It is a little better than condemn and has other cool abilities.
Cyberium
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
The third ability allow you to either remove blocker/attacker of your enemy, or save your own from dying, reuse their comes into play abilities, which is very good.
Lotsofpoopy
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(11 votes)
This charm has some good abilities and it will be a tough decision for many about which ability they will use. This, however, will not be much of a problem for me because I am a pro. Pros like me will choose the best ability for the situation.
lorendorky
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
All of the other charms got effects that their respective colors would have at one mana or sometimes two for the last ability but this is last one feels undercosted at first compared to Excommunicate or Griptide but I suppose it's fair since it's restricted to creatures in combat. This kind of ability works wonderfully combined with mill to act as psuedo-removal.
majinara
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(2 votes)
It's... well... average. There are much better charms in my opinion. The cycling is neat but not great, the lifegain only works with enough creatures that you can attack with (at which point you are probably winning anyway and need no life). The only really good part is the library bounce.
NuckChorris
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(6 votes)
The beauty in this card is in the versatility of the seemingly underpowered abilities. The first ability is useful to trick your opponent when they think they will overextend to swing in for the kill on the current turn or the next, but you throw this baby down and render their calculations useless. The second ability is good to have when neither of the abilities are particularly useful and you have plenty of mana, there is a card you're looking for and this will help you find it, and at instant speed so you can keep counter mana open. The third is probably the "go-to" ability, it can take care of dangerous creatures in a variety of situations and they draw a creature that they had already cast, which is very good against aggro.
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(6 votes)
Hint: 2 mana just to cantrip is kinda bad. Card draw in general is good, just if you're looking to draw cards, there's way better.
I would choose the lifegain something like 10 times out of 5. Considering you should have 5 or more creatures, and their power should be 2-5, if you're playing "W/U Flying Weenies Control", you can gain 10 or more life in 2 mana. That's way more powerful than the other two abilities. Lifegain is tricky- when it's EFFICIENT, it's as amazing as new players want it to be- it's just usually not efficient. This is efficient.
RAV0004
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
It's not the cost effective ratio that matters, it's the versatility. For that reason any of the charms in Return to Ravnica are main-deck playable if you pull them in sealed. Yes, even the Golgari and Rakdos ones.
RastisCas
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
The card draw is good for miracles on other peoples turns. The lifelink provides burst healing with lots of dudes, or might help stabilizing against aggro. The 3rd ability is fearsome tempo loss against decks who attack with big creatures. All of the guild charms are fantastically designed, this one is no different.
lagg
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
1 - Lifelink is overrated, but imagine lifelink to all your creatures can make the 10+ life really look nasty to opponents agroo strategy.
2 - Card draw is the only one which seems bad, but can be very good with miracles and can cycle itself if what you need is that specific card from your deck.
3 - Destroy target opponents draw phase, if it's the only attacking creature, he will usually lose 2 attacks with this. Add Thought Scour for a super effective removal-mill-and-draw alternate route. Tempo strategies also benefit a lot from this.
Potsofloopy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This charm has many good ability and it will be a tough decision for many which ability will they use. This, however, will be much problem for me because I am novice. Novice like me will choose the best ability powerful for removal spell for most fun guys. In my home land, only the ladies folk wear charms while us manly dudes wrestles the polar bears. (Well ... I just plays the Magics cards Mono-Black contro.... "RAWAL!!!" YIPES!!!
chainsmoker
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
so you just flipped your delver? let me see you do it again >:)
JeanNiBee
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
For those who dont like the cycling... this can render your opponents turn semi-MOOT as you kill his tempo.
He loses the creature he places, the mana he paid AND the beauty.. no salvation from that lost turn on his NEXT draw as he's getting the same damn card (and YOU know it too).
Sure there are ways around this but that's the gist of it. I think it's a pretty damn decent instant 2 mana WHAT-FU IMHO.
GabrielAothin
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card is a great card for one reason alone; Shutting down the insane exalted in token decks that comes with sublime archangel.
Other wise it is neither bad nor great, just average.
Sour_Diesel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is good simply because IT HAS CYCLING. Any situation where it isn't useful, it replaces itself.
Purplerooster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Versatile, never a dead card, and awesome logical flavor text.
4/5
ParadoxCry
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Does anybody else think the flavour text breaks the fourth wall slightly?
The rules text being all like; "Choose one — ..." And then Isperia's "The rules of logic and order have already made the choice for you."
Choose one? Already made the choice? In fact, this seems to be some kind of deep philosophical reference to the determinism of logical games...
