We get this question every so often, especially from people building W/ decks. So I've taken it upon myself to compile a list of solid colorless card draw. I will also rate them by how useful they are.
Note: There's a lot of cantrips in artifacts. Most of them aren't worth running, so I'll ignore them outright.
Bazaar of Baghdad
◊◊◊◊
The only reason this isn't rated ◊◊◊◊◊ is because it's discard outpaces it's draw. However, it's still very much one of the best lands to draw cards with. You really need to build around the discard though.
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
◊◊◊◊
The fact that it taps for mana and can play politics is a bonus for this card, which is why it's in the Top 50. Every deck should be running one.
Scrying Sheets ◊◊◊
You really need to build around it, but even the ability to filter lands out of your library is good.
Eye of Ugin
◊◊◊◊
It's a tutor, not card draw. That said, it has a huge array of targets and can even fetch three cards on this list (Solemn Simulacrum, Etched Oracle, and Kozilek). You don't really need to build around it, but having more than three choices goes a long way.
Infiltration Lens
◊◊◊◊
Whatever you slap this equipment on becomes a Catch 22, especially if it's your General. If it didn't require the combat step this would be Skullclamp #2 for everyone who runs #1.
Liar's Pendulum
◊◊◊◊
Play mind games with people! Who cares if you reveal your hand if you net a card for 2 mana? It requires a very extensive amount of card knowledge to abuse, but using every four or five turns is a good way to try it. And if they call it right, you don't have to reveal your hand.
Sensei's Divining Top
◊◊◊◊◊
Opinions differentiate on this card, but the plain, hard fact is this: There isn't another card on this list capable of dodging sweepers while still providing card advantage. It's reusable, easily protected, and capable of of rigging your draws. Run a few shuffle effects (Fetchlands and a few tutors work) and this card turns into the 2nd best 1 drop in your deck (the first probably being Sol Ring).
Skullclamp
◊◊◊◊
It requires a little build-tweaking to make it work, but it's still one of the best equipments ever printed. Slapping it on some fat beater makes it even bigger (if more vulnerable), but makes destroying it a double-edged sword. Combine this with Infiltration Lens to make the combat step a pain in the neck for someone.
Anvil of Bogardan
◊◊
In my opinion, this card isn't that good. It's symmetrical like Howling Mine, but it also gives them a discard outlet and infinite hand size. While it does require the discard from everyone (including you, so be careful when playing with it), graveyard recursion is rampant in this format. Plus it aggravates people who don't like Discard effects, and the only way to shut it off is to get rid of it outright.
Candles of Leng
◊◊◊◊◊
A low converted mana cost, a negligible drawback (revealing your draw is nothing, as Future Sight and Magus of the Future prove), and the fact that it works 99 out of 100 times (the 100 being your General) means this card is golden (well, colorless). Really, the only decks it doesn't work for are decks that rely on basic lands to do the dirty work, but it's so simple to build around that problem (Crucible of Worlds) that it pretty much becomes a draw filter for those decks. There really is very little reason to not run this card people.
Carnage Altar ◊◊◊
It's a sac outlet, which is the major redeeming quality here. Still, not something I'd run unless I was playing around with my graveyard a lot.
Credit Voucher
◊◊◊◊
I'm a LITTLE bit biased towards this card, as I first started running it when I started playing with Whirlpool Rider/Drake/Warrior. If you didn't have to sacrifice the voucher every time, it would be even better than Scroll Rack IMO. But even as a one-shot effect it's still really good. You get to pick and choose, so if you hand is full of land (Sasaya, Meloku) you can get an instant mulligan. If your hand is relatively good except for three or so cards, ship those cards back and keep the good stuff!
Culling Dias
◊◊
I think this is a little worse than Carnage Altar, except in specific circumstances. Those circumstances prevent it from being trash (◊), but the fact that you can't sac a creature and get the benefit immediately makes it worse when sweepers hit the table (since they either blow it up with the sweep or they just destroy it afterwards and make you waste your hard-earned counters). It goes good with Proliferate, but outside of that I wouldn't run this.
Howling Mine ◊◊◊
A staple for Group Hug, this card provides both board politics and card advantage. And you can turn it against people relatively easily. Or you can just shut it off outside of your own turn (with, say, Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas's animating ability) and be a jerk. To the rest of the table, anyway.
Ichor Wellspring ◊◊◊
Technically, it's a double-cantrip. But drawing 2 cards for 2 mana (even if it requires you to sac it) is decent. If you've got Krark-Clan Ironworks out you can get a 2-for-1 and net 2 mana.
Mask of Memory ◊◊◊
Turns any creature equiped with it into a Catalog-on-a-steek. Has some fun interactions with Infiltration Lens and Skullclamp, so it's more there for Voltron generals.
Mind Stone ◊◊◊
It isn't a cantrip because it's second ability exists just to draw a card. Dropping it early-game provides a late-game draw, something that can swing the game in your favor depending on the top deck. It's a mana rock otherwise.
Scroll of Origins ◊◊◊
The 7-card requirement is really easy to fulfill early-game, but it's pretty much just a Metalcraft piece mid-game if your meta is discard-heavy. Still, a turn 2 (or turn 1 if you've got the cards for it) Scroll of Origins can let you set up shop in a few turns, so it's about as good as a 2-mana Library of Alexandria is expected to be.
Scroll Rack
◊◊◊◊◊
The Scroll Rack+Land Tax combo is in one of the colors most starved for card-draw, and the Scroll itself is useful for any color. Even a handful of shuffle effects turns it into a house. Every deck that needs answers can make use of this artifact.
Scrying Glass ◊◊◊
It requires some guess-work, but it provides information and card advantage, and is really cheap. Work Glassess of Urza into play and you'll never miss with it.
Diviner's Wand
◊◊◊◊
Another Voltron-friendly card, this thing can draw a massive amount of cards thanks to the fact that it gives the equiped creature the ability. This means things like Heartstone can reduce the activation cost, drawing you more cards each turn than you may need.
Horn of Greed
◊◊◊◊
Great for board politics and Azusa, but they sheer symmetry is a down-side. It at least doesn't trigger on lands being put into play, so it's a fair bit harder to trigger than just by Rampant Growth-ing out a land. Be careful with this though, as Blue players love it.
Phyrexian Vault ◊◊◊
The thing about EDH is that you like redundant cards, and this is about as redundant as it gets. Costs 1 more mana than Carnage Altar, but 1 less to activate. Really, whichever one is one the table is the one you should use, and hold the other in hand for when it's tabled-counterpart gets blown up.
Scarecrone
◊◊◊◊
The reason this card is ◊◊◊◊ is because it can recur creatures in addition to drawing cards. Someone blew up your Duplicant? Pay 4 and put it right back on the table! Did you discard Magister Sphinx earlier? Get it back and ruin someone's day! Or just recur Ornithopter and be funny. It can't hit Eldrazi though.
Sword of Fire and Ice
◊◊◊◊◊
A huge benefit in addition to drawing cards, this thing is sitting pretty at $35, and it's price tag may jump again if Modern Magic is an actual format and not a rumor. Protection from two colors, pump, burn and draw on a stick, there's no reason to leave this out of your Voltron deck (or any deck that likes keeping it's general around). Even if the Blue player can bounce the Sword, they have to do so before they can bounce the equiped creature, making it an added layer of protection.
Temple Bell
◊◊◊◊
I rate this as better than Howling Mine because you can choose to not let everyone draw a card if you don't need the card draw yourself. This puts it into a whole different tier of politics, making you either a cardmonger or everyone's best friend.
