in almost most cases i'd be humble enough to take on the burden to let myself draw three cards rather than forcing my poor opponent. ;) haha, i love the old wording. yet there's actually a slight difference between the oracle and the written text since you couldn't let your teammate draw the cards.
DaaNz
★☆☆☆☆ (1.9/5.0)(22 votes)
strictly worse than storm crow
energeticpenguin
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(9 votes)
Strictly better to most card drawing and the second most powerful card in this game.
TheMonadNomad
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(6 votes)
The best card in the game to this day.
Vektor480
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Absurd card. But, you know. If even the nerfed version (Ancestral Vision) is really powerfull, image this one...
ratchet1215
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(35 votes)
Giant Growth: Yeah, Richard! You make those "3-of-something-for-1-mana" cards!
Healing Salve: Go, Richard! Keep that cycle going!
Lightning Bolt: Wow, dude, that's really powerful. Make sure to keep this common-appropriate!
Dark Ritual: What are you doing? That's obviously better than the other three!
Ancestral Recall: Seriously? You want us to make this a common? Really?
Emross
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Really one of the best cards, usefull for many decks in T1. Draw 3 and, than...win. ^_^
silentbobus
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(5 votes)
The strongest single card in the game. Narrowly beating out Time Walkand Black Lotus, and ensuring that every Vintage deck will play blue.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★☆☆☆ (2.6/5.0)(9 votes)
Undoubtedly the best "draw card" ever, but probably not the best MTG card ever.
Locohead
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(8 votes)
White - Healing Salve (3 life) Green - Giant Growth (+3 creature) Red - Lightning Bolt (3 damage) Black - Dark Ritual (3 mana) Blue - Ancestral Recall (3 cards)
All common in original Magic playtesting.
Gotta love the balance. :)
VirtueVsVice
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
The most broken of all of the boon cycle...
getz19
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
White - Healing Salve (3 life) Green - Giant Growth (+3 creature) Red - Lightning Bolt (3 damage) ---- Mm.. Ok... Black - Dark Ritual (3 mana) ---- Wow! Blue - Ancestral Recall (3 cards) ---- What!!
If Ancestral Recall wouldn't draw 3 cards, what do you think it would've done instead to make it a common but still in the essence of blue and the "3-for-1 mana thing"? Hmmm....
Tap up to 3 target permanents? Still powerful...
s0phocles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(9 votes)
Obviously absurdly powerful but I don't see how this is the best card ever
TheHappyReaper
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Try to imprint this on a Isochron Scepter. 3 cards a turn for 2 mana.
Atmos
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Uh, yeah. It's Power 9. Nuff said.
jumpenrun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Who said blue was the weakest of all the three colors?lol... Blue has the three most powerful cards ever made, this one and including Time Walk and Timetwister. I never had seen one of this cards in actual.lol
Olliemancer
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This one is sooooo awesome! Always in my decks :) Anybody playing blue who does not put this charm into his deck hasn't understood the importance of drawing cards for a cheap cost :p It is soooo fun playing with this! :) Try it at least as a proxy in your decks just for the fun of casting it at least a few times :)
PhyrexianLobbiest
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(21 votes)
At first glance my thoughts consisted of "What?" upon further inspection, those thoughts were changed to "What?!"
I always like to look at these really really old cards and wonder what they were thinking. "Yeah, 1 blue draw 3 cards wouldn't be overpowered, not at all because we'll give all the other colors a 1 mana card with sick abilities! White could gain 3 life for 1, how about that?!"
Dreki
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
sorry to burst your bubbles guys but this was never a common I remember getting like 10 or more playsets of the other 3 for 1's but I only remember opening 2 of these.
Gomorrah
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(12 votes)
What, you're forcing me to draw three cards? Shucks.
spike_barnett
★★☆☆☆ (2.6/5.0)(9 votes)
Helps me draw more Storm Crows. 5/5
capitalR
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(13 votes)
(ancestral recall) making W/B/R/G players sh*t their pants, since 93.
Zoah
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Edit: Wow... Was I really that deluded when I first started playing?
Original quote: "Not game ending though... I would be far less horrified at seeing this than seeing progenitus, or something, on the other side of the field."
Yeah... This card should not be... This card. This card should say something like "Counter target spell unless target player pays three."
Yes, yes, I know that would be broken too; but it wouldn't be this broken, and even then I still think that Dark ritual would be the favorite of the five.
(Although, the one that scares me the most in this cycle, except this one of course, is Lightning not Dark ritual)
channelblaze
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(5 votes)
This is stupid, try jace's ingenuity if you want some good card draw. 2/5
Oh yeah, and
TERMINATE him and let Demigod of Revenge rule all of the spirit avatars!!!
oh, hello there jaces erasure...............................
