i guess it'll accelerate your useless early-game cards out for late-game when you don't need them.
Laguz
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(9 votes)
Is that worth a card slot though? I don't see any reason why I would ever want this in my deck, but now that i've said that, it will probably be broken beyond belief.
Wizards had a whole article in defense of printing this card, and the whole thing sounded really forced and contrived.
Merdlekid
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I'd say making your deck more consistent is definitely worth the slot. Especially if you have a feeling what the rest of the match will be like.
Playing against aggro and realize your end game combo isn't going to fly? Drop it and draw into your control more often.
Playing against a deck too slow to make you bleed, screw the early game stall and get to your combo pieces faster.
DarthKithkin
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Its like a more useful Mana Severance! I have a feeling Johnnies will broked this card too... damn Johnnies!
Maybe this is too obvious, but Mirror of Fate suddenly makes sense to me.
XDaragoX
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
This is my favorite card in the whole set. I like it because it exemplifies everything that makes a card a Johnny favorite - that is, it begs the question, "What can I do with this?"
Mode
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Another Johnny card obviously. If you were already having a deck with Shared Fate, Leveler and Mirror of Fate, this card will suit in just nicely.
LTJZamboni
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Someone please break this so I can justify having 3 after prerelease weekend!
UNBAN_SHAHRAZAD
★★☆☆☆ (2.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Terrible. Mana Severance was good because it cost 2 and you could think your deck of unwanted lands to get to your good spells. This costs 4 and you get to get rid of your good spells to get to your lands? Terrible.
neloj
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
why will you exile the the non'land cards in your librabry????
And the art being decidedly awesome is a plus, as well.
blindthrall
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(7 votes)
It's so you can landfall trigger every turn. Not really that complicated.
Balhaza
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is actually quite a deceptively good card.
Truth, it does give you lands and therefore give you reliable landfall every turn, but in the Grixis Control deck, weeding your deck of any of the early game spells not only thins your deck, but with Treasure Hunt, really improves your chances of drawing out a Cruel Ultimatum.
Of course, to do so, you should ensure the board is quite clear and that you are confident enough to cast the Nicol Bolas spell.
Atmos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
First, there is no real need for this card if we're arguing about deck consistency in Standard.
Second, even in Legacy we already have Foresight, a card that can thin your deck and remove other dead cards AND can hit lands. Foresight isn't that useful for competitive Legacy (we have fetchlands, duals, and broken one-shot mana sources that can enable low land counts already), but it can be really darn good for casual.
Now, while there are a couple of lame combos with it (Treasure hunt + Seismic Assault for example) I really don't like this card in general. Big thumbs down for this one, especially at rare.
xd4
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Ok i know this is a long shot, but for a black blue deck, have a Hive mind out, and useSorin markov's ultimate ( or or sac a mindslaver) and then cast selective memory during your opponents turn which you are controlling with Quicken or Vedalken Orrery, ultimate mill
Alicanto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Alright, I just made a pretty good deck with it. Here's my idea: 4 Mirror of Fates, 4 Selective Memory's. First, get a couple Walking Atlas' out, along with a Tideforce Elemental, with maybe a Pilgrim's Eye in your hand. Exile all nonland cards with Mirror of Fate's ability, then grab 7 you need, heck, maybe grab an Admonition Angel or Baneslayer and play her. Then I use another Mirror of Fate when you have no cards left in your library, before you would draw out next turn. Play Admonition Angel, then play a land, then use however many Walking Atlas' to play more lands and start exiling your opponent's stuff.
P.S.- I reserve the right to use this in tournaments if legal, lol, but seriously, yeah.
Master_of_Evocation
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Use it with treasure hunt to get the card you need to win.
Nikeyeia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Master_of_Evocation: Lol, yea. Just exile everything else, and get the last card.
