this card is amazing andhas so many non stasis uses that people never try
Fountains
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
This with a flipped erayo, soratami ascendant, or the tabernacle at pendrell vale makes for a total shutdown of your opponent's deck.
BambooNickel
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
try icy manipulator. orb can't tap itself
P-Slice
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(2 votes)
If I do get it tapped, does it untap during my untap step?
Lateralis0ne
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This card works wonders in a type-1 artifact deck running Tolarian Academy. Awesome to watch your opponent struggle with his or her lands while you bust out artifacts with the Academy. I've seen nasty control going on with this card...especially in my own deck. :D
IntrnetHteMchne
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Too bad the tabernacle costs so much :(
Gaussgoat
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
I have to give this a 5, only because it has so many potential combos and devastating uses. Its cost is also a big factor, as potentially getting this out in a single turn is pretty insane.
Combo with the trusty Sol Ring on turn 1 to get an immediate 2 mana advantage
Tanaka348
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
I like how the art not only has nothing to do with the effect, but it's also just plain bewildering itself. Polar bears? Floating orb that looks like the moon, only it's a lot closer? Dead stuff?
blindthrall
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(17 votes)
This thing is evil and dishonorable, and I hate it, and it has won me many games.
Daikoru
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
As I saw this card, I decided to insert it in my 1-CMC creature deck, with creatures like Scute Mob and Death's Shadow. It already worked wonderfully before, now it works even better because my opponent usually can't play anything for a few turns while I can play at least one creature a turn.
Talcos
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
I love the art. Like us, the bears have no idea what that thing is supposed to be in the art.
Oh this card brought many tears of laughter to my eyes, while seeing tears of dispear in my opponents.
Card caption: "What's that Yogi?"
"The Chaos Orbs cold distant Girlfriend Boo-boo"
KicktheCAN
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
In the wake of Wizards deciding to change Winter Orb's oracle text, I just want everybody to know that at one point this card read thusly, "As long as Winter Orb is untapped, players can't untap more than one land during their untap steps."
I am rather disappointed that they decided to make this card much worse and take away a fun interaction that people have played around with for years.
Thanato5
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Bad job with the oracle text in my opinion. This was intended not to work while tapped.
Nate_Prawdzik
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
After almost 20 years of this card turning off when tapped (see text of Howling Mine for an example of what I mean), suddenly this gets a random nerf? This is very upsetting! The only rationale I see for the move is if they intend to reprint it into a set where turning it off would have been easy. In that case, they could have just printed a new version without the old functionality (with the only drawback to that being that singleton formats would then have access to two orbs). Regardless of the short-term reasons, it's a very disappointing move to ninja nerf a card that was a highlight of Zak Dolan's first World Championship winning deck, and a key card in fighting Necropotence decks in yesteryear. So much tradition and Magic history just got spit on by someone's callous edit to this card.
elhajjaj
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Oh, well. With a stroke of the pen, another great card bites the dust. Goodby, Winter Orb. You were an awsome card. What was once a powerful and fun-to-play artifact is now just another piece of junk cardboard. R.I.P. Winter Orb. Icy is going to miss you.
UNHINGEDMAN
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Frostmourne hungers...
zenitramleirdag
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
i love this card, i had some tough battles in the past with control players playing these, and i was playing a mono black necrodeck..fun times!
being a huge fan of the classic prison deck, i agree that the changing of winter orb's rulings really hurt the deck, but that didn't totally cripple it! it just made it a little slower, and i believe the deck can still run..
Lluckya
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm not sure where everyone is getting this "tapping Winter Orb" thing from. The copies of the card that I have all read "A player may not untap more than one land during the untap phase of each of his or her turns." This is the text from revised edition. Going through every iteration of the card from alpha on, there is no reference to tapping or untapping the card.
penguinmage25
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
hes gonna gobble that thing right up! XD
burntup
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Lluckya: once upon a time, it was a rule in the Game of Magic that artifacts should not work when tapped...
how is this card good? does this also go against the player who cast this? and how would this be a good card in any deck?
ZephyrBlayze
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Posted By: Lisogo-Stozjask (3/17/2012 10:22:12 AM) how is this card good? does this also go against the player who cast this? and how would this be a good card in any deck?
The player using this card is privy to its effects, yes. The key is that this player KNOWS he's playing the card. They play it with spells such as Boomerang or Thwart to protect their Orb, or play elves or other such non-land mana generators.
Even without having things like that, if you combine it with effects like Propaganda or Dream Tides to make it extremely difficult for creatures to get through and hit you.
And you must remember, that your opponent generally has no idea you've got a Winter Orb sitting in your hand. You can spring it on him whenever and force him to play from a huge disadvantage for several turns, where you will only lose two turns of full mana if you played correctly.
