Jace's brain probably extends through his spine... Only one way to find out...
godmetal101
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Turn 1: Either Duress or Despise. Oh hey, nice Jace the Mind Sculptor you got there. Put it in your graveyard. Now I may 2 life to Surgically Extract all of them from your graveyard, hand, and library. Hah.
SeiberTross
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(6 votes)
The mere threat of someone pulling this off really should change standard.
Hayw00d0909
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
You guys watch a lot of Predator, don't you...
Mindbend
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
i'm seeing less 4 ofs in teir 1 decks in response to this , combo is going be a little more fragile , and caw-blade needs to watch out. I LOVE THIS CARD for what it might do to the game.
immelmann
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(5 votes)
this is easily a 5/5. Think Extirpate; even though it does not have split second, it can be played for 0 mana, instant speed, IN ANY DECK.
Remove their top threat, zap it in their graveyard with this. Your opponent is going to hate you so much.
MasterOfEtherium
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(13 votes)
Sub-Zero was here.
rinoh20
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
HAHAHAHA NO MORE COUNTERS FOR YOU!!! wait mana leak it? T_T
Atali
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm thinking that this is the main reason they gave us Mental Misstep.
PlagueEngine
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This artwork is now the creepiest I've ever seen on a Magic card. Just... look at it for a second. Ugh. And anyone who says that Phyrexian Unlife is creepier is a chump.
NocteMundi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Standard needs a fixin'. Release New Phyrexia early.
Lateralis0ne
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This is going to ruin Vintage and Legacy. And by ruin, I mean possibly one of the best things to happen to those formats since Null Rod.
Mephastopheles
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Most influential card in the set..?
Vividice
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Cost: or 2 Life, 1 Card. Gain: Disrupting a Threat as best, more probably just reducing the enemies Card Quality by 4 good cards in 53.
This is just sideboard material and even not very good at that. There is really no reason to hype this card.
Eliteninjasauce
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(6 votes)
I agree with Vividice on this one. I feel there are a few problems with the thoughts on this card.
1. In order to do this card first turn you need both this AND Duress or Inquisition of Kozilek or any other one drop discard effect.
2. When perform such a combo, you better hope that your opponent actually has something worth getting rid of.
3. Any real deck I've seen isn't going to be crushed by removing all of one corner stone from the deck. Chances are they will still have a few other nasty cards in their deck.
I can see this a good sideboard card (really in Legacy more than standard with those re animator decks).
thepekay
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This may or may not be as strong as most people think. All I know is that it's probably the best addition to Standard Mill decks against those pesky Eldrazi.
LTJZamboni
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(9 votes)
Overrated. It does what it does well but it does not have the utility of Extirpate against combo, since Extirpate can't be countered. Free Extirpate is irrelevant with Mental Misstep in the format.
Donovan_Fabian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't even like using black cards, and I heart this one. What I really like about it, is that it says it will take cards out of your opponents hand too. You can kill off one squadron hawk with say.. grasp of darkness, then pay 2 life for this, and they have no more squadron hawks for the rest of the game. Also, good for vengevine and jace.. and.. valakut actually. Hmmm seems like they printed this just to hose all the best current decks in the format.
tcollins
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
For 2 life or {B} i potentially exile a major threat, at the very least I get to look at my opponent's deck and hand, seeing their gameplan in it's entirety? Yes please!
Excaelezar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Personally I think Surgical Extraction is amazing. This totally beats caw-blade and JTMS decks. Use Despise or Go for the Throat to discard or destroy as necessary, Stoneforge Mystic, Squadron Hawk, or JTMS, then BOOM, hit em with this and they're gone. Along with Vengevine and a few other of the top cards.
EvilCartographer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Instant sideboard card for any mono-black deck and potential sideboard material for every other deck thanks to phrexian mana.
As others have said, though, it is only a star if your opponent only has one strategy for winning AND has a complete playset. It can certainly delay/disrupt, and I don't have anything against mass removal, but it isn't an ubercard. Very good, yes, but not an answer to everything.
Polychromatic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is by far my favorite card in the set. What a great way to follow up a Despise.
WateryMind
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
That's a nice Jace the Mind Scupter/ Vengevine/ Stoneforge Mystic/ *insert card here* you have there... Shame if anything happened to it....
persecutor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!
blindthrall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@PlagueEngine: Yes, and its due to the fact that the cerebrospinal system is still steaming...and dripping.