Well of Knowledge
Another Howling Mine variant that forces the people drawing cards to tap down. I recommend combining this with Sensei's Top to optimize your own draws and to anticipate how much mana you will want to sink into it during your own turns.
Barrin's Codex
◊◊◊◊
Remember Culling Dais? Did you ever care about it? Neither did I. The Codex is a may effect, preventing it from being ◊◊◊◊◊, but also allowing you to keep it at a set number if you don't want to just pick up half your deck. It's a high-profile target too, so keep some mana open to activate or protect it.
Bottled Cloister ◊◊◊
The good news is that it lets you dodge Discard while being an asymmetrical Howling Mine, and the color that has access to most of the discard doesn't have a lot of ways to get rid of it without you being aware of their ability to do so. The bad news? It exiles your hand if you play it around the wrong people. This is a huge setback that prevents you from playing the game, so make sure you can protect it before you cast it, or at the very least have some means of punishing the guy who blew it up.
Emmessi Tome ◊◊◊ 4 to play, 5 to use, this Catalog-on-a-steek can be coupled with Rings of Brighthearth, something Mask of Memory can't do very well. A 7, instant-speed Careful Consideration may not seem that good, but savvy players can utilize both the draws and the discards.
Etched Oracle
◊◊◊◊
While it doesn't seem that good, you can actually get 4 counters on it very easily with either Equipment or Enchantments. Blade of the Bloodchief in particular turns this card into a veritable draw-engine in WR. It's a low-profile creature at first, but once they see the combo, they will want to get the Oracle off of the table.
Font of Mythos
◊◊◊◊
It's better than Howling Mine because of the extra card. Most people will enjoy your company more if you are being nice and letting them draw 3 cards each turn instead of just one.
Fool's Tome
◊◊
The activation limit prevents it from being anywhere near as good as half of the stuff on this list. If it didn't require T to activate, it would be really good.
Geth's Grimoire
◊◊◊◊ Robo-Nixon really has some useful toys, doesn't he? There are so many ways for an opponent to discard cards that this effectively refills your entire hand every time you run out. Drop a Myojin of Night's Reach and watch the table cry as you nuke their hands and draw half of your deck in one turn. Play a Memory Jar and get a huge amount of card advantage while denying your opponents 7 cards. Or just sit there and let your opponents discard for reasons unknown, while you leech cards for nothing.
Grafted Skullcap
-◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
Yes, it has a negative rating. Yes, I really think this card is just that bad. Yes, I am going to tell anyone who runs it to get rid of it and burn it. It doesn't really give you anything; it just takes away. The fact that it's asymmetrical and doesn't give you a minimum of 2 extra cards prevents it from being a viable addition to your deck. Even running Bazaar Trader/Donate doesn't make this card good (and in the latter case, why aren't just running Amnesia?).
Seriously, never EVER play this card. Note: I try not to give anything a ◊ because that's the bottom of the barrel, and I may as well not even list the card in that case. This deserved mention because of how bad it really is. Seriously, Bottled Cloister is better.
Jayemdae Tome ◊◊◊
This is the standard WotC uses to print permanent-based card draw. It's not exactly cost-effective, but it has no drawbacks to speak of.
Seer's Sundial
◊◊
Ugh, not that good. I guess you can use it in the early game to keep a full hand, but the 2 just kills it for me.
Slate of Ancestry
◊◊◊◊
It's really easy to get 7 weenies on the table. I mean REALLY easy (EoT White Sun's Zenith or cycle a Decree of Justice for 7 and you've got what you need). There are so many ways to get a full hand off of this that it tends to get blown up really fast.
Solemn Simulacrum
◊◊◊◊◊
On a technical level, it's a cantripping Rampant Growth with a 2/2 body. But it's just so useful. It's a beater, a mana ramper, and a cantrip for 4. Jens really knew what he was doing when he made this card, the only decks that can't make use of it are Karn, Kozilek, and Ulamog.
Sorcerer's Strongbox
◊◊◊◊
A little hit or miss with this, but the fact is that it sits there until you hit the flip. While not good for emergency situations, the fact that it doesn't blow up on a failed activation means you can just keep trying. Rings of Brighthearth can help, giving you a 75% chance of activating it successfully. In those cases, 25% of the time you are going to draw 6 cards, which makes it even better. For the record, the odds go: 25%: Nothing happens, you wasted 5. 50%: You sacrifice the Box, and draw 3 for 5 (effectively a Jace's Ingenuity). 25%: Draw 3, sac the box, then draw another 3 and sac nothing (because you all ready sacced the box).
Thran Tome
◊◊◊
You reveal two draws, but don't have to discard something from your hand. This is comparable to the Emmessi Tome in terms of draw power (heh, a pun!), and similar to Fact or Fiction in that it can force a very difficult choice on someone.
Tower of Fortunes
◊◊◊◊
It takes some playtesting to see just how powerful this card really is. It's also a card that really likes Rings of Brighthearth (yeah, there are a lot of those these days). It's effectively 2 per card drawn, so it's got a good ratio going for it. It's also the only colorless permanent not named Kozilek that can draw 4 cards with utterly no drawback (Scroll Rack and Credit Voucher have technical drawbacks).
Well of Lost Dreams
◊◊◊◊
Ok, it takes some work to build around it, but think about it this way: There are 4 colors out there that have a hard time drawing cards. 3 of those 4 have a metric ton of life gain available. This can turn every single one of those options into a massive card draw spell. Seriously, Natural Spring can provide up to 8 cards and 8 life. Tendrils of Corruption can give you X cards and X life, all the while killing a creature (or at least ensuring it has to regenerate). Pulse of the Fields becomes 7 mana for 4 life and 4 cards, with a chance of recurring itself at no extra cost, and at instant speed.
And all of you Red players out there, don't despair over this card. You can make use of it with Elixir of Immortality, Batterskull, Basilisk Collar, Loxodon Warhammer, Diamond Valley, Ivory Crane Netsuke (which goes really well with all of the card draw here, including the Well of Lost Dreams itself) and many other cards.
Angelheart Vial ◊◊◊
A very big MEH towards this card. While it's really easy to get counters on it, the number you have to remove+the mana cost+the T are a turn-off.
Bargaining Table
◊◊◊◊
Everyone in every meta knows of at least one or two guys who like to empty their hands really fast. This card takes advantage of those players by giving you a really cheap activation cost to draw a card. The initial mana cost is steep though, and never play it at a Blue-heavy table.
Farsight Mask
◊◊◊◊◊
If you've played EDH, then you know this card is going to trigger a lot. While you don't draw equal to the damage you get dealt, you do draw equal to the number of creatures that hit you.
If, by some ungodly miracle, you are one of those people who never takes combat damage, then this card is not for you. Jerk.
Illuminated Folio
◊◊◊◊
The mana cost is more than Candles of Leng, but this card is very similar. Mono-colored decks will have very little trouble using it, and you can use it to be political by revealing answers or bomb cards to either incite the table or get people to ensure you survive another turn so you can cast something really good. It's like Liar's Pendulum in that last regard, since you can dupe them with the card you just drew by screwing someone over instead of helping the table.
Memory Jar
◊◊◊◊◊
Out of every card I have ever played with, this is the game-sealer. Activate it at the beginning of your upkeep when you really need the cards. You then have 8 (or more, if you've been using this thread's advice) cards to work with for 1 turn, and can ruin 7 topdecks for your opponents. And if someone tries to be a jerk and targets it, you can activate the Jar to ruin 7 draws while filling your graveyard (you do have recursion, right?). Or you can watch as the table tries to counter the spell, and then be a bigger jerk by activating it anyway.
