Have you ever put stuff on sticks before? Fire/Ice on a stick. Fog on a stick. Counterspell on a stick. Really fun one: Research/Development on a stick. Oh, the shenanigans!
Yuyuko
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(8 votes)
God I can't wait till this rotates out of Extended. Amazing card, just overused.
My favourite though is Memory Lapse - especially with an Arcane Laboratory on the table... I'd only play that against people who've done something terrible to thorougly deserve it, though.
thaviel
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
So good it got a nickname :). Too bad the nickname was "Stick" <.<
Vektor480
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(11 votes)
Pretty nuts with Time Walk, but again, what isn't good with a totally undercosted power 9? Oh, and this plus Gilmpse the Unthinkable is i.n.s.a.n.e. Try it out with a milling deck, you won't regret.
Myxomorph
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(7 votes)
glimpse the unthinkable is a sorc... you are the second person to make that mistake? Stick only works with instants.
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(12 votes)
They must have been on crack when they developed Mirrodin. It's loaded with obscenely powerful cards, and this is one of them. 5/5.
SlackWareWolf
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(11 votes)
I've seen other people say "I put Time Walk on it" and you just know they haven't ever owned or touched one. Ugh...
Panoptic Mirror is what you put Time Walk on.
Boons (Lightning Bolt, Ancestral Recall) and other fun stuff are what you put on this. I've put Brainstorm on it too.
Why did someone say Terror? That's stupid! Use Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile !
ekolby
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(6 votes)
Yeah, you can't imprint Time Walk on Isochron Scepter because Time walk is a Sorcery.
inmypants22
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(4 votes)
this is hot dog on a stick. also known as corn dog and/or counterspell
thelittleupsman
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(4 votes)
maybe wizards is thinking they should have made a rare...
Silverware
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(7 votes)
I stoped playing magic for a while after Mirrodin came out becuse I got this in a booster and thought Wizards had totally lost it. Fourtantly Mirrodin is a good deal of time behind us now..
adambomb76
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Looking forward to making an Extended deck with this and Silence.
BladeAce
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Glimpse the Unthinkable is a sorcery. you can not stick it.
yoavrrr
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
try it with remand. just insane. every time oppenent wanna play something he needs a counter, or to play 2 things and give me card :)
i also love it with incinerate/lightning bolt
shady-tradesman
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(5 votes)
The no-class Johnny card.
VampireChild85
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Can I imprint a card with no casting cost? (eg: Evermind)
If I imprint an arcane (eg: Reach Through Mists) can I splice on the copy?
UNBAN_SHAHRAZAD
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Broken. Use with: Lightning Bolt, Lightning Helix, Boomerang, Ancestral Recall, Orim's Chant, Silence, Counterspell, Mana Drain, Berserk, Heroes' Reunion, I could go on...
nammertime
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Good with Abeyance too, which also lets you draw a card for card advantage!
And why are some ppl suggesting stuff that aren't instants or have a CMC of more than 2?
Isochron scepter is pretty nuts just because being able to copy any instant is so variable. A path to exile on one of these things and your opponent basically doesn't play any creatures the rest of the game. I've seen decks use them for counter spells, token creation, or just plain blasting opponent to death with a burn spell. If anything its quite over powered and I'm really hoping imprint doesn't see any future inclusions in other sets unless they tone it down, or has charge counters that get used up or something.
aba1
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
path anyone hahahhaha or even twincast
Gaussgoat
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This has to be one of the best artifacts ever created... devastating possibilities for control, burn, you name it.
5/5
dudecow
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(4 votes)
This card has so many votes that I voted 5 on it, and it didn't change the average rating at all.
Ichorix
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(9 votes)
I think I got these for about a buck each at a local card shop around when Mirrodin was first released. Probably the most valuable playset I own O.o. Unfortunately I can't afford the truly awesome cards that break the stick, like Orim's Chant. Instead, I use it in a wonky U/W control deck whose win condition is Dampen Thought spliced onto a sticked Ethereal Haze, with Counterspell backup. It's possibly the most unfun deck to play against ever, which I didn't really think about when putting it together. Either my opponent kills me before I stabilize and the game ends quickly and unremarkably, or I do stabilize and we sit around for about 10 turns while I slowly mill him to death. Yet, I still get a kick out of doing it. Does that make me a bad person?
