What are the most powerful/viable cards that you think are underplayed?

[ScottHatch(EYSPG)]

I don't know if someone mentioned this yet or not... But uhmmm... Orim's Chant says no. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[ScottHatch(EYSPG)]

And why hasnt Stuffy Doll been broken yet?!

[Lurker101]

Cerebral Vortex might have a place somewhere as a finisher in a deck with lots of draw 7s. Conjurer's Ban and Castigate: Really aren't that popular or that great but they're definitely playable somewhere.
Gelectrode: I'm trying to work with these right now in a deck with Wee Dragonauts and a bunch of instants and sorceries. I've been really into Izzet type decks recently.

[carl]

Mind's Eye

[Lurker101]

Mind's Eye

Both of these creatures have difficult casting costs and are legendary so using them would be hard, even though their effects make them pretty busted.
Good call, what about Zur, the Enchanter? He basically reads  : put an enchantment that costs 3 or less from your library into play.
Mishra, Artificer Prodigy can do some busted stuff too. For 5 mana he can get you 2 Gilded Lotuses. For 0 mana he can get 2 Lotus Blooms and I'm not sure but I think the original bloom suspends and the other 3 come into play.
Time Stop: A favorite of mine, if something isn't going your way end the turn. Let your opponent setup for a massive tendrils and just end the turn. That can be pretty devastating

Edit: I misread Mishra, he's not that great.

[hazard]

What about Retract?

Retract   
Cost : U   
Type : Instant   
Wording : Return all artifacts you control to their owner's hand.

I understand in combo decks that Hurkyls can also target the opponent and so it has greater utility, but Retract is one cheaper and could definitely help facilitate some storm count.

[Lurker101]

Would a Fish like deck or R/G beats deck ever run Rysorian Badger? I was surprised by this card when I was looking at Homelands cards on the reserved list for a different thread. It looks like a decent card.

[The Duressed]

Generally, a fish creature that costs 3 better pretty much win you the game or do a good job of ensuring that you won't lose the game. I liked Aven Mindcensor while Flash was at its height, but that's as far as I took it. I feel like it is probably going to be just too slow and not powerful enough. Jotun Grunt seems strictly better.

[Nefarias]

Would a Fish like deck or R/G beats deck ever run Rysorian Badger? I was surprised by this card when I was looking at Homelands cards on the reserved list for a different thread. It looks like a decent card.

Even if you were looking to stay R/G, Loaming Shaman seems a lot better for the same cost.

[nineisnoone]

I have an irrational love for Guildmages. 

Post restriction I thought Izzet Guildmage + Brainstorm + Ponder would be fun.  No I'm unsure of whether there are enough good 1 casting cost spells and copying a 2 is a bit pricey.

I also wonder if Azorius Guildmage could make a showing.  Trickbind on a stick when it comes to hitting fetch lands (because it's basically uncounterable).  Additionally, you can tap down 'Goyf/DSC or delay a Welder/Bazaar activation. 

[Lurker101]

Truth or Tale? Vigean Intuition? those both look really good to me.
I wish I could break Verdant Eidolon but I don't think it's possible.
What about Hammer Mage for some mass artifact destruction?
Perilous Research + Academy Rector? That seems like a good combo.

[Lurker101]

City in a Bottle- a 2 mana costing artifact that takes care of all those Bazzar of Baghdads permanently. It also hits LoA. Pretty narrow though.

[asi]

I hate how wizards costed Vigean Intuition. For 3UU you get Tidings, which is horrible except in former type 2. Also, the card isn't even remotely green; everything it does feels blue. It should have been 2UU; it is such an interesting card that it is really a shame it has such a horrible mancost (for 2UU, one could consider it in a artifact-based deck, perhaps with artifact lands, as TfK 5-6, for example)

[reaperbong]

how about this old Homelands card:

Forget- (U)(U) Sorcery

Target player chooses and discards 2 cards from his or her hand. If that player does not have enough cards in hand, his or her entire hand is discarded. The player then draws as many cards as he or she discarded in this way.