BaneSlayerKirby
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
I was at 1 life and 3 islands, then I drew 3 storm crows with this. I flashed my hand to my opponent and he immediately conceded.
samildanach32
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I love storm crows!
freakmaw
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This isn't broken or anything...
made4ipod
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Possibly the most broken of the boon cycle. Take a look at Jace's Ingenuity, which also lets you draw 3. Oh yeah, also Concentrate.
Fanaticmogg
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(8 votes)
@made4ipod: Possibly the most broken boon? Are you counting Black Lotus as a boon or something? Because if you are... this is probably still better.
DellamorteDellamore0
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(8 votes)
On its own its really not that powerful, nor broken. Lightning Bolt and Dark Ritual by themselves are far more powerful alone. Where this cards strength lies is in its ability to combo with so so so many other cards. Underworld Dreams off the top of my head. While I will agree its a powerful boon, as all of them are, I still dont think its right that Wizards quickly banned it while Lightning Bolt is still type 2.
bijart_dauth
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(2 votes)
3 cards for 1 mana is probably the best draw you can get. But unless the cards you draw are going to win you the game, card draw is rather useless. And thats why this is so powerfull, at only 1 mana, useing the cards you draw becomes much, much easyer. Most draw now a-days ether only grants you one or 2 cards (with a little bit of pick and choosing) or costs a large amount of mana. Sometimes bowth. With this, you get 2 more cards than you started with, and you will most likely be able to cast them.
Pontiac
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(13 votes)
Having owned and played with all the power cards I still hold the opinion that Ancestral is the best card in the game, followed by Lotus/Time Walk tie.
Why? simple, while Lotus gives you a 3 mana boost, Ancestral gives you 3 cards. In that type of deck, those 3 cards will usually win you the game, you'll scoop moxen, maybe the lotus, a petal, Windfall, Twister, Wheel, Jar, relearn targeting Ancestral. or Time Walk (and at 2 mana it's VERY easy to cast right away) Don't forget the Tutors at 1 black mana for Vampric and 1B for Demonic, and Mystical for a Blue.
While Lotus is great to get in your opening hand or draw in the first 3 turns, Ancestral Recall always kicks supreme butt, 1 Blue for 3 cards as an instant.
The Black Lotus got alot of respect from other players, but my Ancestral Recall won me way more games than it ever did.
just my 2 cents
DiasFlac420
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(5 votes)
Strictly better than Jace's Ingenuity.
dragonking987
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(6 votes)
strictly worse then storm crow.
grensley
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(24 votes)
"you know....we could also make it an instant if it isn't good enough"
AvatarOfHOE
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Well... I mean drawing three cards is nice, but this card seems a bit over-costed at one blue mana.
TheSwarm
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Immensely powerful but I have no idea how this card got its reputation as the most broken spectacular card in MTG history. I can have four hundred of them in a deck its not gonna win.. Idk..
So I've been playing blue a lot more lately, mostly combo stuff, and I can definantly see how this is a great, incredibly wonderful card. I understand now. I think preordain is the best thing since sliced bread, and the ability to draw three cards instead of scrying is fantastic.
SlackWareWolf
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(8 votes)
I put this on Isochron Scepter. It's not even remotely fair. I Love It.
EDIT:
To the guy who said "sorry to burst your bubble it was never a common" please try and know what you're talking about before saying something is a fact. Ancestral Recall was in fact common in the FIRST version of Alpha.
When Magic was still being play tested, the first set was called "Alpha" but not the one we all know with rounded corners. It was Alpha where walls could attack, and losing all lands of a certain type destroyed all spells of that color. Next came Beta, and then Gamma. After Gamma, came Alpha with the rounded Corners and stuff we know today, then, Another Beta, then Unlimited. The first alpha though not only had Ancestral Recall as a Common, it had Time Walk as a common too, and it was the infamous one that stated "Opponent loses next turn". THAT is a fact ;)
Evermint
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(9 votes)
Oh wow @ people trying to make combos for this card.
How about just paying your one blue mana at instant speed and drawing three cards? Hot damn, that's better than most combos.
reapersaurus
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
People need to understand - back in the day, "card advantage" was not something that was remotely conceived of in relation to the game of Magic. While people knew 3 cards for one mana was a good thing to cast, they simply (generalizing) didn't connect the concept of "draw more cards = likely winning" Mana efficiency and card advantage were not wide-held truisms about Magic back when this came out.
ThisisSakon
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
"You know what? I'm feeling nice today. Go ahead, draw three cards. You know you want to..."
ninjaman98
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(22 votes)
"Take that! I force you to draw three cards! You must be mad now....'
rctoons
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(11 votes)
You're forcing me to draw three cards? Well I'm going to have to respond to that with Force of Will.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(14 votes)
Why would you ever use it on yourself?!? Mill deck finisher!!! It's not like card advantage is important!
