Oh boy, another freaking Jace. I really think he's like the Wesley Crusher of Magic, or the Scrappy Doo, Jar-Jar Binks, or otherwise the creator's favorite Mary Sue. What I dislike about him is that he's just getting shoehorned into the spotlight at every moment. Granted, he's already been established on Ravnica, so no reason why not to print him.
But I just want to see more new characters, not just Jace, Master of Jace, The Jace-Sculptor. I guess my ultimate complaint is that they sort of latched onto him as if he were "the protagonist" of Magic's story. It bugs me. Jace comes out to provide yet another mono-blue Planeswalker every 3rd block it seems, or at least every other set release if one includes Core Sets. Why a monocolor Planeswalker in the RAVNICA block, anyway? It's like..."Doo hoo hoo, competitive players like Blue, better pander to them with another Jace!"
Not helping matters is that whole Jace the Mind-Sculptor fiasco. Jace is like a mascot for Magic at its worst: unfun, overpriced, and bloated with monotony. Are we going to see a Jace, The Jace Jace at some point in the future?
Jace, the Jace Jace UU Planeswalker - Jace Starting Loyalty: 3 +1: Discard a Planeswalker with the Jace type. Counter target spell with CMC equal to that Planeswalker's CMC. -3: Return target non-Blue permanent to its owner's hand. -6: You get an emblem with "You may control multiple Planeswalkers of the same type." Search your library for any number of Planeswalkers with the Jace type. You may put all of them into play.
caldur06
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
is it just me or does his face and hair look nothing like his depiction on any of the previous cards
Gcrudaplaneswalker
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(7 votes)
Not as contraversial as the other Jaces, I think. His -2 will probably see the most play, since Ponder is rotating. However, I hope WOTC will come out with blue planeswalkers that don't have Jace in them...
.Blaze.
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(10 votes)
I don't understand why everyone is so adverse to Jace when its been almost 3 years since he's been part of a block. Really, the first 5 walker have all hit 3 versions and a 4th was only a matter of time. We also have 2 other mono blue walkers that aren't Jace too, so I don't get that complaint either. Also, complaining about him being mono blue in a gold set is like complaining that we had mono colored walkers in Shards. Has the ONE stupid version of Jace hurt people so much that they not just get sick whenever they see a new copy? I just don't get it.
Anyway, the card itself is fine. Your opponent has some control over the -2 so it will never be back breaking and the +1 is only really good against token decks. His -8 will hardly ever be relevant.
CammyWhite
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(6 votes)
I love how in the original Jace Beleren and Mind Sculptor, he looks like a dark mysterious mage who could kill you with a magic bolt or erase your mind at any time he felt like and now he's coming out of Ravnica with hair flowing in the wind like he's in the New 52.
Growing up sucks
dontmess17
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
this + Curse of Death's Hold is just crippling. watch when dimir rolls around and makes it even worse
SyntheticDreamer
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(15 votes)
Good to see that Jace decided to get out of art and take up engineering instead.
Lyoncet
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(7 votes)
Started out at $25, dropped to $15 a week before prerelease. Was hoping I'd be able to trade into a playset at $12 or so before people realized that digging you 6 cards turn 5 is good. Stupid Star City Games for figuring out he's damn solid and telling everyone. Back up to $30...
Fun times running this guy with Tamiyo, the Moon Sage. The obvious thing would be to turn 4 Jace turn 5 Tamiyo, but better than that seems to be turn 5 Tamiyo, turn 6 Jace. You've tapped their biggest guys down, all their little guys get -1/-0, Tamiyo is rolling up, Jace is rolling up, and if they swing their shrunken guys into your board, you have Cyclonic Rift or Azorius Charm mana to remove their second-biggest threat, Tamiyo draws you a bunch of cards, and Jace gets to work going through your library. Or you roll them both up again and repeat until your opponent tears their scalp off. That's value, folks.
Ferlord
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
His +1 is cumber stone. His -2 is essentially a weaker Fact or Fiction. I can't put my finger on his ultimate, but I'm pretty sure there's a card like it.
I'm not a big fan of him right now, but he could really surprise me. Tokens and small attacking thingy's were popular in Innistrad, and burn seems to have lost a lot of its touch in this block.
I'm selling mine right away when I get it, mind you.
Totema
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Multiplayer Jace! I wish his primary ability was a little stronger, but that's my only real complaint. And to people that are complaining that he seems more peaceful-looking, that's because he came to Ravnica to relax. Completely serious here.
Firesplitter.
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
I like this Jace. He seems balanced but has great potentional. It is gladly not another mind sculptor That he starts with 4 loyality counters is also really nice. I like that. Going up to 5 makes him hard to take down in 1 go.
gman92
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Great card. Took the mana cost of Jace, the Mind Sculptor and splices it well with abilities that aren't broken as Hell. I'd like to emphasize the obvious nerfing of Fact or Fiction. They acknowledge that Jace needs to be good but not incredible. Well costed but not broken for the cost. They took Jace Beleren (well costed), Jace, Memory Adept (powerful) and the cost of Jace, the Mind Sculptor (just as a tribute to the undisputed king), and spliced them well. But terrible art. 5/5 though.
General_Naga
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Well, they had to tone down Jace's general OPness, but they didn't have to castrate to poor guy.
TheManakinTransfer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Heaven forbid they make a planeswalker that requires subtlety to play. Probably won't be standard playable, but I like him. 1st ability protects himself, 2nd ability gives card advantage, ultimate should win you the game. I can't see how any planeswalker can be rated lower than 4, especially this guy.
DeviousPie
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
R&D's secret checklist. Each set must contain one of the following: |_| A mythic dragon that could be printed in any other set. |_| A mythic angel that could be printed in any other set. |_| Jace.
Leonidus78
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Saw a buddy come up with a combo with him and doubling season. You play jace then fetch a card from theirs and your second have and so on. Also wheel of the sun and moon makes it infinite. Most ridiculous edh combo ever?
shotoku64
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(10 votes)
Imagine this... Blow up Jace to use his ultimate. Search opponents deck for Armada Wurm / Avacyn / etc. Search your own deck for another copy of Jace, Architect of Thought to replace the one you just blew up. Put both into play.