Teotanek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Boring
demented_are_go
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I usually put Word of Command on this, I picked up an alpha Word of Command a while back and figured it'd be fun to put on that,it really does annoy people, I have those in an Underworld Dreams / Megrim / Mind Twist deck for the extra "*** off" your opponent factor.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(13 votes)
What made them think this WOULDN'T be broken? "Oh, we've never made any powerful spells with a less-than-three casting cost."
Asceric
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm surprised nobody has thought to put a Dash Hopes on this. At least not on this forum. Think of it, either the spell gets countered, or they take five damage, nearly every turn. Nasty Nasty things....
Chosen_of_the_Dark_Sun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just use it for Silence to completely shut down your opponents.
WhAT! Why isn't this card rare?? And it only costs two to put out and to play?? doesn't make sense to me.
Sirsongbird
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
a deck full of angel's grace, holy day, ethereal haze, and raise the alarm, and then stick in a luminar thingy (creates 4/4 angels) and u get ur self a semi decent deck.
Nasty little thing, for sure. Just watch for people who claim that whatever gets put on the stick ends up being colorless because it's an activated ability of the card. That's not what happens...the stick card text says "play the copy". So, Iona, Shield of Emeria played with "white" named prevents Swords to Plowshares on a stick from being used.
Belz_
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Insanely powerful card, and one with endless possibilities. Undercosted, unfortunately, but still very, very cool.
OK so say, if i play a "stick" with an incinerate imprinted, then play Copy Artifact, does the Stick need a new instant to imprint or does the copy artifact become a stick imprinted with incinerate?
TolarianAcademic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The reason that 'no one' thought of Dash Hopes is because there are better cards to imprint on the Scepter: Counterspell, anyone? Maybe Mana Drain (lol) or even Ancestral Recall? Counterspell is strictly superior to Dash Hopes (unless you're not running Blue at all). In any case, there are better instants to stick on than Dash Hopes even in mono-Black: Darkness, Diabolic Edict, Vampiric Tutor, Word of Command (lol), etc.
EggShen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Goes nicely with cards like Kindle and Life Burst, too. End of your turn, I tap 2 and gain 16 life. . .
Gilder_Bairn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
imprinting Lightning Bolt on this is amazing. Yes, it costs one extra man, but you're doing three damage per turn! that's a quick way to win, my friends.
NeoSin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Terminate, Lightning Helix, Lightning Bolt, Giant Growth, Vines of Vastwood, Just...TO MANY TO NAME!
Broken card, this card actually ruined magic for me for awhile when it originally came out, everyone I knew was using it. If I'm playing a black deck and can't destroy artifacts, if my opponent puts a Lightning Helix or a Terminate on it I might as well just scoop.
Faust-The-Desolate
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
no rebound btw, but lol incinerate or lightning bolt on a freaking stick. There's also double cleave, and nourish. Does comet storm work on this?
Kirbster
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(15 votes)
You can put a fairly bad spell on this and it can still swing the game.
Test-Subject_217601
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(12 votes)
True oracle rules text: Put target instant on a stick.
ZombieSnail
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(7 votes)
...retarded. Everywhere, for all of time
Mortal-Rot
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
to bad Time Walk isnt an instant, other wise youd be able to win on turn 1 with this bad boy, in mono blue too. beat them to death with storm crow just for fun:)
brian_james
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(9 votes)
I play it with Snap and Counterspell. Snap keeps your lands open, and any experienced blue mage will tell you that it's nice to have two free islands at the end of every turn.
I used to play this with Boomerang to stall people at 2 land, but that's a dirty trick so I stopped using it.
And honestly, this card isn't so overpowered. Once you've played it for a while, you realize a few drawbacks.
