Pointed Discussion

The new and (kinda) improved Stroke of Genius.

This time, without a hideously broken mana engine that nearly killed Magic forever.

Yes, Mind Spring at instant speed. Mind Spring was played a lot and so will this.

Instant carddraw is nice for control decks and the Beacon Reshuffle Phrase makes actually sense here.
Beside that it feels a little too slow to actually matter.
1 Card drawn for 1 feels very underwhelming even if it was "counter spell mana".
2 and 3 drawn for 2 and 3 seems just mediocre.
4 and 5 should allready win you the match and not just draw even more cards.

to costly especially when compared to past renditions such as mind spring even if it is at instant speed

Yeah, it's costly. But instant speed, variable card draw is still great. It gives control decks the ability to leave mana open and draw cards on their opponent's turn, like any instant draw spell, but because it's variable it means it can be applicable at almost any time in the game (after turn 4 at least).

Three blue does make it feel expensive, but two blue would've been brokenly cheap.

The only use I see for this is as an infinite-mana sink.

Instant, reusable draw, hindered by mana cost to be a pure blue spell. Late game Zenith is useful with extra of mana but cannot help one draw cards early on. I rate it a 4/5 and recommend no more than 2~3 copies per deck.

This card is much better than people give it credit for.

In a permission control deck, where it is imperative to have a full hand, this is very strong as a fifth or sixth Jace's Ingenuity. Its ability to refill your hand with little risk later in the game is unparalleled.

I Like It Better Than Mind Spring Probably Cuz In My Niv Deck I Play Alot A Counters And This Gives Me An Option Plus I Shuffle It Back In. Though Stroke Of Geneius Is Easier On The Eyes(Tripple Blue)

C'mon guys. No one saw this?

Infinite myr combo + This = Draw your whole deck, play most of it, kicked goblin bushwhacker = WIN!

I agree wholeheartedly with Daedalus6174. Instant draw is always good. And if recurring, it's well worth the {U}{U}{U} imo.

Not all games end on turn 4 or 5.

This card is good as a 2-of in control decks to keep the hand full.

worst of the Zenith's

I don't really understand why are all you thinking this is bad card just because Ingenuity and Mind Spring looks more efficient... This is reusable, and unlike Ingenuity and MS, you don't lose any card.

With the relatively simple Myr infinite mana combo, this becomes a recurring kill spell that pretty well ignores field position and/or damage prevention.
Opponent draws his/her whole library +1 card, immediately loses.
It's honestly kind of offensive.

If you find a way to get infinite mana (not that hard in the current standard) it can be used as a finisher for mill. Use it on an opponent during your turn, and then you won't have to worry about those pesky eldrazi.

Guys, come on. It's a Braingeyser at Instant speed for {U} more. Wasn't the Geyser considered crazy good in its format? It was the centerpiece of its own infinite mill combo, and the Zenith has the same potential at instant speed.

I don't think this is being treated fairly. Don't draw yourself cards all the time with it! Fill your hand when you need to, and destroy your opponent the rest of the time. I could see it run this way in mono-{U} Myr. Set up the engine, and churn this out do give your opponent his or her library, then make them draw that one extra to seal their fate.

I'll provide a decklist soon, Block-Legal only. Someone test it out, and we'll see what's what.

You can use it with quite a degree of versitility; drawing cards when your hand is starting to run dry, or forcing your opponent to draw when their hand is nearly full (or just full), and forcing them to discard. For that reasons, it combos well with Sangromancer and possibly Consecrated Sphinx (the latter forcing your opponent to draw a few cards and thus allowing you to draw twice that number for a low mana cost.

It looks to me like this card is being judged against four things: Jace's Ingenuity, Stroke of Genius, Mind Spring, and the rest of its cycle. Granted, it probably is the weakest Zenith, but looking at how great most of those are, it's probably better to judge this card on its own merits. Despite having drawbacks when compared to the other recent draw cards, it does have enough advantages that it deserves to be ranked more around the 4.0 mark that Genius, Ingenuity, and Spring all share.

The easiest comparison is to Stroke of Genius. This is worse if you only have 1 or 2 blue mana available; in any other situation, it's better assuming shuffling it back into your library is a benefit and not a hindrance. Since the a good chunk of either card's cost is going to be in the X cost, and since you're going to want to play this card just before your untap step with all your available mana, the 2 blue instead of 2 colorless is pretty negligible. And plus, a playset doesn't cost you $20.00.

Costing XUUU does hamper this card, but since it's obviously meant for use in blue control (hence the instant speed) it's not altogether unlikely that you'll be able to get some really good mileage out of it. Yeah, if you have exactly 5 mana, you get one fewer card than Jace's Ingenuity would give you, but it shouldn't be too hard to ramp this one up since you can tap all your unused mana just before your untap step. With a lot of decks, if you've got enough mana for this to be worthwhile over Jace's Ingenuity, something's wrong; with MUC, if you don't hit that point in the game, it's not your draw engine that's to blame.

