A frightening counter to Sphinx's Revelation. And wouldn't this have been nice when Jace, the Mind Sculptor was in standard? They try to Brainstorm and end up putting two cards on top of their library while you draw three!
@L0rdH3nRz: Good point, but If I'm drawing my whole deck, and I'm playing black, and I can't kill the sphinx before a fatal number of triggers activate I'm doing something wrong.
.Blaze.
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Seeing as how the same artist did this and Whispering Madness I wouldn't be surprised if that is the same guy on the two cards. I can't wait to see what this will do in constructed formats.
Nucleon
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
I dunno, citizsnips, I think this followed by Minds Aglow is a better way to grief people.
@Nucleon good card but i still like puzzle box deck lock is the worst thing ever
pandawolf56
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Interesting side deck for standard. His stats suck for his mana cost, but the ability can be nice. Overall ok though, conditional can be great! Still 4 mana in store just for your opponent drawing... side deck, yea. 2.5/5.
Also to consecrated sphinx comment, the sphinx says, "you may draw two cards.", so it is a option and would only deck you out if you wanted to be decked out. Interesting with Laboratory Maniac.
ChttrBox88
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(5 votes)
The real combo here is that you can Ancestral Recall your opponent to draw 3!
darkterrorblade
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Howling Mine to draw every turn! Or better yet, Jace's Archivist. "Hey, remember how we were gonna discard our hands and each draw 7? How about instead, we discard our hands and I draw 14?"
LordOfTheFlies87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The wording on this is sooo bad, lol.
SnickaPlease
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Definitely my favorite card out of the whole set.
Cronomax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is more what I wanted to see out of the Dimir. Looks like an excellent card looking forward to getting one.
zzxyyzx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
1. Have two of these guys out. 2. Switcheroo one of them. 3. Draw a card. 4. ??? 5. PROFIT!
once, just once, this guy in response to brainstorm.
MrBarrelRoll
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If you can get the right mana, Burning Inquiry could work. If you're into that sort of thing.
steev
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
People seemed unimpressed by this card during the prerelease phase. I think it's got a lot more applications than Plagiarize or Psychic Possession. This will be liked more and more the longer it's around.
Marzen64
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card right here is the reason I'm going Dimir for the pre-release.
Purplerooster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In response to your Notion Theif, I Notion Theif and then we become card potential bouncers for life.
El_Pared
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I already have a Psychic Posession deck with Skyscribing, Vision Skeins and Mikokoro, Center of the Sea, but I'm really considering dropping white for black because of this guy. Why give them cards when you can steal their draws and have random tech against control decks?
tcollins
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Forced Fruition to draw 7 everytime an opponent casts a spell... (assuming the first card they draw is in their draw step)
So many combos, so little time...
Vakyoom
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
A few things to note about this intense card:
1) If you have 2 Notion thief and switcheroo the other, or if you and your opponent each has one out, they cancel eachother out and no infinite loop is activated. (it says that on the ruling's page for this card)
2) Your opponent has to actually attempt to draw the card in order for you to draw it instead. So Consecrated Sphinx wouldn't work for a 3 draw loop because he never actually drew the card, so you don't get to draw the 2 extra. You simply draw the 1 instead of him drawing the 1 and the effect ends. The keywords here are "If", as seen on the Notion Theif, and "Whenever", as seen on the Sphinx
3) In addition to the "must actually draw" clause from the Sphinx, there is also the clause that says "you MAY draw two cards." So you are never required to deck yourself in order to make that card work... so many people think its required and not optional. (figured it mattered on this page too, since it's mentioned all over the Sphinx's actual discussion page.
Overall, this card is a golden god. In a format where Sphinx's Rev control(not playing this deck) and Prime Speaker Bant(guilty of playing!) are effectively taking over now that they've got enough tricks to shut down aggro decks, this card is going to thrive big time. This guy even shows up aggro monsters like Blood Scrivener and Sign in Blood.
The flash keyword is important, the combo with Whispering Madness is golden and the potential for another self-mill combo(FINALLY!!!) make this card an easy 5/5 for me. Beautiful.
Oh, you're going to combo this turn? Let me think about it...
Cyberium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?"
ToAsTy42o
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
it says draw A card, so if someone sphinx's revalation for x=3, you only get to draw one, right? or does each draw like that trigger seperately? i'd like to know a good general rule of thumb if someone would ablige.
teferi's puzzle box with this is the nastiest, you have one shot each turn to draw an instant speed kill spell while I draw your hand for the first time followed by an additional card on each of your turns, almost makes me wish dark ritual was legal in modern....
