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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!


Image from Wizards.com

Distant Memories
Mirrodin Besieged

Reviewed March 28, 2011

Constructed: 3.00
Casual: 3.67
Limited: 3.00
Multiplayer: 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 of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Distant Memories
 
So, if Karn made his first appearance in Tempest, and I started playing with Ice Age, does that mean that I'd be older than Karn if I were a planeswalker? That's a little scary. My own distant memories of that era involve, among other things, card-drawing spells that were more blatantly powerful than this card, but my instincts tell me that we should keep an eye on this one. I like that you get something good no matter which way the spell turns out - try grabbing Jace's Ingenuity and getting three cards no matter what happens.
 
Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 3/5

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Distant Memories which is a four mana Blue spell that is sort of a hybrid between Concentrate and Diabolic Tutor, but with the lack of control making it almost Red in nature.  This aspect drastically reduces the value to the typical Blue mage and it isn't likely to see much play in Constructed formats.  The main drawback is that the exiled card is face up and can remain exiled instead of returning to the library.  Overall Blue has other options for acceleration and searching that are more reliable and aren't up to your opponent to decide.
 
In Limited this is an option to draw cards, but it a fairly weak one as your opponent has too much control over the outcome.  The mana cost including two Blue can be problematic as well and the rarity is unfortunate as you are not going to want this in your packs in either format.  For Sealed this should probably be left out of the deck unless it is both predominantly Blue and you have a hole in the mana curve that can't be filled by an artifact.  For Booster it can safely be passed for some kind of removal or offensive creature as in many situations this just won't be enough of a benefit especially as a first pick.
 
Constructed: 2.0
Casual: 2.0
Limited: 2.0
Multiplayer: 2.0

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming

   Welcome to another week of card of the day reviews here at Pojo.com. Let’s kick this week off with Distant Memories from Mirrodin Besieged. Distant Memories is a two generic and two blue mana sorcery. Distant Memories lets you search your library for one card, and exile it. Then your opponent chooses whether to let you have the exiled card, or draw three cards.

    Cards such as this are bluff cards. Did you grab what you really needed at this exact moment? That is the chance your opponent has to take. If it is a trump card, there is likely multiples of it in your deck any ways, meaning that you in all actuality could grab what you need, and even if it stays exiled you have a chance to gain it off of the draw. Not really some crazy overpowered card that is going to be broken and made into some uber-combo, but still a very effective card in terms of advantage and strategy.

    There aren’t really that many ways to overexploit this card. Simply put, it is what it is. Making extra copies could only increase the likely hood that your opponent would rather you keep what you’ve exiled instead of getting a fresh hand. Especially if used in conjunction with Jace’s Erasure, making multiple copies of Distant Memories with either Pyromancer’s Ascension or Twincast or even Echo Mage would almost guarantee you get what you exiled rather than the entire card draw. In these ways you could aide yourself in ensuring you get what you want either way.

    The main drawback to me about this card is once used in multiplayer. All opponents would have to agree on it remaining exiled, or else it goes to your hand. So if the card has the potential to end the game for one opponent, it is possible that it would go to your hand, simply because you played off of the weakness of one player. Which this really is only a weakness if this is being played against you, not if you are playing it yourself.
 
Limited: 4/5
Casual: 5/5
Multiplayer: 4/5
Constructed: 4/5

BMoor Distant Memories

Cards are exiled face-up unless specifically stated otherwise, so your opponent knows what you searched for when he or she decides whether or not to give it to you. So basically this card is either Diabolic Tutor or Concentrate, except your opponent chooses which it is, and gets to see the card you Tutored for even if he or she doesn't let you have it.

Since neither Diabolic Tutor nor Concentrate have seen serious play in several years, I'm guessing this won't either. The only way I can see this getting real use is if you can somehow bluff your opponents-- either search for a card you don't want but your opponents think you do, thus thinning your deck by one card you didn't want before drawing three, or search for a card you want but your opponents think you don't want, so they let you have it. If you can manage it, more power to you. Just be careful-- if your opponents decide they'd rather you draw three cards, the card you searched for stays exiled-- beware if it was your only copy!

Constructed- 2
Casual- 3
Limited- 3
Multiplayer- 3.25

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