Mercadian Atlas
◊◊◊◊
Around the mid-to-late game, your deck will begin to run out of lands. This card comes online somewhere around the time when you will start missing land drops (turn 5) and will be paying out every time you miss a drop. Also, it triggers even if you used a Rampant Growth, so long as you didn't actually play a land.
Mind's Eye
◊◊◊◊◊
Any and every deck needs to be running this card. It's a freaking goldmine. If they don't blow it up within 3 turns, it's all ready done a really good job of paying for itself (assuming a 4-person game, all you need is 3 mana for it to do so). This card makes it really easy to keep a full hand in the late-game, which mean you will be able to answer a lot of threats, or even win outright, thanks to a 5 mana artifact.
Ring of Renewal
◊◊
Emmessi Tome is strictly superior to this. Lower mana cost, same activation cost (contrast with Carnage/Phyrexian Altar, which have inverted costs). While redundancy is good, this card is outclassed by it's remake.
Book of Rass ◊◊◊ 2 and two life for one card, but you can do it at will. It adds up fast, and is comparable to Yawgmoth's Bargain (though clearly not as powerful).
Dreamstone Hedron
◊◊◊◊
Someone, somewhere once compared this to three Mind Stones stapled together. While they were making fun of the developers who designed the Hedron, they were right: it's about that powerful. This, like many other cards, loves Rings of Brighthearth.
Horn of Plenty ◊◊◊
The delay on the draw, the cost of both this and the draw itself, and the symmetry are very much painful, but there are ways to generate a ton of mana for a ton of spells, and a lot of card draws at the end of the turn. Instant-speed spells work best with this.
Urza's Blueprints ◊◊◊
Compare it to Bargaining Table. They are similar, but this ends up being better the longer the game lasts (and the faster it hits the table so you can pay the Echo cost). Thick-Skinned Goblin pays for the echo cost, so this can be useful for a Red player.
Well of Discovery ◊◊◊
Combos with Awakening and Seedborn Muse nicely, but it still requires you to tap out. Strongly consider making room for Gemstone Array if you think you'll run this.
◊◊◊◊◊
Cheating him into play is for n00bz. Real men hardcast his ass! Between having a nearly un-counter-able draw effect, being a minimum of a 1-for-1 (Time Stop being the only thing capable of countering both him and his draw effect, he's a 2-for-1 otherwise and a 5-for-1 if they can't stop the card draw), a massive 12/12 for 10 that can literally Decimate their board in one swing, he's hard to top. And if they can't Exile him, he's just going to shuffle back in, ready for Eye of Ugin to tutor him back up and start the whole thing over.
He also draws (pardon) a lot of hate, so play politics with him. He's also easier to deal with than Ulamog is, but can come out the door far faster.
These cards technically fit the criteria (colorless and act as a source of card draw), but have a special requirement of being playable only in specific colors (all but 4 of these cards requires Blue to use).
They require a lot more effort to build around, but some people may find them very useful.
Bloodletter Quill
◊◊◊◊
While it sucked in Block Constructed, it is very useful in EDH. The life-loss is not only less painful here, it's easily negated due to the speed of the format. Again, another card that enjoys the presence of Rings of Brighthearth.
Etched Monstrosity ◊◊◊
It's harder to use than Etched Oracle (Proliferate is really the best way to weaken it), but it's a 10/10 for 5WUBRG that draws 3 cards. Comparable to Kozilek, but not nearly as potent.
Walking Archive
◊◊◊◊
Another Group Hug card, capable of being one very good blocker and an even bigger political shifter. It creates both a defense against some weaker creatures and a large quantity of card draw for everyone at the table. If you have the mana, you can possible pump him into obscenity with Strength of the Tajuru and kill every opponent in one turn with just card draw.
Seaside Haven ◊◊◊
In a strange bit of poetic justice, a card called Seaside Haven requires you to sacrifice something to gain a benefit, but doesn't actually protect you from anything. Drawing a card off of Emeria Angel, Dovescape, or any number of other bird-generators out there is really useful, even at a this low of a turn-to-card ratio. Basically, it's another Mikokoro, but one-sided.
Horizon Canopy
◊◊◊◊
It's the start of a very highly-demanded cycle, and if that cycle is ever completed the price tag of the Blue ones will be obscene. But for now, it's only of the best lands in EDH (even as color-restricted as it is).
Cephalid Coliseum ◊◊◊
Steep requirements, no actual net card advantage, and a painful drawback on the actual mana source prevent this from being any higher than ◊◊◊. But even with that in mind, it's not too bad (Blue just has better options).
Howltooth Hollow
◊◊
Why are the Hideaway lands here? Because they are like drawing a card, even if the land tucks it somewhere where you can't access it readily. This land requires everyone at the table to have no cards in hand, thus it isn't that good (short of Myojin+One With Nothing in the same turn, that isn't likely to happen).
Mosswort Bridge
◊◊◊◊
Out of every one of the 5 Hideaway lands, this is the easiest to activate during an opponent's turn, enabling you to put Counterspell down there and actually use it later. 10 Power usually means your General+two other creatures, or even a single creature if you drop Kozilek.
Spinerock Knoll ◊◊◊
It's also possible to activate this land during an opponent's turn, but you have less control over this land than over Mosswort Bridge. The bonus is that anyone can deal the damage, so long as someone other than you takes 7+.
Windbrisk Heights ◊◊◊
This one, however, can only be activated during your turn. 3 creatures is really easy in any color, so this isn't that bad of a land.
Note that I'm leaving out the Blue one because it's utter garbage (never going to activate).
This is really handy. Thanks for taking the time to compile this list!
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
On Mythic Rares: "What's next, Wizards will print six golden Black Lotuses and randomly place them in boosters, and if someone gets one, they get to tour the Wizards facility?"
Library is banned and Bazaar is great, if you have 250-300$ to lose a card that is. I like Scrying Sheets, personally, and avoid mutual card draw things like Mikokoro because it can easily give someone the answer to the very thing I am drawing.
One down side to Kozilek, though, because he's such a powerful creature, there are a lot of times where it would be a bad idea to cast him, even if you need the cards (somebody has mimic vat out, blue players have six+ mana open and lots of cards in hand, helm of possession it out). Against a playgroup that knows your tricks, I end up having to sandbag him quite often in order to avoid having him turned against me.
Anyway, perhaps you should make a distinction for "burst card draw" spells. Many of these cards you list can only draw you one card per turn, which isn't really helpful when you need to catch up now, or when somebody is preparing to sweep, or when somebody has an active shattering pulse. Things like tower of fortunes, Kozilek, and Dreamstone Hedron are really useful in that you can refill your hand without having to wait a bunch of turns.
Oh and one more thing, planar portal is a tutor an not a card draw spell, but that didn't stop you from including eye of ugin. Its really powerful for big-mana type decks that can shrug off those situations where you use it as a 12-mana demonic tutor only to have it blown up the next time the green player untaps.
One down side to Kozilek, though, because he's such a powerful creature, there are a lot of times where it would be a bad idea to cast him, even if you need the cards (somebody has mimic vat out, blue players have six+ mana open and lots of cards in hand, helm of possession it out). Against a playgroup that knows your tricks, I end up having to sandbag him quite often in order to avoid having him turned against me.
Anyway, perhaps you should make a distinction for "burst card draw" spells. Many of these cards you list can only draw you one card per turn, which isn't really helpful when you need to catch up now, or when somebody is preparing to sweep, or when somebody has an active shattering pulse. Things like tower of fortunes, Kozilek, and Dreamstone Hedron are really useful in that you can refill your hand without having to wait a bunch of turns.
