Trinisphere

[Ghost]

This is a card in the spoiler at mtgnews.com, it is not confirmed, however seing as how accurate that site is there is a good chance of it being real. Seems to me that you could build a nastly deck based around this. Any thoughts?

Trinisphere -3
Artifact (R)
The total cost of a spell cannot include less than 3 mana. (wording may be different)

[Kowal]

Looks like a chalice for two and one at the same time.

In other words, I remain unconcerned.  It doesn't affect the most common form of artifact removal anyhow.

[BrokenNut]

Chalice for 2, 1, AND 0. Therefore, I doubt the text on it is actual wording of the card, since it just seems too strong and overpowered.

[Kowal]

Chalice for zero is sometimes strong, but generally the 1 is the play.  Regardless, I'm not convinced this is a major threat.  More like a Platinum Angel (in terms of being overhyped, not in card structure, obviously)

[Ghost]

In other words, I remain unconcerned.  It doesn't affect the most common form of artifact removal anyhow.

I'm just a noob, what type of artifact removal are you talking about?

[Matt]

Rack and Ruin.

[Ghost]

Thanks, ummm correct me where I'm wrong here.
Trinispher says: cannot include less than 3 mana. (assuming thats the correct wording) Rack and ruin's casting cost is 2R so wouldn't you not be able to use it?

[Matt]

R&R costs three, and three is not less than three (it's equal), so I don't see why not.

[Mage of Dreams]

2R would be a casting cost of 3. Similarly, 2RR would be a casting cost of 4.

G3.5a - Some older cards used the term "casting cost" to describe the mana cost of a spell. In general, cards that were printed with the term "casting cost" now use the term "mana cost." Cards that used the term "total casting cost" now use the term "converted mana cost." [CompRules 2003/07/01]


G3.25a - The converted mana cost of an object is the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color.
Example: An Air Elemental has a mana cost of and a converted mana cost of 5. [CompRules 2003/07/01]


Shawn

[Ghost]

Ok, I see. when I read it, I was thinking 3 cololress mana. Meaning a spell had to have at least 3 colorless mana it its casting cost to be played. My bad, I should read the stuff I post more carfuly.

[walkingdude]

I think this card could be very good.  Chalice for 0, 1, 2 can do a lot of damage. Note that in game 1 the earliest this can be removed is turn 4 (assuming it comes down first turn) since you need 3 lands to wish and then another turn to rack and ruin. This range can be extended with a wasteland. Plus finding those wishes is harder when you have no tutors or brainstorms or aks or recalls... Furthermore, this is 1 mana cheaper than chalice for 2 and can come down off a workshop with no mox, or tomb plus mox. Against a lot of decks I think this thing might be better abstractly than chalice is.
The problem is in the practical implication. It is easy for workshop decks to avoid too many spells at the 1 OR 2 slot so chalice never does too much harm, but shutting off the 1 AND 2 slots will always be harsh. A deck that really wants to optimize this will have to make a lot of sacrifices and they may turn out to be too much.

[Kowal]

You're forgetting that ESG exists, as well as people dropping moxen before this comes down.

[urza_insane]

Uh, hate to burst your bubble... but this card isn't at all waht you guys are thinking. It's from a magazine article. The card will increase another cards mana cost until it is at least 3. Kinda like a weird sphere of resistance. Seems like it will be good in Muddy Lock decks.

[dicemanx]

Before we get too excited, here is what the card does (from a mtgnews post):

Trinisphere
Cost: 3
Artifact
Not sure of the wording. The article (written by Brian David Marshall in the magazine "Undefeated") says: "Trinisphere makes all spells cost no less than three mana as long as Trinisphere is untapped. It undoes all the work done by Goblin Warchief (a Piledrive would cost 2R with both in play) and affinity-for-artifacts artificats have no chance of playing for free."

So, this is not going to be a "Chalice" for 0, 1 and 2. Seems more like a Sphere of Resistance in function.

[Moridar]

So a Black Lotus will cost you 3 mana.  Sphere of Resistance would be 3 mana...   That is going to make a crazy addition to Stax.

Wayne

[RoadTrippin]

It's definitely more of a Sphere of Resistance style card than anything comparable to Chalice. It's not going to counter the spells- it's just going to make them cost more. IMO, this card should definitely see play in Prison decks as it's nothing short of a game winning drop on turn 3 or 4, especially when it's adding to the team of Tangle Wire or Smokestack.

