An efficient enough body for blue that draws you tons of cards and makes baby Jace's first ability better than both the others... I just found the new finisher for my control deck.
You're basically drawing three cards a turn with this on the field. If this doesn't make you win very shortly thereafter, you're either doing something wrong or there was no way you could win anyway.
Zenzei
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(5 votes)
$2 mythic is $2 mythic.
Gabriel422
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Titans? Nah, I'll take two cards over a tap effect or even two lands any day. Sphinx of Jwar Isle traded Shroud for.... practically just winning the game right there?
Remember this gives you a +2 even if they Wrath it or Jace it.
saith17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Either way, you draw on their turn. Soooo beast.
Shiizu
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Dropping this in multiplayer is akin to equipping yourself with a Coalition Flag. Play with caution.
Kryptnyt
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
"Hi guys... my name is Kryptnyt... i'm a Timmy... and I like to draw lots of cards" "Hi Kryptnyt..."
Vividice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Overrated. Is no real threat, can be removed far too easy, doesn't really fit into extisting decks.
Or for even more fun, though out of standard: Burning Inquiry.
zk3
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Little Jace nets you 3 cards per turn to their one. Remember kids, build your decks with some threats. Card advantage is only good if you have a way to win the game
KikiJikiTiki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I haven't been so awed by a card in a long time. A prime example of what a mythic rare should be.
andoroth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
so, if both my opponent and i had this out, and someone had to draw, who would win?
PhyrexianAdvocate
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Target your opponent with a big Blue Sun's Zenith with the Sphinx and Jace's Erasure on the board. Tapping out with this the turn after the Sphinx hits (assuming you hit your land drops) results in:
They draw 4, then mill 8.
You draw 8.
And that's with only 1 Erasure out. The great thing is, the Blue Sun reshuffles so you don't loose a single card.
EnsoZero
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Imagine you and your opponent having one of these out at the same time...
Each draw triggering two possible draws, could get very nutty in certain situations.
AnTzero
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(13 votes)
Quintessential blue; you've already stalled the game this long, might as well slap'em in the face by never letting them get the hand advantage again. When you're already winning there's no such thing as overkill.
chinkeeyong
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Can't really compete with Sphinx of Jwar Isle or the titans in M11 right now, but might see use after they rotate.
Eternal_Blue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i think it is good that not every single mythic is a $10 staple, mr. vividice. it's actually nice to see a mythic that ISN'T a must-have in whatever current deck people are copying.
if they dont have mana open with removal the turn it comes into play its at least a mulldrifter. if they don't have removal on their turn it's game over.
this feels overly powerful to me, though it would have been alright without the word "may", ironically not limiting it but letting your opponents use it to their advantage.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Win mo'
TheSwarm
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(10 votes)
heh heh, looks like i might want to "force my opponent to draw three cards" now..
MasterOfEtherium
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(7 votes)
WOW! Auto 5 Star Or You Just SUCK! 10/10
Doom_Lich
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When you play this in multiplayer, a little sign should pop up saying "You're a dick."
It's basically a Luminarch Ascension which isn't stopped by you being mobbed.
Works well with cards like Psychosis Crawler and Sign in Blood. That's 4 cards for you and each opponent is down 4-6 life, and 2 more life during each opponent's draw step. Quickly draws opponents to wail on you in multiplayer though, heh.
M.D.B.
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this guy is awesome!! combo this with Jace's Erasure, Venser's Journal, And Blue Sun's Zenith and you have not only your opponent milling at least two cards every turn but also practically unlimited life gain!!
SquareHippy
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
With Words of Waste out as well as this, you can effectively force your opponent to discard every single card they draw. And you are still drawing a ton of cards.
metalevolence
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(87 votes)
"You know what? Fine. Just draw as many cards as you want. I don't even care anymore"
-Wizards of the Coast
Revelation666
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is absolutely nuts. Essentially lets you draw your entire deck in a big multiplayer game, and that's just from peoples draw phases :o
AmbientGoat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
With Wheel and Deal its a 14 card draw. in 1v1, but then in multiplayer... with Reliquary Tower... begin maniacal laughter as you play with half your deck in you hand
ajpinton
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(9 votes)
Has anyone looked at the synergy between this and Psychosis Crawler. That and he kills the down side of Jace Beleren, +2 ability now reads: Your opponent draws 1 card and you draw 3 cards....
I have a casual U/B mill deck that utilizes Jace's Erasure and a whole bunch of drawing. You'd have to cut my hands off to make me not include this bomb in that deck. I love this guy and his Flying, 6 toughness, cute little face.
Mindbend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF GOD, I play a legacy Owling mines deck and this guy would get riduculas, i can easilly make my oppenant pick up 4-5 cards a turn. I may even put this guy in , It would however be the only creature in the deck ......
LiXinjian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In multiplayer, it could play really well with Archmage Ascension to get the tutoring going fast.
My gods, I just opened a booster to discover a FOIL copy of this card. Show me any blue deck where this isn't useful? Talk about a ji77-in-my-pants moment. LOVE IT, can't wait to put it in my blue-black deck.
DeathDark
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My idea for this guy is a Blue/Black/White deck. However, the deck will produce Green and Blue mana. Hold on, I'll explain.
Now a number of these cards are a bit expensive, notably Crawler, Sphinx and Journal, so we add Green to simply produce mana. Using your tools wisely is always a key to victory. Green also gives us the capability to Fog, Asceticism, and use other delay/protection mechanisms.
