Pointed Discussion

I love this card. The uses are endless.

I'm gonna run this in a deck with immortal coil and graveyard removal! >:D
Maybe if I set it up right, I can run a tournament deck with this. :)

i use this with my oblivion ring and psychic overload and with boomerang and into the roil. works wonderful for me.

Makes a nice little combo with Delusions of Mediocrity and even better with Illusions of Grandeur, when you exchange and then disenchant or bounce the Illusions. A Boomerang does the trick nicely!

Certainly a very fun card, and a much more playable version of the Donate mechanic. 4.5/5 for excellent combo potential and pure fun. Short half a point cause it ain't Black Lotus.

One of very few cards that can give Saltskitter some kind of use (Saltskitter has been rated as the 5th worst monster in Magic's history, according to the comments on it)

Like jumpenrun suggested: play a bunch of enchantments or permanents that don't do nothing after they've hit the 'field, and you'll be trading useless junk for useful treasures!

With a Scornful Egotist, you can steal almost anything your opponent has.

Oh dear Chamber of Manipulation...

"You may" is the best part of this card. If your opponent stops playing better cards you don't have to make a bad trade. Each turn you fall behind in permanent efficiency you get a free upgrade. You're playing against a white weenie deck with obnoxiously efficient creatures? Guess what, at the start of your turn you have a 2/2 first strike, pro black and they have a storm crow. Next turn they play a baneslayer and you trade them for a chimney imp.

If you don't want to run a donate delusions deck you can use global enchantments/artifacts instead (each player/all players/etc). Once Puca's comes out you can trade your globals for your opponent's big creatures or combo permanents. You disrupt their combo (or, if you're lucky enough, steal it for yourself) and you take away half of their creature strength and still retain the benefits from the enchant/artifact.

Is that a goat sitting at a table smoking a pipe?

Adorable.

Oh hi there oppenent, i'll be taking your Phyrexian Dreadnought that you got out last turn and you can have my Jinxed Idol as compensation, cheers!

you can trade what you get with chamber of manipulation, but you can even give away the enchantment itself and the land would keep the ability. Same trick with other cards that dont involve a controller, like oblivion ring, leyline of singularity, pacifism, fertile ground.

If you're looking for things to trade, how about Spine of Ish Sah? Admittedly it's not Illusions of Grandeur, but the higher CMC means you can trade for bigger things.

Puca's Mischief, Rain of Gore, Lich's Mirror. There is nothing more powerful in MAGIC. Result: an infinite number of losses. Want faster? reliable? Use Vintage Mana. Donesies.

Alternatively, just stick this combo in next to Splinter Twin-Deciever Exarch, next to Dark Depths Vampire Hexmage. One of your combos will probably work.

Who's Puca?

Venser says you can steal something every turn

Scornful Egotist FTW

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the interaction with Venser, the Sojourner. I trade you my whatever, then use Venser's +1 to flash it back under my control at end of turn, while abusing an ETB effect for good measure. Probably the worst/best thing I've done in EDH:

Step 1: Illusions of Grandeur, activating Strionic Resonator so I gain 40 life instead of 20.
Step 2: Use mischief to exchange for something useful ("hey, your Sol Ring is pretty cool")
Step 3: Venser's +1 exiles Illusions of Grandeur (20 point life loss for opponent), returns to me at EOT, another Strionic Resonator activation, 40 life.

Here, you can have my Squire in exchange for your Tarmogoyf.

That actually gives me a neat idea for a cheap kill spell:

B
Instant
Destroy target nonblack creature. The controller of that creature gains control of target creature you own with converted mana cost greater than or equal to that of the destroyed creature.

Could use a bit of polishing, but I'd play it.

This card works with so much: etb effects, massive recurring drawbacks (look at all the comments on bazaar trader or zedruu the greathearted to figure that deck out), auras/global enchantments, fading/vanishing, echo, cumulative upkeep, undying/persist, or cards that can be put into play for less than their cmc (scornful egotist, reaper king, etc.).

If you are going with etb, consider brand/gruul charm. The bodies on etb creatures may not be that good, but its always better for you to have them than your opponent. Venser the sojourner is an obvious choice as well. There are quite a few blinks that can hit opponent's creatures and give them back to you. Sudden disappearance would be the most brutal. Then theres Momentary Blink, Vanish into Memory, Voidwalk, and Galepowder Mage. Planar guide also works, but it also would give creatures you stole back.

ALL HAIL THE GREAT LORD EGOTIST