Pointed Discussion

I'd been playing for about two years when I first saw this card in the old (but new at the time) Magic Encyclopaedia, and couldn't believe it. Why would they print a card so bad? Why would you ever play a card that's going to end up removing your library from the game? Was it a joke? It got reputation among players I knew as the single worst card in the game, worse even than Sorrow's Path. Well, just like a gruesome car crash or an example of plastic surgery gone wrong, some things are so horrifically awful they become almost hypnotic. I just had to get a copy of Thought Lash, I became obsessed with owning a copy. Finally I did, I bought one from a trader at a convention who was moderately sympathetic to why I wanted it. I must've read the card fifty times, pored over the artwork, spent a while thinking about it, and realised that the whole pointwas to remove your library from the game, then started thinking with an open mind about why exactly one might want to do that. It was kind of my epiphany moment vis-a-vis looking for hidden depths or tricks concerning each card, and thus the game in general.

Donate that thing.

The card ain't bad, it's just only useful for certain decks, which is a big difference. I once made a deck on MTGO which consisted of one of each blue card I own + lands, it had a size of about 500 or 600 or so. Then I played this deck in a multiplayer game and played this card. I can assure you, that my opponents then very pretty sure that this card is not bad. :P

More serious: people underestimate the card. It basically says "you gain life equal to the size of your library". ~40 life in a 60 card deck, ~80 life in an EDH deck, ~200 life in a prismatic deck and any amount of life in casual decks where you choose any size you like. And blue cards gaining you that much life are few. It's not a perfect card, but it is very well designed and makes lots of sense in a few decks.

4/5

By itself, it's suicide. With Mirror of Fate, however, it is a completely different thing.

This card will play well with the upcoming Laboratory Maniac. "If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, you win the game instead."

As majinara says, don't underestimate this card.

Sure, it's no powerhouse, but play {R}{U} and stuff like Earthquake...

Or how about {G}{U}, with Channel and Hurricane? Unless your opponent has much more life then you, counters it or prevents the damage, you win. and they'll probably remember that game for a long time.

Avacyn Restored has now given this card Misthollow Griffin.

I think I want this card for my Zedruu the Greathearted EDH deck

This card works wonders in the right deck, in {U} you can use it with cards like Future Sight and Lantern of Insight to enable you to dig deep for that last combo piece. Personally, I use it in a Shared Fate deck, once I get Shared Fate out, you choose not to pay the upkeep of your Thought Lash and suddenly your opponent is only using the cards that remain in their hand.

A very narrow card that only Johnnies will appreciate.

This card is cool by itself, although maybe not so practical. Use despotic scepter to ditch it when you need to. While it's out it's great damage prevention if you're not relying on getting certain cards.

Also, Mark Tedin is my favorite artist.

This card is a beast in the right EDH deck. Not just with the obvious Laboratory Maniac but also with Future Sight where it basically turns into a tutor. Also the damage prevention is surprisingly relevant as it can easily keep you alive for an additional three turns or more. I picked it up cause I wanted to combo it with Maniac (which I finally just pulled off for the first time) but this card is much more than a one trick pony.