Oh and one more thing, planar portal is a tutor an not a card draw spell, but that didn't stop you from including eye of ugin. Its really powerful for big-mana type decks that can shrug off those situations where you use it as a 12-mana demonic tutor only to have it blown up the next time the green player untaps.
Kozilek's on there because he's the only card with that CMC that draws cards (Aladin's Lamp notwithstanding. But thanks for the Planar Portal idea, I forgot about it.
As for differentiating between types of card draw, that risk is inherent for any card that has an upkeep trigger or similar trigger, and something most players are aware of all ready.
Library is banned and Bazaar is great, if you have 250-300$ to lose a card that is.
Sensei's Divining Top; A friend of mine just recently told me about it's interaction with Future Sight. Got both in play and 8 mana? Draw 8 cards. Absolutely brutal. The first 3 times I had both in my progenitus good stuff deck I never got both in play. 4th time... I got both out, had an empty hand, and was able to play 3 cards off the top of my library, draw the top 3 that weren't of value, and then play 2 more. Absofreakinlutely Brutal.
Bloodletter Quill's wording allows you to pay 2, tap it, and put a counter on it. Then in response pay BU to remove the counter. Then you draw a card and lose 0 life. With big mana it's great. In black/blue you shouldn't need to spend 4 to draw 1 card a turn. It is infact a redundant copy of Jayemdae Tome that you can abuse early game at the cost of a couple life.
A ton of you probably already know these interactions but I would love to read everyone elses 'secret tech'
You're helping everyone out. They are trying to win, and you're only speeding up the process. Props to you if you can trick a new player into never swinging at you, but they're not going to spare you because you drew them cards - especially if they saw last game you only did that to combo out.
Mindslicer,which is on the top 50 list so I guess it's used, makes Howltooth Hollow just a little bit less worse, but can be powerful if played properly.
Scenario: dead cards in hand, howltooth hollow + mindslicer + sac outlet = profit???
Bloodletter Quill's wording allows you to pay 2, tap it, and put a counter on it. Then in response pay BU to remove the counter. Then you draw a card and lose 0 life. With big mana it's great. In black/blue you shouldn't need to spend 4 to draw 1 card a turn.
Damm, that card is a lot worse than I thought it was, I thought it read like 2, tap: Draw a card for each counter then loose a life for each counter. Oh well, not going in my proliferation deck now.
Anyways, thank you, Sinfire, for putting this together. And for showing some love for Dreamstone Hedron.
I have to really debate your grafted skullcap hatred.
It was separated at birth from ensnaring bridge. So i refute this NEVER run it melarky. Also, I'd run it over nearly half of these X, Tap, draw card if this and if your have paid your taxes and eaten your wheaties requirements.
I would never play it early game unless I needed cards in my grave or I knew by having no cards in my hand its going to cause a lock. Otherwise late in an edh MP game, you should have hordes of mana out, getting two cards for 1, is a great deal, because you are more than likely going to be able to cast both. Totally underrated card by your standards.
I have to really debate your grafted skullcap hatred.
It was separated at birth from ensnaring bridge. So i refute this NEVER run it melarky.
Ok, you have one card that goes decently with it. But it is incredibly counter-intuitive to something that is supposed to draw you cards, and Bottled Cloister is still better for that same purpose (because you can attack with things bigger than 2 power).
I do appreciate that you've compiled this list, though the ratings look pretty wonky. It's a helpful resource. I think including colourless fetching mechanisms like Armillary Sphere or Journeyer's Kite in an update, or sort of sister list, would be a good addition to this to help out people building decks without the colours traditionally associated with draw and fetch.
On the ratings, though, it seems like you've evaluated these cards oddly, or haven't considered interactions with cards that aren't Rings of Brighthearth. These are just my views. I'm not bashing on your work, just presenting my own perspective.
Grafted Skullcap is obviously a cornercase card, but it's certainly not deserving of a negative rating when a piece of garbage like Fool's Tome or Jayemdae Tome has a positive rating. Fool's Tome is catastrophically bad. There's almost no reason to use it, as you virtually always have better options with more synergy available in any given deck (it's pretty good with Skullcap, hilariously enough). Grafted Skullcap can at least actually serve a purpose; Dark Suspicions, Ensnaring Bridge, anything Hellbent, Rix Maadi, the Dungeon Palace, and even Black Vise and Viseling can all benefit from the Cap. Is it amazing? No, but it's at least interesting and fun, which should probably count for something. Some decks really like it (as was previously said, it's pretty sick with Malfegor).
Similarly, I think you're selling Seer's Sundial and Culling Dias both short, especially when marked next to those tomes. Seer's Sundial is a great card in certain decks. In the late game, it converts lands from dead cards to an advantage in both mana base and cards. It's also useful in the early game to help keep yourself topped up. Provided the land you're playing doesn't come into play tapped, it's a lot like paying one mana to draw a card. It's not the best card in the world but it's surely better than Rign of Renewal or Angelheart Vial.
The problem with Culling Dias is that it isn't Skullclamp, which is a real card. This makes it look questionable instantly. But consider some of the Dias' other applications. It's amazing with proliferate. It works on opponent's turns. You can use it to off your Woodfall Primus instantly, during your opponent's turn. It takes a bit more work to have the Dias operate at full capacity but it's still a perfectly fine card. Another big bonus is it doesn't draw the ridiculous heat Skullclamp does.
Finally, Mind's Eye is, at best, four pips, and only because Red and White decks realy like it. It's one of the most overrated cards in Commander. Green, black and blue (especially the last two) all have much better, faster, more efficient draw options to the point that they shouldn't be using Mind's Eye unless they are going to have ike 15+ draw spells. A lot of the time, Mind's Eye reads something like "seven mana to draw two cards". Even with ideal setups (like mass discard prior), you're putting an awful lot of work in to draw cards slowly, and in a manner that conflicts with spending mana on your own turn. I just don't think this is work it most of the time.
Was looking at Anvil of Bogardan again, and noticed they removed the skip discard step on oracle. Not really sure if that makes it better or worse now.
Given up magic because a)its a waste of money b)it sucks the joy out of life c)im doing more interesting things than tapping pieces of plastic that have no intrinsic value.
I encourage you to do the same. Instead of FNM try Friday Night Something Spontaneous. Instead of thousands of hours and dollars on plastic imagine it with a significant other or friends sharing something meaningful. I randomly typed a new password, so bon voyage itches i encourage you to follow suit! Cheers
Was looking at Anvil of Bogardan again, and noticed they removed the skip discard step on oracle. Not really sure if that makes it better or worse now.
They changed it a long time ago to "Players have no maximum hand size."
and by a long time ago I mean years upon years ago.
I remember at the time it's change was basically a non-event. Library of Leng and Anvil of Bogardan all got the change. Plus everything that used to say "during your discard phase" got changed as well, usually to "end of turn step" or in the case of [c]Recycle[/] it changed to "maximum hand size is 2" instead of "discard all but two during the discard phase".
The big change though, was that before Necropotence drew you cards in the discard phase, which meant if someone else played the Anvil you would no longer be able to get cards. It also meant you couldn't combine Necro with Library of Leng for the same reason.
Scrying Sheets ◊◊◊
You really need to build around it, but even the ability to filter lands out of your library is good.
The only 'building around' you really have to do is use snow-covered basics instead of regular basics. I run Scrying Sheets in my Thada deck along with 38 snow-covered islands, and it's great. (I also run Coldsteel Heart and Rimefeather Owl, which can also be grabbed by Sheets, and I used to have Dark Depths, but I replaced that with Mindslaver.)
One of the easy-to-miss benefits of Scrying Sheets is that you're placing the card in your hand, not actually drawing it. So cards that say you can't draw like Maralen of the Mornsong don't stop the effect.
