[vs. Question] Mox Sapphire/Pearl and Timetwister

[Krakow13]

I've been playing Magic for a long while now, but I stopped for a few years and I recently picked it up again, so a lot of my old skills are rusty. I was helping a friend (a new player) to construct a U/W control deck with white weenies, Serras, counterspells, and Stases. It's not really very common for new players to start off with older formats, but I guess he listened to me talk about which kind of Magic I preferred and got sucked in. Then my friend found out about the Power 9 and he really liked those cards, so he set aside some money to buy one of them. After some thought, he narrowed it down to  either Mox Pearl/Sapphire or Timetwister. He likes the moxes (he'll only get one or the other, but that's a different story) for the early mana acceleration and speed advantage (think second turn Serra), but he also likes the Timetwister because it's a way to draw cards in the late game when he's low on cards in hand and he'll be able to get back spells that were worth casting the first time around. He asked me which he should pick and I really can't decide.

My question is, which do you think would be better in a U/W control deck if you could have only one of them?

Thanks.

[Gort32]

Sadly, these days a control deck usually can't run Twister - a control deck isn't going to win off it that turn but your opponent's deck might be able to after you just refilled his hand.

Sapphire is always a good call

[Ape]

Indeed, Sapphire would be the best choice.

[Draven]

If your friend wants a power card that will fill his hand up, I would suggest Ancestral Recall. Alas, it will only draw him three, not seven, but it doesn't allow his opponant to draw either. I think Ancestral Recall should the first priority for picking up power. Good luck.

[ChaosTheory]

I would, out of the three choices you give, have to say Sapphire.
Timetwister is only good in Combo now and The Pearl is just not as good as the Sapphire.

[jazzykat]

If your friend wants a power card that will fill his hand up, I would suggest Ancestral Recall. Alas, it will only draw him three, not seven, but it doesn't allow his opponant to draw either. I think Ancestral Recall should the first priority for picking up power. Good luck.

Actually I would say ancestral recall is the card he should get or black lotus. While all the power is amazing (that is why its called power) recall can help you break the game open more than any other piece of power, except for lotus but lotus shines more in some decks than others and is sometimes a little meh in the late game. Unless you are about to run out of cards ancestral is just amazing. Furthermore if your opponent is running out of cards you can deck them

[Null Rob]

I seemed to get the idea that this was a u/w aggro control deck because you mentioned that he was playing white weenies.  If that's true, then I would recommend Time Walk.  It replaces itself when you draw on your next turn, gets you an extra untap and land drop, and it buys you another attack phase to get some more damage through with your creatures.  Plus, it costs about $50 less than Ancestral or Sapphire.

[Tetre]

Fow the choices you've laid out, I would go with the Sapphire, as it allows for first turn Drain.

Notwithstanding the choices you've given us, I'd put the power in the following order:

Ancestral Recall  - 3 cards can just win you games
Mox Sapphire - Turn 1 mana drain is always good
Timewalk - Faster mana development early, at worst a free card draw
On color Moxen for the deck you play
Off color Moxen
Black Lotus
Timetwister

Now people are going to question the lotus being so far down the list.
The number of times you have a lotus in your hand is quite small, and although it allows you to do some AMAZING turn 1 plays, IMHO it does not show itself enough to warrent being an early purchase.

If you play alot of combo, feel free to move the Twister in place, right after the On color Moxen.

I gathered my Power this way, and am pleased that I did so.

Cheers,
Tetre

[Krakow13]

Thanks a bunch. There's a lot of great feedback here! I'll try and convince my friend to get a Mox Sapphire, but I'm not sure if he's got enough for an Ancestral Recall as well.

About the Timetwister, I agree with you guys when you say that it won't really win games on its own, but I think my friend's rationale behind his wanting a Timetwister is the fact that he's trying to construct an aggro U/W control deck that will likely have a stasis lock in place by the second or third turn, with traditional serras for damage. He wanted a Timetwister to help replenish his hand in the late game, when the lock is firmly in place and his opponent will have limited means to retaliate or make use of the fresh cards.

However, I do agree that Mox Sapphire would most likely be the best pick, as it would accelerate his early game and will most likely be useful in other decks he might want to play.

[ump]

People are saying Sapphire is best between Sapphire, Pearl, and Twister.  If you add Recall to the mix, then it is the better than any of these.