if you use channel for all 20 of your life and then activate fireball as the 2nd part of the chain would fireball resolve be for the full 20 dmg be for the loss of 20 of your life would kill you?
OneT
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Paying life is a cost, costs don't go on the stack. Meaning you would pay 20 life and then instantly lose, you wouldn't even get 20 colorless mana in your pool.
Aah, a classic. This got banned just after I started getting into Magic, I had no idea why. Then someone explained to me the Channel / Fireball first turn kill combo, and I was blown away.
GainsBanding
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(22 votes)
I got called "gay" for casting Channel / Fireball online. Sigh, no love for the classic combos. Kids these days.
Ideatog
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(8 votes)
Um, Superllama12, I hate to break up your comborific eldrazi lulz, but Emrakul, the Aeons Torn has protection from colored spells (including your own), so no giant growths.
ninjaman98
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Turn 1; mountain, Raging Goblin; 1 damage. Turn 2; forest, 1 more damage. Turn 3, forest, channel 18 life; Fireball in your face!
Nice idea, Superllama - Overwhelming Stampede is hilarious with Emrakul - but it doesn't work either... since Channel's effect only lasts until the end of your first turn.
drebhan
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(5 votes)
Heres an Emrakul combo that works turn one forest, llanowar Elves, turn two- forest channel, 19 life play channel and grappling hook, extra turn forest equip grapling hook attack 15 flying Double Strike. There. it isn't hard.
metalevolence
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
this mechanic seems like it should be black.
ICEFANG13
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@ drebhan
I must have missed out on the M11 rules, thanks for informing me that mana doesn't empty at the end of phases or turns
MIne's a turn three win, much more likely to happen, and doesn't break the rules
Drewsel
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card plus anything with "X" in the cost. Win the game.
Superllama12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Turn 0: Gemstone Caverns Turn 1: Forest, Channel, pay 15 life, Emrakul the Aeons Torn Extra Turn: Two Giant Growths, attack, 21 DAMAGE!!!!! I am just comborific
Edit: Well, I guess SOME PEOPLE (who's name starts with I and ends with deatog) are just jealous of my combo making skizzles. But, if you insist:
Emrakul on turn 1, then on extra turn play a land and pay 2 life for OVERWHELMING STAMPEDE!!!
See, another brilliant combo! And obviously, 2 brilliant combos from one person must mean that he or she is a brilliant person (check Wikipedia)! And: Emrakul may be affected by colored spells that don't target it or deal damage to it, including those that cause it to become blocked.
It gets even better with Chancellor of the Tangle, up to {G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G}{G} on first turn with Channel and a Forest in hand? Yes please!
Zacklar
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@Blkphoenix88 this is not Yugi, there are not chains here xD but anyways you cannot do it since Fireball is a sorcery, and the 0 life would kill you before you can cast even a Lightning Bolt
@Superllama and i think you would need less cards and have a higher chance of success with just Channel and Fireball
chances of getting a swamp, a forest, a gemstone caverns, a dark ritual, a emrakul, a channel and a triumph of the hordes are far lower than getting a black lotus, a mountain, a channel and a fireball
But seriously folk, Channel is THE most broken card in the game, EVEN more so than Black Lotus. Don't believe me? It completely wins the 'dollar-to-power' contest.
The From the Vault printing is 2 dollars! Easily the Holy Grail of Building on a Budget.
Fine, other cards go in even stronger decks, but... 1) Channel-Fireball was the first broken combo deck in the game. 2) Channel was the first KNOWN to be broken card in the game. (followed by Lotus, then Recall, then a bunch of other cards that aren't NEARLY as fun as throwing a big, giant, freaking, huge FIREBALL at somebody's FACE!) 3) Channel-Fireball is a deck that can be rebuilt today, in only 3 colors (pick either blue or black to add mucho consistency or protection) 4) Channel-Fireball is can be Built On A Budget if you squint. Barely.
The odds of you dying to a Channel-Fireball deck are therefore much higher than most other decks, because it attracts the historians, the crazy pyro kids, and the people who love Magic, but haz no moneyz. Of which there are quite a few. I bet a LOT of players go through 'fine. the hell with it. I'm going off to build Channel-Fireball now.' phase, because they are sick of the best cards being unattainable, and this deck is completely obtainable, and still worth running.
Slawsonite
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Imo this card should be black:P Anyways so many combos this fits in... broken card
NuckChorris
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(7 votes)
People abusing this card is why Gut Shot should be rated higher.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(5 votes)
this card reads "play any card in your hand that you want" wow.
