Ancestral Recall

Instant

Target player draws three cards.

Legality

Format	Legality
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oldschool 93/94	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
PreDH	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

jethstriker on Unbalanced Cycles in MtG

1 week ago

The original boon cycle was designed by Richard Garfield himself, and he was aware that Ancestral Recall was significantly more powerful than the rest. That's why he put it at rare while the rest are at common. So right from the beginning the creator of the game himself already set the tone that cycles aren't meant to be created equal. What I don't like in cycles is almost always red gets the short end:

The color-aligned legendary lands of Urza's Saga. Tolarian Academy is broken, followed by powerhouses Gaea's CradleGC and Serra's SanctumGC, followed far down the line is the decent Phyrexian Tower, then at the very bottom is Shivan Gorge.

In more recent times they created another "force" cycle in Modern Horizons. Again blue is on top with Force of Negation, followed by Force of Vigor and Force of Despair. Then once again red is at the bottom with white with Force of Rage and Force of Virtue.

The worst I can remember is they omitted red entirely in a cycle. In Mirage they printed 3 tutors: Enlightened TutorGC, Mystical TutorGC, and Worldly TutorGC. The following set came Vampiric TutorGC. Then Weatherlight came and there was no red tutor on it. I just personally imagine that GambleGC is the unofficial red member of the tutor cycle to clear my mind on this.

DemonDragonJ on Unbalanced Cycles in MtG

1 week ago

The majority of cycles of cards in this games are at least somewhat balanced, but there are some cycles that are rather unbalanced, where one or two cards are noticeably (and often hilariously) over- or underpowered compared to the other cards, so I would like to discuss some of those cycles, in this thread.

One of the very first cycles in the game, the original boon cycle, was hilariously unbalanced, with Ancestral Recall being significantly more powerful than were the other cards in that cycle, Healing Salve being easily the weakest, and the other three members being between them in terms of power; Lightning Bolt remains a staple to this day, but Giant Growth and Dark Ritual are much more niche cards, today, due to power creep. Since that cycle was one of the first cycles in the game, I believe that players can forgive WotC for not being able to balance the cards in it.

Another unbalanced cycle is the avatar cycle from Prophecy, in which Avatar of Woe is clearly the most powerful, while Avatar of Will is the weakest, with the other three being between them in power.

Another great example is that the majority of the "rhystic" cards are fairly weak, but Rhystic StudyGC is extremely powerful, so I wonder what the designers were thinking when they made those cards.

One of my personal favorites is how the lieges from Eventide (i.e., Balefire Liege, Deathbringer Liege, and so forth) are blatantly superior to the lieges from Shadowmoor (i.e., Ashenmoor Liege, Boartusk Liege, and so forth), and I am very displeased at the disparity between the allied-colored and enemy-colored lieges.

What does everyone else say, about this? What are some of your favorite examples of unbalanced cycles in Magic: the Gathering? I certainly am eager to hear your thoughts, on this matter!

Mortlocke on The Queen's Egg

2 months ago

russianbeast93, In higher powered tables Mystic Remora can function as a Ancestral Recall as few players are unable or unwilling to pay the {4} tax on their (non-creature) spells. I've encountered the phrase "Feed the Fish?" As the tax effect triggers and the opponent is prompted. This is similar to the "Do you pay the {1}?" In reference to Rhystic StudyGC.

It is important to note however that this spell falls flat on its face at lower powered tables, as players tend to lean on creature heavy strategies with less interaction. In other words the lower the power of the pod, the less effective Mystic Remora becomes.

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

5 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.3! Two years ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.2, creating a balanced cube and wonderful play experience for all involved. Despite these changes, there remained some minor flaws in the card pool. I am now pleased to announce that, after extensive research and design, Cumly Cube has reached a final form. No card is too powerful. No card is too weak. Synergy is abundant. Both the draft and play experiences are dynamic, exciting, and new. There will be no more major updates to Cumly Cube 1.