@Blackshamrock: Thats clearly worth a try, isn't it?
i got this and mirror of fate i thinked mirrof of fate is crap i thinked selective memory is carp but thogether they are good combo
Cheza
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like the card and the idea. Blue should have many very specific spells that might become useless nd therefore should be removed or used to generate a profit. (f.e. draw+discard). However 'any number' might become a problem and is hard to balance. So it ruins a rare slot. I would have preferred a reprint of Ancestral Knowledge.
Guntz1092
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Champion_Kitsune this is for nonlands, Mana Severance is for lands
nathaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i rated this card solid 2.5 and im sure this is a typical card about-to-get-broken
Vinifera7
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It fills a very very very specific niche, but I doubt this card was printed with any specific combo in mind. It's up to players to figure that out.
Just built a deck based around glaze fiend, ad nauseam, and 0 CMC artifacts. once you have a fiend on the table and a nauseam in hand, just use this to exile all your other copies of ad nauseam and selective memory. makes the deck able to swing for 30+ in the air on turn five. I really like this card, my deck idea would be substantially worse without it.
Gaussgoat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This seems like a game-winning card if there ever was one. It effectively allows you to top deck any card in your deck, as long as there isn't land standing between you and it. Combined with something as simples as Ponder or Halimar Depths, you could have the card you need next turn.
I think it would be very effective with a side-board situation, allowing you to mine out cards that were generic in favor of cards that were devastating to a particular opponent.
Really intriguing, and very, very, very blue.
4/5
KnockK
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Maro + Selective Memory + Treasure Hunt = Win.
Belz_
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Laguz:
It's a meta card, basically, allowing you, like Cranial Extraction, to adapt to the opponent's deck and remove what you don't need, thinning your deck and allowing you to reach the cards you need faster. Mana Severance or Endless Horizons will get rid of the extra lands, if needed.
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love exiling noneland cards from my library...no way!
This must be a part of some exile combo.
Shelldock Isle, anyone? This thing pretty much begs to be used with it. Ish. Maybe. I dunno. It'd be worth a shot, at least.
Denizs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
if sorin markov uses this card... COOL!
Doom_Lich
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
I have Emrakul in my deck, and my opponent is at less than 15 life. I cast selective memory, and leave only lands and Emrakul. I cast Explosive Revelation, and kill them with Emrakul.
7evin
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I've used this card just to get lands when I had Lorthos and Emrakul in my hand. I removed mostly everything else and drew nothing but the lands I needed. It takes a lot of setting up just to get to that point though...
Baconradar
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
The potential for this is in something like a landless or land super light deck. I would think that's obvious. It isn't like such a deck is beyond possible either.
There are also numerous cards that go through the top card of your library and if they hit a land they just keep going until they don't. See autochton wurm and erratic explosion, for instance.
Clearly this is a powerful effect.
Johnald
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Silly little combo. Selective memory out all but a few cards from your deck that are nonland. Treasure Hunt a good chunk of your deck and then Lightning Storm for an insane amount.
Question: Do I need to reveal what cards I'm exiling to my opponent? Do I just need to prove they aren't lands? Some cards (i.e. Diabolic Tutor) allow you to search without revealing the card while others (Cultivate) do not.
Guest1381794618
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I agree with Champion_Kitsune, there's no reason that this should cost more than Mana Severance. Maybe more. Even so, it has found a home in my cycling deck. I'd been having trouble with getting duplicates of my combo pieces once the combo was all set, so what better way to get every dead draw in the deck out? Pull out every copy of Fluctuator, Astral Slide, and Stoic Champion, to leave myself with only cards that now cycle for and go to town with a really big Stoic Champion.
Studoku
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(14 votes)
Jace's head exploded. This amuses me.
TheSwarm
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Hellcarver Demon is pretty good with it, heres my initial idea
4X Hellcarver Demon 4X Selective Memory 4X Preordain 3X Foresee 1X Crystal Ball 2X Duress 3X Inquisition of Kozilek 3X Go for the throat 2X Doom Blade 4X Black Sun's Zenith 1X Emrakul 1X Ulamog 1X Kozilek 1X It That Betrays 1X All Is Dust 1X Distortion Strike 2X Jace The Mind Sculptor 2X Lilliana Vess
Obviously, main combo, drop Hellcarver Demon then exile all cards other than emrakul ulamog kozilek IT and All Is Dust. Then next turn use jace, lilliana and teh various scry effects to make sure they are on top. Then swing, Distortion Strike Just in case they have blockers, cast It that betrays emrakul ulamog and kozilek then all is dust and steal all their colored permanents. Rest of the deck is control and disruption
Everyone else: You run this in standard, you're begging to get Mindslavered.
