Pointed Discussion

Magic: The Gathering Card Comments Archive

Vapor Snag

Multiverse ID: 218017

Vapor Snag

Comments (35)

InternetNinjacy
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0) (6 votes)
IMO better than unsummon. But is less useful when trying to rescue your own creatures.
Tommy9898
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (2 votes)
You missed a chance to autocard your own rescue, but yeah you pretty much hit the nail on the head.
Yozuk
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (7 votes)
I remember when Blue used to cause damage to players or life lose directly though spells and abilities. Gentlemen! That time has returned!
jsttu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Better than an offensive unsummon, worse than a defensive one. This set is very nice in that the griefer cards cause you to actually think.
majinara
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0) (5 votes)
I don't get this cycle about adding a 1 life loss to some cards... What for?
ThisisSakon
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0) (5 votes)
With Pongify this becomes:

UU

Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated. Its controller loses 1 life.

Awesome? I think so...
made4ipod
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
strictly better than unsummon, when trying to use it on opposing creatures
chinkeeyong
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0) (13 votes)
"I don't block."
"Okay, I pay Phyrexian RedPhyrexian RedPhyrexian RedPhyrexian RedPhyrexian RedPhyrexian RedPhyrexian RedPhyrexian RedPhyrexian Red with 18 life to turn Immolating Souleater into a 10/1. I'm at 1 life, you're at 10. Good game?"
"Well..."
blindthrall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That's great. Now I need to replace all my unsummons.
DeathDark
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0) (2 votes)
Not as flexible as Unsummon.
More offensive than Unsummon.
EvilCartographer
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
Better Unsummon if you don't care about your own creatures. Probably worth getting four to see how running playsets of both at the same time work.
SoulShatterer
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0) (2 votes)
Unsummon, plus a ping for one. Not bad, blue, not bad at all. I detect powercreep just a little, but it doesn't work so well defensively, so I'll let it slide.
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Better than Unsummon, assuming you never, ever want to bounce your own creatures. For example if you're running a creatureless deck.. depends on the deck i suppose
count_dorku
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (10 votes)
Majinara: it is because Phyrexians are, by and large, jerks.
Raszero
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
Really useful in my deck at the moment, the damage helps and the effect is worth it anyway.
Worth it over Unsummon, As the amount of use I get out of it offensively outweighs the downside of a life loss when my creatures need it.
PhyrexianAdvocate
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
Kills Germ Tokens dead.
Wulfsten
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0) (4 votes)
@ThisisSakon:

as with so many of these combos, you forgot:

Vapongify
UU

As an additional cost to cast Vapongify, choose and discard a card.

Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated. Its controller loses 1 life.

Hmm... not so great now, eh? I'd rather run doomblade.
Cheza
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0) (4 votes)
Switch color to white
dberry02
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0) (3 votes)
Why is this rated a 4/5? This card is just like Unsummon. It's decent, but it's not good.
mflanaga
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0) (3 votes)
That Mortis Dogs is like WOAH IM GETTIN SNAGGED and then he smacks into the wizard on his way up to the aether.
Paleopaladin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@dberry, because Unsummon is awesome too! As is this!

I love making Timmy fanbois cry by turning their Lord of Tresserhorn or Demon of Death's Gate into "Kick yourself in the nuts - Sorcery". Think of all the times people use multiple spells(Shape Anew, Geosurge, Culling the Weak) into cheating creatures out. Instant bounce for Blue spells are pure card advantage in those situations.

NeoKoda
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0) (1 vote)
Guys, one life isn't a big deal. It's hardly a bad defensive card. I'd use it on my own creatures.
endersblade
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0) (2 votes)
To me, this IS strictly better than unsummon. Ok, so if you use it defensively, you ping yourself. OHONZ ONE LEIF DOWN. I'm sure you can deal with it. Use it offensively, and it pings your opponent. Sure, still just one life, but this is still a two-fer-one card in that sense. I've already replaced all of my unsummons with this, and, used both offensively AND defensively, it has never been the cause of a loss. If you just want to use this offensively, and use unsummon defensively, there's nothing stopping you running something like 2/2 of each.
roguepariah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My new favorite card to put on a stick

Not the most game-breaking, but definitely fun (in that "annoy your opponent" sort of way)
Missle-Toe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This, like unsummon, owns anything that your opponent managed to put into play without being able to hard cast, any creature with an aura on it, any creature with counters on it, any creature that has been boosted by instants or sorceries, or any token... for 1 mana. Not to mention if your opponent has no creatures, you can still target your own creature to save it from harmful spells they will undoubtedly have. The extra 1 damage only makes it that much better! Damn right 5 outa 5!
AngelPhoenix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0) (1 vote)
Definitely the best of the "lose 1 life" series (Geth's Verdict is close). This really is just a better unsummon which in my opionion was already one of the most useful cards in all of magic. NEVER underestimate the power of BOUNCE! XD
Hanksingle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Having just returned to the game, I was starting to think that the time of jerky, nickle-dime blue instants was over.

I'm really glad I was wrong. My career in this game was predicated on eliciting groans.
BegleOne
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love the logic. When the 1 point of life loss hits the opponent, it's AWESOME! When it hits you, it's irrelevant because it's ONLY 1 point of life.

I'll keep both this and Unsummon. 4 Jace's Archivists and 8 Unsummons... Hmm....
ArmoredMercenary
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When I got my box of New Phyrexia. I was very excited. Then I began to open the packs. I eneded up with 9 of these little gems. I am very pleased.
DacenOctavio
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
Great for screwing with the guy who thinks his Phyrexian Crusader will still be there when he untaps.
Laguz
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
I know that pinging yourself for 1 isn't necessarily a big deal, but strictly speaking, the definition of 'strictly better' means that vapor snag is not strictly better than unsummon because unsummon is still strictly better at bouncing your own creatures. Therefore, because there is even a single scenario that unsummon will be strictly better than vapor snag, vapor snag is not strictly better than unsummon.

What I can't decide is if this is better than into the roil. Into the roil can bounce anything, but vapor snag is 1 mana and a smaller clock...my insectile aberration can use all the help he can get.
SIlverSkyz
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (2 votes)
I love Snapcaster for making this the best removal spell in standard.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's nice how the addition of pinging self balances with Unsummon. Yes, it's even more painful for your opponent, but suddenly, everyone's favorite tool of negating removal has a little extra cost on it.

A fun little addition to probably the most flexible cards around. I know I've used both this and Unsummon offensively and defensively, and I still can't decide which I like better. I suppose Vapor Snag is more for blue aggro decks who both want to cause as much pain as possible and don't care about a bit of damage themselves, while Unsummon is more for the combo players who just want stasis until their superweapon is complete.
BigPimpin
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0) (1 vote)
"I'm Gonna play Mind Control on your creature!"

"I'm gonna take that back, and you can take a point of damage to learn your lesson."

5/5
Exilyth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What's up with all the talk about unsummon? Obviously, this is blue burn, with the side effect of bouncing a creature ;)