Memory Lapse

I

Istanbul

Guest
Okay. I've always considered myself basically good at Magic. Able to understand what makes one card good and another card bad. But this card is always raved about, and I just don't get it.

Memory Lapse (1U)
Instant
Counter target spell. Put that spell on top of its owner's library.

I can think of two spells you can possibly counter as a blue player:
Business spells
Unimportant spells

Why would you counter a business spell with Memory Lapse? You've just spent two mana on *nothing*. You're going to see the same spell again next turn, so unless you either win that turn or have some kind of clever mill mechanism (Predict?), all you've done is stall the inevitable. IF you're lucky, you may draw a counterspell during your turn. If not...

Why would you counter an unimportant spell with Memory Lapse? You've just spent two mana stopping something you shouldn't be concerned with...not only does this open up the opportunity for your opponent to push something important through, as you've both revealed one of the cards in your hand and tapped two mana to do it, but it also means that the unimportant spell in question is still coming back next turn. I guess it's one way to control your opponent's next draw, but if all he had was crap, you've got nothing to worry about anyway.



Could someone explain to me WHY this card is good?
 
Z

Zadok001

Guest
It's not. As a card, it's friggin' awful, for all the reasons you just stated.

But it has qualities that make it impressive. Lapsing an unimportant spell means your opponent will likely spend the next turn replaying it, meaning they get to waste some of THEIR mana and a draw step on something mostly irrelevant to gamestate.

Think about it as similar to a Repulse for spells. Repulse is not really that good, as a card - It bounces something, which your opponent proceeds to play again. And you draw a card. Your opponent wastes mana on the same thing twice, and you get a slight advantage. Memory Lapse is the same effect, basically.

When it comes right down to it, just try it. Run four, and some quick card drawing effects. Once you manage to play two or three in quick succession, you'll never look back. :)
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Ah well. I guess, being an old-school blue player, the idea of countering unimportant spells just eats at me.
 
S

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
Back in the day, I would have said you'd probably want to counter something that used Dark Ritual or similiar to help cast it...
 
Z

Zadok001

Guest
Back in my day, we just countered Dark Ritual because people giving people a permanent that tapped for three mana each turn was way too powerful. Of course, back in my day, I wasn't a judge. :)
 
K

Killerbob

Guest
I think it´s a good card.
1.it spoils all combat tricks -just let him draw his trick-card the next turn -then it´s useless.
2.countering a counterspell is very strong -let him draw it on his next turn -now that you got your threat through, he doesnt really need a counterspell anymore, but some removal.
3. if your´e in creature advantage , it´s a timewalk.

It is mainly good in more aggressive decks with 2 or more collors, and it´s casting cost allows you to play with blue as a minor collor. In draw-go it´s not good.
I played a b/g deck with mystic snake, and found fine synergy between lapse and the snake, because you cant keep 4 mana open all the time, but you can lapse for 2, and then you know whats coming, and can decide if its worth to keep 4 mana open. Maybe this sounds strange, but it worked really good.
 
R

r00tg04t

Guest
Originally posted by Zadok001
Back in my day, we just countered Dark Ritual because people giving people a permanent that tapped for three mana each turn was way too powerful. Of course, back in my day, I wasn't a judge. :)
Click to expand...
hehe, been ages since i posted, anyways i have been bussy. Zadok001: Back in your day (i am assuming you're not a newbie) Dark Ritual was a Mana Source and could not be countered, wich was changed in Tempest i belive.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Originally posted by Spiderman
Back in my day, Dark Ritual was an Interrupt, THEN a Mana Source, and then whatever it is now.
Click to expand...
What it is now:

Out-of-print. :D
 
Z

Zadok001

Guest
r00tg04t : You forgot, back in my day, "mana source" meant "land." :) (And yes, we thought you could counter lands.)
 
R

Ransac

CPA Trash Man
Like Killerbob said, it is a possible timewalk.

And with that, I played four Memory lapse in my Millstone deck because I can essentially just counter it with memory lapse and mill it away.

But, When my Arcane Laboratory and Teferi's Moat are in play, every counterspell I have is a time walk, anyway.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D(lots of smilies!)


Ransac, cpa trash man
 
R

RabidKimba

Guest
It's also good in lock decks (opposition) or combo decks (I dunno, Dome-Ain if it didn't have anything else better, or maybe zombie upheaval) to give you one more turn that you need before you can set up your combo.

Also, it is pretty fun Memory Lapse/Predicting your opponents kill condition. ;)
 
T

theorgg

Guest
The one reason that memory lapse is not horrible is it's denial of a draw step for your opponent.

Think of it as you would think of Fallow Earth or Stunted Growth, or mabe a better example would be Painful Memories.

You use the card to force your opponent to not draw another card. The card will be one already seen, however, and come directly out of your opponent's side of the table, so it's not as bad as that froot loop from Destiny that simply said "Target player doesn't draw this turn."

*Yawn.* If you don't get it, ask me via e-mail. I'm sleepy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top