White has become R&D's new love child. O-ring being an enchantment, white's enemy colors have no answer to it.
With Scars block's almost plane/timeshifted-like evocation of "evil white," (which I don't mind that much since I think that Suture Priest, Porcelain Legionnaire, and Priests of Norn are all hella fun) I was hoping that, at the very least, we'd seen the last of the likes of O-Ring, Swords, Path, Journey, etc.--all of those need to be banished to vintage and restricted.
Why does white need to have both it's newfound "evil" powers AND its traditional divinely-favored, trump-everything-ness? It even got to keep Day of Judgement! Are we to be spared NOTHING?
DeathDark
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
The picture is of me when my Vampire Nighthawk gets O-rigned.
Again.
AngelPhoenix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Loooooove this card. Sooooooo versatile. This works especailly well in enchantment-heavy decks where the opponent must chose between getting rid of the Angelic Destiny slapped on your Elite Vangaurd, the Tempered Steel beefing up your Myr tokens, or your O-ring that just exlied his (insert your favorite Titan).
The fact that you can use it on almost anything is well worth the one extra mana over Journey to Nowhere, though that card is rather excellent as well.
Blue is THE control color and "control" ought include permanents on the battlefield. Counterspells on the other hand are only the "latest moment to prevent an effect". I would rather see blue beeing added to a deck because of some powerful removals than to see another counterspell deck. The latter has the disadvantage that it is even more unfun to play against than removals. There are more creatures with some sort of protection against destruction or targeted spells than there are against counterspells. So add a few hexproof creatures to your deck and both decks will have a chance to win. Against a good counterspell deck, you could surrender, if you haven't any thread by turn 3 and no manlands in your deck.
In addition, white also benefits from the change. Although it loses the most powerful removals, it would gain soft-lock denial spells that could be also used on your own creatures, increasing the possibilities you have. White would be more flavorful, since it would be the most peaceful color (not able to enduringly destroy any permanent {beside putting it back into the library}).
Last time I was here, this card was only in Lorwyn and Alara. Thats only like two years for an additional five sets. Still, glad to see it back again for another year. Its a great answer to... just about everything!
I run four in my Esper Deck (Its kind of sad: I have no counterspells in there because there were very little playable ones in the Alara block). Its great for taking out pesky Planeswalkers and the like. I would have rather seen it as a colored artifact to fit the theme but still, no one packs enchantment removal anyway.
@ Deathdark I always Oblivion Ring my brother's Nighthawks, you can't let them stick around.
@Paleopaladin I agree with most of that, but i think most of these are very good for white (although I think Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares should at least cost more) Oblivion Ring and its little brother Journey to Nowhere fit whites color pie of "Not actually killing" very well.
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Ah, the Ring's back in standard. I'll get myself a playset with Knigths vs, Dragons art, it looks much cooler as a huge magic ring turning a fearsome dragon into jelly than as a small circle floating over some random guy's head and giving them a headache.
@Cheza: Ring and Path to Exile should be Blue because blue is the control color? What the hell? You're completely wrong. Counterspells are the perfect embodiment of Blue. Blue values and relies on forethought and preparation to win, so it makes completely sense that it should rely on taking care of your opponent's threats before they enter the battlefield with counterspells and the like. If one manages to get through due to a flaw into your carefully wrought web of counters and other manipulations, it's just right that you should deal with the consequences with second-rate removal like Unsummon and Ice Cage. And you are also wrong about White being a pacific color. White values light and order above anything, and it will fight anything who threatens it. White is good at keeping peace, but is even better at waging war at anything that goes against its values. Just look at Celestial Purge and Lightwielder Paladin.
Dr_Fletchers
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When I realised I could use it on an enemy Planeswalker I was hooked. I do prefer this over most other removals and fits nicely into any white deck.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Well if it can exile target permanent then exile your opponent!!!
Shadoflaam
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I flew beyond the sun before it was time Burning all the gold around me in myself Waiting for you to pull me back in I almost set the world in my sight Close Low Bright eyes fading faster Then start falling How Can I tell you I failed Tell you I failed...
GruesomeGoo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Rulings Hey yo dawg, I heard you like Oblivion Rings. So I put an Oblivion Ring in your Oblivion Ring so you can Oblivion Ring while you Oblivion Ring.
Yozuk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Man this card was annoying. And still is.
MechaKraken
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the reason anyone who runs green should carry at least a few Naturalize or Beast Within s in their deck.
Chaka-K-Rock
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This makes my caw-go deck good against vampires. THANK YOU M12
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is probably THE best removal spell in Magic. It exiles target permanent. For three mana. It's a permanent. It splashes more easily than Vindicate
Yes, for certain situations, speed is even more important than power. I could even see Crush being called better if you absolutely had to kill an artifact. Depends on the meta a bit.
