Really? Like.... really? There was a need to bring this back?
Kirbster
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The obelisk is useful for its ability to take permanents you did and make them not.
majinara
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Two friends cracking packs of MEDIV. First guy: "Hey, I cracked two packs and got a Demonic Tutor and Balance. Neat huh?" Second guy: "I got Obelisk of Undoing and Cloud Dragon... uhm... hm..:"
ChumleyX
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
1 star? Really? C'mon folks... this is a much better card than you think. It offers great utility in a casual deck.
I run one of these in a mono black deck with Nekrataal, Gatekeeper of Malakir and similar "triggered" removal. It's cheap -- you can drop it on turn one -- and it's the only artifact (as of 2011) to give ANY color an ability only found in blue. In the late game, you can protect any of your creatures, lands, planeswalkers, artifacts and enchantments. And it's reusable. A 3.5/5 at least. Great card in the right deck.
themlsna
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I like the art, at least.
Lavrant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If the activation cost was even just two mana cheaper it could be really fun and useful in some casual combo decks.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@majinara At least cloud dragon is an easy draftable.
Arachobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@chumleyx I don't think paying 6 to return one card you control once per turn-cycle is good, even in casual. Unless you're cards are really limited.
For that cost, bloodthrone vampire 'eating' one of your mentioned removers and then recycling it with a gravedigger costs the same and gives more benefit (in mono-black at least).
drpvfx
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
You can create a permanent lock with this and Stasis.
There are better ways of keeping Stasis around, but any method that, like this one, allows you an untap phase while denying one for everyone else, is going to win you the game, and lose you some friends.
Marginally useful in combos, but a pretty bad card in general.
Psychrates
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is jelly to Stasis' peanut butter. Not really feasible with any other cards, doesn't need to be. The Channel/Fireball of W/U.
DrJack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You guys are mentioning how this Obelisk can create a permanent lock with Stasis. Can't Time Elemental do the same thing?
Erdrick711
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I understand its a 12 mana total combo and is very vulnerable to shatterstorm-type effects, but this is one of the only ways in a Karn, Silver Golem Commander deck to return permanents to your hand at a whim. It enables a combo that says "nice counterspells and singleton rules"
Step 1: Mirror Works in play Step 2: cast Prototype portal, kick it with mirror works step 3: decline to imprint a card onto the real prototype portal step 4: in response to your prototype portal copy's imprint trigger, bounce the real portal and imprint onto token. step 5: make portal tokens imprinting the rest of your deck and laugh at counterspells!
protected by darksteel forge and witchbane orb
kiseki
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Wasn't inappropriate for the "gatherer terrible" format, until all the 1.9 rated cards with ETB abilities got voted higher. Generally, Erratic Portal will be much better, but that card can only do creatures.
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The Battle of Tomakul taught Urza not to rely on artifacts that cost to activate.
I used to love this card. The Johnny in me kept pushing me to try and find some way to use it. But it's just too expensive.
The_Jabberwocky
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Don't you hate it when a perfectly good piece of Tom Wanerstrand art goes to waste?
rodrat
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Until I read the oracle I thought the card was really cool. Wish it worked as it read.
Mode
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Obelisk of Undoing unfortunately doesn't have the power of undoing the mistake of giving it an obscenely expensive activation cost. It couldn't even undo its rare status and turn into an uncommon. How sad.
Comments (18)
First guy: "Hey, I cracked two packs and got a Demonic Tutor and Balance. Neat huh?"
Second guy: "I got Obelisk of Undoing and Cloud Dragon... uhm... hm..:"
I run one of these in a mono black deck with Nekrataal, Gatekeeper of Malakir and similar "triggered" removal. It's cheap -- you can drop it on turn one -- and it's the only artifact (as of 2011) to give ANY color an ability only found in blue. In the late game, you can protect any of your creatures, lands, planeswalkers, artifacts and enchantments. And it's reusable. A 3.5/5 at least. Great card in the right deck.
At least cloud dragon is an easy draftable.
For that cost, bloodthrone vampire 'eating' one of your mentioned removers and then recycling it with a gravedigger costs the same and gives more benefit (in mono-black at least).
There are better ways of keeping Stasis around,
but any method that, like this one,
allows you an untap phase while denying one for everyone else,
is going to win you the game,
and lose you some friends.
Marginally useful in combos,
but a pretty bad card in general.
Step 1: Mirror Works in play
Step 2: cast Prototype portal, kick it with mirror works
step 3: decline to imprint a card onto the real prototype portal
step 4: in response to your prototype portal copy's imprint trigger, bounce the real portal and imprint onto token.
step 5: make portal tokens imprinting the rest of your deck and laugh at counterspells!
protected by darksteel forge and witchbane orb
Generally, Erratic Portal will be much better, but that card can only do creatures.
I used to love this card. The Johnny in me kept pushing me to try and find some way to use it. But it's just too expensive.