089359834095639487540932875986/5
Polychromatic
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
The greatest card that is or ever will be, hands down.
gasimakos1
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@pontiac, you're wrong. the best card in the game is contract from below. no contest. anyone who ever played shandalar knows that.
Phantom_of_the_FNM
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
TLDR version: Ancestral Recall>Black Lotus Full version: First, I understand why people would rate this below 5 stars. They don't rate something high because it's powerful: they rate it high because it's fun/balanced/interesting. Fun, this is sometimes. It makes basically any deck that plays the islands playable. At the same time, though, it can be added to an already unbalanced deck and make it nearly. unbeatable, which isn't really fun. Balanced, it is the opposite of. Interesting, it isn't really. How often will this not mean, "you win the game"? I rated it 5/5. But I can understand why someone would rate it 1. Second, unrestricted vintage is a casual format I play (using proxies) with some of my friends. In it, the best deck is actually NOT storm combo decks and other crazy combo decks that go off on turn 1 90% of the time, though they do exist. The best is an esper control deck. Watch: Storm player tries to go off turn 1 on the play, something they can do pretty reliably. The opponent starts with Gemstone Caverns on the battlefield. They cast Ancestral Recall during the opponent's upkeep. "Tendrils of Agony." "Mindbreak Trap." "Go." Their turn: "Island, Black Lotus, Jace, the Mindsculptor. I'll Brainstorm." Just saying, the best cards in the game, as evidenced by the fact that it makes up the best deck in Vintage without a restricted list, is not a Mox, or Time Walk, or Tinker, or Black Lotus. It's Ancestral Recall and Jace. Magic is weird. Third, Here's why this is better than Black Lotus: Black lotus adds 3 mana. This gives you 3 cards. Would you ever play a card that cost 1 and did nothing, but just draw you a card? No, you wouldn't. You have better cards than THAT. therefore, 1 card is better than 1 mana. For that reason, Ancestral Recall, which gets you 3 cards, is better than Black Lotus, which gets you 3 mana. Just in case someone else thinks of this, the cost to make something instant speed is either 1 or U. Therefore, the ability to cast Ancestral at instant speed makes up for the greater cost. Finally, on the subject of Unrestricted Vintage, it's a VERY different format from restricted Vintage. It's basically divided into combo decks that go off on turn 1 95% of the time or higher, and decks designed to combat them. The problem with combo, however, is that you can only rarely spend any card slots on disruption or protection, because sacrificing speed for resilience is actually a bad investment. Basically, every game is decided on the first turn, which is a single blindingly fast turn of tremendous interaction. I've played many games in this format, and the speed tradeoff for having spaces open for counters and discard, as supposed to card draw, tutors, and fast mana, is just not a good one. What that means is that control decks running about 20 free counters are the top of the food chain, and not the broken combo decks.
Demonic_Math_Tutor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
A broken card becomes even more broken with Consecrated Sphinx. Hopefully, i shouldnt have to explain this...
divine_exodus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
And now M12 brings us visions of beyond. The link will work soon, but for all those too curious to wait:
Visions of Beyond
Cost: U
Instant
Draw a card. If a graveyard has twenty or more cards in it, draw three cards instead.
Flavor text: "The past is the foundation for all that exists in the present. We merely reconstruct what our ancestors have already discovered." ---Sachimir, Sage of Memories
Artist: Terese Nielsen
Rarity: Rare
It's like this, but fixed to fit standard!
WateryMind
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Christ, could this be any more broken?!
RichardJesperson
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Most powerful card ever. The advantage of Black Lotus decreases after the first few turns, but this is always fantastic.
And to think I once had a few, and sold them :(
MarlinFlake
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Wow, it's the blue Healing Salve! I love all the cards in this cycle and I'm glad they made it.
I know Demonic Math Tutor already mentioned Consecrated Sphinx, but...
I force you to draw 3 cards! Now I have 6 more cards! Mwahaha!
001010011100101110
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(15 votes)
Even the guy in the picture is totally like "what is this I don't even..."
Purple_Shrimp
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
easily, it could draw 4 cards
JFM2796
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
I showed my mom this card a few months ago and she said in the early 90s she had a dream where she saw a ziggurat like the one in the background with a bunch of these guys who looked like that one walking around it. I thought it might have been a real life Ancestral Recall.
MisterMirage
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
BY FAR the best way to win with this card is to put it in a mill deck, then when your opponent only has 2 or fewer cards left, you use this, just to spite them. A troll face is also necessary. Another great one would be using this with the super new Laboratory Maniac to win.
Radagast
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
So simple, so broken.
Ferlord
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Want your own Ancestral Recall? Get Jace's Ingenuity and scratch out the name, effect and converted mana cost, replace with their normal values and photocopy a picture of the art over Jace's face...