The way the deck would work is to spend early game propelling lands onto the field at green speeds, all the while laying down the low-cost cards like Jace's Erasure and Temple Bell. The combo will reach fruition when you have Venser's Journal, Jace's Erasure, Consecrated Sphinx, and Temple Bell out.
At the end of your opponent's turn, you ring your Bells, loading their hand just before discard. They draw N cards, where N is the number of Bells you have. At this time, you draw 2N cards, and they discard the top 2N cards of their library. If you have more Erasures out, this repeats 2N times for each (2*N*E, where E is the number of Erasures you have). With even one Psychosis Crawler out, your opponent is now down 2N life. On your turn, you gain 2N life from Venser's Journal, assuming you had NO cards in your hand prior to the Temple Bell onslaught (you likely didn't). You now draw 1 card, and your opponent discards the top card of their library. With Crawler, they're also down 1 life. Now you can use any Jaces or Blue Sun's Zeniths in combination to cause your opponent to draw further cards, allowing you to grind their deck to nothing, assuming you don't kill them first with the Crawler. Either way's fine with me.
Lyoncet
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(18 votes)
On the question of "if two players have this out and one draws, what happens," each player draws multiples of two per card their opponent just drew until one decides not to draw any more. I think WotC anticipated the problem, since the text is "you may draw two cards," so basically you draw until one decides not to draw. However, the choice for each card an opponent draws is binary: 0 or 2. So if you draw 1, your opponent draws 2, you 4, them 8, you can then draw 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 but not 1, 3, 5 etc.
The really crazy thing about this card isn't just the ability on its own, which is great, but how badly it breaks so many cards. Any card you opponent plays with the word "draw" suddenly becomes a dead weight, since it actually puts them at a disadvantage (and god help them if they're running Brainstorm). Unless your opponent is running cards that say "put into hand," Archmage Ascension, or heavy discards, there's literally no way they'll ever get a card advantage.
@Vividice Shroud wouldn't have made this a $10 staple; it would have made it an absolutely gamebreaking monster (instead an absolutely gamebreaking monster as long as you have enough mana to play a Negate or Into the Roil). Most "I win" creatures either have to attack to do their magic but have evasion and shroud (hello Sphinx of Jwar Isle) or don't have shroud but can win just by being there/using an active ability (hello Sphinx of Magosi). Putting both of those on one card, while probably not unprecedented, would be way more than this card needs to be a solid, solid mythic, especially at 4UU. If it had shroud, it may as well also say "if your opponent doesn't win on their next turn and doesn't have Wrath of God or Damnation, you win." For 6 mana.
Remember, once your opponent takes two turns, this guy by himself gives you a bigger card advantage than Jace's Ingenuity, and on a 4/6 flier body. Throw in Little Jace's +2 ability and you net 3 cards in just one turn, 5 cards by your opponent's turn, and 8 once your turn rolls around again in addition to your natural draws. That's unprecedented. Throw down a Blue Sun's Zenith or a couple Jace's Erasures and watch your opponent squirm. And assuming you're playing him in the deck you're supposed to be playing him in, you shouldn't have any trouble protecting him. If he gets Doom Bladed, well it's not the card's fault that you can't protect your investments in a blue control deck. If they made him immune to spot removal, that would have been absurd (and stupid).
I've had some great games with a Blue deck that simply consists of counter-spells, this, Venser's Journal, Pyschosis Crawler and plenty of draw spells. In one team game I had 3 Psychosis Crawlers out, plus a Cryptoplasm imitating said Crawlers, and this. Made them draw 6 cards with Blue Sun Zenith, so I drew 12 cards and gave them 24 damage (then finished them off with 3 21/21 Crawlers and this). It's a wonder I survived that long, Venser's Journal and the counters helped with that. Tidings and Overwhelming Intellect help dish out the pain too. Never thought I'd have a deck that relied solely on the amount of cards you draw!
Enchantment_Removal
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(12 votes)
*"HEY EVERYONE!! Consecrated Sphinx here letting you know that you ought to DRAW YOUR LIBRARY!! DRAW YOUR LIBRARY!! DRAW YOUR LIBRARY!! Start today for only 6 mana to DRAW YOUR LIBRARY!!"*
MetaViolence's comment if friggin Hilarious.
I don't know about the rest of you but I need to get on ebay soon and get some of these 'cause I kind of want to just draw my library.... you know, during a game, just pick up my library... and call it my hand. Just like that. just be like "Hey y'all this is my hand now".
The drawing should not have been a may-effect. I have gotten to be an old-fashioned Magic player that fondly looks back on the days when I had to keep from getting burned to death by Black Market. Cards should elicit more responsibility on their controllers.
ChampionofSquee
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
rofl this with trade secrets. they draw two, you draw 8 as many times as they want to.
Nighthawk42
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Amazing drawing ability and only slightly more fragile than the Frost Titan it has to share the 4UU slot with. Also competing for the 4UU (3UUU) space with Sphinx of Magosi and Sphinx of Jwar Isle.
(Mahamoti Djinn a former big blue staple is almost strictly outclassed by Sphinx of Magosi.)
Each of the 3 Sphinxes has something going for it, but overall the Titan is still the only one in major tournament winning decks. It seems the combination of larger size, direct impact on permanents in play and semi-shroud so far even outweights the card advantage here.
chocolate_lightning
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm giving this card to my bro as a birthday gift. He runs a Commander deck with Niv-Mizzet as the general. I don't think it was one of my best ideas.
HuntedWumpusMustDie
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I feel like his body is just too strong... The ability is worth five in my opinion. I'd say a 3/4 flyer at best...| guess compared with the titans he's fair... damn creatures are getting strong.
