[SCD] Runeflare Trap

[yawg07]

Runeflare Trap :4::r::r:
Instant - Trap
If an opponent drew three or more cards his turn, you may pay :r: rather then pay Runeflare Trap's mana cost.
Runeflare Trap deals damage equal to target player equal to the number of cards in that players hand.

Uncommon

Seems like a card burn will be packing, maybe MD most likely SB, due to the high amount of Brainstorm, etc in Legacy.
Also, it has an uncounterbalanceable (o.o) mana cost, which is certainly good. What do you guys think?

[Clark Kant]

Fuck, that's sweet. :eek:

Red just got a very solid tool against several blue based decks in the format!

Probably a 4 of in many burn/sligh sideboards.

[quicksilver]

Of course you have to keep a mana open every turn, and if they don't draw a brainstorm, then this is pretty much dead.

[Clark Kant]

Burn decks play several instants anyway, so leaving a mana open shouldn't be a problem. That mana can always be used on a Lightning Bolt or Incinerate or PoP later.

It counts the first card drawn for the turn as well, so even discounting that almost every blue deck plays 4 Brainstorm, any double cantrip (2x Ponder), or any cantrip in combination with a Top draw effect sets it off, as does Standstill and Ancestral Visions, and even Predict does when used in combination with Top's second ability at the end of your turn or in the very unlikely scenario that they cast it on their own turn.

Against the right deck (landstill, countertop etc), being able to do ~7 damage for R, is quite powerful.

The only question is, are there sideboard slots open to devote to landstill and countertop matchups that aren't better spend with something else?

I'm not sure we need so many SCD threads on largely sideboard cards rather than just posting them in the specific deck threads. Cards that can spawn a new deck or strategy sure. But I guess that's the nature of new set releases anyways.

[MSC]

If played for the alternative Cost, it can still be countered...

[Tilde]

Of course you have to keep a mana open every turn, and if they don't draw a brainstorm, then this is pretty much dead.

Burn has so much other instant-speed burn that keeping mana open shouldn't be a problem; if they don't Brainstorm, you just play a Bolt or something.

[Jaynel]

If played for the alternative Cost, it can still be countered...

True, but most (all?) decks can't flip over a 6cc card to hit this with Counterbalance.

[Nidd]

Hm, funny. I can see a deck like Howling Owl rising.

[rufus]

This could work well with symmetric draw cards like Diminishing Returns or Wheel of Fate.

[Piceli89]

This could work well with symmetric draw cards like Diminishing Returns or Wheel of Fate.

This will work with Brainstorm,before all.

[georgjorge]

Or Ad Nauseam :smile:

[morgan_coke]

Ad Nauseum doesn't draw cards, it puts them into your hand.

[Nihil Credo]

I can also see a scenario where the CB opponent Ponders / activates Jace, the Burn player Bolts, and CB guy must choose between eating it or tapping his Top to counter and risking a Fireblast/Lava Axe to the noggin.

The card isn't perfect, but straight Burn players have it so bad against Counterbalance right now that this will certainly improve things for them a bit.

[einhorn303]

It would be amusing if this card makes burn become such a serious deck that people stop playing Brainstorm and play other 1 CMC blue cantrips instead.

Unlikely, but it would be amusing.

Also, with Summoner's Trap spoiled too...HURP DURP WIZARDS HATES BLUE.

[Sanguine Voyeur]

I like it. It allows you to say, "Fool you've activated my trap card" after someone has played Brainstorm or Recall. Could screw over combo if they use on cantrip too many.

By the way, what's a trap card in the context of Magic?

[Goaswerfraiejen]

It would be hilarious to respond to a lethal Tendril with massive burn. But I doubt that's a feasible scenario.

[Elfrago]

No.
Sucks.

[Wrath_Of_Houlding]

I like it. It allows you to say, "Fool you've activated my trap card" after someone has played Brainstorm or Recall. Could screw over combo if they use on cantrip too many.

By the way, what's a trap card in the context of Magic?

It seems like it would be similar to a "readied action" in D&D

[SilverGreen]

This card's fucking nuts. Clark Kent himself said it, and that no one of you, stupid morons, dare to disagree. I'll take a foil playset of it before this card becomes a $10 uncommon.

