Profit & Loss

Today we're reviewing Profit, and Loss, and Profit & Loss.

Profit looks a lot like an effect we've seen in quite a few Core Sets. It'll fit right into a token deck, and as luck would have it, the Selesnya are all about tokens. The Boros Legion wouldn't mind having a Profit resolve either, but its value definitely increases as your army does, and nobody floods the board with attackers like a token deck.

Loss, meanwhile, is the one card token decks DON'T want to see their opponent drop on them. It's probably not going to kill much on its own, but played in combat it can be surprisingly effective, turning bad blocks into good trades, saving your creatures or killing opponents', or just saving you from a few points of damage. There's also the fact that most of the creatures that Profit can't help you kill-- the ones with tap abilities that don't mix it up in combat-- tend to have one toughness.

Profit & Loss has the same effect as Zealous Persecution for three more mana. I might have recommended it in a Modern white tokens deck, which tend to splash back for the flashback on Midnight Haunting anyway, but Zealous Persecution is legal in Modern. And most W/B decks in Standard are Orzhov Extort control, not weenie beatdown, so Profit & Loss is gong to struggle to find its place. Limited players will probably splash it into their Boros or Selesnya decks but that's probably it. This card definitely benefits from Fuse, as it creates a bigger size difference in combat, but from a deckbuilding perspective you're probably going to run it for one half or the other.

Ratings: Profit, Loss, Profit & Loss
Constructed- 3.5, 3.5, 2.5
Casual- 3.5, 3, 4
Limited- 3, 3, 3.5
Multiplayer- 2.5, 3.5, 4

Profit and Loss

Apparently Zealous Persecution from Alara Reborn was way too cheap. Apparently. I suppose their logic was that these two effects can combine to make an instant-speed Plague Wind or to basically win the game on the spot, and should be rather expensive. Apparently. Still, their individual and combined costs put Profit and Loss in the position of being among the weakest of the fuse cards, in the abstract. Either side can still be reasonably useful on its own - there are situations where you play any kind of creature-boosting or creature-killing spell you can get - but constructed decks will go in a different direction.

Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 2/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 2/5

Welcome back readers todays card of the day is an interesting card featuring the fuse mechanic, as an overcosted zealous persecution but still an overcosted Zealous Persecution is still somewhat playable. In standard I could see this appearing in some token builds as a way to push through for lots of damage yet the mana cost is a little rough for serious applicability. In modern black and white tokens is a legitimate deck but this card is overshadowed by Zealous Persecution making it unlikely to see play unless a deck is looking for extra effects of this variety. In legacy and vintage this card is horrendously overcosted and won’t see any play. In casual and multiplayer I feel Zealous Persecution does this cheaper and more effectively but this card does provide some versatility when you need only one half of Zealous Persecution and the increased mana cost doesn’t hurt as deeply as in constructed formats. In limited this card is extremely effective and does a decent job of allowing you to push through for damage and acts as a powerful combat trick but requires a little set up compared to more powerful fuse cards. Overall an inferior Zealous Persecution with some versatility.

Constructed: 1.5
Casual: 2.0
Limited: 3.0
Multiplayer: 2.0

Today's card of the day is Profit and Loss which is either a two mana White, three mana Black, or the total of both when combined with Fuse.
Profit gives creatures you control +1/+1 until end of turn which is at best a mediocre combat trick as otherwise permanent boost can be had for the same mana cost. The +1/+1 is just not enough by itself and the five mana fuse option is very inefficient and not appealing by itself when better options have been printed in the past. Three mana for Loss isn't great and barring a swarm of one toughness creatures is far too situational compared to direct or bigger global effects. Overall this is not a card that is likely to see play in any capacity, particularly in older formats with a wide selection of similar effects.

In Limited either effect is of some use and even the Fuse option may be played in the format, giving it more value than Constructed. The increase or decrease can potentially majorly impact a battle or at least make a difference of several life points and ultimately swing the momentum back in your favor. It isn't a first pick, yet is decent enough to warrant consideration at second or third depending on the pack in Booster. In Sealed either color should strongly consider maindecking it and Orzhov has added benefits, though it isn't worth splashing for the Fuse.

Constructed: 2.0
Casual: 2.0
Limited: 2.5
Multiplayer: 2.0