They should reprint this card so I can put snakes on a plain.
lukemol
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Crap card? If you go first, play this when your opponent's only got 1 land out, it limits what they can do without hurting themself. It can be great in casual for mono-blue. Situational? yes. Crap? no.
bigben013
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If they reprint this now it would seem as if the "spread em" deck is only going to get stronger. if they dont shut down your mana they will at least punish you for using it. Neat concept.
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The way it deals damage rather than causes loss of life could take out a planeswalker if your opponent isnt careful.
Shadows_Vengeance
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This plus War's Toll. They'll have no choice but to take damage whenever they cast a spell, add Manabarbs for some icing on your cake.
Hugomanen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A nice way to put your opponent in a tough position if played early on, rather useless if you draw it lategame, but gives you the advantage if played early.
TheHandyman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mana Web plus something that taps lands during their upkeep.
Equinox523
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
One of my early decks was a blue control deck that revolved around the idea of dropping multiples of this card on a single land, and using Twiddle, Power Sink, Mana Short and other instant taps to do multiple damage a turn, while still countering and dropping creatures. I know chip damage like this is no longer part of modern blue's arsenal, but I rather liked how this card encouraged you to think about how to maximize its benefit, while creating a little niche for itself as a nearly unique effect in the game.
shotoku64
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have about a dozen of these, so I cram a few into all my blue decks and they always work out nicely
mutantman
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
It's not just ordinary venom. It's psychic venom. That means the venom can read your mind! :O
joeah100
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is not useless late game if you are also playing with land destruction :) Whatever lands you don't destroy, you put this on. Then you play a bunch of those cards, such as Disruptive Student, which force your opponent to pay something in order to prevent something. I tend to win games that force my opponent to make tough decisions like these. Want to pay 1 to prevent me from countering a spell? You're going to take 2 damage to do it.
mpawliuk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I feel like this has to go on a city of brass whenever possible.
Later on, other cards became available like Rishadan Port, Pooling Venom, and Contaminated Ground, the latter two necessitating black. Early attackers can be held off with Tidehollow Strix, Black Knight, and Propaganda, and limit their other mana choices with SInkhole and it actually becomes a force to be reckoned with. When you're tapping their land for 6 damage so cheaply, and buying it back, that's trouble!
Crystal Chimes could help if your opponent succeeds in getting rid of the enchantments.
Comments (17)
A) Because black has good land destruction. Blue can bounce; true; but black can force you to be stuck eating health by destroying other lands.
B) The black one gets to turn it into a swamp as well; enabling swamp walkers and further synergizing with land destruction (due to color screw)
Still, especially with bounce effects, this is pretty useful.
Later on, other cards became available like Rishadan Port, Pooling Venom, and Contaminated Ground, the latter two necessitating black. Early attackers can be held off with Tidehollow Strix, Black Knight, and Propaganda, and limit their other mana choices with SInkhole and it actually becomes a force to be reckoned with. When you're tapping their land for 6 damage so cheaply, and buying it back, that's trouble!
Crystal Chimes could help if your opponent succeeds in getting rid of the enchantments.