Scrying Sheets is also fun with any of the 'play with the top card of your library revealed' cards, if you want to get a Snow card off the top to see what's next (for example, Future Sight showing a snow land when you've already used your land drop for the turn, or Vampire Nocturnus to dig for a black card).
Finally, Scrying Sheets with Sensei's Divining Top Can let you pay to almost guarantee that you don't miss your land drop.
Note: There's a lot of cantrips in artifacts. Most of them aren't worth running, so I'll ignore them outright.
◊◊◊◊
The only reason this isn't rated ◊◊◊◊◊ is because it's discard outpaces it's draw. However, it's still very much one of the best lands to draw cards with. You really need to build around the discard though.
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
◊◊◊◊
The fact that it taps for mana and can play politics is a bonus for this card, which is why it's in the Top 50. Every deck should be running one.
Scrying Sheets
◊◊◊
You really need to build around it, but even the ability to filter lands out of your library is good.
Eye of Ugin
◊◊◊◊
It's a tutor, not card draw. That said, it has a huge array of targets and can even fetch three cards on this list (Solemn Simulacrum, Etched Oracle, and Kozilek). You don't really need to build around it, but having more than three choices goes a long way.
◊◊◊◊
Whatever you slap this equipment on becomes a Catch 22, especially if it's your General. If it didn't require the combat step this would be Skullclamp #2 for everyone who runs #1.
Liar's Pendulum
◊◊◊◊
Play mind games with people! Who cares if you reveal your hand if you net a card for 2 mana? It requires a very extensive amount of card knowledge to abuse, but using every four or five turns is a good way to try it. And if they call it right, you don't have to reveal your hand.
Sensei's Divining Top
◊◊◊◊◊
Opinions differentiate on this card, but the plain, hard fact is this: There isn't another card on this list capable of dodging sweepers while still providing card advantage. It's reusable, easily protected, and capable of of rigging your draws. Run a few shuffle effects (Fetchlands and a few tutors work) and this card turns into the 2nd best 1 drop in your deck (the first probably being Sol Ring).
Skullclamp
◊◊◊◊
It requires a little build-tweaking to make it work, but it's still one of the best equipments ever printed. Slapping it on some fat beater makes it even bigger (if more vulnerable), but makes destroying it a double-edged sword. Combine this with Infiltration Lens to make the combat step a pain in the neck for someone.
◊◊
In my opinion, this card isn't that good. It's symmetrical like Howling Mine, but it also gives them a discard outlet and infinite hand size. While it does require the discard from everyone (including you, so be careful when playing with it), graveyard recursion is rampant in this format. Plus it aggravates people who don't like Discard effects, and the only way to shut it off is to get rid of it outright.
Candles of Leng
◊◊◊◊◊
A low converted mana cost, a negligible drawback (revealing your draw is nothing, as Future Sight and Magus of the Future prove), and the fact that it works 99 out of 100 times (the 100 being your General) means this card is golden (well, colorless). Really, the only decks it doesn't work for are decks that rely on basic lands to do the dirty work, but it's so simple to build around that problem (Crucible of Worlds) that it pretty much becomes a draw filter for those decks. There really is very little reason to not run this card people.
Carnage Altar
◊◊◊
It's a sac outlet, which is the major redeeming quality here. Still, not something I'd run unless I was playing around with my graveyard a lot.
Credit Voucher
◊◊◊◊
I'm a LITTLE bit biased towards this card, as I first started running it when I started playing with Whirlpool Rider/Drake/Warrior. If you didn't have to sacrifice the voucher every time, it would be even better than Scroll Rack IMO. But even as a one-shot effect it's still really good. You get to pick and choose, so if you hand is full of land (Sasaya, Meloku) you can get an instant mulligan. If your hand is relatively good except for three or so cards, ship those cards back and keep the good stuff!
Culling Dias
◊◊
I think this is a little worse than Carnage Altar, except in specific circumstances. Those circumstances prevent it from being trash (◊), but the fact that you can't sac a creature and get the benefit immediately makes it worse when sweepers hit the table (since they either blow it up with the sweep or they just destroy it afterwards and make you waste your hard-earned counters). It goes good with Proliferate, but outside of that I wouldn't run this.
Howling Mine
◊◊◊
A staple for Group Hug, this card provides both board politics and card advantage. And you can turn it against people relatively easily. Or you can just shut it off outside of your own turn (with, say, Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas's animating ability) and be a jerk. To the rest of the table, anyway.
Ichor Wellspring
◊◊◊
Technically, it's a double-cantrip. But drawing 2 cards for 2 mana (even if it requires you to sac it) is decent. If you've got Krark-Clan Ironworks out you can get a 2-for-1 and net 2 mana.
Mask of Memory
◊◊◊
Turns any creature equiped with it into a Catalog-on-a-steek. Has some fun interactions with Infiltration Lens and Skullclamp, so it's more there for Voltron generals.
Mind Stone
◊◊◊
It isn't a cantrip because it's second ability exists just to draw a card. Dropping it early-game provides a late-game draw, something that can swing the game in your favor depending on the top deck. It's a mana rock otherwise.
Scroll of Origins
◊◊◊
The 7-card requirement is really easy to fulfill early-game, but it's pretty much just a Metalcraft piece mid-game if your meta is discard-heavy. Still, a turn 2 (or turn 1 if you've got the cards for it) Scroll of Origins can let you set up shop in a few turns, so it's about as good as a 2-mana Library of Alexandria is expected to be.
Scroll Rack
◊◊◊◊◊
The Scroll Rack+Land Tax combo is in one of the colors most starved for card-draw, and the Scroll itself is useful for any color. Even a handful of shuffle effects turns it into a house. Every deck that needs answers can make use of this artifact.
Scrying Glass
◊◊◊
It requires some guess-work, but it provides information and card advantage, and is really cheap. Work
Glassess of Urzainto play and you'll never miss with it.◊◊◊◊
Another Voltron-friendly card, this thing can draw a massive amount of cards thanks to the fact that it gives the equiped creature the ability. This means things like Heartstone can reduce the activation cost, drawing you more cards each turn than you may need.
Horn of Greed
◊◊◊◊
Great for board politics and Azusa, but they sheer symmetry is a down-side. It at least doesn't trigger on lands being put into play, so it's a fair bit harder to trigger than just by Rampant Growth-ing out a land. Be careful with this though, as Blue players love it.
Phyrexian Vault
◊◊◊
The thing about EDH is that you like redundant cards, and this is about as redundant as it gets. Costs 1 more mana than Carnage Altar, but 1 less to activate. Really, whichever one is one the table is the one you should use, and hold the other in hand for when it's tabled-counterpart gets blown up.
Scarecrone
◊◊◊◊
The reason this card is ◊◊◊◊ is because it can recur creatures in addition to drawing cards. Someone blew up your Duplicant? Pay 4 and put it right back on the table! Did you discard Magister Sphinx earlier? Get it back and ruin someone's day! Or just recur Ornithopter and be funny. It can't hit Eldrazi though.
Sword of Fire and Ice
◊◊◊◊◊
A huge benefit in addition to drawing cards, this thing is sitting pretty at $35, and it's price tag may jump again if Modern Magic is an actual format and not a rumor. Protection from two colors, pump, burn and draw on a stick, there's no reason to leave this out of your Voltron deck (or any deck that likes keeping it's general around). Even if the Blue player can bounce the Sword, they have to do so before they can bounce the equiped creature, making it an added layer of protection.