Ramblings aside, this is a very good card. One of my favourite charms ever printed. It's last mode seems to be greatly underestimated (epic tempo advantage in an aggro format), and it's second mode greatly under appreciated (Very powerful lategame when you don't need the charm but have the mana to replace it and cast what it gets you.)
wholelottalove
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think that the old guild charms were stronger. These are fine for two mana though.
don_miguel
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(5 votes)
"draw a card"?? really? b*tch please, at least sleight of hand
SeiberTross
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
After much study I'm fully willing to call this the best of the charms. Putting a creature on the top of the library is extremely powerful. Control wants this for interruption, aggro wants this for tempo, combo wants this for the disruption and essential draw a card. The lifelink and card draw are just gravy to an amazing ability.
I think this card would be more popular if they just printed the removal ability and people actually realized how incredibly powerful the effect is. At any point in the game you are locking down an opponents draw. There are 2 basic rules in magic, draw a card each turn and play a land each turn. This removes a creature and breaks a basic rule of magic, crazy good.
Kratos1810
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This one card saved me on more than one occassion. A friend of mine used an infect deck and had out a Blighted Agent equipped with Trepanation Blade, and had me down to nine poison counters. He swung, believing I had nothing left to stop him, this card helped to turn the tide and gave my creatures enough time to push back and win the match. Cards like these are flexible enough to handle most situations, this is no exception. Can't wait to get a playset!
CaptainNinJoe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have an Esper tokens standard deck that I'm looking to improve. Its mana curve is pretty low (all the cards that make the deck work have CMC 3), so it tends to run out of juice quickly. I have two Drogskol Reavers, and I was looking to replace them with more efficient hand-restock. But then I saw this. THE SYNERGIES. The Reavers don't care how you gain life, so each creature with lifelink that attacks nets you a card. Seems like a good deal to me. And of course, it's an early-game tempo card when you need it. And when you don't need it? Cycle it!
I really want them to break the charm cycle *just once* with something like:
{G}{R}{B} Destroy target permanent
in the same way they did the Ultimatum cycle. Just have one super-non-flashy but actually pretty good charm ya know?
The target creature one on this is brutal. I think they're starting to push that mechanic and this is the cheapest CMC you can do it at currently. This style of card + card drawing would be brutal control lockdown in a delver deck
Time to go make a deck!
Doaj
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Out of the ten guild charms, I'd have to objectively call this one the best. Its three modes are far more playable than most charms; Golgari Charm, Rakdos Charm, and even Orzhov Charm are all fine, but all have modes that have very narrow uses. Azorius Charm has a mode for whatever kind of deck you're playing, instead of whatever kind of deck your opponent is playing.
In my best imitation of objective preference: 1. Azorius Charm 2. Boros Charm 3. Izzet Charm 4. Selesnya Charm 5. Orzhov Charm 6. Rakdos Charm 7. Dimir Charm 8. Golgari Charm 9. Gruul Charm 10. Simic Charm
Winhert
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Just for the sake of lifelink, it IS worth it.
whitecow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
the problem i have with this card is the cost. as far as lifelink to all creatures is great and 100% worth 2cmc i dont think the other two are worth the same amount. i know you also pay for the versatility but still
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Please think of it as having two modes and "Cycling {W}{U}" rather than having three modes. Criticizing it because the second mode is just a cycle is silly! The card itself is excellent, draw-sealing is powerful (as Nevermaker flicker has taught me), and draw-sealing that costs 2 is excellent! The ability to foil a creature at the same time pushes that mode over the edge into "super awesome cool". The lifelink is great in the right deck, too, but it's practically playable just for that third mode. Remember that it's basically costing your opponent a card, meaning that the third mode leaves you in the same state card advantage wise as the second one with the added benefit of the bouncing.
In short, the biggest benefit is probably the third mode. But like with all Charms, the true value comes from the fact that it can do all that other stuff too.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Doaj: Why do you rate Simic charm so low? All it's abilities are great and very useful in a variety of situations. 1) Azorius 2) Boros 3) Selesnya 4) Izzet 5) Simic 6) Dimir 7) Orzhov 8) Golgari 9) Rakdos 10) Gruul
@Whitecow: The other two modes are much stronger than the lifelink. The lifelink requires you to have creatures out and life gain isn't really that important. It's nice if you're dying but otherwise it's pretty useless. Mode 3 can get rid of an annoying creature and make your opponent's next draw useless which is by far the best ability. Mode 2 can be used to get rid of Azorius Charm when it's not all that useful to you.
CogMonocle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
people REALLY overestimate lifelink compared to the other modes. In the decks you'll be playing this card in, it's never going to gain more than 5-6 life, in which case you'd much rather draw the card. Very powerful charm. I still place simic as the most versatile (just not really having a place in standard meta) but beyond that izzet, this, and selesnya kick ass. Only one I'm really underwhelmed by (at least in standard constructed) is dimir charm though. I feel like it just doesn't do anything we really want it to do.
