Not bad, but I can't help feeling that it's kinda exspensive compeared to modern cards.
2.0
GrixisGravePact
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(5 votes)
Wow...you're an idiot...this was the win card for infinite mana combos...
GrayFox
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Legendary
Ryosuke001
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(7 votes)
Excellent milling/drawing card, although arguably worse than Braingeyser
FreakyM
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
A very nice card. At large amounts of mana, ridiculous amount of drawn cards. At even larger amounts, an instant kill to your opponent.
ong312
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(9 votes)
Stroke Of Genius was definitely one of the more memorable cards from Urza block. It was prominent in Tolarian Academy deck before it was banned/restricted. While it is more expensive than Braingeyser or Mind Spring, it makes up for the single mana price increase by being less color intensive and an instant speed spell, making it more powerful (especially in and control arch-type).
Honestly, my hope is that this card comes back in M11 next year.
LeoKula
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(5 votes)
I think I should play a few games with it, 'cause I've always felt like 2U was just too much apart from the X cost.
I don't really like the versatility of having "Target player draws..." in a few cards... if you're going for milling, there's always a bunch of cheaper cards like Archive Trap or Traumatize that will mill for 13 ~ 20 cards for 5 mana instead of 2 cards for 5 mana. On the other hand, if you wanna draw them urself, you'd go with Tidings, Concentrate or even Braingeyser / Mindspring for X cards.
Reliquium
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
ong312: I agree the instant speed makes up for it, but the extra colourless mana is one less card being drawn. So I'm on the fence as to whether this or Braingeyser is better.
I don't play eternal, but does this get utilized in decks that makes use of making others draw?
Thoughts?
SlackWareWolf
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
WTF someone actually had the balls to say Traumatize is better? No wonder I saw the word Idiot flying.... Go ahead and try to win with Traumatize or the other stuff, it isn't going to be nearly as accurate, or as fast, as this or Braingeyser. Seriously... I've won games on the first turn with Braingeyser (Fastbond Crucible of Worlds, Zuran Orb = infinite Mana infinite Life so with an Island, you can win on turn 0, only problem is Fastbond is Restricted, so getting that hand is rare, but it has happened).
statiefreez
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(6 votes)
I see only three situations where this card is better than Braingeyser.
i. Multicolor deck
ii. Can be used during opponent's end phase.
iii. Milling out decks that have an Eldrazi Titan in their deck (which everyone worried about mill should have, at least in sideboard). Here's how it works:
1. Play Path to Exile on one of your opponent's creatures. Let this spell resolve.
2. Play Archive Trap (for free).
3. If the Eldrazi Titan is milled, then the trigger goes on the stack, at which point you respond by putting Stroke of Genius for 1 targetting your opponent, and then respond to your own spell by playing the rest of your Archive Traps. You do not want that trigger to resolve!
4. If the Titan wasn't milled, play 1 Archive Trap at a time, until the Titan is milled, and then follow step 3.
If you set up the stack right, this is how it should resolve:
1. Archive Trap(s)
2. Stroke of Genius
3. This would be the Titan's triggered ability, but what happens here is you win since your opponent tried to draw a card but couldn't.
I like Braingeyser and Mind Spring better, although this card isn't that shabby. Needs quite a bit of mana to be cost-effcent, though.
I like the instant speed, at least. :P
Kirbster
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(16 votes)
"Okay, so Blue has a way to blow through their entire deck and ramp up ridiculous amounts of mana on the first turn. Am I missing anything?"
"A blue X-spell, sir. A way to use the mana."
"Oh, yes. One that will allow for that first-turn win. Yes, that will do nicely...."
-Excerpt from the R&D Secret Files
rctoons
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I use this card or braingeyseron my turn after countering my opponent's expensive spell with mana drain
CovetousDragon
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
This is how i imagine the designers' faces when they realized what they did by releasing Urza's Block.