The best part is you get to use another PW ability on the one you put into play, so his ability only cost -4, your up by your opponents biggest card, and you get to use two PW abilities in one turn.
Oh his other abilities are pretty nice too. This guy should not be underestimated.
Lotsofpoopy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(7 votes)
It is fitting that they titled Jace with Architect of Thought. I, too, am an architect of thought as I am building thoughts for all of you non-pros with my insightful wisdom and analysis of these cards. I think that if Jace was a real person, he would be a pro like me.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
this jace is much better designed than the other ones. the first jace had an ultimate that was never used. JTMS was broken and should never of had 4 abilities. the third jace had abilities that weren't really intuitive (lazy design).
this jace on the other hand is clearly for multiplayer, and it performs well in that area. the abilities are interesting and not overpowered. I applaud WotC.
TheDarkLight
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pulled two at the prerelease one in my pack and other in prize boosters. I think his quite good. His +1 nerfs 1/1 tokens while damping hits against him. His -2 nets you 1 or 2 cards and it depends on the skill of the person your versusing, you could benefit from it. His -8 is more multiplayer orientated and probably won't be used in standard.Overall I think Jace will see some standard play. As for me Ill run 3 in my Azorius control deck.
Afael
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
@TheWrathofShane Witchbane orb won't stop his last ability because it doesn't target anything. And even if it did, that ability would rather say "target library" and there is nothing in the game, as far as I know, that can protect your library from being targeted.
New art is nice and I doubt people dislike the quality of it. It just we used to see Jace differently. His face shape changed, hair color and style also changed. The only thing that proves him to be Jace is his outfit and those symbols on his face. And name of the card, obviously. It is first time when planeswalker is being changed that much. Otherwise, art is great.
I like this version as it's well balanced and not as specific as Memory Adept which is only really playable in mill. He could have been just a bit more powerful, considering the power level of the set (He is 4 turn drop and your opponent might already have 5/X and so on). On the other hand, altering his first ability even to give -2/-0 would make him almost overpowered, as it would render almost all 1-3T drops useless.
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is about even with Chandra Ablaze. Both mimic a well-liked spell in their color (Wheel of Fortune and Fact or Fiction) and have an ultimate that impresses on the awesomeness factor. More than that, they've got a "casual planeswalker" feel. That's something nice to have around - just as Sword of Vengeance's existence (sort of) balances the existence of Sword of War and Peace, planeswalker cards like this are necessary to balance the existence of Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Note to self: failed on my resolution not to mention him.
TzarChasm
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but Jace's +1 ability negates Vraska the Unseen's ultimate. Of course, anyone playing Vraska is running G, so there's always Giant Growth et al., but without a pump those 1/1 assassins can swing all day for nothing.
diabloknk
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I like this Jace. He seems to be quite good, but not broken, so somewhere near the original Jace Beleren in power level.
That said, Wizards, we don't need another Jace after this one, at least not for a while. No more new Jaces until the rest of the Lorwyn 5 get 4 of their own copies please.
Ali-Baba
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The artwork on this card bothers me. His stoic stance is fine, it's just the cape, it's blowing in the wind but the rest of his clothes are completely unaffected. We could've had a dramatic backdrop of an amazing Ravnica landscape, but instead we just get a wad of blue shit, it's like the artist got lazy.
DeaTh-ShiNoBi
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Lash_of_Dragonbreath You're either underestimating this card, or overestimating Chandra Ablaze, or both. Chandra Ablaze was weak because it costed 6 CMC, and for that much, you're really looking for something that immediately contributes to winning the game. She just didn't do enough for her cost. Jace, Architect of Thought costs 4 CMC. The difference is night and day. I suspect that if Chandra Ablaze were to cost 4 CMC, she would be a quite popular and powerful planeswalker, instead of merely being a casual card.
Breaker_Ki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Type your comment here.
steinburger1109
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Severely underrated right now. Defends himself and you with his +1, digs pretty damn well for you with -2, and uses your opponent's deck against him with his -8, as well as fishing out your biggest bomb. Realistically, there is absolutely no way this should be under 4/5 right now.
RPGfan
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
I like the "dig in" skill-set this card provides and the ultimate is a nice, poetic game ender. I still can't get over his doofy face though. He looks like a football quarterback, not a mind mage.
ConsoleCleric
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Let's take a look at Jace's second ability:
If your opponent splits the piles really well, you get the best card out of 3 draws.
If your opponent makes a mistake, you get the 2 best cards out of 3 draws.
Now here's the thing:
Jace's second ability can be used twice over two turns (more if you stall the game and power him up with the +1 ability). This strategy seems very solid.
Add the other abilities; the fact that Jace powers-up by shutting down infinite sized 1/1 armies is incredible; especially since the fixed artifact Cumber Stone was also 4 mana to do the same thing, but that card didn't have all these other options!
If the game gets stalled for too long, Jace has his ultimate. Last time I checked, Blue was more than happy to stall the game with white cards that use Detain or Supreme Verdict.
BagsMcpiper
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I traded the one I got at the prerelease for a Vraska before his value shot up. :(
Fortunately, I opened another in my prize pool. I'm a lucky bastard.
StreamHopper
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(7 votes)
I love how people were all like, "Nope, garbrage bro". Then, a deck using Jace wins at a pro tourney, and they're all like, "Amazing card, 5/5 bro, I knew it all along", and then the price jumps like 20 bucks...
God, I'm cynical :/
...NO! NO I'M NOT, PEOPLE SUCK D:<
They immediately label whatever isn't game-breaking as trash, and they're also the first to complain when something is too powerful.
We need a plague... But like, just for stupid people.
chainsmoker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
so he is an architect now, i bet next time he is gonna be an engineer.
