Pointed Discussion

This is a rediculous costing card for how plain its ability is. You could get the top four rearrange for a single mana with Trickery Charm

Although this card is quite expensive, its still really amazing in EDH.

Arg, it's so expensive!

it is a big sage owl, yes it costs 7 but it is a 4/5 flier and it looks at the top 4 and rearranges them as you need

Terribad card.
top > this.

It's expensive, but there aren't many flying cards with that power

Wizard Kinship deck!

up until today I thought I was the king of the bird wizards. now i'm not so sure.

You'd think for the casting and activation costs this thing has, it would be safe to draw one of those cards you looked at. Am I asking for too much?

A card with interesting design that has been developed into irrelevance. For 7 mana, you want a card to win the game for you, not set yourself up. At 7 mana, you would at least expect to find one or more of those cards in your hand. For 7 mana, you would hope that the library rearrangement ability would at least let you put unwanted cards on the bottom of your library.

@scumbling: It would then be comparable to Jayemdae Tome, requiring at least {4} extra in both casting cost and activation cost merely for the draw ability. As is, it's a decent late-game beatstick, especially when you need a late game beatstick AND the ability to keep the board reliably locked down.

Although, making its ability work on the opponent could have made it a top tier answer me immediately or perish threat (you can stop them from answering it if they can't immediately)

That's a fairly chunky fella with a good ability. Expensive, but he's old so we can excuse that. I can see him pulling his weight in EDH fairly nicely.

In late game, scry becomes very useful because by turn 7, most players will be out of a hand. He consistently gives you card advantage by choosing what to draw first. If nothing is useful in the top 4 cards, then you can activate it again next turn. Its activated ability costs 5, but also leaves you 2 mana untapped. In control decks, that's all you need for an instant spell. The reason why the ability is so expensive is because you will likely have a lot of mana just sitting around. If not, then don't use it. a 4/4 flyer costs 5, scry costs 1, and +0/+1 with activated ability costs 1. that equals to 5+1+1 = 7 mana. The cost is just right for an uncommon. 4/5.

Yes, it's terrible in constructed. No, constructed is not the only format. Pick it up in Limited and you've got yourself a 4-power evasive beater that can help smooth out your draws. And it's even splashable!