Pointed Discussion

Hehe, this is funny, give me anouther card if I win, or you have a %50 chance of losing your game, and give me your ante anyway. love it.

Great to use with Platinum Angel.

nobody plays for ante anymore.

Ante just seems like a way to manufacture arguments amongst players in what would otherwise be just a friendly game. It's mean-spirited and corrupts the nature of Magic, and I'm pretty glad they got rid of it.

Its a shame that ante cards cant be played outside ante. This one would be kinda cool:

"I activate this"
"Ok"
"We flip a coin"
"Ok"
"You know this game's winner is determined by this coinflip?"

So, in the end, two (at least) mighty mages and planeswalkers battle in coin flipping.

People do play for Ante still. WTF is up with some of the people on this place? I keep watching as people say that no one plays for Ante anymore at all, and yet, I STILL play for Ante. I lost a game a while back where my Ante was a Blue Spell we all know and Love that lets you take another turn after this one and costs a lot of money.... I lost one of my collection of those.... It sucked.... But I still took it like a Man. I only have like 4 now, but at least I still can back up my decks as being good. The reason I probably keep seeing how no one plays for Ante anymore is because people today seem to wanna be sissies. They're worried they might lose and lose a card too. Well, back when I started playing almost 17 years ago, you HAD to play for Ante. It was REQUIRED. If you didn't play for Ante, you didn't play. Then in Revised, they came up with these "House Rules" and said a common House Rule was not playing for Ante, and another "House Rule" that caught on, was a Mulligan. Back then if you drew your opening 7 cards, and had no Mana, or a bad hand, you had to play it anyway! No one was going to let you draw one less card and basically let you pick your opening hand, no WAY! But now, even in a tournament, you can draw your hand, and if you don't like it, Mulligan down.... SISSIES!

Can you spot the troll in the comments for this card? It shouldn't be all that difficult...

You could stick this in a deck without playing ante for a 56 card deck.

SlackWareWolf,

1.) Saying that your more of a Magic player or more manly than "sissies" like me because you play ante is absolutely wrong. Ante is gambling, and although some people like the game with a gambling element in it, others just don't find it fun to lose cards that they paid for, that they enjoy in their deck, or that they traded for. Especially those who are tight on money, like me. The point of Magic isn't to show that you can be manly and lose expensive cards, it's to be a game, the point of a game is to have fun. To force someone to not have fun at a game is absolutely stupid- it shows that you actually understand the game *less* than others.

2.) You know why people mulligan? Not because their wimps, but because like I said before, forcing someone to not have fun in a game is wrong. It's a simple concept that people with bad starting hands usually lose the game- it isn't a competition, it's just one guy beating the other helpless person down.

3.) It almost seems like your saying something along the lines of "people should learn to man up and find it fun to play with ante", in which case your being very narrow-minded and elitist. To force people to accept your methods of entertainment, your methods of playing an international game, and change their minds, their opinions, and their personalities so that way they conform to your thinking is fundamentally wrong. If you want to play for ante- go ahead, nothings wrong with it- but *everything* is wrong with thinking your better because of it.

Don't know which is more stupid, turning magic into a friendship ruiner by playing for ante, or determining who wins a game by flipping a coin. Glad they got rid of this forced ante BS, You can still bet a card if you want to when you play.
If you like games where losing means losing money (cards have a money value), maybe poker or something like that is more your kind of game.

SlackWareWolf (great name, by the way) is on super-crack. No one plays ante anymore. I've been playing since Magic's first days, and lots of people didn't play for it then. Furthermore, the very first Pro Tour, in 1994, did indeed have rulings for legitimate mulligans. Essentially, he's making stuff up simply to emasculate newer players. Wotta prick.

Don't know why nobody has mentioned this, but... Krark's Thumb is the way to go.
If someone challenges you to an ante match, this could be your ticket to win.

Slack wolf, I'd rateher be a sissy and not lose one of those valuables cards than flattering my manhood and lose it. Because when it's lost it's lost. And by the way, I meet Magic players of all age, from old timers to newbies, and no one of those ever considered playing for Ante. The only time I play for Ante is on that good old Magic video game from the 90's you now find in abandonware

Ante cards... -,-

You guys know playing for ante was the original idea of MTG?

"You guys know playing for ante was the original idea of MTG?"

