Pointed Discussion

Arguably one of the best card drawing cards in the game.

(When it was printed, anyway)

said to be the lost 10th piece of the power 9

Would have been a great joke to see this at uncommon again.
Wizards, you need a sense of humor.

I love using this with Land Tax in my white weenie deck.

is this another one of those chimeny imp like cards? were everyone just compliments it because of how bad it is? or am i missing something.

Starting the game with this in your hand can win you the game easy, I also remember every land kill spell and there pet dog targeting it.

I can't Believe people ask why this is so powerful.... Or how someone ACTUALLY ASKED if it was loved because of "how bad it is like that other card".... Are you kidding are just really bad and never been to a tournament where someone knows full well this is THE Cheating Device, where you lay it out, and then draw a card with a control deck (Which is easy to keep 7 cards because you're only going to cast something when you need to before you go off anyway) and then each turn you should be drawing two cards on top of whatever else you have to draw with. And of course the fact that you can't to this day counter land means you have card advantage no one can stop until it's actually killed.

Let's say I play a game with one of you who don't get why it's good and I go second, so I have 8 cards. I lay this, say done, and during your turn, I use it to draw an 8th card. I then take my turn, draw up card #9, play a land, now have 8 cards, maybe a spell for 7 (Zuran Orb for Example) and then tap it AGAIN to draw ANOTHER card, and so on.

This card alone + Mind Twist were considered a Win in Type 1 back in 1994, AND 1995. They weren't Restricted then, and neither was Fastbond, so, you'd lay Fastbond, lay out 4 of these, cast Wheel of Fortune, and then tap all 4 in response to each other, and draw 4 cards. IF you can't win from this, you aren't going to win in any form of Competitive Magic anyway.

@Bijart_dauth
I am confused. 'Were everyone just compliments it because of how bad it is?'
This is one of the most powerful draw card ever printed except Ancestral Vision, Time Twister, and Final Fortune. By sacrificing your first mana, you get to draw 2 cards . . EVERY TURN (if used correctly)
Thank god this is banned in legacy.
5/5

@bijart_dauth

Lots of angry comments aimed at you, wooh. Anyway, this isn't one of them. Look, it lets you draw a card each turn, and it still taps for mana if you need it to. If you have a decent mana base, then this won't hurt you at all. Also, it nets you an extra card and can go in ANY color deck.

Draw an extra Lightning Bolt in that burn deck, a Hatred in your black suicide deck, even another big green meany in your green stompy deck.

Also, as has been pointed out, you can't counter land. So the only way to deal with this is Land Destruction, and that isn't something the average (read: not land destruction themed deck) usually packs.

And just to be an extra chunk of broken, it doesn't enter the battlefield tapped. So you can do it instantly. Bam, NO LOSS IN CARD ADVANTAGE.

That's why it's good. Go proxy it in one of your decks. Play it a few times and you'll realize how epic this card is. Unless you were just trolling everyone, in that case, you are a punk and I hate you.

PS. http://www.cardkingdom.com/catalog/view?search=basic&filter=Library+of+Alexandria+

If things go well, this gives you an extra card every turn. You usually have to pay about for that effect; getting it on a land that doesn't need anything but is epic. And even if things don't go well (say, you don't draw this until after your hand has shrunk down), you can still get mana from it, so it still probably doesn't hurt you. Powerful advantage plus no drawback equals great card.

to be fair guys, it is quite possible that bijart is simply new to the game, or new to learning the more intricate strategies. It took me 3 years to figure out what 'card advantage' meant, and Im stil trying to learn how to get it without losing it.

Even once I finally realized that this could be the most broken version of Jayemdae Tome ever, I STILL had difficulty imagining how I was going to consistently get around the drawback, and I briefly considered it a bit like a leyline. There was a time when I figured that a Basic Land would alway be better than Library of Alexandria for mana, and Howling Mine would be better for drawing. I was very WRONG, but it made sense at the time.