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Magic 2012 'Learn to Play' guide:
Instead of reading the rest of this pamphlet, go find someone with a Consecrated Sphinx deck.
He can explain this much better than us.
-Wizards of the Coast
Blah Blah Blah Basic Lands are important Blah Blah Blah the Colors are Balanced Blah Blah Blah Commons are just as good as Mythics, its the player that counts Blah Blah are you still reading this patently false document? oh how sad. Now go find a Consecrated Sphinx and keep playing until you realize its a good card.
Hehe, he plays that shrine for drawing cards,he think's he's cool,and u play this ,he can just say"oh dang it, im soooo screwed!" Its body isnt that bad too,so u can just use it for a 4/6 flyer... with a nice ability =D
MrPink343
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is just...too much. It's clearly designed for multiplayer formats like EDH, but it has bad implications for them. Getting even a few "activations" is probably going to win you the game, which is not a problem in and of itself. Lord knows enough cards already do that in EDH. But this is a CREATURE. Once it hits the field, the game becomes a race to not just remove it but to clone it or resurrect it or steal it or otherwise make use of it's effect. And two people with Consecrated Sphinxes can EACH DRAW THEIR ENTIRE DECK! Wasn't "making the whole game revolve around one card" the reason old Kokusho, the Evening Star got banned in EDH?
reapersaurus
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(7 votes)
Dear Wizards of the Coast - F U and your mythic rares.
Arcane Denial? Counterspell for 1U, then draw 5 cards...its ok though, cause your opponent draws 2.
I'm sorry does that seem a bit too broken? Was one of those cards you drew a spell? Please play it, because chances are I probably drew another Arcane Denial. Though chances are you may actually mill yourself to death.
mflanaga
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I know the Phyrexians think they're godly and whatnot, but this creature looks anything BUT consecrated... this awesome abomination should've been called "DESECRATED SPHINX"
P.S. it's strong as hell
Brenius
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
wow just wow. Blue green ramp would be sick with howling mines, and some draw card stuff you could cast on your self pre-sphinx, and your opponents post-sphinx
.
MagicTheGaythering
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(11 votes)
Pretty good card, again I don't know why everyone is whining and crying that this card is too powerful, unlimited ways to get rid of it. So what if your opponent gets to draw a few cards for a few turns, I know I could deal with this thing no problem. And too Mr.Pink343 it's mythic so you can't have two out at a turn... dumbass
thisisnotmyname
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Only 4 dollars. Thank you large number of random people who think this card is bad.
Doom_Pie
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
@MagictheGaythering
I have never before in my short life had the pleasure of witnessing an individual mix up the "Legend Rule" with mythic status and then proceed to insult someone else's intelligence over the matter. The fact that card advantage as a concept seems to elude you is icing on the cake.
And while I applaud you for realizing the obvious fact that removal can instantly stop this major threat, it is also important to note that this beast happens to be in the color most famous countering and disrupting other player's plans. Seeing as how they'll be drawing a good deal more cards than you, chances are they'll be ready for whatever removal you're cooking up if you fail to take this thing out as soon as it hits the battlefield.
Ryeran
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Making your opponents draw cards has always seemed like an odd option. Consider this:
@SolidSoldier: Don't forget Jace's Erasure to punish them for even taking their turn.
Now then. Imagine this, which is amazing. 4 Erasure, 1 BABY Jace Beleren, 4 of this guy. Jace's BASIC ability is STRONGER than his "Ultimate" ability: You draw 9. They draw one, then mill 36. Painful? Yes. Broken? Yes.
Oh, and how about this: EDH. Combining him with Vision Skeins and an Erasure or four.... Game over. Did I mention that Vision Skeins happens to be very, very, VERY easy to kill with? ALL players draw TWO cards. Your opponent(s) drew 2 cards. That means you get up to 18 of your own cards into your hand (4 Sphinxes, of course). That, of course, triggers each Jace's Erasure 18 times, allowing for a total of 18 times 4, or 72 cards, to the graveyard. Of course, statistically, with how large your deck is at this point, if you're playing more than one Vision Skeins in your deck and you have the mana to play any two more cards that make EITHER player (or both) draw a card, you make them draw a card and mill the remaining cards in their deck into the graveyard. "Oh, wait. You have to draw a card now.... I win." Seriously, this guy + Jace's Erasure = instant "I win" deal. Hands down.
For those of you wanting to argue, keep this in mind: Drawing 2, 4, 6 or even 8 cards at the start of THEIR turn, AFTER you had to discard your cards down to seven, is amazingly powerful. Combine that with at least 2 Jace's Erasure (which you SHOULD have out by the time you even get ONE Sphinx out, since you're playing a drawing deck anyway and Jace's Erasure is 1U...) and you get this: They draw a card. They mill at least four cards after drawing a card on their own turn. Easily. EVERY turn. Ouch.
DacenOctavio
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Should be called Jace's Beatstick and reprinted in M12 in the planeswalker cycle.
WateryMind
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Someone cloned my one of these while I was playing my mill deck. He made the mistake of not killing mine. Drew himself to death xD
raadface
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Wait... So, if I had one of these out and my opponent had one out, and then I drew a card- couldn't we then technically draw our whole decks? Lol
Henrietta
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
mrhardy12: Would you be interested in explaining how a 9 card combo, featuring all 4 copies of two cards, one of which being a creature that costs 6, that doesn't even win the game instantly, is broken? There are two card combos for cheaper that instantly win the game.
