Card of the Day Home

Decks to Beat - Tournament Winning Decks!

Card of the Day - A single card reviewed by several members of our crew.  Updated 5 days per week!

Card Price Guide

Featured Writers  
Judge Bill
DeQuan Watson
Ray Powers - Monk's Corner
Jeff Zandi
Jonathan Pechon
Chrstine Gerhardt
Jason Chapman
- on Peasant Magic

Deck Garage
Jason's Deck Garage

MTG Fan Articles
Deck Tips & Strategies
Peasant Magic
Tourney Reports 
Featured Articles  
Single Card Strategy

Magic Quizzes & Polls

Community
Message Board 
Chat
Magic League

Contact Us

Pojo's Book Reviews

Links

 


Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day


Image from Wizards.com

Thought Courier 
Fifth Dawn Common


Reviewed June 17, 2004

Constructed: 3.2
Casual: 3.1
Limited: 3.6

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

Click here to see all our 
Card of the Day Reviews 


Chris
Gerhardt

* game store owner in CA, ShuffleAndCut

Thought Courier, the reincarnation of Merfolk Looter... oh how you were loved in your past life.  What kind of status have you earned for this life?  Looks like you're doing pretty good.

The ability to cycle through your deck an extra card per turn is very solid. Sifting your deck to find the cards you need faster, and dumping overstock lands for more useful cards ranks pretty high up there, especially for Blue Mages.

In Casual, it's more of a solid helper than a star, but that's fine.  Even crazy decks need solid support characters, and Courier fits the bill.

In limited, it's pretty damn good.  Limited decks tend to have a bit of slough, a lot of mediocre, and just a couple key cards.  Courier helps you pass the slough and get to your bombs faster.  A higher pick for Blue drafters.

Constructed: 3
Casual: 3
Limited: 3.5
  
   Current Price:
Thought Courier - Fifth Dawn - $0.19
 


Judge Bill

*Level 2
MTG Judge

*game store employee

Thought Courier
 
Welcome back, Merfolk Looter. We've missed you.
 
The ability on this guy has been used (and abused) by many decks over the years. It will continue to be used for the next couple of years, as this ability is a nice one to have in a control deck. Digs to your critical card, and is a chump blocker in a pinch. Will be played in many constructed and limited games for years to come.
 
Constructed: 4
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
 
Jonathan
Pechon


2 Grand Prix Top 8's

Multiple Pro Tour appearances

Thought Courier

 

He’s just Merfolk Looter…but Looter has been pretty good in the past.  Fortunately, since Threshold and Madness are no longer mechanics that matter (except in extended), this guy is just a nice, inexpensive way to move through your deck.  The speed of the environment does prevent this guy from being terribly good right now; we’ll see if this improves once Skullclamp is completely gone, but I’m pretty sure he’ll still be sitting on the bench.

 

Now you can play eight Looters in Prismatic!  Frankly, this ought to be a great addition to online play, though it’s going to destroy the value of Merfolk Looters.  Regardless, eight Looters will help you move through your 250 card deck with that much more ease.  Playable for fun, in Mental, in Prismatic, he’s a great guy that’s effectively been reprinted.

 

While there is an abundance of ways to kill this thing in limited, he’s still a fine play on turn two.  Card-drawing is a mechanic that’s been regarded as less than important in this environment, comparatively speaking; that doesn’t make it bad, though.  Finally, a way to get rid of that Slith Firewalker you drew on turn ten!  What more could you ask for!

 

Constructed:  2.5

Casual:  3.0

Limited:  3.0

 


Jeff Zandi

5 Time Pro Tour
Veteran

Thought Courier
Every time a card like this has appeared in a set, he has been GREAT in
limited, and Thought Courier is no exception. In constructed, there will
almost always be a better card to play than Thought Courier for a similar
purpose. The exception could be Wizard decks, since Thought Courier's
creature type is Human Wizard.
CONSTRUCTED: 3.0
CASUAL:              3.5
LIMITED:             4.0

Ray "Monk"
Powers
* Level 3 DCI Judge
*DCI Tournament Organizer

Thought Courier

 

It’s Merfolk Looter! How can it possibly be bad?!? Seriously, this card is very nice to see in the block. He’s great for control and aggro control decks, and in general just a great card to have. He’s a high pick in limited, and playable in constructed in the long game. In casual games, he’s great for your late game, getting you to the cards I need. I can’t say enough good things about this guy. Play him.

 

Constructed:                 5

Casual:                         4

Limited:                        5


DeQuan
Watson

* game store owner (The Game Closet - Waco,TX)

There's not a lot about this card to say that hasn't already been said about Merfolk Looter or other cards that are similar.  I expect this card to make appearances in a few decks, since blue decks should be making a comeback post Fifth Dawn.  In constructed and limited play, this card gives you lots of different options.  In casual play it will allow you to draw needed cards, but unfortunately, there is just a lot better out there as far as card drawing goes.
 
Constructed: 3
Casual: 2
Limited: 3

Jason
Chapman
Thought Courier is in the tradition of the Merfolk Looter and just like the looter he is well worth his weight in gold (that doesn't make much sense since cards don't weigh all that much, anyway. . .) For two mana you get to double the rate at which you draw cards for the remainder of the game. This smooths out your draws, thins your deck, and helps to serach for the stuff you need. What more can you ask for 2 mana. While it is true that as a 1/1 the creature is vulnerable the fact is that he will only chump as a last resort and few players will 'waste' removal on him (although experienced players will).

Constructed - A super powerful effect on a cheap stick, life doesn't get better - 3.0

Casual - Many players will leave him on the table in casual so you should get even more use from him - 3.5

Limited - Limited decks need help smoothing draws more than anything else, I would always pick him - 3.5

PEZ - I'm not sure what decks are looking for a card like this but the ability is always solid - 3.0
 

Chase

Secret Squirrel on the Pojo.com
Message
Boards

Thought Courier
 
One can only wonder why this card was not released during the Torment madness.  Oh well.  Anyways, it’s a good ability to have around, but what deck would I put a blue creature in that gets me a card each turn and has 1 toughness?  Blue weenie decks?  Sheesh.  Although it does go well with Scry.  You can either put that pointless card in your graveyard or you can sort of get a Brainstorm (though not at once).  Still it can be destroyed easily and has no deck to go into.
 
In casual, the last thing I want to worry about is drawing cards.  Plus you’d have to discard one.  Not inherently evil, but not a high priority.
 
In Limited, it’s ok.  It simply gets you a card, which is never a bad thing.  The discarding can come to hurt you, but it’s worth drawing 2 cards a turn for.      
 
Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 2
Limited: 3
 

w00t

Thought courier-

 

        

Serious constructed – Too easy of a kill in today’s environment. Probably

would not work because by the time you activate it, you’re probably

dead, with all the Krark-Clan Ironworks decks that will be running

around. I shall say probably one more time to wrap this up.

           

Casual – Digs for the Johnny players, and any efficient card drawer is

always good in a blue casual deck.

           

Limited – A common merfolk looter. Drafting, and opening in sealed,

multiples of these can be great card advantage. It can dig for a bomb,

than chump block. I love it, but I was also a major merfolk looter

advocate (Who wasn’t?)

 

Serious Const – 2.0

Casual – 3.5

Limited – 3.5

 
 

 

 

 

Pojo.com

Copyright 2001 Pojo.com

   

Magic the Gathering is a Registered Trademark of Wizards of the Coast.
This site is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast and is not an Official Site.