Aaron's Random Card Comment of the Day #36, 11/15/10
I like this card's design quite a bit—it reads simply, but it gives you a lot to think about and it lends itself to some very clever plays. Note that it was designed and released under pre-Sixth Edition rules, so it works in combat currently essentially the same way it did when it was first printed.
My only hesitation with reusing it is that, one, it will never replace simpler targeted effects like Unsummon in Core Sets, and two, its name is a huge barrier to reprinting it in other expansions. "Curfew" sounds like exactly what the card depicts it to be—a time for children to be in bed, not a spell concept that can be dropped easily into any world. So it gets passed over.
Looking through Urza's Saga, it surprises me just how strong that "kids in school" flavor comes through—I was mostly oblivious to it as a player. The fact that Urza's Saga was split along color lines across five distinct places and times did not come through when I was using the cards. Perhaps I'm just dense.
@aaron, "curfew" could also relate to citizens in having to be inside at a certain hour if their world was under siege by evil magical forces.
Bedford
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Actually, Curfew can work as is with its name intact if the setting features a strict government that mandates its citizenry to stay in their homes after a certain hour.
Internet_decks_lame
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Surprised at the low rating for such a good card, especially in legacy format with so many reanimator decks, progenitus, and other single creature combos. Not to mention... some decks might find the negative to be a very effective positive allowing a critical creature save against an opponent's removal while at the same time bouncing one of their creatures causing potential delay. Sure it doesnt match unsummon's ability to target, but wiith the right deck this card can get you card advantage and amplify delay if thats what you are looking for. Combine with Stingscourger for a potential 3 bounces on the same target, and if you add Gilded Drake to the mix... why edict or plow when you can do little bounce, steal the animated monster, slap him with it, and/or bounce your drake. Each card costing 2 mana or less... sounds good to me... and if your a control freak add Aether Membrane and Rage Nimbus so after stealing your opponents nasties with Gilded, force the drake to attack with Nimbus' effect and look! The backstabbing drake runs into the membrane and poof back to your hand. Now its ready to steal the next creature and run into the membrane all over again. Hmmm... maybe its not a backstabber after all...
5/5
drunyon
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Awesome in multiplayer. Inferior to Unsummon if you're using it to bounce an opponent's creature, but better than Unsummon if you're using it to save your own.
Scartore
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I just realized that this doesn't target, so it bypasses shroud, hexproof and leyline of sanctity, which is very cool indeed.
Biggles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
They could have printed this in Innistrad if you ask me, would've made a nice parallel with Kindercatch.
SirZapdos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Useful when your opponent cheats a protected fatty like Progenitus or Inkwell Leviathan into play, assuming that they have no other creatures in play.
keiyakins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Curfew isn't THAT hard to reprint flavor-wise. It could have gone in Innistrad easily: get off the streets for your own safety! Azorius could (try to) enforce one in Ravnica.
greatspearman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I could see WotC reprinting this in Dragon's Maze as an Azorius spell. If that happened, I'm sure the Standard format would be overrun with Bant decks with Thragtusk.
Comments (15)
I like this card's design quite a bit—it reads simply, but it gives you a lot to think about and it lends itself to some very clever plays. Note that it was designed and released under pre-Sixth Edition rules, so it works in combat currently essentially the same way it did when it was first printed.
My only hesitation with reusing it is that, one, it will never replace simpler targeted effects like Unsummon in Core Sets, and two, its name is a huge barrier to reprinting it in other expansions. "Curfew" sounds like exactly what the card depicts it to be—a time for children to be in bed, not a spell concept that can be dropped easily into any world. So it gets passed over.
Looking through Urza's Saga, it surprises me just how strong that "kids in school" flavor comes through—I was mostly oblivious to it as a player. The fact that Urza's Saga was split along color lines across five distinct places and times did not come through when I was using the cards. Perhaps I'm just dense.
Anyway, take a look at Urza's Saga blue. You'll see young Teferi in the role of Disruptive Student; Barrin, Master Wizard looking positively Dumbledore-esque; a Stern Proctor, some Academy Researchers, and an Arcane Laboratory wherein Hermetic Studying could be done; the Tolarian Academy itself; and my favorite, Show and Tell. Curfew fits right in!
Surprised at the low rating for such a good card, especially in legacy format with so many reanimator decks, progenitus, and other single creature combos. Not to mention... some decks might find the negative to be a very effective positive allowing a critical creature save against an opponent's removal while at the same time bouncing one of their creatures causing potential delay. Sure it doesnt match unsummon's ability to target, but wiith the right deck this card can get you card advantage and amplify delay if thats what you are looking for. Combine with Stingscourger for a potential 3 bounces on the same target, and if you add Gilded Drake to the mix... why edict or plow when you can do little bounce, steal the animated monster, slap him with it, and/or bounce your drake. Each card costing 2 mana or less... sounds good to me... and if your a control freak add Aether Membrane and Rage Nimbus so after stealing your opponents nasties with Gilded, force the drake to attack with Nimbus' effect and look! The backstabbing drake runs into the membrane and poof back to your hand. Now its ready to steal the next creature and run into the membrane all over again. Hmmm... maybe its not a backstabber after all...
5/5