Bazaar of Baghdad, I'm sad to say, I immediately thought was bonkers, much better than this, but the drawback prevents it from being profitable the way I wanted to use it. In Dredge, epic. In everything else, not so much. Bazaar wouldn't be nearly the price it is now if it weren't old and rare, compared to this one's ability which is good in any deck.

Just remember what it was like when you were first learning the game: M12 Core Limited may be an intuitive game, but Legacy/Vintage most certainy is not. There's a sharp learning curve, and all the super good stuff is more skill-intensive than downright plain outrageously broken. Like, it has to really hit you in the face like Time Walk in order for a new guy to 'get it'.

the best drawing machine ever existed! Try it out in MWS and just watch!

10/4/2004 You may tap multiples of these in response to each other because the requirement for 7 cards is checked only at the time the ability is announced and not again when it resolves.
yeah, too bad it's restricted in every format it isn't banned in...

bijart_dauth is a troll. There is no other reasonable explanation.

I can see how an inexperienced player might overlook this card, thinking that his hand is rarely at 7 cards. What you need to realize is that Library of Alexandria lets you play at least a card every turn and still keep your hand at 7...

@pedrodyl

Vesuva? It's not legendary (looks like it should be though.. I think legendary wasn't introduced until after this set though)

forget drawing machines, this is the best LAND ever printed

dear trolls,
quit rating below 5 on broken cards.
that is all ty

It wouldn't be prudent to say that this is the very best land in magic next to the tolarian academy and mishra's workshop.

Card advantage for any color that also provides mana. And it's not even legendary. What on earth...
Of course, it might as well be, since it's banned and restricted everywhere.

My favorite land of all time. I just wish I could play it in EDH. Or any format really. Well, I wish that I owned it. That 150-200 dollar pricetag is most of the reason I don't. But yeah. Love it.
Wins games.
5/5

Back in 1995, Inquest Magazine ranked this card as the second-best card ever printed. No wonder: it is even broken to this day: uncounterable, free card drawing and a mana source to boot.

As you can see from the new players, good drawback "In Theory" but in practice just broken.
.5/5 for balancing and development.

One of the most fun magic cards ever; super with Time-Twister or Wheel of Fortune. One can tap it in the upkeep if seven cards are already in hand or after the draw if that gets it to seven. Play two cards a turn until the 'Twister or Wheel shows up then drop the whole hand, re-load, and start over!

UNCOMMON.

What about breaking library of alexandia even more by copying it with vesuva and thespian's stage?

Library of Alexandria's revived flavor text:

"Going second is awesome."

One of the best cards ever printed. Having this in your starting hand -- or drawing it on your second turn or so -- will usually guarantee victory. The only drawback is that it's somewhat useless if you draw it very late in the game with an empty hand; but it's still outrageously good.

Blue counter / control decks running this used to be terrifying or white one-for-one removal decks using this used to be terrifying; just run it with any sort of one-for-one cards and you'll win eventually.

Or run with Ivory Tower for massive lifegain at the same time, too. Not that this card needs it -- combos well with Magic cards.

Love this card and gutted I can't play it in legacy

I'm with you, bijart_dauth. I see how this can be pretty powerful, but I certainly don't think it's Power 10 material.

But then, I've never seen this is play.

I just think the card-drawing is too fragile. What if someone plays Skullcage or Ebony Owl Netsuke? Both of those would either kill the card advantage or kill the player.

Don't strip me of my right to play Magic over this, I just don't see how this is the most powerful card outside the Power Nine.

"10/4/2004 You may tap multiples of these in response to each other because the requirement for 7 cards is checked only at the time the ability is announced and not again when it resolves.
yeah, too bad it's restricted in every format it isn't banned in..."

Vesuva and Thespian's Stage would like to speak with you.

I like this card because it's very powerful yet a bit more subtle about it than other powerhouses. I mean, it has a condition and you've got to have the right play style to use it. As opposed to ancestral or lotus where you play it for instant advantage.