I love this card just for being a combo breaker that you don't have to wait around forever for.
Vividice: Really there's no reason to hype for this card? You're joking right? Why would it be having that high selling cost if its not damn good. 1st turn combo breaker for mbc deck and you're not that impress with it? You'll regret posting that statement here bob.
@Rinoh20: How will it get Mana Leaked if it's basically a turn one spell??? d?.?b Just wondering...
But I agree with Eliteninjasauce; Hope to GAWD you can get rid of the threat when you cast it, or you're just wasting 2 life every turn, if not another swamp to tap it.
Idk...
Enemy_Tricolor
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(10 votes)
Hello Johnny. Do you mind if I remove your spine? There's a good chap.
Dregrage
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
You do not even imagine how much does the artwork remind me of Salvador Dalì works.
TwoStars
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
I find the idea of exiling Path to Exiles hilarious.
BlackAlbino
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
it's not meant to be used over extirpate (although discard + this turn one does have potential ). it's meant to be used for decks without access to extirpate, i use it in my mono-white deck's sideboard for match-ups against combo decks in legacy.
mike_stubbs1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I played a great game yesterday. My friend had been playing a mill deck with this in, annoying me. Next game he played it again, but I played a discard deck.
Turn 1: Swamp, Duress - discard Surgical Extraction. Pay 2 life - Surgical Extraction on his Surgical Extraction.
If you can't beat them, join them.
Hydr0
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
You can counter this. In fact, if not countering it means losing all your Mana Leaks or Jaces (or Mental Missteps), you might have to. But then you just spent 1 or 2 mana countering a spell which cost its controller 0 mana, giving them time to squeeze out an actual threat.
Control spells that don't cost mana are extremely powerful. Mental Misstep is even more amazing (and is a direct foil to this), but this is still amazing.
jemas42
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Beginning of game, reveal Chancellor of the Spires from your hand. Then 2 life this and pull one of the milled cards. Congrats, you have just damaged their deck, perhaps irreprably, at TURN 0!
Great card. On a side note, at least it isn't Extirpate.
Kitty_the_Kat
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
I know some people are talking about Extirpate, but that's not Type 2 standard now is it? Being able to harm a deck in such was is extremely good in standard, especially when you can do so with such speed. ***, I dropped this on a dude 5 times in one match (3 of those was in 1 round) and I essentially wrecked his deck. I also use Haunting Echoes for later game so I can wreck their deck even further, just to take away all hopes of winning (people usually scoop when that hits).
stille_nacht
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Also, dredge has met its worst match
DeathDark
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Good for mill decks that may face an Eldrazi or anything else that'd stop the deck.
Invest in this card.
If Innistrad is as graveyard-loving as we assume, this'll be what keeps it somewhat in check.
reddaemon
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
You can counter Surgical Extraction with another Surgical Extraction. Your opponent casts Surgical Extraction targeting something you want to keep in your deck, let's say your Mental Misstep, you cast Surgical Extraction in response to theirs targeting your own Mental Misstep, choose to only exile the one that your opponent is targeting and fail to find the rest of them. When your opponent's spell goes to resolve it gets countered since its only target is now an illegal target, saves you from revealing your hand and your entire library. I can see this being a 4 of for every sideboard for a very long time.
Bought a playset of these for around $15 this weekend. Reason for doing so: I'm a combo-player with a loathing for control decks. UWC decks are very popular and Caw Blade is still dominating Standard despite recent bannings. So, why not run these (because either you'll trade 1:1 cards at 0:1-3 mana against their countermagic, or you'll deprive them of the cards that might otherwise shut your deck down for the rest of the game)? Besides, it's pseudo-colorless, so it can go into any deck. Finally, with Innistrad's upcoming release, I'm sure graveyard-hate will be a necessity in all sideboards, provided current speculation on the set is accurate.
Last thought: as long as this spell resolves, you get a peek at their hand, as well as their entire deck, potentially on turn 0 of game 1! A savvy player could use the information gained from that to know exactly what needs to be dealt with to win.
Lyoncet
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Not great in every deck. Not good against every deck.
And still exactly what a few decks need to beat a few other decks (great insurance in UWC/UBC vs. Tempered Steel, for instance). And likely to increase in value as the Innistrad block gives us more and more encouragement to put our own cards into the graveyard.
It looks like most comments here are either overvaluing it as the best card to hit standard since the Urza's block or undervaluing it as nothing but jank. Honestly, it's neither; just another situational card that, when said situation arises, has just as much or more reason to be played than any other card.
