LOVE the new art. Like, so much I'm getting a playset to replace my Lorwyns.
Dragek
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
I have to agree, a pretty epic new art
SlackWareWolf
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(8 votes)
I think a lot of that Alternate Art Work will be done with this card. I mean imagine that card with FULL card art! It's amazing.
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(13 votes)
Played Blue White In The Pre Had Soldier Queen And Geenie Of Wishes Secret Weapon Ponder That Equaled First Place HELL YEAH! LOL
Mprime818
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
5 Stars for art work...
angelsfire15
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(5 votes)
The spell is a 4, but the artwork for m10 is more like 5 and a half. Totally sweet!
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
I'm glad blue got at least this goodie in M10.
Grimn777
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
angelsfire... the spell is a clear 5/5, not 4. There is a reason this is restricted in vintage. for a single mana, not only do you draw a card, but you get to decide which of the top 3 cards you want, as well as rearrange them to your liking. If it is late game and they are 3 lands, you can even choose to shuffle up then draw. great card.
Orim-s_Thunder
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
An update to Portent. I would like this better if the MTGO interface for putting cards in an order on top of your library were more intuitive. (Like if you could sort them first and then put them on top of your library all at once.)
kroen
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
there is no telling how good this card is
Owls_and_More_Owls
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just about every Blue deck can benefit from this card.
redwinedrummer
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Standard format's Brainstorm. Great card, great art.
LeoKula
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(7 votes)
Still prefer the weird merfolk art on the Lorwyn version.
Thaxan_Number_14
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(6 votes)
Oh I ponder-ponder who-aye who-aye WHAT'S IN THE PONDER BALL?
longbow83
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
i can't agree more, Lestat13
redcap04
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Great effect with some epic art for 1 mana is just plain awesome 5/5
bpmbrent
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(6 votes)
would still take brainstorm over it. i think it's a better card.
lorendorky
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
This is listed as LEGAL in all formats not restricted. Why am I seeing people say it is restricted in multiple places?
Dragannia
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
It's LEGAL, yes. In Eternal formats, i.e. Vintage and Legacy, the card is Restricted, which means only 1 of that card can be in the deck. Same goes for Brainstorm, Ancestral Recall (in Vintage, at least). If it were BANNED, that would mean it wouldn't be allowed in the deck at all.
Biems
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
it says its restricted on the Vintage list... yet it says its legal on the sets and legalty tab... hmmm... btw awsome card none the less
Valakrie2040
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(6 votes)
This card is truly an amazing work of art (in many senses, really). For one {U}, you have the opportunity to evaluate your next couple of turns, while also shortening the line towards a better draw in the process. However, from my experience when using this card, I would say that my favorite aspect of its design is the ability to shuffle your library if you choose to. In situations where your next three draws are unsatisfactory, you can reshuffle while still receiving the benefit of an extra card. Wonderfully, all of this is wrapped up in a card that can be played at the very start of the game, and its application is even useful during later in the game when you are hoping to draw that ‘special’ card. In my opinion, the design of this card undeniably represents “Blue” and everything that one would hope the color would stand for when playing it.
strigen
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
After a (rather late) epiphany, I switched out all my Divinations with Ponders and my deck grew fantastically more reliable, streamlined, and pleasantly surprising.
Personally, Ponder is my favorite 1-drop draw card.
I get the choice between the top three cards, and if i don't like them, i can just reshuffle, then draw (which, unless you stack your cards, is better than just putting the cards on the bottom w/ scry)
Serum Visions doesn't allow me to choose between the 3 cards involved, and instead forces me to take the first and rearrange the next two.
Preordain lets me pick, but only between the top 2, and i don't even get to reshuffle.
I guess the two Scry cards are helpful in correcting the top few cards revealed (by something like Sage Owl or Halimar Depths), but then again Ponder can do the same...And also, with Scrying, i can make sure i don't have to see those cards anytime soon (unless i shuffle my deck, which with fetch lands in Standard, would actually pretty often for those that actually buy cards separately). This way, i have a higher probability of drawing more preferable situational cards and not have to worry about finding the card i didn't want still close to the top of the deck.
meh, i write too much...sorry bout that
Eved
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
How sad, not being reprinted in M11 really sucks.
SleetFox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Beautiful art. The Lorwyn art was beautiful too (minus the merfolk). When I bought four of these online, I couldn't decide which one I wanted more. I just got two of each. The effect, also, is great. It replaces itself and can stack your draws for only 1 mana. Considering you can move your lands or other critical mana producers up (assuming they're in your top three), it's practically a free spell.
dragonking987
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nice! you get a good say in what your next cards are for one mana and you dont even lose a card from your hand I have one question do you have to do everything in the order that the effects are printed on the card or can you first look at the top three then draw a card then shuffle your library?
--Nate--
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Personally, I think Brainstorm is better because of its instant speed, but Ponder is still an obvious 5/5 and can be used effectively in any deck.
divine_exodus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I open 10 booster packs of M10 and....NO PONDER??!?!?!?!
This card is the reason blue isn't dead.
freakmaw
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
One of my favorite cards. Play the one drop, set myself up for the next few turns. Don't like what I see? Shuffle and then draw a card anyways. How can you go wrong with this?
