I hope a textless version of this is the promo card :D
Joking aside, I don't see a good use for it. Besides giving everyone a headache, what it does is let you exile a card and put any amount of mana into it. You can still cast it; though if its a sorcery, only on your main phases etc. You can tap it to get that mana you put into it back but it can only be spent on the exiled card.
Basically, you can hold back on playing an expensive creature or flashy non instant if you want that mana to instead be used for Counterspell or a removal. Than, if you didn't get a reason to use your mana on their turn, you can use that mana on this and exile said critter or whatever. On your turn, tap the cauldron and get a free Air elemental (or whatever) and you STILL have mana to sit on to either counter, kill or use the cauldron again.
Final thought, now that I got my ideas down here. It could be absolutely back breaking in the right deck that has bombs but stuff it wants to do on the opponents turn. Assuming of course that you know how to use it right.
TPmanW
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This may be a powerful game breaking card. I can't tell. Maybe someone will come along and abuse it but it may not happen just based on the card's confusion factor. I mean people didn't really start abusing survival of the fittest en masse until Fauna shaman drew attention to it.
GainsBanding
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@tpmanw... incorrect. The printing of Vengevine made Survival a powerhouse, people knew about it before Fauna Shaman.
DacenOctavio
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Wow. That's certainly a mouthful of text. The main practicality I see for this card is to disrupt hand disruption; you're still able to cast the card from exile, whether or not this is still on the battlefield. And the exiled card is basically in the safest place it can be: exile! Which means you can't get it removed from your hand by other means.
For example, if you were to exile a card from your hand this way, no one could make you discard it, or exile in from your hand themself a la Castigate or Tidehollow Sculler.
But that's really it. There's nothing you can really do with this card except use it as a deep freezer for cards you don't want your opponent to get rid of, but the act of exiling them reveals them and allows your opponent time to counter them.
Personally, I think the closest things to this card that we have in a recent format are Mirror of Fate (vaguely), and Knowledge Pool (strongly).
BuffJittePLZ
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@TPmanW: What are you talking about? Survival of the Fittest was used in tournament decks long before Fauna Shaman was printed.
reapersaurus
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I've never understood the confusion about this card - you simply take a spell, place it on the Cauldron. Next turn, add that mana to whatever other mana you want and cast the spell. It's a storage counter for spells.
There's 10-times harder stuff to understand out there now. Heck, I'd probably have to PLAY a game with Knowledge Pool just to figure it out....
kajillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
what
Lavrant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I remember this being one of those cards that you get bored reading before you figure out if it's any good or not.
TheLastGasp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So far, eh, looks OK. Some fun with using it as a sorta mini ramp over a turn. Tossed it in an EDH deck for the laughs. My goal will be to proliferate it once and voltaic key it to get 2X mana once. Why? Because I can. Nothing special, might be broken if it didn't cost 4 and do nothing when you play it.
Alsebra
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The only thing that I ever saw this used for was for casting an X spell (say...Fireball) over two turns.
@reapersaurus - Knowledge Pool isn't all that confusing...basically, when you cast a spell, you can auto-cast a spell that was exiled by the Pool itself when it came into play. Say you exile a Piston Sledge, a Spidersilk Net, and a Norn's Annex; your opponent hit only three lands. When you cast a spell, you exile that spell (once it resolves, I believe) and can then cast one of the spells (either of the equipment or the Annex). If you manage to cast three spells that turn, your opponent can't get anything from the Pool.
WilloftheLisp
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
TL;DR
AlcariTheMad
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Alsebra That's not how Knowledge pool works.
When it comes in play, the top 3 cards from each library go into the pool. Whenever anyone casts a spell, it goes into the pool and they may cast any other spell in the pool without paying its cost.
So, even if you cast 3 spells in one turn, those spells go into the pool and your opponent can cast spells to get anything already in the pool.
Lueseto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Is this the longest text in a card?
Ragamander
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It seems that if Ice Cauldron gets a charge counter from something else (like Energy Chamber), it can use that charge counter as normal. In effect, you could sink a huge amount of mana into the Cauldron only once, yet be able to access that mana for every spell on the Cauldron. Plus, you can sink mana from Vedalken Engineer and Grand Architect into it!
Of course, you couldn't exile any more spells after loading it with mana (the new X would overwrite the old), and it takes two tappings per spell, unless you have a way to get rid of charge counters (like Power Conduit) or a way to untap it (like Fatestitcher).