Is that why all cards that reference Ante state that you must remove them from your deck if not playing for it? Clearly, it was always intended as a choice.

+1 Internets to SlackWareWolf for an epic trolling job. If you hit 10 Internets, I swear to God I will buy and send to you an ante card.

@powerdude My friends and I still do from time to time. We have special decks put to gather for it though, consisting of mostly out of type cards. We even have a house rule that says "If the Ante'd cards value is $10 or greater and atlest 2 players agree, you may substitute that card with a 6 pack." lol XD
We try not to be douche bags about Ante, If you never have fun with it, then why would you want to play it?

THe only reason that i can see the ante being good and this is not reason wizards got rid of it is because it stops decks from becoming to expensive.

Yeah, go ahead and thumbs down these cards. So long as I can get a full playset of all these for under $20, I'm happy. Haters gonna hate. :3c

Don't say people don't play with ante. We have a group that plays for ante all the time. We also have a rule that tells you have to trade back any won cards. We've also errated and restricted Jeweled Bird. Our version adds "Doesn't exchange but one card from ante".

ok shak wolf whatever, I like playing for Ante too but it is and opption and people are not sissy for not playing ante they could just be really tight on money, or are not gambilers. I Also belve that you should have a deck good enogh that you shouldn't have to mulligan, but again, people arre pressed for money now, I'm ammased magic is even still around. so no people are not sissy for not playing ante and are not sissy for playing mulligan.

I understand most comments here are directed at SlackerWareWoof. Mine is too, should he read it or not.

But really, must you comment this same crap on every ante card? No one is required to play for ante, and I've played with 'no mana mulligans' since I held my first card in my hand. And my brothers, who taught me to play around iceage, they also never played for ante, and they've played much longer than I.
To be honest, I actually tend to "be a man" and LET people mulligan as much as they please, because I enjoy a challenge. I'll tell them, draw all 7, as long as you reveal your hand JUST ENOUGH to prove you're short on mana. That's called honor, bro, and clearly "men" like you lack it, you just like to show off your power-9 so people don't notice how small your deck is.

In short, chill out, bro. Play with bad cards like this, and I'll play with respect for the ever-changing game instead of trying to sound awesome because I refuse to move on from, what, pre-Urza's block?

If I played Ante I would use a land based deck...

you know what is freaking awesome?! talking about losing cards that are actually rare and hard to come by because you didn't want to play poker!!

@SlackWareWolf:
{sarcastictrollrant}
Congratulations!

You are right, and all those people who don't play this game for ante are sissies who just aren't Man enough to play this game the way it was played eighteen years ago. It can't just be that they simply enjoy other methods of play, depending on the situation (possibly including Ante, when consented to by all players), because there is only one right way to play the game, and that's your way. And only wusses would ever mulligan, or let an opponent mulligan, because the only acceptable way to play this game of strategy is to gamble on the games, and then allow chance to skew the results to an irrecoverable degree. Anyone who has any opinion other than this single view is clearly inferior.

While we're at it, lets do away with those silly ban lists, restricted lists, the increased minimum deck size, and most certainly that four-copies-per-card limit. Constructed deck restrictions aren't what Magic is about, after all, and that surely holds true even with modern cards, because the game hasn't massively changed over the years at all, right? If my opponent can't beat my deck of 40 copies of Chancellor of the Dross, then they deserve to lose on turn zero and lose a card permanently, to boot.

And what's with all these different formats, and card rotating out, huh? Eighteen years ago, no cards had rotated out, and that's the way this game should stay forever, no exceptions. All cards ever printed should be usable in all contexts, and there should never be divergent rules systems that must be balanced in distinct ways, often by disallowing certain cards or altering fundamental rules of the game. The only thing that these different formats do is give new players the impression that there are numerous acceptable ways to play this game, all of which can be enjoyable in different ways, for different reasons. We don't want them getting that wrong idea stuck in their heads. Then they might even commit that most atrocious crime of failing to be informed on an outmoded rule referenced by very few cards, and done away with in the earliest days of this game, from before when many of the newest generation of players could form whole sentences.