Raikoo
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(7 votes)
Crazy fun combo. Jace, AoT + Doubling Season + Wheel of Sun and Moon. With Doubling Season in play, Jace comes out with 8 counters, use his ultimate, Wheel sends him to the bottom of your deck, get an opponet's non-land card and Jace, put Jace into play, wash rinse and repeat until the opponet's just left with lands. Not the ebst combo ever, but hilarious to think about.
Swannigan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
THOUGHT ARCHITECT!, IS CREDIT TO TEAM!
MANABURNWASGOOD
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
sucks. Vraska is 100000000% better.
MyrBattlecube
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@StreamHopper I know right? This Jace has been full of golden moments. "Oh this new Jace sucks. Unplayable." One Star City Games later... "Oh this is so good I can't believe everyone else thought this was junk." Lovin' it.
Wisdomseyes
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(2 votes)
You know why he is so expensive...
...
because he is more powerful than divination and digs deeper than think twice. He has the potential to dig twice. Therefore, he is the "best" draw spell in standard.
But, he isn't that good. Let's face it, when gatebreak comes out there will likely be better drawing spells (Dimir or even simic) and then the 3rd set will likely have some nice cards for drawing as well.
He just... isnt that great.
+1 is, as others have said, a temporary cumberstone. Cumberstone has never seen play in any format ever. The only benefit this has to jace or to a person playing jace in general is that it gives jace loyalty. That's all. Aside from that, it isn't an ability that advances you farter in the game
his -8 is cool. It's Bribery, but to all players. Where is this relevant? Not standard. Not anywhere really. I mean, its a nice effect... but you have to not use his -2 and he has to not be touched for 5 turns in a row. His ultimate is irrelevant in standard. You will only ever see this, MAYBE, in GU EDH decks using planeswalkers and doubling season, because Doubling Season combos with spells.
And then, we have the part that actually make him playible, somewhat. His -2. It's not a weak version of fact or fiction, it is a weak version of Truth or tale but, close enough right? Except with fact or fiction you can abuse the graveyard. You cant with this. He digs for 3 cards... but the max you will ever get with one draw is 2. 1 if you really need something. And whatever you don't choose you wont be seeing for a long while.
Now, i am going to be fair. -2, draw 2 cards that you can use twice is very nice. But for 4 mana? For something that in order to pull off more than 2 cards you have to heavilly protect? To me, and I have been playing against him for a while now since people like to netdeck and run playsets of him like they saw win at some tournament minor tournament, and draft and sealed pro tours ran him (come on people, draft and sealed are not good representations of a cards power) and... to me... he is Divination, but prevent the next 2 damage a pillar of flame or creature would deal to you.
I would say, at the moment (which is RtR standard, first set if this is read later on) that this jace should only be run if you need drawing and the bast place to put it is in your 4 drop section... and if you can maintain fairly good board presence at that. I don't think many decks can do that, though, with the amounts of aggro.
i don't like the idea of paying 4 mana to draw 2 cards, maybe 1 card.
Kura-san
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I personally love the art. He's standing on a skyscraper, scouring Ravnica, and his face is saying, "What's happening to my home?" Besides, what's wrong with wind-blown hair for the most awesome of Planeswalkers? Much better than Jace, Anime Adept. He's not meant to look ferociously dark anymore, now that we know more about him since Beleren's and Mindsculptor's releases.
Awesome card, and definitely my favorite of all the Jaces printed so far; More effective than Beleren, not OP like Mindsculptor, and much better, accurate art than Memory Adept.
His +1 cripples swarm attackers. He's tapping each of their minds with a Fleeting Distraction so their attacks are less effective. His -2 is great: A cheap price for just a slightly nerfed Fact or Fiction. Go with one option, or the other? His -8 is my favorite of all Jace ultimates until now. Given the flavor of Magic, a Library is a Planeswalker's arsenal of spells. Beleren invaded and deleted 20 of them, Memory Adept either overloaded an opponent's mind or gave himself massive options, and Mindsculptor freaking lobotomized them. Jace Beleren, Architect, both prepares his own biggest spell while diving into his opponents' minds and jacking their's. Truly befitting of an Architect of Thought. The closest thing I can think of is Praetor's Grasp, but even that's not it. Very unique. 5/5
It's incredibly flavorful that Wizards is making the Mind out as a mysterious entity, yet something we can touch, build, and destroy. Jace was a sculptor of minds, and now an architect of thought. I can't help but think the next one will be Jace, Engineer of Sentience, or something. Will still probably be awesome.
KnexWiz
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Good card, not going to break any thing but always a nice one of, I like the art except his face, he looks too much like he belongs in a boy band...
drpvfx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
If you want to be a real prick, let someone pull off his Ultimate, then respond with an Overloaded Counterflux ;)
RedAtrocitus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
The guy is awesome. Is he being downrated because he's so good, because we are still bitter about Jace TMS, or because people just don't realize it? He's definitely better than Judge's Familiar, Dryad Militant, Rakdos, his Cackler, Ash Zealot, probably Vraska. I don't think I needed SCG to figure out he was good either. He doesn't break any formats. But he is still insanely powerful.
Mind Sculptor's first ability destroys a thought. Architect's second one creates them. Mind Sculptor's third ability aims to erase a creature. Architect's first aims to preserve them (as well as you and himself, of course). Mind Sculptor's ultimate is utter destruction of the mind. Architect's is the imagination running wild, getting more creative than ever before. Mind Sculptor destroys formats. This one creates more interesting metagames.
Just as with Vraska, I like that Wizards is being a bit more clever with how PWs protect themselves now. And I'm glad they resisted the temptation to have this walker do anything related to milling.
demidracolich
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
@PonchoGrande: his +1 says creatures your opponents control.
Lord_of_Gelectrodes
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
First pack of RtR. Foil Jace sitting snug behind a Deathrite Shaman. Made my day.
Also, running him in my Kraj edh. You can pull off an ultimate every turn with doubling season and Gilder Bairn.
PonchoGrande
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Why is his face still covered in mayonnaise? Eh, it was probably Garruk Wildspeaker. Yes. Mayonnaise. Problem?