120 cards have been removed, and 120 cards have been added. Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

ARTIFACT

1. Everflowing Chalice: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
2. Glass of the Guildpact: too weak
3. Heraldic Banner: encouraged mono-colored decks
4. Illuminated Folio: too weak
5. Jayemdae Tome: too weak
6. Loreseeker's Stone: too weak
7. Mind Stone: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
8. Null Rod: too much of a hate card
9. Pithing Needle: too powerful with Urza's Saga
10. Pyromancer's Goggles: too narrow
11. Retrofitter Foundry: too powerful with Urza's Saga

CREATURE

1. Bomat Courier: too powerful against slow starts
2. Deathpact Angel: creates a Cleric token, not a supported creature type
3. Dimir Cutpurse: too powerful
4. Elves of Deep Shadow: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
5. Golos, Tireless Pilgrim: too powerful
6. Hostage Taker: too powerful
7. Kalamax, the Stormsire: too powerful
8. Loyal Retainers: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
9. Monastery Mentor: too powerful
10. Moonveil Dragon: pumping the team makes for anticlimactic endings
11. Murktide Regent: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
12. Ornithopter of Paradise: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
13. Phantom Tiger: too weak
14. Risen Reef: too powerful
15. Shadrix Silverquill: creates Inkling tokens, not a supported creature type
16. Tatyova, Benthic Druid: too powerful
17. Thraben Inspector: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
18. Toxrill, the Corrosive: creates Slug tokens, not a supported creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Alpha Authority: hexproof makes for less interesting games
2. Favorable Winds: too weak
3. Offspring's Revenge: too narrow
4. Pernicious Deed: too powerful of a board wipe
5. Rally the Ranks: too weak
6. Song of Freyalise: too typical a card for green

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Tolarian Academy: too powerful
2. Arid Mesa: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
3. Bloodstained Mire: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
4. Flooded Strand: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
5. Marsh Flats: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
6. Misty Rainforest: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
7. Polluted Delta: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
8. Scalding Tarn: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
9. Verdant Catacombs: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
10. Windswept Heath: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
11. Wooded Foothills: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
12. Badlands: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
13. Bayou: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
14. Plateau: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
15. Savannah: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
16. Scrubland: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
17. Taiga: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
18. Tropical Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
19. Tundra: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
20. Underground Sea: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
21. Volcanic Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
22. Hissing Quagmire: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
23. Lavaclaw Reaches: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
24. Lumbering Falls: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
25. Shambling Vent: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
26. Needle Spires: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
27. Raging Ravine: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
28. Stirring Wildwood: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
29. Wandering Fumarole: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting

INSTANT

1. Abnormal Endurance: too typical a card for black
2. Aerial Predation: too narrow
3. Alchemist's Gift: too weak
4. Arbor Armament: too weak
5. Autumn's Veil: too narrow
6. Betrayal of Flesh: too weak
7. Bladebrand: too typical a card for black
8. Brainstorm: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
9. Cathartic Pyre: too much utility for an instant
10. Comet Storm: one-sided board wipes need to be focused on creature type
11. Consider: too typical a card for blue
12. Crippling Chill: too typical a card for blue
13. Crush: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
14. Dawn Charm: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
15. Dive Down: hexproof makes for less interesting games
16. Divine Offering: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
17. Dragon's Fire: too typical a card for red
18. Electrify: too typical a card for red
19. Fell the Pheasant: too narrow
20. Gainsay: too narrow
21. Gut Shot: too weak
22. Heroic Intervention: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
23. Hold the Line: too narrow
24. Into the Core: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
25. Lash of Thorns: too weak
26. Make Your Mark: too weak
27. Opt: too typical a card for blue
28. Overload: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
29. Pitfall Trap: too narrow
30. Repulse: too typical a card for blue
31. Scrap: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
32. Seedtime: too narrow
33. Shatter: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
34. Smash: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
35. Smashing Success: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
36. Smite: too narrow
37. Turn to Frog: turns a creature into a Frog, not a supported creature type
38. Unsummon: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better