In fact, why not just photocopy the whole card and put it over something useless like this? I throw out these by the barrels considering how useless they are anyway.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
The guy's like I CAN'T STAND WHAT THOSE IDIOT PRIESTS ARE TEACHING ME!!!!!!!! JUST GIMMEE THE THREE CARDS ALREADY!!!!!!!!
NoFatWizards
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
remember before the interwebs and fancy smartphones? when you had to buy magazines to gauge the rarity of your cards?
Ipsilont
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Many have tried to imitate it, but it is and will remain now and forever more the best card draw spell (if not the best spell!) in Magic.
jeff-heikkinen
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(17 votes)
So undercosted you can quadruple its converted mana cost, halve the raw card advantage it gives, change it from an instant to a sorcery, and remove the admittedly seldom-used option of using it as a mill finisher, and still get a card that occasionally saw tournament play.
I always think the picture should be some guy with a gun: "Draw 3 ***."
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Unlimited is the third Un-set. LoL 'or target opponent'...XD like I'm ever going to use that part...
Dustylou_2
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the Power Nine, and for good reason... even with the existence of power creep, this same effect costs 3UU these days. The advantage you get from this spell for such a cheap amount of mana is just ridiculous. If this doesn't deserve five stars, nothing does.
Morgaledh
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
From MaRo's column: "it’s important to note that Richard designed Alpha making a few assumptions that turned out to be way off base. The biggest one was the assumption that players would buy the equivalent of five starter decks and would only trade within their own small play group. In that scenario, cards like Ancestral Recall or the Moxes are nowhere nearly as degenerate."
AlphaSix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Beautiful card, but just one question, If I have only two cards left in my library , can I play Ancestral Recall?
HellkatOverlord
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
How is every vote not a 5/5? This is awesome.
atemu1234
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Now you have an actual reason to target your opponent. Consecrated Sphinx. Current highest rated card on gatherer.
TheWrathofShane
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(5 votes)
I give it a .5/5 for balancing!! This card is unfair and expensive!! :D
EGarrett01
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(10 votes)
I like all the new players who want to "combo it" with Consecrated Sphinx.
Here's a better one guys...Ancestral Recall + Island.
yousquiddinme
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like how the blue pieces of power all have really silly art.
Time Walk is the worst culprit, but this is still just silly. What's going on here? Is his head hurting because he remembers the pyramid? And that somehow..draws..cards? What?
OverlordSmurf
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is still playable as a 5-drop (Jace’s Ingenuity)! That’s sickening! This legitimately might be the best card ever printed.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Alphasix: Yes. But then you would lose the game. Congratulations. You used the best card in Magic to lose the game. That should earn you a medal of some sort.
@sirlibraryeater: Ancestral Visions is great in a cascade deck but for anything else, waiting 4 turns to draw 3 is much less efficient than drawing 3 now.
smokyWSDXS
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Well, for me this is the best card. A lotus will win you the game sometimes. A resolved ancestral always should. really, really nice.
Ibn_Shisha
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think that's the pyramid in Guatemala they used for Star Wars...
RetroGamer3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has spawned so many bastard cards that are close to it but yet soooo far.
SkyknightXi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
4.5 here, mostly because while it's definitely useful, it's really just a catalyst, not a weapon in its own right (milling decks aside). I'll reserve my 5s for for weapons and armor proper, the actual cores (to give you some idea, Mystic Snake is one of the cards that DOES meet my standards for a 5). In other words, while this kind of card would merit high priority, it's not something you should shove an important armament aside for.
EDIT: I'm getting confused by the people calling card draw strong in and of itself here. Let's try to remember that card advantage in and of itself DOESN'T win games, shall we? It's dependent on what it can bring forth--that's why I said it's just a catalyst. Remember that, yes?
@EGarrett01: I think they're trying to find a way to have it do more than JUST net you three more cards. I acknowledge it's helpful, but can you blame them for trying to ferret out even more than that?
Mirrordin_Pure
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Art depicts a new player's head beginning holding back their head from exploding by the sheer power of this card.
MajesticSundew
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@SirLibraryEater: I don't think you actually understand how ancestral vision works.
Bob111634
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
friend: memnite into black lotus into tinker into blightsteel colossus go. me: ancestral recall draws 3 storm crows shows them to friend friend: scoops
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Arguably the best Magic card ever. "
Arguably the best anything ever.
MostlyLost
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
The debate will rage on forever about whether this or Black Lotus is the best card in Magic, but I do have this to say:
Lotus Bloom is BL with suspend 3, and it's legal in Modern. Ancestral Vision is AR with suspend 4, and it's banned in Modern.