Temple Bell
◊◊◊◊
I rate this as better than Howling Mine because you can choose to not let everyone draw a card if you don't need the card draw yourself. This puts it into a whole different tier of politics, making you either a cardmonger or everyone's best friend.
Well of Knowledge
Another Howling Mine variant that forces the people drawing cards to tap down. I recommend combining this with Sensei's Top to optimize your own draws and to anticipate how much mana you will want to sink into it during your own turns.
◊◊◊◊
Remember Culling Dais? Did you ever care about it? Neither did I. The Codex is a may effect, preventing it from being ◊◊◊◊◊, but also allowing you to keep it at a set number if you don't want to just pick up half your deck. It's a high-profile target too, so keep some mana open to activate or protect it.
Bottled Cloister
◊◊◊
The good news is that it lets you dodge Discard while being an asymmetrical Howling Mine, and the color that has access to most of the discard doesn't have a lot of ways to get rid of it without you being aware of their ability to do so. The bad news? It exiles your hand if you play it around the wrong people. This is a huge setback that prevents you from playing the game, so make sure you can protect it before you cast it, or at the very least have some means of punishing the guy who blew it up.
Emmessi Tome
◊◊◊
4 to play, 5 to use, this Catalog-on-a-steek can be coupled with Rings of Brighthearth, something Mask of Memory can't do very well. A 7, instant-speed Careful Consideration may not seem that good, but savvy players can utilize both the draws and the discards.
Etched Oracle
◊◊◊◊
While it doesn't seem that good, you can actually get 4 counters on it very easily with either Equipment or Enchantments. Blade of the Bloodchief in particular turns this card into a veritable draw-engine in WR. It's a low-profile creature at first, but once they see the combo, they will want to get the Oracle off of the table.
Font of Mythos
◊◊◊◊
It's better than Howling Mine because of the extra card. Most people will enjoy your company more if you are being nice and letting them draw 3 cards each turn instead of just one.
Fool's Tome
◊◊
The activation limit prevents it from being anywhere near as good as half of the stuff on this list. If it didn't require T to activate, it would be really good.
Geth's Grimoire
◊◊◊◊
Robo-Nixon really has some useful toys, doesn't he? There are so many ways for an opponent to discard cards that this effectively refills your entire hand every time you run out. Drop a Myojin of Night's Reach and watch the table cry as you nuke their hands and draw half of your deck in one turn. Play a Memory Jar and get a huge amount of card advantage while denying your opponents 7 cards. Or just sit there and let your opponents discard for reasons unknown, while you leech cards for nothing.
Grafted Skullcap
-◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
Yes, it has a negative rating. Yes, I really think this card is just that bad. Yes, I am going to tell anyone who runs it to get rid of it and burn it. It doesn't really give you anything; it just takes away. The fact that it's asymmetrical and doesn't give you a minimum of 2 extra cards prevents it from being a viable addition to your deck. Even running Bazaar Trader/Donate doesn't make this card good (and in the latter case, why aren't just running Amnesia?).
Seriously, never EVER play this card. Note: I try not to give anything a ◊ because that's the bottom of the barrel, and I may as well not even list the card in that case. This deserved mention because of how bad it really is. Seriously, Bottled Cloister is better.
Jayemdae Tome
◊◊◊
This is the standard WotC uses to print permanent-based card draw. It's not exactly cost-effective, but it has no drawbacks to speak of.
Seer's Sundial
◊◊
Ugh, not that good. I guess you can use it in the early game to keep a full hand, but the 2 just kills it for me.
Slate of Ancestry
◊◊◊◊
It's really easy to get 7 weenies on the table. I mean REALLY easy (EoT White Sun's Zenith or cycle a Decree of Justice for 7 and you've got what you need). There are so many ways to get a full hand off of this that it tends to get blown up really fast.
Solemn Simulacrum
◊◊◊◊◊
On a technical level, it's a cantripping Rampant Growth with a 2/2 body. But it's just so useful. It's a beater, a mana ramper, and a cantrip for 4. Jens really knew what he was doing when he made this card, the only decks that can't make use of it are Karn, Kozilek, and Ulamog.
Sorcerer's Strongbox
◊◊◊◊
A little hit or miss with this, but the fact is that it sits there until you hit the flip. While not good for emergency situations, the fact that it doesn't blow up on a failed activation means you can just keep trying. Rings of Brighthearth can help, giving you a 75% chance of activating it successfully. In those cases, 25% of the time you are going to draw 6 cards, which makes it even better. For the record, the odds go: 25%: Nothing happens, you wasted 5. 50%: You sacrifice the Box, and draw 3 for 5 (effectively a Jace's Ingenuity). 25%: Draw 3, sac the box, then draw another 3 and sac nothing (because you all ready sacced the box).
Thran Tome
◊◊◊
You reveal two draws, but don't have to discard something from your hand. This is comparable to the Emmessi Tome in terms of draw power (heh, a pun!), and similar to Fact or Fiction in that it can force a very difficult choice on someone.
Tower of Fortunes
◊◊◊◊
It takes some playtesting to see just how powerful this card really is. It's also a card that really likes Rings of Brighthearth (yeah, there are a lot of those these days). It's effectively 2 per card drawn, so it's got a good ratio going for it. It's also the only colorless permanent not named Kozilek that can draw 4 cards with utterly no drawback (Scroll Rack and Credit Voucher have technical drawbacks).
Well of Lost Dreams
◊◊◊◊
Ok, it takes some work to build around it, but think about it this way: There are 4 colors out there that have a hard time drawing cards. 3 of those 4 have a metric ton of life gain available. This can turn every single one of those options into a massive card draw spell. Seriously, Natural Spring can provide up to 8 cards and 8 life. Tendrils of Corruption can give you X cards and X life, all the while killing a creature (or at least ensuring it has to regenerate). Pulse of the Fields becomes 7 mana for 4 life and 4 cards, with a chance of recurring itself at no extra cost, and at instant speed.
And all of you Red players out there, don't despair over this card. You can make use of it with Elixir of Immortality, Batterskull, Basilisk Collar, Loxodon Warhammer, Diamond Valley, Ivory Crane Netsuke (which goes really well with all of the card draw here, including the Well of Lost Dreams itself) and many other cards.
◊◊◊
A very big MEH towards this card. While it's really easy to get counters on it, the number you have to remove+the mana cost+the T are a turn-off.
Bargaining Table
◊◊◊◊
Everyone in every meta knows of at least one or two guys who like to empty their hands really fast. This card takes advantage of those players by giving you a really cheap activation cost to draw a card. The initial mana cost is steep though, and never play it at a Blue-heavy table.
Farsight Mask
◊◊◊◊◊
If you've played EDH, then you know this card is going to trigger a lot. While you don't draw equal to the damage you get dealt, you do draw equal to the number of creatures that hit you.
If, by some ungodly miracle, you are one of those people who never takes combat damage, then this card is not for you. Jerk.
Illuminated Folio
◊◊◊◊
The mana cost is more than Candles of Leng, but this card is very similar. Mono-colored decks will have very little trouble using it, and you can use it to be political by revealing answers or bomb cards to either incite the table or get people to ensure you survive another turn so you can cast something really good. It's like Liar's Pendulum in that last regard, since you can dupe them with the card you just drew by screwing someone over instead of helping the table.
Memory Jar
◊◊◊◊◊
Out of every card I have ever played with, this is the game-sealer. Activate it at the beginning of your upkeep when you really need the cards. You then have 8 (or more, if you've been using this thread's advice) cards to work with for 1 turn, and can ruin 7 topdecks for your opponents. And if someone tries to be a jerk and targets it, you can activate the Jar to ruin 7 draws while filling your graveyard (you do have recursion, right?). Or you can watch as the table tries to counter the spell, and then be a bigger jerk by activating it anyway.
