Usefulness of Pact of Negation?

Kamisamaa · Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 4

I'm considering running it in my Blue/Red Control/Burn, but I'm wondering if it's really worth it. It looks like it could totally lock someone down if used at a critical juncture, but it really limits one's options during the next turn by sucking up so much mana.

commador01 · Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Posts: 36

Would it really be worth wasting a turn to counter something that you could with a rune snag? Why not stronger Burn spells?

Ggerg · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 468

really depends on the deck. for u, if ur not playing guile, probably not. try it as a one-of tho.

BusDriver · Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 132

a one of it is good
the cards quality might not be optimal for the current t2 decks but it can completely surprise an opponent which is worth a lot too.
Imagine a situation where you are completely tapped out and the opponent plays a key spell (sulfurous blast at instant speed, cryptic command tapping you down or/and countering a key spell, or a combodeck, a counterwar to get that key spell in). If you can win the turn you play it, it's completely awesome.
The problem is that the current decks are not optimal for this card. Faeries and merfolk could use it as a oneshot. Faeries has enough land to support it, but it really doesn't wanna tap out on it's upkeep. Merfolk only run 22 lands so the relevance is less. But again if it counters that key removal spell or a cryptic command it works.
Also note that rune snag isn't a reliable counter late game unless it has been played a few times.

Kamisamaa · Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 4

Zoom · Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 87

Pact of negation isn't the greatest counter in the world. One of the best uses is if you want to run tolaria west, then including it as a 1-of is cool, alongside urza's factory, academy ruins, kobold keep, sb tormod's, or even pact of the titan.

Ggerg · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 468

um...u should either play it main or not at all. what's the benefit of it sb? what does it come in against?

JeZeus · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 122

Do you run tolaria west???? Personally for me if im going to run pact of negations its A) in a MUC deck and B) The deck is running Tolaria West. Your not playing MUC, and you are not running Tolaria West to my knowledge. So I can't see any reason to it if your going to use it as a 1 slot. If your going to use more then one it would probably make your deck a little unstable, and it would be annoying to draw them in your first hand or draw into them on turns 2-4. Besides all of that, It is an amazing counterspell in the right situation, and proper deck.

aldaryn · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 469

It's really only good to protect a combo when you are about to go off, or to backup a must-resolve spell when you tap out for it, like Crovax vs. Faeries for example.

Vedrfolner · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 1401

yes could help reveiblink vs faeries this, couldn't it? 3 crovax, 3 pact of negation side, 4 rune snag main