Venser should've been named Johnny. I think the old art was better, mainly because it showed him doing exactly what the card says he does - sojourning.
Ferlord
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Shenanigans, the Sonjourner, I'd like to call him.
have a Massacre Wurm, and want to give your opponents more hell than usual? DING! SHENANIGANS, THE SOJOURNER TO THE RESCUE!
Have a Rune-Scarred Demon and are obliging to restricted rules? DING! SHENANIGANS, THE SOJOURNER TO THE RESCUE!
I know there are many more white and blue cards with (when it comes to play) abilities, but those are the two that come to mind first.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
He's still got his studly cheese-grater sideburns!
Carrying jellyfish is cool too, I guess. It makes sense, I guess, given Man-o'-Wars' bouncy natures. Clever! They did something similar on Stingscourger.
MasterOfBearLore
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(9 votes)
Grah, ClockworkSwordfish, now I have a mental image of Venser running around throwing jellyfish at everything, and then watching them go flying into space as they're returned to their owners' hands.
"See ya, Tarmogoyf! Have fun in your owner's hand, Emrakul! Whoa there, Wurmcoil Engine, I think you need a time out!"
Knight-Master
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(5 votes)
I've got to say that this is my favorite planeswalker in existence. So, I run a White-Blue Knight deck, and my friend generally responds with his pet Blue-White-Red control deck, which stars a playset of "Sphinx of Jwar Isle", with not many other permanents. When I finally acquired Venser, and put him in, my friend just chuckled, and mentioned what a pity it was that Venser wouldn't do much against a deck where his only important nonland permanents were shrouded. As a result, I didn't encounter any resistance in getting to 10 counters and setting off the killer -9, at a time when he had a single Sphinx out, and no other permanents. On my next turn, I cast a pair of "Leonin Skyhunter", again causing my friend to laugh. "Okay,", I said smugly, "I'll exile two Islands." At the end of that game, my friend vowed never to be Venser'd again.
Scry_Kane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
He looks like Lance Bass and seems to be holding a pair of balls... well, I'll just leave this comment where it is.
DarthParallax
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
I'm the Doctor. Who are you?
Admiral_Ferret
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Myr Battlesphere. Can't wait!
AlphaWolfs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
EVOKE! EVOKE! EVOKE! One of the few Planeswalkers I can see myself running! EVOKE! EVOKE! EVOKE!
>.> I could always use Multiple accounts of Evoke in my deck... Combine with Reveillark, heck, ANY evoke card.... and you got profit.
Sergeant.Wolf
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
When you lock out your opponent with 10 creatures on the board from ever attacking again (using Stonehorn Dignitary) you can't help but smile. Venser rules!
Paleopaladin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm so glad you have to wait till EOT to get your permanent back or his +1 ability or it would be total shennanigans the way people would abuse it with other planeswalkers (Imagine playing a PW power TWICE in a turn--or playing a minus ability, bounce, then a plus ability).
Even as it is, there may be a competitive superfriends build out there waiting for him since, at the very least, his +1 saves his "wingman" planewalker from getting too beaten up by a minus ability. Imagine dropping Karn Liberated, immediately making a dent in your opponent's board with karn's -3, then having him back up to his 6 loyalty counters before your opponent gets to his or her turn! Even if Karn doesn't survive for you to pull off his -3 your next turn, you made them sink more cards/attacks into killing him than they would've otherwise! Also, they would have to be certain to really kill him and not just chip away at loyalty or Venser could easily get him back to his initial 6 loyalty!
NeoKoda
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Too awesome to live.
GrandAdmiralThrawn89
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@atemu1234 You go ahead and keep saying that, but Koth has won each and every match my friend and I played between the decks. Just saying.
knighthammer18
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Combos well with venser,shaper savant!