If you target yourself of course, kinda close to Strategic Planning. In a dire situation you can even force a counterspell discard or something, it's versatile at least.

[Lurker101]

how about this old Homelands card:

Forget- (U)(U) Sorcery

Target player chooses and discards 2 cards from his or her hand. If that player does not have enough cards in hand, his or her entire hand is discarded. The player then draws as many cards as he or she discarded in this way.

If you target yourself of course, kinda close to Strategic Planning. In a dire situation you can even force a counterspell discard or something, it's versatile at least.

Tolarian Winds seems better but this can target opponents. Even though Homelands was a terrible set it is a little underrated. There are cards that wouldn't be great in eternal formats but are still decent, like Retribution, Rysorian Badgers, Primal Order and a few others.

[Smmenen]

Cunning Wish is a very powerful card that sees little play right now.

[Lurker101]

Recycle? It lets you draw your deck with Dream Halls (although they are both big mana investments)
Second Chance?
Also what about Parallax Tide? I was playing this in my old version of a balance deck, Vanishing Point,  and opponents' always scooped when it came down. Also, it refills Gemstone Mines if you use it on your self.
Also, I found another use for Ignorant Bliss, it combos with Brink of Madness pretty well.

[andrewpate]

Second Chance?

A Time Walk might be good if it worked right away, but the one-turn delay is really brutal.  Of course, there are all sorts of truly horrible infinite turn combos taking advantage of its being an enchantment, such as Argivian Find on an Isochron Scepter or Corpse Dance/Disturbed Burial/Proclamation of Rebirth with Tragic Poet.  I really can't imagine this doing much, since for the most part you have to pass the turn hoping to get it back with 5 or less life.  Not a winning proposition.

Cunning Wish

The effect is certainly powerful, but 3-cost tutors, even at instant speed, don't seem like the way to go in any deck I can think of right now.  When playing Grim Long or Bob Tendrils, it is a constant annoyance that Grim Tutor costs an irritatingly high 3 mana, and Grim Tutor can at least be cast by tapping an Underground Sea into Dark Ritual, something Cunning Wish cannot boast.  Since it cannot get Tinker or Yawgmoth's Will, it seems best in a control deck, used somewhat similarly to how it was in the Wake decks from Standard:  you have a counterspell, spot removal of every type, maybe a draw spell, and you can basically nab a silver bullet whenever you need one (even game 1) without clogging up your maindeck or relying on restricted tutoring.  I see the appeal.  But Slaver already runs quite a few narrow cards and tutors, effectively utilizing a similar game plan, and a Cunning Wish toolbox strikes me as weaker than a current Slaver list almost from the outset.  Sure, every once in a while maybe you grab Envelop and counter a Tinker for , then the next game grab Disenchant and kill a Sundering Titan for .  Is anyone really writing home about this?  In short, I'm skeptical about the card's power just given its cost.

[zeus-online]

Cunning Wish is a very powerful card that sees little play right now.

I've been trying hard to make my 'Tog deck work, sure it's a pet deck but that's not really relevant to this discussion. My experience is that cunning wish sometimes just win! Extirpate in particular is something that has won me games when wished for....while playing it maindeck has been underwhelming.

My biggest problem with C. Wish is that you really do need other solutions maindeck, like E. Truth, darkblast or whatever your meta calls for.

/Zeus

[Lurker101]

Sacred Ground is a pretty good card.
It has lots of applications in this format but would Sacred Ground make UrzaTron playable as well (probably as a budget Workshop replacement)?

[LotusHead]

  In short, I'm skeptical about the card's power just given its cost.

Cunning Wish usually implies Mana Drain, which often minimizes it's cost.

[zeus-online]

The most problamatic part of cunning wish is what it does to your sideboard, getting a board that has meaningfull things for post-SB'ed games aswell as alot of good cards to wish for can be complicated.

/Zeus

Edit: oh yeah, add Mind twist to the list

[bluemage55]

The most problamatic part of cunning wish is what it does to your sideboard, getting a board that has meaningfull things for post-SB'ed games aswell as alot of good cards to wish for can be complicated.