Also, confession time: I'm the reason Tempted_Johnny hates control. :p (Although I don't run caw so I don't know what he's hoping to exile.)
SorianSadaskan
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Goodness, think about this card can be in any colored deck.
Paleopaladin
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(7 votes)
Mean people in Vintage will have played all four of theirs by turn three, then drop a Yawgmoth's Will and do it again.
One other thing to keep in mind with this card: 75-95% of competitive decks use non-basic lands. This thing can KILL those kinds of decks.
EDIT: "Mean people in Vintage"--are there any other kinds of people who play Vintage? ;-)
Guest1381794618
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Artwork screams something like Tool album cover to me.
The card is excellent, an interesting twist on Extirpate. I wonder where this will take us In the new Standard. Combo is going to have to be looking over its shoulder apprehensively for as long as this guy sticks around.
Edit: As I see the full spoiler for Innistrad, I have a strong suspicion that these are going to become more important in the coming weeks.
amielzki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
nice card, saw it and immediately fell in love with it. 1B or 2 life, you can tap out no problem. if your running MBC imagin this wrecking havoc in turn 1 with say despise or horrifying revelation or even shriekhorn. you can wipe your opponents army with these.. and did i mention its exiled.
Totema
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
On card: This is like a mini Haunting Echoes, for only 1 {B}. Plus, it's still in standard. What's not to like? On art: SUB-ZERO WINS! FATALITY
whiteforthewin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
running this card in mono white human deck.... control me? nahh nahh my friend control you (takes spine and laughs) stops board wipes, go for the throat and anything else they need. Stupid cardd (in a good way)
why are these sort of cards always so damn expensive? (in $)
Joemoose13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think this card has more potential now that Innistrad is out. I think I might be putting a few of these in my side deck. Playing against a Wolf Run deck? Acidic Slim, destroy your Wolf Run or Ink Moth, remove the threat... Not too shabby now a days, 4/5.
LightoRaito
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A card that completely nopes combo decks for one, maybe zero mana? Come on, man!
Antares2
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
someone just used this to remove all copies of Rampang Growth from my deck. He literally wasted a card to improved my deck. Don't play with this card, people! It's bad. If you want to fight graveyard decks, there are much better cards.
raptorman333
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
More versatility than Extirpate. Finally bringing a b{i}itch of a black spell to all colors. I'd rather play Extirpate than this if I was playing strictly black though. Split second is of the highest value as oppose to paying two life instead of {B}.
MasterBlaster74
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think the value of this card in standard just increased dramatically thanks to the new Undying mechanic in DA.
AvatarofBro
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
While it doesn't have the "split second" that made Extirpate so awesome, it makes up for it with the phyrexian mana cost. I can run this in any color (and boy does my mono-blue control love it). I'm not quite sure why this isn't a 5/5. You get to look at your opponents hand and library for 1 or 2 life, and remove a potential threat. I like to goad my opponent into using a mana leak turn two, and then extract the living $#!& out of it. The look on their face is always nice.
This card hoses undying, (yes you can exile Strangleroot Geist before he comes back to life) hoses flashback, is an instant for 0 mana. Will be a legacy staple for anti graveyard.
I prefer it in maindeck imo, because you never know what your going to face. Worst case scenario you get to look at their entire deck, there hand, and ensure there biggest threat in the yard never returns, all at instant speed for 2 life, if that. Hows this not maindeck material? Plus Sorin token decks are polluting MTGO standard right now, and this would deal with allot of things they are packing
If your black and your running Despise, well if you see multiples of a creature or planeswalker, discard it, then you can discard the other for free with this. Just a possible situation I would
Girlfriend: I'll play my Vorapede Me: Doomblade Girlfriend: he's just gonna come back bigger Me:(play this) no, no he won't Girlfriend: I'm breaking up with you
love this card especially against undying or my buddies spirit deck with a bunch of drogskol captains
dreanor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the single best card to handle all the Cavern of Souls in an opponents deck. It often leaves them wondering what $30 card could possible save them from my counters now
Drewsel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sam Fisher should be in this card's art.
MechaKraken
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Turn one Despise to get something into the graveyard, then pay 2 life for this to get rid of it for good.
Exactly, except for the part where magic players have girlfriends.
On an unrelated note, I'm contemplating using this card to tutor for all my Misthollow Griffins.