Mike-C
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Koth is just as good as this guy, arguably better. Personally, I like Venser. But that's only because I play White splashed blue. I've found Koth is easier to get to go off than Venser. And depending on where you and your opp are in the game when they go off plays a huge part as well.. It's so tough to say X-Planeswalker is better than Y-Planeswalker because last time I checked there was only 1 PW so far that could go into any deck.. Vensers better you say? Great! Give me a playset to put in my Red burn deck! lol I'll splash white and blue and figure something out..
Pigfish99
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Is it me, or does he look like the doctor a little?
atemu1234
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Koth is no were near as good as this guy. Like having Jace vs. Chandra. Ridiculous. His ability can even remove Koth. About as balanced as a brick to a feather. @GrandAdmiralThrawn89 Then you weren't playing correctly. I did my own experiments, with the reverse results. Also, I used his ultimate to exile his Koth, his mountains, and his creatures.
kiseki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Lots of peoples are not reading the first ability. It has to be a card that you own. Still awesome though. If you hit your Flickerwisp or your Glimmerpoint Stag with it, your creature comes back at the end of your turn, and the permanent you exile doesn't come back until the end of the next turn. You can deprive your opponent of all sort of stuff like enchantments, lands, planeswalkers...
MindAblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Have Venser bounce your Near-Death Experience then cast the newly spoiled Worldfire. Win.
Redmag3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Venser + Reality Acid is my favourite
FullMetal1988
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great card just waiting to be busted. At worse it is an awesome casual card!
otakugodlord
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Grave Titan.........
WerewolfOtaku
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I hate this card, but would love to have one. It's been used against me and it rapes me every *** time.
EKraj
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Venser's first ability is the key here. Throw in a Mistmeadow Witch and a Deadeye Navigator, and if you save up enough mana in your pool, you should be able to keep recasting creatures several times per turn. If you play a WUB deck around Venser, you're going to want a Massacre Wurm, just like Ferlord said. Keep resetting the wurm with Deadeye Nav and you should be set for life.
Even using cheapo commons over and over can be great, such as Cathedral Sanctifier and Farbog Boneflinger. I'm currently using the duel deck that Venser came in, but it would be so easy to make a deck for him that's standard. With the ability to keep resetting soulbond, it's a damn shame he is leaving in october!
So many possibilities I cannot count. Venser is in the running for best planeswalker.
TheAmberSpyglass
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love the flickering, very useful when fighting against something aura/enchantment heavy.
In Emperor deck he is a boss, give both of your peons unblockable for a turn
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"1/1/2011 The first ability can target any permanent you own, including those another player controls."
So in addition to all the other shenanigans of his, he also acts as anti - Mind Control
Hermeezey
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I feel like this is the evolutionary form of Astral Slide. I might just be crazy though...
immelmann
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Aperture123
They will cycle out at the same time. Duel, Promo, Event decks are totally separate from the standard cycle of decks. Any version of a card, as long as the they have a print in standard, can be played. (ie. if Birds of Paradise M12 is in Standard, I can play in FNMs etc with my old Birds of Paradise 6th ed). Treat this Venser and the 'other' Venser as the same (just different art).
As for how long Venser will be in Standard, it is very highly likely he'll just cycle out in Oct. There is already the new Jace (Jace, Architect of Thought) in Return to Ravnica, he'll be the planeswalker for blue.
Aperture123
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@immelmann
Thank you for answering. I'm at a loss because I've made my dream deck with Venser but I started this game too late. I'm sure they'll make more Vensers sometime but for now I'll have to go with Jace like you said. Thanks.
Reck13ssDriver
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty sure of the answer, but for argument's sake: +1 to exile an aura and target ANY (new) creature at end step?
Emperorerror
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I play W/U/R with him just so I can Act of Treason the opponent's creature, then exile it and bring it back on my side.
SynergyShade
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fixed feelings about this one...I gave the venser vs. koth deul deck to my friend on his birthday because he needed some planeswalkers, but he always drew his Venser too late:
Friend:Finally, i drew venser! Me:ok, my Bolas uses +3 Friend:%%@$&<?|!?8%#^%.!?!!