DrosteScincid
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Man, I think this is the Spikiest card they've ever printed. And it's not even Rakdos.
amberbock
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wheel and Deal or Cephalid Coliseum for crazy fun. Because this doesn't have "may draw a card" I actually think you could win easy by donate and forcing them to deck themselves quickly. Cast Whispering Madness on your unblockable creature discard to 0 while they draw twice the largest hand, attack they draw 4 times the original hand size. An original 7 cards would net a 42 card draw with double strike its 98 cards.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I am not going to play Dark Confidant in my Nicol Bolas EDH deck because of this. x.x
And I now need a Vault-quality artwork of a Mythic Rare Puzzle Box with a quote from The Riddler -.-
Insane with things that are already insane. Also insane against things that are already insane. Play it with or against Timetwister wannabes (or timetwister itself if you got big bucks) to get rid of their entire hand, and draw 14 cards :\
Osprey_93
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Holy... considering EDH is built on huge hands and consistant draw, this card pulls a TON of weight in the format. consider running with Howling Mine or Otherworld Atlas for universal rage.
wunzil
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This makes Jace Beleren so broken. With Notion Thief on board it says: +2: Draw a card for each player -1: You draw a card
And you get all of this for just 3 CMC!
MindAblaze
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@ Mister Action
You forgot Forced Fruition in the list of cards it makes insane.
So, does anyone else think that it's funny, with all of this talk of Consecrated Sphinx, that no one's mentioned that it's the perfect counter to this card?
They try to draw, you HAVE to (not a 'you may') draw, they try to draw two, you intercept it again, rinse, and repeat. Instakill.
@MindAblaze: I didn't forgetForced Fruition. I declined to categorize it because I'm not sure whether that combo guarantees you the win or makes you choke to death on your own deck. It'd be hilarious either way though, so you're right that it bears mentioning.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Cards that cause a target player to draw and discard become exceptionally potent with this out: you get the draw, opponent gets the discard. Here's the list of those options:
Note that all the "target player Merfolk Looters" creatures turn into that holy grail of lockdown, repeatable instant speed discard. Just make your opponent discard their draw immediately once their hand is empty and they won't be able to cast anything that can't be cast during the draw step.
spiney
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm glad this guy only has 1 toughness. Someone used this to try and counter my use of Zameck Guildmage to remove a counter from Strangleroot Geist. I was happy to be able to counter it with Golgari Charm.
I reckon if it had any higher toughness, he might be slightly more annoying.
Unfortunately this is unusable in EDH because everyone runs Consecrated Sphinx which will force you to deck yourself if both are on the field at the same time.
Sleazebag
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You Brainstorm with your Jace, the Mind Sculptor? Sure, put two cards from your hand on top of your deck, I'll draw 3.
Edmondjp
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Personally my favorite combo is sign in blood. Myself: "I'll put out Notion Thief" Opponent: "Well that's cool" Myself: " Sign in blood... you" Opponent: "Why?... I see what you did there"
They lose 2 life and I draw 2. Card advantage, and life advantage. what more could I want
strider24seven
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Now sees play in Vintage. Yeah, it's pretty good. 5/5
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Somewhat excessively wordy, and I feel it could be a touch overpowered as is. I'd prefer:
"When Notion Thief comes into play, if target opponent would draw a card this turn, that player skips that draw and you draw a card."
Why? Cross guild synergy. Azorious loves bouncing their own dudes, and this would be a far more balanced, and more creatively usable card, rather than this thing which basically reads "No, screw you, control decks."
Rootkit9208
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Absolutely astonishing in EDH, but you will most assuredly lose friends.
soooo, windfall/wheel of fortune? ( and cyclonic rift thrown in if you have the mana and want even less friends)
Taudisban
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is what I show people when they complain that WotC doesn't care about Legacy anymore. Brainstorm is currently played by 68% of the field, with Jace, the Mind Sculptor sitting at 32%.
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He is plagiarism in creature form. The sheer fear that you might have this in hand will make people hestitate playing their sphinx's relevation or any other drawspell, and it is a flash creature with an extra ability in standard, very very nice. In legacy he can basically decide games against brainstorm and Jace. Wonderful stuff.
SauceyCoffee
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I use psychic possession against this in edh to mill them, since it's not a may effect.
This would be fun with a Miracle filled deck and cards to force your opponents to draw cards such as Call to Heel.
Doom_Lich
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I find it funny that the hard counter to Notion Thief is Consecrated Sphinx. If this happens the sphinx player just keeps choosing to draw two cards and the Thief player doesn't get an option.
Hehe.
Oxman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
. . . wait. . . WHAT?! . . .no. . . NO . . . NOOOOO! ! ! This is the combo piece I've been waiting for! Now it's here, but it's all wrong! WHY BLACK? I mean, yeah mechanically it's right, but Gwafa isn't black! How is he supposed to ruin people's day in commander if he doesn't match the required color identity! No, bad WIZARDS! BAD!