Good job, you've successfully changed the mind of a random stranger on the internet by ranting about their inferiority due to having tastes that differ from yours, and now that person is just as closed-minded and bigoted over a card game as you are. Don't you feel oh so very satisfied?
{/sarcastictrollrant}

Your true friend and convert,
Summer Glau

Quite possibly the worst ante card printed in terms of "not-fun".. I miss the days of ante tho.. It was fun, if it was casual that is. Lost some good cards, won some good cards. It's why I ever even included black in the decks I concocted in 1st place! In case you don't know, Black ROCKS it out on ante cards!

I like Dan Frazier's illustrations, but this one is awful‼

That amulet went full derp.

@Nayban: That's an amazing idea. For whatever reason, having to buy a new $10 card seems a lot more intimidating than buying consumptables for someone else.

hmmm... I wonder, instead of adding cares to ante, maybe it could say "exile the top 5 cards of the libary", instead. but meh.

that way, the ante isn't used. that said, Nayban's idea of ante is damn awesome.

Hmmm...in a non ante game, Golden Wish?

Wow. I've never seen so much poster flaming in a single card discussion before. It's almost like the forums!

Well, I'll just add my 2 cents to this. I hope somebody, someday will read through all this hate and have my post contribute.

As for mulligans, the game should be about deck building skill and strategy and not luck. If a deck is more powerful, or it has a better player, it will win more times than not. Therefore, I allow my opponents to take as many mulligans as they please, unless its obvious that they are mulliganning over and over to try and get a perfect combo hand or something. Nobody should ever mulligan more than 5 times. This is assuming that they allow me the same courtesy. Nothing sucks more than drawing no or 1 land and taking that first free mulligan and its the same. Then you have to draw less and are at a disadvantage all because of bad luck. And besides, nothing will predict what they will draw in the next few turns, so they MUST rely on the consistency of the deck. I don't consider winning because my opponent had no lands to be a victory.

Ante was a cool idea but doesn't work. It always makes a loser and gives people fear to play. The game should be about fun and not losing your cards. Ante would also certainly discourage new players who weren't that good, or against them rich kids who have the money to buy 100 boosters and get those black lotuses. If a good card is on the line, it just ruins the entire mood. With ante, you can't just play for fun. Magic is not Poker.

Anyway, as far as the card goes, ante cards are pretty lame anyway. This one is particuarly bad because It lets your opponent chose what to do. If he is winning he is just gonna add to the ante. If not, he will probably take that 50% chance that he could win. So, I think that it puts the user at a severe disadvantage.

1.5/5

I put four of these Babies in each one of my decks so if I lose the first coin flip I get 3 more chances. It's a guaranteed win!

Combo with Krark's Thumb.

Seconding the Internet for SlackWareWolf and another toQuoios-Mauryn for the epic reference.

As for the card... it's no fun to play with.

I find it interesting that the original text has the disclaimer "effects that prevent or redirect damage cannot be used to prevent this loss of life" when nothing on this card causes a player to lose life.

The amulet looks like the "trollface" (google image search it if you don't know what I mean). Which actually kind of fits the card...

This card is nearly useless even if you are playing for ante.

Suppose you are in a position where you are clearly winning, and you use this card. Your opponent knows he will probably lose so he chooses to flip the coin and get a 50% chance of winning. Definitely not a good situation to use the card.

Suppose you are in a position where you are clearly losing, and you use this card. Your opponent says "okay" and antes an additional card, and in all likelihood you have wasted an entire turn playing a 6 CC artifact that did nothing. Maybe you get super lucky and pull off a win, but it's not likely, and the wasted turn may have only sealed your loss. I can't see this being a good situation to use the card.

Suppose you are in a position where you are basically even. Your opponent doesn't want to risk losing a card, so he flips a coin. Since you were even anyway, the 50% chance of winning here doesn't really make a difference. Another case where the outcome of the game isn't provably different than if the card weren't used at all.

I suppose there are nuances as far as not knowing what the other player has, and therefore incorrectly gauging who is winning, but overall, it seems like there are hardly any situations where you would want to use this card.

Whenever you lose via this, you have to say "QUOZ!" in a derpy voice...

Actually, just imitate what the amulet looks like.

...Well! Who would have ever thought such a silly, inconsequential card as Amulet of Quoz would have generated such a firestorm of controversey? I doubt anyone has ever even played with this thing.