On to the card. I judge Planeswalkers off their effect when they hit the table, not their Ultimates. His +1 hoses token decks, but also affects you if you're swinging, but you're blue. No swinging! His Fact or Fiction like effect is neat, but it gives your opponents choice, something you don't want to give if you're playing blue control. I'd compare it to Tamiyo, the Moon Sage and her -2 - If your opponent has just alpha struck, then that effect can save your life, whereas Jace's Fact or Fiction potentially just prolongs the inevitable. His ult though, his ult should win you the game. Not only are you getting their best threats, but more importantly they no longer have their best threats. Unless your opponent has already gotten all their nice/mean things out already, this should win you the game, but good luck keeping him alive long enough without defenses like Fog Bank or Kraken Hatchling.
Final verdict? He's fun, playable, but I won't be cringing when my opponent plays him.
@demidracolich Thanks for pointing that out, can't believe I missed that!
Subtle_Kay
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
MasterOfEtherium HAS A WIKIPEDIA PAGE!!! ON 21 NOVEMBER 2012
DarthParallax
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(10 votes)
The problem with the last two Jaces:
His hood is down. Why is his hood down. If you give a character a badass cape/cloak, you keep the hood up. Do you see the Nazgul taking their hoods down? Do you see Darth Sidious taking his hood down? Did that work out for him? Do you want people to remember Jace as "Anakin Skywalker" or "Darth Vader, Episode III"?
OK, so maybe Mind Sculptor was TOO MUCH like "Darth Vader" or a "Nazgul" and that was considered a problem. I can tolerate that view. But excuse me. How about a good guy example.
BATMAN. Does Bruce Wayne EVER wear the batsuit without the hood up?! I've only see it happen maybe once, at the end of the Mask of the Phantasm movie. Hoods, Cloaks, Capes, Cowls, what have you...are supposed to stay up. I liked Jace better when it looked like his skin might actually be blue or made of rock in Beleren's pic, because it was just so hidden and left unknown and another person might have seen a completely different Jace in that pic. His Duel Decks art is by far the stupidest because it makes his awesome suit look like a bulky Halloween costume. xP
Wizards...you love Jace. I have resigned myself to a Jace 5 already. Put him back in the Hood. I want to see his eyes, and JUST his eyes, and I don't care if he's got two +1s or two -3s or two 0s. Give him back his dignity. Give him back his mystery. Give him back the Hood. Because if you keep his Hood down and his mullet up, you're just going to make Jace seem more and more like Edward Cullen. Right now he's more like Edward than Sorin, and Sorin is actually a Vampire! (A REAL Vampire, which is part of the reason why....let's not even get started on that, though >.>)
Arachnos
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
"Not as contraversial as the other Jaces, I think."
And yet he's rated the worst out of all of them.
TheKazu
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(11 votes)
This card for me represents the iconic blue card that isn't broken. This card emulates a blue player's thoughts:
Step 1: Stall Step 2: Increase hand size (in the form of my favorite way of drawing, i.e. Fact or Fiction) Step 3: Do something really weird.
Mephy.
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Agreed. Hood back now, please. I want a mysterious blue guy, not a white super hero dressed in blue, seriously.
NurinsMagemark
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Somehow I have pulled Jace in every draft, and in the last one I pulled Niv too. Got pretty Ridiculous.
handoflazav_414
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
hisssssssssssssss. we are disappointed. what happened to milling?! hate this Jace. could've turned him to our cause...
chrome_dome
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
4/5. Not a mind scluptor but this Jace has potential.
TheWrathofShane
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
+1 Softens attackers and builds counters. -2 Draw 1-2 cards, based on your choice. If you pull something great its guaranteed to be in your hand if you choose. -8 Should win you the game.
I thought he was weak at first glance, but then I took a second to analyze his abilities. I am blown away by that art as well, cant imagine why someone wouldn't like it... Can you draw anything close to that??? 5/5
Only time I'm ok with facing this guy on the other end of the board is when my hand is full of all the good cards in my deck lol
hot4boys
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
THE LE REDDIT MEME ARMY LEEJUN LOVES THIS CARD! 5 STARS IF YOU AGREE LOL XD!
j_mindfingerpainter
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
@ TheKazu: Hilarious, I had a similar, yet completely different thought. It emulates the essence of a Johnny:
Step 1: Protect yourself until you can win off a combo Step 2: Draw the best stuff for the combo Step 3: Tutor and steal any final pieces for the combo, then go nuts
FL_Wave
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What would have been fun is if his -2 had your opponent look at the top three cards then separate them into face down piles.
Then we could call him Jace, Architect of Yomi.
spartan7023
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
sphinxs revelation being the first i think this card is easily one of the best ways to generate card advatage in standard for blue.
also this might be a dumb qustion but saying you had one copy of jace in your deck could you use elixir of imortality in response to using jaces last ability while he is at 8 loyalty puting him back into your deck and drawing him out with his own ability. you probably cant but just wondering.
azure_drake222222
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@4 comments below: STOP SPAMMING.
ParishInquisitor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think this is what a planeswalker should be: powerful yet balanced effects for a decent cost. His +1 helps ensure he survives, and his -2 is card advantage. As for the ultimate, if you pull it off, it can potentially win the game. I'm looking forward to playing him in my {U}/{W} edh.
@TheWrathofShane I totally agree with you on the art. It is amazing.
Hunter06
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The Jace is actually pretty good, Well no mind sculptor, I would say hes in the top three Planeswalkers in standard ATM. 4.5/5 Stars
DiegoJordan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Does someone know how the last ability works with cards like Diabolic Revelation, Sphinx Revelation? Is the X many as I want since I don't have to pay any?
Ginto
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
@DiegoJordan: Whenever you play a card "without paying its Mana cost", any X in the mana cost is set to zero.
MagicCritic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Really really bad.
+1 is a Vraska but worse. Really, -1/0? -2 is bad. Opponent gets a say in the decision and can seperate them knowingly. -8 is even worse. One non land, and it takes forever to activate, you have to keep him alive until T8. 2/5, Jace Memory Adept is much much better.