Saraneth888
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Guys, guys.... guys... I'm surprised everybody is saying how good this is in EDH and yet nobody has mentioned that this shares the color-identity of Mystical Teachings, one of my favorite cards of all time, and a card that was already very, very solid within the EDH format... Now we get another fantastic dude to fetch with our Mystical Teachings, along with the well-renowned Snapcaster Mage.
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Notion Thief + Consecrated Sphinx = Whoops, I dropped my library-I mean my hand-I mean my friends :(
Antsache
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ SirLibraryEater
As Vacyoom's comment notes, the Sphinx and this don't play particularly well together. Consecrated Sphinx's ability requires your opponent to actually make their draw, while the Thief's ability prevents them from drawing. The Sphinx will trigger on their normal, first draw, but not on any after that, as they'll be prevented by the Notion Thief. You'll still get the single draws off his ability, of course, but it's not like you're drawing three, as some might think.
Of course, since your opponent usually isn't going to draw extra cards into a board with an opposing Sphinx on it, this interaction isn't really likely to matter much. Being able to flash in the Thief when they're finally desperate enough to run out some card draw is still a potential upside - you won't draw as much as you would have, but keeping them from drawing anything at all can matter more in some situations.
raptorman333
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i'm just really surprised that no one has mentioned arcane denial.
Wisdomseyes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As probably mentioned, while this card is good, I don't think that it is EDH worthy, simply because if an opponent had the chance to resolve a con sphinx, you lose.
Con sphinx says that you may draw 2 cards anytime someone draws one. Of course it is a may trigger so you can just choose not to draw 2 so your opponent doesnt draw 2 (because the additional draws from con sphinx would go over to the opponent instead of you). Unfortunately, if they DO choose to draw 2, you are FORCED to draw 2 in their stead. Which of course means 2 more triggers for Con sphinx, which loops into the option for your opponent to mill you out. It costs the con phinx player no cards and force draws the opponent into oblivion, alongside having extra triggers (since each forced draw causes 2 triggers on con sphinx) giving the opponent the option to draw 2x cards where x is any number they want.
Basically, it is too risky to play in edh when all blue decks have a card that makes you lose if it resolves while you have it out. Though, you could argue the benefits are worth the risk.
Comments (71)
@L0rdH3nRz: Good point, but If I'm drawing my whole deck, and I'm playing black, and I can't kill the sphinx before a fatal number of triggers activate I'm doing something wrong.
@Nucleon
good card but i still like puzzle box deck lock is the worst thing ever
Also to consecrated sphinx comment, the sphinx says, "you may draw two cards.", so it is a option and would only deck you out if you wanted to be decked out. Interesting with Laboratory Maniac.
Or better yet, Jace's Archivist. "Hey, remember how we were gonna discard our hands and each draw 7? How about instead, we discard our hands and I draw 14?"
2. Switcheroo one of them.
3. Draw a card.
4. ???
5. PROFIT!
put it in a Blood Scrivener, Shrieking Affliction and Whispering Madness shell. Might this herald the return of U/B control? On kitchen tables, maybe xD
ha.. heh... HAHAHH
That'll teach him.
So many combos, so little time...
1) If you have 2 Notion thief and switcheroo the other, or if you and your opponent each has one out, they cancel eachother out and no infinite loop is activated. (it says that on the ruling's page for this card)
2) Your opponent has to actually attempt to draw the card in order for you to draw it instead. So Consecrated Sphinx wouldn't work for a 3 draw loop because he never actually drew the card, so you don't get to draw the 2 extra. You simply draw the 1 instead of him drawing the 1 and the effect ends. The keywords here are "If", as seen on the Notion Theif, and "Whenever", as seen on the Sphinx
3) In addition to the "must actually draw" clause from the Sphinx, there is also the clause that says "you MAY draw two cards." So you are never required to deck yourself in order to make that card work... so many people think its required and not optional. (figured it mattered on this page too, since it's mentioned all over the Sphinx's actual discussion page.
Overall, this card is a golden god. In a format where Sphinx's Rev control(not playing this deck) and Prime Speaker Bant(guilty of playing!) are effectively taking over now that they've got enough tricks to shut down aggro decks, this card is going to thrive big time. This guy even shows up aggro monsters like Blood Scrivener and Sign in Blood.
The flash keyword is important, the combo with Whispering Madness is golden and the potential for another self-mill combo(FINALLY!!!) make this card an easy 5/5 for me. Beautiful.
Also: Sign in Blood, Bloodgift Demon and Harrowing Journey.
And I now need a Vault-quality artwork of a Mythic Rare Puzzle Box with a quote from The Riddler -.-
Not as fast as Chains of Mephistopheles + anvil, but four of these wont put you in the poor house either.