Though in limited these are all INCREDIBLE. Counterspells, flash bears, anti wraths, and all of them have an extra 1-2 playable abilities stapled to em. Love it.
Tamerlein
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a very powerful charm. Even if it doesn't deal with that creature for forever, they lose a lot of tempo by having to replay it and wait a turn to swing again, and in the process they also lost a draw step. Being able to cycle is also a very powerful, and the lifelink effect can allow a control deck to hold out against an overpowering aggro deck.
4.5/5
Hepatizon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a good desperation card in a lot of ways.
You're low on health? Lifelink your creatures. You don't have the card you need? Draw a card. Your opponent just resurrected It That Betrays on turn 3? Bounce it to the library and savor the look of consternation as he puts it in his hand next turn instead.
Not to mention it combos half-decently. Combined with even the most minor mill effect it becomes a de-facto kill effect, and I need not belabor how many things combo with drawing a card...really, the charms are all excellent in general.
Zebra_Lord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Do people really not get how powerful returning creatures to the top of a deck is? It's like Unsummon, except it also says "Your opponent skips their next draw step." This card would see plenty of play even if its only effect was that. Toss in a conditional way to survive an agro assault and a way to cycle it if you don't need the other 2 effects, and you've got a very solid card.
4.5/5
DaMaster012
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I saw a game at release where one player achieved victory almost thanks to this card alone. He was low on life and defending against an attack when his opponent did a full-swing, looking for a kill. He dropped this and gave all his creatures lifelink. At the beginning of that turn, he had only 2 life; at the end of the turn, he had 26. That one move killed the tempo of his opponents aggro deck, and it bought him enough time to win.
Lifelink, especially one-sided, universal (if temporary) lifelink is an ability that should never be underestimated: even in for non-combat heavy colors like , as it often was a key contributing ability to some infamously, notoriously, Fiendishly, INCOMPREHENSIBLYBROKEN cards in the none-too-distant past.
The second ability is probably the lest useful of the three, but it's still not bad at all. Card draw is always a useful ability, even if it's just cantrip. You can essentially just cycle this thing if you have it in your hand, but don't need it, and you want to dig into something more useful... like (if you've either gotten lucky with your packs or you're a competitive player who blows that kind of money on cards) your Sphinx's Revelation.
The last is probably the best and the most Azorious. Chances are that if you're running that your opponent is already plenty unpleased that all your counter-spells and stuff with detail are keeping him from doing anything, so in the off-chance they do get so swing with their fatty, drop this and (assuming it's a legal target) send it to whence it came from whence it came, and completely ruin their game.
4 out of 5; A very good card utility that any Azorious deck should consider using a playset of.
Umbric
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I gave this charm the rating it deserves, a 4/5. Definitely a MUST have for any esper or control deck. It's possibly one of the must subtly powerful uncommon in the game. And people it sends their attacking (or blocking) creature on top of it's owner's library. You are disrupting their draw and that's pretty crucial in the new Scry standard format we have today. This is the situation that happens to me quite a bit:
Now they just wasted two cards that could have been potentially fatal, and their tempo has been disrupted. Since I run control this is what happens almost always as well.
Azorius charm buys the control player that extra turn he/she needed but didn't have the mana open to do anything about it. This card may not be as straight forward as Simic charm, or the stomping power as Boros charm. But it requires thought, and some patience to be used correctly, so I give it a 5/5.
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Play this on a big creature right after your opponent excitedly keeps their scry card for the lulz.
Spinhorse
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This (and other "put on the top of it's controller's library" cards, but specially this one for it's low CMC and instant speed) have a neat interaction with Daxos of Meletis. If you can get in with Daxos the next turn after using this card you can sacrifice tempo advantage to exile the card you bumped, and maybe even play it yourself! (or gaining some life if it's a high CMC card)
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The draw a card + lifelink part are options, but you maindeck x4 of these for the insane tempo advantage part.
Comments (39)
I would choose the lifegain something like 10 times out of 5. Considering you should have 5 or more creatures, and their power should be 2-5, if you're playing "W/U Flying Weenies Control", you can gain 10 or more life in 2 mana. That's way more powerful than the other two abilities. Lifegain is tricky- when it's EFFICIENT, it's as amazing as new players want it to be- it's just usually not efficient. This is efficient.
2 - Card draw is the only one which seems bad, but can be very good with miracles and can cycle itself if what you need is that specific card from your deck.
