Quicksilver Amulet - Does it make creatures simply uncounterable?
Asked by Dragon_Lore 9 years ago
Just wondering how powerful this card really is. I always understood it as 'put onto battlefield, abilities do not trigger'. If those abilities trigger anyway, this card is FAR more powerful than I thought.
Keep in mind that your artifact's activation can still be Stifled, and that your opponents might have a Containment Priest or Hallowed Moonlight up their sleeves.
But yeah, it is a powerful card - almost as strong as AEther Vial.
September 8, 2015 7:48 a.m.
Keep in mind that even the aforementioned Hallowed Moonlight and Containment Priest cannot stop you, technically. You only put a creature on the battlefield as part of the resolution of the trigger. If someone responds with Hallowed Moonlight you can simply choose not to put anything on the battlefield.
September 8, 2015 9:41 a.m.
That's true and worth mentioning indeed... you don't actually have to throw a creature into exile. However, it only leaves you with the option of casting the creature normally (or in Hallowed Moonlight's case, wait until the next turn), going back into counterspell territory, so if that's something you worry about, it will stop you in a way :)
September 8, 2015 10:43 a.m.
I need to pick someone's brain here. BlueScope said almost as powerful as AEther Vial. Couldn't this be better in certain situations?
September 8, 2015 5:46 p.m.
It's as good or better in formats where putting up 8 mana over one or two turns is not a big deal (i.e. commander and casual). In more mana efficient formats like modern and legacy AEther Vial will always be better since you only have to invest 1 mana in it.
September 8, 2015 7:46 p.m.
I have to admit that comment was biased based on my way to play Magic, or at least the way that I think Magic should be played: fast.
Quicksilver Amulet requires a huge mana investment, where AEther Vial costs 
once and can be played on the first turn. They both give you free creatures with the benefit of being non-counterable (the Amulet being way less restrictive, but chances are your deck is built around AEther Vial at least a little bit if your decklist includes it), but AEther Vial gives you those creatures realistically starting in turn 2. So by the time you realistically can activate the Amulet (turn 5, and meaning you probably didn't advance your board in either turn 4 or 5), you would ideally have the Vial put 4 creatures on the battlefield, meaning it speeds up your play instead of slowing it down.
The Vial is weak against Vampire Hexmage and Hex Parasite unlike the Amulet, and once you have 4 mana to spent, Amulet will start to get better than the Vial. It's also a lot cheaper than the Vial, if you consider that a factor. For those reasons, it makes a better Commander card than the Vial.
September 9, 2015 3:46 a.m.
Actually, the list goes on: As far as starting hands are considered, you'd probably be more happy with a Vial than an Amulet most of the time, for the reasons stated above. Playing it early also means your opponent won't (if you're on the play) or won't likely (if you're on the draw) have a counterspell for the Vial itself. It will contribute to Metalcraft just like the Amulet, but a couple of turns earlier.
Also, if you play Dryad Arbors, the Vial will hold the possibility of playing a creature you otherwise couldn't even on turn 1, even advancing your mana base :) (never thought of this before, actually... sounds pretty cool)
September 9, 2015 4:33 a.m.
If anyone's interested in my brewing: Dryad Vial :D
PepsiAddicted says... Accepted answer #1
cast triggers dont trigger because you dont cast the creature. etb triggers work. it also works around things that say you cant cast creatures etc.. because you do not cast them. its really good depending on the format
September 8, 2015 3:01 a.m. Edited.