In Limited, this will be beyond amazing. A 4/4 Flyer is already exceptionally good since it can fight with most creatures and live to tell about it. Evasion that doesn't sacrifice anything for it (like Shadow) is also very good.
As for the ability, Milling has always been a strategy best made for limited. When most people start with 40 cards rather than 60, you're already 1/3rd closer to victory than you would be normally. The "you may cast..." ability can be very helpful or not helpful at all.
Purplerooster
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Use with Dimir Charm to guarantee a nice instant or sorcery.
Sonserf369
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Probably the worst of the cycle, but not bad at all. It gives you a decent body and a sweet upside for mill.
lorendorky
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(4 votes)
There is no mechanical reason for this to be an illusion.
JSSarfin
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
So, Ajani gets cat warriors. Liliana gets a zombie. Chandra has a pheonix. Garruk, a horde of beasts.
And what does Jace get? A fish. Jace gets a fish.
Murmeldjuret
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
@JSSarfin Yes he gets a fish, a mind eating magical fish that flies, but otherwise it is just a fish.
Splizer
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
The ever-expanding Illusion tribe just... overlapped with fish?
JACE: "Honey, I caught fish for tea!" MRS. JACE: "Yum!" JACE: "OH NO, the fish was a lie! Never mind, watery soup again!"
jonpugh
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This sounds like you only get to choose a card from the 5 that were milled, not the whole graveyard, making it less awesome than it could be.
Fenix.
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This misses way too much in limited, and is too expensive for constructed :/
majinara
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Well, in limited it's good, because any 4/4 flyer in limited is good. In Commander, this is good too, because of the huge splashy spells played there.
In Standard, it might be a bit too slow and random. The spells are there not as powerful as in Commander, and there ar ebetter flying creatures for other constructed formats.
The card is best in Commander decks, that can flicker this guy in and out or copy him, so the ability triggers over and over.
One problem with soft mill cards like this is always, of course, that you might help your opponent, by dumping cards into his gy that he wants there.
All in all, solid but not stellar.
Fiery_Artificer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The perfect card for demolishing your opponent's flicker deck. Play it, cast cloudshift, bounce it, mill them again.
GruesomeGoo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't get the hate towards this card. It's a MIND EEL
TowerDefender
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mindclaw Shaman gets an upgrade with a better body that mills rather than reveals hands... strictly funnier creature type.
FishIllusion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Must-play in limited if you can work it. Expensive for a 4/4 flyer, but if you manage to replay it with Disperse or similar you can really work the mill effect, and who cares if you don't get to cost any cards when you do?
I can see this maybe being a sideboard card, but for it to be worthwhile, your opponent has to be playing a lot of sorceries, they have to be powerful ones, and they have to be ones that don't depend on an in the cost. You're going to face a lot of decks where that's not the case.
Kosmonautti
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Opened up a fat pack today and pulled 2 of these. 4BB for 4/4 flying for blue is awesome enough, and the ability is just icing on the cake. A delicious cake, that is.
Hawk_of_Battle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Came up consistently the other night at FNM for me in almost every game I won. Best play of the night; using him to steal my opponents diabolic tutor to get my own Bident of Thassa out.
He may not always strike gold, but when he does, it's beautiful.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
To be fair it reminds me of a moray eel, one of the most badass kinds of fish =D
OmgMTG
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I absolutely annoyed the crap out of my friends playing this with Conjurer's Closet & Cloudshift. Milling for 15 in one turn along with 3 of your own instants & sorceries used against you or to your opponent's benefit can be very aggravating indeed.
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@JSSarfin: What's wrong with getting a fish? Fish are awesome.
Comments (24)
As for the ability, Milling has always been a strategy best made for limited. When most people start with 40 cards rather than 60, you're already 1/3rd closer to victory than you would be normally. The "you may cast..." ability can be very helpful or not helpful at all.
And what does Jace get? A fish. Jace gets a fish.
JACE: "Honey, I caught fish for tea!"
MRS. JACE: "Yum!"
JACE: "OH NO, the fish was a lie! Never mind, watery soup again!"
In Commander, this is good too, because of the huge splashy spells played there.
In Standard, it might be a bit too slow and random. The spells are there not as powerful as in Commander, and there ar ebetter flying creatures for other constructed formats.
The card is best in Commander decks, that can flicker this guy in and out or copy him, so the ability triggers over and over.
One problem with soft mill cards like this is always, of course, that you might help your opponent, by dumping cards into his gy that he wants there.
All in all, solid but not stellar.
As an added benefit, he makes a very, very pretty foil.
He may not always strike gold, but when he does, it's beautiful.