This card doesn't need to be in a Mill deck to be strong. For a control deck it's common to cast spells constantly, your own graveyard would fill up in no time for you to play this card at full power.
auriscope
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(12 votes)
Alright, 20 cards is a lot. Like, more than will usually get into a graveyard by conventional means. If dredge has 20+ cards in their graveyard, drawing three cards will not swing the game in either player's direction at that point. Dredge will have won and you will have lost.
MrBarrelRoll
★★★☆☆ (4.0/5.0)(12 votes)
This never just "rots in your hand." Worst case, it has "Cycling {U}," and best case you just cast one of the Power 9 in standard. Even then, that cycling is nothing to scoff at -- best thing this one-drop blue draw spell has over all of the others in standard is instant speed.
Lateralis0ne
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(6 votes)
5/5. If you know how to use it, get a playset.
don_miguel
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
awesome art! i'd like some more cards like tome scour to put togetger a mill deck a-la-burn with cheap spells. this card would fit on it.
danyo622
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(4 votes)
this is just calling to be in a commander deck
True_Smog
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
A blue draw in instant! after so many years, and it's good ! 'm so happy.
TheSwarm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
No, it really does need to be in a mill or dredge deck to be strong. Otherwise, in control, it rots in your hand until you've played enough removal to turn it on, and by that time you should have already won.
I think I changed my mind. Thinking about the kinds of things this card can potentially do, I am scared of the new standard.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
With this and Jace, Memory Adept, it seems like WotC is trying to introduce mill as a decent deck, possibly giving more proof that Innistrad is gonna be a graveyard block
SpuddLink
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
This is by far the best piece of art Terese Nielsen has done. Love it. Do wants.
Trizeam
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(22 votes)
"Hmmm... I'm having a vision... better shit in a creek!"-Guy from Visions of Beyond.
Paleopaladin
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Wait...WHAT???
endersblade
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Works amazingly well in EDH (commander), which WOTC seems to be pushing for a lot lately.
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Basically an Ancestral Recall in Commander as well as in Mill decks. I think this card will see a lot more use than one might first think.
WateryMind
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This will be awesome. Just you wait.
BastianQoU
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
@mill theory It feels more like they're pushing self-milling. In a set where playing from the graveyard is pretty much guaranteed, giving your opponent access to a bunch of their cards seems like a losing strategy.
And this seems like the Galvanic Blast/Mirran Mettle style nerf for Ancestral Recall. It makes me wonder if this will be a cycle of cards, requiring a super-threshold sort of thing.
Still, even on it's own, you're playing with essentially a 56 card deck. If you're playing from your graveyard, well you've got an incredible card here. It could have been 'draw two cards instead', and it still would have been incredible.
ninjaboy05
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This was built for splashing into dredge.
Homelands
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(4 votes)
The problem is, outside of a niche Dredge, milling, or possible Innistrad graveyard deck, this card won't become an Ancestral Recall until the late-late game, making it niche at best, and a 1-mana Cycling card/waste of a rare slot at worst.
I don't like it. It needs far too much work to power it up.
2.5/5
Frozenwings
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
This card must have "If all graveyards have twenty or more cards in them" for its status. Well, then it could be a mythic rare, whatever. Except innistrad has really strong graveyard mechanics, i hardly think this will be used... And compare it against Whispers of the Muse
Tiggurix
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Wow, that is the wisest flavour text I've yet encountered.
TheWrathofShane
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
MIll is no threat with the eldrazi lords. However when RoE cycles, mill becomes more scary. 20 cards is not that hard to do. Also im hating to see Bojuka Bogs go as well.
This card recently ran in a top 8 deck on pro tour event.
Watch the 3.9 rating rise to around 4.2+ in a few months.
Ferlord
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
(WotC employee 1): So... How about reprinting Ancestral Recall? (WotC employee 2): Oh yeah. Genius, Rick. Yeah, then we'll just reprint Sengir Vampire and Volcanic Dragon and make them uncommon. (WotC employee 1): Uhh... we already did that... for the newest set. (WotC employee 2): What?! Seriously?! Oh ok fine. But change it's name and give it some minorly difficult circmstance to achieve before that happens.
And that's how Visions of Beyond was made.
