Pointed Discussion

Please replace this with vapor snag, and soon.
Sure this is better for returning your creatures to hand, but how often would you do that? I like the bite that vapor snag gives, and there's nothing better than a kill with it.

Nice flavor text.

@DarthParallax: How exactly does Vapor Snag utilize Phyrexian mana? Powney's right it should get reprinted. Don't act like you have an inside track on R&D's thought process when you don't even know what the cards do.

Even without the damage, this is still a good card, and the only reason it isn't being played is because Vapor Snag exists. And while it doesn't bring your opponent closer to death, it does make Hero of Bladehold and Phyrexian Obliterator look just as embarassing.

Classic. Versatile.

Phyrexian mana or not, Vapor Snag's life-loss ability is not in blue's slice of the pie, and shouldn't be reprinted in a core set.

Axelle is right. Direct life loss is not in blue's color pie at all, so Vapor Snag would be a poor fit in the core set. New Phyrexia is not an accurate representation of the color pie.

Unsummon is a core staple and should stay. It's still a useful card, and it shows new players what blue likes to do.

Ok so speaking of core sets, here's a question with a bit of backstory. I've been out of the magic loop since about invasion with brief encounters with confluxian sets back whenever it was that those happened and even then I spent more money on the homelands boosters that the shop some how had then the other current sets. Since downloading dotp13 and finding a local shop (FOR THE FREE BABYBOOSTER!)I've been random carding here for a few weeks now. After seeing the DEPRESSING amount of hate for older cards I started wondering if there is a particular card that has been printed in ever core set since alpha. I guessed it would be this card. I was wrong, it's not in 9th.

Is there a card that's been in every core set?

We all got a little spoiled with Vapor Snag. Time to get back to reality.

A card that was better when combat damage went on the stack. Still a great card, and I use it more often to save a creature from removal or board wipe. Bonus points if it has an ETB effect.

There are so many different uses for this card that a pro like me can use.

@SarcasmElemental: The last core set survivor just left us in M13 with Giant Spider... He got replaced by Sentinel Spider. Still, 13 core sets out of 14 is a pretty good run. Same goes to Unsummon. They're both balanced cards and were just good enough that they never needed to be replaced. Until R&D got bored of them I guess.

Can't they just settle on one flavor text for once? On every single printing that this has had with flavor text, it's been different!

"Denied."

Eh, half the time I saw someone use a deck with Vapor Snag in it there was always a slight wince when they really had to bounce their own creature...

Summer 2012, New Phyrexia is in standard, vapor snag is played in every blue control deck
Fall 2012, New Phyrexia rotates out of standard, unsummon is played in zero blue control decks

@Totema:

Considering a card with an effect as basic as this I find the variation provided by different flavour text a definite plus, especially as it doesn't have an iconic, "one-and-only" text like many other (classic) cards do.

Vapor Snag is obviously better than Unsummon (screw the modern, stiff colour pie-thinking!) for bouncing opponent's creatures but it doesn't mean Unsummon wouldn't be good - it is also more versatile as you can pick up your own critters back to safety as well, of course you can do that with Vapor Snag too but it'll be less pleasant. I guess Unsummon fits better in core sets where cards, especially commons, tend always to be more "vanilla". And of course there's the nostalgic value.

Vapor Snag is good, but doesn't do certain things (Saving creatures, reusing EtB effects, etc.) without a somewhat unwanted cost. It hurts, yes, but that hurt isn't always something you want.

Mmmyes, So Hamlet should have offed himself then, i suppose

All hail the omniscient and omnipotent flavor text

Powney you obviously don't get the purpose of Core Sets, or Phyrexian mana- that was a cool special thing they did, NOT what they want to reprint for the next 5 years. No Phyrexian mana card will ever be in a Core Set. Ever. (Wizards, if you prove me wrong I swear to Urza I will come over to Seattle and STRANGLE YOU!)

Blind Thrall thank for pointing out that I misspoke slightly- :P

Vapor Snag GOT reprinted. In Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker's Duel Deck
It is NOT a Phyrexian Mana spell, but it's easy to confuse for one, because it has the "Phyrexians are dicks" rider of incidental damage. Like Geth's Verdict. It is much more plausible that Geth's Verdict may one day be the norm, but even then I doubt we will either a reprint or a functional reprint of Super Diabolic Edict in an actual Core Set. The Phyrexians straight up broke some Development Rules, on Purpose, including the Design Rule of not giving Blue Damage.

Now say what you will about me mis-citing cards, but it is still extremely unlikely that as long as any of the current R&D members stay at Wizards, it is simply not Core Set-Thinking to put those cards in Core Sets. They could see more print and play in a number of things. You can expect them in Commander, Planechase, and whatever sequels to Modern Masters could occur. But it defies all logic to put them in a Core Set- Core Sets are supposed to be the foundation of stabilizing and reversing Power Creep. Yes, even though Core Sets are where we get Baneslayer Angel, the Titans, Thragtusk, and Thundermaw Hellkite from, Core Sets are still supposed to be somewhat Controlled. Note how Core Sets almost never give anyone but Timmy really good cards. Johnny is expected to be happy with Bad Rares. A lot of Johnnies ARE, which is why Johnny is cool. But you don't really see Blue or Black getting the most love in Core Sets. They're too Un-Timmy. Or, when Blue and Black get Good Timmy cards, we get Issues. (See Serendib Efreet, Griselbrand, Morphling, Juzam Djinn, Consecrated Sphinx.

The Core Sets certainly bias against Control. It's not that they don't print Control Cards- but they very clearly give us More Timmy than Control. Even in Core Set Bolas (2013). To think of putting Griefer Phyrexian Control Cards in the Core is to say you are straight up needing to Power Creep Control because your Creatures are too good, but Wizards would rather justlet the Creatures be too good than Power Creep Control, because people leave the game when there's really good unfair Control and Combo Decks destroying everything, but really good unfair fast smashy decks destroying the game is seen by Wizards as having accomplished their goal of fun. Which, tbh, with the huge number of players they are all trying to please at once, is understandable. Vapor Snag STILL isn't remotely weak enough to be in the Core. It's just way too good at Grief. See Distress for how much Wizards hates Grief. Compare to Thoughtseize.

blindthrall said:
How exactly does Vapor Snag utilize Phyrexian mana?

Just because Phyrexian Mana isn't used in the spell's cost, doesn't mean that the spell is not Phyrexian in nature. Check the watermark.

That being said, both cards have their boon and faults compared to one another, and Unsummon is much more vanilla, something sought after for core sets.

I love this card. I was playing my friend the other day, who runs a dimir deck. She had milled my azorius deck down to about half, then she played a Rise from the Grave on my Sublime Archangel that had gotten milled. Next turn, I drew this card, then I used it to bounce the angel back to my hand and play it. Priceless.

In some ways this is better than vapor snag. If you control a Thragtusk for instance, bouncing your own creature can be very powerful.

You know, why is it always the Esperites that get screwed over. This and Oblivion Ring.

The latest in a line of utterly fantastic flavor text.
2010: Mages routinely summon creatures from the Æther. It's only fair that they occasionally throw one back.
2011: "You're trespassing in my reality. Ask permission next time." —Simun the Quiet
2012: "It's nothing personal. I'd just prefer if you weren't." —Ashurel, voidmage
2013: Not to be. That is the answer.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes
When he himself might his quietus make
With an untapped island?