Mesmeric Orb – Double Masters MTG Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

The original Mirrodin block felt like it hard a lot of cards like Mesmeric Orb: things that were clearly part of a combo, but seemed to be missing one or more parts. The Orb itself reads kind of like a riddle – let’s say you’re using it against your opponent, in which case you’ll want them to untap their things. Many commonly-used lockdown combos go in the other direction, of course. It certainly punishes opponents for playing their deck, as they presumably want to cast more spells and more expensive spells, and often attack with creatures too. It’s worth noting, too, that building around using it on yourself is easier than ever now that mana burn no longer exists (tap all your lands for no reason each turn). The Orb is more of a casual card in most circumstances, whichever direction it’s pointing, but it definitely has a place there.

Constructed: 1/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Commander: 3/5

A casual all-star for over 15 years, Mesmeric Orb is a fun way to tear through decks at record speed. While you’re going to get only a couple of cards early, remember that this triggers off of any untapped permanent and it scales pretty well as more cards come down. While mill has always been a double-edged sword of sorts, and this is symmetrical, you can always build in a way to take advantage of the milling (like with flashback and unearth) while your opponents are likely to be less prepared. It’s not good in Constructed because of decks often liking to play with their graveyard (and Mesmeric Orb being very slow to tear through a library), but it’s powerful all the same and worth considering if you can play around its strengths.

Constructed: 2 (very fringe option, but mill usually prefers more direct investments)
Casual: 4
Limited: 4 (always be wary of your library)
Multiplayer: 3.25
Commander: 3.5