Opportunity

Instant

Target player draws four cards.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Big Apple Highlander	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (51)

DemonDragonJ on Which is More Important: Total …

7 months ago

Kazierts, I agree that both Faerie Mastermind and Spectral Sailor are excellent creatures, but why do you not believe that Triskaidekaphile is a good creature? It provides four benefits in one card: unlimited hand size, a mana sink, repeatable card advantage, and an alternate win condition, all for a mere 2 mana, so how is that not a staple for every blue deck?

TheOfficialCreator, I have noticed that, in most cases, except that Shared Summons is not as efficient as is Eladamri's Call, and I also would prefer Opportunity over Overflowing Insight, because the former card is an instant, while the latter card is a sorcery, and that difference can be crucial in a desperate situation.

DeinoStinkus on Which is More Important: Total …

7 months ago

Something that I haven't seen mentioned yet that I would like to touch upon is that in general, cards (at least good ones) get more mana efficient as they get more expensive. Take your example of draw spells. Opportunity may not be very useful, but there is a better cost-to-draw ratio for cards like Overflowing Insight, and Finale of Revelation-esque cards have an arithmetic floor for their effects, which also changes things.

But playing anything later in the game comes with higher risk because the boardstate late game is usually going to be much more hostile/high interaction/complex than early game, so higher cost effects even if they have a higher impact are a lot riskier to invest in.

But to answer your question, I'm personally a mana cost focused builder, not necessarily a mana efficiency focused builder. I'll obviously choose the most mana efficient option for each effect at each mana cost, but mana cost in general will take precedence unless there's a truly unique or insane effect I'm missing out on by not going higher (for example, finding a finisher at 10 mana is a lot easier than finding one at 9 mana).

DemonDragonJ on Which is More Important: Total …

7 months ago

I often wonder which is more important for a card: its overall cost or its cost-to-effect ratio (i.e., its mana efficiency); for example, there is no question that Lightning Bolt is superior to both Shock and Searing Spear, but, between the other two cards, I would choose Shock over Searing Spear in the majority of situations, because Shock has a ratio of 2 damage for 1 mana, whereas Searing Spear has a ratio of 1.5 damage for 1 mana.

For a slightly more complicated example, compare Eladamri's Call to Shared Summons; the former card can find a creature for a mere 2 mana, which is very efficient, but it simply replaces one card in its controller's hand with another, whereas the latter card can search for two creatures, which leaves its caster with an additional card in hand, compared to before it is cast, but it is less efficient, costing 2.5 mana per creature found, so it is not as clear which card is superior, there.

Opportunity is literally a double version of Quick Study, as they both have the same ratio of cost to effect, but which is the superior card? Is it really better to spend six mana to draw four cards, as doing that would leave the caster with less mana to cast the spells that they draw? Also, Quick Study is strictly better than is Inspiration, as it costs 1 less mana to cast, but, between Concentrate and Tidings, I am not certain which is superior, since they both allow a player to draw one less card than their mana values.

On the subject of card drawing, in the realm of repeatable card drawing, Arcane Encyclopedia is strictly better than is Jayemdae Tome, as it costs only 3 mana to draw a single card, compared to 4, but Tower of Fortunes can draw four cards for 8 mana, which is a ratio of 2 mana per card, but that ability costs 8 mana, overall, so the question is if it is worth 8 mana to draw four cards.

Continuing that theme, there are numerous creatures (and one enchantment) that allow a player to repeatedly draw cards, such as Azure Mage, Spectral Sailor, Faerie Mastermind, Triskaidekaphile, or Treasure Trove, a ratio of 4 mana for one card, but Mystic Archaeologist can draw 2 two cards for 5 mana, a ratio of 2.5 mana per card, which is definitely far superior, in my mind.

Hedron Archive is literally two Mind Stones put together, and Dreamstone Hedron is literally a triple Mind Stone, so they all have the same cost-to-effect ratio, but I prefer the original Mind Stone, since the existence of Thran Dynamo and Gilded Lotus makes it difficult to justify using the other mana rocks, at least, for me.

