Not nearly as powerful as Skullclamp, consider that 1) Your opponent can choose not to block and 2) You can kill your own critters with Clamp to draw. However, this one has a lot of potential in Infect decks where unblocked creatures are nightmares.
MrBarrelRoll
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(25 votes)
Why hello there Tangle Angler! What's that? You can see the future? And I'm drawing cards? Well golly gee!
ZEvilMustache
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(17 votes)
You have it all wrong, this is designed to make my Drelnochs twice as powerful! Bow before their terrible might!
Sweetnesszero
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If this effect stacks with muiltiple blockers and muiltiple copies then Tangle Angler Is gonna be such an awesome card.
SleetFox
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
This is going to be an all-star. It will play very similarly to a fixed form of Skullclamp, and even fixed, that is fantastic. Opponents will be forced to choose between two very bad choices. A big creature with this will be absolutely deadly, especially if you have spells to protect it.
One of the best cards in Scars of Mirrodin I think.
KyoDarkFire
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Awesome on any creature, specially if they have a decent body or effect when dealing damage to players
stratoscythe
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(8 votes)
Skullclamp fixed... finally... but still... 2 cards... oh well who's complaining, just my opponent. Also absolute good on infect decks...
Mindbend
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
combos with ........creatures basicaly , if you got creatures you should probably have four of these in your deck .
MrQuizzles
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(6 votes)
Nowhere near as abusable as Skullclamp, but still quite an incredible little card. Its low cost means that it'll find a home in pretty much any deck using creatures.
gotohells
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
It might be good with Deftblade Elite
Doom_Lich
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
They coulda just said unblockable, because that what this is going to end up being all the time. And I like unblockable for 2 mana.
Alceron
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
i want a set!
Gezus82
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
wizards really need to think hard whenever they design cheap artifacts, especially at the uncommon slot. is this gonna turn out like skulclamp, aether vial, the top?
mlanier131
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(7 votes)
Yes, players with this card are given "an almost insurmountable edge".
Danveldo
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Clearly the best equipment in scars. This is baby skullclamp and as such suffers the Umezawa's Jitte syndrome...Most decks with creatures will run this...Just think of cards that Want equipments, and add this. You can be spiting out Cats. boosting Kor and making Bigger goblins in no time
MasterOfEtherium
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Whoa!
Weary_PSI
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Wow, that's just brutal. Particularly good on an Infect creature; your opponent can take the Poison counters, or they can get a withered blocker and net you two cards in the process. Damned if you do, doubly damned if you don't.
goodbye mask of memory, but skullclamp is still superior. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't seen it played or is a terrible player
Kageyaiba
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Forget Taunting Elf... Nemesis Mask FTW Just combine it with handy abilities like deathtouch or Indestructibility...
NinjaFish
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
anyone want to draw 3 cards for 1 green mana? Combine Irresistible Prey with Infiltration Lens for some serious early game card advantage.
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Umm ... Taunting Elf? xD Just be sure your opponents don't have too many creatures on the table, as you could end up losing many good cards to discarding at your end step (well, unless you're running something Wheel of Sun and Moon-ish).
Also kudos for MrBarrelRoll for putting a big smile on my face - awesome combo :)
I think I'd die if I managed to crack this and an Engulfing Slagwurm. Let's see... you can let me hit you with my 7/7, or you can chump block with a 1/1 like you might otherwise... but let me draw 2 cards in addition to the lifegain.
Trinket Mage can find it, which is another nice limited feature. "I use my card advantageous Trinket Mage, to find... a card which will probably provide even more card advantage".
It could be pretty nice on Argent Sphinx... even if they do try to trade with your attacking sphinx, get your card draw, then blink him the heck out of there.
With Kudoltha Phoenix's recursion you'd basically get a 5 turn clock on its own if they're not willing to give you tremendous card advantage.
As has been mentioned, when Tangle Angler attacks it basically becomes pay X green mana, draw 2X cards.
Against a non infect deck the darksteel crew (Juggernaut and Sentinel) will pose very serious problems.
If it's not obvious, I can't wait to actually get one of these in a limited environment. People paid 6+ mana for Sorceror's Strongbox, and that yielded 3 cards. By the time you've managed to invest 6 mana in this you'll likely either have gotten in a lot of unblocked attacks, or drawn more than 3 cards. Not too shabby Mr Equipment!
This proofs that a lens can even be useful while wearing a mask.
Although the flavor of that card is kind of strange:
Using the future sight device to get some extra knowledge explains the card draw.
Yet if it's used by an intruder to prevent getting caught, why does he still fight the blocker if he gets the knowledge when somebody arrives to block him?
Shouldn't the equipped creature be able to get removed from combat or something? (This would make this card broken, but remember i just wonder about the card flavor-wise)
@SpencerDub: That's because the Lens reads " becomes blocked by a creature" These three words seem to be redundant at first, yet makes this notable advantage that Ichorclaw Myr doesn't have.
