of the Day - July 01, 2009 To quote Aaron Forsythe, "Treachery is just like Control Magic except it costs zero or negative mana instead of four. Obviously we didn't quite get the idea of 'fixing' cards back then."
Top 5 Enchantment-Aura (enchant creature) cards:
1. (4.880) Rancor+2/+0 trample that returns from the graveyard 2. (4.845) Treacherysteal creature, untap your lands 3. (4.729) Armadillo Cloak+2/+2, trample, gain life 4. (4.562) Faith's Fetterspacifism that can control permanents and 4 life bonus 5. (4.417) Pillory of the Sleeplesspacifism that drains opponent's life
True_Smog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sweet ! a free Persuasion ! this "untap all lands" mechanic was wicked.
metalevolence
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(38 votes)
WHAT
Nickkom
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
I don't understand the flavor of this card. So I use my magical abilities to persuade my opponent's creature to work for me....
And that somehow replenishes my mana resources? Why? How does treachery replenish you? Oh well. Must be a "spike" card.
avais
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
tbh...wtf, who can't like this?
SIlverSkyz
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
liir007---
Treachery is Blue, not black
uberschveinen
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Oh, treachery. Such shenanigans were had back in the day. Between the 'Untap X Lands' creatures and the comically overpowered Tolarian Academy blue had so much acceleration it was just silly.
Azazyel
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(12 votes)
@Nickkom, others:
The "untap X lands" thing in Urza block blue cards was supposed to represent the ability of Tolarian wizards to manipulate time - cast a spell, then reverse time to replenish your resources. Overpowered, yes, but still within flavor.
Gear61
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
Broken much?
Sironos
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(8 votes)
I saw mind control and though "wow". I saw control magic and thought "WAUW!. I saw this and thought "...broken". Come on, nothing as powerful as control creature should be manafree, what were they thinking?
TheSwarm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Exsqueeze me? that, too me, sounds like turn 5 free control magic.. Wow.
Gwafa_Hazid
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
Really, you don't get the flavor? For most of the "Control Magics", you, the caster, must magically dominate the creature being subdued. But Treachery on the other hand is the individual coming to you of their own free will, adding his own resources to your own; thus, the untapping of your lands. All you need to do, flavor-wise, is to entice the prospective betrayer with promises of greatness and wealth, without actually contributing anything. If anything, having to tap the lands in the first place is there merely for balance purposes, rather than flavor. Just a little aside: if we're going with this interpretation of the flavor for this particular card, what'd be best to do is to make it another Pact. Get the guy on your side, repay the promises made after he's joined you; i.e., your next turn.
ratchet1215
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is broken. Seriously, getting a Mind Control FOR FREE by turn five is just way, way too powerful. There aren't many cards that cause me to complain when they're cast against me, but I don't feel guilty at all doing so with this one since MaRo himself says these cards should never have been printed.
The "free spells" mechanic was fundamentally flawed to begin with; it's just impossible to scale the costs of these things properly. Maybe it could've worked, but not with the way Magic's mana system works; this was an interesting design area to explore that went down in a giant Fireball.
TPmanW
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(8 votes)
Do I rank it high on the basis of power or low on the basis of brokeness?
cjgrimmreaper
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
This is just one example on how broken Urza's Block cards are.
Nate_Prawdzik
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
In the old days, the scary and often game-ending start for blue decks vs aggro decks was: Turn 1) Island, done. Turn 2) Island, Grim Monolith, done. Turn 3) Island (or worse, Tolarian Academy), Treachery their guy (float U), play Masticore, the opponent's offense is... done.
desolation_masticore
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(8 votes)
This card wouldn't be overpowered if only my enemies creature's allegiance wasn't so fickle....
Aun
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Treachery: Broken since 2005
Well, I guess if there´s a card allowing you to copy a spell infinite times its an infinite combo. I like infinite combos.
MasterOfEtherium
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Mana Leak Or Spellbound Dragon Coming Up Pick One Punk LOL. 5/5 DUH ! ! !
scumbling1
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(11 votes)
Card of the Day - July 01, 2009
To quote Aaron Forsythe, "Treachery is just like Control Magic except it costs zero or negative mana instead of four. Obviously we didn't quite get the idea of 'fixing' cards back then."
The understatement of the millenium thus far.
Kyzar
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
why?
Kryptnyt
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(8 votes)
And this is why you keep your minions happy and well fed.
Dregrage
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Looking closely at the picture, you will notice a small mage in the background calling the police with a cellphone pointing the bad guy on the foreground.
Sterling_Archer
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(5 votes)
FAP!!!
grandpraetor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
one of the greatest cards I ever seen. I used to run 3 of these in my first competition deck.
THIS is just what a U control deck needs.
Powerful, flavorful, fits perfectly with the background history of Urza's block. But so damn broken anyway...
divine_exodus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I wonder how much I could get one of these for....
*goes on ebay*
scorpiolegend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Free cards are broken cards.
Paolino
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
... and I untap up to four lands aside from the Tolarian Academy I tapped to cast this?