SORCERY

1. Blasphemous Act: too typical a card for red
2. Chart a Course: too much utility
3. Cleansing Wildfire: too much utility
4. Cultivate: too typical a card for green
5. Disentomb: too typical a card for black
6. From the Ashes: too narrow
7. Funeral Rites: too much utility
8. Gitaxian Probe: too typical a card for blue
9. Necromantic Summons: too typical a card for black
10. Nighthaze: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
11. Persist: too typical a card for black
12. Pirate's Prize: too much utility
13. Ponder: too much utility
14. Reanimate: too typical a card for black
15. Recover: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
16. Serum Visions: too typical a card for blue
17. Spitting Earth: too typical a card for red
18. Thoughtcast: too typical a card for blue

ADDED:

ARTIFACT

1. Coat of Arms: encourages building around creature types
2. Patchwork Banner: encourages building around creature types

CREATURE

1. Arahbo, the First Fang: supports the Avatar and Cat creature types
2. Avatar of the Resolute: supports the Avatar creature type
3. Autonomous Assembler: supports the Assembly-worker creature type
4. Bag End Porter: supports the Dwarf creature type
5. Breya, Etherium Shaper: supports the Human and Thopter creature types
6. Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider: supports the Human and Pirate creature types
7. Captivating Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type and supports enchantment decks
8. Centaur Battlemaster: supports the Centaur creature type and functions as a strong payoff for prowess decks
9. Chronicler of Heroes: supports the Centaur creature type
10. Conclave Cavalier: supports the Centaur and Elf creature types
11. Conclave Mentor: supports the Centaur creature type
12. Crosis, the Purger: supports the Dragon creature type
13. Fear of Exposure: supports the Nightmare creature type and supports enchantment decks
14. Ghostly Changeling: supports all creature synergy decks
15. Gimli of the Glittering Caves: supports the Dwarf creature type
16. Glissa Sunseeker: supports the Elf creature type
17. Graveshifter: supports all creature synergy decks
18. Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea: supports the Elf creature type
19. Haunt of the Dead Marshes: supports the Elf and Nightmare creature types
20. He Who Hungers: supports the Spirit creature type
21. Heedless One: supports the Avatar and Elf creature types
22. Jungle Creeper: supports the Elemental creature type
23. Jungle Delver: supports the Merfolk creature type
24. Kataki, War's Wage: supports the Spirit creature type and functions as artifact hate
25. Keiga, the Tide Star: supports the Dragon and Spirit creature types
26. Kiora's Follower: supports the Merfolk creature type
27. Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca: supports the Merfolk creature type
28. Lagonna-Band Trailblazer: supports the Centaur creature type
29. Marwyn, the Nurturer: supports the Elf creature type
30. Master Skald: supports the Dwarf creature type
31. Mine Layer: supports the Dwarf creature type
32. Neighborhood Guardian: supports the Unicorn creature type
33. Promised Kannushi: supports the Human and Spirit creature types
34. Realmwalker: supports all creature synergy decks
35. Reveka, Wizard Savant: supports the Dwarf creature type
36. Seraphic Steed: supports the Angel and Unicorn creature types
37. Soul of Zendikar: supports the Avatar and Beast creature types
38. Steadfast Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type
39. Stingmoggie: supports the Elemental creature type and functions as artifact hate
40. Sygg, River Cutthroat: supports the Merfolk creature type
41. Vineshaper Mystic: supports the Merfolk creature type
42. Wistful Selkie: supports the Merfolk creature type
43. Yargle and Multani: supports the Elemental and Spirit creature types
44. Zacama, Primal Calamity: supports the Dinosaur creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Aura of Silence: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
2. Aura ShardsGC: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
3. Blessed Sanctuary: supports the Unicorn creature type
4. Corrosion: functions as artifact hate
5. Embargo: interesting prison piece for stasis decks
6. Font of Fortunes: card advantage at a fair price for Cumly Cube
7. Gate to Phyrexia: functions as artifact hate and supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
8. Impending Disaster: a useful piece for aggressive decks or niche graveyard decks
9. Shared Animosity: supports all creature synergy decks

