I've been thinking of adding a pair of Cerebral Vortex to my UR counter burn deck as instant speed card draw. In rare situations it can even double as a damage spell if you need to close out the game. If there are better instant speed draw spells at less than 4cmc I would be happy to hear about it.
I like think twice better, since it doesn't hurt and still lets you play at instant speed. Yes, it's a bigger mana investment, but life is a precious resource when burn is a tier 1 deck.
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Yes, I am a local area mod. WELP. GOOD LIFE CHANGES ALL HAPPEN AT ONCE AND SOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
Primary Decks:
Modern: Esper Draw-Go
Legacy: RUG Lands
EDH: Sidisi turn-3 storm
I like think twice better, since it doesn't hurt and still lets you play at instant speed. Yes, it's a bigger mana investment, but life is a precious resource when burn is a tier 1 deck.
I think think twice is much worse because you are paying 4U to draw two cards when you could pay 3 mana to do the same.
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On mtgsalvation people don't want to discuss ideas, so I give people something else to discuss: my controversial opinions.
I've been thinking of adding a pair of Cerebral Vortex to my UR counter burn deck as instant speed card draw. In rare situations it can even double as a damage spell if you need to close out the game. If there are better instant speed draw spells at less than 4cmc I would be happy to hear about it.
Unfortunatley the only other choice to draw two at instant speed is esper charm.
If your deck is controlling you should try to avoid dealing damage to yourself, so Think Twice is better. You can Vortex your opponent to kill them, but those situations are very rare. Besides, in the same situation, Think Twice also has a shot at killing them (TT, draw into burn, KO), so it's not totally useless.
In order to evaluate how good the card is, read it like this:
You may draw two cards if you allow your opponent to draw a card (that will always be shock or better) and add to their mana pool. So now because you had to use a spell to create this effect, you actually end up with no net card difference.
Then ofcourse there is the opposite where you get to bolt your opponent in exchange for letting them draw two. Or even straight up kill them if they are storm or something and have drawn a bunch of cards. But these will both be rare, as unreliable as the large majority of decks that can draw lots of cards are blue and have counterspells anyway.
I've been thinking of adding a pair of Cerebral Vortex to my UR counter burn deck as instant speed card draw. In rare situations it can even double as a damage spell if you need to close out the game. If there are better instant speed draw spells at less than 4cmc I would be happy to hear about it.
Unfortunatley the only other choice to draw two at instant speed is esper charm.
There is also Thirst for Knowledge. But of course you need to build around it somewhat which is why it only sees play in the Blue Tron decks.
Like others have said, you can't be burning yourself for card draw when you're already burning yourself to play a 3-color mana base. Furthermore, the only reason to consider this thing is if you're unable to profitably build around thirst for knowledge or for some reason can't afford the incremental cost of think twice, which I see as being a very narrow deck design space--what decks are "fast enough" that they can't afford waiting around for the incremental draws from think twice, can't cast thirst for knowledge or esper charm, don't want/already maxed out on electrolyze, don't want/can't cast Kolaghan's Command, and have space because they're not already full on remand/snapcaster mage/bolt. It's just kind of a narrow spell where the downsides are significant in the metagame at the moment, and the upsides are extremely narrow though possibly very potent. I could see it being much better if they were to print something that made storm Tier 1 again.
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Yes, I am a local area mod. WELP. GOOD LIFE CHANGES ALL HAPPEN AT ONCE AND SOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
Primary Decks:
Modern: Esper Draw-Go
Legacy: RUG Lands
EDH: Sidisi turn-3 storm
I've been thinking of adding a pair of Cerebral Vortex to my UR counter burn deck as instant speed card draw. In rare situations it can even double as a damage spell if you need to close out the game. If there are better instant speed draw spells at less than 4cmc I would be happy to hear about it.
Unfortunatley the only other choice to draw two at instant speed is esper charm.
There is also Thirst for Knowledge. But of course you need to build around it somewhat which is why it only sees play in the Blue Tron decks.
I had made a really, really awful Vedalken Shackles deck a long time ago that used Thrist for Card Advantage but didn't use Tron at all. But that deck was horrible, so I guess that point is irrelevant.
Red should be burn, Goblins, Dragons, draw/discard, and Standard-unplayable 5CMC cards with insane, lengthy effects that take 10 minutes to figure out what they do and another 20 to actually make their effects work on the field.
I'm playng it in mio UWR midrange.
It's a grate choise and that life loss is payble for 2 card in instant speed.
I'm not sayng that Vortex is strong...not after Cruise and Dig, but is the grateest draw spell in that colors. I'm considering Telling Time also, but drawing 2 in instant speed is something you can't do most of the time. Test it, you will like it.
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My Decks on Paper: UWR Control/Midrange/Delver UWR Twin Miss you GBWJunk (still semi-budget; 3 tarmo only) GWAura Hexproof GWHatebears
Murmurs from Beyond is an option people here haven't mentioned. The selection is bad of course, but it _does_ net you two card at instant speed for 3 cmc without paying life. It's also an arcane spell, which occasionally has uses.
Based on my testing, sadly this card is not good enough. What I found fun though is that Cerebral Vortex does make Blue Sun's Zenith and Opportunity lethal on your opponent lol.
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On mtgsalvation people don't want to discuss ideas, so I give people something else to discuss: my controversial opinions.
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
Yes, I am a local area mod.WELP. GOOD LIFE CHANGES ALL HAPPEN AT ONCE AND SOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVEPrimary Decks:
Modern: Esper Draw-Go
Legacy: RUG Lands
EDH: Sidisi turn-3 storm
I think think twice is much worse because you are paying 4U to draw two cards when you could pay 3 mana to do the same.
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
Unfortunatley the only other choice to draw two at instant speed is esper charm.
Other choices include peer through depths, anticipate, serum visions, sleight of hand, thought scour, electrolyze, etc.
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
If your deck is controlling you should try to avoid dealing damage to yourself, so Think Twice is better. You can Vortex your opponent to kill them, but those situations are very rare. Besides, in the same situation, Think Twice also has a shot at killing them (TT, draw into burn, KO), so it's not totally useless.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
You may draw two cards if you allow your opponent to draw a card (that will always be shock or better) and add to their mana pool. So now because you had to use a spell to create this effect, you actually end up with no net card difference.
Then ofcourse there is the opposite where you get to bolt your opponent in exchange for letting them draw two. Or even straight up kill them if they are storm or something and have drawn a bunch of cards. But these will both be rare, as unreliable as the large majority of decks that can draw lots of cards are blue and have counterspells anyway.
I think it is deceivingly bad.
There is also Thirst for Knowledge. But of course you need to build around it somewhat which is why it only sees play in the Blue Tron decks.
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
Yes, I am a local area mod.WELP. GOOD LIFE CHANGES ALL HAPPEN AT ONCE AND SOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVEPrimary Decks:
Modern: Esper Draw-Go
Legacy: RUG Lands
EDH: Sidisi turn-3 storm
I had made a really, really awful Vedalken Shackles deck a long time ago that used Thrist for Card Advantage but didn't use Tron at all. But that deck was horrible, so I guess that point is irrelevant.
It's a grate choise and that life loss is payble for 2 card in instant speed.
I'm not sayng that Vortex is strong...not after Cruise and Dig, but is the grateest draw spell in that colors. I'm considering Telling Time also, but drawing 2 in instant speed is something you can't do most of the time. Test it, you will like it.
UWR Control/Midrange/Delver
UWR TwinMiss youGBWJunk (still semi-budget; 3 tarmo only)
GWAura Hexproof
GWHatebears
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)