Such a good card. ( I'm still waiting for the Counterspell though)
Tjokkie
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(9 votes)
If you play this right, it's always gonna answer something good...
Ending your turn with two islands open and this in hand is about as reassuring as insurance.. ok bad example but you get the point.
very well balanced card 5/5
Lyoncet
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
God that's some poignant flavor text.
(Oh, also, glad to see it back!)
JFM2796
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I run it in my mono blue control deck along with Deprive. This does a great job early game but if you let the game drag out to long, they will become useless. Solid counterspell, blue needed this desperately 5*
@Frozenwings Yeah I heard that too. They better not, or if they do, they better give blue a counterspell of equal strength.
Cheza
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(20 votes)
QUOTE: >>> I couldn't think of blue competitively without this card. <<< I can!!!
Mana Leak is a relic that doesn't really fit into the strategy of increasing the casting cost of Counterspell. (see Cancel). Basically, Mana Leak is a hard-counter, since in 90% of all the cases, your opponent isn't able to pay the extra cost. A Naturalize or Torpor Orb for cmc 5 will come too late to be useful.
I believe that R&D doesn't know what "fun" really is about. IF they would know the meaning, they would understand that blue should have more "name a card" spells like Declaration of Naught or Pithing Needle or a blue Oblivion Ring rather than a Mana Leak and it would print more counterspells that give the opponent a hard choice rather than printing a counterspell with a "I won't cast it, if you can... and if you can, it's too late" condition.
Frozenwings
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(16 votes)
I couldn't think of blue competitively without this card. On daily magic, they give us hint about that mana leak will last this year only and i'm really frightened to think blue without mana leak seriously. (except they think about reprinting counterspell but that doesn't seem possible with all that hate against blue)
@Cheza: Perhaps, we have to cut blue from mtg to return "fun" element to magic? And then, there could be space for a new color: purple. Everyone, rejoice!
Joking aside, every blue-haters are telling the same "not funny" argument about blue and counterspells; but you know, fun is very subjective. For example, i really don't get any fun when duress is casted upon me or goblin guide attacks me on first turn or my non-land permanent is oblivion ring-ed or my opponent put a frigging primeval titan on his/her 3rd turn vs... Every color has core abilities that can't be changed and for blue, these're counterspells, funny or not.
Note: If Wizards really makes up his mind about not reprinting mana leak for M13, i ,hereby, nominate Remand instead.
candyapplecorn
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(5 votes)
I like this card more than counterspell for two reasons: Firstly, its color-weight is just U, not UU; this card is much easier to use in a multi-colored deck. Second, it's not $20. Haha.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mana Leak will usually counter the thing it targets. But it rarely results in a 2 for 1, and can be a poor topdeck lategame, so I'd say its far from being so powerful that its unfun. That doesn't make blue a color that i'm gonna go easy on, though. The only reason I like playing against most blue decks is because I get to kill them. Even when i'm playing a blue deck myself! Mana leak will always be an option for aggro decks that wish to overextend and counter a Wrath of God, usually leading to a win. It might seem unfun to some at first, but consider that the slot could instead be filled by Winter Orb! Good luck playing around that sucker.
leomistico
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(6 votes)
Because this card is in Modern, I can forgive Wizards to not reprint Counterspell anymore! Effective, simple, splashable, balanced... And second Frozenwings: I agree with everything you said!
5/5
Wahsayah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Consider playing Isolation Cell first to make mana leak more of a viable use for a counter. Watch your opponents rage as they are all too tapped out of mana to counter your Mana Leak with another counter spell.
franconbean
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This thing is a real work horse of a counter spell. And the art: "I'm leaking, I'm leaking! Oh, the humanity! Oh, What a world!"
cvvc
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
one day i want to cancel this card. just for fun.
ThePantsAreDead
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is one of several reasons why I'm rubbish against control decks. "What's that? You're tapped out and casting the bomb that can turn the game back around in your favor? I DON'T THINK SO!"
Pigfish99
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
unless you're playing against green, which can shit out mana like nobody's business, most people won't be able to pay the additional 3.
so yeah, this is the counterspell of today's era. Most people don't notice it. hell, you can even reduce its cost a little, thanks to the colorless mana, incase you want to be broken.
