this is really good. if you hit removal like a murder then you're up two cards in card advantage.
mdakw576
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
this is going to be insane in edh
jsttu
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
could be good or could be an expensive 2/2, and unless you expend extra effort you won't know which until it resolves. I will definitely make sure to know the metagame before i use this guy to give him a better chance.
Lief098
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
I like him. He'll usually be a 3-for-1; you get a body, a free spell, and effectively make your opponent discard a card. If you hit a removal spell, it's a 4-for-1, which is awesome any way you slice it. Of course, he's a lot worse if you end up whiffing and not getting to cast a spell at all, as then he's just a very expensive 2/2. At least you still get to look at their hand.
Overall, I give him a 4/5.
Flyheight
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Love the T-Rex head.
ZEvilMustache
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
I so want to pull this off!
LordOfTheFlies87
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Woah. POWER.
Tearthesky
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Double excited about him because I'm building a Sedris-centric Sedris, the Traitor King EDH deck. Unearthing this abomination sounds wonderful...then swing for 2! Why not?
blindthrall
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Three cheers for those wacky saurians. Viashino aren't lizardfolk, they're dinomen!
Rokukel
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Bit expensive for that body but with an insane ability like that its all worth it. This Viashino is going in the Conjurers Closet.
forumbrowser
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Besides the randomness imparted by your opponents' hands, this could be a major play in EDH because of all the high CMC sorceries and...maybe instants people usually play.
Going right into Animar, Soul of the Elements EDH.
Boakes2047
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Imagine your opponents face when you choose their own Violent Ultimatum
BenjiRandy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
if i play this card, and my opponent reveals a Negate
can i choose Negate even though there is no target?
Bobth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Duress + T. Rex = Mindclaw Shaman. I wonder what would happen if you stapled a T. Rex to Blightning or Sadistic Sacrament? Maybe it's better if we never find out...
I ran two of these in a M13 draft, Along side two Unsummons. And on several occasions i prevented alot of removal and other spells that could cause a threat. However having the unsummon allowed me to First look at their hand, play an instant or sorcery and allowed me to see if there was another card I would want to prevent. Probably my favorite uncommon card in M13. Despite the potential 5 mana 2/2 drawback.
4.5/5
Lotsofpoopy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not only is this guy insanely good, but he is also fun to use.
GrimjawxRULES
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is amazing in edh. It's easily splashable and gives red the option to steal boarwipes and Ultimatums from other players. Personally I've been targeted by this a few times, and among others, the cards he hijacked were Final Judgement, Phyrexian Rebirth and a Return to Dust. Honestly, if you've got access to this card in your edh deck, you should be hard pressed not to play it. At worst, just target the guy playing black and hijack a tutor or something.
CorkBulb
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@BenjiRandy
No, you cannot. Any spell you pick must have legal targets in order to be cast. It says so in the ruling.
The card is a game flipper. An advantage like this can very well win you the game in both limited and constructed. You basically make an opponent discard a card of your choice, but get the effect yourself, and get a 2/2 creature. Even if the effect doesn't really help you, it can break combos and screw up your opponent's strategy. You could cast a Fog just to get rid of it to screw them, not to mention you get to look at their hand. The important part is his effect which is a one shot ETB effect. Although his P/T is low, he makes a good chump blocker once used. The card is also cast FOR FREE, so you could cast a huge CMC card long before it's due, say Time Stretch?
The disadvantage is that your opponent has to actually have an instant or sorcery, which most people run, and of course he must have cards in his hand. This may not be so effective later in the game when you're both topdecking. And your opponent can always respond by casting an instant just so you won't get it.
Easy 4/5 for effect.
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seems to be made for either {R}{B} or {U}{B}, since both have cards that allow you to see what your opponent has in hand, also if you end up splashing with {U} you can use bounce-counter spells such as Remand which would allow you to cast something you absolutely know your opponent has. Also seems like an exquisite creature for Mimic Vat
RunedServitor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Time Stretch would be lolsy, as would Worldfire, as would any number of massive, game-breaking instants and sorceries.
I had one of these guys play a worldfire from my hand at the prerelease.
I lost.
sonorhC
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's worth noting that this is useless with most spells. And usually, when I'm holding onto a sorcery, it's because I'm waiting for X to be big enough.
johnnyninja
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Sure it's no fun when you whiff but murdering your opponents monster with his own spell totally makes up for it
Just for flavor, I like to use him as a forerunner to Nicol-Bolas. The shaman checks into the opposing mages brain to make sure there are no lurking threats to the master
Ligerman30
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love hitting blue draw spells with this or huge Insurrections and Time Stretches with this guy. When you hit a spell with it, it's essentially like a red Mulldrifter w/o evoke. It's Despise for instants/sorceries+Random Effect+Grizzly Bears. That's 3 for 1 guys 3 for 1. 3 for 1. Imagine hitting a relentless assault, seems pretty good huh? It's also a may so if all they have is a wrath of god you know going in so you wont overextend and you don't have to screw over your likely dominant board position. Even if you get like a Kodama's Reach you are getting 2 cards out of the effect, that's a 4 for 1. That being said I keep this in my edh sideboard because in a creature heavy group this can often be a 5 mana 2/2 that does nothing but Gitaxian Probe. One of the worst feelings ever. That being said this is really good with Splinter Twin/Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker.