Raibys
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is where they got all those extra spines for Xenograft.
Oh, and then they attached Myr heads to them I guess. Silly Phyrexians.
Kura-san
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yay for Anti-Reanimation!
TwentyFifthBaam
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Goodbye, Squadron Hawk. Not to worry - your family will be joining you soon.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA-
RecurringMemories
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Extirpate vs. Surgical Extraction Both 5/5 Extirpate - Split Second Surgical Extraction - Phyrexian mana At the end I think this is the superior card in most conditions; the only time I believe Extirpate is more powerful is removing cards with "If _________ is put into a graveyard shuffle it back into it's owners library." both fantastic and I want a playset (at minimum) of both.
Much debates between this and Extirpate, which I really appreciate. But there is Cremate now. What do? I actually like Surgical Extraction over extirpate bcs I find myself out of mana more often then facing an opponent with countermagic. But my deck really likes drawing cards instead instead of saving myself one B. Plus, when you side board this in your deck, there is a good chance you also want to draw other useful cards, which this helps you achieve. Any thoughts?
j_mindfingerpainter
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's tempting to play this over Extirpate in Modern now that Second Sunrise was banned, meaning there would be one fewer use for split second.
Also, you can't do a discard/exile-all-copies combo on T1 with Extirpate. The only problem with casting this after a Thoughtseize T1 is you are down 3 cards in hand 4 life and they're down 1 card in hand and 3 in their deck at most. Of course, you'd be down 2 cards and 2 life just with a Swamp and Thoughtseize...
Ferlord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I am attempting to create a tournament-quality Modern Mill deck.
It initially started as such, but slowly transformed into a stall and strategy-ruining deck.
My most proud moment came when I combo'ed Ghostly Quarter (destroy their T1 Shockland), Archive Trap, and then Surgically Extract their most powerful spell... all for 0 mana.
This always screws over combo decks with cards like Grapeshot, Pyromancer Ascension, Second Sunrise, or Living End. You are at the mercy of whether you dig through 13 of their cards, only to miss their most important spell, but when it works, it completely shuts down their deck.
EDIT: I realized Surgical Extraction doesn't activate Archive Trap, since it's specific over who searches the library. I have received mixed answers from people I personally know, but the internet says no.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Between this and Extirpate I prefer this. Here me out: all of my reasons are because of the phyrexian mana which means it can be used:
-T0, meaning it can hose a deck like Oops, a dark-rit reanimator target like Iona, Shield. Nearly nothing else can outside of blue or Leyline of the void. Can even nail a T1-storm by exiling a Rite of Flame before they can cast a second. It's chancey, but at least you get a chance to not-lose.
-When tapped out;, meaning no tempo-loss, your opponent can't predict you'll do it, and meaning you don't have to predict *when* something bad will happen. You can use it as a reaction to a strategy if you main-deck it too. Say they counter your spell. Eat that playset of counters.
-to allow brutal T1 Cabal Therapy's by exiling a fetchland. You see their hand, nix 2-3 lands in their deck (potentially land screwing them) and might nix a land from their hand. Even better, you see their hand so you can 2-for-1 on Therapy or at the very least, you won't miss.
-with things that trigger on spell casts. Young Pyromancer is the latest in a line of free-spell lovers. He'll take the free spell, give you a 1/1 for your troubles. Consequently he works well with Gitaxian Probe and Cabal Therapy; which both work well with this card too.
-in any color; which much like Mindbreak Trap or the leylines, allows one to run out-of-color deck hate to keep the meta-game under control.
Extirpate? It gives you nigh uncounterability, but that's it. It's slower, can't react T0, is color dependent, causes tempo loss, and far less combo-able. You can always use this as an extirpate against any non-blue and non-instant gravehate. I think this gem is still waiting to be discovered in legacy. 0-mana hand/combo/play disruption spells always have a place in legacy and vintage.
sincleanser
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Think of this as an Extripate in Blue. It's a proactive counterspell against the biggest threats.
DC-Chaos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is one of the best spells I've ever seen. I don't play Magic all that much but just from one look at this card I can think of so many uses and combinations with it. How about: Turn 1 cast duress, make them discard one of their best cards, surgically extract every copy out of the game for only 2 life? Yes please!
It even makes your opponent more susceptible to mana floods as their deck will have a much more unbalanced land to spells ratio.