Hepatizon
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
You can just picture this going through someone's head:
"What, just draw three cards for one mana? That's not that big a deal." "What, just get one extra turn for two mana? That's not that big a deal." "What, just a zero-cost sac that gives you three of any mana? That's not that big a deal." "What, a land that produces two types of mana? That's not that big a deal." "What, search your deck for any card for two mana? That's not that big a deal." "WOAH HOLY CRAP LEVIATHAN IS SOOO GOOD"
land_comment
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is the card with the highest community rating on 9/21/13. It ought to be close... but I dunno, I still find lotus and walk slightly better...
ArcaneHipocrisy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Might as well be: Pay U--> Win the game!
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Strictly worse than strom crow
BongRipper420
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
A funny, somewhat awe-inspiring event unfolded in front of me a couple months ago. True story;
Recently I was at my LGS, talking to a guy who I haven't seen their before. He was probably around 25 or so, and was discussing with me how he hadn't played MTG in a very long time, seeing as he used to play with his older brother when they were youngsters. He told me how he was walking by the store, saw MTG being advertised and figured he would walk in, see how the game is currently, browse for a second, ect. He told me how he was confused by planeswalkers, sort of thought it seemed like they were taking the place of legendary creatures, and how different the cards look from when he played, ect. Stuff you'd expect from a guy who quit around Legends or so.
Eventually, while he was looking at the display case, he saw a signed version of this card. His eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped when he saw the price written on the sleeve. It was going for $700. He then said to me "Wow, why is that card so expensive?!" He paused, seemed to ponder something for a moment, looked at the card, and said "It must have to do with the fact its signed. That makes sense. I have 5 of these back home. There's no way it's worth that much! Do you know how much these go for unsigned? Like what, 20 bucks or something?". At this point my mouth was probably about twice as wide as when he first noticed the price. I figured I'd help him out as much as I could, not wanting someone to basically steal from him if he ever decided to sell them in a transaction. I told him "Well, it depends on a lot of factors. The condition matters a lot, but even more important is what set it was from. Do you remember what set it was from at all?" He responded quickly; "Yes clearly. The majority of my collection was from the first set, back when the game was brand new. My brother and I opened a ton of these, and I still have at least five copies at my parents house!"
I was in awe. This guy had 5 copies of Alpha Ancestral Recall just sitting in his room back home, and according to him many were close to mint condition. So rather than tell him my guess as to the price, I directed him to the store clerk, who is friendly and always willing to look up the price of cards for people in the store. After a moment, the store clerk told the man "Near mint Alpha Ancestral Recall goes for about... $2000." The customer seemed amazed. No, he was amazed. I talked to him for a few more minutes after that, he seemed to be a very happy camper from then on. Of course, I'm sure I would be too if I just found out I had an extra $10,000 worth of value to my name. I'm just glad I got to help this fellow out before he did something crazy, like sell them for 20 bucks each, and I'd say his overjoyed reaction was plenty payment. I love moments like this and just want to share.
Now, onto the card itself:
This is arguably the most powerful card in the game. I'd say even more so than Black Lotus and Time Walk, though their both undoubtedly close seconds. But they just can't compare to the ridiculously efficient card advantage this card can generate. At instant speed, no less.
This card is bonkers.
jerkoid
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The flavor behind this card confuses me. Why is the guy's problem? What's the temple? Maybe he's being flooded with information too fast from the ghosts of the past. Maybe they told him how they died out, and drives him insane.
thisisthedave1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this is actually only the 2nd best card draw spell in "ALL" of magic, can u guess what would be the first technically ??
Hints: - its black - costs one black mana to use
now im not gunna say that this card sux by any long shot, this is more legal and popular that everyone knows than that black card.
:)
supafly13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Easy. Contract from Below...
MonoTroller
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I remember when my friend was introducing magic, I was convinced that it was hugely balanced (I used to do Yugioh).
So, in order to convince me otherwise, first he showed me Timetwister. But I just said "man, we have morphing jar, which is like that, plus a creature, all in one!"
Then, he showed me Black Lotus. But I just (obviously hugely mistakenly) said "man, we have double summon which will give us tempo for the price of a card advantage, and we don't even think of it as good!"
Then, he showed me this. The next sound I made sounded somewhat like choking.
Swag_Crow
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
It's okay I guess, but card advantage really isn't all that much. By spending this mana, you lose out on mana advantage. If you had a handful of Ancestral Recalls what do you get? A bunch of cards to discard at the end of the turn! Plus, it's a sorcery so it's bad.
-Swag_Crow
Yakone
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Multiply the mana cost by 5 and you have a decent and balanced card. Probably the best card ever outside of contract from below.
shotoku64
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I vote this as best card for the fact that it is one of the only cards that you will play the moment it hits your hand, and 99.9% of the time you will have the mana.
