Sudden Storm

I keep expecting this card to have Split Second. Sadly, it doesn't. It does rout most combat-based decks pretty effectively though, if you're able to make good use of the tempo. As an instant, it's more useful than Sleep, since it can be used to lock down up to two attackers as well as just getting blockers out of the way. The fact that it adds Scry 1, and costs 3U while Sleep costs 2UU, sounds like an admission that Sleep was underpowered. Or maybe they just want to "push" this ability harder than usual, and will keep bringing Sleep back even when they aren't pushing it.

To use this effectively, you pretty much have to be in a position to race the opponent. It doesn't actually get rid of the creatures it's "removing", so time is definitely of the essence here. A green/blue tempo deck would love it, but I'm not sure about much else.

Constructed- 2.5
Casual- 2.5
Limited- 3.5
Multiplayer- 3

Today's card of the day is Sudden Storm which is a four mana Blue instant that taps up to target creatures that then do not untap during their controller's next untap step and you Scry 1. Locking down two creatures for two turns, if used after the opponent's untap step, is a powerful effect that is already popular with Frost Breath and other similar spells as well as creatures like Frost Wall. The extra mana for Scry 1 probably won't be enough to justify the increased cost over Frost Breath in most Constructed formats, though it may see play in Commander.

In Limited this is a strong weapon for opening up multiple attacks or an extended stall that even applies to gods. The single Blue is easy to manage and Scry is always a welcome bonus to a spell. This is a solid early pick in Booster and an easy inclusion for any deck in Sealed running Blue.

Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 2.5
Limited: 4.0
Multiplayer: 2.5

Sudden Storm

Sudden Storm is what you call a tempo card. It doesn't do anything permanent, but it slows your opponent down, giving you a turn where you don't have to deal with their two biggest threats. Depending on the type of deck they are running, this could mean tapping down their attackers so you can scry and have another turn to find your combo piece or a permanent answer, or this could mean tapping down their blockers to let your attackers get through for the kill. Either way, I like this card more than most people seem to.

It's probably a little outclassed in constructed, but not a terrible option. It's kind of a boring effect for a casual game, and casual players usually don't like temporary effects as much. As with many cards, the value is higher in limited, since the number of options you have is much smaller. Cards with mutliple targets can be fun for multiplayer because you could choose one creature from two different opponents. There will always be options on how to use this card, but much like casual, it's not necessarily the most fun card to use in what's a pretty fun-driven format.

Constructed: 3
Casual: 2
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3

Sudden Storm is a neat card because it actually has more versatility than it might seem at a quick glance.

There are basically two ways to use a card like Sudden Storm, aggressively or defensively. When used aggressively, it's a pretty potent combat trick. All of the sudden, those tough creatures your opponent held back to block your attackers aren't doing their job anymore. And not only are some of your guys getting through this turn, but your opponent better have an answer up his sleeve soon or they're going to get through for more damage again on your next turn as well. This works especially well when your creatures have some sort of triggered ability when they deal combat damage to a player, such as drawing a card. Now of course if you're using this card aggressively, it means you're already in a pretty good position. It's heavily dependent on what you've already got on the field. But offensively this card isn't so much a "win more" card as it is a stalemate breaker.

If you're NOT in a good board position, then using this basically means you're stalling for time. Your opponent has you on a clock, has some serious threats on the field, and you're in trouble. The traditional weakness with cards like this is that they aren't actually answers. They aren't eliminating the problem, they're just making it go away for a little while. But eventually you're going to need to find an answer. Sudden Storm however is a lot better than other stall cards for 2 reasons. 1) It keeps your opponent's creatures locked down for two turns instead of just one, and 2) Scry.

Scry is a great ability. Scry is what helps turn this card from a random roll of the dice into a serious potential comeback for you. If you're in trouble and a card is going to give you an extra turn or two before you die, you rely very heavily on whatever you topdeck next. But scry helps you tilt the odds in your favour. Scry can see that next land you're about to draw, say "no thanks!" and help get you the kill spell or creature or combo piece you need to really rebuild your board position and get back into the game.

In the end, you'd USUALLY rather just have some kind of kill spell, and this isn't a card you'd want to include in every blue deck you see. As effective as it is defensively, I really do think one of the best ways to use this card is a deck with creatures that have "deals combat damage to a player" triggered abilities. There may be better options out there, and real removal always trumps quasi-lockdown-style-semi-removal. But for what Sudden Storm does, it does it pretty well.

Be sure to heed the wise words of the flavour text. You'll never win in an arm wrestle against the ocean!

Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3.5