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Drowned Catacomb: completing the full set of check lands
2. Glacial Fortress: completing the full set of check lands
3. Hinterland Harbor: completing the full set of check lands
4. Sulfur Falls: completing the full set of check lands
5. Cascade Bluffs: completing the full set of filter lands
6. Graven Cairns: completing the full set of filter lands
7. Mystic Gate: completing the full set of filter lands
8. Sunken Ruins: completing the full set of filter lands
9. Wooded Bastion: completing the full set of filter lands
10. Darkwater Catacombs: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
11. Desolate Mire: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
12. Ferrous Lake: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
13. Fire-Lit Thicket: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
14. Flooded Grove: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
15. Overflowing Basin: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
16. Skycloud Expanse: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
17. Sunscorched Divide: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
18. Viridescent Bog: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands

INSTANT

1. Accelerate: supports prowess decks
2. And They Shall Know No Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Artifact Mutation: functions as artifact hate and supports the Saproling creature type
4. Bandage: supports prowess decks and is also funny
5. Brokers Charm: charms are an important part of Cumly Cube
6. Charge Through: supports prowess decks
7. Cremate: supports prowess decks
8. Mirrodin Avenged: supports prowess decks
9. Poison the Blade: supports prowess decks and offers deathtouch in green instead of its typical color, black
10. Pressure Point: supportsli prowess decks and offers tapping in white instead of its typical color, blue
11. Steady Progress: supports prowess decks as well as slower proliferate decks
12. Sugar Rush: supports prowess decks and offers power boost in black instead of its typical color, red
13. Treacherous Greed: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
14. Turf Wound: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
15. Warriors' Lesson: supports prowess decks and might end up as green Ancestral Recall

SORCERY

1. Altar of Bone: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
2. Aphetto Dredging: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Apocalypse: total game resets are an important part of Cumly Cube, because you end up playing more Cumly Cube!
4. Ashen Powder: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
5. Blood for Bones: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
6. Breath of Life: offers reanimation in white instead of its typical color, black
7. Broken Bond: functions as artifact and enchantment hate yet also ramps
8. Channel the Suns: a strange yet useful mana-fixer. Out with fetch lands, in with sorcery WUBRG!
9. Cloak of Feathers: supports prowess decks
10. Crippling Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
11. False Dawn: supports prowess decks and might offer mana-fixing in niche situations? Even if this card is pretty useless, it screams Cumly Cube
12. Grim Tutor: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
13. Growth Spasm: offers ramp, mana-fixing, and supports the Eldrazi creature type
14. Hymn of Rebirth: offers reanimation in green and white instead of its typical color, black
15. Ice Storm: land destruction is a small part of Cumly Cube but a necessary balance, and not usually in green
16. Jace's Triumph: there are Jace planeswalkers in Cumly Cube
17. Mana Vapors: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
18. Many Partings: offers mana-fixing and food
19. Migratory Route: offers mana-fixing and supports the Bird creature type
20. Obzedat's Aid: offers reanimation in black and white
21. Ordered Migration: supports the Bird creature type
22. Raise the Palisade: supports all creature synergy decks
23. Resourceful Return: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks and artifact decks
24. Ribbons of Night: offers direct damage in black instead of its typical color, red
25. Rise of the Witch-king: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
26. Riveteers Confluence: similar to a charm
27. Safewright Quest: offers slight mana-fixing in green and white
28. Solve the Equation: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
29. Sweep the Skies: supports the Thopter creature type
30. Temporal Machinations: supports artifact decks
31. Unnatural Restoration: supports proliferate decks
32. Urborg Repossession: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks

slvstrChung on Turtle Power!

