It's more costly and you don't gain as much life as you lose, but the card draw is a nice touch.
dudecow
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Beautiful art and flavor text, but I don't like it. You pay five mana and wait to be damaged for the opportunity to spend two more mana to gain two life and a card. Survival Cache is so much better than this it's not even funny. 2.5/5
majinara
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(12 votes)
Nice art, horrible card. Take sun droplet and farsight mask, put them on a pile, bang on them with a hammer until they stop doing their job and you end up with this.
Sun droplet costs 2 mana instead of 5, requires then no more activation costs, and gives you your life back far quicker and twice as efficient as this card.
Farsight mask, while just an average card by itself, at least draws you a card for each creature dealing damage to you, having the change to draw you far more cards than this (and also requires no more activation costs).
This this is just too slow, clunky, ineffective and expensive.
True_Smog
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Such a waste of place...
Ameisenber
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
damn i just now realised that it has a card draw mechanick. really would'vve helped me....
SleetFox
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Nice, but not 5 mana nice. It would be great in suicide black if it were cheaper and if it counted losing life as well as damage. Take 2 off the cost, add that in and remove the lifegain and it'd be a cool draw engine. As is it pretty much serves to help a suicide black deck last a little bit more into the midgame, but I'd rather play a card that made sure the game never went that long.
SolidSoldier
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(7 votes)
No... just... no. Nice art, nice flavor text, but too expensive all around. I think this is the entire block's worst rare.
lordfinbar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For seven mana and four life you get to gain 2 life and draw a card. This card could have some uses in draft but I can't see much use beyond that format.
blindthrall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
RAGE.
Seifer447
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I might be breaking the mold, but I don't think it's so bad. If you have the mana to put it out there, why not? And 2 colorless and a tap for 2 life and a card doesn't sound so bad. You take twice as long to die, and you may just find the answer you need in that card draw.
PhyrexianLobbiest
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
I think you're all looking at the card in isolation; and in that light what you're saying is true.
But it fits perfectly in with the thems of Rise of the Eldrazi. It works well with everything else in Zendikars 3rd act. Five colorless isn't really that much with all the eldrazi colorless mana generators; further more it fulfills one of the main game play changes of the act by slowing the play action down.
Excellent card for the set.
Razmataz24
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I would like to see this combo with boon reflection. I think it might be a neat combo.
Zulp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This block really did have some serious artifact failure, with a few exceptions.
Wyldblayde
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wow, a lot of comments suggest that taking the damage to put counters on this is optional. Assuming that you are going to take damage, and you are, this thing helps a lot. You can regain some of the life that you lost, which you will every game, and draw a card for 2. Yeah, at 5 mana it is costly, but it does do its job. I like it. 3/5 would've given it more if it cost less.
TheKeiser
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
When you first pull this out of a booster you get excited, then you read the text. I actually just now noticed the card draw, so it's not quite as bad as I thought, but instead of wasting your 5 mana drop on this you could be putting a serious beater out that might not only stop all that life loss the Vial alleviates, but put some pressure on your opponent.
Best uses for this: non-white/non-blue decks looking for some lifegain or card draw, especially ones with self damage. Could be useful in my W/B Pestilence deck for those few plains I end up with. I get the feeling this can be abused with charge counters. Coretapper/Energy Chamber or the obvious Doubling Season?
TheSuperbloop
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Awesome art, meh effect. Too costly.
MDStrawHat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Gee thanks Iona
cdela12345
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Art is absolutely amazing. The card itself is meh, not bad but not great.
Nagoragama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Easily one of the worst cards that has seen print in awhile. I was not amused to see it in my Rise of the Eldrazi pack.
Selez
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
On constructed: It doesn't do anything until you get hurt. And it costs five mana. Seven before it actually does anything, and that anything is nothing for seven mana. Play? No.
On limited: Even here I'd avoid playing it. Yes, Rise limited is generally slow, but you have to take eight damage before this card does more than cycle a Renewed Faith for seven. And that isn't exactly a good deal. It should go late, so don't pick it early, even if you want to run it for some reason.
The person in the art looks like a Bant soldier, no? Huh.
C4rl0wn463
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(5 votes)
I can see why everyone thinks this card is bad. And yes, in a vacuum, it is. Heck, it's bad in a lot of situations. But not in mine! :P In my deck based around activation Spawnsire of Ulamog, it helps me live longer, and draw cards, for a relativelylow cost. Seriously, 5 mana isn't much in there, and 2 mana is nothing. Also, I keep proliferating it for some counters (along with other targets, of course), so it's even active when I'm not being attacked. I love it when I'm not being attacked and am still able to use it; getting my life back up to almost what it used to be, and drawing not-too-few cards. I love it.
metalevolence
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(14 votes)
I whisper back at Iona: "You're kidding, right"
Gabriel422
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The flavor text feels really epic (imagine having your hands on one of these), but it was simply not good enough for me to put it in any deck.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
for those mono-Red EDH generals out there.
