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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day


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Caustic Tar
7th Edition

Pojo's Average Rating -
Constructed: 2.06 (8 Reviews)
Limited: 3.51 (8 Reviews)
Reviewed August 20, 2002

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

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Card of the Day Reviews 


Rob
Lawing

This Week's Card Selector

This card is very good for black mages allowing them to get around COPs, damage preventers, and especially Worship. The major drawback is the enormous casting cost which is 4BB and the fact that it can be disenchanted. In other words, keep it on the board and win or lose a tremendous mana investment. In limited it is very close to an auto first pick and will win you a very high percentage of your matches by itself. Since Worship is in 8th edition, Caustic Tar should be also.

Ratings
Constructed: 3.0
Limited: 5


Mason
Peatross

Caustic Tar in 8th Edition? Why not? It's a pretty balanced card that doesn't have a place in Constructed so therefore, would never get played. No one plays 7th Edition Limited, so let's put lots of cards that don't ever see constructed play in the set!

Limited: 3
Constructed: 1
8th Edition Readiness: 3


Andrew Chapman

Caustic Tar is sometimes used in Standard and Block Mono Black Control decks as a sideboard alternate win mechanism card. That is the most it is useful for, and I don't really think it shines there. Over all, its just REALLY expensive. Now, if you gained the life they lost, it might be more interesting.

In Limited, the games really shouldn't be going long enough for this card to get much use, but if you need something else in your deck to help kill the opponent, this might be suitable.

Constructed: 2.5
Limited: 2.5


Scott
Gerhardt

 

This card has one of the greatest swings in usefulness between Sealed Deck and Draft I have ever seen.  While I would immediately play this card in Sealed, I feel it's usefulness in draft is much less.  In sealed, you're more likely to get into creature stand-offs due to the less quality of decks.  Caustic Tar can be a game breaker in that situation.  In draft, with the decks of higher quality, either you'll draw this when you're winning, and still be winning, or draw it when losing, and you'll still be losing.  On top of that, in draft, people are aware of cards such as Chamber of Manipulation, Squirrel Nest, and Caustic Tar.  Cards such as Aven Fogbringer, Earth Rift, Churning Eddy, Dematierialize, Rancid Earth, and more are all commons that answer these problems, and far more likely to appear in draft.
 
In constructed, the card has some uses in sideboards to deal with decks that are packed with COPs and things that hose black damage.  Outside of that, not really that useful.
 
Constructed: 3
Limited: 3.5
Current Price: $.95

Alex
Hockey

Way too expensive and vulnerable to use in constructed. It gets a 1.

In limited, I'd probably play it. Limited games are slower so you're more likely to have the mana to play it at some time. Its less vulnerable in limited (there is less enchantment removal/land destruction) and its a source of unstoppable damage. A 3 in limited. 

This probably should appear in 8th edition. The card is quite simple, but it does teach new players that: 

1. Not only creatures can be enchanted

2. Damage is not the same as loss of life

Both these concepts are simple yet important.


Judge Bill

Not very big in constructed. First of all, it costs 6 mana, and since it doesn't end the game in 1 turn (or make the win basically guaranteed), it's not something that will see play.

However, this card is great in limited. There's a lot less your opponent can do about it in limited, and with most games breaking down into a stall, this can end the game.

Constructed: 1.5
Limited: 3.8

As for this being in 8th Edition, I can very easily see the cycle of land enchantments making it. Although I would much rather have the Prophecy cycle black land enchantment. But this cycle is stronger overall, and would make an interesting addition to 8th.


Fletcher
Peatross

Caustic Tar while not a game winner all by itself is often a game winner all by itself. Contradicting myself, yes I know. Essentially its a clock that is almost unstoppable. But you have to be able to control what your opponent is doing to you as well. In Limited if I was playing black, most likely I would play this. Its not a card you have 4 of in any Constructed deck, but has seen some play in Control Black. A 2 in Constructed, a 3.5 in Limited.

 
John
Hornberg

Caustic Tar is the but of some nasty mono black combos, and can be used  somewhat effectively in the same way that Squirrel Nest-Deserted Temple is used. It is the kind of card that newer players flock to, thinking of it as the "ultimate way to killing an opponent."

I like this cards chances in 8th Edition. It is the kind of card that is not horribly confusing, so it will not make newer players say, "huh?" 

It is also good enough that even experienced players can find a place for it in select decks. The only problem to this card staying in the metagame is how long mono black will hold on as a Tier 1 deck in Type II. If Onslaught fails to contribute to the deck, then this card will fade out because Mono Black will be no good. If Onslaught helps black a lot, this card might see play if in 8th.

If you really want ratings, it's decent in constructed, and a game changer in limited on many occasions. A 2.5 in Type II, a 3.75 in limited, and a whopping 1 in Extended.

 

 

 

 

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