Imagin if bouth you AND your opponent gor a Consecrated Sphinx in play
My turn: draw card, opponent may draw 2 cards, you may draw 4 cards, opponent many draw 8 cards etc. etc. Then its only a matter of cards left in your library.
OmegaSerris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I got my Sphinx hit with a Phyrexian Metamorph then my opponent played Gitaxian Probe, laughed and ended his turn. Asshole... (Your move, gatherer... :-P)
Edit: Oh, what the hell... I just noticed the 'may' clause. Eh, such is the fun of Pre-release. You can BS the wording on the new cards as long as your opponent doesn't get suspicious.
@mrhardy12 That would be all well and good in EDH if you could play multiple copies... but in EDH the rules are: 99 card decks (plus 1 general), only one copy of a card per deck (except for basic land). I mean, if your play group has a house rules variant, that's great, but the accepted EDH (now Commander) format goes by those rules.
NeoKoda
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Four of these. Four Temple Bells. Four Jaces Erasures. Mwahahahahaha. Especially good in Multiplayer. Say, four people?
EDIT: Also, I decked myself with this card. A few times.
I'm sure dozens of other cards would make it even dumber. but LAWL.
The_Legionary
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Doom_Pie
Please do not feed the trolls.
WillFa
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Just to clear up what happens when you and your opponent each have one in play:
His draw step, he draws a card. This triggers your sphinx. You draw 2 cards when it resolves. His sphinx triggers twice. He draws 2 when the top trigger resolves, triggering yours twice. The stack now has his, yours, yours. (bottom to top) You draw 2 when the top resolves, triggering his twice again. The stack now has his, yours, his, his. (bottom to top) He draws 2. (his, yours, his, yours, yours) You decline to draw any more cards. You decline again. He draws 2 more cards. (adding 2 more to the stack) You decline again. You decline again. You decline a third time. He draws 2. You decline. You decline.
Throw in a Psychosis crawler for the win.
Literally.
Mindcrank for the Cherry.
Jasonoro
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
I was playing a friend who Phyrexian Metamorphed this guy the turn after I cast him. We each drew more than ten cards the next turn.
The fact that this guy is a 4/6 flyer (and therefore resistant to a lot of red removal, dismember, or most combat damage) and has this ability is fantastic, and makes it nearly impossible to lose with him out. an absolutely bonkers card.
yyukichigai
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is on par with Rhystic Study in terms of the sheer number of cards you can wind up drawing each turn, especially in multiplayer games. It doesn't seem like it at first, but man do you start drawing quickly once you really pay attention to how many random cantrips and such are included in commonly used cards.
I have this in a deck alongside a few Library of Leng and Ivory Towers. Generally once this guy comes out my hand size gets up to around 30-ish very quickly, and I'm gaining 26+ life per turn.
starfox444
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Lyoncet
Not quite. Having two conescrated sphinx's out screws around with the stack a lot due to the way the game sees drawing multiple cards.
Have Leyline of Anticipation in play and flash this guy into play in response to someone playing Plagiarize on you. Then force them to draw their entire library.
Completely impractical, but would be a hilarious way to beat someone.
infernox10
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I remember when this first came out and people were hardly giving it a second glance. Interesting how tunes change.
garabor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ancient timer - are you referring to that guy that dominated last standard or this standard? boohoo, poor green.
Magnus_B
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Someone mentioned playing this with Jace, Memory Adept to draw 40 cards with his ultimate. How about you play Jace's Erasure as well and have your opponent discard his deck while you draw 60 cards. (Via Platinum Angel or something).
Sorry if the links are messed up, new to this.
Millinyaface
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + Howling mine and a few jace's erasures = win I love my mill deck . XD
My opponent, playing a very expensive U/B control in casual multiplayer forgot I had this and attempted to brainstorm with Jace, the Mind Sculptor. I drew 6 cards. Everyone else at the table then focused on me and killed me, but it was WORTH it.
This guy is so much fun. I would be playing a few friends of mine with my card draw deck. I would stall the game long enough so I could have Consecrated Sphinx and Psychosis Crawler out. Then I would cast Time Reversal and draw 21 cards. Good times.
EpicBroccoli
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Definitely worth the Mythic Rare slot. Even if it's not too competitive with the Titan's in Standard out right now, I'd be more than happy to draw this guy in a booster.
EDIT: Man, this guy is seeing play over Titans now, wow.
AncientTimer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just plain broken. This should be legendary as one on both sides of board leads to boring card drawing shenanigans. And that happens too easily with Blue's numerous clone creatures. 1/5.
This card is amazing, so amazing that its included in EVERY blue EDH deck in my gaming circle. Of course, everyone also runs clone effects... (And almost all EDH decks have blue, funny thing)
The moment this card hits the board, someone is going to win the game. Either the guy who played him, or the guy who cloned him.
We considered banning it because it was simply too good not to use, and if someone doesnt remove it ASAP, the game was over. But then I had a great idea, what if we do an errata among ourselves? EDH is the for fun format, after all. The moment I pitched the idea of making Consecrated Sphinx a Legendary creature, everyone agreed.
Now the game wont end the moment someone clones it, as they always do. Now the threat will be dealt with instead! Its a full reversal of our previous situation. By making it legendary, it gives everyone additional tools to get rid of it with, and prevents the infinite draw loop at the same time.
So if anyone is having trouble with Consecrated Sphinx ruining the EDH games for your gaming circle, how about you suggest making it a legendary creature? It makes playing with the sphinx so much more fun (and so much less broken).
KokoshoForPresident
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Combos with Rite of Replication. Very, very well. Throw in Niv-Mizzet and it's game.
