Mana leak might be a better option if u would cast this for {1}{U} (Except that you dont get to exile the card...). Overall, still prefer dissipate over this, (even with this being slightly more splashable and versatile....)
3/5
Firesplitter.
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(6 votes)
I like this card. It is Mana Leak done right!
Vakyoom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is makes me sad, it looks like that awful CG Beowulf movie that was awful. This card deserves better art. Hell, im gonna play nothing but odyssey versions for that very reason. I get extra points for that anyhow.
BUt this card is vastly superior to most counters, you get to choose what you pay for X obviously, so you can force the opponent to tap out, leaving them open for the next turn or if they tapped out to cast the spell you just have to pay the mana leak cost. It just gives you options and different ways to control the board.
The exile factor makes this a 5/5 for me. The art makes this version a 4/5 however... No crappy CG fire next time wizards, thats lame.
1337vanguard
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(10 votes)
Go emo wizard chick!
ToAsTy42o
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
dig it. i have older versions of this card, so i already have a playset. lucky me!
chainsmoker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
i am gravely disappointed with the art.
Lotsofpoopy
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(11 votes)
Pros like me think this could be a very powerful counter in the right hands.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Art is...bleh. Effect is kinda handy, but really, there are already better soft-counters dealing with paying X. Broken Ambitions, Condescend, and even Logic Knot and Overrule are all better in my book. The only thing this has going for it is it's ability to proactively deal with Flashback and the like, which isn't the most relevant ability ever.
If anything, I'm starting to get worried. Everything is going to exile these days, including damned creature resurrection (Misthollow Griffon).
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
DoragunShinuzi-- wat u smokin?
1. Snapcaster Mage makes Flashback VERY relevant. We aren't seeing Delver for now but are you honestly going to tell me people won't Flash ABRUPT DECAY? 2. There is much more to Flashback than one card, like Burning Vengeance and Runic Repitition. I don't know what will come out on top as 'important' in Standard, but just because Delver appears dead doesn't mean it's gone, and an entire mechanic won't just stop being in Standard even if Delver *is* beat. 3. OK, I get that Ash Zealot is pretty scary- maybe, maybe, Flashback won't be the biggest thing anyway. 4. UNBURIAL RITES! POWER PUFF GIRLS! GRISELBRAND! GUILD LEADERS! WORLDSPINE WURM! Innistrad was an entire. block. about the Graveyard. I find it impossible to concieve that the exile clause won't be relevant.
Ryjhan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think i'd rather have power sink. it may not exile the spell you try and counter, but with power sink your opponent is FORCED to tap out his lands for mana in order to pay the cost, even if he doesn't have enough mana. it also empties your opponent's mana pool if they are trying to float mana to use after some sort of board wipe.
lagg
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty good. It's good in each stage of the game, if you have the necessary mana to it... and remenber that Cavern of Souls is a tribe-focused card, so it will see minor play in RTR Standard. Golgari and Jund Zombies might use cavern, but it'll be a 2-of.
Demento_Recraves
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Duck face! We meet again!
Okuu-chan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I originally thought this card had good art. Then I noticed there's something wrong with her body. @_@ I love the face, though.
But yes, this is a suitable replacement for Mana Leak in Standard. It might require more mana to work effectively, but if your opponent is tapped out it can permanently rid you of threats.
MyrBattlecube
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(10 votes)
Nuh-uh girlfriend you did NOT just go there.
TzarChasm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm just going on record, saying that this card is way the hell too rare. I bought three boxes of RtR boosters on day one and only pulled a total of two Syncopates. Seriously? It's a f**king uncommon! I bought 108 packs of cards, each containing 3 uncommons; that's a total of 324 chances to pull one. All I wanted was a single playset, but apparently that was too much to ask for.
Great card. The art is obviously a modern spin-off of the original.
though i do miss Mana Leak, i will gladly play this too. (of course i miss Counterspell more, but whatever)
gman92
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Best of Magic: Sexiest counterspell. If they tap out and you have this in hand, they're gonna have a bad time. With this, Negate, and Essence Scatter I think Wizards is weakening Blue a bit, making the blue mage give more thought to deck construction. I like it. 4.5/5
saucyninja007
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Versatile, but not gamebreaking. Keep in mind that paying the cost can sometimes hurt you more than the person trying to cast the spell.
For example, you are and your opponent both have 3 mana. Your opponent, on his turn, casts a spell that costs 1 mana. Let us say that it is a good spell that you can't afford to let resolve. So, in order to use this card, you need to "counter this unless you pay 3." The X cost is 3, so you are paying 4 mana. That is 4 mana to get rid of a threat that costed 1 mana. Sure, you removed it, but you are losing the battle of efficiency. I play mono-blue draw go, and efficient removal is always important.
Now, you might be saying for the example above, what if my opponent tried to cast a spell that costs 3 mana (all of their mana)? I could just pay 2 mana to cast this spell! True, but then again you could cast Mana Leak instead. Mana Leak is typically better OVERALL.
In conclusion, I suggest using Condescend over Syncopate if you can. Condescend is the same but throws in a handy Scry ability too.
BegleOne
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I remember being frustrated by this card when it was back in Odyssey.
But I have a crush on the woman in the illustration of this version, so I'm doomed to try to make it a viable card.
