Was restricted or banned for many years I think, because having too many of those in decks slows them down far too much. I guess people who never played this card just don't know how powerful it is. + can't be countered by normal counterspells + can be used the turn it comes into play + goes around most "protection of"s + works on creatures that are unblockable + can also be used to rescue a creature you control, if your opponent uses some pump spell or whatever + very difficult to get rid of (most casual decks pack very little or no LD) + renders the strongest of your opponents creatures mostly useless + can be tutored for by nonbasic land fetchers + and, unlike most other pseudo-removal, costs no mana to play (just a land drop)
Just don't make the mistake to count it as a mana producing land, when you build your deck. You don't want it in your opening hand instead of a plains or something. :)
Dragon_Bloodthirsty
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(6 votes)
Powerful defensive card.
Dr_Draco
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Yeah, The Dark wasn't a powerful set, but some of it's cards were really good.
When I first saw this card, I thought it was crap. Then I had someone use it against me. Decks that rely on cards like Giant Growth and the like, get hosed by Maze of Ith
Owls_and_More_Owls
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(7 votes)
I'm going to stab my friend the next time he plays this card. That's the only way Magic players learn. With stabbings.
Simply put, This card is too powerful and shouldn't exist.
Pantheon
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
This top notch land and Ith, High Arcanist (it's daddy) are bane of the Exalted mechanic. They will single handedly ruin the best Exalted deck.
gasimakos1
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
very compelling arguments from majinara. as a defensive card, obviously wil-o-the-wisp serves a similar purpose... although i'd say that the only thing wil-o-the-wisp has on this card is that you can play a mana-producing land on both your first and second turn with wil-o-the-wisp, and with the maze you'd be missing out on one mana on turn 2 and so on (not that it's all that essential, assuming the use of moxen and all...). however, this card does also totally hose the benefits of any creature with trample or haste, especially the then-popular 'ball lightning.' everyone used that card back in the day, however, notice that it made it to 4th edition, whereas the maze did not... 5 stars.
kowrip
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(7 votes)
This was another automatic throw in card for most decks (right along with Sol Ring). This is an extremely powerful card. Lands like this are why you always need some sort of land destruction in all decks.
theabyss
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
you throw this down on a new player and they just kind of scof it off....by the end of the game they beg you trade them one. To me its the best land in the game...got much much more use out of these then my library of alex
Lateralis0ne
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Just got one. My self-given Christmas present. And I'm oh-so jolly now.
Gaussgoat
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I remember this card from back in the day... it was incredibly annoying. I'm so happy I haven't had it used against me in a while, LOL.
Yeah, this card is incredibly effective at what it does. Any control deck should have one of these, as it really causes an immediate shutdown of your opponents biggest threat.
4.5/5
markarmor
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Probably the best card at what it does: Remove your opponent's nastiest attacking creature from the equation, every round. It's value in multiplayer is even higher as you will be judged many times as not worth 'wasting' an attack. As previously stated, completely nullifies exalted decks.
Cyberium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You can use this to save your own creature too, should opponent's blocker becomes bigger somehow.
Carnophage_4ever
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Believe it or not, this was actually a Common when the Dark saw print...
__Silence__
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Almost lost to this till I drew a whispersilk cloak and attacked with a 30/30 Vigilance, shroud, flying, indestructible, unblockable, brute... with noble purpose out yay... lol
Lynden
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
great card. i was playing monoblue in cube, got beaten down by a creature with SoFI, then topdecked this which happened to be my only out to win the game. definitely 1st pick in cube drafting
Magnor_Criol
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Sure, I know that it's a very powerful card...but what the hell is up with the art? It looks like some sort of bizarre brain-organ-tumor-cyst thing...
DysprosiumJudas
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
The thing with The Dark was that the expansion screwed up 95% of the time, but when it got something right, it got it right. This card is great and has it all -- it's powerful, balanced, intriguing, and flavourful. What more can you want?
Stupidly powerful. Locks down their biggest threat basically forever.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I always wondered why the art is just someone's entrails. Anson, what were you trying to portray? Card is obviously good. It balances out somewhat when you add Wasteland and Tectonic Edge to the equation. Before that, though, I can imagine this being completely unfair against some dude's Craw Wurm deck... 4.5/5 because it replaces your land drop. It's a full 5 with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth though.