Wraique
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like "becomes blocked by a creature" as opposed to just "becomes blocked". I know they amount to the same thing, and it's not like anything but creatures can block, but this way more people might correctly interpret that it triggers separately for each blocker.
Thumbs up for less ambiguous wording, Wizards.
@SpencerDub: Ah. I didn't know that. Much appreciated :)
SpencerDub
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
According to the Scars FAQ, there is actually a functional difference between this and Ichorclaw Myr. The Lens triggers once for each blocker, while the Myr triggers only once, whether or not there is more than one blocker.
Edit: @Mode- Oh, I already understand why. I was posting it in the comments thread so others would know.
Maximillini86
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
@majinara:
One word: Infect.
The opponent is then put into the unenviable position of deciding to take poison counters (which you can slam a giant growth on the creatures for extra), or giving you distinct advantage with two cards, and permanently weakening their fatty. It's pretty much win-win for you.
Even with non-infect creatures your situation is not universal. Maybe YOUR three mana creature is bigger than theirs, then they have to either kill their guy or take a chunk of damage.
Either way, this card rocks, and puts your opponent in some tricky combat situations.
allmighty_abacus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
hey, it's a fixed version of skullclamp! It's a pretty far cry from its ancestor, though. Unless you're running infect, you probably won't get to draw at all. Compare that to the clamp, which you could toss on an arcbound worker, draw two cards, put the +1/+1 token on whatever, bounce the worker back with a skeleton shard, play it again, re-equip... all the time pinging your opponent with disciple of the vault.
Nonetheless, in an infect deck, it can be quite a boon. The creature will get blocked most likely, as nobody likes poison counters.
Guest1162619373
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(7 votes)
@majinara >> Rating your comment down won't remove the ignorance from it, but it does make me feel better somehow.
Problem one of your opinion: it a.ssumes the aggro player is either an idiot and constantly attacks into a stabilized position, or is already winning anyway because everyone ALWAYS attacks even if it isn't a good idea, right?
Then you pull a Strawman argument out of thin air claiming Wrath, Damnation etc make it a useless card because it cannot draw cards with no creatures in play. OMG, really? Equipment needs a creature in play be effective? Might as well write off ALL equipment cards then since they all require creatures in play to be fully effective. Your argument here is invalid.
Weird Draw spell scenario: Strawman argument through and through. Not only is it a strawman argument it's bringing up a contrived situation where the player makes bad decisions in a situation in order to maintain the claim it's a horrible equipment.
Am I saying this is a great card? No. Am I saying it's fast enough to be competitive? No. Am I saying "Run this all the time"? Hardly, but I am saying your arguments as to why it's a terrible card are strawman arguments and pretty much pure fail.
Uhhsam
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(19 votes)
by that same logic, majinara, lightning bolt is overhyped because if you cast it on a baneslayer angel it becomes:
R - Weird Nothing Spell Instant As an additional cost to cast weird nothing spell, slap yourself in the face.
of course this card is going to be less exciting if you use it wrong.
landboysteve
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is one of those sneaky good cards that in the right deck, can be a royal pain in the butt.
RareCardHunter
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combo this with Spellbook, Lure, and Engulfing Slagwurm to kill a lot of creatures, draw 2 cards for each creature blocked, gain a lot of life, and avoid being forced to discard a card at end of turn if you end up drawing a lot of cards.
InfernalIncinerator
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When it comes to this card, I have to say that it has its uses. This card to me makes it so I can play divination for the price of an attack. Some cards that make this thing that much better when equipped.
Lodestone Golem. I have to admit I would never attack with one of my lodestones if I could help it, but if I have a couple out and this thing out at the same time, I am definitely gonna equip this to one and attack, cause who is gonna let a Lodestone attack and not try to kill it with everything they can.
Grappling Hook. This card forces a creature to block your double striking beasty. This combo may be expensive, but not only are there ways around that, but it also locks a draw in for you to abuse other combos your deck may have.
Darksteel Juggernaut. With the size that this guy can gain, it is almost imperative that he gets this equipped to him before you start attacking since this can spell easy card advantage every turn. The only risk here is infect, since wither counters are the only thing that can kill him any day of the week.
Either way, this card has is useful only if you can make your opponent block your creature, so it can potentially be useless. Just make the it so that they think that they are not losing as much as they may be.
CJM2
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(13 votes)
"OH MY GOD THIS CARD IS HORRIBLE BECAUSE IT ISN'T SKULLCLAMP."
Um, no. Put it on a 1/1 and ping them down turn after turn because they don't want to block. Or they do block and kill, and you draw two cards. Two for one.
Put it on an infect creature, and they have to choose between poison counters and -1/-1 counters plus two cards.
Put it on a big creature, and they take a lot of damage or chump and lose a creature plus give you two cards. Add trample, and damage/card draw goes up.