The fact that it can be played in the first turn along with another spell and in any colored deck just makes it that much more amazing.
rockywm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So I got into a Kiki Jiki mirror match and sided this in. Second game, my opponent starts: Island/Serum Vision. Man, the look on his face when I said "at the end of your turn" with no lands on my side. Bye-bye, Serum Vision. I'm also sorry I messed up your Scry.
Dryten
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Silence then Surgical Extraction on Force of Will.
Best luck I've had with this is using two in conjunction with a Chancellor of the Spires. I crippled my opponent's deck before the game had even begun.
Psykes7
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Lief098 why would you need that. You only need enough lands for the Maniac and your set
Comments (93)
Remove their top threat, zap it in their graveyard with this. Your opponent is going to hate you so much.
Gain: Disrupting a Threat as best, more probably just reducing the enemies Card Quality by 4 good cards in 53.
This is just sideboard material and even not very good at that. There is really no reason to hype this card.
1. In order to do this card first turn you need both this AND Duress or Inquisition of Kozilek or any other one drop discard effect.
2. When perform such a combo, you better hope that your opponent actually has something worth getting rid of.
3. Any real deck I've seen isn't going to be crushed by removing all of one corner stone from the deck. Chances are they will still have a few other nasty cards in their deck.
I can see this a good sideboard card (really in Legacy more than standard with those re animator decks).
All I know is that it's probably the best addition to Standard Mill decks against those pesky Eldrazi.
As others have said, though, it is only a star if your opponent only has one strategy for winning AND has a complete playset. It can certainly delay/disrupt, and I don't have anything against mass removal, but it isn't an ubercard. Very good, yes, but not an answer to everything.
I love this card just for being a combo breaker that you don't have to wait around forever for.
Beginning of the game reveal Chancellor of the Spires and play this. Then hope they don't respond with Mental Misstep.
d?.?b
Just wondering...
But I agree with Eliteninjasauce;
Hope to GAWD you can get rid of the threat when you cast it, or you're just wasting 2 life every turn, if not another swamp to tap it.
Idk...
Turn 1: Swamp, Duress - discard Surgical Extraction. Pay 2 life - Surgical Extraction on his Surgical Extraction.
If you can't beat them, join them.
Control spells that don't cost mana are extremely powerful. Mental Misstep is even more amazing (and is a direct foil to this), but this is still amazing.
If Innistrad is as graveyard-loving as we assume, this'll be what keeps it somewhat in check.
Bye-Bye Bloodghast, Bye-Bye Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, and Bye-Bye Wurmcoil Engine. For added laughs, mill/discard your opponent's Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre and Extract it in response to the ability that shuffles it into their library.
4.5/5
Last thought: as long as this spell resolves, you get a peek at their hand, as well as their entire deck, potentially on turn 0 of game 1! A savvy player could use the information gained from that to know exactly what needs to be dealt with to win.
And still exactly what a few decks need to beat a few other decks (great insurance in UWC/UBC vs. Tempered Steel, for instance). And likely to increase in value as the Innistrad block gives us more and more encouragement to put our own cards into the graveyard.
It looks like most comments here are either overvaluing it as the best card to hit standard since the Urza's block or undervaluing it as nothing but jank. Honestly, it's neither; just another situational card that, when said situation arises, has just as much or more reason to be played than any other card.
Also, confession time: I'm the reason Tempted_Johnny hates control. :p (Although I don't run caw so I don't know what he's hoping to exile.)
One other thing to keep in mind with this card: 75-95% of competitive decks use non-basic lands. This thing can KILL those kinds of decks.
EDIT: "Mean people in Vintage"--are there any other kinds of people who play Vintage? ;-)
The card is excellent, an interesting twist on Extirpate. I wonder where this will take us In the new Standard. Combo is going to have to be looking over its shoulder apprehensively for as long as this guy sticks around.
Edit: As I see the full spoiler for Innistrad, I have a strong suspicion that these are going to become more important in the coming weeks.
On art: SUB-ZERO WINS! FATALITY
say goodbye to the rest of the playset
He literally wasted a card to improved my deck. Don't play with this card, people! It's bad. If you want to fight graveyard decks, there are much better cards.
TL;DR 5/5.
Dark Ritual to Duress to Hymn to Tourach, pay 2 life, Surgical Extraction.
"Target player bitches and moans."
Great card, ive seen it hose my Curse of Exhaustion//Knowledge Pool deck.