Westertin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I,m Cruel with him, because I took a Tamiyo, Garruk, Primal Hunter,Ajani Goldmane,and my own Diobolic revalation and I had Lili's emblem for mana and no handsize, so I got Grimgrin,gravecrawler,Reaper from the abyss,Lavaz,Undead warchief,grimoire of the dead,witchbane orb,mortivore,staff of nin. lets just say I won
Raibys
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
And that's four Jaces. Just think, only 11 more and Wizards will finally be able to release "From the Vault: Jace!" - the first "From the Vault" set to consist entirely of planeswalkers, all with the subtype of "Jace."
conmandude
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Guys, what the hell are you talking about? This Jace is totally fine, and I enjoy playing him. No, he doesn't make your opponent mill 10, no he doesn't exile your opponent's libraries, but that's not his purpose. I play him in an Esper control deck and I've never been unhappy to topdeck him or have him in my opening hand. If he's not what you were looking to draw, just slap him down and do a mini fact or fiction. Opponent is playing Lingering Souls? -1/-0. That first ability really isn't bad, considering if they swing with 5 2/2s they become 5 1/2s, so you take 5 damage as opposed to 10. Not to mention he hoses Boros' Assemble the Legion, and there's another way he interacts with creatures, he draws them off your back! In my opinion, if they attack him with 1/3rd of their creatures to kill him, that's 1/3 of the damage I could've taken prevented by playing him. And while I agree you'll probably never use his ultimate in an actual standard game (at least I haven't yet), his "Ponder/FoF" is insanely useful, his -1/-0 has it's uses, and the ultimate will please kitchen-table players around the world. This guy is fine. Geez.
Three_Toe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sweet, a Jace built for multiplayer enthusiasts!
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combos quite well with three more copies of himself and (but of course!) Doubling Season. Doubling Season causes him to enter with 8 counters, letting you pull off his ultimate immediately; grab a second Jace and your opponent's best spell. Do this a few more times, and with your last Jace, snag a Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker instead — and since he enters with 10 counters, you can use his ultimate as well.
You know I wouldn't want to be that guy that tears a card down to its bones...but I don't see why this card is great.
Assuming you will never play its ultimate ability in a competitive game, it's +1 is basically a weaker Cumber Stone and its -2 is basically "draw one card and it will be the worst of the 3 that was on top of your deck".
And while we're on the topic of planeswalkers I'd go so far as to reduce Liliana of the Veil down to a 3 mana Eddict and a chump blocker with 1 toughness (after its -2 ability)
Someone enlighten me.
Taudisban
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@ Infamous Gemini I'm mostly commenting to correct you on Liliana. Consider that a lot of the best decks in eternal formats run less than 16 creatures. Put a Tarmogoyf in front of her to prevent another creature sneaking through to kill her and she will become a soft lock. Hell, she's a soft lock as long as your opponent is in top deck mode, which will be the case when you run her alongside Thought seize in Modern and Hymn to Tourach in Legacy.
NoIHavent
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Infamousgemini
You might want to re-read that second ability. If you only draw one from it, it's going to be the best of the three, seeing as you get to pick the card.
Ike38
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Scry is coming in the next block. His second ability will be more utilized....
absreim
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So overpowered was Jace, the Mind Sculptor that even this toned down version is format warping.
pallymander
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i liked jace more when he was anime :(
KriegthePsycho
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Is there a Foil version
Azorius_Council
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Jace, Architect of Thought is actually a expensive cards my friends say and is very powerful in The Return To Ravinica. My friends say that he is (at least!) about $10-$20! He is still a very good card with his abilities, the best one I think is -8. Very OP
Pipikako
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
-2 is ok, other stuff is crap.
Newfrickinshow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When it comes to Planeswalkers I prefer the Caller of the Pride but Jace still has the solid pain in everybody else's butt we come to expect from blue. Weakening all opponent creature attacks for free, what amounts to an upgraded scry, plus the ability to cast each players best card sans casting cost? All nice tricks. Plus eight more Jaces and WotC gets a free six inch sub.
thePROJECTION
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think this Jace is really awkward since none of his abilities have synergy with one another. Regardless, his -2 is pretty good, and his -8 can be great in EDH (If he lasts that long).
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
His +1 is actually surprisingly good at stemming any bleeding. If you do it immediately when you play him he gets 5 counters, so he becomes difficult to kill. While it's true that huge power creatures aren't really affected (like thragtusk), presumably you have or can deal with the big power creatures and then leave the small creatures around.
His -2 is a crappy fact or fiction, not just because it's only 3 cards but the other cards go to the bottom of the library and not the graveyard (a big distinction), but it's still effectively a "draw 3" since you get the better pile.
He got even better in RTR-THS standard compared to INN-RTR though. The format has fewer value creatures/etb creatures available, so decks are trying to spread their threats by playing more creatures; instead of 1 Polukranos that dies to a doom blade, play 2 smaller creatures while watching out for the wrath. Devotion strategies are also common and the way to rack up a high devotion is to curve out which involves playing a lot of small creatures. Jace is probably the best tool for a control deck to force the opponent to overextend into a wrath. If they have only 1-2 threats, you can 1-for-1 with azorius charms and the like while ticking Jace up and let them waste their time whittling away at Jace. When they commit 3-4 cards to try and kill jace you wrath them away.
Casimir_the_Great
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Nucleon: For one thing, while the focus of the plane of Ravnica is on multicolored, there's still plenty of monocolor there as well. For another, what's wrong with a monoblue Planeswalker? He's one of the Lorwyn Five and Chandra (monored) who shows up a lot (and I think we can all agree that she isn't as good as Jace)
Not only does Doubling Season allow him to use his -8 from the start (though the +1 would be better to start with 95% of the time), he's a beast against Populate and Proliferate decks! Think about it: Trostani's Summoner gives you six tokens, Contagion Clasp goes nicely with his +1 ability, Simic decks (not Populate or Proliferate, but still quite good here) have cards that let you put +1/+1 tokens on your creatures, just find one of those, there's all kinds of combos he's good with!
amberbock
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Would love to see the Jace, Architect of Thought+ Doubling Season+ Wheel of Sun and Moon combo pulled off with only 1 card left in hand. Surprised that they don't just quit after playing every creature in their deck leaving them with nothing but basic land and pass the turn. They play the only card that you couldn't see that was left in their hand and that card is Homeward Path.
