Ponder

Sorcery

Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle your library.

Draw a card.

Discussion (46)

libraryjoy on Niv-Mizzet, Parun - Budget

5 days ago

Ok, so a couple of ideas when it comes to cutting. Here's the criteria I generally use:

1. What cards do I already have? Keep those.

2. What cards are super expensive that I don't own? Cut those unless absolutely needed for the deck to function.

3. What cards am I likely to use in other builds? Something like Arcane Signet has better long-term value in a commander collection than Talisman of Creativity.

4. What cards best advance my gameplan? Is my plan to damage my opponents with drawing cards? Is it to create tokens while casting instants and sorceries? While it's fine to have a back-up plan, consider reducing or eliminating cards that do not advance your main plan.

5. What situations am I weak to? Be sure to have cards to help you with that. In this case, your deck may be prone to drawing itself out, so make sure you have plenty of cards that increase your hand size.

That said, my top picks for removal are (if you don't own them): Into the Roil, Unleash Fury, Gitaxian Probe, Ponder, Serum Visions. Those spells are great in faster formats like Modern, etc., but would only be good in a very fast competitive commander environment. Mine is more casual, but your mileage may vary. I'd probably drop Izzet Cluestone and Izzet Keyrune unless they're cards you have or are budget-friendly alternatives for things like Talisman of Creativity. Good luck!

TriusMalarky on Black & Blue Graveyard Mill

1 week ago

I think you'd be better off going far away from mill.

A lot of newer players make the mistake of thinking "wow, it's a way to win that denies my opponent resources". It's not. It's a way to win that actually gives most of your opponents resources.

Even if you're playing casual, if your friend has their own Gravepurge then you just gave them a huge advantage.

However, there's another archetype that you definitely have some of the cards for and the rest is cheap: blue black control.

Try this basic list:

• 4x Preordain

• 4x Ponder/Serum Visions

• 4x Doom Blade

• 4x Cast Down

• 4x Hieroglyphic Illumination

• 4x Inquisition of Kozilek / Thought Erasure

• 4x Crux of Fate

• 4x Dismember or Dead Weight

Then add in your Dragonlord and that Liliana as well as some other big fun blue/black cards that win. Not the Abberations tho. The Necromasters will do fine.

Then, I recommend picking up some better untapped fixing and replacing those Refuges with River of Tears.

That list should cost you about $30. I've included budget options for the cards that may be more expensive, but if possible use the first in each line rather than the second.

I think you'll like that list a lot more, and do pretty well with it. With some slight tweaks(mostly replacing Preordain and Ponder with Opt and Serum Visions), it'd be playable in Modern, and, if you're skilled enough, you should be able to pick up some wins and do fairly well.

But that's just me -- if you don't like that direction, that's fine. Mill can be pretty fun sometimes.

multimedia on Adeliz leads some angry Wizards

3 weeks ago

Hey, saw your forum topic asking for help. Good build on such a low a budget. Realistically to make much improvements you're going to have to be able to spend more than $30 for your deck.

My advice is to lower the mana curve by adding more low CMC Wizards and more low CMC instants and sorceries that draw cards. End the curve with two five drops Wizards: Azami, Lady of Scrolls, Shipwreck Dowser and one six drop Archetype of Imagination. I suggest playing double the amount or more of instants and sorceries than Wizards because technically you don't need other Wizards because Adeliz can pump herself. Still have a strong base of low CMC Wizards, just a smaller one.

Since Adeliz can pump herself and has flying she is really your best win condition doing 21 Commander damage to each opponent. The problem with Adeliz is she doesn't provide card advantage only pump therefore you need a lot of other cards that draw cards to fuel the pump.

---

Some Wizards can help for card advantage:

• Windrider Wizard: lets you draw each time you cast an instant or sorcery or even a Wizard and he has flying which makes him a threat to attack. If just about every card you cast draws you a card then that's a nice advantage to keep drawing instants/sorceries/Wizards.
• Burning Prophet: repeatable scry is powerful when you want to draw certain cards and not lands or other cards. She can filter away lands so that you draw instants/sorceries/Wizards.