I prefer it in maindeck imo, because you never know what your going to face. Worst case scenario you get to look at their entire deck, there hand, and ensure there biggest threat in the yard never returns, all at instant speed for 2 life, if that. Hows this not maindeck material? Plus Sorin token decks are polluting MTGO standard right now, and this would deal with allot of things they are packing
If your black and your running Despise, well if you see multiples of a creature or planeswalker, discard it, then you can discard the other for free with this. Just a possible situation I would
Add Mana Severance and Laboratory Maniac.
Me: Doomblade
Girlfriend: he's just gonna come back bigger
Me:(play this) no, no he won't
Girlfriend: I'm breaking up with you
love this card especially against undying or my buddies spirit deck with a bunch of drogskol captains
My current favorite targets for this -
Dungrove Elder
Snapcaster Mage
Delver of Secrets
Sun Titan
Wurmcoil Engine
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Exactly, except for the part where magic players have girlfriends.
On an unrelated note, I'm contemplating using this card to tutor for all my Misthollow Griffins.
Oh, and then they attached Myr heads to them I guess. Silly Phyrexians.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA-
Both 5/5
Extirpate - Split Second
Surgical Extraction - Phyrexian mana
At the end I think this is the superior card in most conditions; the only time I believe Extirpate is more powerful is removing cards with "If _________ is put into a graveyard shuffle it back into it's owners library."
both fantastic and I want a playset (at minimum) of both.
Also, you can't do a discard/exile-all-copies combo on T1 with Extirpate. The only problem with casting this after a Thoughtseize T1 is you are down 3 cards in hand 4 life and they're down 1 card in hand and 3 in their deck at most. Of course, you'd be down 2 cards and 2 life just with a Swamp and Thoughtseize...
It initially started as such, but slowly transformed into a stall and strategy-ruining deck.
My most proud moment came when I combo'ed Ghostly Quarter (destroy their T1 Shockland), Archive Trap, and then Surgically Extract their most powerful spell... all for 0 mana.
This always screws over combo decks with cards like Grapeshot, Pyromancer Ascension, Second Sunrise, or Living End. You are at the mercy of whether you dig through 13 of their cards, only to miss their most important spell, but when it works, it completely shuts down their deck.
Other spells I play in there include Mesmeric Orb, Hedron Crab, Thought Scour, Extirpate, Relic of Progenitus, and Mind Sculpt. Since I haven't tested it against a professional group, I don't know if it's worth it to get Glimpse the Unthinkable, but I may include that instead of Mind Sculpt.
EDIT: I realized Surgical Extraction doesn't activate Archive Trap, since it's specific over who searches the library. I have received mixed answers from people I personally know, but the internet says no.
-T0, meaning it can hose a deck like Oops, a dark-rit reanimator target like Iona, Shield. Nearly nothing else can outside of blue or Leyline of the void. Can even nail a T1-storm by exiling a Rite of Flame before they can cast a second. It's chancey, but at least you get a chance to not-lose.
-When tapped out;, meaning no tempo-loss, your opponent can't predict you'll do it, and meaning you don't have to predict *when* something bad will happen. You can use it as a reaction to a strategy if you main-deck it too. Say they counter your spell. Eat that playset of counters.
-to allow brutal T1 Cabal Therapy's by exiling a fetchland. You see their hand, nix 2-3 lands in their deck (potentially land screwing them) and might nix a land from their hand. Even better, you see their hand so you can 2-for-1 on Therapy or at the very least, you won't miss.
-with things that trigger on spell casts. Young Pyromancer is the latest in a line of free-spell lovers. He'll take the free spell, give you a 1/1 for your troubles. Consequently he works well with Gitaxian Probe and Cabal Therapy; which both work well with this card too.
-in any color; which much like Mindbreak Trap or the leylines, allows one to run out-of-color deck hate to keep the meta-game under control.
Extirpate? It gives you nigh uncounterability, but that's it. It's slower, can't react T0, is color dependent, causes tempo loss, and far less combo-able. You can always use this as an extirpate against any non-blue and non-instant gravehate. I think this gem is still waiting to be discovered in legacy. 0-mana hand/combo/play disruption spells always have a place in legacy and vintage.
It even makes your opponent more susceptible to mana floods as their deck will have a much more unbalanced land to spells ratio.
The fact that it can be played in the first turn along with another spell and in any colored deck just makes it that much more amazing.
Lemme take that.
why would you need that. You only need enough lands for the Maniac and your set