TylerGagne
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This would be the first Jace that anyone could really use outside of decks dedicated to him or mill style decks. I love this Jace over any of the others; he's playable, well costed, not broken or week, gives more variety of decks for him, and his abilities are useful for any game.
The art is fantastic due to the realism, which I prefer over the anime or cartoon-y type art.
I plan on using Jace, Architect of Thought in my Red/White/Blue WarZone deck for his +1 mainly, his other abilities are solid like the -2 for card advantage, the ultimate will probably never go off but it does seem interesting.
Hua9801
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why such a low rating? +1 generates tempo and life advantage, while -2 generates card advantage. If you get the ultimate off, you should probably win the game. Because this Jace is difficult to kill, you can use it to soak up damage while setting up your game winning bombs. If you use +1 the turn Jace comes out, the opponent needs a 6/X, two 4/X's, three 3/X's, or five 2/X's to kill Jace. If that many creatures are attacking you instead, you will get out of the game very quickly. Overall, even if this Jace is not the best planeswalker, Jace deserves a better rating than its current rating of 3.642 / 5.
Comments (90)
But I just want to see more new characters, not just Jace, Master of Jace, The Jace-Sculptor. I guess my ultimate complaint is that they sort of latched onto him as if he were "the protagonist" of Magic's story. It bugs me. Jace comes out to provide yet another mono-blue Planeswalker every 3rd block it seems, or at least every other set release if one includes Core Sets. Why a monocolor Planeswalker in the RAVNICA block, anyway? It's like..."Doo hoo hoo, competitive players like Blue, better pander to them with another Jace!"
Not helping matters is that whole Jace the Mind-Sculptor fiasco. Jace is like a mascot for Magic at its worst: unfun, overpriced, and bloated with monotony. Are we going to see a Jace, The Jace Jace at some point in the future?
Jace, the Jace Jace
UU
Planeswalker - Jace
Starting Loyalty: 3
+1: Discard a Planeswalker with the Jace type. Counter target spell with CMC equal to that Planeswalker's CMC.
-3: Return target non-Blue permanent to its owner's hand.
-6: You get an emblem with "You may control multiple Planeswalkers of the same type." Search your library for any number of Planeswalkers with the Jace type. You may put all of them into play.
Anyway, the card itself is fine. Your opponent has some control over the -2 so it will never be back breaking and the +1 is only really good against token decks. His -8 will hardly ever be relevant.
Growing up sucks
watch when dimir rolls around and makes it even worse
Fun times running this guy with Tamiyo, the Moon Sage. The obvious thing would be to turn 4 Jace turn 5 Tamiyo, but better than that seems to be turn 5 Tamiyo, turn 6 Jace. You've tapped their biggest guys down, all their little guys get -1/-0, Tamiyo is rolling up, Jace is rolling up, and if they swing their shrunken guys into your board, you have Cyclonic Rift or Azorius Charm mana to remove their second-biggest threat, Tamiyo draws you a bunch of cards, and Jace gets to work going through your library. Or you roll them both up again and repeat until your opponent tears their scalp off. That's value, folks.
His -2 is essentially a weaker Fact or Fiction.
I can't put my finger on his ultimate, but I'm pretty sure there's a card like it.
I'm not a big fan of him right now, but he could really surprise me. Tokens and small attacking thingy's were popular in Innistrad, and burn seems to have lost a lot of its touch in this block.
I'm selling mine right away when I get it, mind you.
But terrible art.
5/5 though.
|_| A mythic dragon that could be printed in any other set.
|_| A mythic angel that could be printed in any other set.
|_| Jace.
Blow up Jace to use his ultimate.
Search opponents deck for Armada Wurm / Avacyn / etc.
Search your own deck for another copy of Jace, Architect of Thought to replace the one you just blew up.
Put both into play.
The best part is you get to use another PW ability on the one you put into play, so his ability only cost -4, your up by your opponents biggest card, and you get to use two PW abilities in one turn.
Oh his other abilities are pretty nice too. This guy should not be underestimated.
this jace on the other hand is clearly for multiplayer, and it performs well in that area. the abilities are interesting and not overpowered. I applaud WotC.
Witchbane orb won't stop his last ability because it doesn't target anything. And even if it did, that ability would rather say "target library" and there is nothing in the game, as far as I know, that can protect your library from being targeted.
New art is nice and I doubt people dislike the quality of it. It just we used to see Jace differently. His face shape changed, hair color and style also changed. The only thing that proves him to be Jace is his outfit and those symbols on his face. And name of the card, obviously. It is first time when planeswalker is being changed that much. Otherwise, art is great.
I like this version as it's well balanced and not as specific as Memory Adept which is only really playable in mill. He could have been just a bit more powerful, considering the power level of the set (He is 4 turn drop and your opponent might already have 5/X and so on). On the other hand, altering his first ability even to give -2/-0 would make him almost overpowered, as it would render almost all 1-3T drops useless.
More than that, they've got a "casual planeswalker" feel. That's something nice to have around - just as Sword of Vengeance's existence (sort of) balances the existence of Sword of War and Peace, planeswalker cards like this are necessary to balance the existence of Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Note to self: failed on my resolution not to mention him.
That said, Wizards, we don't need another Jace after this one, at least not for a while. No more new Jaces until the rest of the Lorwyn 5 get 4 of their own copies please.
You're either underestimating this card, or overestimating Chandra Ablaze, or both. Chandra Ablaze was weak because it costed 6 CMC, and for that much, you're really looking for something that immediately contributes to winning the game. She just didn't do enough for her cost. Jace, Architect of Thought costs 4 CMC. The difference is night and day. I suspect that if Chandra Ablaze were to cost 4 CMC, she would be a quite popular and powerful planeswalker, instead of merely being a casual card.