The problem is also magnified now that modern decks must already devote a good amount of sideboard space to dealing with Ichorid.

[Lurker101]

Null Profusion is pretty good and seems even better than recycle in that it's black.

[bluemage55]

Null Profusion is pretty good and seems even better than recycle in that it's black.

Except Bargain and Necro are better.

[Lurker101]

Null Profusion is pretty good and seems even better than recycle in that it's black.

Except Bargain and Necro are better.

Fair enough.
Here's a few more:Prophetic Bolt, Priest of Gix, The Abyss, Drop of Honey, Nullstone Gargoyle, Thran Turbine, Desperate Research, Tainted Pact, and Plunge into Darkness.
Also I already mentioned Transmute Artifact but what about Transmute Artifact + Su-chi/Cathodian?

[dr. Leeb]

Although I am not a vintage player, it seems to me that, given the brokenness of the restricted cards and the extensive tutor-suite, the number of win-conditions has gotten pretty low. So to me, there is great power in countering your opp's win conditions pre-emptively. Yet, where extirpate is a bomb in legacy, it ain't so great in the restricted vintage meta.

So I am gonna root for Extract. : search opp lib for 1 card and remove from the game.
A first turn Extract to remove the Tinker/ a Tendrills etc. seems pretty solid to me! (particularly in combo with heavy grave-hate)
As a bonus you get to see what your opp is playing, and experienced players should be able to guestimate an opp's hand just from browsing his library. (you'll know when the recall or walk is missing..)

The same goes for Hide/Seek (as a Cunning Wish target?), though the manacost is not easily accommodated in vintage.

[credmond]

Extract would be good if it were an instant. Then you could use it to mess with the opponent's top deck tutors.

Otherwise the problem with extract is that you lose a card in hand to knock out a card that's only a problem in theory. At most you are forcing your opponent to maybe change their current line of play of plan A (e.g. tendrils)  to now go with plan B (e.g.. darksteel colossus) and you have one less card in hand to stop that plan B.

Hide/Seek is however a great card. Seek is an instant and can be used to mess with the opponents top deck tutors and it can knock out win conditions and net huge life gains (11 life for a darksteel) . Oh, and the Hide side can put troublesome artifacts (trini, dsc, 2sphere) and enchantments (oath, leyline) on the bottom of the opponent's library which is probably the second best place to put nasties in vintage (second only to the rfg zone). Hide/Seek is definitely underplayed.

[dr. Leeb]

Otherwise the problem with extract is that you lose a card in hand to knock out a card that's only a problem in theory. At most you are forcing your opponent to maybe change their current line of play of plan A (e.g. tendrils)  to now go with plan B (e.g.. darksteel colossus) and you have one less card in hand to stop that plan B.

Extract does require a different strategy and yes it does hurt the almighty power of card advantage.
But it can give you power-advantage, even card-advantage.
Particularly if you are geared towards combatting plan A/B, e.g. if you are playing Leylines mainboard.
Playing 4 Extract + 4/5 Duress/Thoughtseize + a solid mainboard hate plan can quickly disrupt the Plan A or backup wincons of your opp and force him to follow a route set by you.
This strategic insight is invaluable, as you'll know what is important to disrupt (even if you have one card less to accomplish this), or when to trap ur opp.
Furthermore, the Extract-plan leads to dead cards and more resources spend on finding the remaining outs, which can be seen as a minor form of card-advantage.
But what I find most appealing about Extract is that it is blue and costs , and lately there has been a gap at that spot  , not that I see it as a replacement for BS, more like a blue 'Duress', in the right deck.

At the very least it should be boarded by painter to remove that pesky gaea's blessing... 

