This card got a ton of hype when people saw it
on spoilers. Then as things developed, no one
found a use for it. It's not a big deal though.
I just don't think this is an automatic four-of
in a Black deck. If the deck can produce fast
damage, it's great. You might even use it to
protect a combo or something. It's not a bad
card. It's just going to take a while to find a
strong home somewhere.
There's a lot of talk saying this card is bad. I
understand most of it. At first, I thought it
was pretty neat. Counterspell is good, Lava Axe
is pretty good, so a card that works as one or
the other seems good, right? Well, that' what
people thought about Perplex. Your opponent will
always take the option that they like better,
and since you can't "tap out" with your life
total, most opponents will spend the 5 life if
it's an important spell. So really, it's not
good. It doesn't stop anything worth stopping
until your opponent gets down to 5 life. And
it'll never get an opponent's life total down
within swinging range, because your opponent
knows how much life he has to play with. But is
that really so bad? I've actually come back
around on this card. For two black mana, you get
to do something black can't usually do. Which
something you can't be sure, but that gives you
some insight as to their strategy. Are they
willing to pay 5 life to get that creature out?
What are they planning to do with it? This
card's real power is in its ability to make your
opponent make a decision that can't go well for
them either way. As long as you don't have any
delusions about countering anything important
with it, it can be a solid tactical move.
Dash Hopes -
I've been a big fan of punisher cards since they
first appeared back in Odyssey block. This one
combines that mechanic with a black counterspell,
something which first appeared back in Mirage. 5
life is a hefty loss, especially against a deck
that puts on a lot of pressure early (as mono
black decks are known to do). Against an
opponent with 5 life or less, this suddenly
becomes the most efficient counterspell in
Standard. Perfect for countering that last
minute Wrath of God (or Damnation) that's about
to spoil your plans.
I like the "choice cards" that black got. They
all offer neat abilities for a reasonable price.
Dash Hopes is no exception. It suffers from the
same problem the others do, however. Namely,
your opponent is likely to be hurt by one option
and not by the other. And guess which option
they will choose? If you are trying to counter
the must-counter spell, they will pay the five.
If you are trying to counter the inconsequential
spell, they will gripe a little then play
something better next turn. In rare occasions
you will have them at less than 5 life and they
won't have a choice. This only gets worst in
most group games (note that ANY player may pay 5
life), where the only way that the spell will be
countered is if it is a major threat to everyone
on the board (and the person who pays the five
life can make an instant ally).
Constructed - 1+
Casual - 2
Limited - 3
Aethereal
Wednesday -
Dash Hopes
So they decided to print a black Counterspell in
this set. This card has quite a bit of
potential, because they probably won't want to
pay the 5 life unless they are playing an
important spell, or they're playing an aggro
deck and need to get a guy out. That is one of
the downsides of this card compared to Mana Leak
- 5 life is much more readily available than 3
mana. However, the 5 life could help you win the
game. So, if MBC ever shows up (probably not
until after Ravnica rotates), this could be a
good card in there. I probably wouldn't play it
in U/B decks because of the double black, which
can set you up to be unable to cast actual blue
counters.
In casual, counterspells are not liked.
In limited, I already really don't care for
counterspells, and this one can be pretty easily
stopped. Maybe if you're running a really
aggressive deck, but in that case shouldn't you
just play a creature instead?
Constructed - 3
Casual - 2
Limited - 2.5
-David N
Dash Hopes
Today we are continuing with cards that used to
be blue with the staple card of most blue decks,
the counter spell. In my opinion dash hopes has
a chance of being better than counter spell. You
can't win a game with counterspell but with dash
hopes there is a chance they can take damage
instead of letting the card being countered.
With black and the plentiful amounts of removal
sometimes you may want the card to come into
play so they take the 5 damage then you remove
the creature anyways. Also at the cost of 2
black this card is amongst one of the best
commons in the set.
Constructed: 4
Casual: 4
Limited: 5
David Fanany
Dash Hopes
Dash Hopes suffers from the same problem
Browbeat has, namely that your opponent decides
what it does. Five life is a steep price to pay
for a second-turn Blood Knight or Ohran Viper,
but a good opponent will always know when it's
worth it and so Dash Hopes will never counter a
spell when you want it to. Generally, too, the
only time your opponent has to avoid losing five
life at all costs is when his life total is
five, so you'll end up countering a spell when
you really need to finish the game. In the
casual world, I suppose Dash Hopes could be a
political card in multiplayer (who wants that
spell to resolve badly enough to pay five
life?), but I tend to think you should play
better cards. In limited play, it suffers from
the same problems as in constructed. If you
throw it at a truly critical spell they'll pay
five, and the only spells it will ever counter
will be the irrelevant ones. Avoid.
