Instant, one-turn-only version of Instill Energy. And with the original being underpriced, this is priced at about the correct price. For the aura. For this one-off, it's too high.
Psuedonaut
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(6 votes)
Passionate rant about an ambiguous card ahead.
I think this card is quite underrated. When do you need haste? Only on the turn that creature comes out, for that creature. There are tons of things that can be done to instants though, so it may normally be a one-time thing, but potentially much stronger in a combo. An obvious comparison for this is Instill Energy. Instill Energy is 2 cheaper, and gives a free untap every single turn, vs a much more expensive instant which happens to give actual haste, and gives you a card. So, one extra mana for the ability to play it instantly, which plays into the whole playing against an enemy and not for the most efficient thing, and then one extra mana for the card at the next turn's upkeep. Maybe I'm wrong about this next part, but maybe not, but it doesn't say the beginning of the next turn's first upkeep, so this might combo with Paradox Haze.
Back to comparisoning. A choice of Elvish Archdruid.
Instill Energy
Turn 1, Forest, Llanowar Elf.
Turn 2, Forest, Elvish Archdruid.
Turn 3, Forest, Llanowar, Llanowar, Llanowar, Instill Energy(Played later, so you can benefit from the double tapping of the archdruid. You can't do it earlier since attacking is different from tapping/using mana abilities). Tap the Elvish Archdruid for 5, tap him again for another 5. There's a total of 10 green mana in your mana pool. Of course, you're not going to get 4 llanowar's like that. And, assuming you drew turn 1, you have 1 card available to play. If you didn't, that 10 mana is useless, but turns into 17+ Turn 4.
Touch of Vitae
Turn 1, Forest, Llanowar Elf.
Turn 2, Forest, Llanowar, Llanowar, Llanowar.
Turn 3, Forest, Archdruid. Touch of Vitae, tap for 5, untap, tap again for another 5. You now have 11 mana, with 0 or 1 card(s). Also note, Turn 4 will give you only 12 mana. Yes, that's 5 less. Oh, by the way, that's 12 mana. With one card card advantage.
Of course, that's one example. the likelihood of having 3 Llanowar Elves turn 1, is, I know, lower than having 3 Llanowar elves turn 2. You can reduce the number of Llanowar's by 1, then they become equal, excluding the one card advantage that Touch has, and the turn 4+ mana advantage Instill has. I'm not even going to try factoring in other things, like kill cards or non-mana ramp decks, or anything else. It is definitely not the best card, I just want you to know, this card is better than 2.5, for sure.
Seriously. Lightning Blast, which is 3 colorless, one red, which does one more than Lightning Bolt, but costs 3 more colorless...? I don't really want to compare more, or argue that, but this card is 3+. So is Instill. It could be situationally amazing, and it could be bad. Lots of cards can be very bad if they aren't placed in the right deck, like putting Storm Crow in a mono black deck, or putting Chimney Imp and Storm Crow and Wood Elemental in a mono white deck. Doesn't mean the card's bad if the deck is.
Anyway, I decided to do a second comparison. This is without heavy mana producing, just simple stuff. As you can see, the mana cost weighs heavily. As in, VERY heavily.
Turn 1, Forest, Birds of Paradise.
Turn 2, Forest, Instill Energy, Any 3 card cost with 2 green/colorless and one of any color.
Or,
Turn 2, Forest, Any 2 card cost with 1 green/colorless and one of any color. Instill energy that creature for an early attack. My advice, use a Pygmy Hippo, and then steal whatever mana the enemy has. Could be 1, could be 2, could be a dead one drop, could be a dead pygmy and a dead 2 drop, could be a defender blocking.
Touch of Vitae
T1 Forest, Bird,
T2 Forest, ....nothing
T3 Forest, Bird, touch of vitae, tap the bird twice.... very depressing.
This can be broken down extremely simply. Instill energy pays for itself on the first turn on a mana producer, and has that availability on being placed on something aggressively to attack. Touch of vitae does not pay for itself if placed on a small mana producer, and you are essentially only paying for that extra card. It's situational. Not strictly worse. And not strictly bad.
ThornsofChristos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What about using this with Bounty Hunter?
PeabodyET
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@A3kitsune: Instill Energy doesn't actually give haste, it just lets the creature attack as though it had haste. Giving actual haste is better for a creature that you're going to get an extra untap out of. (Priest of Titania tapping twice the turn you play it??)
@Psuedonaut: Again, instill energy isn't worded the same, and the untap can only be used on your turn. And as an enchantment, it can only be played on your turn. Touch of Vitae, as an instant, could be used on your opponent's turn to untap a creature and block with it. And with this being a delayed cantrip, it replaces itself.
This card is much better utility than Instill Energy. As a combo piece, instill energy may be better, but this is a better card overall, in my opinion.
And @Thorns: Congratulations, you just invented a two-card, 4GBB cost, easily counterable Terminate (that can be regerated through).
MacBizzle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Who else said "OH MY GOD PSIONIC GIFT"
then saw the "activate this ability only once"?
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The extra {2} actually comes from the slowtrip... Would have been much better without.