Biteybiteybitey
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Turn 0: Gemstone Caverns Turn 1: Forest, Channel, Fireball (for 10-12 damage) + Reverberate would be the modern day equivalent.
Keeps you well out of the Lightning Bolt area, as Reverberate copies the sorcery exactly including X costs, it creates a second copy of a 10-12 damage Fireball to the face ;)
001010011100101110
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(11 votes)
You: "Land, Black Lotus, Channel, Fireball. I win."
*opponent calls judge*
high_tide_niv
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
channel, mycosynth lattice, well of lost dreams, words of wordship. draw a card or gain life
DoubleTarget
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Before MEIV, the last time I performed the Channel/Fireball combo was in 1994. I won an MEIV draft by casting it twice. That may very well be the last time I ever get to use the combo.
OneFishTwoFish
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Goes infinite with Transcendence as long as you never let the stack empty. Coincidentally, this also makes you immune to death via life-loss, which lends itself nicely to killing everyone except you with a massive Squall Line.
Add with Chancellor of the Tangle and Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Turn 1 15/15 Annihilator 6 that can't be countered or targeted. We made my buddy retire that deck for obvious reasons.
kiseki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In addition to everything else mentioned, now you can activate your Dark Ascension fateful hour cards like Thraben Doomsayer at will.
Also, powering out a pair or trio of Lodestone Golems could stop your opponents from casting anything meaningful for the rest of the game while you smash their faces with a comfortable life cushion.
wesleyv
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I'm amazed nobody has mentioned Children of Korlis, or Dawnglow Infusion. Popping either with channel will get you 19 mana with full life, or get you up to 39 life, or you can do both to get up to 77 life that can be turned into mana for the rest of the turn, easily popping your Spawnsire of Ulamog on turn 2, or even 1 if you are lucky and have the right ramsp. My most competetive deck uses this combo. Also, you can use tainted sigil if you are going tricolor. You're welcome
5/5
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In addition to the classic combos: Turn two Emrakul.
o_o
gman92
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Channel + Exsanguinate in Multiplayer would be fun, non? Oh, really non? Oh. Okay.
Back then it was this an fireball, with no deck limit. So if you spent some money in alpha, it really was turn 1 win all day.
SeriesOfTubes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Why is this worse than fastbond. Sounds almost strictly better outside of landfall.
Oh and it obviously should cost at least {B} extra.
EGarrett01
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey. On top of being famously broken, has anyone mentioned yet how totally out-of-flavor this card is for Green? Sacrificing life for a temporary mana boost? Was black classically and now is more red. Plus, look at the artwork, that does not look Green at all.
Gilgameshtonberry
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I play Channel in my deck and I constantly see and hear people saying how Channel is broken. Channel is not broken. It's the spell you cast afterwards that is broken, unless it is countered.....then you get to have your own personal cry session. Oh and Banefire not Fireball.
WILLOW-THE-WHAT
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Such a power card. Even if you dont have Lotus, you can use tinder wall for a turn 2 kill:
Turn 1: Forest and Tinder Wall Turn 2: another forest sacrifice Tinder Wall to give 2 red mana, cast Channel + Banefire or Fireball.
SoulsDescend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In case anyone was wondering, this card is indeed banned in EDH, even though it's not showing it as banned in the Sets & Legality tab.
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm amused by the fact that they published this card, restricted this card, banned this card, then released Necropotence anyway.
How long did it take R&D to realize that if you can win in one turn, the only life point that mattered was your last?
@everyonebitchingaboutthecolorpie This card`s creation came before the color pie even existed. They really had no clue what they were doing for the aspects of colors.
Channel + Fireball is really outdated. Blue decks will mulligan into Force of Wil and Force the Fireball after you already invested 3 cards and 19 life into it. Worse yet is that you can't even Force your opponents Force, since you're at 1 life.
That's why you play Banefire instead. Teach the blue player not to get greedy and make them Force your Channel instead, making it a 2-for-2 trade and keeping you at 20 life.
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the best combo cards of all time, even to this day.
Comments (50)
It's friggin' Channel. COMMENTS NAO.
Oh, and it's a very good card.
I must have missed out on the M11 rules, thanks for informing me that mana doesn't empty at the end of phases or turns
And your combo is broken, the Grappling Hook needs to be removed, just win with Emrakul, the Aeons Torn instead, odds are they can't kill it.
MIne's a turn three win, much more likely to happen, and doesn't break the rules
Turn 1: Forest, Channel, pay 15 life, Emrakul the Aeons Torn
Extra Turn: Two Giant Growths, attack, 21 DAMAGE!!!!!
