Mox Opal

[Troy_Costisick]

See here: http://twitpic.com/2lci4j

Mox Opal  
Legendary Artifact
: add one mana of any color if you control 3 or more artifacts.

Who wants to take the over/under this gets restricted before the prerelease?

[The Atog Lord]

At first I wasn't impressed. Then I saw it fixes color, too. Very interesting. I don't know if it will be great, but I'm certainly going to test this.

[Troy_Costisick]

At first I wasn't impressed. Then I saw it fixes color, too. Very interesting. I don't know if it will be great, but I'm certainly going to test this.

Do you think Legendary will keep it from really taking off?

[vassago]

Do you think Legendary will keep it from really taking off?

Meh, maybe. Workshop decks might love this.

[The Atog Lord]

Its being legendary is a huge strike against it. Rather than thinking about how to craft a manabase around it (as has been done with both Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond), you're left with determining whether a one-of can fit into an existing deck. That's much weaker than it otherwise would be, and so I'd be surprised if it really warrants being restricted. It may yet be restricted, but the legendary aspect is quite a drawback.

[Troy_Costisick]

Do you think Legendary will keep it from really taking off?

Meh, maybe. Workshop decks might love this.

I would think Storm decks would like it too.  Think of it as the 6th Mox.

[BC]

I just pre-ordered a playset for $80.  Any predictions on whether this will end up being a smart buy or a stupid buy?

[Stormanimagus]

I think this card is gonna be quite awesome actually for a couple reasons:

1. Color Fixing

2. You are able to lay it down early before it can be activated so that it can potentially be sacced to Smokestack or Tapped to Tangle wire.

3. It ramps Academy even when not active.

4. Rewards full moxen + Vault + Petal + Crypt + Ring so it is a nice fit for TPS as the aforementioned 6th mox.

This is a pretty sick card and will see plenty of play in Vintage in Combo decks. Thanks Wizards!

-Storm

[TheBrassMan]

It feels like in the situations you most want a mox, Opal doesn't give you mana.  In a Workshop deck in particular, if I have 2 artifacts in play already, the last mana source I want to draw is a mox.  It does make a lot more sense in straight storm combo, but it's ultimately a card that's weak where moxes are most useful.

[Prospero]

It feels like in the situations you most want a mox, Opal doesn't give you mana.  In a Workshop deck in particular, if I have 2 artifacts in play already, the last mana source I want to draw is a mox.  It does make a lot more sense in straight storm combo, but it's ultimately a card that's weak where moxes are most useful.

Spot on.

I don't think it sees play in Shops.

1.  It's legendary, so drawing multiples stinks.
2.  It doesn't actually help you drop your threats until you already had the mana to cast them.

[zeus-online]

.

[Neonico]

It feels like in the situations you most want a mox, Opal doesn't give you mana.  In a Workshop deck in particular, if I have 2 artifacts in play already, the last mana source I want to draw is a mox.  It does make a lot more sense in straight storm combo, but it's ultimately a card that's weak where moxes are most useful.

Spot on.

I don't think it sees play in Shops.

1.  It's legendary, so drawing multiples stinks.
2.  It doesn't actually help you drop your threats until you already had the mana to cast them.

Think it's really great to play in a UR or monoR stax deck as at least a one-of, possible 2-of....
It's really bad in MUD, you don't need it and it weakens you against one of your main ennemy : Null rod.
Think 5c Stax doesn't play enough artefacts to support it.

[Lemnear]

Thinking of the Natural Environment of the formats I think this is a Special gift for vintage from WotC. Making it legendary was the only chance of Making it safe without cripple it.

With, say a 5 artifact requirement this would Be unplayable but 3 including itself is ok for massive artifact powered decks.

Without the Auto-restricting-to-1-per-Deck-legendary-aspect this would Be nuts. Dropping them in multiples with the other moxen around would negate metalcraft.

