I pulled my first Mythic! Does it suck and what's it worth?

Economics forum

Posted on Aug. 1, 2014, 1:32 p.m. by DX5

So I pulled Sphinx's Revelation and I've seen it being sold between 7 and 10 dollars. To me it looks like it's a junk Mythic though. Is it worth holding onto or should I try to sell it immediately?

Nigeltastic says... #2

Troll post, right? Sell though, most likely, it doesn't do nearly as much work in eternal formats.

August 1, 2014 1:34 p.m.

brokendwarf says... #3

It used to hold a 25-30 dollar value when it was played more, but like most Ravnica staples (except Shocks) it's dropped significantly in price because it will rotate when Khans comes out. If you play Standard, you should probably get rid of it.

August 1, 2014 1:34 p.m.

DX5 says... #4

No not a troll post. I bought a blister pack from walmart with Ravnica block in it. It was 12 bucks and got Steam Vents and Sphinx's Revelation . Didn't think it was good. Also I play Modern. Oh but the Vents were from Dragon's Maze.

August 1, 2014 1:40 p.m.

miracleHat says... #5

Sell the sphinx's rev. There is only 1 deck that uses it and as a one of (American control). I agree that it isn't great either. Keep the vents.

August 1, 2014 1:46 p.m.

Nigeltastic says... #6

Yeah Sphinx's Revelation is basically strong enough in standard to have propped up an entire control archetype for a couple years.

August 1, 2014 1:47 p.m.

DX5 says... #7

Yeah I am keeping the Steam Vents especially since I play UR Delver

August 1, 2014 1:50 p.m.

Epochalyptik says... #8

When you say Steam Vents was from DGM, I assume you only mean it came out of a DGM booster. It should still have the RTR symbol.

August 1, 2014 1:56 p.m.

miracleHat says... #9

Since i can't tell what you mean by your comment, i will assume that you really like the card. My problem with rev is that if you are spending 7 mana to cast anything, you are in a winning position. You have already survived the onslaught of turn 1-4 of aggro (since you boardwiped) and you should be casting your win condition whether that be a creature like AEtherling /Frost Titan , planeswalker like Gideon Jura , or artifact/enchantment like Codex Shredder (joking, but you get the point). Finally, if you are casting rev to gain 4 life, that probably won't do much when you are facing 4 2/2 creatures and any assortment of 1/1's and 3/3's (not to mention burn). In esper control, i prefer Underworld Connections (honestly Phyrexian Arena , but it's standard). In american control, the draw abilities from all of the other cards that are reasonably costed and have useful abilities besides life (life is a resource, i have won countless games at 1-3 life) gain.

August 1, 2014 1:57 p.m.

DX5 says... #10

I think Sphinx's Revelation sucks if you mean me.

August 1, 2014 2:01 p.m.

Sphinx's Revelation is good in context. Objectively, it's meh. When it was $30, it was strong because Standard was a relatively slow, control-oriented format. Card advantage and life were exactly what you needed to last.

August 1, 2014 2:08 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #12

A guy who claims to modern but doesn't see the potential value of Sphinx's Revelation ...hmmmmm......

August 1, 2014 2:13 p.m.

Nigeltastic says... #13

I actually actively dislike rev, I tend to play g/b instead of u/w but the card (in context as was said) enabled esper control to be incredibly strong for quite a while. It gives the deck an inevitability that was unparalleled for some time.

August 1, 2014 2:18 p.m.

Schuesseled says... #14

The amount of times I've swung for lethal only for a control play to go, nope gain seven draw seven. ARGHGHHHHHHH

August 1, 2014 2:24 p.m.

miracleHat says... #15

@ChiefBell, say this "guy" only plays an aggro tempo deck that shouldn't get above 4 mana. I could see why he couldn't figure out what was so good about it.

August 1, 2014 2:24 p.m.

Rayenous says... #16

ChiefBell.... to add to that....

A guy who plays Modern, but has NEVER pulled a Mythic in a booster pack.
I guess if someone simply bought a deck online or from a friend...
Or if you "play" modern, but only ever borrowed someone else's deck.

August 1, 2014 2:25 p.m.

DarkHero says... #17

long story short it used to be worth a lot more than it is now, odds are it will stay fairly low now that it is rotated out of standard. Unless you want to hang onto it for an EDH deck, sell it. It certainly isn't junk, but it won't do much good in eternal formats besides maybe EDH.

August 1, 2014 2:52 p.m.

@DarkHero: RTR block is still Standard legal.

August 1, 2014 3 p.m.

