The fact that you do not need to pay after casting it makes it a pretty useful blue search. All you have to do is keep it going, then you can get what you need amongst a lot of your top cards.
And at only 2 cost total, its pretty useful.
Gabriel422
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like it.
guitargamer79
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
In Limited and EDH, this card is such a bomb. There are so many goodies in this set, people are going to pass this thing up early in draft. Not to mention, if you played mono-blue too, you could get so many counters on this thing fast, plus proliferate cards, and search for that game winning card. This thing goes into any draft deck, no reason not to play one.
majinara
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(7 votes)
I don't like it. An artifact that the turn you play it does absolutely nothing. And if it actually sits around for a dozen turns and you sac it, then it ain't even any card advantage, since you just replace the card you spent by drawing this piece of junk. It just improves card quality once and very slowly. Ugh...
ninjaboy05
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This card is amazing in limited even if your not playing blue. 2 mana to search out an answer seems pretty good.
Magnor_Criol
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(6 votes)
This card is...very underwhelming. The white one gets you a Myr army, the red one gives you a potentially massive lazor, the green one can be built around to get you a heap of mana right when you need it, and the black one used at the right time can pave the way for your bombs to go unmolested.
This one...lets you sift for a lot?
It's never bad to be able to pick and choose cards, but this only gets you one card. All the others can dramatically alter the board; this guy has a lot bigger chance of being a huge whiff.
The fire-and-forget potential of this card is alright (I can see a situation where in a Limited game, this came out early and sat there for most of the game, and towards the end right when you needed to draw that one specific answer you pop it and look at the top 18 cards of the library or something).
Overall, the worst shrine, and quite unimpressive.
blindthrall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The turn investment is terrible for such an underwhelming effect. Still better than the discard one.
DeathDark
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
With Blue Proliferate going right and enough spells cast, you can rearrange your entire deck and put a card in your hand.
I mean, let's consider you play it second turn like a bad control deck, but whatever. Third turn, you play your Thrummingbird. Now you have two counters on it. Opponent's turn, and perhaps you unsummon their creature they're swingin' at you with or something. Now you have three. Your turn, it's at four. You probably cast a spell, or sit on your counters, and swing with a Thrummingbird. That's five to six counters. By sixth turn, when you can play Inexorable Tide, you can have 10 counters on it by simply attacking with Thrummingbird and the upkeep. That doesn't even count blue spells you play, like Steady Progress or Tezzeret's Gambit, or upping it for casting Inexorable Tide.
POWERFUL little bugger.
Frozenwings
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
meh. worst of shrines.
MagicLango
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Everyone saying this is the worst shrine doesn't realize how awful the black one is. At least this one does something in limited- the black one is probably going to be a 7 mana discard 2 cards at best.
Vinifera7
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
It's not as poor as Shrine of Limitless Power, but the ability isn't that impressive. I'm trying to think of a scenario where I would favor this over something like Preordain or Ponder. Well it's still probably great in limited to dig for bombs or answers.
jgizag
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Card is very cool!
Asmodi0000
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like subtle cards, and I wish this one was just a little more subtle.
It's excellent in EDH, especially in my litter deck.
I just drop a huge amount of low cost artifacts, with cards like Elsewhere Flask and Warlord's Axe and Ichor Wellspring, until my side of the field looks like some kind of trash heap. A big, giant trash heap where cards like this can be dropped and people overlook them, until it's finally time for me to make my move.
This card is excellent in that deck, because it really helps me sift past the cards I don't need (which that deck is full of), and really adds to the decor, since it's another card that people will overlook as just another card I used to take up a slot.
And, despite what you'd expect, I win rather consistently with that deck, and I this card has managed to pull one of my finishers from my deck (or one of my counterspells) to help me win several times.
SarpNasty
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This was meant to be used in limited to get your bomb. It really shouldn't see any constructed play
YoshiOfADown
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(9 votes)
I laugh at the people who think this is the worst Shrine. It's MILES ahead of the green and black ones. It's also seeing constructed play in the Splinter Twin deck.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That's a bigPreordain. Or a slow and difficult to counter Demonic Tutor. Why is this rated so low?