The rest of the power 9: 1) Black Lotus, you need to have things worth spending 3 mana on, and you have to sacrifice it, so it provides card disadvantage. 2-6) Moxen, not strictly better than a land unless you draw them on turn 1 or 2 7) Time Walk, needs great timing to be superbly effective 8) Time Twister, which imo comes closest to Ancestral Recall, but can in rare cases help your opponent, and it is 3x the cost of Ancestral Recall for less than 2x the card advantage on a good day
I'm not saying the downsides of these cards don't warrant playing them, just that there is no reason not to play this every time you draw Ancestral Recall.
Takno
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@MostlyLost I think that it's not entirely fair to compare Lotus Bloom, which I entirely agree with you is a Black Lotus with Suspend 3, with Ancestral Vision seeing as a 3 extra mana, making your mana 7 without Ramping, isn't that much swing as there are a lot of other cards that can make you be on 7 mana + if you play mana ramp. But on turn 1, as with Black Lotus, is a lot more. 3 extra cards on turn 5 is a something completely different than 3 extra mana since mana in late game becomes much less of an issue and not at all as important (especially with temporary mana), card draw on the other hand is never invalid. As such I don't think it's an entirely fair to compare these two cards in order to answer wether or not BL or AR is the better card.
Comments (106)
haha, i love the old wording. yet there's actually a slight difference between the oracle and the written text since you couldn't let your teammate draw the cards.
Healing Salve: Go, Richard! Keep that cycle going!
Lightning Bolt: Wow, dude, that's really powerful. Make sure to keep this common-appropriate!
Dark Ritual: What are you doing? That's obviously better than the other three!
Ancestral Recall: Seriously? You want us to make this a common? Really?
Green - Giant Growth (+3 creature)
Red - Lightning Bolt (3 damage)
Black - Dark Ritual (3 mana)
Blue - Ancestral Recall (3 cards)
All common in original Magic playtesting.
Gotta love the balance. :)
Green - Giant Growth (+3 creature)
Red - Lightning Bolt (3 damage) ---- Mm.. Ok...
Black - Dark Ritual (3 mana) ---- Wow!
Blue - Ancestral Recall (3 cards) ---- What!!
If Ancestral Recall wouldn't draw 3 cards, what do you think it would've done instead to make it a common but still in the essence of blue and the "3-for-1 mana thing"? Hmmm....
Tap up to 3 target permanents? Still powerful...
Try it at least as a proxy in your decks just for the fun of casting it at least a few times :)
6/5
Original quote: "Not game ending though... I would be far less horrified at seeing this than seeing progenitus, or something, on the other side of the field."
Yeah... This card should not be... This card. This card should say something like "Counter target spell unless target player pays three."
Yes, yes, I know that would be broken too; but it wouldn't be this broken, and even then I still think that Dark ritual would be the favorite of the five.
(Although, the one that scares me the most in this cycle, except this one of course, is Lightning not Dark ritual)
Oh yeah, and
TERMINATE him and let Demigod of Revenge rule all of the spirit avatars!!!
Lightning Bolt and Dark Ritual by themselves are far more powerful alone.
Where this cards strength lies is in its ability to combo with so so so many other cards.
Underworld Dreams off the top of my head.
While I will agree its a powerful boon, as all of them are, I still dont think its right that Wizards quickly banned it while Lightning Bolt is still type 2.
Why? simple, while Lotus gives you a 3 mana boost, Ancestral gives you 3 cards. In that type of deck, those 3 cards will usually win you the game, you'll scoop moxen, maybe the lotus, a petal, Windfall, Twister, Wheel, Jar, relearn targeting Ancestral. or Time Walk (and at 2 mana it's VERY easy to cast right away) Don't forget the Tutors at 1 black mana for Vampric and 1B for Demonic, and Mystical for a Blue.
While Lotus is great to get in your opening hand or draw in the first 3 turns, Ancestral Recall always kicks supreme butt, 1 Blue for 3 cards as an instant.
The Black Lotus got alot of respect from other players, but my Ancestral Recall won me way more games than it ever did.
just my 2 cents
So I've been playing blue a lot more lately, mostly combo stuff, and I can definantly see how this is a great, incredibly wonderful card. I understand now. I think preordain is the best thing since sliced bread, and the ability to draw three cards instead of scrying is fantastic.
EDIT:
To the guy who said "sorry to burst your bubble it was never a common" please try and know what you're talking about before saying something is a fact. Ancestral Recall was in fact common in the FIRST version of Alpha.
When Magic was still being play tested, the first set was called "Alpha" but not the one we all know with rounded corners. It was Alpha where walls could attack, and losing all lands of a certain type destroyed all spells of that color. Next came Beta, and then Gamma. After Gamma, came Alpha with the rounded Corners and stuff we know today, then, Another Beta, then Unlimited. The first alpha though not only had Ancestral Recall as a Common, it had Time Walk as a common too, and it was the infamous one that stated "Opponent loses next turn". THAT is a fact ;)
How about just paying your one blue mana at instant speed and drawing three cards? Hot damn, that's better than most combos.
back in the day, "card advantage" was not something that was remotely conceived of in relation to the game of Magic.
