This card just makes me laugh. It's relly not much use. However, it comes out rather quickly with Paradox Haze and Jhoira's Timebug, at least with multiple of each.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
With a Boon Reflection and Cradle of Vitality in play, I made a 41/41 squalldrifter with this! :D
One time a friend used this card with Boon Reflection, gained 40 life, then played a Beacon of Immortality. His life total skyrocketed into the 400's. (He had played other life-gain spells earlier)
Wouldn't this be lovely if it were suspended and then played with Sanguine Bond in play? Seems like a good 2-of in that sort of deck.
DeviousPie
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This is one of my favorite cards. It's not a good card practically, but I love the flavor of a hero on the brink of death coming back for one last chance to save the day.
GradiustheFox
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Either very pricey or very slow without the proper comboing, but hey, it doubles your lifespan. If your standard protocol is stalling anyway, certainly you can last ten rounds?
This card is responsible for the greatest comeback i have or will ever make. It was a casual game, I had a Wall Of Reverence and Cradle of Vitality out and suspended this around the fourth or fifth turn. In retrospect probably not the best idea, however without it I wouldn't have won. Basically, it put a huge target on my chest. So the two other guys spent their time coming after me, but because of the life gain from the wall I got and some of the odd blockers and spells like Safe Passage I barely BARELY lasted to one life. This finally dropped and I got 20 life, Activated Cradle Of Vitality, obtained a 33/39 Wall Of Reverence, and proceeded to increase my life to a whopping 2200. Would have gotten more, except I just didn't even boother at that point. Most epic moment of my entire magic life. Oh, with a 2200 power Blinding Angel, hehehe. Heeeee wouldve been bigger too, but someone blammed my cradle of vitality
Unfortunately, most magic games take less than 10 turns. It's better to just use it for it's regular cmc.
majinara
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Gives your opponents enough time to fetch a false cure.
sarroth
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
It is true that usually lifegain does not allow you to win, as it only prolongs the inevitable. Nonetheless, my best memory from my first games of Magic were hardcasting 2 of these in the same game. The deck had a few tough cards such as Akroma, Angel of Wrath that might have helped win the game if I had drawn them. Surely with the mention of Sanguine Bond and with the newer Serra Ascendant and Felidar Soverign this card has a place in casual decks more than just to prolong your defeat. But even without them, the stories can be fun.
deventio7
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@TheSwarm: And then... PTHISIS ON YOUR BLINDING ANGEL YOU LOSE ;)
Honestly seems really solid, if you make 10 turns, which isn't always possible, you get kinda a Holy Day that works for all damage.
Good question: If they had a card that gained you 20 life for W, would you run it? I think I would, while it is 'wasting a card' so would bounce spells and Silence. Sometimes there is a value in tempo from lifegain, but it does have to have a ridicules mana-life ratio to be worth it.
Mike-C
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This is like a land mine. You play it turns 1-3 & forget it. Sometimes the games over before it resolves (oh well, you can't win em all). But sometimes your investment matures RIGHT when needed. How many times is your hand FINALLY starting to blossom but you you only have 2-5 life at that point and need just 1 more turn but don't have enough mana for life gain AND life drain? It happens enough. This is your card and it helps.
thewalkingdead
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
use with grozoth, cross your fingers and duck your head..... maybe you can end up with 80 extra life ;) still almost doesn't seem worth it. Maybe in multiplayer where everything moves a little slower...
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The nice thing about this card is if you drop it on turn one, your opponents will more often than not quake in fear at the...life gain spell you have. So long as you can keep yourself more or less alive, this allows for a bit more of an aggressive play, as it costs less than nothing to suspend and can be used to frighten your opponents. And, really, mind games is where most of the victory is at.
Rain of Gore well then, that's a pretty nice suspend card you go there, id be shame if it would completely do the opposite affect.
Alsebra
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Sixty3Zero - Not necessarily...suspend it for W, then build up the whole two B needed for the Bond. Wait out your last few turns and watch your opponent scramble to stop it.
What the---at the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 20 life?
TheWrathofShane
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I hardcast this with ramp, because I am a boss like that.
azure_drake222222
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
▟▙ .. ▜ .. ▛▜ ▜▛ .. ▛ ..䷀䷀ ...... ▙ .. ▙▟
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Terrible to top deck, possibly useful in the right deck in your beginning hand. I've seen it used a bit a long time ago, but it was quickly gutted from the deck.
DacenOctavio
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
My favorite part about this card is the name. I can't read it without getting goosebumps and slightly teary-eyed.
The main problems with this in "normal" play are that aggro decks want to win before turn 10, and control decks usually have to stabilize by then or lose.
Which is moot because obviously you're supposed to run it in hardcore lifegain strategies anyway.
Comments (42)
One time a friend used this card with Boon Reflection, gained 40 life, then played a Beacon of Immortality. His life total skyrocketed into the 400's. (He had played other life-gain spells earlier)
Nope, a suspended card is not a permanent.
It might be decent as a standalone in EDH.
Turn 2: Vampire Hexmage
Insert win con like Felidar Sovereign, Boon Reflection, or whatever you want for that matter 'cause you just gained massive life.
suspended cards are not permanents. They are removed from the game, so hexmage wouldn't do a thing to it.
;)
Good question: If they had a card that gained you 20 life for W, would you run it? I think I would, while it is 'wasting a card' so would bounce spells and Silence. Sometimes there is a value in tempo from lifegain, but it does have to have a ridicules mana-life ratio to be worth it.
So long as you can keep yourself more or less alive, this allows for a bit more of an aggressive play, as it costs less than nothing to suspend and can be used to frighten your opponents. And, really, mind games is where most of the victory is at.
What the---at the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 20 life?
▜▛ .. ▛ ..䷀䷀
...... ▙ .. ▙▟
Which is moot because obviously you're supposed to run it in hardcore lifegain strategies anyway.