Best ways for Breaking Isochron Scepter

General forum

Posted on May 10, 2013, 10:47 a.m. by brcap

Isochron Scepter has to be one of my favorite all time cards. Its usefulness is directly correlated to the groaning your opponent lets out when it hits. And it can be usefull in just about any deck type.

For fun, I was wondering what card or cards people think abuses the Scepter the hardest. Or if anyone has come up with unique ways to use it.

Of course it depends on what kind of deck your running, but some fav's of mine include: Silence , Boomerang , obviously the old Counterspell and Lightning Bolt ... but what tops the charts for me: Snap

TheGnat says... #2

I've seen it used with Dawn Charm to prevent damage every turn, was pretty hilarious to see in action, friend had an amazing board position in a graft deck, but couldn't ever get any damage through because it was prevented every single turn by the scepter. Game was eventually called draw because it got boring.

May 10, 2013 11:15 a.m.

megawurmple says... #3

Imprint Silence onto the Scepter (cliche, I know, but it gets better) then play Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir . During your opponent's upkeep, Silence them. They cannot respond due to Teferi. Then, during your turn, Teferi means that they can't play anything. Basically, your opponent cannot cast spells anymore.

May 10, 2013 11:16 a.m.

zandl says... #4

Fog is a favorite of mine. A number of top-tier Modern decks won't be able to win if you use Fog each turn.

Someone once cube-drafted the Scepter and Orim's Chant , which made me sad to play against.

Lightning Helix is dirty.

Izzet Charm is amazing on Isochron Scepter , as well as Azorius Charm .

May 10, 2013 11:24 a.m.

Rayenous says... #5

Any of the instant speed split cards where one half has a 2CMC or less cost works well. Gives options when you use it, and often can give a spell that's normally more expensive than 2 CMC.

Odds/Ends - 2 mana to cause opponent to sac 2 creatures every time he attacks.

Research/Development - 2 mana for a combination of 3 creatures and/or cards.

Bound/Determined - 2 mana to prevent countering and draw a card, each turn.

May 10, 2013 11:25 a.m.

Panda213 says... #6

Lightning Helix , Counterspell , Brainstorm /Ponder , Abrupt Decay and tutor cards are all fun with the scepter :)

May 10, 2013 11:26 a.m.

willsm87 says... #7

Isochron Scepter + Fog in my elf deck. I like to watch the rage on peoples faces when they realize what just happened.

May 10, 2013 11:26 a.m.

toysm1th says... #8

another option to go with is the Grand Abolisher and imprinted Silence

i was watching a modern junk deck at an FNM a few weeks back, they were running Abrupt Decay or Dash Hopes as the two main imprint targets,

Vapor Snag is also a nice

May 10, 2013 11:47 a.m.

brcap says... #9

I run a casual Grand Abolisher and imprinted Silence deck myself.

Any counterspell type card imprinted and Curse of Exhaustion has a similar effect.

Rayenous That's VERY interesting, I had just assumed impinting a split card only allowed you to copy the 2CMC side... thats a whole new world of pain to explore.

Cheers

May 10, 2013 12:12 p.m.

Panda213 says... #10

Yep. You can copy only one side though and not both...

May 10, 2013 12:24 p.m.

Rayenous says... #11

If you turn the Scepter into a creature, there are all sorts of things you can do.

To Arms! + 2 mana dorks = unlimited draw.

Vitalize + 3 mana dorks = unlimited mana

Even if it's not unlimited, there are other ways to abuse it.


Also, you can use Pyromancer Ascension to make multiple copies of the spell.

Twiddle would let you tap or untap anything, and reset the scepter to do it again.


I also like Notion Thief with the Sceptre imprinted with Sign in Blood ... every turn, you opponent loses 2 life, you draw 2 cards.

May 10, 2013 1:02 p.m.

brcap says... #12

Here comes the.. armed/dangerous, beck/call, flesh/blood and holly mill: breaking/entering !

May 10, 2013 1:04 p.m.

erabel says... #13

Beck / Call , Flesh / Blood and Breaking / Entering are sorceries. They can't be imprinted on Isochron Scepter .

May 10, 2013 1:15 p.m.

brcap says... #14

ahh, good call.

On the topic of untap mechanics. A good old Unwinding Clock is a simple option. Especially if you run some artifact lands.

May 10, 2013 1:19 p.m.

MagnorCriol says... #15

Panda213 - that's not correct. With the way split cards work and the way the scepter is worded, when you put one on a stick you get to cast either side each time. You imprint the spell on the stick, and then because it specifically says that you cast the copy of the card, you get to choose which half of the split card you're casting when you cast it.

I'm a fan of Pongify , not because it's considerably more broken than many other options, but because infinite monkeys.

