The upkeep cost, along with being vulnerable to more things (enchantment removal, hit much harder by bounce) usually more than outweigh the advantage of being cheaper up front than Clone.
Dragon_Bloodthirsty
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
A weak clone variant, the upkeep keeps it from being really useful.
OmnicromXR
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Interesting card, a cheap clone that's vulnerable is still quite a nice trick to pull. Still I wonder, like many old cards, exactly what this is supposed to depict. Are those butterflies? Moths? Flying slugs? What flavor does the art hold?
I'd love to see a feature on art from the early years of Magic, just to find out.
Weretarrasque
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
You can play this insanely early, but I can't imagine why you'd want to- early creatures are weak, and you'd lose every turn to just keep a weak crature around. But in the late game, this is crazy, and is definitely worth it in most cases.
A3Kitsune
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Costing only 2 mana more than outweighs the Dance's drawbacks when using it for some of the things Clone can be used for. Legend-kill (the rewrite of the Legend rule is probably the bigest reason this card will likely be never reprinted again), sacraficial blocker to stop your opponent's biggest threat, copy creature with sac effect. For fun, try this copying a Legend with a 'leaves play' or 'enters graveyard from play' effect.
kitsunewarlock
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Listen to the (other) kitsune! This card is a beast in EDH. Mono-blue Hero's Demise is what it is! And the upkeep cost is pretty "meh" worthy in late-game as most good blue spells have alt costs (Gush, Daze, Force of Will) or cost 3 or less.
Keeping that 2 extra mana open the turn you cast this helps you protect your copy with counter-magic. If you don't plan on just sac'ing the copy or using it to kill a legend.
If you bounce Dance of the Many on the stack with something like Boomerang, you can keep the token and not have the pay the upkeep. You can even replay the dance later if you want.
Hovercraft
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Copy your opponent's Tarmogoyf and beat their face with it.
eestlinc
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Too bad it targets the copied creature. Would be a great answer to Progenitus.
Now M12 has brought us Phantasmal Image, and I will gladly take it's drawback over the several belonging to Dance of Many every time I want a cheap Clone.
Radagast
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Almost any clone effect is useful, and while this is generally weaker than the original, it could still be played to decent effect.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Look at that printed text.
SkyknightXi
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I can see populate cards (e.g. Growing Ranks) flat-out loving this card. Why use just your usual tokens when you can populate your side of the battlefield with things like Sun Titan?
Pontiac
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this thing at the EDH table, 2 for any awesome ETB goon. Sad Robot is a great one, 2 mana get a land and draw a card yes please!
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Unfortunately, the new Legends rule (where your legends don't interfere with your opponents') weakens this slightly. It's still a good card, though.
Comments (15)
I'd love to see a feature on art from the early years of Magic, just to find out.
Keeping that 2 extra mana open the turn you cast this helps you protect your copy with counter-magic. If you don't plan on just sac'ing the copy or using it to kill a legend.
If you bounce Dance of the Many on the stack with something like Boomerang, you can keep the token and not have the pay the upkeep. You can even replay the dance later if you want.
With Temporal Adept you have
If that's too much blue try Time Elemental for