In the end, it's probably not worth the effort, but it's a cool concept. At the very least, it's a cool way to evade discard spells, possibly your own discard spells (like Vision Skeins).
magicpablo666
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hmmm, I think I'd rather decipher Primer than read that again.
OneFishTwoFish
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Ragamander: So listen to this: if you get multiple charge counters onto it, you can untap the Ice Cauldron to turn more than one of them into mana in a single turn. For untapping, I was thinking Voltaic Key or Tezzeret the Seeker, or Twiddle's Grip on a more one-time-use basis. For multiple charge counters, I was thinking Doubling Season, but your idea was better. You didn't mention Power Conduit or Coretapper, though.
So yeah, sink 6-8 mana into it with Vedalken Engineers and Grand Architects to drop your X-cost win-mechanism of choice into the cauldron, dump a bunch of charge counters on it however you want, then use a couple of untappers to get all the charge counters from it in one turn to blow your opponents to dust.
And while you're building to that, use the cauldron (and any untappers you have) to circumnavigate your Vision Skeins, which will hopefully buy you some time. It's so crazy it just might work!
Nukeleo
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
TL:DR I forfeit.
mono_blue_forever
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
my brain hurt's...
AeroSigma
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nothing really you can do with it?!? Just a deep freezer?!?
Guys, Guys! This is Mana storage as well!
Turn 4, exile a Slime Molding with 4 mana. Turn 5, cast that Slime Molding with the 4 from Ice Cauldron, and add the 5 available to you this turn. Bang! 5-drop 9/9.
Psychrates
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Delay payment of CMC for your expensive spell. 5/5
EDIT: Serra Avenger...so, um..yeah.
Claytoon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The first line should actually being with: Chapter 1...
TheWrathofShane
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
From the rulings.
"You do not have to use any mana from the Cauldron when casting the spell if you don't want to. You don't even have to tap the Cauldron and draw the mana, you can just cast the spell using mana from somewhere else."
"It is possible to have more than one card exiled by the Cauldron. You can tap the Cauldron to remove the charge counter and whatever mana is on it but leave the card there. Later, you can tap it and put in mana and a charge counter to add another card."
"If multiple cards are exiled by the Cauldron, any one of them can be cast." "If the Cauldron leaves the battlefield, you can still cast any cards it exiled as though they were in your hand."
This card... Defies all common sense and everything I knew about magic. To say its not confusing is just strait up lying.
Earthdawn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Store mana to cast the creature next turn... it's artifact ramp :)
jerkoid
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Rulings:
The mana put in the Cauldron can only be used to cast the given spell, but you can add additional mana to a spell. This means you can pay part of the cost on one turn and the rest of it on the next turn.
Here lies the ability to charge up a lethal spell over two turns.
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty neat card. Let's you sink two turns' worth of mana into a single spell, letting you cast expensive spells early or super-charge {x}-costed spells. Can also be used to keep your cards safe from hand disruption, although your opponents will be able to see what you exiled.
Definitely has a home in EDH :)
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is so much fun to use, if you can figure it out.
judgement-harbinger
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@AeroSigma And, add a Omnath, Locus of Mana in a ramp deck (we'll assume) generates unused green mana from turn 3 (2 assuming you ramped right).
Hunted0Lesser
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Step-by-step of why this CAN be gangsta. 1. Cast it when you have 4 mana, then pass. 2. Activate first ability with X=5 (Exiling Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre), then pass. 3. Activate second ability (gaining 5 mana) add another 6 and destroy a permanent!
This took land-drops, only two cards and you get to keep your cauldron! Not saying sinking all your mana for three turns is good, but the result is not bad.
Or just play it, tap it with UU (exiling Counterspell) and gain a type of mana advantage for every following turn.
Comments (28)
Joking aside, I don't see a good use for it. Besides giving everyone a headache, what it does is let you exile a card and put any amount of mana into it. You can still cast it; though if its a sorcery, only on your main phases etc. You can tap it to get that mana you put into it back but it can only be spent on the exiled card.
Basically, you can hold back on playing an expensive creature or flashy non instant if you want that mana to instead be used for Counterspell or a removal. Than, if you didn't get a reason to use your mana on their turn, you can use that mana on this and exile said critter or whatever. On your turn, tap the cauldron and get a free Air elemental (or whatever) and you STILL have mana to sit on to either counter, kill or use the cauldron again.