Homarid-Batman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Maybe, you might be able to have a combo with this and Beacon of Tomorrows.
Guest742242900
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This could be SOOOO usefull if it could remove lands
Splizer
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card works well with Galvanoth; after playing the Galvanoth, you can use this to remove all your cards except your instants and sorceries. Preferably, BIG instants and sorceries :D
Having to draw a card each turn may impede you in that area though if you draw one of your big spells; if so, Omen Machine should cycle through your spells quicker without leaving them dead in your hand.
Arachobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card vexes me, not in itself, but because its something wizards does at the expense of people like me and most of my playing circle who rely mostly on boosters and packs to get their cards, rather then having a good trading group or the money to order online frequently. Namely, the rules of magic rarity being that there are two reasons a card is made rare: 1) It is good and will help a deck 2) It is unusual and is potentially combo-able
Selective Memory is the latter. I pulled it when I brought three Worldwake boosters. The other two rares were Marshal's Anthem and Talus Paladin, who are really cool and you can just put them into a deck without too much effort. Then there was this. My first thought was 'what the hell?' Later I went and looked up combos with it (most notably the hedron crab, treasure hunt, tideforce elemental, walking atlas one) and they're cool combos, but I live in S.A. where magic cards are not sold in many shops and they are expensive. So it'd be hard for me to utilize this rare. More importantly, the people I play with also do not have the luxury of being able to easily accumulate cards to build insane combo decks overnight because they pulled a Johnny friendly rare. So now I have a rare which sits around uselessly in my collection that its highly doubtful I'll ever use. Its annoying, because it also puts me off buying boosters for fear of getting wasted rare slots or the 'MaRo approved' 'this card is only good in draft.'
This looks like oodles of fun with that new Lost in the Woods card coming up in Dark Ascension. Just use a Birds of Paradise or something to produce the blue mana for this, then exile everything from your deck that isn't a forest! It may not hold up against removal, but it'll sure as heck be fun to play.
Misthollow Griffin in the deck is a must, just because it basically gives you bonus card draw.
StudentOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Can Someone Please Tell Me The Point Of This?
EDIT: I Now Understand This Card And All Of Its Combo Potential.
Captain_Sisay_2591
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ugh this card would be so much more practical if you could exile lands as well, for this would be a perfect late-game card when you no longer wish to pick up lands (especially if you are top-decking). 2/5
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like this with Misthollow Griffin. Exile x4 of your griffin and all your other selective memory. Seems legit. Also would pair up great with mass polymorph. Exile all your lowbie creatures from deck then mass polymorph next turn for guaranteed results.
Comments (62)
Wizards had a whole article in defense of printing this card, and the whole thing sounded really forced and contrived.
Playing against aggro and realize your end game combo isn't going to fly? Drop it and draw into your control more often.
Playing against a deck too slow to make you bleed, screw the early game stall and get to your combo pieces faster.
I like the art and flavor text.
If you were already having a deck with Shared Fate, Leveler and Mirror of Fate, this card will suit in just nicely.
i cant get it.., im sorry sirs.,,"
I have no idea how, but it is.
And the art being decidedly awesome is a plus, as well.
Truth, it does give you lands and therefore give you reliable landfall every turn, but in the Grixis Control deck, weeding your deck of any of the early game spells not only thins your deck, but with Treasure Hunt, really improves your chances of drawing out a Cruel Ultimatum.
Of course, to do so, you should ensure the board is quite clear and that you are confident enough to cast the Nicol Bolas spell.