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@SynergyShade: It's Nicol Bolas. He should deal with it.
@Emperorerror: Please to be readink card again. "target permanent you own" is never going to be a creature you stole from your opponent.
You can blink back creatures your opponent stole from you, though.
TeekoBlm
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
He works very well in my Zedruu EDH deck.
steinburger1109
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
His ultimate truly is a game ender.
Nigrescence
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Conjured Currency turns this into a board stealer. Steal the biggest threat first, then exile your own Conjured Currency and get it back that turn thanks to being able to steal it back with Venser, since you own it. Next turn steal another. Works beautifully with how Planeswalkers can only use one ability once a turn. May as well steal all their stuff while you're pumping him up to be able to nuke something. The best part is that it costs no mana once it gets rolling. Keep a counterspell (or two) and enough mana open and you just have to wait to win the game. You can even steal lands.
Fuminy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My first planeswalker!!! It will always have a place in my heart! 5/5
shotoku64
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It says something you own, so if you opponent can steal a creature of yours in EDH you can just get it back at a +2 ability
BastianQoU
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this man more than is probably healthy. Seriously, those chops are just out of this world. I knew him before I started playing magic, thanks to having gotten the Time Spiral books years ago. I got in touch with my inner squee-ing little girl when I found out he was getting printed as a planeswalker.
He's usually best buds with my Stonehorn Dignitary, but a recent match made me consider a more clunky use for his +2. With it, Venser can flicker himself away.
Now I'm trying to figure out why you'd want to do that.
There's not really any protective value in it, unless you're about to drop Kederekt Laviathan or a Planar Cleansing. It doesn't really affect his number of counters positively, unless you have a thing for the number three. After thinking about this, it kinda feels like it goes against Venser's flavor. Being an expert at teleportation magic, you'd think he'd have some use for using it on himself.
Eh, not really complaining, just thinking out loud.
patronofthesound
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
+2 requires building around, but rapidly accelerates him to ultimate. Possibly strongest ultimate, excluding mind sculptor of course. -1 is bad but there's way worse. All in all a nasty card but a five mana perhaps a bit hefty. 4/5
Jojabi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For whatever reason, this is probably my favorite Planeswalker. I'm not saying he's the best, I just enjoy playing decks with him. He makes all those bounce creatures all the better and gives you card advantage with things like Stealer of Secrets. And I've actually gotten chance to activate his ultimate. He's just a fun Planeswalker :)
azure_drake222222
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If the only permanents on the battlefield are yours, you have to exile one of your own permanents. So be careful.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@azure_drake: If they have no permanents on the field, that includes land. So they have already lost effectively.
GlintKawk42
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Phenomenal card. First ability allows you to blink a creature, artifact, or even land. Second ability gives ALL of your creatures unblockable for -1, and his last ability is the ultimate control. 5 out of 5. Favorite Planeswalker by far.
Smoke_Stack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
VENSER DOES WERK!! No, seriously, he GREATLY rewards the right deck. I play him with a bunch of bounce creatures (particularly Archaeomancer) and spells like Silence. rarely use his second ability but I could see a RWU deck using him as a finisher with some beefy creatures. Most people are smart enough to give up once you use the ultimate.
But if my opponent runs out of permanents I'll have to start exiling my own to cast anything!
#winmoreproblems
psychichobo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh, don't look so smug Venser.
You think you're all cool, but you were dumb enough to listen to a big scary voice that told you to say a few particular words.
And as a result you released Nicol Bolas back into the multiverse.
Just be grateful you only got into a fight with Koth. Ajani would've murdered your ass before you hit the ground. And Bolas smacked up Myojin of Night's Reach and learnt about the Eldrazi from the Kamigawa dragon Ugin... man, you just ruined everything didn't you? Even Teferi didn't wreck things that bad.