DavidLopes
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Wait, technically, if me and my opponent have this, we'll deck out each other on the next draw step or draw effect. Dear lord I must make a Discard+Donate combo with this.
steev
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@DavidLopes - it's a "may" effect, you can't force anyone to draw with it. Unless you're willing to be a bit more persuasive. (then again, there are much easier ways to kill with mindslaver)
sarroth
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Lyoncet: "However, the choice for each card an opponent draws is binary: 0 or 2. So if you draw 1, your opponent draws 2, you 4, them 8, you can then draw 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 but not 1, 3, 5 etc."
This is wrong. Each draw is a separate decision. So if you and an opponent both have Consecrated Sphinx out, and you draw your card for your draw step, they get a single trigger from Consecrated Sphinx. If they choose to draw, they draw two cards. Those two cards are drawn separately, and thus your Consecrated Sphinx triggers twice: "120.2. Cards may only be drawn one at a time. If a player is instructed to draw multiple cards, that player performs that many individual card draws." Or just read the card rulings: " The ability triggers once for each card an opponent draws. You choose whether to draw two cards as each of those abilities resolves." So the opponent drew two cards, you get two triggers - you can draw 2 cards or you can draw 4. You don't have to draw 4. No, you can't draw an odd number of cards with the sphinx, but you make it seem like you have to take all of the cards from all of the triggers or none of them, which is incorrect.
This card is bonkers. That said, I haven't seen it played in a while. It seems mostly played in my Commander group by Blue combo players and I've been lucky enough to not have to play with too many of those recently. There really are ways of playing this card without being completely annoying, but most players don't choose to play that way unfortunately.
stompfest
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i'm sure this has already been established, but this card is absolutely insane in multiplayer games if left alone. 4-6+ extra cards over top of what your opponents get to draw? even if they have a card like black visethat penalizes you for having a plump hand the word "may" can be totally relevant.
instinx1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Has anyone tried it with Otherworld Atlas? I'm curious if it's viable.
SocialExperiment
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nice to see a good finisher in Blue. Frost Titan kind of overshadows him a lot of the time, but if we're going to dismiss cards for not being as good as the Titans we're going to dismiss a lot of good cards.
I wish there was a way this wouldn't make you deck yourself, apart from making a 2,0000 card deck.
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this card is absolutely ridiculous in edh. Aside from maybe primeval titan, this is usually the first creature that gets cloned, reanimated, or exiled (occasionally gets gilded drake'd too). Not only will it draw you a ridiculous amount of cards, but it kills almost any incentive for other players to play their own card draw spells (nice brainstorm, bro).
in standard it's actually not broken though despite how ridiculous the ability sounds on paper. it has no immediate effects so it can be vapor snagged, doom bladed, etc with no problem. Then they untap, draw, you draw 2, then they have a chance to play their sorcery speed removal. If they remove it now, then you ended up paying 6 mana for a divination and they lose a card, which is not very exciting. Like many other mythics, this takes over the game the longer it sticks and it can't just be played in every deck (this card is not very good vs aggro or in aggro, but it's amazing in control mirrors). In a 1v1 game, this card is surprisingly balanced.
what actually saves this card though is the toughness. Oddly enough you'd think a 5/5 would be better than a 4/6, but the fact that it doesn't die to dismember is huge (I guess not dying to a morbid brimstone volley helps too).
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This card has a giant sign painted on his face that says "KILL ME NOW". At 6 mana hes not easy to protect. But if hes allowed to live a few turns, thats pretty much game.
Absolute lunacy. It's as if they didn't even try to playtest this thing. Why, sure, getting 2 extra cards a turn for free with a 4/6 flyer for 6 makes complete sense! Stupid good in Commander where it is more likely to come into play, be protected, and also be abused in silly combos. Of course, since it is a Mythic Rare, this is all perfectly excusable... right...
EKraj
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
If both players have one out, the first one to draw a card after loses.
RecurringMemories
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@MagicTheGaythering; First off; you're name is ridiculous and you should leave. Also; concerning your comment to Mr.Pink343- What does it being Mythic have to do with not having more then one in play? Mythic is a rarity designation, it has nothing to do with how the card plays. If it was Legendary then you could only have one out. With this you could have as many as you want. I'm sure you knew that already though, and were just being sarcastic ;).
Hunter06
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@atemu1234
It says may, so you dont have to draw the cards
Kinda good in standard, terrible in legacy, busted in edh
4/5 Stars
Temple Bell. Reads {3} Artifact. {T} : target player draws one, you draw three.
Arachnos
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
@DoomPie: it should also be noted the guy's name is MagicTheGaythering. Honestly, he can't be expected to be the sharpest tool in the shed.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nice Notion Thief you've got there. Oops, looks like you're out of cards.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Say you have five people in your edh (or even regular multiplayer) group. That's ten cards a turn. TEN. Then we have other six drops that let you draw four cards once. Ridiculous card.
I honestly think it's the king of six drops. I don't think any of the titans can compete with it - not even Grave or Primeval.
@Ekraj: Read the card.... 'may'
Demonic_Math_Tutor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In my playgroup, this card is also called Shenanigans Sphinx. Sooooo much card draw, it basically allows you to play a deck without any secondary card draw. Once it hits the feild, you essentially Ancestral Recall every turn and a half.
Makes it say: 'Your opponent discards two cards, and you draw four.'
8-Bit_Necromancer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy in an edh deck with seems pretty borked <.<"
Syrtees
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
It is suggested that you do not attempt to combo him with Jace, Memory Adept's ult.