3 - Destroy target opponents draw phase, if it's the only attacking creature, he will usually lose 2 attacks with this. Add Thought Scour for a super effective removal-mill-and-draw alternate route. Tempo strategies also benefit a lot from this.
He loses the creature he places, the mana he paid AND the beauty.. no salvation from that lost turn on his NEXT draw as he's getting the same damn card (and YOU know it too).
Sure there are ways around this but that's the gist of it. I think it's a pretty damn decent instant 2 mana WHAT-FU IMHO.
Shutting down the insane exalted in token decks that comes with sublime archangel.
Other wise it is neither bad nor great, just average.
4/5
The rules text being all like; "Choose one — ..."
And then Isperia's "The rules of logic and order have already made the choice for you."
Choose one? Already made the choice?
In fact, this seems to be some kind of deep philosophical reference to the determinism of logical games...
Ramblings aside, this is a very good card. One of my favourite charms ever printed.
It's last mode seems to be greatly underestimated (epic tempo advantage in an aggro format), and it's second mode greatly under appreciated (Very powerful lategame when you don't need the charm but have the mana to replace it and cast what it gets you.)
I think this card would be more popular if they just printed the removal ability and people actually realized how incredibly powerful the effect is. At any point in the game you are locking down an opponents draw. There are 2 basic rules in magic, draw a card each turn and play a land each turn. This removes a creature and breaks a basic rule of magic, crazy good.
{G}{R}{B}
Destroy target permanent
in the same way they did the Ultimatum cycle. Just have one super-non-flashy but actually pretty good charm ya know?
The target creature one on this is brutal. I think they're starting to push that mechanic and this is the cheapest CMC you can do it at currently. This style of card + card drawing would be brutal control lockdown in a delver deck
Time to go make a deck!
In my best imitation of objective preference:
1. Azorius Charm
2. Boros Charm
3. Izzet Charm
4. Selesnya Charm
5. Orzhov Charm
6. Rakdos Charm
7. Dimir Charm
8. Golgari Charm
9. Gruul Charm
10. Simic Charm
In short, the biggest benefit is probably the third mode. But like with all Charms, the true value comes from the fact that it can do all that other stuff too.
1) Azorius
2) Boros
3) Selesnya
4) Izzet
5) Simic
6) Dimir
7) Orzhov
8) Golgari
9) Rakdos
10) Gruul
@Whitecow: The other two modes are much stronger than the lifelink. The lifelink requires you to have creatures out and life gain isn't really that important. It's nice if you're dying but otherwise it's pretty useless. Mode 3 can get rid of an annoying creature and make your opponent's next draw useless which is by far the best ability. Mode 2 can be used to get rid of Azorius Charm when it's not all that useful to you.
Though in limited these are all INCREDIBLE. Counterspells, flash bears, anti wraths, and all of them have an extra 1-2 playable abilities stapled to em. Love it.
4.5/5
You're low on health? Lifelink your creatures.
You don't have the card you need? Draw a card.
Your opponent just resurrected It That Betrays on turn 3? Bounce it to the library and savor the look of consternation as he puts it in his hand next turn instead.
Not to mention it combos half-decently. Combined with even the most minor mill effect it becomes a de-facto kill effect, and I need not belabor how many things combo with drawing a card...really, the charms are all excellent in general.
4.5/5
Lifelink, especially one-sided, universal (if temporary) lifelink is an ability that should never be underestimated: even in for non-combat heavy colors like
The second ability is probably the lest useful of the three, but it's still not bad at all. Card draw is always a useful ability, even if it's just cantrip. You can essentially just cycle this thing if you have it in your hand, but don't need it, and you want to dig into something more useful... like (if you've either gotten lucky with your packs or you're a competitive player who blows that kind of money on cards) your Sphinx's Revelation.
The last is probably the best and the most Azorious. Chances are that if you're running that your opponent is already plenty unpleased that all your counter-spells and stuff with detail are keeping him from doing anything, so in the off-chance they do get so swing with their fatty, drop this and (assuming it's a legal target) send it to whence it came from whence it came, and completely ruin their game.
4 out of 5; A very good card utility that any Azorious deck should consider using a playset of.
Opponent: I attack with boros reckoner, pump him with titan's strength and Ghor-clan rampager, response?
Me: Azorius Charm return to the top of your library
Now they just wasted two cards that could have been potentially fatal, and their tempo has been disrupted. Since I run control this is what happens almost always as well.
Opponent: Cast Boros Reckoner
Me: Dissolve
Azorius charm buys the control player that extra turn he/she needed but didn't have the mana open to do anything about it. This card may not be as straight forward as Simic charm, or the stomping power as Boros charm. But it requires thought, and some patience to be used correctly, so I give it a 5/5.