great card for breaking stale-mates. I'm very unimpressed with the artwork. As an artist, you'd think drawing "sword of the ages" would be a great opportunity, but the background looks like it was generated in a cheesy computer program like paint shop, and the sword itself is pretty generic looking.
I can't say I'm a fan of the art style, but I DID preffer magic back in the day when you got drastically art styles such as this. Most of the new stuff while good is pretty "samey".
Cool effect though.
GrimjawxRULES
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Didn't this become less powerful with the new wording? - the old wording states that you have to sacrifice a number of creatures, and that they are then removed from the game afterwards ... I wonder if they would have triggered any graveyard related abilities ... not to mention the interaction with Dragon Appeasement and Mortician Beetle (if it would ever become relevant)
jonb86
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card was so good back in the day, it was actually banned in vintage for about 2 years during Magic's early days. I still wonder why it was ever banned, since it was very difficult to untap artifacts on the same turn it came into play (tapped) and lots of fat creatures were hard to come by (the only thing I can think of is Ball Lightning+Berserk, no one blocks, and exile it for the win). I have never ever heard of anyone building a deck around this card. Though I did see someone play it in an EDH deck once; he actually won a game with it I heard by making a ton of 1/1s and exiling them to the sword for lethal damage (I think he used the old Squirrel Nest/Earthcraft combo to make the tokens)
Raedien
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
The art resembles the Gladius, standard sword of the Roman empire, thus: Sword of the Ages.
KikiJikiTiki
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Similar to Soulblast. Less risky, but less surprising. This forces you to exile your creatures, but you don't need to exile all of them.
Granted, it's not as good as Diamond Valley in that regard, but unlike DV, it can actually defeat your opponent.
It's fun in casual (esp. group games), but not at all tourney-worthy.
Also- why on earth do you think this card was banned at any point? I've been playing since Legends was in print, and this is news to me.
AFAIK, The only card ever banned from t1 for being broken was Time Vault, and even that one is legal now, despite being re-errata'd into godlike power.
You even have the same huge problem if the effect gets countered since you have to get rid of your creatures as activation cost. (Can't be FoW'd at least, but can get Stifled nonetheless.)
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has always been epic and remains so.
shaftedman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I agree with drpvfx in that I also don't recall this ever being banned. But this card is a 5/5 for me especially in my Preacher, Seasinger, Old Man of the Sea/Life Chisel, Diamond Valley deck. Nothing is better than saying, "You are going to ___________ to me?!?! Ok, Fine. You die"
Earthdawn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Elixir of Immortality in response to ability on the stack. Save your sword and creatures for another day, while still shooting someone for a megaton of damage! :)
Comments (15)
Cool effect though.
Granted, it's not as good as Diamond Valley in that regard,
but unlike DV, it can actually defeat your opponent.
It's fun in casual (esp. group games), but not at all tourney-worthy.
Also- why on earth do you think this card was banned at any point?
I've been playing since Legends was in print, and this is news to me.
AFAIK, The only card ever banned from t1 for being broken was Time Vault,
and even that one is legal now, despite being re-errata'd into godlike power.
The other bans are due to antes, card drop effects (Chaos Orb, Falling Star) or excessive timewasting (Shahrazad).
You even have the same huge problem if the effect gets countered since you have to get rid of your creatures as activation cost. (Can't be FoW'd at least, but can get Stifled nonetheless.)
4/5 Stars