Zuxen
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@ divine_exodus
I know how you feel..
i have opened ... around 36 .. (not a display) but random boosters, from stores and the internet..
and I have a grand total of... you better sit down..
1!
now I will buy some spare from the internet. i wont open one more of these boosters in my life..
Gelzo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I didn't notice it before, but I guess this card could be better than Brainstorm because of the shuffle. If you end up with junk on top of your deck, Brainstorm isn't going to help you as much as this card.
Of course, I still think it's better than this card, but they're both great.
By the way, they're both restricted in Vintage. That's usually a sign that the card has potential for being broken.
sarroth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Vintage is the format of crazy unstoppable explosive broken cards, and this is restricted in it? I've never played the format, but that's a little disappointing that I couldn't take my casual deck to a vintage group because of a couple extra copies of this card. Sensei's Divining Top is a go, but this is restricted. Huh.
tantallum99
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
good card. I do find it interesting that it is powerful enough to be restricted yet is common
Ideatog
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I actually like Portent better- you can use it on an opponent to see their library, or force them to shuffle an annoying Top away- I've noticed a saddening tendency of Wizards lately to print less cards which can be used on yourself or your opponent. T_T
rinoh20
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(2 votes)
these kind of cards annoy me. they take the suprise out of drawing. when you play this, it stops the am-i-screwed-cause-i-top-deck-badly lotto.
luca_barelli
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
it's back in M12!
SgtSwaggr
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
YES! It's back in M12!
Lyoncet
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Ponder was a fabulous card in M10. As of M12, we'll have Ponder, Venser, the Sojourner, Djinn of Wishes, and Sphinx of Uthuun (a.k.a. Fact or Fiction on a 5/6 flier) all in standard at the same time. I'm going to assume that this card will be even more critical to blue in M12 than M10, especially to U and UW control. The archetype's losing a lot of powerful stall once the Zendikar block rotates, and being able to tutor out expensive cards for cheap and control your draws is going to be more important than ever.
Also, Jace, Memory Adept, while certainly not the best planeswalker ever, can mitigate the one big (potential) drawback of Ponder compared to Preordain: finding two cards that are worthless to you and one that you absolutely need. That means that while you get a great card, you then have two dead draws. But with JMA on the field, you can Ponder, draw the best card, then use Middle Sibling Jace's +1 to draw a card and mill yourself for one. You still end up with one dead draw, but drawing one good card and one useless all at once and then being over with it is way better than spending your next two turns topdecking trash.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ponder, Preordain, Portent, Serum Visions, Visions of Beyond, Brainstorm, Gifts Ungiven, Fact or Fiction, Jace Beleren, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Jace Memory Adept, Sphinx of Uthuun.
I dare somebody to try it.
Tempered_Tempest
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Love this card, but it'd be great to see a reference to "taking over the world" on Ponder. "Are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
HuntingDrake
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
YamiJoey on the MTGS forums had a closeup of that thumb in his sig. 'Twas quite surprising when it popped up at the bottom of my screen.
Comments (45)
The combination with Jace, the Mind Sculptor's brainstorm ability is just ridiculous.
An easy 5/5 for me.
I get the choice between the top three cards, and if i don't like them, i can just reshuffle, then draw (which, unless you stack your cards, is better than just putting the cards on the bottom w/ scry)
Serum Visions doesn't allow me to choose between the 3 cards involved, and instead forces me to take the first and rearrange the next two.
Preordain lets me pick, but only between the top 2, and i don't even get to reshuffle.
I guess the two Scry cards are helpful in correcting the top few cards revealed (by something like Sage Owl or Halimar Depths), but then again Ponder can do the same...And also, with Scrying, i can make sure i don't have to see those cards anytime soon (unless i shuffle my deck, which with fetch lands in Standard, would actually pretty often for those that actually buy cards separately). This way, i have a higher probability of drawing more preferable situational cards and not have to worry about finding the card i didn't want still close to the top of the deck.
meh, i write too much...sorry bout that
This card is the reason blue isn't dead.
I know how you feel..
i have opened ... around 36 .. (not a display) but random boosters, from stores and the internet..
and I have a grand total of... you better sit down..
1!
now I will buy some spare from the internet. i wont open one more of these boosters in my life..
Of course, I still think it's better than this card, but they're both great.
By the way, they're both restricted in Vintage. That's usually a sign that the card has potential for being broken.
Also, Jace, Memory Adept, while certainly not the best planeswalker ever, can mitigate the one big (potential) drawback of Ponder compared to Preordain: finding two cards that are worthless to you and one that you absolutely need. That means that while you get a great card, you then have two dead draws. But with JMA on the field, you can Ponder, draw the best card, then use Middle Sibling Jace's +1 to draw a card and mill yourself for one. You still end up with one dead draw, but drawing one good card and one useless all at once and then being over with it is way better than spending your next two turns topdecking trash.
Jace Beleren, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Jace Memory Adept, Sphinx of Uthuun.
I dare somebody to try it.
"Are you pondering what i'm pondering?"