Heck, put it on Sunspear Shikari and see what they do. Or Tangle Angler for forced blocking, a -1/-1 counter AND two cards for one mana.
OR, make stupid ignorant arguments about how terrible this clearly good card is. That's probably the best bet. Because if it's not broken, it's no good at all, right?
Retarded trolling is retarded.
Rancor98
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Prized Unicorn
Nice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
People forgot to point out that you can equip it on anyone. :)
Rainyday2012
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is really only good if your opponent is bad. It's like Browbeat: a card that your opponent decides the effect of is worse than both its modes, because it will always do what you least want it to do. So if it made the creature unblockable it would be a better card. (Unless you can force blocks somehow, like with Tangle Angler.) This is not a good card, it just looks like one to some people.
desertbuttons
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is absurd.
ZuesAscendant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Turn 1: This Turn 2: Your pick of infect 2-drops (although Ichorclaw Myr is my favorite to combo with this) Turn 3: Either equip+2-drop+swing or 3-drop Turn 4: Tangle Angler Turn 5: Equip to the Angler
Congrats, you now have G: draw 2 cards. Oh, and whatever else you decided to play. Sure, it's slow, but it's fast enough in limited to completely screw your opponent. And since most of Infect's power is in the 2- and 3-drop range, this card can power out some unbeatable board advantage. Won't see much, if any, constructed play, too situational.
CerealBoxOfDoom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Put out archmage ascension and this card makes blocking any creature scary.
lol @ the majinara guy
your math is a bit off.
In your example you said
turn n: pay 3 to cast a creature and 2 to cast and equip infiltration lens
you then attacked and lost your creature but can now draw 2 cards
turn n + 1: pay 3 again to cast a creature. Then pay 1 to equip. Attack again draw 2 again.
9 mana was spent for 2 creatures 1 artifact and 4 extra cards.
At the very worse this if this card is wasted in a bad deck for it its the equivilent of Divination + sac one creature to put this card back in your hand.
ugotpauld
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this card makes bad creatures scary and annoying, its cheap too.
in some circumstances better than skullclamp, but others not, this still makes it brilliant.
i had a thought while playing against this, put this on a prized unicorn. hooray, draw like ten cards...
chinkeeyong
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@majinara: This is basically "Equipped creature can't be chump blocked." Don't think of it as a draw spell, think of it as a 'rattlesnake' card that you equip to your attacking Leatherback Baloth or Student of Warfare to put your opponent in a spot.
majinara
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(33 votes)
Example why I think this card is overhyped: I play a three-mana creature. Next turn I play the lens, equip it, attack with the creature. My opponent blocks my creature with a larger one, his guy lives, mine dies. I equip the lens on another three-mana creature, attack with it next turn, opponent blocks again, mine dies. The result is basically following spell:
Weird Draw Spell 9 Sorcery Sacrifice two creatures, wait two turns, draw four cards. Your opponent might decide to mess this spell up. (9 mana because 3 for playing the lens and equipping it twice, plus three for each creature of mine that died).
And this is even a pretty good outcome! If my opponent just kills my creature, then I draw no cards at all. If my opponent doesn't decide to block, I draw no cards either. It's totally unreliable. Not to mention the situation when someone clears the board with a Damnation or WoG or something. Luckily I have the lens to draw new creatures... oh wait, the lens doesn't draw me anything unless I already have creatures! Maybe I'm lucky and topdeck one? Oh it's a birds of paradise, I'm sure my opponent will block that... And this is not Skullclamp, not even close. Comparing this to the clamp is like comparing a campfire to the sun. 1/5
@ Maximillian: Putting this on infect creatures doesn't make this card better. Your opponent still chooses the outcome. If your opponent plays a control deck, he will just kill/counter your creatures making the lense totally useless. If your opponent plays an aggro deck, he won't block either, but keep attacking himself. And rating my comment down because I have a different opinion won't make the lens any better either.
@ Guest: calling me ignorant and my opinion "fail" because I don't jump on every hype train but actually ponder where the card makes sense are surely good arguments on your side.
Jaz.
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm really surprised people are panning this so much. It's actually fantastic coupled with the right kinds of cards. Sure people say it's an incentive "not to block", but okay, that's good?
Couple it with "damned if you do, damned if you don't" cards. Let's use Warren Instigator. Stick this on him, your opponent is screwed really. He's either letting you get 2 "measly" damage through and drop a goblin, or you're drawing two cards, and in a deck with Warren Instigator, chances are you're drawing some really cheap fast spells to play.
Or infect. You're drawing two cards and perma-damaging a creature, or you're slapping poison counters on someone. Either way, this is a great card if used right. Awful if wrong.
4.5/5
NotACatPerson
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This works well with a lurer or two. Or three. Remember provoke?