Final thought, now that I got my ideas down here. It could be absolutely back breaking in the right deck that has bombs but stuff it wants to do on the opponents turn. Assuming of course that you know how to use it right.
For example, if you were to exile a card from your hand this way, no one could make you discard it, or exile in from your hand themself a la Castigate or Tidehollow Sculler.
But that's really it. There's nothing you can really do with this card except use it as a deep freezer for cards you don't want your opponent to get rid of, but the act of exiling them reveals them and allows your opponent time to counter them.
Personally, I think the closest things to this card that we have in a recent format are Mirror of Fate (vaguely), and Knowledge Pool (strongly).
you simply take a spell, place it on the Cauldron. Next turn, add that mana to whatever other mana you want and cast the spell.
It's a storage counter for spells.
There's 10-times harder stuff to understand out there now.
Heck, I'd probably have to PLAY a game with Knowledge Pool just to figure it out....
@reapersaurus - Knowledge Pool isn't all that confusing...basically, when you cast a spell, you can auto-cast a spell that was exiled by the Pool itself when it came into play. Say you exile a Piston Sledge, a Spidersilk Net, and a Norn's Annex; your opponent hit only three lands. When you cast a spell, you exile that spell (once it resolves, I believe) and can then cast one of the spells (either of the equipment or the Annex). If you manage to cast three spells that turn, your opponent can't get anything from the Pool.
That's not how Knowledge pool works.
When it comes in play, the top 3 cards from each library go into the pool.
Whenever anyone casts a spell, it goes into the pool and they may cast any other spell in the pool without paying its cost.
So, even if you cast 3 spells in one turn, those spells go into the pool and your opponent can cast spells to get anything already in the pool.
Of course, you couldn't exile any more spells after loading it with mana (the new X would overwrite the old), and it takes two tappings per spell, unless you have a way to get rid of charge counters (like Power Conduit) or a way to untap it (like Fatestitcher).
In the end, it's probably not worth the effort, but it's a cool concept. At the very least, it's a cool way to evade discard spells, possibly your own discard spells (like Vision Skeins).
So listen to this: if you get multiple charge counters onto it, you can untap the Ice Cauldron to turn more than one of them into mana in a single turn. For untapping, I was thinking Voltaic Key or Tezzeret the Seeker, or Twiddle's Grip on a more one-time-use basis. For multiple charge counters, I was thinking Doubling Season, but your idea was better. You didn't mention Power Conduit or Coretapper, though.
So yeah, sink 6-8 mana into it with Vedalken Engineers and Grand Architects to drop your X-cost win-mechanism of choice into the cauldron, dump a bunch of charge counters on it however you want, then use a couple of untappers to get all the charge counters from it in one turn to blow your opponents to dust.
And while you're building to that, use the cauldron (and any untappers you have) to circumnavigate your Vision Skeins, which will hopefully buy you some time. It's so crazy it just might work!
Guys, Guys! This is Mana storage as well!
Turn 4, exile a Slime Molding with 4 mana. Turn 5, cast that Slime Molding with the 4 from Ice Cauldron, and add the 5 available to you this turn. Bang! 5-drop 9/9.
EDIT: Serra Avenger...so, um..yeah.
"You do not have to use any mana from the Cauldron when casting the spell if you don't want to. You don't even have to tap the Cauldron and draw the mana, you can just cast the spell using mana from somewhere else."
"It is possible to have more than one card exiled by the Cauldron. You can tap the Cauldron to remove the charge counter and whatever mana is on it but leave the card there. Later, you can tap it and put in mana and a charge counter to add another card."
"If multiple cards are exiled by the Cauldron, any one of them can be cast."
"If the Cauldron leaves the battlefield, you can still cast any cards it exiled as though they were in your hand."
This card... Defies all common sense and everything I knew about magic. To say its not confusing is just strait up lying.
The mana put in the Cauldron can only be used to cast the given spell, but you can add additional mana to a spell. This means you can pay part of the cost on one turn and the rest of it on the next turn.
Here lies the ability to charge up a lethal spell over two turns.
Definitely has a home in EDH :)
1. Cast it when you have 4 mana, then pass.
2. Activate first ability with X=5 (Exiling Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre), then pass.
3. Activate second ability (gaining 5 mana) add another 6 and destroy a permanent!
This took land-drops, only two cards and you get to keep your cauldron! Not saying sinking all your mana for three turns is good, but the result is not bad.
Or just play it, tap it with UU (exiling Counterspell) and gain a type of mana advantage for every following turn.