If your opponent splits the piles really well, you get the best card out of 3 draws.
If your opponent makes a mistake, you get the 2 best cards out of 3 draws.
Now here's the thing:
Jace's second ability can be used twice over two turns (more if you stall the game and power him up with the +1 ability). This strategy seems very solid.
Add the other abilities; the fact that Jace powers-up by shutting down infinite sized 1/1 armies is incredible; especially since the fixed artifact Cumber Stone was also 4 mana to do the same thing, but that card didn't have all these other options!
If the game gets stalled for too long, Jace has his ultimate. Last time I checked, Blue was more than happy to stall the game with white cards that use Detain or Supreme Verdict.
Fortunately, I opened another in my prize pool. I'm a lucky bastard.
God, I'm cynical :/
...NO! NO I'M NOT, PEOPLE SUCK D:<
They immediately label whatever isn't game-breaking as trash, and they're also the first to complain when something is too powerful.
We need a plague... But like, just for stupid people.
Jace, AoT + Doubling Season + Wheel of Sun and Moon. With Doubling Season in play, Jace comes out with 8 counters, use his ultimate, Wheel sends him to the bottom of your deck, get an opponet's non-land card and Jace, put Jace into play, wash rinse and repeat until the opponet's just left with lands.
Not the ebst combo ever, but hilarious to think about.
I know right? This Jace has been full of golden moments.
"Oh this new Jace sucks. Unplayable."
One Star City Games later...
"Oh this is so good I can't believe everyone else thought this was junk."
Lovin' it.
...
because he is more powerful than divination and digs deeper than think twice. He has the potential to dig twice. Therefore, he is the "best" draw spell in standard.
But, he isn't that good. Let's face it, when gatebreak comes out there will likely be better drawing spells (Dimir or even simic) and then the 3rd set will likely have some nice cards for drawing as well.
He just... isnt that great.
+1 is, as others have said, a temporary cumberstone. Cumberstone has never seen play in any format ever. The only benefit this has to jace or to a person playing jace in general is that it gives jace loyalty. That's all. Aside from that, it isn't an ability that advances you farter in the game
his -8 is cool. It's Bribery, but to all players. Where is this relevant? Not standard. Not anywhere really. I mean, its a nice effect... but you have to not use his -2 and he has to not be touched for 5 turns in a row. His ultimate is irrelevant in standard. You will only ever see this, MAYBE, in GU EDH decks using planeswalkers and doubling season, because Doubling Season combos with spells.
And then, we have the part that actually make him playible, somewhat. His -2. It's not a weak version of fact or fiction, it is a weak version of Truth or tale but, close enough right? Except with fact or fiction you can abuse the graveyard. You cant with this. He digs for 3 cards... but the max you will ever get with one draw is 2. 1 if you really need something. And whatever you don't choose you wont be seeing for a long while.
Now, i am going to be fair. -2, draw 2 cards that you can use twice is very nice. But for 4 mana? For something that in order to pull off more than 2 cards you have to heavilly protect? To me, and I have been playing against him for a while now since people like to netdeck and run playsets of him like they saw win at some tournament minor tournament, and draft and sealed pro tours ran him (come on people, draft and sealed are not good representations of a cards power) and... to me... he is Divination, but prevent the next 2 damage a pillar of flame or creature would deal to you.
I would say, at the moment (which is RtR standard, first set if this is read later on) that this jace should only be run if you need drawing and the bast place to put it is in your 4 drop section... and if you can maintain fairly good board presence at that. I don't think many decks can do that, though, with the amounts of aggro.
i don't like the idea of paying 4 mana to draw 2 cards, maybe 1 card.
Awesome card, and definitely my favorite of all the Jaces printed so far; More effective than Beleren, not OP like Mindsculptor, and much better, accurate art than Memory Adept.
His +1 cripples swarm attackers. He's tapping each of their minds with a Fleeting Distraction so their attacks are less effective.
His -2 is great: A cheap price for just a slightly nerfed Fact or Fiction. Go with one option, or the other?
His -8 is my favorite of all Jace ultimates until now. Given the flavor of Magic, a Library is a Planeswalker's arsenal of spells. Beleren invaded and deleted 20 of them, Memory Adept either overloaded an opponent's mind or gave himself massive options, and Mindsculptor freaking lobotomized them. Jace Beleren, Architect, both prepares his own biggest spell while diving into his opponents' minds and jacking their's. Truly befitting of an Architect of Thought. The closest thing I can think of is Praetor's Grasp, but even that's not it. Very unique. 5/5
It's incredibly flavorful that Wizards is making the Mind out as a mysterious entity, yet something we can touch, build, and destroy.
Jace was a sculptor of minds, and now an architect of thought. I can't help but think the next one will be Jace, Engineer of Sentience, or something. Will still probably be awesome.
let someone pull off his Ultimate,
then respond with an Overloaded Counterflux ;)
Mind Sculptor's first ability destroys a thought. Architect's second one creates them.
Mind Sculptor's third ability aims to erase a creature. Architect's first aims to preserve them (as well as you and himself, of course).
Mind Sculptor's ultimate is utter destruction of the mind. Architect's is the imagination running wild, getting more creative than ever before.
Mind Sculptor destroys formats. This one creates more interesting metagames.
Just as with Vraska, I like that Wizards is being a bit more clever with how PWs protect themselves now. And I'm glad they resisted the temptation to have this walker do anything related to milling.
Foil Jace sitting snug behind a Deathrite Shaman.
Made my day.
Also, running him in my Kraj edh. You can pull off an ultimate every turn with doubling season and Gilder Bairn.
Eh, it was probably Garruk Wildspeaker.
Yes. Mayonnaise. Problem?
On to the card.
I judge Planeswalkers off their effect when they hit the table, not their Ultimates.
His +1 hoses token decks, but also affects you if you're swinging, but you're blue. No swinging!
