Best cantrip in modern?
Modern forum
Posted on Sept. 6, 2015, 10:26 a.m. by Stickman618
The cards I'm mainly looking at are Serum Visions, Anticipate, and Telling Time since they all deal with the top 3 cards of your library. If I missed any that fit that description, please let me know.
pros:
- 1cmc
- ability to choose to keep or bury the next two cards
cons:
- sorcery speed
- forced to draw the top card. If the top card is bad but one of the two you scry are good, you still have to wait until your next turn to draw it.
pros:
- instant speed
- choose the card to draw from the top 3 of your library
cons:
- 2cmc
- forced to bury the other 2 cards. If you need one of them right away but need one of the others next turn, you still have to bury it.
pros:
- instant speed
- choose from the top 3 cards of your library
- can keep one other card on top
cons:
- 2cmc
- forced to put one card on top. If the other 2, or even all 3 cards are bad, you're pretty much forced into a dead draw.
Judging from the prices, it would seem that serum visions is more sought after, but being able to choose from the top 3 cards seems like it may be more valuable. What do you think?
(can't the just legalize Ponder? :()
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #3
Serum Visions, pretty clearly. Though probe is also sweet.
September 6, 2015 10:34 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #4
A cantrip is a 1 mana spell that says "draw a card". This is important because they can fit virtually anywhere on your curve when you want to cast them without taking away your tempo.
Anything 2 mana or more is a draw spell, except you might consider Telling Time/Anticipate to be "deck manipulation" as well. Again, the mana cost is important because you usually have to set aside another play to hold up a draw spell, especially in the early game.
So, Serum Visions is the only cantrip you listed, but is also the best card of all that you listed.
September 6, 2015 10:38 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #5
Oops, formatting...
*A cantrip is a 1 mana spell that says "draw a card". This is important because they can fit virtually anywhere on your curve when you want to cast them without taking away your tempo.
September 6, 2015 10:39 a.m.
Stickman618 says... #6
Oh sorry, I'm a bit new to the slang and the game in general. Thanks for answering.
September 6, 2015 10:45 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #7
Welp, I looked it up again to double check what I was saying, and it appears that nobody else on the internet defines cantrips like I do. So ignore me! Carry on.
I guess most people say 1-Mana Cantrip...? Honestly, I like defining a cantrip as one mana, since non 1-mana cantrips are hardly ever playable.
September 6, 2015 10:52 a.m.
TheAnnihilator I define it the same way, but I think that in dedicated combo decks, Anticipate style cards can be at least playable. Especially at instant speed.
September 6, 2015 11:10 a.m.
TheDuggernaught says... #9
Manamorphose? That is a pretty good cantrip that costs more than 1 mana. It doesn't let you filter your draw, but it essentially does not cost you any mana. In fact, it fixes your mana.
September 6, 2015 11:11 a.m. Edited.
Manamorphose is much more situational, as well as only fitting into a few decks. The cantrips mentioned above are much more 'EOT' kinds of things instead of combo pieces, but I agree that the morphose is pretty amazing in the right deck.
September 6, 2015 11:17 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #11
Thing is, though, that 2+ mana "cantrips" tend to focus more on the other ability than the "draw a card ability". I tend to say that these replace themselves, they don't cantrip.
Like, Electrolyze isn't a "cantrip that does 2 damage"... It's a burn spell that replaces itself. Shadow of Doubt is played as a "cantrip", but really it's a search-hate spell that replaces itself.
So, TheDuggernaught, I see Manamorphose as a ritual spell that replaces itself. While actual cantrips are one mana and are inteded to draw a card with other minor effects.
September 6, 2015 11:36 a.m.
pumpkinwavy says... #12
I define a cantrip as something that replaces itself while having an additional effect. Using this definition, Serum Visions, Gitaxian Probe Electrolyze and Cryptic Command are all cantrips, while Telling Time, Divination, and Anticipate are not.
Out of the cards you listed, Serum Visions is the best card, followed by Anticipate and then Telling Time.
September 6, 2015 12:43 p.m.
pumpkinwavy says... #13
TheAnnihilator To me, it doesn't matter whether the "draw a card" ability is better or the other ability is better, if it draws a card and does something else, no matter how minor or major, it's a cantrip. It really does matter though, I feel silly arguing over semantics.
Sorry for the double post.
September 6, 2015 12:45 p.m.
buildingadeck says... #14
I also don't think that Serum Visions is the best cantrip for every deck. It's fantastic in Combo decks and Delver, but for a control deck, instant speed is the most important thing, in which case, I would go for Anticipate over either of the other two. Telling Time is really great, but if the top card is not what you need, being able to put it on the bottom is quite nice and more consistently better. Scry 2 is best, but that happens after the draw, and it's sorcery speed.
September 6, 2015 1:16 p.m.
I've been running a full playset of Anticipate in U/W midrange for a while now and it's very nice. I don't know if I'd play it over Serum Visions but the price on those things keeps me from picking them up anyways.
September 6, 2015 1:25 p.m.
I agree entirely pumpkinwavy and his (her?) definition of a cantrip.
September 6, 2015 2:07 p.m.
Stickman618 says... #17
Semantics aside, it seems that most people agree that Serum Visions is the better of the 3.
Thanks for all of your answers! and sorry for mucking up the slang, lol.
September 6, 2015 3:49 p.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #18
The problem is that while things like Electrolyze and Cryptic Command may draw a card, that doesn't necessarily make them cantrips.
Cantrips, to me, are specifically included in a deck to cycle through to other cards, usually while providing a small additional effect. This is almost always done by one-mana spells (Brainstorm, Ponder, Serum Visions, Gitaxian Probe, Peek, etc.).
Cryptic and Electrolyze are usually NEVER placed in a deck specifically to cycle away, but are included for a specific kind of effect that also happens to retain card advantage. In other words, they're regular cards that replace themselves. Thus, they aren't cantrips to me.
There are, however, some unusual cases: Shadow of Doubt is a cantrip against some decks (i.e. does nothing but draw a card with a little additional functional use), but it isn't a carntip in other matchups.
September 6, 2015 3:57 p.m.
SwaggyMcSwagglepants says... #20
Serum Visions is still real dumb good. It's the best by far. But Anticipate is still very good in combo decks. I've heard its the next best card to dig for Scapeshift behind Dig Through Time.
Anticipate is a cantrip in my opinion, but everybody is entitled to their own opinions. I agree with TheAnnihilator in that cantrips should usually be 1 mana to not lose tempo.
From what I've heard wizards describes cantrips as:
Cantrips are low-costed spells that have a very small effect that is not worth a card. Therefore, you draw a card to make the card playable.
I think that definition or something along those lines is on the Charms Making Magic article on the wizards site.
September 7, 2015 12:43 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #21
In my opinion Remand is a cantrip.
Anyway... Just wanted to say Preordain is another option if you don't like the order of Serum Visions
September 7, 2015 9:51 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #23
Damn, I feel dumb. For the longest time I was thinking it was.
vishnarg says... #2
The right answer is honestly Gitaxian Probe, because it's free. After that none wold argue that Serum Visions is the best card you listed.
September 6, 2015 10:29 a.m.