[New Card Discussion] Angel's Grace

[Pathian]

Courtesy of mtgsalvation

Angel's Grace         
Cost: W
Instant    
Split Second
You can't lose the game this turn and your opponents can't win the game this turn. Until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.
Illus. Mark Zug

Sadly this one doesn't work against Tendrils of Agony due to the life loss instead of damage (unless the wording is incorrect). But does anyone see this as a last ditch effort type of card?

[Lunar]

I apologize if this is answered elsewhere, but do we have a definition of the "split second" key word?

The Children of Korlis version of this seems better though. Fish decks of all sorts could utilize it (unless they just want to stick with mage and believer and force/misd) and it seems to work against tendrils as you can just sac it in response to the last copy of tendrils that would go lethal.

[kombat]

Sadly this one doesn't work against Tendrils of Agony due to the life loss instead of damage (unless the wording is incorrect). But does anyone see this as a last ditch effort type of card?

Strictly speaking, I think it does work against Tendrils, just not indefinitely.  Typically with Tendrils, once the last Tendrils copy resolves and you find yourself at 0 life, you're instantly dead.  As soon as "any player would receive priority," you've lost the game.  With this card, however, if you cast it anytime before the final copy of Tendrils resolves, it looks like it would give you until the beginning of your opponent's turn to come up with an answer.  Sure, you'd be sitting there at -2 life, but it'd be just as though a Platinum Angel were temporarily in play.  You'd have time to play spells to try and get your life back up above 0, or win yourself (unlikely if your opponent just gained 20 life).

[Khahan]

Strictly speaking, I think it does work against Tendrils, just not indefinitely.  Typically with Tendrils, once the last Tendrils copy resolves and you find yourself at 0 life, you're instantly dead.  As soon as "any player would receive priority," you've lost the game.  With this card, however, if you cast it anytime before the final copy of Tendrils resolves, it looks like it would give you until the beginning of your opponent's turn to come up with an answer.  Sure, you'd be sitting there at -2 life, but it'd be just as though a Platinum Angel were temporarily in play.  You'd have time to play spells to try and get your life back up above 0, or win yourself (unlikely if your opponent just gained 20 life).

Assuming that the tendrils players is going off on his turn, this only gives you until the beginning of your turn.
"you can't lose the game this turn" only applies to the current turn.  As soon as y our turn starts and state based effects are checked, you'll lose for having less than 0 life.

It DOES buy an extra turn against Colossus, ichorid or any other beat down deck.

[parallax]

Actually, you'll lose at the very, very end of your opponent's turn, during the cleanup step when "this turn" effects wear off and state-based effects are checked. However, your point stands. This could see play with the Magus of the Mirror guy. Old-school style.

[policehq]

I'd like to imprint that on an Isochron Scepter, for sure.

-hq

[zeus-online]

I'd like to imprint that on an Isochron Scepter, for sure.

-hq

Why? Worship would do the same thing.

/Zeus

[Tha Gunslinga]

Worship requires a creature in play.

[zeus-online]

Yeah 'cause everyone is running tons of removal....Seriosly

Anyways, both things are pretty bad in T1.

/Zeus

[wethepeople]

I'd like to imprint that on an Isochron Scepter, for sure.

-hq

you are best off imprinting something like Fog or Holy Day, because that is just about all this does.

[brianpk80]

you are best off imprinting something like Fog or Holy Day, because that is just about all this does.

Agreed.  If they had added an "or loss of life" clause to the damage prevention, this card would be amazing.  Really, I have no idea why they didn't.

-BPK

[Pathian]

you are best off imprinting something like Fog or Holy Day, because that is just about all this does.

Agreed.  If they had added an "or loss of life" clause to the damage prevention, this card would be amazing.  Really, I have no idea why they didn't.

-BPK

Indeed, I thought it was a lot better when I first read it myself. But really, it would be really hard for them to print a card that would accomplish that. Yawg Bargain, Necro, etc. Cards like these invalidate the option of creating cards that have an "or loss of life" clause since the game doesn't distinguish between paying life and generic non-damage loss of life.

[brianpk80]

Indeed, I thought it was a lot better when I first read it myself. But really, it would be really hard for them to print a card that would accomplish that. Yawg Bargain, Necro, etc. Cards like these invalidate the option of creating cards that have an "or loss of life" clause since the game doesn't distinguish between paying life and generic non-damage loss of life.

I think I see what you're saying, but correct me if I misunderstand.  You are saying that it would be impossible for them to print a card that protects you from dying due to loss of life because there would be a conundrum when you reach 1 life and have a Bargain or Necro in play.  Either you could keep drawing infinitely, or you can't draw anymore, and at any rate the card would lead to confusion.  That's probably right.  They might have been able to make the card prevent loss of life "from a source controlled by an opponent" which could have solved most of the problems to bring up. 

As good as a set Time Spiral is, there are a few quirks that bother me:  not optimizing this card and the "coming into play tapped" effect of an otherwise intriguing card, Vesuva.

-BPK

[SiegeX]

I think I see what you're saying, but correct me if I misunderstand.  You are saying that it would be impossible for them to print a card that protects you from dying due to loss of life because there would be a conundrum when you reach 1 life and have a Bargain or Necro in play

Seen Lich lately 

As Lich comes into play, your life total becomes 0.
You don't lose the game for having 0 or less life.
If you would gain life, draw that many cards instead.
Whenever you're dealt damage, sacrifice that many permanents.
When Lich leaves play, you lose the game

And you cant pay life you don't have, so if you Angel's Grace and have necro out, you can draw until your life hits 0.

[zulander]

Actual wording of the card.

Oracle text: Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't play spells or activated abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
You can't lose the game this turn and your opponents can't win the game this turn. Until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.

And the FAQ of the card.

* The last sentence applies only if your life total is being reduced by damage. Other effects or costs (such as "lose 1 life" or "pay 1 life") can reduce your life total below 1 as normal.

* If an effect asks you to pay life, you can't pay more life than you have.

* If your life total goes below 1, being dealt damage will not increase it back up to 1. The damage will simply have no effect.

* If your life total goes below 1 or you get a tenth poison counter, you will lose the game when this effect wears off.

* The last sentence is not a prevention effect, but it does stop unpreventable damage from reducing your life total below 1.

* The last sentence doesn't change how much damage is dealt; it just changes how much life that damage makes you lose. An effect such as Spirit Link will see the full amount of damage being dealt.


Hope that clears anything up.