The "no draw" spellshaper and the "flickering" spellshapers are horribly broken. If WotC didn't have a track record of putting lots of broken cards in the last set of a cycle, I would swear they're fakes.
As it is, I just don't know. They created Squee to make spellshapers viable, so we can be sure there are some in Prophecy.
I guess the last set in any given cycle is the unofficial dumping ground for problem or overpowered cards. This way, instead of admitting they made a mistake, WotC can wait the shortest possible time (about 16 months) until the cards rotate out.
But back to the cards in question. Assuming they are real, why were they made? Lots of players have praised MM & Nemesis because it doesn't concentrate on overpowered cards that ruin (or at least define) the environment. I think the best players still win, but they are now forced to actually out-play and out-think their opponents, instead of using a deck that basically plays itself and auto-wins, no matter what the opponent does.
Now comes Prophecy, with a slew of broken cards, and now we're back to cheesy combo decks that let one player play solitaire while the other one fumes. Is this fun or fair? How does it feel to not draw any cards after the third turn?
There are always people who say, "So it's a combo deck, deal with it by playing x,y,z". But in this case, you never get to x, y, and z because your opponent just won't let you. I think this is ridiculous. This is the best control method possible. Instead of countering various spells, or blowing up land, or keeping the board clear with a Masticore, why not just tell your opponent "By the way, you can't draw any more cards for the rest of the game"? Squee + the No Draw Spellshaper = a Vice Grip lock. Protect your spellshaper for a couple of turns, and the game is yours, as your opponent cannot access any further resources to deal with the problem. Maybe this is why they made a cousin for Shock, and alternate casting cost methods of dealing with creatures?
Anyway, I hope this rant is unnecessary, and the cards I mentioned are just rumors, or I predict even more people voting with their feet and leaving the game.