Mercadian Atlas
◊◊◊◊
Around the mid-to-late game, your deck will begin to run out of lands. This card comes online somewhere around the time when you will start missing land drops (turn 5) and will be paying out every time you miss a drop. Also, it triggers even if you used a Rampant Growth, so long as you didn't actually play a land.
Mind's Eye
◊◊◊◊◊
Any and every deck needs to be running this card. It's a freaking goldmine. If they don't blow it up within 3 turns, it's all ready done a really good job of paying for itself (assuming a 4-person game, all you need is 3 mana for it to do so). This card makes it really easy to keep a full hand in the late-game, which mean you will be able to answer a lot of threats, or even win outright, thanks to a 5 mana artifact.
Ring of Renewal
◊◊
Emmessi Tome is strictly superior to this. Lower mana cost, same activation cost (contrast with Carnage/Phyrexian Altar, which have inverted costs). While redundancy is good, this card is outclassed by it's remake.
◊◊◊
2 and two life for one card, but you can do it at will. It adds up fast, and is comparable to Yawgmoth's Bargain (though clearly not as powerful).
Dreamstone Hedron
◊◊◊◊
Someone, somewhere once compared this to three Mind Stones stapled together. While they were making fun of the developers who designed the Hedron, they were right: it's about that powerful. This, like many other cards, loves Rings of Brighthearth.
Horn of Plenty
◊◊◊
The delay on the draw, the cost of both this and the draw itself, and the symmetry are very much painful, but there are ways to generate a ton of mana for a ton of spells, and a lot of card draws at the end of the turn. Instant-speed spells work best with this.
Urza's Blueprints
◊◊◊
Compare it to Bargaining Table. They are similar, but this ends up being better the longer the game lasts (and the faster it hits the table so you can pay the Echo cost). Thick-Skinned Goblin pays for the echo cost, so this can be useful for a Red player.
Well of Discovery
◊◊◊
Combos with Awakening and Seedborn Muse nicely, but it still requires you to tap out. Strongly consider making room for Gemstone Array if you think you'll run this.
Cheating him into play is for n00bz. Real men hardcast his ass! Between having a nearly un-counter-able draw effect, being a minimum of a 1-for-1 (Time Stop being the only thing capable of countering both him and his draw effect, he's a 2-for-1 otherwise and a 5-for-1 if they can't stop the card draw), a massive 12/12 for 10 that can literally Decimate their board in one swing, he's hard to top. And if they can't Exile him, he's just going to shuffle back in, ready for Eye of Ugin to tutor him back up and start the whole thing over.
He also draws (pardon) a lot of hate, so play politics with him. He's also easier to deal with than Ulamog is, but can come out the door far faster.
These cards technically fit the criteria (colorless and act as a source of card draw), but have a special requirement of being playable only in specific colors (all but 4 of these cards requires Blue to use).
They require a lot more effort to build around, but some people may find them very useful.
Bloodletter Quill
◊◊◊◊
While it sucked in Block Constructed, it is very useful in EDH. The life-loss is not only less painful here, it's easily negated due to the speed of the format. Again, another card that enjoys the presence of Rings of Brighthearth.
Etched Monstrosity
◊◊◊
It's harder to use than Etched Oracle (Proliferate is really the best way to weaken it), but it's a 10/10 for 5WUBRG that draws 3 cards. Comparable to Kozilek, but not nearly as potent.
Walking Archive
◊◊◊◊
Another Group Hug card, capable of being one very good blocker and an even bigger political shifter. It creates both a defense against some weaker creatures and a large quantity of card draw for everyone at the table. If you have the mana, you can possible pump him into obscenity with Strength of the Tajuru and kill every opponent in one turn with just card draw.
Seaside Haven
◊◊◊
In a strange bit of poetic justice, a card called Seaside Haven requires you to sacrifice something to gain a benefit, but doesn't actually protect you from anything. Drawing a card off of Emeria Angel, Dovescape, or any number of other bird-generators out there is really useful, even at a this low of a turn-to-card ratio. Basically, it's another Mikokoro, but one-sided.
Horizon Canopy
◊◊◊◊
It's the start of a very highly-demanded cycle, and if that cycle is ever completed the price tag of the Blue ones will be obscene. But for now, it's only of the best lands in EDH (even as color-restricted as it is).
Cephalid Coliseum
◊◊◊
Steep requirements, no actual net card advantage, and a painful drawback on the actual mana source prevent this from being any higher than ◊◊◊. But even with that in mind, it's not too bad (Blue just has better options).
Howltooth Hollow
◊◊
Why are the Hideaway lands here? Because they are like drawing a card, even if the land tucks it somewhere where you can't access it readily. This land requires everyone at the table to have no cards in hand, thus it isn't that good (short of Myojin+One With Nothing in the same turn, that isn't likely to happen).
Mosswort Bridge
◊◊◊◊
Out of every one of the 5 Hideaway lands, this is the easiest to activate during an opponent's turn, enabling you to put Counterspell down there and actually use it later. 10 Power usually means your General+two other creatures, or even a single creature if you drop Kozilek.
Spinerock Knoll
◊◊◊
It's also possible to activate this land during an opponent's turn, but you have less control over this land than over Mosswort Bridge. The bonus is that anyone can deal the damage, so long as someone other than you takes 7+.
Windbrisk Heights
◊◊◊
This one, however, can only be activated during your turn. 3 creatures is really easy in any color, so this isn't that bad of a land.
Note that I'm leaving out the Blue one because it's utter garbage (never going to activate).
Driving Stick with Isochron Scepter.
Trinkets and Treasure: An Artificer's Toolbox.
Proc Drops: Playing with One Drops.
Deck Primer: Toshiro Umezawa
On Mythic Rares: "What's next, Wizards will print six golden Black Lotuses and randomly place them in boosters, and if someone gets one, they get to tour the Wizards facility?"
Wydwen|Edric|Sakashima|Marrow-Gnawer|Hazezon
8.5 Tails|Seton|Rasputin|Doran|Gisela|Karona|Márton
EDH Decks:
B Toshiro Umezawa B
W Mikaeus, the Lunarch W
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G
UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born BU
BGU The Mimeoplasm UGB
GUW Rubinia Soulsinger WUG
GRB Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper BRG
Anyway, perhaps you should make a distinction for "burst card draw" spells. Many of these cards you list can only draw you one card per turn, which isn't really helpful when you need to catch up now, or when somebody is preparing to sweep, or when somebody has an active shattering pulse. Things like tower of fortunes, Kozilek, and Dreamstone Hedron are really useful in that you can refill your hand without having to wait a bunch of turns.
Oh and one more thing, planar portal is a tutor an not a card draw spell, but that didn't stop you from including eye of ugin. Its really powerful for big-mana type decks that can shrug off those situations where you use it as a 12-mana demonic tutor only to have it blown up the next time the green player untaps.
Kozilek's on there because he's the only card with that CMC that draws cards (Aladin's Lamp notwithstanding. But thanks for the Planar Portal idea, I forgot about it.
As for differentiating between types of card draw, that risk is inherent for any card that has an upkeep trigger or similar trigger, and something most players are aware of all ready.
Thanks. I'll remove the Library from the list.
Driving Stick with Isochron Scepter.
Trinkets and Treasure: An Artificer's Toolbox.
Proc Drops: Playing with One Drops.