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
HOW TO BE A JERK TO YOUR PLAYGROUP Chapter 1: Consecrated Sphinx Chapter 2: Consecrated Sphinx in EDH Chapter 3: Consecrated Sphinx Combos
Eustache_the_Moose
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card makes all other 6-mana blue creatures look bad
OstravaBoletaria
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@MagicTheGaythering Please tell me you're not that stupid. Please. Mythic is a rarity, and has 0 impact on actual gameplay. 'Dies to removal' is ridiculous. This is blue. We have things called counters, you know.
mrchuckmorris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Dang, I'm glad I picked a few of these up half a year ago back when they were 7 bucks, not 14 and climbing...
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Anyone bothered to look at how ridiculously crazy the art is?
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
metaleviolence, you're a very funny person.
Sootoo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
And another ugly, broken as hell card... This card is just overpowered. Even if it would be 1 card to draw, it already would be very good. I really wonder what they were thinking when they made it, and why it still isnt banned in EDH... The banlist in EDH is just hillarious, and this creature is a perfect example for this. 0.5/5
Lazrbeams
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He's not broken, he costs six mana with a somewhat heavy color weight. Hell, he's not even the best card draw fatty to cheat out with a reanimator or show and tell (Griselbrandtakes the cake here, then probably jin-gitaxias,core augur) Just because you lost to a card doesn't make it broken. This card is hilarious when it hits play and a whole lotta fun. It's very powerful but not broken by any means. yawgmoth's bargain is broken, this card is not.
Comments (138)
If only this guy had shroud.
Remember this gives you a +2 even if they Wrath it or Jace it.
"Hi Kryptnyt..."
Is no real threat, can be removed far too easy, doesn't really fit into extisting decks.
Shroud would have made it a $10 staple.
O hai thar 9 cards in hand!
Or for even more fun, though out of standard: Burning Inquiry.
Remember kids, build your decks with some threats. Card advantage is only good if you have a way to win the game
They draw 4, then mill 8.
You draw 8.
And that's with only 1 Erasure out. The great thing is, the Blue Sun reshuffles so you don't loose a single card.
Each draw triggering two possible draws, could get very nutty in certain situations.
this feels overly powerful to me, though it would have been alright without the word "may", ironically not limiting it but letting your opponents use it to their advantage.
It's basically a Luminarch Ascension which isn't stopped by you being mobbed.
-Wizards of the Coast
If this thing had shroud, it would be even more beastly.
Whispersilk cloak anyone?
5/5
- Vault of the INSANE
The only bad part about this is drawing TOO MUCH so you deck out. Other then that, amazing card.
The major cards would be Drawing cards -- like Jace Beleren, Temple Bell, Howling Mine (not Standard, I know), and Blue Sun's Zenith -- with assistance from cards such as Jace's Erasure, Psychosis Crawler, and Venser's Journal.
Now a number of these cards are a bit expensive, notably Crawler, Sphinx and Journal, so we add Green to simply produce mana. Using your tools wisely is always a key to victory. Green also gives us the capability to Fog, Asceticism, and use other delay/protection mechanisms.
The way the deck would work is to spend early game propelling lands onto the field at green speeds, all the while laying down the low-cost cards like Jace's Erasure and Temple Bell. The combo will reach fruition when you have Venser's Journal, Jace's Erasure, Consecrated Sphinx, and Temple Bell out.
At the end of your opponent's turn, you ring your Bells, loading their hand just before discard. They draw N cards, where N is the number of Bells you have. At this time, you draw 2N cards, and they discard the top 2N cards of their library. If you have more Erasures out, this repeats 2N times for each (2*N*E, where E is the number of Erasures you have). With even one Psychosis Crawler out, your opponent is now down 2N life. On your turn, you gain 2N life from Venser's Journal, assuming you had NO cards in your hand prior to the Temple Bell onslaught (you likely didn't). You now draw 1 card, and your opponent discards the top card of their library. With Crawler, they're also down 1 life. Now you can use any Jaces or Blue Sun's Zeniths in combination to cause your opponent to draw further cards, allowing you to grind their deck to nothing, assuming you don't kill them first with the Crawler. Either way's fine with me.
The really crazy thing about this card isn't just the ability on its own, which is great, but how badly it breaks so many cards. Any card you opponent plays with the word "draw" suddenly becomes a dead weight, since it actually puts them at a disadvantage (and god help them if they're running Brainstorm). Unless your opponent is running cards that say "put into hand," Archmage Ascension, or heavy discards, there's literally no way they'll ever get a card advantage.
On your side of the board, first put down a Jace's Erasure or Psychosis Crawler, then how about Prosperity? Or how about Vision Skeins? Arcane Denial? Jace Beleren? Howling Mine? Compulsive Research? Burning Inquiry? Temple Bell? Anvil of Bogardan? Teferi's Puzzle Box? Forget? Braingeyser/Blue Sun's Zenith? Cephalid Looter? Wheel and Deal? Timetwister/Time Spiral/Time Reversal? I mean, just… damn. This card, very good in a vacuum, break every one of those cards.
@Vividice
Shroud wouldn't have made this a $10 staple; it would have made it an absolutely gamebreaking monster (instead an absolutely gamebreaking monster as long as you have enough mana to play a Negate or Into the Roil). Most "I win" creatures either have to attack to do their magic but have evasion and shroud (hello Sphinx of Jwar Isle) or don't have shroud but can win just by being there/using an active ability (hello Sphinx of Magosi). Putting both of those on one card, while probably not unprecedented, would be way more than this card needs to be a solid, solid mythic, especially at 4UU. If it had shroud, it may as well also say "if your opponent doesn't win on their next turn and doesn't have Wrath of God or Damnation, you win." For 6 mana.
