Etch-a-Sketch

Andromedea · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 378

Phyrexian Etchings
bbb
Enchantment R
Cumulative Upkeep {B} (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
At the end of your turn, draw a card for each age counter on Primitive Etchings.
When Phyrexian Etchings is put into a graveyard from play, you lose 2 life for each age counter on it.
Illus. Ron Spears

Thoughts, good or bad?

kikimikejiki · Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 649

terrible?

the_guy_123 · Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Posts: 125 Location: Quebec

w00t for Suicide Black! I don't even think I would play it in there...

BattleofWits · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 206

I understand this is the fixed necro/bargain and it is flavorful to that extent. But honestly this is pretty bad. It eats your mana, colored mana at that, making it hard for you to play stuff. It draws EOT, which is bad. And enchantment destruction can mean a lotta life loss for you. I don't see it being playable but maybe some vintage mastermind can break it

Stryfe- · Joined: 25 Feb 2006 Posts: 72

I can see this in the .25 bin within weeks

Russell_Nash · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 645 Location: Burn Ward

blah. Its nice to see them try to fix necro but that card SUCKS.

what made necro great was that it didn’t cost mana to draw cards. So you could devote all of your mana into using the spells you drew every turn(which usually went into some sort of life drain spell, thus negating the life spent to draw cards; rise and repeat).

that card has way too many negatives for it: Cumulative upkeep for mana, MASSIVE life lose when hits graveyard, and relatively slow drawing power(when compared to necro). MAYBE if it didn’t have the massive lifelose @ the end and rather gradual lifelose as you draw it would be better. Maybe like a necro that you also had to pay mana on top of life to draw cards it would be good.

So far Phyrexian Arena is still the best necro-knockoff. In Wizards favor, at least it’s a junk rare that is spent as an throwback to a once great/broken/silly card from ice age, rather then just a bad card (ie one with nothing, blood funnel)

LordFoley · Joined: 28 Jun 2006 Posts: 21

I think it would be worth it if you also gained 1 life for each age counter on it.

ElvishGod · Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 2924

I think it would be worth it if the Cumulative Upkeep was "draw a card"

Russell_Nash · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 645 Location: Burn Ward

LordFoley: then it would be too good. At some point you would be gaining more life then would lose from the lifeloss when it dies.

1 counter 1 life total
2 counter 3 life total
3 counter 6 life total
4 coutner 10 life total
5 counter 15 life total
6 counter 21 life total

ElvishGod: it essentially is... you draw cards equal to the age counters every turn.

LordFoley · Joined: 28 Jun 2006 Posts: 21

Yes, but you are also losing more and more mana for it.

But if you're right, then the penalty should be reduced to 1 life for each age counter, as it is the card is all but a death wish.

cyu1065 · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 19

Don't pay B: lose 2 life, 0 extra cards (0 total)
Don't pay BB: lose 4 life, 1 extra card (2 total)
Don't pay BBB: lose 6 life, 3 extra cards (5 total)
Don't pay BBBB: lose 8 life, 6 extra cards (9 total)
Don't pay BBBBB: lose 10 life, 10 extra cards (14 total)
Don't pay BBBBBB: lose 12 life, 16 extra cards (21 total)

If you're able to pay BBB, then you'll be reaching the necro in terms of efficiency (9 total cards for 8 life). The more you can pay, the more efficient it becomes.

If you can kill your opponent before you fail to pay the upkeep, then you don't have to worry about life.

Plus you can bounce the card and play it again.

Vodka_drink · Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 1130 Location: Brampton O

as long as arena is in T2 this card won't be played

Vodka

Twist300 · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Posts: 33

got that straight