This is a strong counter teamed up with Dissipate. So niche on turn 2, take out there important or drop and make it gone for good. Plus its not a dead draw late game, unlike mana leak.
Call me crazy, but this is my favorite card of the block so far.
4/5. Mana Leak's replacement. Even better with its exile effect.
Odee
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pair this up with Guttersnipe and Goblin Electromancers. If you have one RU Electromancer you're dropping a single U pay one to dodge spell with at least one mana ready to tap. If you have a --R Guttersnipe you have an Izzet charm that will deal two damage to your opponent. Add the two together and you're probably talking a single U pay one to dodge spell that deals two damage at the very least. And the more of those goblin bastards you have the more this thing hurts. Late game when mana leak's set mana cost to dodge has become a bit of a flop this thing is still hurting people.
ZephyrBlayze
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The actual definition of Syncopate aside, I find it very interesting that the card's ability plays off that name so that is a bit of a merging of Power Sink and Dissipate.
itsmeyouidiot
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Oh no you didn't!
Floorsweeper
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Fantastic card and I love the homage to its earlier printing :)
The best part is, if the opponent has no mana left to tap you're paying {U} for a counter card that exiles!
It does not provide as much raw power as Mana Leak and it isn't as reliable late game as Dissipate, but nonetheless it is a really good card to have up on turn two, considering how often they will be tapping out for any card that they play on turn two. It's especially nice against matchups such as Bant Hexproof, where if you don't counter their Invisible Stalker early you won't be able to deal with him at all for several turns.
4/5
Galf506
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Floorsweeper, wouldn't you still have to pay at least "1U"? Because if you just pay U and X is 0, then your opponent can counter the spell by just declaring he taps 0 mana. It's technically correct.
Not saying counter and exiling for 1U isn't awesome, but paying just U doesn't seem like it would work.
purplebackpack89
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
With art like that, flavor text needs to be by Dikembe Mutombo
Comments (40)
3/5
BUt this card is vastly superior to most counters, you get to choose what you pay for X obviously, so you can force the opponent to tap out, leaving them open for the next turn or if they tapped out to cast the spell you just have to pay the mana leak cost. It just gives you options and different ways to control the board.
The exile factor makes this a 5/5 for me. The art makes this version a 4/5 however... No crappy CG fire next time wizards, thats lame.
If anything, I'm starting to get worried. Everything is going to exile these days, including damned creature resurrection (Misthollow Griffon).
1. Snapcaster Mage makes Flashback VERY relevant. We aren't seeing Delver for now but are you honestly going to tell me people won't Flash ABRUPT DECAY?
2. There is much more to Flashback than one card, like Burning Vengeance and Runic Repitition. I don't know what will come out on top as 'important' in Standard, but just because Delver appears dead doesn't mean it's gone, and an entire mechanic won't just stop being in Standard even if Delver *is* beat.
3. OK, I get that Ash Zealot is pretty scary- maybe, maybe, Flashback won't be the biggest thing anyway.
4. UNBURIAL RITES! POWER PUFF GIRLS! GRISELBRAND! GUILD LEADERS! WORLDSPINE WURM!
Innistrad was an entire. block. about the Graveyard. I find it impossible to concieve that the exile clause won't be relevant.
But yes, this is a suitable replacement for Mana Leak in Standard. It might require more mana to work effectively, but if your opponent is tapped out it can permanently rid you of threats.
though i do miss Mana Leak, i will gladly play this too. (of course i miss Counterspell more, but whatever)
For example, you are and your opponent both have 3 mana. Your opponent, on his turn, casts a spell that costs 1 mana. Let us say that it is a good spell that you can't afford to let resolve. So, in order to use this card, you need to "counter this unless you pay 3." The X cost is 3, so you are paying 4 mana. That is 4 mana to get rid of a threat that costed 1 mana. Sure, you removed it, but you are losing the battle of efficiency. I play mono-blue draw go, and efficient removal is always important.
Now, you might be saying for the example above, what if my opponent tried to cast a spell that costs 3 mana (all of their mana)? I could just pay 2 mana to cast this spell! True, but then again you could cast Mana Leak instead. Mana Leak is typically better OVERALL.
In conclusion, I suggest using Condescend over Syncopate if you can. Condescend is the same but throws in a handy Scry ability too.
But I have a crush on the woman in the illustration of this version, so I'm doomed to try to make it a viable card.
Now how the heck do I put Syncopate, Dawnstrider, Angel of Flight Alabaster, Barony Vampire and Chosen of Markov into one deck...
Call me crazy, but this is my favorite card of the block so far.
If you have one RU Electromancer you're dropping a single U pay one to dodge spell with at least one mana ready to tap.
If you have a --R Guttersnipe you have an Izzet charm that will deal two damage to your opponent.
Add the two together and you're probably talking a single U pay one to dodge spell that deals two damage at the very least.
And the more of those goblin bastards you have the more this thing hurts.
Late game when mana leak's set mana cost to dodge has become a bit of a flop this thing is still hurting people.
The best part is, if the opponent has no mana left to tap you're paying {U} for a counter card that exiles!
Me: No. Not now, not later, not ever.
4/5
Not saying counter and exiling for 1U isn't awesome, but paying just U doesn't seem like it would work.