HairlessThoctar
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Seems very effective in EDH (if nowhere else).
Plus it's just so damn pretty.
Agape
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Art is beautiful, but of course it's given a horrible card. I can see it's uses in casual, but anything above that it's a waste. This is just above Necrotic Plague, which I think is the worst rare in standard...
Trizeam
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Art is great. Card is meh.
MacBizzle
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(6 votes)
I first saw this in a loading screen on Duel of the Planeswalkers.
At first I was like "Who's that cutie with the freckles?"
Then I was like FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
MasterOfEfherium
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Too Bad This Thing Dies To Removal!
Paleopaladin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wish it triggered on loss of life rather than damage. If it did, then it would be awesome to abuse with Sign in Blood and Phyrexian Arena.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I feel horrible for being beat by this card. Then again, Neurok Commando burn decks don't win every game.
Xilinoc
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A better version;
X, tap, remove X charge counters from Angelheart Vial: Choose one: You gain X life; or you draw X cards.
Wulfsten
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
should have cost 0 or 1 mana so you can have it out from the beginning of the game. Because the effect depends on taking damage, there's no real way to abuse it early on, and the 2 mana activation costs keeps it from being too much of a damper on your opponent's offence. Can't imagine why they thought to price it at 5.
TPmanW
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Solid soldier: "I think this is the entire block's worst rare", and community ratings agree with you. It's rated a full twelve cards behind the next worst rare Dormant Gomazoa. It's a shame really. I don't normally gripe about good art being "wasted" on bad cards - I think that every card should use use the best art Wizards can find for it, but maybe I'll make an exception for this one. This art should've been locked away in a vault until they found a proper use for it on a card people could treasure.
How does 4 mana for 4 life and 2 cards (repeatable) sound?
Trent_Almighty
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The card is very underwhelming but I don't think it would be as annoying if it wasn't a rare
Patchy06
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
add this to a deck with everflowing chalice for mana ramp and the fact that it runs on charge counters means it's a good health gain for decks with Coretappers, Energy Chambers, Power Conduits and the like. Consider a charge counter-based deck that wins with either Darksteel Reactor or Magistrate's Scepter and this gives you some survival to last long enough to get your reactor to those 20 charges.
Flavorwise? An amazing card, truly fantastic, very much the feeling of those who would stand against the Eldrazi.
Functionally? Meh. Far too expensive.
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I know it's the eldrazi block and things are supposed to be slow-paced, but five mana for this is overkill when you can only use it after having taken damage. I would like it more if you gained 4 life instead of 2. Only getting half of my life back, the activation cost and the converted mana cost really isn't worth that extra card.
Bigg_ol_FATTKIDD
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card's costing just made sense, and I actually don't think it's that horrible anymore.......
Generally speaking card draw in any color is either mana intensive or life intensive (Look at things like Book of Rass, or Jayemdae Tome).
So, assume you have 20 life, this in play, and have taken four going to 16. You activate this thing for {2} and TAP, gain 2 life, draw a card. you are now at 18 and have another card, YAY!!
Now lets look at Book of Rass. You have this in play with 20 life, pay {2} and 2 life, draw a card. you are now at 18 and have a card, YAY!!
Both these scenarios have you at the same life total. They are very functionally the same (even though you could get more cards out of the Book than the Vial). In fact in this scenario, if you were to take 4 damage with the Book you'd be at a lower life total (14 life) than with Angelheart Vial.
Yes, Book of Rass can net more card advantage in general, but it's supposed to. the set back is you going to low life totals to do that. Angelheart Vial is supposed to delay death at a benefit.
This card has a role, it does it's job, and it does it pretty well. It's not cray-cray powerful, but most cards aren't. And cards like these that are functional and flavorful are pretty rewarding when you do use them.
So don't hate because Wizards has to balance limited and make interesting, not-powerful cards like this every once in a while. Limited is how they make their money, not the secondary market. If that's broken then the cash don't flow. =P
BloodCrank
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I might buy this card just for the art because Chippy is awesome but its a little too expensive. It should cost 4 to be honest.
XaiviarNightwing
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Crap now boros can searing meditation and draw after using self damage w lifelink. Or just use earthquake ect cards. Or just put it in a green proliferate/ infect deck.
Kindulas
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I hadn't noticed before how beautiful the art is. Magic has a ton of pictures that are incredibly awesome, but this is almost moving in it's execution. The blood, the light, the way her eyes are closed with her head titled down to it. Wow. Just wow.