This card is amazing. I hope I've given you a little insight on why =)
aarotech
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I have to agree with Nate_Prawdzik, elhajjaj, KicktheCAN, Thanato5. To completely change the functionality of Winter Orb for absolutely no justifiable reason after almost two decades of great game play is just disgusting. Whoever is making these ridiculous and awful decisions has absolutely no respect for this game and is truly hated by those who have been playing it since its inception. It is almost as if wizards of the coast is going out of their way to devalue old cards and alienate older players. It is as if they want people who have been playing most of their life to quit. Wizards’ decisions repeatedly go against all logic in favor of things that will cause this to happen. My old play group has continualy shrunk over the years. More and more players give up on this great game as their favored decks are destroyed by pointless errata which have no reflection of the cards original intended purpose. Even in alpha testing this card was intended to be tapped by cards like Icy Manipulator to stop it from shutting down lands. No longer can a player defend themselves against a winter orb lock using cards like fire//ice. The card is strong enough without having that weakness. As usual I am appalled at Wizards’ lack of respect for the original intent of older cards. There must be some plan to reprint this card or something.. I wish they'd just leave cards to be what they are. It is clear that whoever is writing these errata doesn't understand the origin or nature of this game.
Dabok
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I know that Hokori, Dust Drinker pales in comparison to this. But it's the closest I'll ever get to an ability such as this.
SuicidalTendancies
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(5 votes)
The "origin and nature" of this game, is that it is constantly changing and evolving as to avoid becoming stagnant. That's why Revised exists. Shit was broken day one.
The only deck archetype hurt by the change is prison decks. Mana denial is something they have repeatedly stated they don't think is fun and that has been obvious for over a decade. Tuning down but not outright killing a card like this opens up a slew of new ideas in eternal formats.
Get out of the summer of '95 and try something new.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Moxen and other nonland manartifacts, lol
Also 0-cost creatures.
BongRipper420
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For some odd reason, my friends hate this card when I use it against their control decks. Such strange people.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Overpowered grieving effect .5/5
SeriesOfTubes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card I shall always hate. If you are going to lock me, just time vault me fuckit. This just makes my death long and painful.
Come to think of it, it'd be more accurate to say my acquaintance plays this. I hate that guy.
Necroken
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
so this plus prophet of kruphex and your good!!! untap on there untap
Drewskithelegend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mana curve for an awesome winter orb deck 40 1 drops or 0 drops (force of will etc.) 4 winter orb 16 land
Go on, be that guy. You know you want to...
maestrogrande
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Matt Tabak pulled a nerf from his bum on this card.
I hope someday a new rules manager will excise the half-witted power level errata inflicted on cards that have been well-loved by players since long before Tabak cracked his first booster.
Time will eventually force you to vacate the post of rules manager, Tabak.
We are not going anywhere...
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Winter Orb can actually be a pretty fun and interesting card IF your deck isn't really built to abuse it too significantly.
Comments (40)
Combo with the trusty Sol Ring on turn 1 to get an immediate 2 mana advantage
Also, @Gaussgoat, awesome combo.
Card caption: "What's that Yogi?"
"The Chaos Orbs cold distant Girlfriend Boo-boo"
I am rather disappointed that they decided to make this card much worse and take away a fun interaction that people have played around with for years.
being a huge fan of the classic prison deck, i agree that the changing of winter orb's rulings really hurt the deck, but that didn't totally cripple it! it just made it a little slower, and i believe the deck can still run..
turn 2 - winter orb
that can be pretty effective
how is this card good? does this also go against the player who cast this? and how would this be a good card in any deck?
The player using this card is privy to its effects, yes. The key is that this player KNOWS he's playing the card. They play it with spells such as Boomerang or Thwart to protect their Orb, or play elves or other such non-land mana generators.
Even without having things like that, if you combine it with effects like Propaganda or Dream Tides to make it extremely difficult for creatures to get through and hit you.
And you must remember, that your opponent generally has no idea you've got a Winter Orb sitting in your hand. You can spring it on him whenever and force him to play from a huge disadvantage for several turns, where you will only lose two turns of full mana if you played correctly.
This card is amazing. I hope I've given you a little insight on why =)
The only deck archetype hurt by the change is prison decks. Mana denial is something they have repeatedly stated they don't think is fun and that has been obvious for over a decade. Tuning down but not outright killing a card like this opens up a slew of new ideas in eternal formats.
Get out of the summer of '95 and try something new.
Also 0-cost creatures.
Come to think of it, it'd be more accurate to say my acquaintance plays this.
I hate that guy.
40 1 drops or 0 drops (force of will etc.)
4 winter orb
16 land
Go on, be that guy. You know you want to...
I hope someday a new rules manager will excise the half-witted power level errata inflicted on cards that have been well-loved by players since long before Tabak cracked his first booster.
Time will eventually force you to vacate the post of rules manager, Tabak.
We are not going anywhere...