Dowsing Rod

[corncob]

Dowsing Rod
0
Artifact

T: Look at the top card of your library.  If it isn't a land card, put it on the bottom of your library.

Dowsing Rod
1
Artifact

T: Reveal the top card of your library.  If it isn't a land card, put it on the bottom of your library.

[rvs]

There must be some point where the card has to be revealed. Otherwise, the opponent can't check if the ability is played correctly. (unless you want this to be MODO-only :p).

[Bram]

Ooh, 'Predict' tech and mana curve smoothing. Moref's right, though. This would work better:

Dowsing Rod
0
T: Reveal the top card of your library. If the card revealed in this way isn't a land card, put it on the bottom of your library.

The mana smoothing ability of this card may result in it being undercosted. You can start playing relatively safely with this and 1 land on hand since by the time you get to your next legal land drop, you'll have seen three additional cards.

In numbers: assuming you run a 20 land, 40 nonland deck, if you start the game and keep a 7 card hand with one land, you usually have a 30% chance of drawing an additional land during the next turn's draw step and thus of not missing your next land drop. Having one of these babies on your opening hand in addition to your 1 land (the rest of the situation is the same) will result in a 67% chance of not missing your next land drop. And since there's a 40% chance you'll get this in your opening hand if you run 4 copies, I'd say it's too good at 0.

It'll be really good at costed at 1. At LEAST this will prevent people from keeping no-land hands (this could possibly work in an aggro build) and it will tie up the 1 mana you'll usually have available on turn 1.

I like the idea though, and the name.

[Marco]

It like it. The text could be shortened to:

T: Reveal the top card of your library. If it isn't a land card, put it on the bottom of your library.

Not unlike the Oracle text for Sindbad from Arabian Nights.

[corncob]

24-hour clock

[Bram]

I'd definitely play this. I'm still a bit concerned, but I like how this makes Predict + low mana count possible. Perhaps a tool for Fish? I wonder what Matt has to say on this one.

[Matt]

I like it.

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]