Having ante being mandatory would have been a terrible idea, and would have likely killed this game early on, for the reasons that have already been adequately discussed by the high rated comments here. Even in the days of Revised Edition and Legends (when I started) most of us were reticent to play for ante, particularly with total strangers. I wrote a mini-dissertation on this subject on the comments section for the Revised Edition Contract from Below, if anyone is interested in the perspective of another oldtimer besides SlackWareWolf.

However, optional ante could still have a place in Magic. For casual games with people you know, a "Temporary Ante" could be fun. Basically, when ownership of a card changes because of ante or as an effect of a card like Tempest Efreet or Bronze Tablet, the new "owner" gets that card for the rest of the match, or for the duration of the playing day. When the gaming session is done, these cards go back to the original owners. So basically, this is a "removed from the game entirely" (now called "exile") effect that lasts throughout several games.

Nobody has to worry about losing a card forever, and additional suspense and interest is created from the prospect of possibly losing or gaining a card for multiple games in a row. When you gain a land, artifact, or spell in the right color, you have the option of adding it to your deck for the rest of the session. I think it would be a fun addition to the gaming environment. Thoughts?

An absolute must in a Now I Know My ABC's deck.

Big fan of the MTG Shandalar game. Every match was for ante, deck size was 40, and allowed you to use up to 4 of ANY card. The game is great for letting you see what it's like to have a deck of Power 9 cards, and how ante cards are supposed to work.

I don't remember this card. At ALL. Let's assume it's in the game somewhere. Where would it be useful, and how could we use it? Here's the best possibility:

Opening hand with 6 mana (2 Black Lotus, or 1 Black Lotus&Swamp&Dark Ritual, etc.) and Amulet of Quoz. You can only activate the amulet turn 2, and...I'm honestly not sure. You certainly wouldn't know if you're winning the game yet or not, but I don't know how the computer is designed to gauge whether it should ante an extra card or flip a coin. If it antes, then you're behind since you just wasted a 6 mana turn one hand on the amulet. If it doesn't, then there's your 50% shot at winning (No Krark's thumb in this game to help you).

The game gave your opponent health based on the difficulty, and based on how "tough" the opponent is supposed to be. Even so, I don't remember bosses, even on the hardest difficulties, having more than...40? I guess it would be "worth it" to try it there. If you want the MOST bang for your buck, the final boss can have 400 life on max difficulty, so that could potentially save you a long and annoying duel (He uses 5 color, starts off with a bunch of manafixing artifacts, and will quickly get Circle of Protections of everything). Of course, if you lose, having another shot at it requires going all the way back through a dungeon and challenging one of the 40 life bosses. Ugh.

I suppose one could also play it when they're losing (but have a big play in their hand) in order to make the CPU ante. While not strictly better, Demonic Attorney does something similar for much cheaper

I'll be generous and give this thing a 1/5 for Shandalar play for potentially killing off the final boss in 2 turns.

As for ante games in real life: Please use only for the sake of having fun. If your own cards are too valuable, ante a booster pack each, or a soda/candybar/whatever if that's too rich for your blood. There was a great comment earlier about ante cards being won for the rest of the day/playsession, then returned to the owner. I love seeing these old, and often wacky cards get use, so try to figure out a way to have some casual fun with ante. There's few things more hilarious than winning a hard fought duel on a coin flip.

@DraftOnly - I friggin' love Shandalar! Rediscovered it as freeware a couple years back... But it only had cards up to The Dark. That's why you won't see this card. There are ante cards available in the game, tho. Bronze Tablet and Contract From Below, for example.

I like making highly Vorthos theme decks in Shandalar (and I suppose, in real life)... But Shandalar can be broken into a million pieces by an experienced player. After a moderate bit of knowledgeable grinding you can be the proud owner of a playset each of the Power Nine, and then some. A deck in a 40 card format that always includes 4x Black Lotus, Dark Ritual, Mox Jet, and Contract From Below simply goes off every time.

As for the ante argument: The ante concept was created at a time when the developers simply had no idea that their game would become so insanely popular and successful. I doubt Richard Garfield himself ever envisioned a single Black Lotus carrying a $5000 price tag! To bring my point home: I ruthlessly save-scum in Shandalar b/c I can't stand losing a digital card I paid nothing for and is essentially worthless! So I hope you understand my trepidation at possibly losing my original Maze of Ith due to bad luck.

Also: 5 stars for Dr Jack, Dr Pingas, and Corkbulb