Deck Primer: Toshiro Umezawa
Sensei's Divining Top; A friend of mine just recently told me about it's interaction with Future Sight. Got both in play and 8 mana? Draw 8 cards. Absolutely brutal. The first 3 times I had both in my progenitus good stuff deck I never got both in play. 4th time... I got both out, had an empty hand, and was able to play 3 cards off the top of my library, draw the top 3 that weren't of value, and then play 2 more. Absofreakinlutely Brutal.
Skullclamp; For red players, check out Kher Keep and Squee, Goblin Nabob. Springjack Pasture is the colorless kher keep for doule the mana.
Phyrexian Vault requires you to tap it where as Carnage Altar does not.
Bloodletter Quill's wording allows you to pay 2, tap it, and put a counter on it. Then in response pay BU to remove the counter. Then you draw a card and lose 0 life. With big mana it's great. In black/blue you shouldn't need to spend 4 to draw 1 card a turn. It is infact a redundant copy of Jayemdae Tome that you can abuse early game at the cost of a couple life.
A ton of you probably already know these interactions but I would love to read everyone elses 'secret tech'
I've heard so many times "i'm sick of losing" from people who run jace beleren and Mikokoro, Center of the Sea. Temple bell is in a different place as it can be a combo card with mind over matter.
You're helping everyone out. They are trying to win, and you're only speeding up the process. Props to you if you can trick a new player into never swinging at you, but they're not going to spare you because you drew them cards - especially if they saw last game you only did that to combo out.
Quite dammit, you'll ruin my Sliver Queen deck's tech combo.
Driving Stick with Isochron Scepter.
Trinkets and Treasure: An Artificer's Toolbox.
Proc Drops: Playing with One Drops.
Deck Primer: Toshiro Umezawa
I should probably have put Eye of Ugin in the Honorable Mentions section...
Driving Stick with Isochron Scepter.
Trinkets and Treasure: An Artificer's Toolbox.
Proc Drops: Playing with One Drops.
Deck Primer: Toshiro Umezawa
Scenario: dead cards in hand, howltooth hollow + mindslicer + sac outlet = profit???
RGodo, Bandit WarlordR
GSeton, Krosan ProtectorG
BGJarad, Golgari Lich LordGB
Damm, that card is a lot worse than I thought it was, I thought it read like 2, tap: Draw a card for each counter then loose a life for each counter. Oh well, not going in my proliferation deck now.
Anyways, thank you, Sinfire, for putting this together. And for showing some love for Dreamstone Hedron.
It was separated at birth from ensnaring bridge. So i refute this NEVER run it melarky. Also, I'd run it over nearly half of these X, Tap, draw card if this and if your have paid your taxes and eaten your wheaties requirements.
I would never play it early game unless I needed cards in my grave or I knew by having no cards in my hand its going to cause a lock. Otherwise late in an edh MP game, you should have hordes of mana out, getting two cards for 1, is a great deal, because you are more than likely going to be able to cast both. Totally underrated card by your standards.
Ok, you have one card that goes decently with it. But it is incredibly counter-intuitive to something that is supposed to draw you cards, and Bottled Cloister is still better for that same purpose (because you can attack with things bigger than 2 power).
Driving Stick with Isochron Scepter.
Trinkets and Treasure: An Artificer's Toolbox.
Proc Drops: Playing with One Drops.
Deck Primer: Toshiro Umezawa
On the ratings, though, it seems like you've evaluated these cards oddly, or haven't considered interactions with cards that aren't Rings of Brighthearth. These are just my views. I'm not bashing on your work, just presenting my own perspective.
Grafted Skullcap is obviously a cornercase card, but it's certainly not deserving of a negative rating when a piece of garbage like Fool's Tome or Jayemdae Tome has a positive rating. Fool's Tome is catastrophically bad. There's almost no reason to use it, as you virtually always have better options with more synergy available in any given deck (it's pretty good with Skullcap, hilariously enough). Grafted Skullcap can at least actually serve a purpose; Dark Suspicions, Ensnaring Bridge, anything Hellbent, Rix Maadi, the Dungeon Palace, and even Black Vise and Viseling can all benefit from the Cap. Is it amazing? No, but it's at least interesting and fun, which should probably count for something. Some decks really like it (as was previously said, it's pretty sick with Malfegor).
Similarly, I think you're selling Seer's Sundial and Culling Dias both short, especially when marked next to those tomes. Seer's Sundial is a great card in certain decks. In the late game, it converts lands from dead cards to an advantage in both mana base and cards. It's also useful in the early game to help keep yourself topped up. Provided the land you're playing doesn't come into play tapped, it's a lot like paying one mana to draw a card. It's not the best card in the world but it's surely better than Rign of Renewal or Angelheart Vial.
The problem with Culling Dias is that it isn't Skullclamp, which is a real card. This makes it look questionable instantly. But consider some of the Dias' other applications. It's amazing with proliferate. It works on opponent's turns. You can use it to off your Woodfall Primus instantly, during your opponent's turn. It takes a bit more work to have the Dias operate at full capacity but it's still a perfectly fine card. Another big bonus is it doesn't draw the ridiculous heat Skullclamp does.
Finally, Mind's Eye is, at best, four pips, and only because Red and White decks realy like it. It's one of the most overrated cards in Commander. Green, black and blue (especially the last two) all have much better, faster, more efficient draw options to the point that they shouldn't be using Mind's Eye unless they are going to have ike 15+ draw spells. A lot of the time, Mind's Eye reads something like "seven mana to draw two cards". Even with ideal setups (like mass discard prior), you're putting an awful lot of work in to draw cards slowly, and in a manner that conflicts with spending mana on your own turn. I just don't think this is work it most of the time.
I encourage you to do the same. Instead of FNM try Friday Night Something Spontaneous. Instead of thousands of hours and dollars on plastic imagine it with a significant other or friends sharing something meaningful. I randomly typed a new password, so bon voyage itches i encourage you to follow suit! Cheers
They changed it a long time ago to "Players have no maximum hand size."
and by a long time ago I mean years upon years ago.
I remember at the time it's change was basically a non-event. Library of Leng and Anvil of Bogardan all got the change. Plus everything that used to say "during your discard phase" got changed as well, usually to "end of turn step" or in the case of [c]Recycle[/] it changed to "maximum hand size is 2" instead of "discard all but two during the discard phase".
The big change though, was that before Necropotence drew you cards in the discard phase, which meant if someone else played the Anvil you would no longer be able to get cards. It also meant you couldn't combine Necro with Library of Leng for the same reason.
| B Erebos, God of VampiresB | GYeva SmashG | RBosh ArtifactsR | GURAnimar +1 BeatsGUR | RBVial's Secret Hot SauceRB | UBRNekusar, Draw if you DareUBR | RGBDarigaaz'z DragonsRGB | GBSlimeFEETGB | UBOn-Hit LazavUB | URBrudiclad's Artificer InventionsUR | GUBMuldrotha's ElementalsGUB | WUGKestia's EnchantmentsWUG | GUTatyova - Draw, Land, Go!GU | WGArahbo's EquipmentWG | BUWVarina's ZOMBIE HORDESBUW | WLyra's Angelic SalvationW | WBChurch of TeysaWB | UAzami...WizardsU
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=519290
And is sadly banned in EDH.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
One of the easy-to-miss benefits of Scrying Sheets is that you're placing the card in your hand, not actually drawing it. So cards that say you can't draw like Maralen of the Mornsong don't stop the effect.
Scrying Sheets is also fun with any of the 'play with the top card of your library revealed' cards, if you want to get a Snow card off the top to see what's next (for example, Future Sight showing a snow land when you've already used your land drop for the turn, or Vampire Nocturnus to dig for a black card).
Finally, Scrying Sheets with Sensei's Divining Top Can let you pay to almost guarantee that you don't miss your land drop.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)