However, in the abstract, in a 'normal' paced game where by turn three you might have something nasty to fight, but you probably have at least two or three turns to find a way to axe it, this is a very strong contender for go-to 'Kill' spell. If three mana is too slow, you are playing either against a degenerate deck or in a degenerate format.
JimmyNoobPlayer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If my Oblivion Ring is flashed out and back (say by another O-Ring targeting it, and later being destroyed) its entry ability triggers again, and I can choose a new target. I recently played with someone who thought it had to go on the old target.
EmoJesus26
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
SO unbelievably broken. 3 mana to exile a permanent, just no need for intelligent gameplay anymore..
dlrdlrdlr
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A great example of breaking Magic online using 3 of these. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGXG5rNe_tI
joker53
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
(According to the lowest prices in magiccardmarket) 14,90 € / 0,08 € = 186,25.
So you can 1) Assume this is 186,25 times worse than Vindicate. or 2) buy a playset of this, and argue that it gets a sliiightly better mark in price/quality.
Comments (35)
I don't mind white removal, but it needs to be stuff like Condemn, Pacifism, Vengeance, and Saltblast.
White has become R&D's new love child. O-ring being an enchantment, white's enemy colors have no answer to it.
With Scars block's almost plane/timeshifted-like evocation of "evil white," (which I don't mind that much since I think that Suture Priest, Porcelain Legionnaire, and Priests of Norn are all hella fun) I was hoping that, at the very least, we'd seen the last of the likes of O-Ring, Swords, Path, Journey, etc.--all of those need to be banished to vintage and restricted.
Why does white need to have both it's newfound "evil" powers AND its traditional divinely-favored, trump-everything-ness? It even got to keep Day of Judgement! Are we to be spared NOTHING?
Again.
The fact that you can use it on almost anything is well worth the one extra mana over Journey to Nowhere, though that card is rather excellent as well.
Blue is THE control color and "control" ought include permanents on the battlefield. Counterspells on the other hand are only the "latest moment to prevent an effect". I would rather see blue beeing added to a deck because of some powerful removals than to see another counterspell deck. The latter has the disadvantage that it is even more unfun to play against than removals. There are more creatures with some sort of protection against destruction or targeted spells than there are against counterspells. So add a few hexproof creatures to your deck and both decks will have a chance to win. Against a good counterspell deck, you could surrender, if you haven't any thread by turn 3 and no manlands in your deck.
In addition, white also benefits from the change. Although it loses the most powerful removals, it would gain soft-lock denial spells that could be also used on your own creatures, increasing the possibilities you have. White would be more flavorful, since it would be the most peaceful color (not able to enduringly destroy any permanent {beside putting it back into the library}).
Cards like Tradewind Rider, AEther Adept or Temporal Adept would feel great in white.
I run four in my Esper Deck (Its kind of sad: I have no counterspells in there because there were very little playable ones in the Alara block). Its great for taking out pesky Planeswalkers and the like. I would have rather seen it as a colored artifact to fit the theme but still, no one packs enchantment removal anyway.
@ Deathdark I always Oblivion Ring my brother's Nighthawks, you can't let them stick around.
@Paleopaladin I agree with most of that, but i think most of these are very good for white (although I think Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares should at least cost
@Cheza: Ring and Path to Exile should be Blue because blue is the control color? What the hell? You're completely wrong. Counterspells are the perfect embodiment of Blue. Blue values and relies on forethought and preparation to win, so it makes completely sense that it should rely on taking care of your opponent's threats before they enter the battlefield with counterspells and the like. If one manages to get through due to a flaw into your carefully wrought web of counters and other manipulations, it's just right that you should deal with the consequences with second-rate removal like Unsummon and Ice Cage. And you are also wrong about White being a pacific color. White values light and order above anything, and it will fight anything who threatens it. White is good at keeping peace, but is even better at waging war at anything that goes against its values. Just look at Celestial Purge and Lightwielder Paladin.
Burning all the gold around me in myself
Waiting for you to pull me back in
I almost set the world in my sight
Close
Low
Bright eyes fading faster
Then start falling
How
Can
I tell you I failed
Tell you I failed...
Hey yo dawg, I heard you like Oblivion Rings. So I put an Oblivion Ring in your Oblivion Ring so you can Oblivion Ring while you Oblivion Ring.
Yes, for certain situations, speed is even more important than power. I could even see Crush being called better if you absolutely had to kill an artifact. Depends on the meta a bit.
However, in the abstract, in a 'normal' paced game where by turn three you might have something nasty to fight, but you probably have at least two or three turns to find a way to axe it, this is a very strong contender for go-to 'Kill' spell. If three mana is too slow, you are playing either against a degenerate deck or in a degenerate format.
So you can
1) Assume this is 186,25 times worse than Vindicate.
or
2) buy a playset of this, and argue that it gets a sliiightly better mark in price/quality.