[Infinitium]

Ad Nauseum. This. Hilarity.

[Sanguine Voyeur]

Although it's likely they led into it with a Brainstorm or at least two cantrips, Ad Nauseum doesn't draw cards.

[Hanni]

I'd sooner run Vexing Shusher against Counterbalance, since it isn't conditional (and it answers Chalice). I'd sooner run Chalice against combo, because it is again situational and the deck cannot race the alternative IGG win.

However, I may be wrong.

[pippo84]

As posted before Ad Nauseam doesn't draw cards. It puts them in player's hand.. Anyways it's interesting as SB card in certain decks..

[Willoe]

This card is cool in terms of being magic-cool. That's not rather positive, I think. It may be good, but then again, it's rather situational, and as a Burn player, I'd rather combat Thresh in another way, for example by using Vexing Shusher even though it's straight against the whole Burn concept. Other cards like Hellspark Elemental and the like suck greatly, but they can go around Counterbalance when Unearthed, and I think it's better because they, unlike Trap cards, are not dependant on the opponent's moves/choices.

In general, I think the Trap cards are a bit too sucky. I might get proved wrong as more cards get spoiled and if someone finds some serious tech, but I think of them as those weird cards from Odyssey block where the card did a rather efficent effect unless the opponent paid a cost which was also rather efficent, but left the opponent with a choice. We can't let that happen.

If the opponent knows you have a Trap card in hand and he knows what Trap card that card might be, he can simply choose not to trigger it or wait until you have no mana open for the Trap. Yes, it's hard not to play Brainstorm when you feel you need to, but then again, this Trap can always be forced if it becomes too dangerous for the Thresh player.

However, I just noticed this Trap comboes greatly with Burning Inquiry. Add some Fiery Temper, Winds of Change, a casual environment, Fond of Mythos and Ebony owl Netsuke and you'll have a very bad - but rather interesting - deck!

[DrJones]

As posted before Ad Nauseam doesn't draw cards. It puts them in player's hand.. Anyways it's interesting as SB card in certain decks..Well, maybe they refer to the part about damage equal to cards in hand. At last an use for that awful Djinn from Mercadian Masques. :laugh:

[Shanghi Knights]

Ya but wouldn't a smart ad nauseum player play silence or orims chant before going to combo? besides theres not guarentee that they will draw 3 cards in the turn following them playing ad nauseum. even if they don't silence or orims chant or duress you first. once they ad nauseum they pretty much got the game, thats a lot of cards in hand.

[hi-val]

Ya but wouldn't a smart ad nauseum player play silence or orims chant before going to combo? besides theres not guarentee that they will draw 3 cards in the turn following them playing ad nauseum. even if they don't silence or orims chant or duress you first. once they ad nauseum they pretty much got the game, thats a lot of cards in hand.

I like the idea of Draw-7s with this. Right now, the only worthwhile one we have is Diminishing Returns. However, what about a deck that starts like:

T1: Mountain
T2: Mountain, Rite of Flame, SSG, Seething Song, Winds of Change, <drawing some more cards happens here>, Runeflare Trap x3

The bad part is that Winds doesn't draw you any more cards than what you started with, but it does trigger the trap for a single red mana and that's pretty cool. You can also randomly mulligan opponents into no-landers!

It probably lacks merit, but it's something to think about at least.

[Phoenix Ignition]

By the way, what's a trap card in the context of Magic?

I'd say it's where you want to cast some big fucking bomb spell thats going to fly across planes and nuke the opponent, so you go hide in a forest or something while casting it. Meanwhile, the opponent sends in his orcish lumberjack through and surprise! he stumbles upon where you have all your magic powered up. Well, now you see the shot to the head is a lot easier than it was before since he moved in closer or something, and you now have a chance to kerpow him for less mana than expecting.

or something like yu-gi-oh, where now you have the exact way too specific chance to win the game, and the opponent happens to stumble into it (every fucking episode)

[Solpugid]

Runeflare trap+trade secrets for a deck that only wins when your opponent has no idea what's going on?