So I can choose a better target *and* untap five lands for free each turn?! Don't mind if I do!
MithosFall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Real text: "As long as you control 5 or more lands, you may cast Treachery without paying its mana cost."
WarioMan
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Every time I can play this card I say "MINE NOW" Copy Enchantment "MINE NOW"
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
um...well...damn. -.-
I THINK it's the best Control Magic effect in the game..well, barring NICOL FREAKING BOLAS, PLANESWALKER....but seriously who counts him? He's just Wizards' trolling us. This was meant to be a real card....wow....
So they took Control Magic, made it cost one more, but made it free.
Wait...
raptorman333
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I would've loved to see this get reprinted in M13 with rancor and the like.
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
About the only competition this has in the Control Magic realm is that newer one that gives the creature Infect. This is a silly-good card, and, like almost all of the "untap lands" cards, rather overpowered.
Maroon_Lotus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"I got a great idea. We should take Control Magic, make it cost {1} more, but then make it cost 0. Yea, that makes sense."
Not joking though, this card and Time Spiral take 2 already broken mechanics, slap an even more broken mechanic on top of them (the untap mechanic) and the two mechanics just happen to complement each other extremely well, especially in the case of Time Spiral. They should print some more "free" mana cost cards, except ones that don't already have a broken mechanic on top of them, and maybe instead of untapping lands just say add the casting cost back into your mana pool.
talcumpowder0046
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(9 votes)
"I agree completely, Urza, Control Magic was unusable trash." -Urza Block playtester
TheWrathofShane
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
This is urza balancing logic. Pay attention to how God awful and sad it is.
Control Magic. It costs 4 mana. To make treachery balanced, it must cost 1 more to put another ability on it. Okay done. Nah we don't need to do much playtesting, its all solid in theory.
Oh whats that about tolarian academy? Well if they get a few extra mana thats fine. Nah we dont need to playtest, its all solid in theory. I would actually prefer control magic over this card because its cheaper and comes out sooner.
I love this job so much, so glad I can never get fired for sucking because I love eating chips and not doing my job.
Comments (42)
To quote Aaron Forsythe, "Treachery is just like Control Magic except it costs zero or negative mana instead of four. Obviously we didn't quite get the idea of 'fixing' cards back then."
Top 5 Enchantment-Aura (enchant creature) cards:
1. (4.880) Rancor
2. (4.845) Treachery
3. (4.729) Armadillo Cloak
4. (4.562) Faith's Fetters
5. (4.417) Pillory of the Sleepless
And that somehow replenishes my mana resources? Why? How does treachery replenish you? Oh well. Must be a "spike" card.
Treachery is Blue, not black
The "untap X lands" thing in Urza block blue cards was supposed to represent the ability of Tolarian wizards to manipulate time - cast a spell, then reverse time to replenish your resources. Overpowered, yes, but still within flavor.
The "free spells" mechanic was fundamentally flawed to begin with; it's just impossible to scale the costs of these things properly. Maybe it could've worked, but not with the way Magic's mana system works; this was an interesting design area to explore that went down in a giant Fireball.
Turn 1) Island, done.
Turn 2) Island, Grim Monolith, done.
Turn 3) Island (or worse, Tolarian Academy), Treachery their guy (float U), play Masticore, the opponent's offense is... done.
Well, I guess if there´s a card allowing you to copy a spell infinite times its an infinite combo. I like infinite combos.
To quote Aaron Forsythe, "Treachery is just like Control Magic except it costs zero or negative mana instead of four. Obviously we didn't quite get the idea of 'fixing' cards back then."
The understatement of the millenium thus far.
THIS is just what a U control deck needs.
Powerful, flavorful, fits perfectly with the background history of Urza's block. But so damn broken anyway...
*goes on ebay*
So I can choose a better target *and* untap five lands for free each turn?!
Don't mind if I do!
Copy Enchantment "MINE NOW"
I THINK it's the best Control Magic effect in the game..well, barring NICOL FREAKING BOLAS, PLANESWALKER....but seriously who counts him? He's just Wizards' trolling us. This was meant to be a real card....wow....
Wait...
Not joking though, this card and Time Spiral take 2 already broken mechanics, slap an even more broken mechanic on top of them (the untap mechanic) and the two mechanics just happen to complement each other extremely well, especially in the case of Time Spiral. They should print some more "free" mana cost cards, except ones that don't already have a broken mechanic on top of them, and maybe instead of untapping lands just say add the casting cost back into your mana pool.
-Urza Block playtester
Control Magic. It costs 4 mana. To make treachery balanced, it must cost 1 more to put another ability on it. Okay done. Nah we don't need to do much playtesting, its all solid in theory.
Oh whats that about tolarian academy? Well if they get a few extra mana thats fine. Nah we dont need to playtest, its all solid in theory. I would actually prefer control magic over this card because its cheaper and comes out sooner.
I love this job so much, so glad I can never get fired for sucking because I love eating chips and not doing my job.