I'm sad that this card is so good for the decks I want to play and has such utterly disturbing art. I'm going to spend far too much time staring at this one, and then just when I think it's gone I'm going to have to flash it back...
Probably not the best for counterburn style decks, since those decks tend to hold their most valuable cards for longer, meaning you have a higher chance of discarding them since they spend more turns in your hand. Plus holding those cards means you're less likely to pitch one of the useless lands you'll usually have once your card advantage starts coming on line. But it's still a hell of a card for plenty of decks, and can effectively be Think Twice 5-8, which is spectacular.
Gelzo
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Looks like it has potential to be really good in Pyromancer Ascension. I'd definitely play it casually, but I wonder if it's worth the risk in Modern.
JFM2796
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
It seems like it would be better to just run Think Twice.
It bugs me that this was printed in the same set as Think Twice's reprint. WotC doesn't usually aim for such subtle differences between two cards in one set.
Hayw00d0909
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Red draw? Thats enough to make me smile :)
Tommy9898
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
It puts a card in your hand and one in your graveyard (plus itself) Which makes it more efficient than think twice. Of course, since this card wants you to have things that work with the graveyard you would want BOTH it and think twice in your deck.
Gabriel422
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
I just love the fact that this card is kind of a statement that "card filtering (draw + random discard) is now red". Yeah I know Burning Inquiry did that, but almost anything can be red if you 1) lose card advantage AND 2) share the benefit with your opponent. Well anything but enchantment removal, I guess... But I did find this card more convincing.
AnTzero
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Crazy people are always the smart ones...
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Definetly going into my Grixis deck, which involves a lot of discard and can always do with some extra draws.
AngelicOverseer
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(7 votes)
"Help! Let me outta here, I really hafta poop!"
thisisnotmyname
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I really like this card. In decks that heavily abuse their graveyard, this reads draw 2 at instant for 2 mana. This is definately going in a few of my decks.
(Hint: past in flames likes this card a lot. ;-))
DacenOctavio
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is perfectly good if you cast it Hellbent (with no cards in hand). It would be interesting with Thought Reflection however.
theis999
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Funny how this is almost the same as think twice.
Except for: a) in a graveyard synergie. b) in nonred decks. c) if you are not hellbent. d) in nonblue decks.
Given that red has so few good cards in EDH this might actually be useful there.
lorendorky
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I want to make a deck that can win using all the cards named "desperate." Desperation.dec
Tanaka348
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Who knew a card that made you yourself discard randomly would be a tournament darling?
Vandarringa
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Deceptively good. For decks that can run it, this is usually better than Think Twice. It's much better at smoothing out land draws, since you're twice as likely to draw a land you need, but (depending on the size of your hand) there's probably only a 1-in-3 to 1-in-5 chance of having to discard it. The fact that you could be discarding another flashback spell is simply a bonus. Most UR decks should run this card before Think Twice. It's been called the new Preordain, but Preordain never got you card advantage on its own either.
jetzine
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card really defines the set for me. My favorite card in a while. 5/5 for flavor and function.
infernox10
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Use this in a R/U Burning Vengeance deck that relies on Flashback shenannigans, as well a graveyard fun (Chandra's Phoenix?). Draw 2 cards + discarding something that you'll end up using later (random, sure, but it's the most likely outcome) = pure card advantage.
Fall87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you can play it, it is much better than think twice. Just try it ;)
NoobOfLore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you flash this back from your graveyard after having played it, it nets you a grand total of... 1 card. I understand there's value in being able to cycle through cards, but random discard can really wreak havoc on your hand composition. However, there are benefits to putting cards in your graveyard, and that's where this card shines over Think Twice.
The whole Random aspect would not sit well with me when I discard something like Inferno Titan instead of something like Past in Flames (or something with Flashback).
The fact that it also needs to play its Flashback calls for a splash of , or playing a card like Altar of the Lost or Shimmering Grotto (or some other mana-fixing card)
It's not bad at all, mind you. Faithless Looting has been a better card for me, but you don't gain any cards from it, unlike Desperate Ravings (you play 1 card from hand, draw 2, discard 2: you're left with -1 your original hand), and that's the price you pay (plus the extra cost :S)
Desperate Ravings. They're GreeeeeeeeaASRADRAF ITS IN THE WALLS
Tamerlein
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I just can't force myself to like this card. While it does provide pretty solid card advantage, and in red of all things, just by virtue of the fact that its flashback cost is blue means that you should have more reliable card draw spells. To many people, tournament players included, the card advantage outweighs the randomness, but for me I just can't do it.
3/5
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
http://youtu.be/9R8FLpMTyIc?t=4m15s
Patrick Chapin basically explained (albeit several years ago in a vastly different meta) why this card is deceptively strong. If you need to dig for something, you play this as a value card. If you don't, then play the other cards in your hand.
People will get turned off by the random effect, and you will indeed lose games where you accidentally pitch a card you need. But you will also steal games you had no business winning by digging 4 cards at bargain mana costs at instant speed.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seems pretty solid but can have a situation downside of discarding something you dont want to.
Comments (26)
Probably not the best for counterburn style decks, since those decks tend to hold their most valuable cards for longer, meaning you have a higher chance of discarding them since they spend more turns in your hand. Plus holding those cards means you're less likely to pitch one of the useless lands you'll usually have once your card advantage starts coming on line. But it's still a hell of a card for plenty of decks, and can effectively be Think Twice 5-8, which is spectacular.
(Hint: past in flames likes this card a lot. ;-))
Except for: a) in a graveyard synergie. b) in nonred decks. c) if you are not hellbent. d) in nonblue decks.
Given that red has so few good cards in EDH this might actually be useful there.
Draw 2 cards + discarding something that you'll end up using later (random, sure, but it's the most likely outcome) = pure card advantage.
1 card.
I understand there's value in being able to cycle through cards, but random discard can really wreak havoc on your hand composition.
However, there are benefits to putting cards in your graveyard, and that's where this card shines over Think Twice.
The whole Random aspect would not sit well with me when I discard something like Inferno Titan instead of something like Past in Flames (or something with Flashback).
The fact that it also needs
It's not bad at all, mind you. Faithless Looting has been a better card for me, but you don't gain any cards from it, unlike Desperate Ravings (you play 1 card from hand, draw 2, discard 2: you're left with -1 your original hand), and that's the price you pay (plus the
Desperate Ravings. They're GreeeeeeeeaASRADRAF ITS IN THE WALLS
3/5
Patrick Chapin basically explained (albeit several years ago in a vastly different meta) why this card is deceptively strong. If you need to dig for something, you play this as a value card. If you don't, then play the other cards in your hand.
People will get turned off by the random effect, and you will indeed lose games where you accidentally pitch a card you need. But you will also steal games you had no business winning by digging 4 cards at bargain mana costs at instant speed.