While people knew 3 cards for one mana was a good thing to cast, they simply (generalizing) didn't connect the concept of "draw more cards = likely winning"
Mana efficiency and card advantage were not wide-held truisms about Magic back when this came out.
089359834095639487540932875986/5
Full version:
First, I understand why people would rate this below 5 stars. They don't rate something high because it's powerful: they rate it high because it's fun/balanced/interesting. Fun, this is sometimes. It makes basically any deck that plays the islands playable. At the same time, though, it can be added to an already unbalanced deck and make it nearly. unbeatable, which isn't really fun. Balanced, it is the opposite of. Interesting, it isn't really. How often will this not mean, "you win the game"? I rated it 5/5. But I can understand why someone would rate it 1.
Second, unrestricted vintage is a casual format I play (using proxies) with some of my friends. In it, the best deck is actually NOT storm combo decks and other crazy combo decks that go off on turn 1 90% of the time, though they do exist. The best is an esper control deck. Watch:
Storm player tries to go off turn 1 on the play, something they can do pretty reliably. The opponent starts with Gemstone Caverns on the battlefield. They cast Ancestral Recall during the opponent's upkeep. "Tendrils of Agony." "Mindbreak Trap." "Go." Their turn: "Island, Black Lotus, Jace, the Mindsculptor. I'll Brainstorm."
Just saying, the best cards in the game, as evidenced by the fact that it makes up the best deck in Vintage without a restricted list, is not a Mox, or Time Walk, or Tinker, or Black Lotus. It's Ancestral Recall and Jace. Magic is weird.
Third, Here's why this is better than Black Lotus: Black lotus adds 3 mana. This gives you 3 cards. Would you ever play a card that cost 1 and did nothing, but just draw you a card? No, you wouldn't. You have better cards than THAT. therefore, 1 card is better than 1 mana. For that reason, Ancestral Recall, which gets you 3 cards, is better than Black Lotus, which gets you 3 mana. Just in case someone else thinks of this, the cost to make something instant speed is either 1 or U. Therefore, the ability to cast Ancestral at instant speed makes up for the greater cost.
Finally, on the subject of Unrestricted Vintage, it's a VERY different format from restricted Vintage. It's basically divided into combo decks that go off on turn 1 95% of the time or higher, and decks designed to combat them. The problem with combo, however, is that you can only rarely spend any card slots on disruption or protection, because sacrificing speed for resilience is actually a bad investment. Basically, every game is decided on the first turn, which is a single blindingly fast turn of tremendous interaction. I've played many games in this format, and the speed tradeoff for having spaces open for counters and discard, as supposed to card draw, tutors, and fast mana, is just not a good one. What that means is that control decks running about 20 free counters are the top of the food chain, and not the broken combo decks.
Visions of Beyond
Cost: U
Instant
Draw a card. If a graveyard has twenty or more cards in it, draw three cards instead.
Flavor text: "The past is the foundation for all that exists in the present. We merely reconstruct what our ancestors have already discovered." ---Sachimir, Sage of Memories
Artist: Terese Nielsen
Rarity: Rare
It's like this, but fixed to fit standard!
And to think I once had a few, and sold them :(
When is Lightning Bolt an Ancestral Recall? Swans of Bryn Argoll.
When is Giant Growth an Ancestral Recall? Garruk, Primal Hunter.
When is Healing Salve an Ancestral Recall? Yawgmoth's Bargain.
When is Ancestral Recall an Ancestral Recall? Every time.
5/5.
I force you to draw 3 cards! Now I have 6 more cards! Mwahaha!
In fact, why not just photocopy the whole card and put it over something useless like this? I throw out these by the barrels considering how useless they are anyway.
and fancy smartphones?
when you had to buy magazines
to gauge the rarity of your cards?
Current highest rated card on gatherer.
Here's a better one guys...Ancestral Recall + Island.
Time Walk is the worst culprit, but this is still just silly. What's going on here? Is his head hurting because he remembers the pyramid? And that somehow..draws..cards? What?
@sirlibraryeater: Ancestral Visions is great in a cascade deck but for anything else, waiting 4 turns to draw 3 is much less efficient than drawing 3 now.
EDIT: I'm getting confused by the people calling card draw strong in and of itself here. Let's try to remember that card advantage in and of itself DOESN'T win games, shall we? It's dependent on what it can bring forth--that's why I said it's just a catalyst. Remember that, yes?
@EGarrett01: I think they're trying to find a way to have it do more than JUST net you three more cards. I acknowledge it's helpful, but can you blame them for trying to ferret out even more than that?
me: ancestral recall draws 3 storm crows shows them to friend
friend: scoops
Arguably the best anything ever.