His Fact or Fiction like effect is neat, but it gives your opponents choice, something you don't want to give if you're playing blue control. I'd compare it to Tamiyo, the Moon Sage and her -2 - If your opponent has just alpha struck, then that effect can save your life, whereas Jace's Fact or Fiction potentially just prolongs the inevitable.
His ult though, his ult should win you the game. Not only are you getting their best threats, but more importantly they no longer have their best threats. Unless your opponent has already gotten all their nice/mean things out already, this should win you the game, but good luck keeping him alive long enough without defenses like Fog Bank or Kraken Hatchling.
Final verdict? He's fun, playable, but I won't be cringing when my opponent plays him.
@demidracolich
Thanks for pointing that out, can't believe I missed that!
His hood is down. Why is his hood down. If you give a character a badass cape/cloak, you keep the hood up. Do you see the Nazgul taking their hoods down? Do you see Darth Sidious taking his hood down? Did that work out for him? Do you want people to remember Jace as "Anakin Skywalker" or "Darth Vader, Episode III"?
OK, so maybe Mind Sculptor was TOO MUCH like "Darth Vader" or a "Nazgul" and that was considered a problem. I can tolerate that view. But excuse me. How about a good guy example.
BATMAN. Does Bruce Wayne EVER wear the batsuit without the hood up?! I've only see it happen maybe once, at the end of the Mask of the Phantasm movie. Hoods, Cloaks, Capes, Cowls, what have you...are supposed to stay up. I liked Jace better when it looked like his skin might actually be blue or made of rock in Beleren's pic, because it was just so hidden and left unknown and another person might have seen a completely different Jace in that pic. His Duel Decks art is by far the stupidest because it makes his awesome suit look like a bulky Halloween costume. xP
Wizards...you love Jace. I have resigned myself to a Jace 5 already. Put him back in the Hood. I want to see his eyes, and JUST his eyes, and I don't care if he's got two +1s or two -3s or two 0s.
Give him back his dignity. Give him back his mystery. Give him back the Hood. Because if you keep his Hood down and his mullet up, you're just going to make Jace seem more and more like Edward Cullen. Right now he's more like Edward than Sorin, and Sorin is actually a Vampire! (A REAL Vampire, which is part of the reason why....let's not even get started on that, though >.>)
And yet he's rated the worst out of all of them.
Step 1: Stall
Step 2: Increase hand size (in the form of my favorite way of drawing, i.e. Fact or Fiction)
Step 3: Do something really weird.
-2 Draw 1-2 cards, based on your choice. If you pull something great its guaranteed to be in your hand if you choose.
-8 Should win you the game.
I thought he was weak at first glance, but then I took a second to analyze his abilities. I am blown away by that art as well, cant imagine why someone wouldn't like it... Can you draw anything close to that???
5/5
Step 1: Protect yourself until you can win off a combo
Step 2: Draw the best stuff for the combo
Step 3: Tutor and steal any final pieces for the combo, then go nuts
Then we could call him Jace, Architect of Yomi.
also this might be a dumb qustion but saying you had one copy of jace in your deck could you use elixir of imortality in response to using jaces last ability while he is at 8 loyalty puting him back into your deck and drawing him out with his own ability. you probably cant but just wondering.
@TheWrathofShane
I totally agree with you on the art. It is amazing.
+1 is a Vraska but worse. Really, -1/0?
-2 is bad. Opponent gets a say in the decision and can seperate them knowingly.
-8 is even worse. One non land, and it takes forever to activate, you have to keep him alive until T8.
2/5, Jace Memory Adept is much much better.
Assuming you will never play its ultimate ability in a competitive game, it's +1 is basically a weaker Cumber Stone and its -2 is basically "draw one card and it will be the worst of the 3 that was on top of your deck".
And while we're on the topic of planeswalkers I'd go so far as to reduce Liliana of the Veil down to a 3 mana Eddict and a chump blocker with 1 toughness (after its -2 ability)
Someone enlighten me.
I'm mostly commenting to correct you on Liliana. Consider that a lot of the best decks in eternal formats run less than 16 creatures. Put a Tarmogoyf in front of her to prevent another creature sneaking through to kill her and she will become a soft lock. Hell, she's a soft lock as long as your opponent is in top deck mode, which will be the case when you run her alongside Thought seize in Modern and Hymn to Tourach in Legacy.
You might want to re-read that second ability. If you only draw one from it, it's going to be the best of the three, seeing as you get to pick the card.
His -2 is a crappy fact or fiction, not just because it's only 3 cards but the other cards go to the bottom of the library and not the graveyard (a big distinction), but it's still effectively a "draw 3" since you get the better pile.
He got even better in RTR-THS standard compared to INN-RTR though. The format has fewer value creatures/etb creatures available, so decks are trying to spread their threats by playing more creatures; instead of 1 Polukranos that dies to a doom blade, play 2 smaller creatures while watching out for the wrath. Devotion strategies are also common and the way to rack up a high devotion is to curve out which involves playing a lot of small creatures. Jace is probably the best tool for a control deck to force the opponent to overextend into a wrath. If they have only 1-2 threats, you can 1-for-1 with azorius charms and the like while ticking Jace up and let them waste their time whittling away at Jace. When they commit 3-4 cards to try and kill jace you wrath them away.
Not only does Doubling Season allow him to use his -8 from the start (though the +1 would be better to start with 95% of the time), he's a beast against Populate and Proliferate decks! Think about it: Trostani's Summoner gives you six tokens, Contagion Clasp goes nicely with his +1 ability, Simic decks (not Populate or Proliferate, but still quite good here) have cards that let you put +1/+1 tokens on your creatures, just find one of those, there's all kinds of combos he's good with!
The art is fantastic due to the realism, which I prefer over the anime or cartoon-y type art.
I plan on using Jace, Architect of Thought in my Red/White/Blue WarZone deck for his +1 mainly, his other abilities are solid like the -2 for card advantage, the ultimate will probably never go off but it does seem interesting.