Names_Suck
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like to think of this as a combination of skullclamp and Browbeat. It may sac the creature, and should scale the damage of the browbeat part as the game goes on. Barring lure effects, which would scale the draw effect and allow you more control.
In most cases you are giving your opponent the choice of taking damage or trading creature kills and letting you draw. Not to mention its an equip artifact, which has tons of combos, as well as contributes to metalcraft.
Yes it gives your opponent control (barring combos), but the overall benefit/cost is well worth it and has minimal down side. Not a broken must have, but very playable in a lot of decks.
Corey_bayoudragonfly
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@majinara: that's a pretty nihilistic/pessimistic way to look at this card and magic in general. You probably shouldn't play any creatures, because your opponent will either use Damnation or Doom Blade or something like that. Then you've paid mana for effectively nothing. And don't play clamp either, it dies to Naturalise. And man, wouldn't you know it, but your opponent has about half the power in a magic game; they'll pick a lot of the outcomes. Pretty bunk odds. Plus, if your opponent is playing control, he'll just kill/counter all of your stuff. You might as well throw in the towel. Not like your top-decked birds of paradise is helping you out.
yesnomu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
In most cases, it's better to think of this as "Equipped creature is unblockable, except for when your opponent doesn't want it to be." The card draw is pretty unreliable, unless you invest in a way to make it moreso. It joins the ranks of Browbeat, Distant Memories, and Painful Quandary as cards that look better than they are, because they give your opponent a choice.
Just checking, are you able to place this card on to an opponent's creature and not your own? Say for instance I use a card on an opponent's creature that compels that creature to attack every turn while I put a wall in front of it. Can I then place this card on that same opponent's creature and have myself drawing two cards every turn while the wall blocks it?
TongueSlicer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@OakBard: you can only equip your equipments on creatures you control. And equip can only be cast as a sorcery.
Had a funny situation the other day... Opponent took control of this with Volition Reins, then equipped it on his Darksteel Juggernaut. Next turn I Naturalized the Reins... Never thought that chump blocking could be this fun !
divine_exodus
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
When they have a lot of creatures:
Spellbook, Infiltration lens, taunting elf. You just need to topdeck the elf around turn 5 or 6, that's the only problem. You can do this on turn 3 (the elf has sickness), but there is really no point because your opponent won't have enough creatures to give you sufficient card draw. All in all, this card is simply fantastic.
scumbling1
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(6 votes)
"@majinara: that's a pretty nihilistic/pessimistic way to look at this card and magic in general. You probably shouldn't play any creatures, because your opponent will either use Damnation or Doom Blade or something like that. Then you've paid mana for effectively nothing. And don't play clamp either, it dies to Naturalise. And man, wouldn't you know it, but your opponent has about half the power in a magic game; they'll pick a lot of the outcomes. Pretty bunk odds. Plus, if your opponent is playing control, he'll just kill/counter all of your stuff. You might as well throw in the towel. Not like your top-decked birds of paradise is helping you out."
Re-read majinara's post -- he's not making the "dies to removal" argument. Your exaggerations miss the point. This card suffers from Browbeat syndrome; you get one of two potential outcomes, but you're not the one who gets to choose, and that ruins the card.
Vakyoom
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(9 votes)
How about this card in a life gain-glimmer bounce deck with ajani's pridemate... Take 12x damage or I draw two cards... Suddenly its not a choice anymore :O
Or what about a blue/green landfall mill deck? Put this on your screeching silclaw or your Turbtimber Basilisk. Maybe throw an eel umbra in there for good measure so your basilisk doesn't die. So then it becomes either force the block, destroy a creature and draw two with the basilisk or force them to choose between 4 cards getting milled or letting me draw 2 cards.
You guys who are all "blah blah this card blows cuz it gives your opponents the real decision" need to rethink your outlook on magic as a whole it seems. This card is amazing on many levels but of course its not for every deck.
This card is amazing, the whole point of this card is taking the "choice" away from your opponent, using it in a fashion to where there really isn't much of a choice, if there's a choice to be made at all.
Also, Brass Squire can put this on a creature in response to a blocker being declared. Don't like having limitations? Do expand your mind ladies and gents, but don't blindly call this card bad just because you can't figure out where it belongs lol
SAllison87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Only good when equipped to creatures your opponent must block, and even then there are more impressive combos out there. Would be awesome if I could attach to an opponent's creature, but as it is, it is mediocre.
if your opponents are too far ahead in both creatures and life, this can't do you any good you'll be on the defensive not wanting to attack anyways
however, when the game is on your side... this equipment can snowball into a win
Half-dead
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nice to see that they managed to print a tweaked skullclamp that's legal while not changing the costs. May not see as much play but I certainly love the situations it creates.
Youlose20life
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This plus lure plus protean hulk equals victory. I will make it happen.
Sironos
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This is underhyped if anything, ya know why?
