How Good is Book of Rass?
General forum
Posted on May 28, 2022, 1:46 a.m. by DemonDragonJ
A card that I feel is unfairly overlooked is Book of Rass, which is essentially a colorless version of Greed, a card that is well-known and well-respected for its value and potential to draw many cards for a relatively low price.
Given how popular Greed is, I am very displeased that Book of Rass is lesser-known than it, especially considering that can be put into any deck, which I believe more than makes up for its greater initial cost. The fact that the card has not been reprinted in a long time is also a likely reason that it is not as well-known as it could be, so I hope that WotC shall reprint it, eventually.
What does everyone else say about this? How good is Book of Rass?
Gidgetimer says... #3
I hate to be Debbie Downer again, but...
It isn't very good at all. It may be fun, it may allow you to play games the way you want to. It is not a good card. It is a 6 mana do noting that requires 2 more mana and 2 life to be card neutral. It simply isn't viable in any deck that seeks to be "good".
May 28, 2022 3:38 a.m.
I'll give Book of Rass credit for being the second-most mana-efficient pure colorless card (not Devoid) that effects only you and doesn't sacrifice itself for the draw. That's a really narrow category, but almost every other option taps or sacrifices itself, or has a color identity. The other options are Diviner's Wand (less efficient for pure draw, but has other useful abilities), Well of Knowledge (anyone can use this), and Mindless Automaton (my choice for most mana efficient pure colorless etc. etc.)
Of course, I would expect artifact untapping and recursion to go into pretty much every artifact-centric deck, and even white, the weakest at pure draw, has been getting comparable options that are at least as good in color.
Is it a truly bad card? I don't think so. It's just outclassed by a lot of really good cards. It's an "if you have no other option" card.
May 28, 2022 5:05 a.m.
ClockworkSwordfish says... #5
Book of Rass isn't bad per se, and it's a very solid option for Old School EDH, but I think it's outclassed by a number of even mediocre cards. For example, you'd have to and 4 life for the book to outperform The Immortal Sun or even Staff of Nin on a given turn, and neither of those costs are a pittance. And what about next turn? The Book's one real advantage is being able to draw multiple cards per turn, but I feel it's just too mana-intensive to meaningfully outperform other big artifacts like Mind's Eye or Loreseeker's Stone.
May 28, 2022 5:38 a.m.
I’ve personally gotten way more mileage out of Well of Knowledge. It’s cheaper and there really doesn’t seem to be a downside. The only opponents who tend to use it are ones that are desperate and trying to recover; the player ahead is very rarely going to need it. Helping stabilize those other behind players usually curries good favors later on down the road and only provide more collective opportunities to deal with the biggest threat at the table.
That being said, Book of Rass is still a really neat effect and might be a good pairing with Well, especially if you like running those old-school cards :)
May 28, 2022 8:16 a.m.
wallisface says... #7
I don’t play EDH, so my background is this is limited, but imo this card requires waaay too much mana to be even remotely viable - you need to spend 10 mana and 4 life just for a net-gain of one card! Unless you’re somehow generating insane quantities of mana, I don’t see how its remotely feasible.
Comparably, for the same mana-investment, Greed nets you a net-gain of 5 cards.
I just don’t see how the book provides any real value before the game is decided. Imo (and admittedly from experience in a different format), 6 mana cards should have an immediate and powerful board-impact/pressure. Book does nothing and then requires you spend a whole lot more mana just to try and gain value.
May 30, 2022 3:39 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #8
wallisface, in a deck that contains black, Greed shall naturally be the better choice, but the book will be good in any deck that does not contain black, especially mono-white decks, since white has always had the least focus on card advantage of all the colors.
Plus, I simply really would like to see that card in the new border style with new artwork.
May 31, 2022 9:12 p.m.
wallisface says... #9
DemonDragonJ that’s where I disagree - I don’t think there’s a situation where book is good at all. 10-mana and 4-life to be one card up is a terrible trade. To get to that point you’ve likely had at least one turn (possibly 2) where you’re doing absolutely nothing else, meaning you’re representing no pressure.
I don’t see how a game goes long enough for you to gain meaningful profit from this card - and if a game somehow does drag out for an extended period, it feels like there is a multitude of better options to regain an advantage.
It appears there are a horde of better colourless card draw options out there also:
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If you’re playing any sort of lifegain, Well of Lost Dreams
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If your playgroup likes keeping their stuff, Coercive Portal
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The Immortal Sun seems better than the Book in almost every conceivable way
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Karn, Scion of Urza is a card drawing machine if you can keep him alive
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Tome of Legends seems decent
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Solemn Simulacrum nets you cards and a blocker
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If you have choky creatures, Infiltration Lens, or evasive creatures, Mask of Memory. And if you hate your creatures, Skullclamp
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Even Endless Atlas seems like it should be more practical than Book, just cause it’s less cmc.
It just feels like there are sooo many better options than Book
May 31, 2022 11:21 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #10
wallisface, yes, all of those cards are awesome, and I actually use Well of Lost Dreams in my Liesa deck and The Immortal Sun in nearly every other EDH deck that I have, but I still want to see Book of Rass reprinted in the new border style.
TypicalTimmy says... #2
I know a lot of people may be tempted to say that for , there is far better things you can do... but honestly we will almost never pay using mana produced by lands. You can likely get this out T3 in stronger decks.
That aside, mana and 2 life for a card? That's actually some really solid value! Unless I am sorely missing something, I'd definitely run it.
What I noticed in your previous thread is that some users were comparing your Ring of Three Wishes to Wishclaw Talisman, missing the fact that if your deck does not run , you can not have Wishclaw in it. So, I suspect players will compare Book to Necropotence, again missing the fact that without , you can't play it.
So, in NON-BLACK decks, I think Book of Rass is a very solid choice. Even in black decks, it's a very stable alternate engine.
Given that it is not a tap ability, this makes it repeatable. I suspect it is 59 cents because people can not get over that mana. Again, who cares. Even if you drop it Turn 6 for 6 mana produced by lands, your very next turn you are guarenteed 3 cards if that is all you do.
Solid card. I'd run it, now that I actually know about it ;)
May 28, 2022 2 a.m. Edited.