When it works 4.5/5 When it doesn't 2/5
Overall 4/5 You aren't going to play this out of the sideboard with no targets and even if you play it maindeck, generally you are going to hit something. Just target the blue player they are bound to have something in their hand.
I was at 7 lands playing zombie tribal, one away from Army Of The Damned. My opponent was playing U/R Talrand and I had just killed Talrand.
Me: I play some random zombies. Your turn. ( I really wanted to use Army, I just pulled it from a booster xD )
Him: I play Mindclaw Shaman.
Me: What's this? *pulls over card to take a look*
*sound of me scooping*
5/5
Earthdawn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Heartless Summoning and start playing their draw spells or ramp spells.
SAUS3
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@sonorhC Except you can still force them to discard it (by casting it for 0). If you hit a spell that can be cast, it is almost always useful (you don't really want to cast wrath of god when you're the only one with creatures).
RolZarek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Would I be able to use the cipher effect on my opponent's midnight recovery if i cast it using the shaman? think so, as I was the controller of the midnight recovery?
TowerDefender
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Friends with Jace's Mindseeker. It would be funny to pull an opponant's Voidwalk can combo with any creature that gets boosts from casting spells.
DaLucaray
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Guys, you're missing the point! It's a usable viashino!
Enelysios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great bomb against blue and red decks. I'd say he is usually worth the price of admission. Of course there are plenty of ways to exploit the 'enters the battlefield' trigger. He isn't perfect, but is certainly usable and great for EDH where people often play with very high costed spells.
Manite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The name reminds me of the SharpClaw from Star Fox Adventures.
"You pay sorceries to pass." "You pass. But don't tell boss."
The card, as some have said, is by turns extremely powerful, and completely unplayable. When you hit it is obviously great. However, in the situations where it's a 5-mana 2/2 that lets you look at their hand when it comes in, it's terrible, so very hit-or-miss. I wish it let you choose and force them to discard a card if you didn't get an instant or sorcery. As it is, you need to be as sure as possible you'll get something if you cast it, especially when your opponent can cast his instants with the trigger on the stack.
When you do get something good though, it is a 3-for-1 (or more), so I'm not complaining that much.
Silence9
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'd be pretty horny for this at 4 mana. Edh is the only format he's good in IMO.
Comments (41)
Overall, I give him a 4/5.
IT'S THE TYRANNOBOLAS REX!
can i choose Negate even though there is no target?
4.5/5
Honestly, if you've got access to this card in your edh deck, you should be hard pressed not to play it. At worst, just target the guy playing black and hijack a tutor or something.
No, you cannot. Any spell you pick must have legal targets in order to be cast. It says so in the ruling.
The card is a game flipper. An advantage like this can very well win you the game in both limited and constructed. You basically make an opponent discard a card of your choice, but get the effect yourself, and get a 2/2 creature. Even if the effect doesn't really help you, it can break combos and screw up your opponent's strategy. You could cast a Fog just to get rid of it to screw them, not to mention you get to look at their hand. The important part is his effect which is a one shot ETB effect. Although his P/T is low, he makes a good chump blocker once used. The card is also cast FOR FREE, so you could cast a huge CMC card long before it's due, say Time Stretch?
The disadvantage is that your opponent has to actually have an instant or sorcery, which most people run, and of course he must have cards in his hand. This may not be so effective later in the game when you're both topdecking. And your opponent can always respond by casting an instant just so you won't get it.
Easy 4/5 for effect.
I lost.
Just for flavor, I like to use him as a forerunner to Nicol-Bolas. The shaman checks into the opposing mages brain to make sure there are no lurking threats to the master
When it works 4.5/5
When it doesn't 2/5
Overall 4/5 You aren't going to play this out of the sideboard with no targets and even if you play it maindeck, generally you are going to hit something. Just target the blue player they are bound to have something in their hand.
Me: I play some random zombies. Your turn. ( I really wanted to use Army, I just pulled it from a booster xD )
Him: I play Mindclaw Shaman.
Me: What's this? *pulls over card to take a look*
*sound of me scooping*
5/5
Except you can still force them to discard it (by casting it for 0). If you hit a spell that can be cast, it is almost always useful (you don't really want to cast wrath of god when you're the only one with creatures).
"You pay sorceries to pass."
"You pass. But don't tell boss."
Interesting revisit to Reversal of Fortune.
When you do get something good though, it is a 3-for-1 (or more), so I'm not complaining that much.