DacenOctavio
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(2 votes)
"Move over! Let a real counterspell through. *Scoff*. . .Amateur."
I just want to put this out there for anyone who may be thinking of using this card - if you are simply trying to protect your permanents, then Turn Aside will almost always be a better option. It's cheaper, and cannot be countered unlike Mana Leak with it's pay 3 ability.
swords_to_exile
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
This is the answer to Bolt. They reprinted this so that it could hose Lightning Bolt, but that, to me, begs the question of why they just didn't reprint Counterspell. I understand from the point of people complaining it's unfun to play against, however, it's also true that NO ONE plays Cancel competitively, and hardly even in draft. Even in Standard, keeping Dissipate mana open is difficult. As for modern, a Counterspell repint would help a control deck rise, instead of combo and agro ruling it. Furthermore, this is easier to cast, and for the first 4 or 5 (sometimes 6) turns, it is essentially a hard counter. I don't see why this and Bolt can be reprinted, but Counterspell can't.
Edit: Cheza, You're a moron.
j_mindfingerpainter
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I remember when people thought this was on par with Spell Pierce. Man we were noobs. Also, 5/5.
1. They don't have three mana, their spell is countered. 2. They have three mana, they pay it, then they can't cast that cool instant they have in their hand for your turn.
Also, combos well with any spell your opponents would cast.
Stig1t2Me
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nothing against its current flavor text, but what if this spell's flavor text just said "Whoops."
@cvvc, The day I figured out I use blue too often was when I realized I had at one point Cancelled Mana Leak and Mana Leaked Cancel on another occasion.
The fatal flaw in every plan is the assumption that you have more counterspells than your enemy.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Really good, especially since it's splashable. Multi-color decks often enjoy this more than Counterspell, depending on if they'd rather remand for the cantrip, sage's dousing for the cantrip + cost reduction, or some such.
sincleanser
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mana Leak should have came back in M14 for the shear fact that it is just fun. Fun is subjective, but both sides can work with it and around it. It's always nice to slow down the game a bit and this is an unobjective way to do it. It's multicolor friendly and as it isn't a hard counter, you can get around it. I've not really liked Standard once it was assumed you had to win by turn four or five as I feel that the game is too short, and this helps keep the game going a bit.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Cheza. 1) Not all games of magic end in the early game. And past the normal curves and into later phases, mana leak becomes nearly useless. Yes, most situations in the early game mana leak is nearly unstoppable, but late game it loses its strength. It is actually a gamble. 2) Counterspells are very fun to play as is. It can be frustrating for the other guy, but at the same time whenever somebody loses its going to be frustrating. And there are plenty of sideboard options to hose blue and mass counterspell strategies. Not only that, playing does not guarantee victory, the game is rather well balanced. 3) You should design your own card game, since your so brilliant and the entire R&D team is not as smart as you. Start small with pencil and paper like the first MTG team did. Then worry about mass production and getting investors after you game is established. 4) Your idea sounds like a massive lockdown, which is no fun at all. Yeah, lets delete all of blues old cards and give them pure hardlocking things, which have this "fun" name a card factor, great idea cheza...
hypa_dude
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I don't mind losing, but cards that promote non-interactive gameplay (discard, land destruction, counterspells) take absolutely no skill or creativity to use and are never fun to play against, even if I win. I just don't understand why anyone enjoys this card. You play a game to interact with others, right? The fact that this card is splashable in every deck on MTG is ruining the game.
Those that say these are useless late game are just wrong. In fact, this card makes almost all late game 5-9 drops, and X cards completely unplayable, again without requiring any skill or creativity on the part of the mana-leaker.
Blue has so many other things that work well. extra turns, milling, great creatures, the best drawers in the game. Blue players that can't build a successful deck without this have absolutely no construction creativity or gameplay skill.
I can't think of or imagine a single way in which this card improves the gameplay of MTG.
1/2 star.
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Personally, I like Spell Syphon just a little more, but this is good if you don't want to have a big board position or if you aren't in mono-blue. Play this with Goblin Electromancer to get punched in the face.
sweetgab
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If this is considered too good for Standard right now, what about a version that counters unless they pays 2? That would still be way better than Stymied Hopes. I think it would be a fairly reasonable card to print.