I'll grab a shiny one for sure

[liontruth]

This baby can replace an offcolor mox on ANT, but I wouldnt run it in TPS

[Troy_Costisick]

I just pre-ordered a playset for $80.  Any predictions on whether this will end up being a smart buy or a stupid buy?

I have no idea.  I almost bought a set, but decided against it at the last minute and I'll list the reasons why:

1. The key for any card to hit high values is to be awesome in Standard.  I don't think Mox Opal will be.

1a.  It won't be awesome because it requires a deck to have lots of artifacts already in play.  Maybe Memnites and Ornithopters will be real popular, but I doubt it.  Standard focusses on playing big fattie bombs like Planeswalkers, Titans, and Vengevines.  Playing wimpy artifacts doesn't help against those things.  So, if they play artifacts, they'll cost 2 or more.  By then, you won't need Opal.

1b.  Creature density in Standard counts for a lot.  Creature removal is great in Standard, so you need to pack lots of 'em to make sure enough survive to kill your opponent.  Every card you draw that's not a creature or a creature removal spell is risky.  Getting your Titan out a turn faster isn't nearly as important as blowing up your opponent's key creature or playing a new threat of your own.

1c. In Standard, if they're going to Ramp, they'll do it with lands and spawn tokens because they're more stable.  I don't believe a conditional artifact accelerant will add enough value (unless they reprint artifact lands which is highly doubtful) because it's just not safe and reliable enough.

2.  The key for any card to maintain value over the long haul is to be useful in Magic's second most popular constructed format: Legacy.

2a.  So far, on The Source, the reception has been lukewarm.  Personally, I would think some ANT decks would run at least 1 of these.  But the comments I've read haven't received this card with much enthusiasm.

2b.  There's no real Stax deck in Legacy.  Despite Metalworker and Grim Monolith being available, Legacy does not support a big artifact deck (yet).  The biggest problem is that there's way too much creature kill for Metalworker to be viable.  So until that gets fixed, conditional artifact accerlerants like Opal won't be all that sought after.

3.  Opal is Legendary.  That means only having 1 in play- period.  That entails a lot of risk the more popular the card becomes.

3a. Standard and Extended players must keep their permanents in play for as long as possible to win.  Losing a mana source to the "legend" rule really sux.  A legend type card has to be awfully powerful in order to see play.  

3b. Other than planeswalkers, what legendary anything sees play in any format?  Academy Ruins sees some play in Legacy.  Vendelion Clique maybe?  Dredge, Show and Tell, and Oath decks run legends, but that's sort of a different situation.  They almost never cast them.  Now take all the ones people actually play and compare it to all the ones available.  It's miniscule.  So there is a natural predisposition to disliking legendary cards in the Magic community.

4.  With all the artifacts that will be printed in Mirrodin, with all the bombs with two colored mana symbols in their CC's in M11 encouraging players to mono-color or 2 color decks, with all the colorless cards in RoE, does anyone really need a rainbow mana source in Standard?  Alara bock rotates out when Opal becomes legal.  I just don't see there being all that great of a need.  Who's going to play 3 and 4 color decks now?

Now, all that said, you're playset will probably be worth more than you paid for it when SoM comes out.  But a month after SoM could tell a different story.  See:  Warren Instigator, Mindbreak Trap, Time Reversal, etc.

As for its uses in Vintage, ANT and Shop decks supporting a color should probably run 1 either in place of off-color Moxen or in addition to them.  Time Vault decks could replace whatever color moxen they're not using with an Opal.  Oath won't want it.  Nor Fish and obviously Dredge.  MUD probably doesn't either.  So maybe, half the archetypes at best?  But in those archetypes, I think it would be very good.

Peace,

-Troy

[TopSecret]

haha Belcher?

[DubDub]

I think Mox Opal will be playable as a one-of in some Vintage decks.  Provided the price isn't immensely inflated by demand from Standard I'll probably try to pick up two; one for dedicated Vintage play, and one for an Esper EDH deck that can be pulled should I want 2x Mox Opal for Vintage.