Well, at least you fixed Karn. Gotta get something right eventually.
noobmag1
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Works great in my Azorius EDH deck. Fits the theme of Aethermagi too.
I bought the dual deck then quickly bought x4 rune-scarred demon, and now run . The demons are phenomenal with venser. Tutors him out and gives him a great flicker target.
MechaKraken
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
1. Play Venser 2. Play Near-Death Experience 3. Flicker Near-Death Experience with Venser's +2 ability. 4. While Near-Death Experience is exiled, play Worldfire 5. Win on your next upkeep =)
1. Put Venser in a deck. 2. Add a bunch of permanents with abilities that trigger when they enter the battlefield. 3. You are now an extremely creative DECKBUILDING GENIUS.
As far as I know this is the only slow blink that returns the card under your control. Normally fast blinks are your control and slow blinks are the owner's control. Then again, this is the only blink that targets creatures you own, rather than ones you control. Ironically makes this bad in an act of treason deck. Really good with puca's mischief though.
1. Strip off annoying enchantments on your stuff. 2. Tap a land or artifact twice in one turn. 3. Use during your post-combat main phase on a tapped creature in order to have an untapped blocker. 4. Trigger an ETB effect. 5. Get back permanents that have been stolen from you. 6. Move one of your auras from one target to another.
Comments (65)
I think the old art was better, mainly because it showed him doing exactly what the card says he does - sojourning.
have a Massacre Wurm, and want to give your opponents more hell than usual? DING! SHENANIGANS, THE SOJOURNER TO THE RESCUE!
Have a Rune-Scarred Demon and are obliging to restricted rules? DING! SHENANIGANS, THE SOJOURNER TO THE RESCUE!
I know there are many more white and blue cards with (when it comes to play) abilities, but those are the two that come to mind first.
Carrying jellyfish is cool too, I guess. It makes sense, I guess, given Man-o'-Wars' bouncy natures. Clever! They did something similar on Stingscourger.
"See ya, Tarmogoyf! Have fun in your owner's hand, Emrakul! Whoa there, Wurmcoil Engine, I think you need a time out!"
One of the few Planeswalkers I can see myself running!
EVOKE! EVOKE! EVOKE!
>.> I could always use Multiple accounts of Evoke in my deck...
Combine with Reveillark, heck, ANY evoke card....
and you got profit.
Venser rules!
Even as it is, there may be a competitive superfriends build out there waiting for him since, at the very least, his +1 saves his "wingman" planewalker from getting too beaten up by a minus ability. Imagine dropping Karn Liberated, immediately making a dent in your opponent's board with karn's -3, then having him back up to his 6 loyalty counters before your opponent gets to his or her turn! Even if Karn doesn't survive for you to pull off his -3 your next turn, you made them sink more cards/attacks into killing him than they would've otherwise! Also, they would have to be certain to really kill him and not just chip away at loyalty or Venser could easily get him back to his initial 6 loyalty!
@GrandAdmiralThrawn89 Then you weren't playing correctly. I did my own experiments, with the reverse results. Also, I used his ultimate to exile his Koth, his mountains, and his creatures.
Still awesome though. If you hit your Flickerwisp or your Glimmerpoint Stag with it, your creature comes back at the end of your turn, and the permanent you exile doesn't come back until the end of the next turn. You can deprive your opponent of all sort of stuff like enchantments, lands, planeswalkers...
Throw in a Mistmeadow Witch and a Deadeye Navigator, and if you save up enough mana in your pool, you should be able to keep recasting creatures several times per turn. If you play a WUB deck around Venser, you're going to want a Massacre Wurm, just like Ferlord said. Keep resetting the wurm with Deadeye Nav and you should be set for life.
Even using cheapo commons over and over can be great, such as Cathedral Sanctifier and Farbog Boneflinger. I'm currently using the duel deck that Venser came in, but it would be so easy to make a deck for him that's standard. With the ability to keep resetting soulbond, it's a damn shame he is leaving in october!