INFECT. The kind of creatures you really want to chump block. With this equipped, you really DON'T want to chump block them. "bla bla browbeat syndrome, opponent's choice"...
Yes, it is the opponent's choice, and he has to choose between to very bad outcomes.
Why compare anything at all to skullclamp ? Skullclamp was BANNED people. Banned, as in wizards saying "this was a mistake, an error, a fault and should never have been printed, we're sorry". Why compare other cards to that? It's like saying "this land is great, but it's not tolarian academy"... Don't compare cards to banned cards.
With this equip, you either get unblockability or card advantage, for a playcost of 1CMC and equipcost of 1, at UNCOMMON! I'm glad they print cards like this, so good equipment doesn't become an all out mythic rare club.
This is aggro infect's best friend.
@majinara:
It's funny that you mention wrath of god, as that is just the kind of situation in which equipment is great, as it survives board sweepers. Then you draw a new infect creature, play it, equip all your equipment, and you can start swinging again (don't play birds of paradise in a deck with this).
Equip this to a creature along with a strata scythe , and your opponent is in for a very bad set of choices.
Buridan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
good for ninja decks
Paleopaladin
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(4 votes)
COMPLETELY disagree with majinara: Solid and honestly constructed-worthy. Especially for sideboard against weenie decks. This is the equipment you want on your beater/infecter who's otherwise always getting chumped. And people WILL group block your infecting tramplers--in which case, you've just about won the game if they're weilding this.
If it makes your opponent waste removal--well that's actually how you WIN at this game. Please waste your removal on my Necropede so that my Phyrexian Juggernaut can wreck face in peace! Oh, you blew your wad too early on your Day of Judgment because my dude weilding this was getting on your nerves? Uh oh, too bad for you!
4/5 or better. When Stoneforge Mystic and Splinter Twin cycle out, we WILL see this used in top decks. Remember, you heard it here first!
VampireChild85
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I absolutly LOVE this equipment. I run a set of them main board in my Goblin deck and it works wonders. People tend to block gobbies to kill them (especially if it's Goblin Gaveleer that's equipped) and draw in a goblin burn deck is almost unheard of :p
sniper_ix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
A solid 3/5. The problem is that it only works if you have the better board position, because otherwise your opponent will gladly trade life to keep your hand empty. However, the problem with this piece of equipment is that it neither gives you a better board position or an answer to your opponents critters. It's worth running a single copy in a very aggressive deck like white weenies or goblins, but worthless anywhere else.
Pretty nice card. Comes out early and gets you a few extra draws. Cheap, versatile and effective.
SIlverSkyz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Zaneshift
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ahem. Curiosity. Now the choice is that much less important. Or imagine a trampler, draw three cards if it gets blocked and goes through. Hardly a game winning combo, but thought it was fun when it came up the other day.
Amnesigenic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has exactly two uses. You can equip it to a smaller creature that most likely will not be blocked to get your damage through. Alternately, you can put it on a creature whose combat damage cannot be ignored and force your opponent to either take the damage or give you card advantage. This is not like browbeat because browbeat had an exact amount of damage as an alternative to card draw. You modify the situation with Infiltration Lens by equipping it to different creatures, and you change the weight each option has for your opponent. More importantly, browbeat is a sorcery, this is an equipment. It's not just a choice between damage or card disadvantage one time, it's a decision they have to make every single turn, and you can equip a single creature with multiple lenses for even more draw. Especially good in green infect decks, where a single unblocked creature can end the game.
cptjack42
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This type of card always makes me feel like some kind of demon offering some kind of one-sided deal; you can take the damage or let me draw, definitely your decision. I'm sure you won't regret it.
Hugomanen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Almost made for infect decks. Stick this on a small infect creature and the opponent will either have to open himself to proliferate or give you a cheap card advantage.
I've got this card in a couple of decks, have won a surprising amount of battles by sheer numbers. The mere psychological aspect of wearing your opponent down like this is amazing. One of my all time favourite cards!
People say this is bad for the same bad reason that people say cards like Browbeat are bad. Just because your opponent gets to choose the effect that doesn't mean it's good. Browbeat for example, yes they will just choose the one most advantageous to themselves, but those choices are a quarter of their life and you drawing three more spells to shoot into their face, neither of which are good choices. The idea of these kinds of cards is to actually play well, fork them so that both of the choices screw them over horribly. Read this: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosGambit if you think this is a bad card.
So I play a lot against my friend who has a B/W token deck with my infect mono-G deck. It's frustrating, as even when I get trample onto my guys, he can just multi-block. I think I'll be taking this. Card advantage, here I come!
I like putting this in a Ninja deck and letting the opponent pick their poison. Especially fun on Ninja of the Deep Hours: Would you like to take 2 damage and give me a card, or just let me take two cards? And the fact the Equip cost is so low means you don't lose much if you bounce the equipped creature using Ninjutsu.
bay_falconer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Awesomely good in red/white decks. Can be a pseudo-unblockable in green decks too.