Consider more low CMC Wizards? That way you can establish a Wizard army quicker and get faster benefits from Adeliz with other Wizards. More low CMC flying Wizards can benefit much more from the pump from Adeliz because they can more easily do combat damage to an opponent:

• Siren Stormtamer
• Wingcrafter: way to give a Wizard who doesn't have evasion flying such as Burning Prophet and soulbond can change creatures.
• Faerie Seer
• Kaza, Roil Chaser
• Lightning Stormkin
• Dreadhorde Arcanist

With more low CMC flying Wizards then cards such as Bident of Thassa and Reconnaissance Mission can draw a lot of cards since you draw a card for each creature who does combat damage to a player. This is a way to keep refilling your hand with instants/sorceries by attacking with Wizards even if you don't have instants/sorceries to cast. Flying Wizards are still going to do combat damage to a player and draw cards. Shared Animosity is repeatable pump for each attacking Wizard you control. This repeatable effect is in addition too any pump that Adeliz does.

---

Izzet has a wealth of good low CMC budget instants/sorceries that draw cards that are staples of Commander:

• Preordain, Serum Visions, Ponder
• Brainstorm, Faithless Looting
• Windfall, Frantic Search
• Impulse, Chart a Course, Thrill of Possibility

Shadow Rift and Slip Through Space are one drop spells that can make Adeliz unblockable while also drawing a card.

Some budget lands upgrades to consider:

• Command Tower: staple of Commander for two or more color decks.
• Unclaimed Territory
• Path of Ancestry: repeatable scry when you cast a Wizard.
• Shivan Reef
• Mystic Sanctuary: recur a instant or sorcery from your graveyard.

Good luck with your deck.

RNR_Gaming on Adeliz leads some angry Wizards

3 weeks ago

More interaction, cantrips spells and draw engines.

Budget interaction package

Counterspell

Delay

Swan Song

Dispel

Negate

Abrade

Lightning Bolt

Chaos Warp

Narset's Reversal

Spell Pierce

Mental Misstep

Muddle the Mixture

no budget interaction

Force of Will

Pact of Negation

Force of Negation

Snapcaster Mage

budget cantrips

Gitaxian Probe

Preordain

Ponder

Brainstorm

Windfall

Narset, Parter of Veils

engines

Mystic Remora

Rhystic Study

Underworld Breach

Cut all the cards that are dead if you dont have a board state. Pump cards are situationally great but have a very low floor.

FLATSO99 on Scarab God Zombies

1 month ago

Nice Deck, here's a +1! This is running a bit to much land. I recommend running about 35 lands for a deck like this. With the high density of mana intensive spells in this deck you could benefit from beefing up your ramp base. A few budget options for ramp in these colors are: Arcane Signet, Thought Vessel, Mind Stone, Prismatic Lens, Fellwar Stone, and one the slightly more expensive side Talisman of Dominance. I also think your deck could use more card draw and cantrips. A few options are Rhystic Study, Phyrexian Arena, and Kindred Discovery (If these are to far out of budget let me know I will give some more affordable suggestions). As for cantrips: Brainstorm, Ponder, and Preordain are all excellent! Hope you find this helpful and happy tapping!

FLATSO99 on Fork over your dinglehoppers

1 month ago

Nice idea here's a +1! I agree with the previous commenters that your deck use a touch more card draw. Personally, I recommend Kindred Discovery, Rhystic Study, Ponder, and Brainstorm. As your deck's average cmc is 3.3, I also think your build could benefit from some more solid ramp to help you outcurve your opponents and achieve your soft lock as soon as possible. A few suggestions would be: Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Sky Diamond, Thought Vessel, and possibly Commander's Sphere (although I personally almost never run 3 drop rocks that only tap for one, sphere has the added benefit of being free card draw when you need it). Hope this was helpful, Happy tapping!

I_Want_To_PlayAllTheDecks on Squirrels in legacy

1 month ago

MagicMarc, yeah the gruul idea seems nice and interesting to play. I was also thinking that UG would be the best for a durdly value engine if I didn't care about the $$ involved. Cards like Squirrel Wrangler and Ramunap Excavator would be the backbone supported by the classic blue shell of Ponder, Brainstorm and Force of Will. I could also include the new card Hullbreacher to hate out other blue decks. Which idea do you think would be the most powerful?

Simerix on W/U Bunny Boi

1 month ago

Meh cards: Retreat to Coralhelm

Cards to consider adding: Aven Mindcensor, Jace's Erasure, Propaganda , Ghostly Prison, Windborn Muse, Solemn Simulacrum, Frantic Search, Ponder, The Magic Mirror, Psychic Corrosion, Jace Beleren, Reliquary Tower

Remember than milling people out is likely how you will win.

Definitely make sure to add more than just basic lands, otherwise, it'll be hard to cast things. Go to https://www.managathering.com/duallands/Azorius.html for other of the choices. Clicking the lands will take you to the TCG player page for the land