[Tim the Enchanter]

turn 3 or 4??? Imagine this dropping turn one. Drop all your moxes and workshop and play this thing 1st turn. It stops any more moxes from really hittting the table (who would pay 3 for a mox? unless you're desperate...) and hurts a lot of decks like sligh, stompy, etc.

[dicemanx]

I foresee this card to be quite devestating in Stax/wMUD. It shuts down every non-Workshop deck for at least 4 turns if you go first and get this out turn 1. This gives all the time in the world for wMUD to set up the lock. Even if it doesn't show up turn 1, it's as good as a Sphere if not better, as numerous decks are comprised of spells that cost 2 or less.

[MuzzonoAmi]

This card will be in Slax. It fits perfectly, and I've been trying to find a way to safely cut Ankh for awhile. I'll definately be testing them, and Stacker players probably will be too.

[TheFram]

I wonder how the final wording of this will interact with sphere.

[thejinhong]

I would like to see how it does in wMUD builds.

[Lashkar]

Seems rather playable in wMUD-style decks, even more so in combination with crucible of worlds/strip, where it has the ability to completely shut down the opponent before she/he has the chance to do anything, mmm.....

[SpencerForHire]

Seems to me that this could change stacker and stax ALOT.  For instance.  Any deck running these either has to rethink chalice entirely or cut them.

Uses of Trinisphere with chalice.
1) Makes any chalice for 0-2 usless the new CC on all those spells is now 3.
2) Takes out opponent chalices.
3) Chalice for 3 now covers countering all spells with a CC of 0-3.

[jdl]

I wonder how the final wording of this will interact with sphere.

I was wondering about this myself.  It seems likely that it will be worded in such a way that you could stack Trinisphere and Sphere in whichever order you wanted to.

-- Jim

[cssamerican]

If this is how the card will be worded it is strictly better than Chalice of the Void in prison decks for several reasons:
1.) It is more one sided. This is especially true in MUD!
2.)  It has more overall synergy with the deny resource theme in prison decks. Since it does not go after specific cards, but rather makes mostly all of the opponents cards more difficult to cast, which is what a prison deck wants to do. This is especially true in the early game, and this would have to be considered among the best turn 1 drop cards in Magic.
3.)  It is less vunerable to the other popular artifact removal card, Gorilla Shaman.
4.)  If it does interact with Sphere of Resistance in such a way that you could stack the effects it could be devastaing to any deck.

[Jawman16]

Might this be the card that finally gets Mishra's Workshop restricted?  It seems pretty ridiculous that a stax player could drop this on first turn and that would basically be game.  What, besides Force of Will could you do about it?  You cannot play any acceleration to try and outrace it.  All the while the stax player is playing more lock pieces or just dropping a threat and beating you down.  If they run Wasteland it would be game.  You could never mount a defense in time if every spell you had cost at least three mana adn your lands were being attacked on top of it.  They would A.) have the mana to play spells that meet the quota given by this card and B.) know that they have at least a 3 turn window to do whatever they want as you drop a land and pass the turn.  It seems like a powerful but boring and stupid card.  Hopefully the wording is not as it is now because at it stands the card is broke off a first turn workshop.  I personally hope this card never sees print.

[Ensign]

It seems from the posted comments on mtgnews that it would not stack with Sphere, instead it would just apply whichever would make the spell cost more.  Even with that, though, the card would still be absolutely nuts in prison style decks.  Tempo?  Who needs tempo.

Peace,
-CxE

[xrizzo]

If this card is printed in its current wording - it will make Force of Will and Duress even more valuable!  

The card is very strong dropped turn 1, but turn 2 it really is not that impressive.  Turn 1, you lose all acceleration, moxes, lotus, sol ring, brainstorm, ancestral, tutoring.  If you get that back, turn 2, you can often access 2-4 mana, and paying 3 mana for a time walk isnt THAT bad considering you opponent must play under similar rules.

I don't think this card makes MUD unbeatable - but I do think it would help bring it back to the top tier.

[SpencerForHire]

I don't think that will happen.  Sure a first turn shop drop will make it ridiculous, but a first turn stack is just as bad..
I doubt a restriction will be in order.

[Jawman16]

@ Gimbles.  Yes a first turn Stack is bad news but not game ending.  You can still play naturalize, Shattering Pulse etc...  If this new card gets dropped first turn it is game period.  They will have dropped their moxes and will access to more broken workshops to play huge spells.  You will play a land and pass the turn.  There is a huge difference between this card and a stax on first turn.