DarthParallax
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(5 votes)
Anyone wondering whether or not Innistrad was going to make this card good- let me direct your attention to:Lab Maniac, Deranged Assistant, Forbidden Alchemy, Mirror Mad Phantasm, Mind Shrieker, Scab Ruinator, Undead Alchemist, Cellar Door, Stiched Drake, Sticher's Apprentice, and that's just in BLUE. With an incomplete spoiler of Set 1. Twenty cards in my graveyard says Sorin 2.0, in Dark Ascension, will end up in a deck with this and Skab Ruinator and start raping Standard.
I believe we can safely confirm that Innistrad is probably a graveyard block. Maybe. Most Likely.
I bet there are still people who think it's just a Twilight Block. You have permission to Dredge them to Hell. In Standard. This block is shaping up to be Wizards' attempt to prove that the game now has so much momentum, it is unkillable. If we don't see the Second Combo Winter, then they are right. Sad for my credit card, but otherwise completely awesome. :)
DacenOctavio
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
There ought to be a ziggurat in the art.
That aside, Innistrad has plenty of support for this card even with less than half the set spoiled. I think, once September 30 rolls around, someone might actually draw 3 cards with this for once. And if not, Forbidden Alchemy is still a great card.
Kura-san
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
For all those who are complaining about how hard it is to get 20 cards in your GY, listen up: The card says A graveyard, not just your own. This was specially made to be used in either EDH or Mill decks. I'm pretty sure it isn't hard to get 20 cards into your opponent's graveyard if you have a Jace's Archivist on the field.
kashonismw
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I can see this being very playable in the upcoming months when Innastrad hits the shelves.
WWoody
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(6 votes)
This is a much better card now that Innistrad has arrived. Graveyard mechanics and all.
kor6sic6
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is funking insane. I just wish it weren't four bucks a pop.
MindAblaze
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Mirror mad phantasm?
blurrymadness
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is a 4.5+. It's not uncommon at all to mill a deck 20 cards. Doesn't even take a *dedicated* mill deck to do it. Also, look to this in Vintage to get 5x Ancestral Recall against the common Ichorid deck, right before you shut it down T2.
5/5
Narim
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is definitely very genuine rare. Self-milling decks usually fill their graveyard in mere moments, even "traditional" milling should not have problems to mill 20 cards by turn 3 or 4... not to mention that your opponent puts card into his graveyard simply by playing spells. This is excellent for filling your hand when you run out of breath... and it does it's job well in right decks. Not to mention potential with Jace's Erasure
Enelysios
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I love this card. In dedicated mill you can get 20 cards on turn 2-3 fairly often. However, people keep missing the best thing about this card, you draw a card even if it doesn't trigger, and as an instant, you can do it at the end of your opponent's turn. If your opponent holds out on their turn and the mana you were holding for a Spell Pierce would be wasted, you can always draw a card.
Thats not even getting into when it magically transforms into an Ancestral Recall. This is pretty much perfect card design. Doesn't belong in every deck, and takes a couple turns to get ready (so it avoids that overpowered first turn drop feeling) but it is ever so satisfying to cast. I think the main worry here is that players will hang onto it, waiting for the 20 card trigger, when they could replace it for more useful cards.
This card never spends much time in my hand. It is also my absolute favorite target for my Snapcaster Mage.
1. Relieve yourself by a stream. 2. ??? 3. Receive vision from the past. 4. Profit!
Edit: I got the nerve to try these out in my casual mill deck, and I have to say I am very impressed. It doesn't ever take me too long to fulfill the secondary requirement, and once I get one working the card advantage really keeps me going. That's something that Ponder never did for me. It also has decent synergy with Jace's Erasure. Definitely a keeper.
Dream_Twist
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is no worse than any other 1 cost blue draw spell printed in modern times. It's arguably strictly better? Do not see this turning into ancestral recall at some point during the game? Is blue not going to put some cards in the graveyard? I think this card could be very useful and I hope it stays in the core set for some time.
milez0
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Insta-add to all Dimir decks I make. Perfectly fits the theme.
patronofthesound
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Kinda combos with jace's familiar, at least in deckbuild direction.
Lifegainwithbite
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Well hello there the closest thing modern gets to Ancestral Recall
Bobth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Turn 1: Island, Hedron Crab Turn 2: Hedron Crab, Fetchland (mill 12), Hedron Crab Turn 3: Island (mill 9), Visions of Beyond, Visions of Beyond, Visions of Beyond Turn 4: Infinite Hedron Crabs
Probably works.
MostlyLost
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
"We merely reconstruct what our ancestors have already discovered." --"ancestors" I see what you did there, Wizards.
