Why is noone playing word of command?

[blacklotus3636]

When I got a beta one in trade I knew it was valuable and it is a very powerful card from what I can tell but noone plays it. I wanted to explore the reasons why.
1. Price
The most obvious reason is the card is very expensive and in short supply but with the price of dual lands I don't think its the only issue

2. Unknown quantity
Most people I know don't even know what the card does let alone what it does or how to use it

Thats all I can think of at this time but there can be some instances where the card would be utterly insane. For instance if you word of command a tendrils deck and get a LED you can make them sacrifice thier hand. It does have some strange interactions so its important to clarify those before building anything with it.
On starcitygames.com the judge rulings say that if you force someone to play a phyrexian tower you can force them to sacrifice creatures but if you force them to play channel you can't make them channel all of thier life.
How would it work with summoner's pact? If you make all the decisions for them could you choose to have them not pay the upkeep and lose the game?
At the very least, it forces them to do something at a time that would rather not. I'm interested to know what everyone thinks

[raharu]

Because it's BB and very very conditional? I mean, that is the very definition of "the danger of cool things".

[xsockmonkeyx]

http://www.paradiseartists.com/artists/hermans_hermits/splash.jpg

Damn straight, I play Word of Command.

[URABAHN]

http://www.paradiseartists.com/artists/hermans_hermits/splash.jpg

Damn straight, I play Word of Command.

Peter Noone plays Word of Command?

[raharu]

http://www.paradiseartists.com/artists/hermans_hermits/splash.jpg

Damn straight, I play Word of Command.
wtf monkey, wtf.

[m03]

It's been expensive ever since Unlimited went OOP, and it's been garbage for just as long. Any time I've play against someone running it, it's effectively been this:

BB - Opponent reveals their hand.

Duress is a stronger play.

Also, you're idea about Lion's Eye Diamond doesn't work. You can't make decisions for a permanent after it comes into play. You can't make them play Pact of Negation either since it wont have a valid target.

[raharu]

Peter Noone plays Word of Command?
He plays magic?

[xsockmonkeyx]

http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/4/47/Noonecommand.jpg

You better believe it.

[raharu]

http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/4/47/Noonecommand.jpg

You better believe it.
Oshi-

[blacklotus3636]

It's been expensive ever since Unlimited went OOP, and it's been garbage for just as long. Any time I've play against someone running it, it's effectively been this:

BB - Opponent reveals their hand.

Duress is a stronger play.

Also, you're idea about Lion's Eye Diamond doesn't work. You can't make decisions for a permanent after it comes into play. You can't make them play Pact of Negation either since it wont have a valid target.

I checked starcitygames virtual judge and if someone is forced to play phyrexian tower you can force them to sacrifice creatures and such so it seems natural that you can make them sacrifice thier hand with LED in a similar manner. I e-mailed a judge about what word of command actually can and cannot do but as far as I can see if phyrexian tower can do that then LED should also work as well

[m03]

I checked starcitygames virtual judge and if someone is forced to play phyrexian tower you can force them to sacrifice creatures and such so it seems natural that you can make them sacrifice thier hand with LED in a similar manner. I e-mailed a judge about what word of command actually can and cannot do but as far as I can see if phyrexian tower can do that then LED should also work as well


Lion's Eye Diamond is an Artifact, not a Land.

As per Word of Command:


The player is required only to use mana in his or her mana pool and mana that can be drawn from lands.

The Star City ruling refers to a Phyrexian Tower that is already in play, not one that was played via WoC.

[raharu]

Uhhhh, that's still an incredibly rare and luck-based play. I think you're missing the fact that it's good like, 10% of the time, and then the other 90% it's, to put it bluntly, a really shitty card.

[Bardo]

This thread sucks. Locked.