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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day


Image from Wizards.com

Rune Snag
Cold Snap


Reviewed January 8, 2008

Constructed: 3.67
Casual: 2.75
Limited: 3.00

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Rune Snag

Before Lorwyn, this was the best counterspell in Standard. Now, it's the best general utility counterspell in Standard. Spellstutter Sprite only works in Faerie decks, Familiar's Ruse isn't great in creature-light control, and Pact of Negation is great to protect a combo, but terrible to just stop a spell. Rune Snag is probably where you want to look first when it comes to counters.

Constructed- 4
Casual- 3
Limited- 2

Aethereal

Tuesday - Rune Snag

Until recently, Mana Leak was generally considered superior to this (Urzatron's popularity did not help things), but then Wizards decided not to reprint Mana Leak in Tenth. So, now, we have to look to this and Cancel for straightforward 2 and 3 mana counters. This is weaker than Mana Leak because it's easier to play around the first one (especially if you don't get it off until later in the game). However, after that, it gets significantly better, and the third and fourth ones are essentially 1U hard counters. A solid card, but it's got some solid competition too (Cancel and Cryptic Command).

In limited, I wouldn't bother. It requires multiples to be effective, which is not hard in CCC, but it's not something I would chance.

Constructed - 3
Casual - 2
Limited - 2.5

David Fanany

Player since 1995

Rune Snag

When Mana Leak replaced Counterspell in the Eighth Edition, some blue players complained that they were being cheated by virtue of it being a "soft" counter. I never got it, personally, since in the early game it counters basically everything. Rune Snag is even better - not only does it hard-counter early plays, but the subsequent copies become even harder to pay your way out of. Play four, or play none at all.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 2/5
The Missing Linc

-Balding for just over 5 years
-Playing MTG for just over 10

Rune Snag

This card has and will continue to see a lot of play. For two mana you have an early counter that will either hold back your opponent from using resources or counter something that could be a problem. It only gets better as time goes by. This will be a staple counter for a while in the league with Mana Leak. In contructed it will stay around.

Constructed: 4
Limited: 2
Casual: 3
PsychoAnime

#1 Magic Noob in Canada since 2002
Rune Snag

It's one of the two counterspells I can think of on the top of my head right now in standard, and luckily, it's decent. It's very easy to use early game, and maintains effectiveness late game when each copy requires a large amount of mana. It trades for at least its same value in terms of mana. To top it all up, it has only 1 blue mana requirement so it's easily splashable into any deck that runs blue and just needs some permission. Excellent card and only a common.

In limited, it's a easily splashable counterspell, and very possible to get more than 1 copy.

Constructed: 3.5/5
Casual: 3.5/5
Limited: 4.5/5

Swordmaster13
Tuesday's card is Rune Snag from Coldsnap.  Blue currently has an incredible array of powerful cards and Rune Snag is one of them.  Rune Snag by itself can counter a spell for two mana, but in copies of four, Rune Snag gets better as each one forces your opponent to pay 2 more mana for a spell or watch it fizzle out per copy in the graveyard.  I'd argue it's the best counterspell we got in the current environment and a staple for any deck that uses counter magic as a key part of its plan.
 
Limited:4/5
Constructed:4/5

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