I am just comborific
Edit: Well, I guess SOME PEOPLE (who's name starts with I and ends with deatog) are just jealous of my combo making skizzles. But, if you insist:
Emrakul on turn 1, then on extra turn play a land and pay 2 life for OVERWHELMING STAMPEDE!!!
See, another brilliant combo! And obviously, 2 brilliant combos from one person must mean that he or she is a brilliant person (check Wikipedia)! And:
Emrakul may be affected by colored spells that don't target it or deal damage to it, including those that cause it to become blocked.
So HAH, I AM smarticle! :P
Thanks, though, Ideatog, I always forget that!
EDIT: Okay, so I lose AGAIN!!! Maybe if on the extra turn you drop a swamp and Dark Ritual out a Triumph of the Hordes
this is not Yugi, there are not chains here xD but anyways you cannot do it since Fireball is a sorcery, and the 0 life would kill you before you can cast even a Lightning Bolt
@Superllama
and i think you would need less cards and have a higher chance of success with just Channel and Fireball
chances of getting a swamp, a forest, a gemstone caverns, a dark ritual, a emrakul, a channel and a triumph of the hordes are far lower than getting a black lotus, a mountain, a channel and a fireball
your combo = 7 cards
classic combo = 4 cards
Even though this has 'Mana-cropotence' screaming all over it, and Black doesn't really have a good combo enabler. yet.
Black: RE: Channel: Yawgmoth's Will. Thank you R&D! :D
But seriously folk, Channel is THE most broken card in the game, EVEN more so than Black Lotus. Don't believe me? It completely wins the 'dollar-to-power' contest.
The From the Vault printing is 2 dollars! Easily the Holy Grail of Building on a Budget.
Fine, other cards go in even stronger decks, but...
1) Channel-Fireball was the first broken combo deck in the game.
2) Channel was the first KNOWN to be broken card in the game. (followed by Lotus, then Recall, then a bunch of other cards that aren't NEARLY as fun as throwing a big, giant, freaking, huge FIREBALL at somebody's FACE!)
3) Channel-Fireball is a deck that can be rebuilt today, in only 3 colors (pick either blue or black to add mucho consistency or protection)
4) Channel-Fireball is can be Built On A Budget if you squint. Barely.
The odds of you dying to a Channel-Fireball deck are therefore much higher than most other decks, because it attracts the historians, the crazy pyro kids, and the people who love Magic, but haz no moneyz. Of which there are quite a few. I bet a LOT of players go through 'fine. the hell with it. I'm going off to build Channel-Fireball now.' phase, because they are sick of the best cards being unattainable, and this deck is completely obtainable, and still worth running.
Turn 1: Forest, Channel, Fireball (for 10-12 damage) + Reverberate would be the modern day equivalent.
Keeps you well out of the Lightning Bolt area, as Reverberate copies the sorcery exactly including X costs, it creates a second copy of a 10-12 damage Fireball to the face ;)
*opponent calls judge*
Furthermore, you can draw your way to Squall Line solely via Well of Lost Dreams, and Gemstone Array can filter the mana from Channel into colored mana, allowing you to cast Transcendence and go infinite starting with as little as
Rule 603.8: State-triggers are crazy.
Also, powering out a pair or trio of Lodestone Golems could stop your opponents from casting anything meaningful for the rest of the game while you smash their faces with a comfortable life cushion.
5/5
o_o
Oh, really non? Oh. Okay.
Back then it was this an fireball, with no deck limit. So if you spent some money in alpha, it really was turn 1 win all day.
Oh and it obviously should cost at least {B} extra.
Turn 1: Forest and Tinder Wall
Turn 2: another forest sacrifice Tinder Wall to give 2 red mana, cast Channel + Banefire or Fireball.
How long did it take R&D to realize that if you can win in one turn, the only life point that mattered was your last?
I just got it.
Actually, I think you can even get the turn 0 win:
Start the game with Gemstone Caverns on the battlefield. Tap for
Exile Elvish Spirit Guide for
Exile Simian Spirit Guide for
Exile Simian Spirit Guide for
Cast Channel. Pay 19 life.
Cast Fireball with X=20. Win the game.
Turn 1 win can be accomplished with a much more versatile opening hand than the Turn 0 win.
Ben Stark: Huh?
Luis Scott-Vargas: You called?
That's why you play Banefire instead. Teach the blue player not to get greedy and make them Force your Channel instead, making it a 2-for-2 trade and keeping you at 20 life.