TransmuteThis
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love equipping this to Augury Adept in my Kithkin Aggro deck. Give me two cards or give me one card and life.
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The advantage to this card is that it makes your deck more reliable. In a perfect hand this card isn't that useful, no (unless you're using a combo with it.) But you often won't draw perfect hands. This card means that if you're failing your mana curve because you're drawing cheaper, smaller creatures, you can spend the leftover mana to equip them with this and either do some damage or to draw a new card to replace them.
Obviously it works best in combination with creatures that punish the opponent for not blocking, too, either by high power / low toughness or with special abilities.
Picturing how cards work only in a 'perfect' mana-curve hand is a mistake. Any deck can win with the perfect hand. Cards like this let you recover even with a slightly weaker one.
And note that many of the cards that this combos also combo well with each other -- those high-power, low-toughness attackers or creatures with nasty effects when unblocked combo well with Taunting Elf and other things that let you force your opponent to block suboptimally, as does this card.
So people keep making "all creatures able to block it do so" references for massive card draw. This is very true and effective, and makes this a powerful green draw tool (which is interesting given the flavour of the card...). Or you could just pair it up with Nemesis Mask, I guess. {4}, sacrifice a creature: Draw two cards for each untapped creature an opponent controls is pretty snazzy. Especially if you run it with stuff like Tamiyo to draw off the tapped ones.
Smokey790
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I got this in a Karn EDH deck. I slap it on Karn and when he attacks, It becomes either "take commander damage" or " let me draw two". Awesome stuff
Comments (93)
One of the best cards in Scars of Mirrodin I think.
Nemesis Mask FTW
Just combine it with handy abilities like deathtouch or Indestructibility...
Just be sure your opponents don't have too many creatures on the table, as you could end up losing many good cards to discarding at your end step (well, unless you're running something Wheel of Sun and Moon-ish).
Also kudos for MrBarrelRoll for putting a big smile on my face - awesome combo :)
Trinket Mage can find it, which is another nice limited feature. "I use my card advantageous Trinket Mage, to find... a card which will probably provide even more card advantage".
It could be pretty nice on Argent Sphinx... even if they do try to trade with your attacking sphinx, get your card draw, then blink him the heck out of there.
With Kudoltha Phoenix's recursion you'd basically get a 5 turn clock on its own if they're not willing to give you tremendous card advantage.
As has been mentioned, when Tangle Angler attacks it basically becomes pay X green mana, draw 2X cards.
Against a non infect deck the darksteel crew (Juggernaut and Sentinel) will pose very serious problems.
If it's not obvious, I can't wait to actually get one of these in a limited environment. People paid 6+ mana for Sorceror's Strongbox, and that yielded 3 cards. By the time you've managed to invest 6 mana in this you'll likely either have gotten in a lot of unblocked attacks, or drawn more than 3 cards. Not too shabby Mr Equipment!
Makes the reprinted Trinket Mage even more awesome.
This proofs that a lens can even be useful while wearing a mask.
Although the flavor of that card is kind of strange:
Using the future sight device to get some extra knowledge explains the card draw.
Yet if it's used by an intruder to prevent getting caught, why does he still fight the blocker if he gets the knowledge when somebody arrives to block him?
Shouldn't the equipped creature be able to get removed from combat or something? (This would make this card broken, but remember i just wonder about the card flavor-wise)
@SpencerDub: That's because the Lens reads " becomes blocked by a creature" These three words seem to be redundant at first, yet makes this notable advantage that Ichorclaw Myr doesn't have.
Thumbs up for less ambiguous wording, Wizards.
@SpencerDub: Ah. I didn't know that. Much appreciated :)
Edit: @Mode- Oh, I already understand why. I was posting it in the comments thread so others would know.
One word: Infect.
The opponent is then put into the unenviable position of deciding to take poison counters (which you can slam a giant growth on the creatures for extra), or giving you distinct advantage with two cards, and permanently weakening their fatty. It's pretty much win-win for you.
Even with non-infect creatures your situation is not universal. Maybe YOUR three mana creature is bigger than theirs, then they have to either kill their guy or take a chunk of damage.
Either way, this card rocks, and puts your opponent in some tricky combat situations.
Nonetheless, in an infect deck, it can be quite a boon. The creature will get blocked most likely, as nobody likes poison counters.
Problem one of your opinion: it a.ssumes the aggro player is either an idiot and constantly attacks into a stabilized position, or is already winning anyway because everyone ALWAYS attacks even if it isn't a good idea, right?
Then you pull a Strawman argument out of thin air claiming Wrath, Damnation etc make it a useless card because it cannot draw cards with no creatures in play. OMG, really? Equipment needs a creature in play be effective? Might as well write off ALL equipment cards then since they all require creatures in play to be fully effective. Your argument here is invalid.