DX5 says... #19

I've been playing since Journey Into Nyx came out so there you go.

August 1, 2014 3:09 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #20

That makes more sense. How come you went straight into modern though?

August 1, 2014 3:22 p.m.

xlaleclx says... #21

because modern is the best format?

August 1, 2014 3:26 p.m.

mpeach1 says... #22

I personally think Sphinx's Rev is pretty awesome, and it's still a 4x in any strong UWx deck in standard. That said, of you're not gonna use it then I would advise selling or trading now before rotation

August 1, 2014 3:29 p.m.

JRaynor says... #23

I've been playing since Journey into Nyx too, and I also only play Modern // Casual. For me, it's a questions of cost and aesthetics. I don't play with cards I can't afford and I don't play with cards that are ugly. So I don't do legacy, due to some simply horrendous art, and I avoid standard because it's actually more expensive to buy most of the good cards in standard. Sure, that means the creme de la creme is off limits to me since modern costs for the best cards is just out of control, but I still come up with some super fun decks to play and stay competitive.

August 1, 2014 3:37 p.m.

Dalektable says... #24

I wrote up a very long comment about an hour ago for this thread, clicked for it to post, and apparently it just didnt work. Oh well. The gist of it was Sphinx's Revelation is awesome in standard and has potential in modern for reasons, and what Schuesseled said.

August 1, 2014 3:57 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #25

It's weird that people go straight into modern as newer players. Modern has many nuances that new players struggle with. I'm not saying anyone's stupid, im saying it's a tougher format than many others.

August 1, 2014 3:59 p.m.

JRaynor says... #26

When I started, I bought a $40 box of 5000 random commons and uncommons from my LGS. I got 7 Merrow Reejerey and 5 Imperious Perfect along with a lot of other random stuff in that box.

With 5000 modern cards and like 200 standard cards from the couple of starter decks my wife and I bought, it was an obvious choice what format we were going to play.

August 1, 2014 5:21 p.m.

xlaleclx says... #27

7 Merrow Reejerey for $40 is pretty good lol

August 1, 2014 5:22 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #28

Yes but most of it would be trash. You can't build merfolk with only reejerey.

August 1, 2014 5:25 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #29

I'm not saying that it's a bad deal. I'm saying that buying something like that doesn't necessarily mean that modern is suitable.

August 1, 2014 5:26 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #30

It doesn't really matter. Obviously anyone can do what they want. All I'm saying is that modern is a tough format with some very expensive cards that are almost necessary. I don't see it as new-be friendly as standard or even just casual.

August 1, 2014 5:30 p.m.

DX5 says... #31

Well I played Yu Gi Oh for 10 years before starting Magic. Magic has resource management though which was foreign to me but didn't take that long to figure out.

Well I guess I've been playing for 12 years since I got my first Yu Gi Oh cards when I was 5 but I didn't get how to play until I was 7.

August 1, 2014 5:44 p.m.

Magic is a weird feeling game after yugioh, huh? I did the same thing, I played yugioh competitively for a long time and got into magic... probably a yearish ago. Mostly cause someone stole my 750$ foiled out signed gladiator beast deck :(

August 1, 2014 5:52 p.m.

JRaynor says... #33

Yeah but a competitive player's trash is a new player's gold mine, which is why it was such a good deal. It also breeds a lot of creativity. That box of 5000 cards got myself, my wife, and 9 friends started and into the game with the core cards of several dozen decks. I ended up giving the whole thing away after about 3 months and it's currently making the rounds for a few late comers to our playing group.

I have one friend who refuses to buy any card that costs more than 25cents and he wins about 30% of all his games with an almost-pauper deck of random white cards he pulled from my collection simply because he's ridiculously intelligent and can read and understand the interplay of different cards very well.

I can definitely understand why the accepted norm is for new players to get into standard but the sheer volume of "trash cards" out there that players don't value make getting into the lower levels of modern a lot easier than you might think.

What other game can you spend 40$ on 5000 cards for? Hahaha

August 1, 2014 5:54 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #34

Good sir, I find it hard to believe that one of your friends can win 30% of his modern games with a white pauper deck. Unless of course his opponents aren't playing like tier 1 decks.....

August 1, 2014 6:02 p.m.

Caligula says... #35

Here's a question, With Rev being rotated out. Do you see it having a place in Modern?

August 1, 2014 6:21 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #36

No. There's far better draw for far less mama.

August 1, 2014 6:23 p.m.

xlaleclx says... #37

it IS played in modern. It's run as a 1-2 of in UWR control

August 1, 2014 6:27 p.m.

