Is Rune snag modern playable?
Modern forum
Posted on May 2, 2015, 6:46 p.m. by 2gherkins
Is Rune Snag modern playable? What the deal with it vs. Mana Leak?
I think that the likelihood of playing more than 2 Rune Snags per game are too low to argue for it to be above Mana Leak. If you test both and play 2 of either, they're essentially the same on average of taking up 6 more mana. I think the dream to have 3 in the grave and pseudo-hard counter something for 1U is very unrealistic in any match up besides the control mirror. By that point, like Chiefbell said, you should just be using Cryptic Command. Therefore you could have 2 Mana Leaks and a Cryptic Command and a can trip/bounce/tap creatures for 3UUUUU or 4 Rune Snags for 4UUUU. The flexibility and card advantage are very important, you have to run 4 Rune Snag for optimum effect versus the ability to adjust the number of Mana Leaks.
*sorry for a long drawn out post that just expands on other people's post, I just felt like talking through my thought process.
May 2, 2015 7:11 p.m.
It IS Modern-legal. It doesn't get played much since, in a vacuum, Leak is the better card. Late-game, Snag does become better. But, the decks in Modern that want to play either of those usually play Snapcaster Mage too, which is anti-synergy.
That's the main reason(s)
May 2, 2015 7:26 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #5
May 2, 2015 8:59 p.m.
asasinater13 says... #6
what if something like pyromancer's ascension wanted to run a counterspell? I get that they don't right now, but would Rune Snag just be the one they run?
May 2, 2015 9:23 p.m.
Leak or Spell Pierce + Snapcaster is prolly what they'd want if they were going that far into blue for the counters.
May 3, 2015 2:05 a.m.
I value Rune Snag equivalently to Mana Leak. early game, who can pay for 2 or 3 mana to negate the counter? rune snag can then gain more to its negate cost if the game persists for a while which then out does leak. Its arguable. In my control decks I run both and they both work equilly. occasionally though runs snag is better cause of long games.
ChiefBell says... #2
Mana Leak is overall better because you depend on it most in the early game, and that's the part of the game when snag isn't good. Later in the game Cryptic Command can just take over.
It's not a bad card by any means and this discussion does come up often, but the consensus is that leak gets the advantage for being able to hold earlier parts of the game.
May 2, 2015 6:48 p.m.