[evouga]

I just pre-ordered a playset for $80.  Any predictions on whether this will end up being a smart buy or a stupid buy?

It has "Mox" in its name so it'll probably hold value due to casual appeal even if it sees no tournament play.

3b. Other than planeswalkers, what legendary anything sees play in any format?  Academy Ruins sees some play in Legacy.  Vendelion Clique maybe?  Dredge, Show and Tell, and Oath decks run legends, but that's sort of a different situation.  They almost never cast them.  Now take all the ones people actually play and compare it to all the ones available.  It's miniscule.  So there is a natural predisposition to disliking legendary cards in the Magic community.

Tolarian Academy, Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Karn, Silver Golem, Dark Depths, Karakas, Mindslaver, and Gaddock Teeg would like a word.

[Gambit]

I just pre-ordered a playset for $80.  Any predictions on whether this will end up being a smart buy or a stupid buy?

It really depends on how the rest of SOM shapes up; if they reprint the artifact lands, Mox could be very good in standard. But as others stated, standard is what pushes the value, and right now, there just aren't enough artifacts to make this good in type 2

[bb-g]

I just pre-ordered a playset for $80.  Any predictions on whether this will end up being a smart buy or a stupid buy?

It has "Mox" in its name so it'll probably hold value due to casual appeal even if it sees no tournament play.

3b. Other than planeswalkers, what legendary anything sees play in any format?  Academy Ruins sees some play in Legacy.  Vendelion Clique maybe?  Dredge, Show and Tell, and Oath decks run legends, but that's sort of a different situation.  They almost never cast them.  Now take all the ones people actually play and compare it to all the ones available.  It's miniscule.  So there is a natural predisposition to disliking legendary cards in the Magic community.

Tolarian Academy, Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Karn, Silver Golem, Dark Depths, Karakas, Mindslaver, and Gaddock Teeg would like a word.

Also Umezawa Jitte is looking for it's recognition as does llawan, cephalid empress

[BC]

As of today, Buy It Now on ebay is up to $159 for a set, so right now my prospecting is looking ok.

[Evenpence]

Looks like Wizards finally made a bad Mox.  

Without being legendary, it'd be amazing.  So sad, but so happy too.

[smasher]

Looks like Wizards finally made a bad Mox.  

Without being legendary, it'd be amazing.  So sad, but so happy too.

Looks like Mirror Gallery just became playable. =D

[brianpk80]

3b. Other than planeswalkers, what legendary anything sees play in any format?  Academy Ruins sees some play in Legacy.  Vendelion Clique maybe?  Dredge, Show and Tell, and Oath decks run legends, but that's sort of a different situation.  They almost never cast them.  Now take all the ones people actually play and compare it to all the ones available.  It's miniscule.  So there is a natural predisposition to disliking legendary cards in the Magic community.

Tolarian Academy, Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Karn, Silver Golem, Dark Depths, Karakas, Mindslaver, and Gaddock Teeg would like a word.

Kataki, Jitte, Thada Adel, and Kiki-Jiki are unhappy as well.  But their gripes don't detract from Troy's points, all of which were well stated and on the mark. 

[BruiZar]

It's not a bad mox it's a balanced mox. I'd say 3 is THE right number for ant. Builds storm for free, second kills both moxen third adds mana. That said, this could very well be ad nauseam angelsgrace for extended

[CorwinB]

Regarding the Standard argument (small disgression here), I think Mox Opal will be a pretty powerful player in some specific builds. Right now, ramping in Standard is done mostly through lands, but it doesn't have to be. Consider the following line of play (which is based only on cards available post-rotation, and without any speculation about artifact lands) : T1 Land, Voltaic Key. T2 Land, Everflowing Chalice@1, Mox Opal.

At the end of your second turn, you are at 4 mana deployed, with two mana of any color available (you can use the mana from the Chalice to untap the Mox), which means you can potentially Mana Leak your opponent's next play.