Weird Draw spell scenario: Strawman argument through and through. Not only is it a strawman argument it's bringing up a contrived situation where the player makes bad decisions in a situation in order to maintain the claim it's a horrible equipment.
Am I saying this is a great card? No. Am I saying it's fast enough to be competitive? No. Am I saying "Run this all the time"? Hardly, but I am saying your arguments as to why it's a terrible card are strawman arguments and pretty much pure fail.
R - Weird Nothing Spell
Instant
As an additional cost to cast weird nothing spell, slap yourself in the face.
of course this card is going to be less exciting if you use it wrong.
Lodestone Golem. I have to admit I would never attack with one of my lodestones if I could help it, but if I have a couple out and this thing out at the same time, I am definitely gonna equip this to one and attack, cause who is gonna let a Lodestone attack and not try to kill it with everything they can.
Grappling Hook. This card forces a creature to block your double striking beasty. This combo may be expensive, but not only are there ways around that, but it also locks a draw in for you to abuse other combos your deck may have.
Darksteel Juggernaut. With the size that this guy can gain, it is almost imperative that he gets this equipped to him before you start attacking since this can spell easy card advantage every turn. The only risk here is infect, since wither counters are the only thing that can kill him any day of the week.
Either way, this card has is useful only if you can make your opponent block your creature, so it can potentially be useless. Just make the it so that they think that they are not losing as much as they may be.
Um, no. Put it on a 1/1 and ping them down turn after turn because they don't want to block. Or they do block and kill, and you draw two cards. Two for one.
Put it on an infect creature, and they have to choose between poison counters and -1/-1 counters plus two cards.
Put it on a big creature, and they take a lot of damage or chump and lose a creature plus give you two cards. Add trample, and damage/card draw goes up.
Heck, put it on Sunspear Shikari and see what they do. Or Tangle Angler for forced blocking, a -1/-1 counter AND two cards for one mana.
OR, make stupid ignorant arguments about how terrible this clearly good card is. That's probably the best bet. Because if it's not broken, it's no good at all, right?
Retarded trolling is retarded.
Turn 2: Your pick of infect 2-drops (although Ichorclaw Myr is my favorite to combo with this)
Turn 3: Either equip+2-drop+swing or 3-drop
Turn 4: Tangle Angler
Turn 5: Equip to the Angler
Congrats, you now have G: draw 2 cards. Oh, and whatever else you decided to play. Sure, it's slow, but it's fast enough in limited to completely screw your opponent. And since most of Infect's power is in the 2- and 3-drop range, this card can power out some unbeatable board advantage. Won't see much, if any, constructed play, too situational.
lol @ the majinara guy
your math is a bit off.
In your example you said
turn n: pay 3 to cast a creature and 2 to cast and equip infiltration lens
you then attacked and lost your creature but can now draw 2 cards
turn n + 1: pay 3 again to cast a creature. Then pay 1 to equip. Attack again draw 2 again.
9 mana was spent for 2 creatures 1 artifact and 4 extra cards.
At the very worse this if this card is wasted in a bad deck for it its the equivilent of Divination + sac one creature to put this card back in your hand.
in some circumstances better than skullclamp, but others not, this still makes it brilliant.
i had a thought while playing against this, put this on a prized unicorn. hooray, draw like ten cards...
I play a three-mana creature. Next turn I play the lens, equip it, attack with the creature. My opponent blocks my creature with a larger one, his guy lives, mine dies. I equip the lens on another three-mana creature, attack with it next turn, opponent blocks again, mine dies. The result is basically following spell:
Weird Draw Spell 9
Sorcery
Sacrifice two creatures, wait two turns, draw four cards. Your opponent might decide to mess this spell up.
(9 mana because 3 for playing the lens and equipping it twice, plus three for each creature of mine that died).
And this is even a pretty good outcome! If my opponent just kills my creature, then I draw no cards at all. If my opponent doesn't decide to block, I draw no cards either. It's totally unreliable. Not to mention the situation when someone clears the board with a Damnation or WoG or something. Luckily I have the lens to draw new creatures... oh wait, the lens doesn't draw me anything unless I already have creatures! Maybe I'm lucky and topdeck one? Oh it's a birds of paradise, I'm sure my opponent will block that...
And this is not Skullclamp, not even close. Comparing this to the clamp is like comparing a campfire to the sun.
1/5
@ Maximillian: Putting this on infect creatures doesn't make this card better. Your opponent still chooses the outcome. If your opponent plays a control deck, he will just kill/counter your creatures making the lense totally useless. If your opponent plays an aggro deck, he won't block either, but keep attacking himself. And rating my comment down because I have a different opinion won't make the lens any better either.
@ Guest: calling me ignorant and my opinion "fail" because I don't jump on every hype train but actually ponder where the card makes sense are surely good arguments on your side.