Gabriel422
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is already back in the form of Blue Sun's Zenith, which would've been just as good if it was printed alongside Tolarian Academy. Today the triple blue actually matters.
pedrodyl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"I do the only thing I can do, I stroke myself as hard as I can..." Patrick Chapin
Clicka
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I used this with High Tide and Reset then made my opponent stroke their genius until it came.
gman92
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I really like the easter egg in the flavor text on this card. A direct reference to Urza's creation of Karn, Silver Golem.
dlgn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This actually had a somewhat reprint thingy that's actually better in most circumstances:
Flavor: What happens is that your opponent has a stroke of genius, realizes how awesome you are, then gracefully concedes.
atemu1234
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Karn- Where do Golems come from? Urza- Well, you see, son, when a man and silver love each other very much they-
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey its a good card on its own. Its only broken with other things like Tolarian Academy and Rewind.
Trust me, without an nonsense broken environment around this thing, this wouldn't be so scary.
Trygon_Predator
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ gman2: that's a blueprint on Karn on the wall!
Raibys
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Put a 4/4 Colorless Golem Legendary Artifact Creature token named "Karn, Silver Golem" onto the battlefield.
Technetium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The instant speed is easily worth the 1 less card gained in comparison with Braingeyser. This is blue we're talking about. Blue needs to leave lands untapped for counterspells. Braingeyser is such a risky card for blue to play.
UltraShroom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Cast this on your opponent at the right time to give them a stroke...of genius.
troll_berserker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@statie That combo would only work if you could mill their entire deck out before the Eldrazi trigger resolved. The Path to Exile search effect is optional too and any smart player would choose not to search when playing against mill.
Khaz_Modan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mostly used as a win con in a mill deck, still extremely versatile.
DoorDie
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Reprint in M15, please! :)
Yodha
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Now returned as the fabled Azorius control Sphinx's Revelation!
Comments (30)
2.0
Honestly, my hope is that this card comes back in M11 next year.
I don't really like the versatility of having "Target player draws..." in a few cards... if you're going for milling, there's always a bunch of cheaper cards like Archive Trap or Traumatize that will mill for 13 ~ 20 cards for 5 mana instead of 2 cards for 5 mana. On the other hand, if you wanna draw them urself, you'd go with Tidings, Concentrate or even Braingeyser / Mindspring for X cards.
I don't play eternal, but does this get utilized in decks that makes use of making others draw?
Thoughts?
i. Multicolor deck
ii. Can be used during opponent's end phase.
iii. Milling out decks that have an Eldrazi Titan in their deck (which everyone worried about mill should have, at least in sideboard). Here's how it works:
1. Play Path to Exile on one of your opponent's creatures. Let this spell resolve.
2. Play Archive Trap (for free).
3. If the Eldrazi Titan is milled, then the trigger goes on the stack, at which point you respond by putting Stroke of Genius for 1 targetting your opponent, and then respond to your own spell by playing the rest of your Archive Traps. You do not want that trigger to resolve!
4. If the Titan wasn't milled, play 1 Archive Trap at a time, until the Titan is milled, and then follow step 3.
If you set up the stack right, this is how it should resolve:
1. Archive Trap(s)
2. Stroke of Genius
3. This would be the Titan's triggered ability, but what happens here is you win since your opponent tried to draw a card but couldn't.
The only other cards that can complete this combo are Ancestral Recall, Call to Heel, Careful Consideration, Cerebral Vortex, Inspiration, Oona's Grace, Opportunity, and Wheel and Deal. Ancestral Recall is banned in most formats, and most of the other cards listed are terrible.
I like the instant speed, at least. :P
"A blue X-spell, sir. A way to use the mana."
"Oh, yes. One that will allow for that first-turn win. Yes, that will do nicely...."
-Excerpt from the R&D Secret Files
Patrick Chapin
Blue Sun's Zenith.
Urza- Well, you see, son, when a man and silver love each other very much they-
Trust me, without an nonsense broken environment around this thing, this wouldn't be so scary.