Second, even in Legacy we already have Foresight, a card that can thin your deck and remove other dead cards AND can hit lands. Foresight isn't that useful for competitive Legacy (we have fetchlands, duals, and broken one-shot mana sources that can enable low land counts already), but it can be really darn good for casual.
Now, while there are a couple of lame combos with it (Treasure hunt + Seismic Assault for example) I really don't like this card in general. Big thumbs down for this one, especially at rare.
P.S.- I reserve the right to use this in tournaments if legal, lol, but seriously, yeah.
@Blackshamrock: Thats clearly worth a try, isn't it?
i thinked mirrof of fate is crap
i thinked selective memory is carp
but thogether they are good combo
this is for nonlands, Mana Severance is for lands
I think it would be very effective with a side-board situation, allowing you to mine out cards that were generic in favor of cards that were devastating to a particular opponent.
Really intriguing, and very, very, very blue.
4/5
It's a meta card, basically, allowing you, like Cranial Extraction, to adapt to the opponent's deck and remove what you don't need, thinning your deck and allowing you to reach the cards you need faster. Mana Severance or Endless Horizons will get rid of the extra lands, if needed.
This must be a part of some exile combo.
go jonny go!
Play Selective memory, remove all nonland cards from your deck. Use Treasure Hunt to collect your current deck. Play all of those lands, and gain 1 life for each. Now, play Mirror of Fate, and rig your library with 7 cards of your choosing. For example, Banefire, Banefire, Banefire, Banefire, Dawnglow Infusion, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, and Mirror of Fate. Next turn, watch your opponent burn.
There are also numerous cards that go through the top card of your library and if they hit a land they just keep going until they don't. See autochton wurm and erratic explosion, for instance.
Clearly this is a powerful effect.
4X Hellcarver Demon
4X Selective Memory
4X Preordain
3X Foresee
1X Crystal Ball
2X Duress
3X Inquisition of Kozilek
3X Go for the throat
2X Doom Blade
4X Black Sun's Zenith
1X Emrakul
1X Ulamog
1X Kozilek
1X It That Betrays
1X All Is Dust
1X Distortion Strike
2X Jace The Mind Sculptor
2X Lilliana Vess
Obviously, main combo, drop Hellcarver Demon then exile all cards other than emrakul ulamog kozilek IT and All Is Dust. Then next turn use jace, lilliana and teh various scry effects to make sure they are on top. Then swing, Distortion Strike Just in case they have blockers, cast It that betrays emrakul ulamog and kozilek then all is dust and steal all their colored permanents. Rest of the deck is control and disruption
You just reinvented Goblin Charbelcher.
Everyone else: You run this in standard, you're begging to get Mindslavered.
Having to draw a card each turn may impede you in that area though if you draw one of your big spells; if so, Omen Machine should cycle through your spells quicker without leaving them dead in your hand.
1) It is good and will help a deck
2) It is unusual and is potentially combo-able
Selective Memory is the latter. I pulled it when I brought three Worldwake boosters. The other two rares were Marshal's Anthem and Talus Paladin, who are really cool and you can just put them into a deck without too much effort. Then there was this. My first thought was 'what the hell?' Later I went and looked up combos with it (most notably the hedron crab, treasure hunt, tideforce elemental, walking atlas one) and they're cool combos, but I live in S.A. where magic cards are not sold in many shops and they are expensive. So it'd be hard for me to utilize this rare. More importantly, the people I play with also do not have the luxury of being able to easily accumulate cards to build insane combo decks overnight because they pulled a Johnny friendly rare. So now I have a rare which sits around uselessly in my collection that its highly doubtful I'll ever use. Its annoying, because it also puts me off buying boosters for fear of getting wasted rare slots or the 'MaRo approved' 'this card is only good in draft.'
EDIT: I Now Understand This Card And All Of Its Combo Potential.
Exile x4 of your griffin and all your other selective memory. Seems legit. Also would pair up great with mass polymorph. Exile all your lowbie creatures from deck then mass polymorph next turn for guaranteed results.