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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!

Mindbreak Trap
Image from Wizards.com

Mindbreak Trap
Zendikar

Reviewed November 23, 2009

Constructed: 3.10
Casual: 2.80
Limited: 2.30
Multiplayer: 3.20

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 

BMoor

Mindbreak Trap

For one more mana than Cancel, you can not only "counter" uncounterable spells like Great Sable Stag and Volcanic Fallout, but you can also hit an entire stack of Cascaded or Stormed spells, regardless of how many there are. as well as defeat any creative application of Twincast and decisively win any and all counter wars. As an added bonus, if your opponent plays three or more spells in a turn, it's free!

Constructed- 4
Casual- 3.5
Limited- 2.5
Multiplayer- 4


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Mindbreak Trap

There are no cooler and more frightening words in all of Magic than "without paying its mana cost." Just ask Mind's Desire. True, this is designed to be used against Storm, meaning that your opponent will usually see it coming anywhere else. But that doesn't mean they can do anything about it - even Great Sable Stag doesn't get past this card!

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Limited: 2/5

The Missing Linc

-Balding for just over 5 years
-Playing MTG for just over 10

Mindbreak Trap

OK. This card is a doozy. My head spun when this was printed but now I think I get it. Unless spells are stacked, then ultimately this is just a counter spell for 4. It works great for Bloodbraid Elf or Storm Type of Situations, but that is about it. Otherwise, we have a counter spell. So, I do like counterspells. Bloodbraid Elf is running rampant out there. Storm is still a force in extended. Not a bad card but really just another specialized counter. In multi-player this can be fun however as often spells are stacking in this format.

Constructed: 3
Casual: 3
Limited: 3
Multiplayer: 4

Paul

Magic The Gathering COTD: Mindbreak Trap

Welcome back readers today’s card of the day is mindbreak trap a mythic rare trap from Zendikar, the power of Mindbreak Trap lies with the fact it can disrupt storm or cascade based combo decks serving a small yet valuable niche. In standard it is a sideboard card for various matchups and serves almost no purpose except you can hardcast it late game as an answer to a powerful spell if you can’t activate is trap cost. In extended it will see some play as a combo disrupter in the sideboard. In legacy and eternal this is more like it Minds Desire and other storm based combo decks will have a new enemy and its name is Mindbreak Trap. In limited almost worthless. In casual and multiplayer if multiple opponents play spells you don’t like you can stop them all other than that this card doesn’t deserve a home in a deck near the kitchen table unless a player has a combo deck you need to disrupt. Overall Mindbreak’s power is relative to the cards used around it making it obscenely powerful based on match ups then nearly useless in others. You will know if your deck needs this card just by reading it.

Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 1.5
Limited: 1.0
Multiplayer: 1.5

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Mindbreak Trap a fairly interesting counterspell that can exile any number of target spells. The main use is against a Storm style combo, but even without that exiling instead of simply sending to the graveyard can be quite useful against recursive threats. A bit expensive at four and it isn't often the option of casting it for free will manifest, with the exception of Elfball, so it may see more play in sidedecks.

In Constructed, Casual, and Multiplayer this doesn't strike me as a maindecked card, but best used to deal with specific decks with multiple card combos or cards that return to hand from the graveyard. In that role it can be devastating and covers two of Blue's gaps in the standard counterspell arsenal.

With Limited any counterspell can be useful in a Blue mage's hands, but leaving four mana left untapped is costly as it is rare to ever see three spells played in a single turn in the format. Having this card in hand prevents playing a threat to the board and a savvy opponent will soon realize a counterspell is waiting for them. In Sealed this can be fitted into a primarily Blue build and used to counter an opponent's bomb later in the game, but having both the card and the mana at the time needed is a tall order. In Booster it depends on your style as passing something like this can be painful especially as a mythic rare.
If control or rare drafting is your thing pick it up, otherwise a more offensive choice and less mana restrictive card may be better.

Constructed: 3.0
Casual: 3.0
Limited: 3.0
Multiplayer: 3.0


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