Constructed: 1/5
Casual: 1/5
Limited: 1/5
LennonMarx
Constructed
This just feels like wizards' way of rubbing the
old standard of countermagic in our faces.
"Look, its, its a 2 mana counterspell," which it
may be, but its junk. It will never do what you
want it to do. Sure there are times that its
just amazing, but more often than not, its a 5
point drain on your opponent in responce to them
casting akroma to wreck you.
1.5/5
Casual
In casual black has alot better things for 2
mana, most notably an armada of edicts. Its
badness is compounded here by multiple opponents
who will be smashing your face in. Maybe, and I
mean MAYBE, in a sui-black style deck ment for
casual duals this MIGHT have a spot, but I still
think it's better just to run more removal or
discard.
1.5/5
Limited
See above. It's just bad. It's a 15th pick, and
to be honest I'd take it later if I could.
Friends don't let friend play Dash Hopes.
1/5 (can I please give this a 0, or negative
pi... or something?)
PsychoAnime
Many other
reviewers are going to say this, and I'll say
this too: This card
suffers from "Browbeat Syndrome".
Browbeat Syndrome occurs when your opponent gets
to make decisions for you.
In this case, if the spell is really strong,
then your opponent won't
hesitate to pay the 5 life. If it isn't, then
your opponent can just not pay.
In the end, they get the better part of the
deal.
As well, in the beginning of the game, 5 life
doesn't matter really much so
this is more of a late game card, but a late
game card is usually a finisher
and this card doesn't finish anything. Sure,
there are many best case scenarios
that can make this card look really good, but
reality is often worst case
rather than best case.
Constructed: 2/5, not completely useless, but
it's still not good enough
Casual: 3/5, this is fun enough to use, but it's
really bad in multiplayer
Limited: 1.5/5, suffers from the same problem as
in Constructed
Arcane
Dash Hopes
Constructed: MBC is definitely going to see a
resurgence on the back of great cards like this.
2 mana counterspell finds its home in black
instead of traditional blue but with a 5 life
buyout. Browbeat isn’t always seen in
constructed decks b/c you can’t guarantee
getting what you want, and that randomness may
cause the hardcore tournament players to stay
away from it, but really, stooping a spell or
making your opponent pay a ¼ of their life is
still a great prospect no matter which way it
falls.
Casual/Multi: Group game politics will add a
much lower chance of getting the effect you may
want as more people at the table have a chance
to decide what it is that’s best for them, and
since only one person has to pay 5 life to stop
you it loses a lot of its strength (esp against
the casual life gain decks that pop up). Better
off here sticking to an effect that you know is
going to do what you want, unless you find a
real problem with enchantments at your table
(which black is notorious for having hard times
dealing with).
Limited: 5 life is a lot in limited games so
unless it’s a bomb rare this will probably just
be a straight up counterspell. And if it is a
bomb, they’ll probably pay the 5 life and you
still have to find an answer. In limited the
unknown factor of this card’s outcome is what
will hurt it the most, when your deck is only
23-24 business cards you want more control over
whether they’re working the way you want them to
or not. Giving that control to your opponent is
not your best bet. It has its uses but it’s not
the most reliable (though one of the better
black removal cards in PC it’s sad to say).
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 2
Limited: 2.5
The Missing
Linc
Dash Hopes
Constructed: Ahhh. Black has always longed for
counter power. Here it comes at a cost. This
will likely see some constructed play but I am
not sure how much. In a aggro deck, the target
will be mass removal and almost always the
opponent will pay the life...unless you already
have them down low enough. In a control deck, I
am not sure this fits.
Casual: Counters always draw some hate in a
casual environment where players are looking to
have their deck be able to do what it is
supposed to do.
Limited: A fine card for this environment. Where
I would not draft it high, I would definately
put it into my deck as playing it at the right
time could net you some profit.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 3
Limited: 3
Necro
nomikron
Dash Hopes:
Constructed: Mono Black Aggro's dream. You
either disrupt them, or it's a 5 mana lava axe.
In any other deck? Trash.
Casual: Not that bad here, really, for the
amusement value. Watch your opponent squirm on
whether or not to take the 5.
Limited: I'd pass it like a hot potato.
Constructed: 4/5 in MBA. 1/5 elsewhere (average
it to 2.5)
Casual: 2/5 (Fun, but still not a good card)
Limited: 1/5