First of all, it only works if you have an instant in your hand to piggyback onto it. Second of all, if you don't have one in your hand right away, it makes you want to hoard your instants in anticipation of it, which can be a waste of time if you never draw it.
Third, turning your instants into permanents makes them vulnerable to removal. And finally, you lose the element of surprise with counterspells, so your opponent will start playing around it.
I used to play 4 sticks in my control deck, but I tuned it down to 3 because I got sick of having a bunch of them taking up space in my hand.
Not bad.. i used this card with Extirpate.. to get rid of my opponent's cards
psychokid121
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
best use of this card. remove a book burning from your hand and every turn use it. completely wrong XD
Aradimar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this needs to be banned in legacy, such a obscenely overpowered card
allmighty_abacus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My personal favorite is memory lapse. If they only draw 1 card a turn (which happens like 90% of the time), you can lock them out of their draw step entirely.
Bursama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Broken card. This is the reason besides Sensei's Diving Top and Skullclamp and Aether Vial, why Mirrodin block was designed when they were on crack. And all of these are UNCOMMONS.
AvatarOfHOE
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I Predict that players will be talking about the Stick for a long time to come.
statiefreez
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"I imprint...oh, you've scooped already? I didn't even name a card yet!"
@Bursama Sensei's Divining Top is from Champions of Kamigawa. You know, the block that had only 3 good cards in it, ever (jitte and Gifts Ungiven being the other)?
Bass1987
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Due Respect
XTwistedsoulX
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Im wondering whos idea it was to print this as an uncommon...
DrJack
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Sloppy card design at its most extreme. Throughout my history as a Magic player, I've ususally noticed right away what cards were unbalanced and "broken". High Tide, Force of Will, Contamination - I could tell instantly that the Wizards hadn't done proper playtesting. A few sleepers did evade me, such as Zuran Orb. With others, though, like this Isochron Scepter, it's hard to imagine just how WotC could have dropped the ball like that, especially this late in their history of card designing.
Seriously, Isochron Scepter? A card that allows you to cast a Lightning Bolt or Counter Spell again and again, for a rather modest initial investment and very little subsequent cost? What the HELL were they thinking? This would have been unthinkable even in the days of Alpha.
This just about qualifies as the most unbalanced, "broken" Magic card of all time - in a tie with Price of Progress (1R: You win the game). Oh... should I mention that Price of Progress is an instant, that costs two mana?
Wow.
Lueseto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just. Too. Insane.
Paladin85
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you like to lose friends play this card along with one of the following:
Memory Lapse: Soft-lock on opponents unless they can draw Price of Progress: At least 2-4 damage or more per turn based on opponent's basic lands
+ Many other cards already mentioned by other users here
Anathame
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combos with Popeyes(tm) fried chicken.
TherealphatMatt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's not even that this got printed that shocks me, so much as that it got printed at Uncommon.
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Then try Voltaic Key: the number-one artifact enhancer!
Here's a happy customer testimony:
(Colossus of Sardia): Ever since I was made, I have been a liability to my friends... and family. But now, with Voltaic Key, I am working at 200% efficiency! Thanks Voltaic Key!
So order your own Voltaic Key, now in the new 2011 edition!
Because remember: Being untapped is the key to success!"
I'm sorry if I suggested an even more broken idea... but it had to be done. One Manamorphoses in one turn involving no cards from your hand and paying for itself is bad enough...
OH DAMMIT!
Lord_Seth_02
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@ DrJack
This just about qualifies as the most unbalanced, "broken" Magic card of all time - in a tie with Price of Progress (1R: You win the game). Oh... should I mention that Price of Progress is an instant, that costs two mana?
Indeed! It's the most broken Magic card of all time. That's why you see it in all the top Legacy decks, and...oh, wait, the card is almost never played in Legacy. Doesn't seem to have a Vintage presence either from what I can tell. So much for it being the most broken Magic card of all time. It's not even the most broken card in its own set (unlike, say, Disciple of the Vault or the artifact lands, it never got banned).
