The problem with this card is that it needs a
deck built around it, and that deck just hasn't
been built yet. I've seen plenty of decks in my
garage use it, but mainly for casual play. In
more competitive formats, this comes down on
turn three-- the same turn as most creatures
with tap abilities. Do you play the elixir turn
three and Prodigal Pyromancer turn four for a
haste-ping? Or just play the Pyromancer turn
three so you can ping turn four? Granted, the
first play sounds like it has more surprise
value, but doesn't a turn three Elixir sort of
broadcast what's coming?
Constructed- 2
Casual- 4
Limited- 1.5
Aethereal
Tuesday - Thousand-Year Elixir
I'm waiting for a deck using some sort of combo
with creature abilities to pop up that uses
this. Such a deck will probably only show up in
Standard, however, unless it really needs that
untap ability, because in casual, you just play
Concordant Crossroads or Mass Hysteria instead.
It's already been out for a year and hasn't seen
any play yet, and I can't see that changing.
Maybe someone will find a way to break it.
In limited, I guess you could use this for the
untap ability if you feel you need it, but it's
not that great.
Constructed - 2
Casual - 2
Limited - 2
David Fanany
Player since
1995
Thousand-Year Elixir
This card seems narrow at first glance, since
activated abilities that don't use the tap
symbol can be used the turn you play a creature
anyway. But there are plenty of abilities that
*do* use the tap symbol, everything from Birds
of Paradise to Magus of the Bazaar to Avatar of
Woe, which are even better if you don't have to
wait for them and/or are reusable. There are
lots of fun decks to be made with this card, and
the best part is there will only be more in the
future - one of the few things you can count on
these days is that there will be creatures with
activated abilities.