Couple it with "damned if you do, damned if you don't" cards. Let's use Warren Instigator. Stick this on him, your opponent is screwed really. He's either letting you get 2 "measly" damage through and drop a goblin, or you're drawing two cards, and in a deck with Warren Instigator, chances are you're drawing some really cheap fast spells to play.
Or infect. You're drawing two cards and perma-damaging a creature, or you're slapping poison counters on someone. Either way, this is a great card if used right. Awful if wrong.
4.5/5
Remember provoke?
In most cases you are giving your opponent the choice of taking damage or trading creature kills and letting you draw. Not to mention its an equip artifact, which has tons of combos, as well as contributes to metalcraft.
Yes it gives your opponent control (barring combos), but the overall benefit/cost is well worth it and has minimal down side. Not a broken must have, but very playable in a lot of decks.
Not awful, but not Skullclamp. Don't be fooled.
Spellbook, Infiltration lens, taunting elf. You just need to topdeck the elf around turn 5 or 6, that's the only problem. You can do this on turn 3 (the elf has sickness), but there is really no point because your opponent won't have enough creatures to give you sufficient card draw. All in all, this card is simply fantastic.
Re-read majinara's post -- he's not making the "dies to removal" argument. Your exaggerations miss the point. This card suffers from Browbeat syndrome; you get one of two potential outcomes, but you're not the one who gets to choose, and that ruins the card.
Or what about a blue/green landfall mill deck? Put this on your screeching silclaw or your Turbtimber Basilisk. Maybe throw an eel umbra in there for good measure so your basilisk doesn't die. So then it becomes either force the block, destroy a creature and draw two with the basilisk or force them to choose between 4 cards getting milled or letting me draw 2 cards.
You guys who are all "blah blah this card blows cuz it gives your opponents the real decision" need to rethink your outlook on magic as a whole it seems. This card is amazing on many levels but of course its not for every deck.
This card is amazing, the whole point of this card is taking the "choice" away from your opponent, using it in a fashion to where there really isn't much of a choice, if there's a choice to be made at all.
Also, Brass Squire can put this on a creature in response to a blocker being declared. Don't like having limitations? Do expand your mind ladies and gents, but don't blindly call this card bad just because you can't figure out where it belongs lol
you'll be on the defensive not wanting to attack anyways
however, when the game is on your side... this equipment can snowball into a win
May not see as much play but I certainly love the situations it creates.
INFECT. The kind of creatures you really want to chump block. With this equipped, you really DON'T want to chump block them. "bla bla browbeat syndrome, opponent's choice"...
Yes, it is the opponent's choice, and he has to choose between to very bad outcomes.
Why compare anything at all to skullclamp ? Skullclamp was BANNED people. Banned, as in wizards saying "this was a mistake, an error, a fault and should never have been printed, we're sorry". Why compare other cards to that? It's like saying "this land is great, but it's not tolarian academy"... Don't compare cards to banned cards.
With this equip, you either get unblockability or card advantage, for a playcost of 1CMC and equipcost of 1, at UNCOMMON! I'm glad they print cards like this, so good equipment doesn't become an all out mythic rare club.
This is aggro infect's best friend.
@majinara:
It's funny that you mention wrath of god, as that is just the kind of situation in which equipment is great, as it survives board sweepers. Then you draw a new infect creature, play it, equip all your equipment, and you can start swinging again (don't play birds of paradise in a deck with this).
Equip this to a creature along with a strata scythe , and your opponent is in for a very bad set of choices.
If it makes your opponent waste removal--well that's actually how you WIN at this game. Please waste your removal on my Necropede so that my Phyrexian Juggernaut can wreck face in peace! Oh, you blew your wad too early on your Day of Judgment because my dude weilding this was getting on your nerves? Uh oh, too bad for you!
4/5 or better. When Stoneforge Mystic and Splinter Twin cycle out, we WILL see this used in top decks. Remember, you heard it here first!
... And it is "may draw". Even better...
Stick this on a small infect creature and the opponent will either have to open himself to proliferate or give you a cheap card advantage.
I've got this card in a couple of decks, have won a surprising amount of battles by sheer numbers. The mere psychological aspect of wearing your opponent down like this is amazing.
One of my all time favourite cards!
Lorescale Coatl
Steel Hellkite
Engulfing Slagwurm
I think I'll be taking this.
Card advantage, here I come!
Obviously it works best in combination with creatures that punish the opponent for not blocking, too, either by high power / low toughness or with special abilities.
Picturing how cards work only in a 'perfect' mana-curve hand is a mistake. Any deck can win with the perfect hand. Cards like this let you recover even with a slightly weaker one.
And note that many of the cards that this combos also combo well with each other -- those high-power, low-toughness attackers or creatures with nasty effects when unblocked combo well with Taunting Elf and other things that let you force your opponent to block suboptimally, as does this card.