Szentekkel
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
i dont think waiting 6 turns to look at say... 10 cards.. and get no card advantage is good if you invest in card draw at this slot you would be surelly in a better spot of course it has its uses however is not even close to worth a slot in a control deck and other tipes really beg you to be faster and not necessarily to win but already get a strong board position for try to search something good.. a limited search by the way
NecroticNobody
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I would prefer it if this milled, but searching is decent.
metalevolence
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The worst shrine? After sitting two or three turns, this can easily dig six or more cards into your library, which can be great. Or, in combo, find pieces or counter backup and win outright.
easily beats the laughably slow black and green shrines, whose abilities are irrelevant by the time they come online.
Paleopaladin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
About the only thing I can think of that may have saved this card would have been costing it at .
EDIT: Will this see play in Modern with Preordain and Ponder getting whacked by the banhammer?
rawsugar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
is working the long con:) compared to impulse its not terrible, but often youd rather have a ponder style card for immediate benefit. when you dont and you can afford to let it grow to 10+ which shouldnt be that long it would be terrible to have in a combo deck with lots of control. still 3/5.
R0flw4ffl3z
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A bit too underwhelming for regular use... if you looked through the top X times 3-4 I could see some great things coming from this card.
snazzycool
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is one of the best cards for a mono-blue or heavy-blue EDH deck. You play it turn 1 or 2, you gradually build up counters on it, and you get to basically search your whole library for a counter spell or a combo piece for free. Or just use it for value. I've been able to get cards I Mystical Tutored for or dig for a Time Spiral or a card to imprint onto my newly drawn Isochron Scepter.
The best thing is that new players will ignore it until it has 15 counters on it and veteran players will kill it quickly, letting your Caged Sun go unmolested later on.
EKraj
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The way I would play this is tap it after you play any blue spell. The way I see it is it's a free draw every time you play a blue spell. 3.5/5
manaderp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You are aware "Sacrifice Shrine of Piercing Vision" is part of the cost right?
Comments (26)
And at only 2 cost total, its pretty useful.
An artifact that the turn you play it does absolutely nothing. And if it actually sits around for a dozen turns and you sac it, then it ain't even any card advantage, since you just replace the card you spent by drawing this piece of junk. It just improves card quality once and very slowly. Ugh...
This one...lets you sift for a lot?
It's never bad to be able to pick and choose cards, but this only gets you one card. All the others can dramatically alter the board; this guy has a lot bigger chance of being a huge whiff.
The fire-and-forget potential of this card is alright (I can see a situation where in a Limited game, this came out early and sat there for most of the game, and towards the end right when you needed to draw that one specific answer you pop it and look at the top 18 cards of the library or something).
Overall, the worst shrine, and quite unimpressive.
I mean, let's consider you play it second turn like a bad control deck, but whatever. Third turn, you play your Thrummingbird. Now you have two counters on it. Opponent's turn, and perhaps you unsummon their creature they're swingin' at you with or something. Now you have three. Your turn, it's at four. You probably cast a spell, or sit on your counters, and swing with a Thrummingbird. That's five to six counters. By sixth turn, when you can play Inexorable Tide, you can have 10 counters on it by simply attacking with Thrummingbird and the upkeep. That doesn't even count blue spells you play, like Steady Progress or Tezzeret's Gambit, or upping it for casting Inexorable Tide.
POWERFUL little bugger.
It's excellent in EDH, especially in my litter deck.
I just drop a huge amount of low cost artifacts, with cards like Elsewhere Flask and Warlord's Axe and Ichor Wellspring, until my side of the field looks like some kind of trash heap. A big, giant trash heap where cards like this can be dropped and people overlook them, until it's finally time for me to make my move.
This card is excellent in that deck, because it really helps me sift past the cards I don't need (which that deck is full of), and really adds to the decor, since it's another card that people will overlook as just another card I used to take up a slot.
And, despite what you'd expect, I win rather consistently with that deck, and I this card has managed to pull one of my finishers from my deck (or one of my counterspells) to help me win several times.
if you invest in card draw at this slot you would be surelly in a better spot
of course it has its uses however is not even close to worth a slot in a control deck
and other tipes really beg you to be faster and not necessarily to win but already get a strong board position for try to search something good.. a limited search by the way
easily beats the laughably slow black and green shrines, whose abilities are irrelevant by the time they come online.
EDIT: Will this see play in Modern with Preordain and Ponder getting whacked by the banhammer?
The best thing is that new players will ignore it until it has 15 counters on it and veteran players will kill it quickly, letting your Caged Sun go unmolested later on.