[Lurker101]

Here's what we have so far, it seems like you could find some nice tech in this:
Dimir Machinations (as a  budget tutor)
Perplex (as a budget tutor)
Diminishing Returns
Niv Mizzet + Curiosity
Sculpting Steel
Transmute Artifact (+ Su-chi/Cathodian)
Moratorium Stone
Seedtime
Skullclamp
Culling the Weak
Pulverize
Savor the Moment
Nether Void
Rushwood Legate not strong enough
Rhystic Study
Urza's Guilt + Megrim
Dream Salvage
Impulse
Madness cards
Night's Whisper
Infernal Contract
Balance
Mind Twist
Fire/Ice
Mystic Remora
Moat
Heap Doll
Deglamer
Blood Moon
Gaddock Teeg
Firespout
Trickbind
Diabolic Vision
Copy Artifact
Maze of Ith
Omen
Divert
Extract
Sylvan Library
Djinn Illuminatus
Ghost Quarter
Oona
Gamble
Tolaria West
Manamorphose
Shadow of Doubt
Lat Nam's Legacy
Lim-Dul's Vault
Portent
Gorilla Shaman
Jotun Grunt
Ophidian
Mishra's Factory
Darkblast
Disrupt
Hide/Seek
Spellsnare
Imperial seal
Life from the Loam
Regrowth
Strategic Planning
Sensei's Divining Top Seems like a staple now
Final Fortune
Goblin Recruiter
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Hermit Druid
Demonic Consultation
Commandeer
Rite of Flame
Arcane Laboratory
Mana Maze
Wee Dragonaughts
Cremate
Unmask
Goblin Lore
Leyline of Singularity
Leyline of Lifeforce
Leyline of Lightning
Zur's Weirding
Ignorant Bliss + Hurkyl's Recall+ Balance
Encroach
Crystal Vein
cephalid  coliseum
ideas unbound
street wraith
wild cantor
Glimmervoid
Arcbound Ravager
Survival of the Fittest
Synod Centurion
Solitary Confinement
Erayo
Cursecatcher Sees lots more play now
Umbral Mantle
Thrumming Stone
Rings of the Brighthearth
Basalt Monolith
Time vault Sees much more play now
Avarice Totem
Culling Scales
Karn + Monolith + Mantle
Barren Glory + Kaervek's Spite
Chains of Mephistopheles
Twincast
Fork
Shared Fate
Mindmoil
Warp World
Serra Sphinx
Show and Tell
trygon predator
Firemane Angel + Buried Alive + Zur's Weirding
Second Chance
Vigean Intuition weak
Mana Breach + Fastbond
Orim's Chant
Abeyance
Stuffy Doll
Cerebral Vortex
Gelectrode
Mind's Eye
Zur, the Enchanter
Mishra, Artificier Prodigy
Time Stop
Retract
Rysorian Badger Too weak
Izzet Guildmage
Azorius Guildmage
Truth or Tale Weak
Verdant Eidolon (if you can break it) {maybe with a reanimation strategy}
Hammer Mage
Spellshapers + Madness cards
Perilous Research
City in a Bottle
Forget
Cunning Wish
Recycle
Parallax Tide
Sacred Ground
Limited Resources
Null Profusion
Prophetic Bolt
Priest of Gix
The Abyss
Drop of Honey
Nullstone Gargoyle
Thran Turbine
Desperate Research
Tainted Pact
Plunge into Darkness
Helldozer
Vine Dryad
Rootwater Thief
Rishadan Cutpurse weak
Pox
Unearth
Channel
Parallel Thoughts + Draw 7s
Gilded Drake
Dead//Gone
Magus of the Unseen
Nix
Imp's Mischief
Dash Hopes
Telling Time
Aura of Silence
Lich's Mirror
Mindlock orb
Form of the dragon + Second Chance (Probably in a replenish build)
Read the Runes
Last Rites
Panoptic Mirror
Replenish
Chrome Mox
Mox Diamond
Polymorph
Bitterblossom
Personal Tutor
Meltdown
Quicken
Life from the Loam + Raven's Crime
Serenity
Mind over Matter
Recurring Nightmare
Rishadan Port
Ill-Gotten Gains + LotV
Magus of the Jar + Shallow Grave