Like with Ingenuity, the extra cost for being instant speed becomes a hindrance if played alongside Leyline of Anticipation. However, unlike Ingenuity, you get an additional benefit over Blue Sun's Zenith's sorcery-speed counterpart (Mind Spring) in that this one can target an opponent. When paired with Consecrated Sphinx and possibly Jace's Erasure, this benefit cannot be overstated. Get out two Erasures and a Sphinx, and every one mana you spend on X gives you two cards and mills your opponent for four, at instant speed. Hard to find a better deal than that.

Yeah, it's not Green Sun's Zenith or even Red Sun's Zenith in power. But it's a solid card with a solid niche in an established strategy. And really, with how strong blue control is right now on top of recently being graced with an enormously powerful Leyline, I think it's altogether OK that it lags a bit behind its brethren.

Oops, misspelled "negligible" in a very unfortunate way.

Seriously guys... It's instant draw that gets shuffled back in... That is definately worth the extra U in my opinion. This card is good for decks that can muster up a lot of mana. Probably causes tempo issues with your typical blue deck. I'll give this a solid 4/5.

it is not like there are much better draw cards then this Arcanis the Omnipotent Azami, Lady of Scrolls in the right deck. Power leek.

People give this card crap.. but you'll still play it. ESPECIALLY once Jace rotates out.

Psychosis Crawler

I personally like this much better than the other 2 {U}{U}{X} draw x cards simply because this one shuffles. The kind of deck you run this in can often times wind up drawing it twice, and can occasionally deck themselves, so having a shuffling card can prevent that possibility.

I also find it funny that people get mad when powercreep happens then you get say a card sucks because there are better older cards. Make up your mind people!

Too bad this was part of a cycle, otherwise I think a cool cost would've been with a multikicker of

This zenith alongside Red Sun's Zenith are the only zeniths that can directly win you the game with enough mana...Although generally the Green Sun's Zenith and Black Sun's Zenith will be more useful...

red sun's zenith is so much better. if you have enough mana to use blue sun's you might as well be looking to end the game. Not to procrastinate by getting more cards. I don't care if it is a blue deck and you need a full hand. Run that hand out and win the game with your bundles of mana that you have to waste on a card like this.

Jaces ingenuity is better until you hit 7 mana with this.

Still fun to infinite card draw someone else though.

Guys, this is instant card draw. Why all the hate?

PEOPLE! MIND SPRING SAYS YOU DRAW X CARDS! THIS SAYS TARGET PLAYER!

Infinite Mana Combo + this = enemy draws entire deck. End turn. Win game. Bam.

Even without infinite mana, in Two-Headed Giant, you can give your allies cards. And you get it back every single time you play it. I'd say that's worth the extra one mana, don't you?

Strictly better than stroke of genius in most cases.

Myr Infinite Mana combo, as others before have stated. 2 Galvanizers to untap the others, and at least 2 mana's worth on Myr on the field and you have infinite mana, however long it takes to tap them all.... Anyway, EACH Zenith has its uses with this (Well, Black and Green are a bit more difficult, but...):

White Sun's Zenith: Instant-speed, infinite 2/2 Cat Tokens.
Blue Sun's Zenith: Instant-speed, infinite draw on opponent to auto-kill, or "draw 20 cards from own deck. Shuffle this back into your deck" at instant-speed, to have them all at the start of your turn.
Black Sun's Zenith: Kill anything and everything on the field. Bit worse with the Myr infinite mana, since all of your Myr die. More of a "you can win with your creatures next turn? No. You can't" use.
Red Sun's Zenith: Um, Demonfire that can be countered, but can reshuffle itself, with infinite damage to enemy while still playing in Standard? Yes, please.
Green Sun's Zenith: Bit harder, since it only snatches GREEN creatures. Still possible, though.

Interestingly enough, the two Phyrexian Zenith cards aren't a good idea with the Myr Infinite Mana combo usually, since they either kill all creatures on the field, including your own, or summon a Green creature. The Mirran ones, however, all rule. Two are instant-speed (meaning INFINITE 2/2 Cats that can attack the next turn! :D), and can royally screw over an enemy, or infinite damage at Sorcery speed to auto-kill an enemy player. The Mirran Zenith cards are brilliantly epic with the Myr infinite mana, while the Phyrexian ones aren't.... That is the definition of "interesting" in Magic.

Anyway, people just don't seem to get it. This card is epic to auto-kill an enemy with draw to death at INSTANT SPEED! For example:

P2: I attack with my infinite Deceiver Exarchs that I got with my Splinter Twin.
P1: In response, I tap my Myr infinite mana combo to make you draw 60 cards.
P2: My maximum deck size is 60 cards.
P1: I know. And you've got some in your hand/on your field. I win.

P2: I gain infinite life with Suture Sisters, and my Ajani's Pridemate becomes infinite/infinite.
P1: In response, you draw everything left in your deck plus four.

Seriously. This card is great with certain combos, ESPECIALLY because of its Instant speed. Oh, right. Venser's Journal. :D

How come this is rated lower than Stroke of Genius? oO

with 3 blue mana and nothing more , this is useless. Need "Scry X" effect.