In Extended, it could combo very, very well with the various Alara Borderposts.

For Vintage, it could probably fit easily in Storm decks, probably as a one of (multiples could be amusing when comboing with Yawgmoth's Win : Mox Opal on table, float mana, drop second Mox Opal, both go to graveyard, play Yawgmoth's Will, get back first Mox, float mana, get back second one, both are RFG but you are up 3 Storm and 2 mana of any color).

[Norm4eva]

Between this card and the 1/1 for 0 guy I want Ravager Affinity to take its proper role as king of the jungle in the great circle of life that is Legacy.  Mox Opal beats the piss out of stupid, stupid Glimmervoid and 1/1 for 0 guy is Arcbound Worker's hotter, bi-curious cousin.  That deck should be shit-quick fast now, dropping 5/5 Master of Etherium on turn 2 and beating for a billion with guys that cost nothing before you can say "Waste your Vault of Whispers"

EDIT - wow that's twice in a row, lol.  I thought I was posting in General Discussion.  Didn't mean to rant about Legacy in a Vintage forum!  I not troll, I swear.

[Troy_Costisick]

Between this card and the 1/1 for 0 guy I want Ravager Affinity to take its proper role as king of the jungle in the great circle of life that is Legacy.  Mox Opal beats the piss out of stupid, stupid Glimmervoid and 1/1 for 0 guy is Arcbound Worker's hotter, bi-curious cousin.  That deck should be shit-quick fast now, dropping 5/5 Master of Etherium on turn 2 and beating for a billion with guys that cost nothing before you can say "Waste your Vault of Whispers"

All that would have to happen is for people to discover just how brutal of a card Meltdown is vs. artifact decks, and Affinity will go nowhere in Legacy.  Not that it's going to rise above a tier 2 or 3 deck anyway.

[limitedwhole]

"1. The key for any card to hit high values is to be awesome in Standard.  I don't think Mox Opal will be.

1a.  It won't be awesome because it requires a deck to have lots of artifacts already in play.  Maybe Memnites and Ornithopters will be real popular, but I doubt it.  Standard focusses on playing big fattie bombs like Planeswalkers, Titans, and Vengevines.  Playing wimpy artifacts doesn't help against those things.  So, if they play artifacts, they'll cost 2 or more.  By then, you won't need Opal"

I think you are off here Troy.  You don't know what other cards are in the sets yet.  Its Mirrodin.  Cheap powerful artifacts.  RandD tested this card.  I don't think they would make a mox suck in standard.  This is the card that sells the boxes.  Making the card that sells the boxs suck isn't good business.  It is going to be used in some multicolor deck that uses artifacts for filtering, draw, and mana fixing will win a GP for sure.

Edit: Also if Thirst for knowledge is unrestricted at some point or they print another thirst like card that is vintage viable this would be a three-four of in a vintage deck.

[evouga]

3b. Other than planeswalkers, what legendary anything sees play in any format?  Academy Ruins sees some play in Legacy.  Vendelion Clique maybe?  Dredge, Show and Tell, and Oath decks run legends, but that's sort of a different situation.  They almost never cast them.  Now take all the ones people actually play and compare it to all the ones available.  It's miniscule.  So there is a natural predisposition to disliking legendary cards in the Magic community.

Tolarian Academy, Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Karn, Silver Golem, Dark Depths, Karakas, Mindslaver, and Gaddock Teeg would like a word.

Kataki, Jitte, Thada Adel, and Kiki-Jiki are unhappy as well.  But their gripes don't detract from Troy's points, all of which were well stated and on the mark.  

Many are, but in my opinion 3b misses the mark. The reason many legends are disliked is because they're Timmy chaff, not because they're Legendary. Reasonably costed, spike-y legends have on the contrary quite often been format-defining: see Jitte, Meloku, Jace TMS, etc. Even in Eternal formats Legends are everywhere; between Tolarian Academy and Karn alone you've got ubiquitous Legendary presence in three of the five Vintage pillars.