Cloak_of_Mists
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Perfect synergy between function and flavor
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's like Trigon of Thought but doesn't require constant blue. Not SO bad.
EGarrett01
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Cardinal sign of a bad card...the casting cost could be reduced to 0 and it still wouldn't see play.
leomistico
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@EGarrett01: Cardinal sign of a bad card...the casting cost could be reduced to 0 and it still wouldn't see play.
Cardinal sign of a bad player: he/she can't realize that changing casting costs change totally the whole card. For I'd play this card without thinking much. +50% life and drawing since the beginning is totally a bargain. I'd play it even if its costs are inverted: to cast and to play its ability. For , unluckly, not so much. For maybe, for , why not? Recently, I got one in Japanese, and I'll give it at least one try, but it seems really hard to make it work...
Comments (51)
Take sun droplet and farsight mask, put them on a pile, bang on them with a hammer until they stop doing their job and you end up with this.
Sun droplet costs 2 mana instead of 5, requires then no more activation costs, and gives you your life back far quicker and twice as efficient as this card.
Farsight mask, while just an average card by itself, at least draws you a card for each creature dealing damage to you, having the change to draw you far more cards than this (and also requires no more activation costs).
This this is just too slow, clunky, ineffective and expensive.
But it fits perfectly in with the thems of Rise of the Eldrazi. It works well with everything else in Zendikars 3rd act. Five colorless isn't really that much with all the eldrazi colorless mana generators; further more it fulfills one of the main game play changes of the act by slowing the play action down.
Excellent card for the set.
Best uses for this: non-white/non-blue decks looking for some lifegain or card draw, especially ones with self damage. Could be useful in my W/B Pestilence deck for those few plains I end up with. I get the feeling this can be abused with charge counters. Coretapper/Energy Chamber or the obvious Doubling Season?
On limited: Even here I'd avoid playing it. Yes, Rise limited is generally slow, but you have to take eight damage before this card does more than cycle a Renewed Faith for seven. And that isn't exactly a good deal. It should go late, so don't pick it early, even if you want to run it for some reason.
The person in the art looks like a Bant soldier, no? Huh.
In my deck based around activation Spawnsire of Ulamog, it helps me live longer, and draw cards, for a relatively low cost.
Seriously, 5 mana isn't much in there, and 2 mana is nothing. Also, I keep proliferating it for some counters (along with other targets, of course), so it's even active when I'm not being attacked.
I love it when I'm not being attacked and am still able to use it; getting my life back up to almost what it used to be, and drawing not-too-few cards.
I love it.
Plus it's just so damn pretty.
At first I was like "Who's that cutie with the freckles?"
Then I was like
FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
X, tap, remove X charge counters from Angelheart Vial: Choose one: You gain X life; or you draw X cards.
It's a shame really. I don't normally gripe about good art being "wasted" on bad cards - I think that every card should use use the best art Wizards can find for it, but maybe I'll make an exception for this one. This art should've been locked away in a vault until they found a proper use for it on a card people could treasure.
How does 4 mana for 4 life and 2 cards (repeatable) sound?
Functionally? Meh. Far too expensive.
Generally speaking card draw in any color is either mana intensive or life intensive (Look at things like Book of Rass, or Jayemdae Tome).
So, assume you have 20 life, this in play, and have taken four going to 16. You activate this thing for {2} and TAP, gain 2 life, draw a card. you are now at 18 and have another card, YAY!!
Now lets look at Book of Rass. You have this in play with 20 life, pay {2} and 2 life, draw a card. you are now at 18 and have a card, YAY!!
Both these scenarios have you at the same life total. They are very functionally the same (even though you could get more cards out of the Book than the Vial). In fact in this scenario, if you were to take 4 damage with the Book you'd be at a lower life total (14 life) than with Angelheart Vial.
Yes, Book of Rass can net more card advantage in general, but it's supposed to. the set back is you going to low life totals to do that. Angelheart Vial is supposed to delay death at a benefit.
This card has a role, it does it's job, and it does it pretty well. It's not cray-cray powerful, but most cards aren't. And cards like these that are functional and flavorful are pretty rewarding when you do use them.
So don't hate because Wizards has to balance limited and make interesting, not-powerful cards like this every once in a while. Limited is how they make their money, not the secondary market. If that's broken then the cash don't flow. =P
Or just use earthquake ect cards.
Or just put it in a green proliferate/ infect deck.
Perfect synergy between function and flavor
Cardinal sign of a bad card...the casting cost could be reduced to 0 and it still wouldn't see play.
Cardinal sign of a bad player: he/she can't realize that changing casting costs change totally the whole card. For
2.5/5