David Fanany
Player since
1995 |
Mercurial Chemister
This is one of those cards where the game text
practically yells at you "Hey! My abilities
combo with each other! Use them as such!!!" Said
combo is actually pretty good, if slightly on
the slow side. Once you get it going, though,
it can be pretty difficult for an opponent to
keep up. The fact that it's adjacent to a block
with flashback is just gravy.
Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5 |
|
Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno |
Today's card of the day is Mercurial Chemister
which is a five mana Blue/Red 2/3 that taps for
a Blue to draw two cards or for a Red to discard
a card and deal damage to a creature equal to
that card's mana cost. Both effects are
very good, but the casting cost and relatively
low toughness for the expense are major
drawbacks. The removal effect is best
managed with higher cost cards with some
graveyard benefit which is usually outside of
Blue/Red and the draw effect will just as likely
retrieve burn as a high cost spell. Burn
being more beneficial without Chemister and
possibly working as direct damage will leave the
second effect as situational. Overall a
five mana creature that will likely be seen as a
one and tap for two cards each turn probably
won't see many tournaments, but will likely
appear in Commander in the Casual scene.
For Limited the benefits of card draw and
removal are often stated and this having both
puts it as a first pick in nearly any Booster
pack. An Izzet build in Sealed should have
no reason not to include this and it even
mitigates a slightly higher than average mana
curve by being able to use them to burn large
threats.
Constructed: 3.0
Casual: 4.0
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 3.0
|
John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming |
Happy Halloween from Pojo.com! We are
looking at Mercurial Chemister today. Mercurial
Chemister is a rare blue and red creature human
wizard from Return to Ravnica. Mercurial
Chemister costs three generic, one red, and one
blue mana and is a 2/3. Mercurial Chemister has
two abilities. The first ability is pay one blue
mana, tap: draw two cards. The second ability is
pay one red mana, tap, discard a card: Mercurail
Chemister deals damage to target creature equal
to the discarded card's converted mana cost.
I really like the Mercurial Chemister,
despite his outrageous cost. If he were a tad
cheaper to play, I think he would see more play
time. But honestly, five mana spells are meant
to be game changers, and that is what the
Chemister does. Paying one blue mana for a two
card draw is almost worth it alone. Throw in
being able to instant speed nuke a potential
threat, say perhaps with a Flashback card for
added effect, and you are in a five mana zone
card.
I know people these days prefer the quick
and fast things, but some things are worth the
wait. If I am running blue and red, and need a
five drop, perhaps this and the Hypersonic
Dragon are all I would need.
Limited: 4/5
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
|