This is a third of the legendary ancestoral Recall, but with a super threshold bonus, that applies to any graveyard. If you put this on the Stick, you can have a mighty draw engine. Even if you don't have super Threshold, Drawing a card for U is not that bad. sure, its not Ponder, but does a damn good job for what it does.
RidderLugtepik
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
T1: Island, Hedron Crab T2: Hedron Crab, Evolving Wilds (fetch a swamp or an island) - 12 cards T3: Island, Mind Sculpt or Glimpse the Unthinkable or Tome Scour or Dream Twist or even Thought Scour, Visions of Beyond - you've milled for at least 20 cards and had the opportunity to draw up to four cards for 2 blue mana... who said this card didn't get to draw three cards? 5/5 Visions of Beyond is just the miller's version of Ancestral Recall...
Comments (53)
I think I changed my mind. Thinking about the kinds of things this card can potentially do, I am scared of the new standard.
It feels more like they're pushing self-milling. In a set where playing from the graveyard is pretty much guaranteed, giving your opponent access to a bunch of their cards seems like a losing strategy.
And this seems like the Galvanic Blast/Mirran Mettle style nerf for Ancestral Recall. It makes me wonder if this will be a cycle of cards, requiring a super-threshold sort of thing.
Still, even on it's own, you're playing with essentially a 56 card deck. If you're playing from your graveyard, well you've got an incredible card here. It could have been 'draw two cards instead', and it still would have been incredible.
I don't like it. It needs far too much work to power it up.
2.5/5
This card recently ran in a top 8 deck on pro tour event.
Watch the 3.9 rating rise to around 4.2+ in a few months.
(WotC employee 2): Oh yeah. Genius, Rick. Yeah, then we'll just reprint Sengir Vampire and Volcanic Dragon and make them uncommon.
(WotC employee 1): Uhh... we already did that... for the newest set.
(WotC employee 2): What?! Seriously?! Oh ok fine. But change it's name and give it some minorly difficult circmstance to achieve before that happens.
And that's how Visions of Beyond was made.
I believe we can safely confirm that Innistrad is probably a graveyard block. Maybe. Most Likely.
I bet there are still people who think it's just a Twilight Block. You have permission to Dredge them to Hell. In Standard. This block is shaping up to be Wizards' attempt to prove that the game now has so much momentum, it is unkillable. If we don't see the Second Combo Winter, then they are right. Sad for my credit card, but otherwise completely awesome. :)
That aside, Innistrad has plenty of support for this card even with less than half the set spoiled. I think, once September 30 rolls around, someone might actually draw 3 cards with this for once. And if not, Forbidden Alchemy is still a great card.
I just wish it weren't four bucks a pop.
5/5
This is excellent for filling your hand when you run out of breath... and it does it's job well in right decks. Not to mention potential with Jace's Erasure
Thats not even getting into when it magically transforms into an Ancestral Recall. This is pretty much perfect card design. Doesn't belong in every deck, and takes a couple turns to get ready (so it avoids that overpowered first turn drop feeling) but it is ever so satisfying to cast. I think the main worry here is that players will hang onto it, waiting for the 20 card trigger, when they could replace it for more useful cards.
This card never spends much time in my hand. It is also my absolute favorite target for my Snapcaster Mage.
5/5 for fun, great design and some mill love
2. ???
3. Receive vision from the past.
4. Profit!
Edit: I got the nerve to try these out in my casual mill deck, and I have to say I am very impressed. It doesn't ever take me too long to fulfill the secondary requirement, and once I get one working the card advantage really keeps me going. That's something that Ponder never did for me. It also has decent synergy with Jace's Erasure. Definitely a keeper.
Turn 2: Hedron Crab, Fetchland (mill 12), Hedron Crab
Turn 3: Island (mill 9), Visions of Beyond, Visions of Beyond, Visions of Beyond
Turn 4: Infinite Hedron Crabs
Probably works.
--"ancestors"
I see what you did there, Wizards.
Ok. Now I cast M12 Ancestral Recall"
T2: Hedron Crab, Evolving Wilds (fetch a swamp or an island) - 12 cards
T3: Island, Mind Sculpt or Glimpse the Unthinkable or Tome Scour or Dream Twist or even Thought Scour, Visions of Beyond - you've milled for at least 20 cards and had the opportunity to draw up to four cards for 2 blue mana... who said this card didn't get to draw three cards?
5/5 Visions of Beyond is just the miller's version of Ancestral Recall...