Remember, once your opponent takes two turns, this guy by himself gives you a bigger card advantage than Jace's Ingenuity, and on a 4/6 flier body. Throw in Little Jace's +2 ability and you net 3 cards in just one turn, 5 cards by your opponent's turn, and 8 once your turn rolls around again in addition to your natural draws. That's unprecedented. Throw down a Blue Sun's Zenith or a couple Jace's Erasures and watch your opponent squirm. And assuming you're playing him in the deck you're supposed to be playing him in, you shouldn't have any trouble protecting him. If he gets Doom Bladed, well it's not the card's fault that you can't protect your investments in a blue control deck. If they made him immune to spot removal, that would have been absurd (and stupid).
MetaViolence's comment if friggin Hilarious.
I don't know about the rest of you but I need to get on ebay soon and get some of these 'cause I kind of want to just draw my library.... you know, during a game, just pick up my library... and call it my hand. Just like that. just be like "Hey y'all this is my hand now".
The drawing should not have been a may-effect. I have gotten to be an old-fashioned Magic player that fondly looks back on the days when I had to keep from getting burned to death by Black Market. Cards should elicit more responsibility on their controllers.
(Mahamoti Djinn a former big blue staple is almost strictly outclassed by Sphinx of Magosi.)
Each of the 3 Sphinxes has something going for it, but overall the Titan is still the only one in major tournament winning decks. It seems the combination of larger size, direct impact on permanents in play and semi-shroud so far even outweights the card advantage here.
Instead of reading the rest of this pamphlet, go find someone with a Consecrated Sphinx deck.
He can explain this much better than us.
-Wizards of the Coast
Blah Blah Blah Basic Lands are important Blah Blah Blah the Colors are Balanced Blah Blah Blah Commons are just as good as Mythics, its the player that counts Blah Blah are you still reading this patently false document? oh how sad. Now go find a Consecrated Sphinx and keep playing until you realize its a good card.
Its body isnt that bad too,so u can just use it for a 4/6 flyer... with a nice ability =D
F U and your mythic rares.
Just F U.
I'm sorry does that seem a bit too broken? Was one of those cards you drew a spell? Please play it, because chances are I probably drew another Arcane Denial. Though chances are you may actually mill yourself to death.
P.S. it's strong as hell
.
I have never before in my short life had the pleasure of witnessing an individual mix up the "Legend Rule" with mythic status and then proceed to insult someone else's intelligence over the matter. The fact that card advantage as a concept seems to elude you is icing on the cake.
And while I applaud you for realizing the obvious fact that removal can instantly stop this major threat, it is also important to note that this beast happens to be in the color most famous countering and disrupting other player's plans. Seeing as how they'll be drawing a good deal more cards than you, chances are they'll be ready for whatever removal you're cooking up if you fail to take this thing out as soon as it hits the battlefield.
Trade Secrets
Wanna be vile to your opponent?
Jace's Erasure
Now then. Imagine this, which is amazing. 4 Erasure, 1 BABY Jace Beleren, 4 of this guy. Jace's BASIC ability is STRONGER than his "Ultimate" ability: You draw 9. They draw one, then mill 36. Painful? Yes. Broken? Yes.
Oh, and how about this: EDH. Combining him with Vision Skeins and an Erasure or four.... Game over. Did I mention that Vision Skeins happens to be very, very, VERY easy to kill with? ALL players draw TWO cards. Your opponent(s) drew 2 cards. That means you get up to 18 of your own cards into your hand (4 Sphinxes, of course). That, of course, triggers each Jace's Erasure 18 times, allowing for a total of 18 times 4, or 72 cards, to the graveyard. Of course, statistically, with how large your deck is at this point, if you're playing more than one Vision Skeins in your deck and you have the mana to play any two more cards that make EITHER player (or both) draw a card, you make them draw a card and mill the remaining cards in their deck into the graveyard. "Oh, wait. You have to draw a card now.... I win." Seriously, this guy + Jace's Erasure = instant "I win" deal. Hands down.
For those of you wanting to argue, keep this in mind: Drawing 2, 4, 6 or even 8 cards at the start of THEIR turn, AFTER you had to discard your cards down to seven, is amazingly powerful. Combine that with at least 2 Jace's Erasure (which you SHOULD have out by the time you even get ONE Sphinx out, since you're playing a drawing deck anyway and Jace's Erasure is 1U...) and you get this: They draw a card. They mill at least four cards after drawing a card on their own turn. Easily. EVERY turn. Ouch.
My turn: draw card, opponent may draw 2 cards, you may draw 4 cards, opponent many draw 8 cards etc. etc.
Then its only a matter of cards left in your library.
(Your move, gatherer... :-P)
Edit:
Oh, what the hell... I just noticed the 'may' clause. Eh, such is the fun of Pre-release. You can BS the wording on the new cards as long as your opponent doesn't get suspicious.
@mrhardy12
That would be all well and good in EDH if you could play multiple copies... but in EDH the rules are: 99 card decks (plus 1 general), only one copy of a card per deck (except for basic land). I mean, if your play group has a house rules variant, that's great, but the accepted EDH (now Commander) format goes by those rules.
EDIT: Also, I decked myself with this card. A few times.
I'm sure dozens of other cards would make it even dumber. but LAWL.
Please do not feed the trolls.
His draw step, he draws a card. This triggers your sphinx.