To be fair, it is played in Modern. But if you have to get rid of everything before 8th Edition and ban a bunch of cards on top of that to make this decent, then it's certainly not the most unbalanced/broken Magic card of all time. People need to stop throwing around terms like that when they're clearly not true. There's plenty of ways to deal with this card, and if someone isn't capable of using any of them, that says more about them than it does about the card.
Now, don't get me wrong, this is a strong card, and it can certainly be annoying to be on the receiving end of. But to call it the most broken Magic card of all time is ridiculous even if you are using hyperbole.
Wurmcaller
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A friend of mine uses this with Dawn Charm. As long as he leaves 2 mana open I can't touch him. If I can't grab artifact removal, I might as well just scoop...
Tynansdtm
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@VampireChild85: Yes, you can cast cards without a mana cost, because it tells you to cast them without paying their mana cost. And yes, you can splice things onto them. The reason for this is that you are copying the card, and then casting it. Cards that copy spells do not cast those spells, but Isochron Scepter is not worded that way. @persecutor: Barring the fact that you can't imprint Distortion Strike, why would you want to when Shadow Rift exists? Maybe if you were playing Modern.
Congratulations, I have a Stick that casts Death. A DeathStick.
Yes, I'm saying that Isochron Scepter is the Elder Wand of M:TG.
TwentyFifthBaam
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combo's with. . . well, everything that costs 2 or less. Rarely is something worse with more of it. Put it on a Smallpox if you have to, its still a powerful card.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Don't be fooled by the uncommon symbol. This card was freaking rare. I cant tell you how many boosters I bought in mirrodin, including my cousin, and we didn't even see one.
BongRipper420
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm just be glad Hymn to Tourach isn't able to be put on this.
PastProphet
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Boomerang - because you can return the Scepter to your hand if anyone tries to @#$% with it!
wideyes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is teh lame. Combos with blah blah blah. Whenever anyone gets excited about a clever play and then mentions this card, my eyes glaze over.
Jannissary
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When I cracked this open, my eyes widened and I realized that this was going in every deck, forever.
It's so much fun to play with, and such a pain in the ass to play against. Hope you brought removal!
JA14732
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Turn 1: Reliquary Tower, Sol Ring, this imprinting a Boomerang. Turn 2: Play a land, Sol Ring to bounce land. Repeat, adding lands as necessary until you win. For extra fun, run UG with Seedborn Muse!
My friend literally pulled this off against me (sans Muse) and decided to hit someone else's lands, not mine in his Wizards tribal EDH. It was...not fun.
This card is exceedingly good: however, it is beaten by Tamiyo emblem+Omniscience+Boomerang and Dissipate or Cryptic Command. Still 4/5.
Pongdok
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This gets my seal of approval, for the most part. The Scepter grants great power and tempts its wielder to be an enormous douche-nozzle. Resist the urge. Counterspell, Boomerang, Memory Lapse and Orim's Chant are extremely good, and will probably win you the game, but they are not creative or interesting. Throw something weird and janky on the stick. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of 'fun' go ahead and imprint that gross and abusive spell. See how often your play group lets you use that deck. Maybe you can go play solitaire while everyone else enjoys their fantasy card game. 5/5
Comments (84)
My favourite though is Memory Lapse - especially with an Arcane Laboratory on the table... I'd only play that against people who've done something terrible to thorougly deserve it, though.
Oh, and this plus Gilmpse the Unthinkable is i.n.s.a.n.e. Try it out with a milling deck, you won't regret.
you are the second person to make that mistake?
Stick only works with instants.
Panoptic Mirror is what you put Time Walk on.
Boons (Lightning Bolt, Ancestral Recall) and other fun stuff are what you put on this. I've put Brainstorm on it too.
Why did someone say Terror? That's stupid! Use Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile !
every time oppenent wanna play something he needs a counter, or to play 2 things and give me card :)
i also love it with incinerate/lightning bolt
If I imprint an arcane (eg: Reach Through Mists) can I splice on the copy?
And why are some ppl suggesting stuff that aren't instants or have a CMC of more than 2?
5/5
haha
Your friends at FNM won't play with you anymore.
