Ballynock Trapper has the same ability without the option to pay life, is a common, and, while it costs 1 more mana, only needs white. It also has a nice untap ability.
I know which one I'd play.
EDIT: Just played with one in a draft. To some extent, it works.
RobinHood3000
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(12 votes)
Some "Dominator" he turned out to be, always asking for permission. Pfft.
True_Mumin
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Except that he's ALWAYS going to pay the 2 life. Absolutely unplayable. I'll stick to my Goldmeadow Harriers, thank you.
Forgeling
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Should have been {T}: Tap target creature AND its controller loses 2 life.
What about this in conjunction with Bloodchief Ascension? Guaranteeing your opponent will lose 2 life or tap his creatures. If he does tap, then you can Royal Assassin or Assassinate the creature (I am sure there are other ways of doing this as well).
Either way, the combinations are there.
Guntz1092
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
wow srsly guys? if u play him in a Life Drain esq deck, with things like Sanguine Bond etc, u know hes always going to chose to tap instead of pay
i mean, it can work out well
Sironos
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Man, not much domination in this, your opponent will just pay the life and attack with his fatty anyway. Blinding mage is preferable, since options for the opponent is the opposite of control.
DonRoyale
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Keep in mind it's pretty much "T: ~ deals 2 damage to target player" without being able to redirect to 'Walkers.
For *** sake you people are picky. They get a useless tapped creature or they lose 2 life. ***.
AmericanVigor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Rhystic magic didn't work well in Prophecy, and it sure doesn't work well now.
DacenOctavio
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(5 votes)
The difference between this creature and Blinding Mage is that while 4 Blinding Mages can keep 4 creatures down for {WWWW}, 4 of these guys can keep one creature down or your opponent just lost 8 life. When run in conjunction with fun guys like Royal Assassin, this guy is more like Shock on a stick. He's not a control creature, he's Esper's version of Grim Lavamancer.
Target creature's controller loses 2 life unless he or she taps that creature.
Vishlord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
His tapping ability will never be useful, you need to read him back to front... in effect he can deal a 2 damage hit to target player... unless that player taps target creature. Still pretty lame though, maybe more useful in a multi-player
Feralsymphony
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I personally think that this should be used for the life loss, ignoring the ability to tap creatures. Its sorta like a Prodigal Pyromancer, except it can't finish them off.
Bluefenix
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
It's a good ability for a common. Say someone has you on the edge and they are at 3-6 life, all you have is this guy, 7 lands, and a hand full of nothing that will help. He attacks you for the game win, and you activate this mofo. You're tapping your only defender with 6 land to spare, unless your pokerface sucks, your opponent will probably fall for the bluff and tap their creature.
It's deciding moments like this that these "choice" cards are made for. They are bluffing cards, essentially.
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I do like this guy's ability to be clever by clocking the opponent from behind or controlling him from the front, but as a 0/2 I think he's just overcosted by one colorless mana. He's an artifact creature, so you can play around with Voltaic key or clock of omens or what have you, but otherwise doesn't really help his case.
Tassarus
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
AHEM: Norn's Annex + Hissing Miasma + this = their big stick taps unless they lose 2 life, and theyll pretty much lose 5 in total to keep it untapped and swing. Orzhov-style love ftw... not playable my bleeding ass...
Sour_Diesel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
play with Dash Hopes
TDL
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I would never play this card outside of a draft. If you want to make a casual orzhov deck, I suggest Pillory of the Sleepless. I don't understand the people getting butthurt about this card's quality. If you want to tap a creature, you actually want to tap a creature. If you activate the Dominator's ability targeting your opponent's 4/4, and they simply lose 2 life, you're coming out of this situation 2 life behind them.
Binaro
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Get this guy with the Royal Assassin, and your opponent would be forced to lose life pretty much every turn if he's gonna save his creatures. Pretty soon, he's gonna run out of life to pay.
...Unless he's playing plenty of life gain, of course.
NoobOfLore
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I want to play a deck that runs 4 of these just for the lulz. This is not a spike card, this is a troll card. Watch your opponents squirm.
It's good for mind games, not for hard control. Hard control works more reliably, but mind games are so much more fun.
Enoque
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Hi can any one tell me that if the other player hasn't got any creatures to tap you can still use vectis ability to force him to pay 2 life anyway? is this valid? Thanks!
MattLynn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Freed from the Real gives you a way to : Untap dominator to beat the stubborn out of your opponent...or just deal 2 damage per blue mana...
Jannissary
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Under the curve on P/T with the ability to do the least useful of tapping a creature or making an opponent lose life. When he's low on life, he'll take the tap, and when he needs his creatures he'll take the 2 life.
Not horrible, though, and the art's good.
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's decent enough if you want to play head games with your opponent, but if you just want to tap that damn creature, look at Minister of Impediments instead.
Slyfox7777777
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Thats pretty bad. If the tapping is too inconvenient, they can just pay the 2 life and move on...and on such a frail useless 0/2 body. Basically unplayable. Its cost is too high, its ability is useless, and there are dozens of better creatures with similar abilities in white.
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is better than most people realize. You either save your self a heavy hit, or make an opponent LOSE 2 LIFE, which cannot be prevented.
RustyKeyes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Betta watch out, or he'll dominate ya vectis! Ohh noo!
Comments (35)
yes... that right, and thats what will happen to you if you play this card.
Ballynock Trapper has the same ability without the option to pay life, is a common, and, while it costs 1 more mana, only needs white. It also has a nice untap ability.
I know which one I'd play.
EDIT: Just played with one in a draft. To some extent, it works.
{T}: Tap target creature AND its controller loses 2 life.
Either way, the combinations are there.
i mean, it can work out well
It's not as bad as most believe it to be.
Target creature's controller loses 2 life unless he or she taps that creature.
It's deciding moments like this that these "choice" cards are made for. They are bluffing cards, essentially.
He's an artifact creature, so you can play around with Voltaic key or clock of omens or what have you, but otherwise doesn't really help his case.
I don't understand the people getting butthurt about this card's quality. If you want to tap a creature, you actually want to tap a creature. If you activate the Dominator's ability targeting your opponent's 4/4, and they simply lose 2 life, you're coming out of this situation 2 life behind them.
...Unless he's playing plenty of life gain, of course.
Watch your opponents squirm.
It's good for mind games, not for hard control. Hard control works more reliably, but mind games are so much more fun.
Thanks!
Not horrible, though, and the art's good.