To use the example of Skyward Eye Prophets, a 1/1 creature for 2 mana is perfectly acceptable, a 2/2 creature for 4 mana is slightly expensive, but nothing outrageous, but a 3/3 creature for 6 mana is simply too much, although, as a side note, I have a copy of that creature, in one of my decks, because I really like its ability.

For a further example, I would choose Mantis Rider over Lightning Angel in the majority of situations, since it provides a better rate than does the angel, and, similarly, I would choose Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers over Vernadi Shieldmate, since the former creature is more efficient for its cost.

I believe that I have provided a sufficient number of examples, for this discussion, so which trait do you believe is more important: overall mana cost or cost-to-effect ratio/mana efficiency? I certainly am interested to hear your thoughts on this matter.

forneyt on The Friendmaker | Talrand, Sky Summoner [PRIMER]

1 year ago

Quick Study is really great, it allows you to keep up mana for your interaction and then draw cards instead if nothing comes up. Opportunity is the same effect as Tidings, but it's an instant. Reins of Power also have a similar effect to Cultural Exchange, but is an instant, so it can double as surprise blockers, a fog effect, removal (blocking with another player's creatures to trade), or simply to get value from other player's value creatures. Trail of Evidence can provide card advantage late game when you need to dig for answers or to sink your mana into. Perilous Research is another instant speed draw two that your commander offsets the downside to, which would allow you to dig for answers and keep up more mana to play those answers in the late game. Also, any card that has "Thirst for" in the name is good in these kinds of decks. I'm not sure if all of these suggestions go together in this deck, but I figured I'd throw them out there for some thought!

Polaris on None

4 years ago

Another thing to understand here is that replacement effects replace events but not effects. Nothing changes (like source and type) unless the replacement effect specifically says so. The easiest way to understand replacement effects is to think of them as rewriting some or all of the original event. Here are a few examples:

• Gisela attacks unblocked and deals 5 (actually 10) combat damage to the opponent.
• You cast Divination with Teferi's Ageless Insight in play. You draw 2 (actually 4) cards.
• You cast Opportunity targeting yourself and the opponent flashes in Hullbreacher in response. You draw 4 (actually 0, and your opponent creates 4 Treasure tokens) cards.

I hope this is helpful.

Optimator on Mermaider

5 years ago

Owned:

Brainstorm - Deepfathom Skulker - Mind Spring - Fathom Trawl - Patient Rebuilding - Fact or Fiction - Divination - Borrowing 100,000 Arrows - Fascination - Loyal Drake - Thought Sponge - Insight - Ancestral Memories - Kumena's Awakening - Opportunity - Verity Circle - Arcanis the Omnipotent - Deep Analysis - Rush of Knowledge - Keep Watch

The_Fallen_Duke on Aura Storm

5 years ago

Good job in putting together a viable deck on a budget! I am thinking that a simple and cheap card such as Shelter could be helpful to have Bruna sneak through blockers and/or avoid removal when you swing I assume for lethal commandar damage, plus it replace itself.

Not a fan personally of Opportunity: sure, 4 cards are nice, but 6 CMC is really a lot to spend - it basically 2 Divination sticked together, with the advantage of instant speed being reduced by the need of having 6 mana available. Since your deck focuses on auras, maybe Ophidian Eye to get some value over time?

TheMazter13 on Poison

5 years ago

Play more Wheel of Fortune s. If you want people to draw cards, then have them draw cards. Even Timetwister effects that shuffle everything back in first. Also, maybe cut some horrible, awful, terrible, no-good infect cards for things that are more... playable. You do not need other creatures with infect. The only creature you need with infect is Nekusar, and that is done with Phyresis I know. Cut infect creatures for repeatable windfalls like Jace's Archivist , cards that interact with discard, cards that have a "Whenever a player draws a card...", or cards like Psychosis Crawler that also do well with Phyresis.

Some cards you could try out could be Folio of Fancies , Opportunity , or even Midnight Clock can be played with. Sometimes you have to think about targeted card draw. If a player is at 7 poison, Opportunity targetting them kills them. Sometimes you have to say "Ancestral Recall targeting you" especially if it wins