I used to play this with Boomerang to stall people at 2 land, but that's a dirty trick so I stopped using it.
And honestly, this card isn't so overpowered. Once you've played it for a while, you realize a few drawbacks.
First of all, it only works if you have an instant in your hand to piggyback onto it. Second of all, if you don't have one in your hand right away, it makes you want to hoard your instants in anticipation of it, which can be a waste of time if you never draw it.
Third, turning your instants into permanents makes them vulnerable to removal. And finally, you lose the element of surprise with counterspells, so your opponent will start playing around it.
I used to play 4 sticks in my control deck, but I tuned it down to 3 because I got sick of having a bunch of them taking up space in my hand.
@Bursama Sensei's Divining Top is from Champions of Kamigawa. You know, the block that had only 3 good cards in it, ever (jitte and Gifts Ungiven being the other)?
Seriously, Isochron Scepter? A card that allows you to cast a Lightning Bolt or Counter Spell again and again, for a rather modest initial investment and very little subsequent cost? What the HELL were they thinking? This would have been unthinkable even in the days of Alpha.
This just about qualifies as the most unbalanced, "broken" Magic card of all time - in a tie with Price of Progress (1R: You win the game). Oh... should I mention that Price of Progress is an instant, that costs two mana?
Wow.
Memory Lapse: Soft-lock on opponents unless they can draw
Price of Progress: At least 2-4 damage or more per turn based on opponent's basic lands
+ Many other cards already mentioned by other users here
Abeyance
Accumulated Knowledge
Artifact Mutation
Curfew
just a handful of VERY annoying instants that are TONS of of fun to use.!
No?
Then try Voltaic Key: the number-one artifact enhancer!
Here's a happy customer testimony:
(Colossus of Sardia): Ever since I was made, I have been a liability to my friends... and family. But now, with Voltaic Key, I am working at 200% efficiency! Thanks Voltaic Key!
So order your own Voltaic Key, now in the new 2011 edition!
Because remember: Being untapped is the key to success!"
I'm sorry if I suggested an even more broken idea... but it had to be done. One Manamorphoses in one turn involving no cards from your hand and paying for itself is bad enough...
OH DAMMIT!
This just about qualifies as the most unbalanced, "broken" Magic card of all time - in a tie with Price of Progress (1R: You win the game). Oh... should I mention that Price of Progress is an instant, that costs two mana?
Indeed! It's the most broken Magic card of all time. That's why you see it in all the top Legacy decks, and...oh, wait, the card is almost never played in Legacy. Doesn't seem to have a Vintage presence either from what I can tell. So much for it being the most broken Magic card of all time. It's not even the most broken card in its own set (unlike, say, Disciple of the Vault or the artifact lands, it never got banned).
To be fair, it is played in Modern. But if you have to get rid of everything before 8th Edition and ban a bunch of cards on top of that to make this decent, then it's certainly not the most unbalanced/broken Magic card of all time. People need to stop throwing around terms like that when they're clearly not true. There's plenty of ways to deal with this card, and if someone isn't capable of using any of them, that says more about them than it does about the card.
Now, don't get me wrong, this is a strong card, and it can certainly be annoying to be on the receiving end of. But to call it the most broken Magic card of all time is ridiculous even if you are using hyperbole.
@persecutor: Barring the fact that you can't imprint Distortion Strike, why would you want to when Shadow Rift exists? Maybe if you were playing Modern.
Congratulations, I have a Stick that casts Death. A DeathStick.
Yes, I'm saying that Isochron Scepter is the Elder Wand of M:TG.
It's so much fun to play with, and such a pain in the ass to play against. Hope you brought removal!
Turn 2: Play a land, Sol Ring to bounce land.
Repeat, adding lands as necessary until you win.
For extra fun, run UG with Seedborn Muse!
My friend literally pulled this off against me (sans Muse) and decided to hit someone else's lands, not mine in his Wizards tribal EDH. It was...not fun.
This card is exceedingly good: however, it is beaten by Tamiyo emblem+Omniscience+Boomerang and Dissipate or Cryptic Command.
Still 4/5.