May 10, 2013 1:37 p.m.

Panda213 says... #16

No no, I'm correct. I was unsure when I originally read that and so I looked it up and you can only choose one and one of the cmc's has to be two or less. http://magiccards.info/query?q=!isochron+scepter

May 10, 2013 1:58 p.m.

toysm1th says... #17

dual cast cards - modern legal

Trial/Error

Turn / Burn

Research/Development

Protect / Serve

Odds/Ends

Hide/Seek

other dual cast cards that can be imprinted

Fire/Ice

May 10, 2013 1:59 p.m.

Rayenous says... #18

@ Panda213

From gatherer.wizards.com

"12/1/2004 - If the copied card is a split card, you may choose to cast either side of the split card, but not both. The split cards Fire/Ice, Illusion/Reality, Night/Day, Stand/Deliver, and Wax/Wane all have at least one side with converted mana cost 2 or less.)"

You make the choice of side to cast at the time of casting the copy, not when imprinting. The imprint makes a copy of the entire card.

May 10, 2013 2:09 p.m.

Rayenous says... #19

@ toysm1th

I'm sure you missed some... Far / Away is the first to come to mind.

May 10, 2013 2:12 p.m.

Panda213 says... #20

Hahaha I'm dumb, just kept missing that whole cast/imprint difference... I understand the ruling but it contradicts itself by allowing you to discard a 2cmc half of a split card and alallowing you to copy the higher one buuut I don't make the rules :)

Rayenous and MagnorCriol, sorry for my mix up

May 10, 2013 2:24 p.m.

toysm1th says... #21

Yep, i goofed the search parameters and got a short list. so here is a revised list.dual cast cards - modern legal Trial/Error , Turn / Burn , Research/Development , Protect / Serve , Odds/Ends , Hide/Seek

Dead/Gone , Wear / Tear , Far / Away , Profit / Loss , Bound/Determined

other dual cast cards that can be imprinted, Fire/Ice
Illusion/Reality , Night/Day , Stand/Deliver , Wax/Wane ,

May 10, 2013 3:06 p.m.

Zergo1987 says... #22

A friend of mine uses one Isochron Scepter along with Angelsong and another one with Mana Leak . He abuses this combo to buy enough time to put an Eldrazzi on the table with Quicksilver Amulet . It pisses me off sometimes.

May 10, 2013 4:37 p.m.

SirPayne says... #23

If you're running a good bit of artifacts, Dispatch is a good alternative to Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile . Running artifact lands and Unwinding Clock allows you to exile creatures every turn.

October 17, 2013 10:30 a.m.

Trenald says... #24

I like putting Druid's Deliverance on it in my EDH populate deck. I also run a Negate , Boomerang , Cloudshift , Sundering Growth and a few others in the deck. It's always fun cause sometimes I surprise myself with something new I can do with it.

October 23, 2013 3:29 a.m.

Tradeylouish says... #25

Memory Lapse in probably better than Counterspell on an Isochron Scepter .

October 23, 2013 3:38 a.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #26

I'm surprised the modern Remand on a stick hasn't been mentioned.

And Silence on a stick? Puh-leaze. Try facing against Shahrazad on a stick.

October 23, 2013 4:43 a.m.

Panda213 says... #27

Shahrazad is a sorcery though so you couldnt imprint it

October 23, 2013 9:59 a.m.

Ctatyk says... #28

Odd...I kind of like Fork with the scepter...But I suppose either Fog or Counterspell would be annoying.

October 23, 2013 1:08 p.m.

@ Femme_Fatale: I'm notorious for playing Shahrazad then Ring of Ma'ruf ing it in and playing it again. I dubbed it deckception.

October 23, 2013 1:23 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #30

October 23, 2013 1:41 p.m.

MagnorCriol says... #31

@Femme_Fatale and fluffybunnypants: You're both terrible, terrible people.

October 23, 2013 2:46 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #32

@ MagnorCriol

I'm sadistic at times~ I like to watch my men rage in agony and pain ~ ♥

October 23, 2013 2:50 p.m.

kataking says... #33

The best is Mana Drain .

You counter, and the more you counter, the more mana you have the next turn.

October 23, 2013 3:15 p.m.

kataking says... #34

Note on my post: You will need a way to untap target artifact or have multiple Isochron Scepter For multiple counters to work. Once played a guy who had 2 Isochron Scepter on two Mana Drain . It was scary.

October 23, 2013 3:20 p.m.

@MagnorCriol and Femme_Fatale

One game I Burning Wish ed it back after already being two subgames in. Now you can call me a terrible person.

October 23, 2013 3:27 p.m.

This discussion has been closed