+2: Draw a card for each player
-1: You draw a card
And you get all of this for just 3 CMC!
You forgot Forced Fruition in the list of cards it makes insane.
Also, Jace's Archivist. I see some potential in a mill deck with Jace's Erasure.
They try to draw, you HAVE to (not a 'you may') draw, they try to draw two, you intercept it again, rinse, and repeat. Instakill.
Anvil of Bogardan
Teferi's Puzzle Box
Windfall
Whispering Madness
Wheel of Fortune
Jace's Archivist
Seizan, Perverter of Truth
Howling Mine
Font of Mythos
Burning Inquiry
Diminishing Returns
Lore Broker
Mind's Aglow
Noggle Ransacker
Time Reversal
Urza's Guilt
Winds of Change
Trade Secrets
Oblation
Dream Fracture
Nin, the Pain Artist
Swans of Brynn Argoll
Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer
Bloodgift Demon
Caress of Phyrexia
Cephalid Broker
Chandra Ablaze
Compulsive Research
Dragon Mage
Wistful Thinking
Harbor Guardian
Horn of Greed
Indentured Djinn
Prosperity
Laquatus's Creativity
Hoses:
Skullclamp
Sygg, River Cutthroat
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Griselbrand
Standstill
Merfolk Looter
Rhystic Study
Damia, Sage of Stone
But watch out for opponents using:
Underworld Dreams
Psychic Possession
Consecrated Sphinx
@MindAblaze: I didn't forget Forced Fruition. I declined to categorize it because I'm not sure whether that combo guarantees you the win or makes you choke to death on your own deck. It'd be hilarious either way though, so you're right that it bears mentioning.
Careful Consideration (amusingly, best cast at instant speed)
Cephalid Broker
Cephalid Coliseum
Cephalid Looter
Compulsive Research
Forget
Laquatus's Creativity
Lumengrid Augur
Reckless Scholar
Wistful Thinking
Note that all the "target player Merfolk Looters" creatures turn into that holy grail of lockdown, repeatable instant speed discard. Just make your opponent discard their draw immediately once their hand is empty and they won't be able to cast anything that can't be cast during the draw step.
I reckon if it had any higher toughness, he might be slightly more annoying.
Myself: "I'll put out Notion Thief"
Opponent: "Well that's cool"
Myself: " Sign in blood... you"
Opponent: "Why?... I see what you did there"
They lose 2 life and I draw 2. Card advantage, and life advantage. what more could I want
Yeah, it's pretty good.
5/5
"When Notion Thief comes into play, if target opponent would draw a card this turn, that player skips that draw and you draw a card."
Why? Cross guild synergy. Azorious loves bouncing their own dudes, and this would be a far more balanced, and more creatively usable card, rather than this thing which basically reads "No, screw you, control decks."
"Ok. I play a land. Consecrated Sphinx."
"...Dammit"
Hehe.
. . .no. . . NO . . . NOOOOO! ! !
This is the combo piece I've been waiting for! Now it's here, but it's all wrong! WHY BLACK? I mean, yeah mechanically it's right, but Gwafa isn't black! How is he supposed to ruin people's day in commander if he doesn't match the required color identity! No, bad WIZARDS! BAD!
As Vacyoom's comment notes, the Sphinx and this don't play particularly well together. Consecrated Sphinx's ability requires your opponent to actually make their draw, while the Thief's ability prevents them from drawing. The Sphinx will trigger on their normal, first draw, but not on any after that, as they'll be prevented by the Notion Thief. You'll still get the single draws off his ability, of course, but it's not like you're drawing three, as some might think.
Of course, since your opponent usually isn't going to draw extra cards into a board with an opposing Sphinx on it, this interaction isn't really likely to matter much. Being able to flash in the Thief when they're finally desperate enough to run out some card draw is still a potential upside - you won't draw as much as you would have, but keeping them from drawing anything at all can matter more in some situations.
Con sphinx says that you may draw 2 cards anytime someone draws one. Of course it is a may trigger so you can just choose not to draw 2 so your opponent doesnt draw 2 (because the additional draws from con sphinx would go over to the opponent instead of you). Unfortunately, if they DO choose to draw 2, you are FORCED to draw 2 in their stead. Which of course means 2 more triggers for Con sphinx, which loops into the option for your opponent to mill you out. It costs the con phinx player no cards and force draws the opponent into oblivion, alongside having extra triggers (since each forced draw causes 2 triggers on con sphinx) giving the opponent the option to draw 2x cards where x is any number they want.
Basically, it is too risky to play in edh when all blue decks have a card that makes you lose if it resolves while you have it out. Though, you could argue the benefits are worth the risk.