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Post by yugular on Jan 27, 2012 2:12:27 GMT -5
magiccards.info/scans/en/cmd/40.jpg [/img] These all cards are banned in modern for example. First two are restricted in Vintage. Obviously these cards are very powerful. But which one do you like the most? What are the pros and cons. I don't even own a playset of Brainstorms in modo. In pauper I think Brainstorm really suffers from the lack of shuffle effects.
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Post by High_Gene on Jan 27, 2012 4:47:26 GMT -5
I wouldn't say that Brainstorm's a bad card in Pauper just because you don't have access to the real fetch lands. I do play a full playset in my Mystical Teachings deck where they really rock since I have spells that let me shuffle my library besides the Pauper fetch lands. Furthermore, when MBC is rising again (at some point in the future), Brainstorm is great to hide your most important cards (which a lot of players don't know/ forget to do).
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Post by dougbiss on Jan 27, 2012 8:00:45 GMT -5
Delver + Brainstorm = Awesome... especially since you can hold your double blue for a counter until the end step, or still have Snap mana on their turn (and even still be able to setup the Delver after casting it). Never underestimate the strength of an Instant over that of a Sorcery when playing blue.
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Post by yugular on Jan 27, 2012 8:11:26 GMT -5
Delver + Brainstorm = Awesome... especially since you can hold your double blue for a counter until the end step, or still have Snap mana on their turn (and even still be able to setup the Delver after casting it). Never underestimate the strength of an Instant over that of a Sorcery when playing blue. Yes. Brainstorm is obviously the best choice in Delver Blue (although the others are nice too). Still I find that Ponder and Preordain have more use in other decks currently. Although they are sorcery speed.
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Post by gabochido on Jan 27, 2012 13:29:39 GMT -5
In Storm decks brainstorm is usually the better card since you often have a couple of cards you don't need and draw into cards you do need.
Brainstorm works well in conjunction with ponder since you can just shuffle your deck. It also has the advantage of being able to "hide" you cards in your deck when facing the likes of duress or distress.
In a delver deck, it also gives you a give advantage in that you can cast turn one delver and brainstorm in response to its ability at the beginning of your upkeep to ensure you have an instant to reveal.
The big disadvantage is of course, if you have crap in your hand and draw crap, it doesn't help you at all, while the other can let you reshuffle or send the cards to the bottom.
I think preordain is the best general purpose of the three as it is always useful and I would first try that one in a generic blue deck.
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Post by gabochido on Jan 27, 2012 13:30:31 GMT -5
Also possibly in discussion are Serum Visions and Opt, though I think neither of those two are as good as the first three.
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Post by yugular on Jan 27, 2012 13:51:45 GMT -5
Also possibly in discussion are Serum Visions and Opt, though I think neither of those two are as good as the first three. Serum Visions is quite notable though! And I think it has become the number one in modern, since these three are banned?
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Post by grumpyoldgamer on Jan 27, 2012 20:55:47 GMT -5
To specify, Ponder and Preordain are banned in Modern. Brainstorm is not, since it's not legal in the format to being with.
To answer the original question, I personally prefer Preordain. Brainstorm is strong but more situational, especially since we have very few shuffle effects in the format. In a deck where it's good, it's usually better than the other two, but I think that the more reliable and versatile card is Preordain.
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bobblyigg
New Member
I've got a raging Brainstorm and I'm not afraid to use it
Posts: 47
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Post by bobblyigg on Jan 28, 2012 0:00:52 GMT -5
Brainstorm sucks in storm. You are usually chaining rituals and draw spells so you will draw your crappy cards again.
I do think Brainstorm is getting kind of a bad reputation with regards to lack of shuffling. You were going to draw those cards eventually and Brainstorm just delays that for a turn. It doesn't make your draws any worse than before. That said, both Ponder and Preordain can make your draws better and I will play them over Brainstorm in almost every deck. Ponder is for searching for a particular card since it digs deeper than Preordain. Preordain is for everything else to get rid of your crap cards.
I think a better card to compare with Brainstorm is Gitaxian Probe. Both essentially draw you one card further with different upsides.
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Post by High_Gene on Jan 28, 2012 5:44:57 GMT -5
Brainstorm and Gitaxian Probe are definitively totally different. With Brainstorm you get up three new cards, with Gitaxian Probe only one.
Otherwise, I'd agree with GrumpyOldGamer.
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bobblyigg
New Member
I've got a raging Brainstorm and I'm not afraid to use it
Posts: 47
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Post by bobblyigg on Jan 28, 2012 17:56:49 GMT -5
Brainstorm alone can't change the contents of your draw while both Ponder and Preordain can. This is why I think Brainstorm is closer to Gitaxian Probe than it is to Ponder and Preordain.
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Post by High_Gene on Jan 29, 2012 8:06:06 GMT -5
But sometimes it's just about finding the right answer/ counter at instant speed.
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Post by RockBass on Jan 29, 2012 10:20:43 GMT -5
I prefer Preordain over Ponder because I can set up my hand better.
If I Ponder and shuffle it all away, I'm back to drawing random.
If I Preordain and put the both of the cards I don't like on the bottom, I'm more likely to not see those cards again.
At least, that's how it works in my head. English major.
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Post by gabochido on Jan 29, 2012 10:47:48 GMT -5
Even though brainstorm doesn't change the context of your draw, it can get you three full new cards in your hand, something the other two can't. That makes it very powerful in the right circumstances. Storm can really benefit from this since you often have repeats of cards you don't need and need to find multiple cards and getting them THAT turn will make you go off.
From looking at the DKA spoiler, I'm thinking Thought Scour, could make a fine companion to Brainstorm for those cases where you want to get rid of your garbage. For 2 mana those two cards will let you keep the best cards from the next three draws and your hand and then get rid of the worst 2 cards, digging deeper into your library (and getting one random card at the end), at instant speed.
As for Ponder vs Preordain, the advantage Preordain has is that it lets you dig deeper than ponder, so its better when looking for one particular card, but Ponder is better at generally improving your draw. Therefore, I would put ponder as better in a combo deck where you normally are looking for that last piece of the combo, while ponder is better in any other kind of deck.
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Post by yugular on Jan 29, 2012 13:36:46 GMT -5
Yeah, the problem with Brainstorm imo is that you might draw into 3 cards you are not looking, and Brainstorm isn't very likely doing anything for you then. That being said, it is obviously powerful in certain decks and has a role to play in the metagame, for sure. I just think that Ponder and Preordain have more use. If I brew a deck and decide that it needs U-cantrip like this, I usually try Preordain first. From looking at the DKA spoiler, I'm thinking Thought Scour, could make a fine companion to Brainstorm for those cases where you want to get rid of your garbage. For 2 mana those two cards will let you keep the best cards from the next three draws and your hand and then get rid of the worst 2 cards, digging deeper into your library (and getting one random card at the end), at instant speed. The thing is that when you pair Brainstorm with other cards, you need those cards in your hand (or draw from brainstorm). So you need a setup. And also the other card (Scour in this case) takes up 1-4 slots from your deck (which some decks can't afford!).
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