DrJack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The problem with Touch of Vitae is its mana cost. This card and Instill Energy are most often used on a creature you just summoned, of course, so you can attack right away with it (and then untap it afterwards to serve as a blocker!) So, Instill Energy, being a single green mana, means you just need 1 mana more than your creature's casting cost, but Touch of Vitae requires 3 extra mana. That makes a big difference, and means doing it later in the game, or just using it on tiny creatures. Sure, green has lots of fast mana, but it still takes time to get that mana available. Every point of mana is significant, otherwise Craw Wurm would be a great card.
Of course, the combos available with Instill Energy, the classics like Birds of Paradise and Prodigal Sorcerer, are another reason why the original mean green machine outclasses the hand with the spotty background. Long live Instill Energy!
atemu1234
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why don't they errata-it so it says Untap target Creature and Draw a card at the beginning of next turn's upkeep.
SgtPepperjack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Meh, too expensive. It would be a neat card for one .
Comments (9)
I think this card is quite underrated. When do you need haste? Only on the turn that creature comes out, for that creature. There are tons of things that can be done to instants though, so it may normally be a one-time thing, but potentially much stronger in a combo. An obvious comparison for this is Instill Energy. Instill Energy is 2 cheaper, and gives a free untap every single turn, vs a much more expensive instant which happens to give actual haste, and gives you a card. So, one extra mana for the ability to play it instantly, which plays into the whole playing against an enemy and not for the most efficient thing, and then one extra mana for the card at the next turn's upkeep. Maybe I'm wrong about this next part, but maybe not, but it doesn't say the beginning of the next turn's first upkeep, so this might combo with Paradox Haze.
Back to comparisoning. A choice of Elvish Archdruid.
Instill Energy
Turn 1, Forest, Llanowar Elf.
Turn 2, Forest, Elvish Archdruid.
Turn 3, Forest, Llanowar, Llanowar, Llanowar, Instill Energy(Played later, so you can benefit from the double tapping of the archdruid. You can't do it earlier since attacking is different from tapping/using mana abilities). Tap the Elvish Archdruid for 5, tap him again for another 5. There's a total of 10 green mana in your mana pool. Of course, you're not going to get 4 llanowar's like that. And, assuming you drew turn 1, you have 1 card available to play. If you didn't, that 10 mana is useless, but turns into 17+ Turn 4.
Touch of Vitae
Turn 1, Forest, Llanowar Elf.
Turn 2, Forest, Llanowar, Llanowar, Llanowar.
Turn 3, Forest, Archdruid. Touch of Vitae, tap for 5, untap, tap again for another 5. You now have 11 mana, with 0 or 1 card(s). Also note, Turn 4 will give you only 12 mana. Yes, that's 5 less. Oh, by the way, that's 12 mana. With one card card advantage.
Of course, that's one example. the likelihood of having 3 Llanowar Elves turn 1, is, I know, lower than having 3 Llanowar elves turn 2. You can reduce the number of Llanowar's by 1, then they become equal, excluding the one card advantage that Touch has, and the turn 4+ mana advantage Instill has. I'm not even going to try factoring in other things, like kill cards or non-mana ramp decks, or anything else. It is definitely not the best card, I just want you to know, this card is better than 2.5, for sure.
Seriously. Lightning Blast, which is 3 colorless, one red, which does one more than Lightning Bolt, but costs 3 more colorless...? I don't really want to compare more, or argue that, but this card is 3+. So is Instill. It could be situationally amazing, and it could be bad. Lots of cards can be very bad if they aren't placed in the right deck, like putting Storm Crow in a mono black deck, or putting Chimney Imp and Storm Crow and Wood Elemental in a mono white deck. Doesn't mean the card's bad if the deck is.
Anyway, I decided to do a second comparison. This is without heavy mana producing, just simple stuff. As you can see, the mana cost weighs heavily. As in, VERY heavily.
Turn 1, Forest, Birds of Paradise.
Turn 2, Forest, Instill Energy, Any 3 card cost with 2 green/colorless and one of any color.
Or,
Turn 2, Forest, Any 2 card cost with 1 green/colorless and one of any color. Instill energy that creature for an early attack. My advice, use a Pygmy Hippo, and then steal whatever mana the enemy has. Could be 1, could be 2, could be a dead one drop, could be a dead pygmy and a dead 2 drop, could be a defender blocking.
Touch of Vitae
T1 Forest, Bird,
T2 Forest, ....nothing
T3 Forest, Bird, touch of vitae, tap the bird twice.... very depressing.
This can be broken down extremely simply. Instill energy pays for itself on the first turn on a mana producer, and has that availability on being placed on something aggressively to attack. Touch of vitae does not pay for itself if placed on a small mana producer, and you are essentially only paying for that extra card. It's situational. Not strictly worse. And not strictly bad.
@Psuedonaut: Again, instill energy isn't worded the same, and the untap can only be used on your turn. And as an enchantment, it can only be played on your turn. Touch of Vitae, as an instant, could be used on your opponent's turn to untap a creature and block with it. And with this being a delayed cantrip, it replaces itself.
This card is much better utility than Instill Energy. As a combo piece, instill energy may be better, but this is a better card overall, in my opinion.
And @Thorns: Congratulations, you just invented a two-card, 4GBB cost, easily counterable Terminate (that can be regerated through).
then saw the "activate this ability only once"?
Of course, the combos available with Instill Energy, the classics like Birds of Paradise and Prodigal Sorcerer, are another reason why the original mean green machine outclasses the hand with the spotty background. Long live Instill Energy!