Lotus Bloom is BL with suspend 3, and it's legal in Modern.
Ancestral Vision is AR with suspend 4, and it's banned in Modern.
"What, just draw three cards for one mana? That's not that big a deal."
"What, just get one extra turn for two mana? That's not that big a deal."
"What, just a zero-cost sac that gives you three of any mana? That's not that big a deal."
"What, a land that produces two types of mana? That's not that big a deal."
"What, search your deck for any card for two mana? That's not that big a deal."
"WOAH HOLY CRAP LEVIATHAN IS SOOO GOOD"
Recently I was at my LGS, talking to a guy who I haven't seen their before. He was probably around 25 or so, and was discussing with me how he hadn't played MTG in a very long time, seeing as he used to play with his older brother when they were youngsters. He told me how he was walking by the store, saw MTG being advertised and figured he would walk in, see how the game is currently, browse for a second, ect. He told me how he was confused by planeswalkers, sort of thought it seemed like they were taking the place of legendary creatures, and how different the cards look from when he played, ect. Stuff you'd expect from a guy who quit around Legends or so.
Eventually, while he was looking at the display case, he saw a signed version of this card. His eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped when he saw the price written on the sleeve. It was going for $700. He then said to me "Wow, why is that card so expensive?!" He paused, seemed to ponder something for a moment, looked at the card, and said "It must have to do with the fact its signed. That makes sense. I have 5 of these back home. There's no way it's worth that much! Do you know how much these go for unsigned? Like what, 20 bucks or something?". At this point my mouth was probably about twice as wide as when he first noticed the price. I figured I'd help him out as much as I could, not wanting someone to basically steal from him if he ever decided to sell them in a transaction. I told him "Well, it depends on a lot of factors. The condition matters a lot, but even more important is what set it was from. Do you remember what set it was from at all?" He responded quickly; "Yes clearly. The majority of my collection was from the first set, back when the game was brand new. My brother and I opened a ton of these, and I still have at least five copies at my parents house!"
I was in awe. This guy had 5 copies of Alpha Ancestral Recall just sitting in his room back home, and according to him many were close to mint condition. So rather than tell him my guess as to the price, I directed him to the store clerk, who is friendly and always willing to look up the price of cards for people in the store. After a moment, the store clerk told the man "Near mint Alpha Ancestral Recall goes for about... $2000." The customer seemed amazed. No, he was amazed. I talked to him for a few more minutes after that, he seemed to be a very happy camper from then on. Of course, I'm sure I would be too if I just found out I had an extra $10,000 worth of value to my name. I'm just glad I got to help this fellow out before he did something crazy, like sell them for 20 bucks each, and I'd say his overjoyed reaction was plenty payment. I love moments like this and just want to share.
Now, onto the card itself:
This is arguably the most powerful card in the game. I'd say even more so than Black Lotus and Time Walk, though their both undoubtedly close seconds. But they just can't compare to the ridiculously efficient card advantage this card can generate. At instant speed, no less.
This card is bonkers.
Hints: - its black
- costs one black mana to use
now im not gunna say that this card sux by any long shot, this is more legal and popular that everyone knows than that black card.
:)
So, in order to convince me otherwise, first he showed me Timetwister. But I just said "man, we have morphing jar, which is like that, plus a creature, all in one!"
Then, he showed me Black Lotus. But I just (obviously hugely mistakenly) said "man, we have double summon which will give us tempo for the price of a card advantage, and we don't even think of it as good!"
Then, he showed me this. The next sound I made sounded somewhat like choking.
-Swag_Crow
The rest of the power 9:
1) Black Lotus, you need to have things worth spending 3 mana on, and you have to sacrifice it, so it provides card disadvantage.
2-6) Moxen, not strictly better than a land unless you draw them on turn 1 or 2
7) Time Walk, needs great timing to be superbly effective
8) Time Twister, which imo comes closest to Ancestral Recall, but can in rare cases help your opponent, and it is 3x the cost of Ancestral Recall for less than 2x the card advantage on a good day
I'm not saying the downsides of these cards don't warrant playing them, just that there is no reason not to play this every time you draw Ancestral Recall.
I think that it's not entirely fair to compare Lotus Bloom, which I entirely agree with you is a Black Lotus with Suspend 3, with Ancestral Vision seeing as a 3 extra mana, making your mana 7 without Ramping, isn't that much swing as there are a lot of other cards that can make you be on 7 mana + if you play mana ramp. But on turn 1, as with Black Lotus, is a lot more. 3 extra cards on turn 5 is a something completely different than 3 extra mana since mana in late game becomes much less of an issue and not at all as important (especially with temporary mana), card draw on the other hand is never invalid. As such I don't think it's an entirely fair to compare these two cards in order to answer wether or not BL or AR is the better card.