Caligula says... #38

I started a thread on this Here

August 1, 2014 6:27 p.m.

DX5 says... #39

Also the reason I play in Modern is because I don't have to worry about my cards rotating out. If I find a combination I love to play with, I don't have to worry about having to find something new after it.

August 1, 2014 6:44 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #40

Modern IS the best format :)

August 1, 2014 6:58 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #41

For sure.

August 1, 2014 7 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #42

lol my comment was a page 1 response.

Anyway, I jump right into modern. Considering the price jumps on things this last year I'm glad I did.

August 1, 2014 7:06 p.m.

NerdPounder says... #43

Honestly, Sphinx's Revelation is Mind Spring , Blue Sun's Zenith and everything else like it done right. Those cards were okay, but you tended to draw all of those cards then just die, with Rev you actually have time to cast all of the cards you draw. It allows you to aggressively trade resources, then just refill your hand. Far from a junk Mythic, my man.

August 1, 2014 7:17 p.m.

miracleHat says... #44

@corythackston, i have said this already but i don't expect you too read through everything. If you need to save your life totals, the best way is to boardwipe most of the time. By the time that you are spending 7 mana to gain 4 life, you are already in a winning position. You have survived the onslaught of aggro and quick combo turns 1-4. You should've countered the key spells of the midrange decks. If you are in the boring control vs control, then you don't need the life. In the con. v. con. , i would prefer Mind Spring for the extra card. Blue Sun's Zenith shuffle ability that for i could use it again.

The concept of going down to a hand with Sphinx's Revelation and another card is ridiculous. It is better to be casting cards that does stuff while drawing cards. Cryptic Command comes to mind immediately. Electrolyze , Shadow of Doubt are other utility spells that control the battlefield that replaces itself. Thirst for Knowledge , Serum Visions are cheap spells that can keep your hand filled throughout the game.

Finally, if you want to be spending 7 mana for a spell, it should win you the game. Assuming that you are casting sphinx's rev to stabilize, you either have to draw something to stop your opponent to win next turn, or draw another one. Assuming that sphinx's rev is good, that means that you are going against other good cards. Lets take Thrun, the Last Troll . Sphinx's Revelation won't stop this troll from coming back next turn from killing you.

Lets take "or draw another one". That is another problem with sphinx's rev. You pretty much have to waste 4 spots in your deck for a spell that you can't cast until turn 7. If you draw them early, then you are stuck when you would be better with another counterspell or board wipe.

August 1, 2014 8:33 p.m.

NerdPounder says... #45

@miracleHat I'm talking standard bud, I agree it's not as good in modern. But, most of the time you're casting Sphinx's revelation, you're casting it to win the game. It isn't the actual nail in the coffin, it's the coffin. And if you think the life doesn't matter, you're wrong. A lot of people have died after stabilizing to "Oh, I drew a Lightning Bolt, you're dead!" As far as standard goes, you can argue all you want but the results speak for themselves, it's been the backbone of an entire archetype, a dominant one at that, since it was printed. No, like I said it isn't as good in modern though.

August 1, 2014 10:37 p.m.

miracleHat says... #46

@corythackston, i am not talking about sphinx's rev in standard. I am talking about it as a card. Rev happened to be printed in a time where the format was slow enough for what it did to happen.

August 1, 2014 11:04 p.m.

miracleHat says... #47

However, if you want to talk about rev in standard;
"Sphinx's Revelation is good in context. Objectively, it's meh. When it was $30, it was strong because Standard was a relatively slow, control-oriented format. Card advantage and life were exactly what you needed to last." Epochalyptik (comment 10).

August 1, 2014 11:47 p.m.

xlaleclx says... #48

Rev was better in innistrad standard than it is now and that was a much faster format.

August 2, 2014 12:27 a.m.

DarkHero says... #49

Epochalyptik I know I meant its on its tail end. poor wording. Now is the selling time for good RTR cards.

August 2, 2014 10 a.m.

So, are we saying Sphinx's Revelation is a bad card? All I'm reading are comments describing it's "drawbacks". It's a goddamn bomb. In Modern, control decks capable of dealing with an early assault with a ton of cheap removal and Snapcaster Mage can easily get to the point where Sphinx's Revelation is backbreaking. In Standard, casting a Rev for 5-6 does gain you card advantage, but won't necessarily win the game on the spot.

However, in Modern, where efficient removal abounds and a lot of games are about having a single threat, a Revelation is much harder to beat just because drawing 4-5 cards finds you 4-5 new things that can help deal with those fewer threats.

August 2, 2014 4:04 p.m.

This discussion has been closed