9 months ago

Siege-, well, this is a good time to learn. =)

A "format" is basically a set of rules about what cards you can play and how many of them. The formats are mostly gated chronologically -- which is important, because the "older" a format is, the more broken cards it has access to. "Legacy" has a cut-off of, basically, "None, any card ever printed is legal... which means we have access to recent losers like Merfolk of the Depths, sure, but also suuuper-powerful cards that cost four figures (Tropical Island, Ancestral Recall)." And when you say your deck is in the Legacy format, you're saying, "Yeah, I want my deck to be considered alongside decks with those kinds of cards," which... might be misleading. =)

Your deck is Modern-legal, meaning it only uses cards that were printed after the game's first ten years. (Any Modern-legal deck is, by definition, also Legacy-legal, but that still doesn't mean they can compete with each other.) It's also close to being Pioneer-legal (meaning it only uses cards that were printed after the game's first twenty years), though you'd have to give up Treefolk Umbra and I know you're attached to that. You're not required to make it compliant to any format, particularly since you and your friends clearly play using house rules; I'm simply trying to help you understand what claims you're currently making.

Two cards I would advise you: Generous Gift and Growth Spiral. Both would fit in nicely.

SufferFromEDHD on The Mind-Razing Monarch

1 year ago

Burning Inquiry Nekusars Ancestral Recall!

Perplex this has been surprisingly strong in my build.

Helm of the Ghastlord possibly the best aura for Nekusar?

Breathstealer's Crypt cruel and unusual.

Anvil of Bogardan this should be in the main.

Ummm if you are rocking Timetwister you can figure out a way to fit Echo of Eons and Time Spiral into this!

Niko9 on Has Anyone Tried a Multi …

1 year ago

jethstriker That is very cool with the shadow and reanimator swap : ) I guess I meant more of trying games in modern or something where both players have 2 decks and they can start with either one or switch between games, but both players know the decklists of their opponent, and maybe with a stipulation that the two decks you are playing can have no nonland cards in common.

I'm just thinking of it as a way to both spice up games by adding a, which deck did the players start with, and how do they switch to counter each other.

It may not be the best solution either, just kinda throwing out ideas, but a problem I see sometimes is that side decking devolves to, make a good proactive deck and side in specific answers, then you win if you draw them or don't if you don't.

The big problem I'm thinking about is how rough it is to actually watch competitive play right now. Between Thoughtseize and Grief and The One RingGC being a worse Time Walk plus a slow Ancestral Recall is that interaction feels like it's at an all time low because of hand knowledge, ring loops, and cascade or tron being able to break their playstyles by having tons of ways to stall until they explode.

So, my thought was, what if players had two decks they could switch in, but they also had the limitation of nonland cards can only be in one of the two. Could it create more interaction in games? I really have no idea : ) I'm sure someone has tried it.

legendofa on Cast And You Shall Reap

1 year ago

As I understand the Commander banlist (and as a very casual Commander player), it's kind of the "default" rule 0 discussion, intended for people who may not play with the same groups regularly. Personally, I'd rather have a default banlist and play a match than spend an hour debating whether or not Fastbond is fair in a deck that's "about a 7" whenever someone new shows up.

Once you have a dedicated and reliable group, it's perfectly acceptable to make your own banlist. If your group's okay with a proxied Ancestral Recall into Erayo's Essence  ^Flip + Arcane Laboratory lock in an otherwise mid-power deck, go for it! Your group, your rules. But two groups' definition of what's reasonable and fair can be completely different (which means a whole new rule 0 discussion from scratch), there has to be some level of compatibility between groups (otherwise it's not a meaningful format), and organized Commander tournament settings shouldn't be purely pay-to-win. The ban list is there to give a little bit of standardization for a format that's notoriously hard to standardize.