You draw 2 cards when it resolves. His sphinx triggers twice.
He draws 2 when the top trigger resolves, triggering yours twice.
The stack now has his, yours, yours. (bottom to top)
You draw 2 when the top resolves, triggering his twice again.
The stack now has his, yours, his, his. (bottom to top)
He draws 2. (his, yours, his, yours, yours)
You decline to draw any more cards.
You decline again.
He draws 2 more cards. (adding 2 more to the stack)
You decline again.
You decline again.
You decline a third time.
He draws 2.
You decline.
You decline.
You notice you have a Leyline of Anticipation on the battlefield and cast Monomania....
Throw in a Psychosis crawler for the win.
Literally.
Mindcrank for the Cherry.
The fact that this guy is a 4/6 flyer (and therefore resistant to a lot of red removal, dismember, or most combat damage) and has this ability is fantastic, and makes it nearly impossible to lose with him out. an absolutely bonkers card.
I have this in a deck alongside a few Library of Leng and Ivory Towers. Generally once this guy comes out my hand size gets up to around 30-ish very quickly, and I'm gaining 26+ life per turn.
Not quite. Having two conescrated sphinx's out screws around with the stack a lot due to the way the game sees drawing multiple cards.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=325913
Completely impractical, but would be a hilarious way to beat someone.
Interesting how tunes change.
Sorry if the links are messed up, new to this.
Cackling Counterpart
Donate
Mindslaver
EDIT: Man, this guy is seeing play over Titans now, wow.
@garabor:
Edited my text - but anyways I'm just getting fed up with the continuous power creep in creature cards. This, Phyrexian Obliterator, Baneslayer Angel, Wurmcoil Engine and lately Snapcaster Mage are the best examples.
The moment this card hits the board, someone is going to win the game. Either the guy who played him, or the guy who cloned him.
We considered banning it because it was simply too good not to use, and if someone doesnt remove it ASAP, the game was over. But then I had a great idea, what if we do an errata among ourselves? EDH is the for fun format, after all. The moment I pitched the idea of making Consecrated Sphinx a Legendary creature, everyone agreed.
Now the game wont end the moment someone clones it, as they always do. Now the threat will be dealt with instead! Its a full reversal of our previous situation. By making it legendary, it gives everyone additional tools to get rid of it with, and prevents the infinite draw loop at the same time.
So if anyone is having trouble with Consecrated Sphinx ruining the EDH games for your gaming circle, how about you suggest making it a legendary creature? It makes playing with the sphinx so much more fun (and so much less broken).
Dear lord I must make a Discard+Donate combo with this.
(then again, there are much easier ways to kill with mindslaver)
This is wrong. Each draw is a separate decision. So if you and an opponent both have Consecrated Sphinx out, and you draw your card for your draw step, they get a single trigger from Consecrated Sphinx. If they choose to draw, they draw two cards. Those two cards are drawn separately, and thus your Consecrated Sphinx triggers twice: "120.2. Cards may only be drawn one at a time. If a player is instructed to draw multiple cards, that player performs that many individual card draws." Or just read the card rulings: " The ability triggers once for each card an opponent draws. You choose whether to draw two cards as each of those abilities resolves." So the opponent drew two cards, you get two triggers - you can draw 2 cards or you can draw 4. You don't have to draw 4. No, you can't draw an odd number of cards with the sphinx, but you make it seem like you have to take all of the cards from all of the triggers or none of them, which is incorrect.
This card is bonkers. That said, I haven't seen it played in a while. It seems mostly played in my Commander group by Blue combo players and I've been lucky enough to not have to play with too many of those recently. There really are ways of playing this card without being completely annoying, but most players don't choose to play that way unfortunately.
I'm curious if it's viable.
in standard it's actually not broken though despite how ridiculous the ability sounds on paper. it has no immediate effects so it can be vapor snagged, doom bladed, etc with no problem. Then they untap, draw, you draw 2, then they have a chance to play their sorcery speed removal. If they remove it now, then you ended up paying 6 mana for a divination and they lose a card, which is not very exciting. Like many other mythics, this takes over the game the longer it sticks and it can't just be played in every deck (this card is not very good vs aggro or in aggro, but it's amazing in control mirrors). In a 1v1 game, this card is surprisingly balanced.
what actually saves this card though is the toughness. Oddly enough you'd think a 5/5 would be better than a 4/6, but the fact that it doesn't die to dismember is huge (I guess not dying to a morbid brimstone volley helps too).
The best combo, is combo with Duress
Also; concerning your comment to Mr.Pink343- What does it being Mythic have to do with not having more then one in play? Mythic is a rarity designation, it has nothing to do with how the card plays. If it was Legendary then you could only have one out. With this you could have as many as you want. I'm sure you knew that already though, and were just being sarcastic ;).
It says may, so you dont have to draw the cards
Kinda good in standard, terrible in legacy, busted in edh
4/5 Stars
"I don't always help my opponent draw cards, but when I do, I accidentally my deck."
LOL thatd be funny if i milled myself
I honestly think it's the king of six drops. I don't think any of the titans can compete with it - not even Grave or Primeval.
@Ekraj: Read the card.... 'may'
Makes it say: 'Your opponent discards two cards, and you draw four.'
Chapter 1: Consecrated Sphinx
Chapter 2: Consecrated Sphinx in EDH
Chapter 3: Consecrated Sphinx Combos
Just because you lost to a card doesn't make it broken. This card is hilarious when it hits play and a whole lotta fun. It's very powerful but not broken by any means. yawgmoth's bargain is broken, this card is not.