Gib_Cram
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The art is great. The concept is that the "Maze" is actually the intestines of some giant creature. To solve the maze, you have to successfully crawl through the thing's guts. Look closely, there's a human figure trying to do just that in the center of the artwork.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
.5/5 The effect is pretty grieving. Shuts down +1/+1 counters and auras, all on a land. Granted it cant produce mana, but the effect is still unfun to play against.
Power-level I would give it 5/5, but I rate on balance.
Immerwolf
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't think Ball Lightning was very happy this card was printed in the same set.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So this was an uncommon... and Sorrow's Path was a rare?
dafuq
Edit: Just did some research... apparently this was a common, but at C1 instead of C3 — the only common for which that was true. Wacky stuff.
Love this card, I cannot resist retro MtG appeal. With regard to the old/new art discussion: Firmly in the "Old Art" camp. Anson Maddocks consistently produced the most metal art back in the day. The man's name is even metal. See the other comments supporting the old art: what they said.
Anyway, serious question: I am correct to believe that if this targeted a creature in a band, could the band's controller simply direct all combat damage to the creature that got mazed? Not that it's gonna break any formats, just an interesting thought.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great any time of the game; whether it's to allow your big guys to attack while holding back the opponent's beater, saving a beater from a combat trick, fending off attacks from the other side to find answers, or myriad other tricks; it does it all. You can even abuse "on attacks" triggers with things like Nacatl War-Pride, titans, Battle Cry, Hero of Bladehold giving you the benefit without the risk.
Also it's non-legendary. You can get 4 out if you wish..
Phelplan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Holy sh*t!!! That IS a person in an intestinal maze! I had to read the comments on the newer artwork to understand this, but dang, now I see it. That is totally an outline of a person's body: you can see the head, shoulders, arms, knee, butt, and feet. Wow. I am shocked and amazed. This artwork now commands my full and disgusted respect.
spiney
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Don't forget your Land Destruction in EDH kiddies, even if its just that one off Acidic Slime or Stone Rain.
Edit: I just realised I said one off in regards to EDH, silly me.
Comments (30)
I guess people who never played this card just don't know how powerful it is.
+ can't be countered by normal counterspells
+ can be used the turn it comes into play
+ goes around most "protection of"s
+ works on creatures that are unblockable
+ can also be used to rescue a creature you control, if your opponent uses some pump spell or whatever
+ very difficult to get rid of (most casual decks pack very little or no LD)
+ renders the strongest of your opponents creatures mostly useless
+ can be tutored for by nonbasic land fetchers
+ and, unlike most other pseudo-removal, costs no mana to play (just a land drop)
Just don't make the mistake to count it as a mana producing land, when you build your deck. You don't want it in your opening hand instead of a plains or something. :)
When I first saw this card, I thought it was crap. Then I had someone use it against me. Decks that rely on cards like Giant Growth and the like, get hosed by Maze of Ith
Simply put, This card is too powerful and shouldn't exist.
Yeah, this card is incredibly effective at what it does. Any control deck should have one of these, as it really causes an immediate shutdown of your opponents biggest threat.
4.5/5
Card is obviously good. It balances out somewhat when you add Wasteland and Tectonic Edge to the equation. Before that, though, I can imagine this being completely unfair against some dude's Craw Wurm deck... 4.5/5 because it replaces your land drop. It's a full 5 with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth though.
The effect is pretty grieving. Shuts down +1/+1 counters and auras, all on a land. Granted it cant produce mana, but the effect is still unfun to play against.
Power-level I would give it 5/5, but I rate on balance.
dafuq
Edit: Just did some research... apparently this was a common, but at C1 instead of C3 — the only common for which that was true. Wacky stuff.
Anyway, serious question: I am correct to believe that if this targeted a creature in a band, could the band's controller simply direct all combat damage to the creature that got mazed? Not that it's gonna break any formats, just an interesting thought.
Also it's non-legendary. You can get 4 out if you wish..
Edit: I just realised I said one off in regards to EDH, silly me.