So many possibilities I cannot count. Venser is in the running for best planeswalker.
FOR EXAMPLE:
With Ajani Goldmane, get +1/+1 and vigilance on your creatures every turn.
With Ajani, Caller of the Pride, get a flying doublestriker every turn.
With Koth of the Hammer, get tons of mana every turn.
With Liliana of the Veil, get a Diabolic Edict every turn.
With Liliana Vess, get miracles every turn.
With Chandra Ablaze, get a hand refill every turn.
With Chandra Nalaar, get 5 damage to a creature every turn.
With Chandra, the Firebrand, get Reverberate every turn.
With Sarkhan the Mad, get... well, whatever every turn.
With Karn Liberated, get a better Vindicate every turn.
With Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, beat up your opponents with their creatures. Actually, if you have him, why haven't you won the game already?
And this is all made possible by Azorius Signet.
So in addition to all the other shenanigans of his, he also acts as anti - Mind Control
They will cycle out at the same time. Duel, Promo, Event decks are totally separate from the standard cycle of decks. Any version of a card, as long as the they have a print in standard, can be played. (ie. if Birds of Paradise M12 is in Standard, I can play in FNMs etc with my old Birds of Paradise 6th ed). Treat this Venser and the 'other' Venser as the same (just different art).
As for how long Venser will be in Standard, it is very highly likely he'll just cycle out in Oct. There is already the new Jace (Jace, Architect of Thought) in Return to Ravnica, he'll be the planeswalker for blue.
Thank you for answering. I'm at a loss because I've made my dream deck with Venser but I started this game too late. I'm sure they'll make more Vensers sometime but for now I'll have to go with Jace like you said. Thanks.
Friend:Finally, i drew venser!
Me:ok, my Bolas uses +3
Friend:%%@$&<?|!?8%#^%.!?!!
@Emperorerror: Please to be readink card again. "target permanent you own" is never going to be a creature you stole from your opponent.
You can blink back creatures your opponent stole from you, though.
5/5
He's usually best buds with my Stonehorn Dignitary, but a recent match made me consider a more clunky use for his +2. With it, Venser can flicker himself away.
Now I'm trying to figure out why you'd want to do that.
There's not really any protective value in it, unless you're about to drop Kederekt Laviathan or a Planar Cleansing. It doesn't really affect his number of counters positively, unless you have a thing for the number three. After thinking about this, it kinda feels like it goes against Venser's flavor. Being an expert at teleportation magic, you'd think he'd have some use for using it on himself.
Eh, not really complaining, just thinking out loud.
#winmoreproblems
You think you're all cool, but you were dumb enough to listen to a big scary voice that told you to say a few particular words.
And as a result you released Nicol Bolas back into the multiverse.
Just be grateful you only got into a fight with Koth. Ajani would've murdered your ass before you hit the ground. And Bolas smacked up Myojin of Night's Reach and learnt about the Eldrazi from the Kamigawa dragon Ugin... man, you just ruined everything didn't you? Even Teferi didn't wreck things that bad.
Well, at least you fixed Karn. Gotta get something right eventually.
The old art is better
2. Play Near-Death Experience
3. Flicker Near-Death Experience with Venser's +2 ability.
4. While Near-Death Experience is exiled, play Worldfire
5. Win on your next upkeep =)
Snapcaster mage...
Eeeeeew!!!
2. Add a bunch of permanents with abilities that trigger when they enter the battlefield.
3. You are now an extremely creative DECKBUILDING GENIUS.
Also, @Megadog: No. You are not alone.
1. Strip off annoying enchantments on your stuff.
2. Tap a land or artifact twice in one turn.
3. Use during your post-combat main phase on a tapped creature in order to have an untapped blocker.
4. Trigger an ETB effect.
5. Get back permanents that have been stolen from you.
6. Move one of your auras from one target to another.
Any other thoughts?