Edit: Stroke of genius is still superior with its 1 blue mana requirement. This card is too restrictive with 3 blue. That's why noone is using this card.

High Tide-Reset combo players in Legacy have been sleepy-eyed and lethargic for a while. This woke 'em up.

The foil version of this is so ridiculously pretty. And affordable, reusable instant card draw for control decks is juicy in a playing field without JTMS.

@ smokermatthias:

Damage has a habit of getting prevented, and also life gain gets in the way of things; people can't gain library. It's like the one life total that only goes down, poison only goes up, life-life is wonky and goes up or down, and things like Lich and Phyrexian Unlife can make burn useless as a win condition entirely. I know only one creature that actively stops you from getting milled out through being forced to draw your library. There are others that keep you from being targeted, but they can be dealt with, especially in blue decks which have an out to Leyline of Sanctity where red decks just crumble. Besides, High Tide style decks are funny, because they're either drawing their combo, or killing you with it, usually with this spell in either case. Make no mistake, this is just a more reliable Fireball that just takes 3 times as much mana, but blue decks are cool with it because it's a snap for them.

Jace's Archivist.

Instant, reusable braingeyser

I see no problem here.

Instant speed and reusable (if you're very lucky or running a full set). Perfect. In a control deck, with a lot of counter and bounce to control or delay the game (like the REALs and once gone mono-U decks), mana won't be a problem.
Better than Mindspring, because it's can target the oponent.
Better than Braingeyser, because it's instant speed.
And also can make a instant win in combo decks, like the infinite-myr combo.
Nice one, in my opinion.

@ClockworkSwordfish
Myr infinite mana combo. With that, you can make target player draw
-cue brass flourish, quick close up-
One hundred billion cards.

EDIT: Well now hold on just a second. Those Vedalken...that pose looks awful familiar. Could it be?
Praise the sun!

I say 4th and 5th turn are crucial if your deck is a blue/splashed colored control deck so having to draw an additional one card is kinda important. But hell this is awesome if you control the board and if you're stacking up lands.

I mean it is instaspeed card draw, plus it reshuffles, but for 6 mana you only get 3 cards as opposed to, say, tidigns which gets you 4 cards for 5. Too expensive in my opinion.

I once played someone using a draw-card deck, and I used one too. His was a bit more efficient than mine, so I played this and made him draw his deck. I won.

A rather versatile card that can do all sorts of goodies, from acting as a finisher in mill to shuffling one's deck to simply refilling one's hand if needed. All at instant speed.

Instant speed. Say you have 7 lands, leave all your mana up for counterspells, if you don't have to counter anything, BAM, 4 cards at the end of their turn (and 1 at the beginning of yours, too). Tidings won't give you the option of countering if you need to. It's also very versatile. In the late game you can use it to mill your opponent to death. Braingeyser was a great card, and instant speed is more than worth the extra mana. Not to mention this thing is reusable. 4.5/5

Wish this were more splashable. Still a lovely card though.

Much better than Blue Moon's Zenith, since a blue moon happens less than once a year.

Each of the Zenith's represent an old mirrodin artifact land in the artwork.


You see the blue sun rising above a Seat of the Synod here.

@Travelsonic
Dude isn't that a bit of overkill? I mean if you have infinite colorless just make them draw their whole library +1 and they lose as soon as they can't draw that last card, no? Meanie. ;P

This + infinite colorless mana + Tormod's Crypt + anything that allows you to make player discard his hand == "you just lost your library, graveyard, AND your hand. You're welcome. / trollface"

One of the win-cons in my EDH deck. ^_^

EDIT: Yes, it is a bit of overkill - and yes, I can still just make them draw out before their draw phase - useful if you have to face an opponent who has protection against milling in some form (or if you just want to win and have infinite+Blue Sun).

But still, removing their hand, library, and graveyard is a lot of fun just because of the reaction they give. :D

If nothing else, for three blue mana this reads, "Shuffle your library."

Can't say that about any of the other 'draw x' spells, heh.

Instant speed card draw is best run alongside counterspells. This card is no exception. Yeah it may be weak until later on, but it can be very powerful.

@ MyrBattlecube: It is! I've found it! I've found my sun!

is only really a big deal in 3+ colors. When you are at 7 mana or so, which is when you should be casting this, realistically you're going to have more then enough blue mana to meet the requirements. Unlike stroke of genius, this shuffles which means when you cast it you don't lose the functional density of instant speed x draw spells in your deck. Not only that, but, you can tutor it over and over and over, should you have that ability to do so. 3.5 is a lie; This is one of the strongest draw spells in the game and an EDH staple. Anyone who has played with all 3 knows that Braingeyser and Mind Spring aren't even on the same level; This is an instant meaning you get the opportunity to play ALL the cards you draw AND leave mana up should you need to counter something.

5/5

And then that one time in EDH you shuffle this back in and BAM draw it next turn. Cue maniacal laughter.