reducing the cost of the activated ability by one mana or two wouldn't have made this card broken, would it?
Haatweels
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Well I think it's more of a give and a take. For example, Prahv, spires of order lets you do it for 6. It's basically letting you play a card that would normally cost 1 or 2 over and over. I agree that it's a bit expensive though.
OrzhovGhostCouncil
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I will admit, the ability's cost is steep, but I've used it to sidestep those damn fortune thieves too many times to count.
Cyberium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Uncounterable ability by default should be a little difficult to pull out, good thing this one can be activated at instant speed, which means in proper deck you won't waste mana on it on your turn.
allmighty_abacus
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Few things are more satisfying than killing your opponent with a land. Especially if it isn't a manland!
divine_exodus
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Five mana?? There is no way I'm paying five mana for an ability like that. I mean, there are black cards that do the same thing for less. I'll keep my mana for suffer the past, thank you.
Mourning-Thrull
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is pretty good. Is the ability over costed? sure. But this card isn't supposed to be activated during the early game, its made for later on in the game around turn 6 and on. When you are against a control deck, this uncounterable ability can swing the game to your favor. Overall, its a solid card, granted there are plenty of better lands coughmanlandscough. 3/5
zandergb
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
The only uncounterable ability on this card is the first one, the one that provides mana. Y'all need to read up on the rules.
Zoah
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
This card has actually won me a number of games against good decks. I was up against a psycho creature removal deck that didn't have very many creatures of it's own. I had just enough removal myself to keep him at bay... Eventually we reached a stalemate he had no creatures, I had one or two but wasn't going to play them... I had this. He didn't. Slowest two matches ever, but it's won for me like that, twice...
Are there better things to spend five manna on? Yes. In spades, coming out the nose, yes. But if the game has already ground to a halt and you are honestly seeing no other way out. This is the answer.
Oh it also fits the flavor. Slow things down and bank them to death. Sounds like Orzov to me.
Gamma_Guy
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
COME ON DOWN TO THE CHURCH OF DEALS, WE'VE GOT THE BEST DEALS IN ALL OF RAVNICA!
dlgn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It seems odd that this wouldn't be legendary.
NuckChorris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why does this guild always get the wors of the (non-mana) Guild cycle cards? Check out the Orzhov Guildmage and compare to most of the other Guildmages. Ironically, for the same amount of mana this is more efficient than the guildmage in 1v1. And compare this to Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion and Skarrg, the Rage Pits. At least this Guild gets some pretty good other cards.
twiddleman12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
More like the church of bad deals.....
alphagprime
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's just like a mini-mall...
BongRipper420
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As I my favorite guild, I believe Orzhov deserves more love. As it is, it's so full of overcosted effects like these and Orzhov deck feels impossible. Sigh.
As for the individual card itself, it's not too bad, because while overcosted, it is a land, which means it's much harder to counter, and can actually matter in certain match ups.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Dont underestimate a repeatable effect. Sometimes your holding instants or running out of steam, this can give you something to spend your mana on.
You could call it bad if it came into play tapped.
Salient
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
You: "Five mana for one lousy life point?! I came to this church for a good deal!"
Orzhov Pontiff: "Those are our conditions. They're non-negotiable."
You: "Well, screw this, then."
Orzhov Pontiff: "...I don't think you understand how we do business, here."
(, doors swing shut)
Orzhov Pontiff: "Completing the transaction is... mandatory."
You: O_O 0_0 o_o ._.
... (sigh and pay the damn )
Orzhov Pontiff: "It was a pleasure doing business with you."
You: (muttering) "I sure as hell didn't enjoy that transaction."
Orzhov Pontiff: "Indeed, that's precisely why it was such a pleasure for me."
Matsumoto
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm surprised this card didn't read each opponent loses 1 life, and u gain 1 life for each life lost this way.
Or they should of changed the ability cost to 2bw. I'm also surprised we didn't see a new version of this in Catecrash.
Mistralis
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why does everyone complain about the price? It's very flavorful, an expensive deal for power. And still, it's solid. If you really have control (play Orzhov like an Orzhovan) and slow the game, you're able to just pump your five mana into this, and sloooowly drain your opponent. This is basically the precursor to Extort. A bit pricy by our standards, but it's still great.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Proto-Extort. Also awesome flavor.
blurrymadness
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Lord of Riots
C-C-C-COMBO!
Quotations
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
if it was just 3 it might be playable, and i STILL wouldn't use it. overprice the green lands, they actually have MANA ACCELERATION
Comments (22)
I was up against a psycho creature removal deck that didn't have very many creatures of it's own. I had just enough removal myself to keep him at bay...
Eventually we reached a stalemate he had no creatures, I had one or two but wasn't going to play them...
I had this. He didn't. Slowest two matches ever, but it's won for me like that, twice...
Are there better things to spend five manna on? Yes. In spades, coming out the nose, yes. But if the game has already ground to a halt and you are honestly seeing no other way out. This is the answer.
Oh it also fits the flavor. Slow things down and bank them to death. Sounds like Orzov to me.
As for the individual card itself, it's not too bad, because while overcosted, it is a land, which means it's much harder to counter, and can actually matter in certain match ups.
You could call it bad if it came into play tapped.
Orzhov Pontiff: "Those are our conditions. They're non-negotiable."
You: "Well, screw this, then."
Orzhov Pontiff: "...I don't think you understand how we do business, here."
(
Orzhov Pontiff: "Completing the transaction is... mandatory."
You:
O_O
0_0
o_o
._.
... (sigh and pay the damn
Orzhov Pontiff: "It was a pleasure doing business with you."
You: (muttering) "I sure as hell didn't enjoy that transaction."
Orzhov Pontiff: "Indeed, that's precisely why it was such a pleasure for me."
Or they should of changed the ability cost to 2bw. I'm also surprised we didn't see a new version of this in Catecrash.
And still, it's solid.
If you really have control (play Orzhov like an Orzhovan) and slow the game, you're able to just pump your five mana into this, and sloooowly drain your opponent.
This is basically the precursor to Extort. A bit pricy by our standards, but it's still great.
C-C-C-COMBO!