The only scenario in which Vacuumelt is better - or is at least cheaper per creature returned - is when one creature is being returned to its owner's hand (which sort of defeats the purpose of including either of these two cards in a deck). Distorting Wake is cheaper for two or more creatures. Rather than saying that Distorting Wake is "situationally better" than Vacuumelt, it seems more precise to say that Distorting Wake is "almost always better" than Vacuumelt.
As a card slot in a deck, in my mind Distorting Wake compares/contrasts well with Capsize (though I realize that the two cards operate at different paces and on different scales, their fundamental premises (i.e. returning creatures to their owners' hands) are quite similar if not identical - picture both of the cards cast with 6 mana) and (probably more so) with Evacuation (5 mana).
A major advantage this card has over Vacuumelt and Evacuation is that Distorting Wake returns target nonland permanents. Vacuumelt and Evacuation return only creatures. One of Evacuation's main upsides is that it doesn't target - hence the comparison to Wrath of God elsewhere in this discussion. Capsize returns any single target permanent - especially land cards. ;)
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I original read the top of this card as "Distorting Whale". Needless to say I was sorely dissapointed when I realized that the artwork depicts an airship, not a whale with wings, and is a really lacklustre card. Although the more mana you sink into {X} the more worthwhile the card is, its just a shame its at sorcery speed. Otherwise it has lots of potential, bounce your opponent's creatures, save your own creatures, return any permanents with a nifty "enters the battlefield" trigger
SeriouslyFacetious
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Cool card... unfortunately done in by Cyclonic Rift.
Check out the art, too. How many Planar Portals can you count?
Comments (6)
Evacuation is closer to a blue Wrath of God than this..,
If you have to compare it to something the first thing that comes to my mind would be Rolling Thunder if it were used against 1/1's...
As a card slot in a deck, in my mind Distorting Wake compares/contrasts well with Capsize (though I realize that the two cards operate at different paces and on different scales, their fundamental premises (i.e. returning creatures to their owners' hands) are quite similar if not identical - picture both of the cards cast with 6 mana) and (probably more so) with Evacuation (5 mana).
A major advantage this card has over Vacuumelt and Evacuation is that Distorting Wake returns target nonland permanents. Vacuumelt and Evacuation return only creatures. One of Evacuation's main upsides is that it doesn't target - hence the comparison to Wrath of God elsewhere in this discussion. Capsize returns any single target permanent - especially land cards. ;)
Check out the art, too. How many Planar Portals can you count?