Comments (33)
Ending your turn with two islands open and this in hand is about as reassuring as insurance.. ok bad example but you get the point.
very well balanced card 5/5
(Oh, also, glad to see it back!)
@Frozenwings Yeah I heard that too. They better not, or if they do, they better give blue a counterspell of equal strength.
I can!!!
Mana Leak is a relic that doesn't really fit into the strategy of increasing the casting cost of Counterspell. (see Cancel). Basically, Mana Leak is a hard-counter, since in 90% of all the cases, your opponent isn't able to pay the extra cost. A Naturalize or Torpor Orb for cmc 5 will come too late to be useful.
I believe that R&D doesn't know what "fun" really is about. IF they would know the meaning, they would understand that blue should have more "name a card" spells like Declaration of Naught or Pithing Needle or a blue Oblivion Ring rather than a Mana Leak and it would print more counterspells that give the opponent a hard choice rather than printing a counterspell with a "I won't cast it, if you can... and if you can, it's too late" condition.
@Cheza: Perhaps, we have to cut blue from mtg to return "fun" element to magic? And then, there could be space for a new color: purple. Everyone, rejoice!
Joking aside, every blue-haters are telling the same "not funny" argument about blue and counterspells; but you know, fun is very subjective. For example, i really don't get any fun when duress is casted upon me or goblin guide attacks me on first turn or my non-land permanent is oblivion ring-ed or my opponent put a frigging primeval titan on his/her 3rd turn vs... Every color has core abilities that can't be changed and for blue, these're counterspells, funny or not.
Note: If Wizards really makes up his mind about not reprinting mana leak for M13, i ,hereby, nominate Remand instead.
That doesn't make blue a color that i'm gonna go easy on, though. The only reason I like playing against most blue decks is because I get to kill them. Even when i'm playing a blue deck myself!
Mana leak will always be an option for aggro decks that wish to overextend and counter a Wrath of God, usually leading to a win. It might seem unfun to some at first, but consider that the slot could instead be filled by Winter Orb! Good luck playing around that sucker.
5/5
And the art: "I'm leaking, I'm leaking! Oh, the humanity! Oh, What a world!"
so yeah, this is the counterspell of today's era. Most people don't notice it. hell, you can even reduce its cost a little, thanks to the colorless mana, incase you want to be broken.
- Mana Leak, to Cancel
Edit: Cheza, You're a moron.
2. They have three mana, they pay it, then they can't cast that cool instant they have in their hand for your turn.
Also, combos well with any spell your opponents would cast.
@cvvc, The day I figured out I use blue too often was when I realized I had at one point Cancelled Mana Leak and Mana Leaked Cancel on another occasion.
Also satisfying to Mana Leak your opponent's Fog
1) Not all games of magic end in the early game. And past the normal curves and into later phases, mana leak becomes nearly useless. Yes, most situations in the early game mana leak is nearly unstoppable, but late game it loses its strength. It is actually a gamble.
2) Counterspells are very fun to play as is. It can be frustrating for the other guy, but at the same time whenever somebody loses its going to be frustrating. And there are plenty of sideboard options to hose blue and mass counterspell strategies. Not only that, playing
3) You should design your own card game, since your so brilliant and the entire R&D team is not as smart as you. Start small with pencil and paper like the first MTG team did. Then worry about mass production and getting investors after you game is established.
4) Your idea sounds like a massive lockdown, which is no fun at all. Yeah, lets delete all of blues old cards and give them pure hardlocking things, which have this "fun" name a card factor, great idea cheza...
Those that say these are useless late game are just wrong. In fact, this card makes almost all late game 5-9 drops, and X cards completely unplayable, again without requiring any skill or creativity on the part of the mana-leaker.
Blue has so many other things that work well. extra turns, milling, great creatures, the best drawers in the game. Blue players that can't build a successful deck without this have absolutely no construction creativity or gameplay skill.
I can't think of or imagine a single way in which this card improves the gameplay of MTG.
1/2 star.
Play this with Goblin Electromancer to get punched in the face.