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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day


Image from Wizards.com
 

Djinn Illuminatus
Guildpact


Reviewed January 24, 2006

Constructed: 2.18
Casual: 2.75
Limited: 2.88

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 


Jeff Zandi

5 Time Pro Tour
Veteran

Djinn Illuminatus

This is the rare from Guildpact that I have seen the most, primarily because I handed out exactly FIVE HUNDRED of them to customers at the Guildpact pre-release in Dallas this past Saturday. When I first saw this card, I thought it was great, now I'm not so sure. In limited, you get only a three powered flyer for SEVEN mana that gives Replicate to all of your instants and sorceries, many of which will already have Replicate. In constructed, it would certainly be amazing, in a blue/red deck, for all your instants and sorceries to have Replicate, but the likelihood of getting this seven casting cost creature into play is much lower. So in limited, his ability is less useful but his casting cost is almost acceptable. In constructed, his ability is amazing but he costs too much to use. Somehow, this card will be abused in constructed, but it will take a pretty tricked up mana base to do it.

CONSTRUCTED: 3.5
CASUAL: 4.0
LIMITED: 3.5


DeQuan
Watson

* Game Store Owner

Djinn Illuminatus

This card is neat. It's a 3/5 flier. It can be cast with Blue OR Red mana. It gives all your spells replicate. But there is one big downside. It's SEVEN mana. That's a big problem. If it were even one less it would be more exciting. If it were two less, it might be a staple card in a lot of decks. I think the seven mana will hold it back a bit.

Constructed: 2
Casual: 2.5
Limited: 2

Jordan Kronick

Djinn Illuminatus

When everybody saw this card, the first thing to happen was that everyone got sugarplum dreams of Time Walks and Ancestral Recalls in their heads. Or half-cost fireballs supplied by Shock (or 1/3 cost with a Lightning Bolt). Okay, sure. There's that. But those are all old cards. And seven mana probably won't hold up too well to scrutiny in the decks of Vintage.
So maybe there's a place for this in Standard or block constructed?
Unfortunately I just don't think so. The Izzet aren't really known for mana generation (with the exception of the Guildmage infinite mana combo). I think that the Illuminatus is going to be relegated to the world of casual, where the number of entertaining ways to use it is as many as the stars in the sky. Of course, in limited there's few Izzet cards I'd rather open than this. The potential to replicate your removal is just too good to pass up.

Constructed Rating - 1.7
Casual Rating - 3.0
Limited Rating - 3.5


Christine
Gerhardt

Djinn Illuminatus
 
Um...no. This just costs way too much for what you're getting. He's slightly playable in limited, only because he's a kinda big flyer, but again, only slightly. Otherwise, leave him next to the toilet paper roll.
 
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CONSTRUCTED: 1.5
CASUAL: 1.5
LIMITED: 2.5
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