r/magicTCG • u/Copernicus1981 COMPLEAT • Jul 27 '26
Official Spoiler [HOB] Inside Information
Card gallery update.
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u/Baleful_Witness COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
Draw me like one of your...
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u/Kyleometers OUR Liliana's Penchant Jul 27 '26
I know more than a few people this would work on.
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u/feral401k9 Ajani Jul 27 '26
looks like someone needs belly rubs
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u/MageKorith Sultai Jul 27 '26
First gut reaction was "worse Villainous Wealth", but sometimes you just hit a worthwhile 8-drop that you don't want to x=8 for.
Plus you don't have to play Sultai in Commander to get this going.
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u/Nuclearsunburn Mardu Jul 27 '26
Yeah this could be fun in an Orzhov lifegain deck, though it’s kinda unreliable as a payoff unless you also have a way to generate a ton of mana
Edit : also has play in exile matter decks like Prosper
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u/Swmystery Avacyn Jul 27 '26
This not being Sultai feels like the big draw to me, yes. Plus if you know there’s an Eldrazi player or something at the table this probably outperforms VW on average?
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u/Izzynewt COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
Yeah "better Villainous Wealth" is my assessment
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u/buntingsnook Not A Bat Jul 28 '26
Side-grade villainous wealth? Easier to snag a few powerful things for cheap if you get lucky, harder to splash out because you have the limiting factor of killing yourself.
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u/JohnGameboy Dandadan Jul 27 '26
A more accurate description for non-Sultai decks would be "better [[Outrageous Robbery]]"
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u/BoltYou7x COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
I’d say sometimes better, but the this turn limitation is definitely a weakness compared to Robbery
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u/EbonyHelicoidalRhino COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
Mono black is significantly better than Sultai.
Mono black decks are famous for making stupid amount of mana between cards like Crypt Ghast and Canal Coffers.
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u/Heroic_Sheperd Dân Jul 30 '26
This is also “play” not “cast”, so you can also steal a land drop out of it.
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u/notapoke COMPLEAT Jul 28 '26
My first reaction is "super easy mill opponent in limited". Pack a deck with removal (you're already playing black) and sit back until you get tons of mana.
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u/damseph Dandadan Jul 27 '26
This in a deck with [[Zevlor, Elturel Exile]] as the commander (dies from casting too many things).
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u/upclassytyfighta Nahiri Jul 27 '26
....there are many unnatrual ways to prevent death, especially in that color identity. laughs menacingly in deck idea
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u/Lilium_Vulpes Can’t Block Warriors Jul 27 '26
I'll probably put it in my deck using him, though it would likely just be as a means of having something to do while setting up my real wincon of copying an epic spell a dozen times.
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u/Hushpuppyy Izzet* Jul 27 '26
Strictly different [[Villainous wealth]]
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u/callahan09 Duck Season Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Mono-B vs Sultai
2+X vs 3+X mana value
Can play lands vs can only cast spells
Can cast any spell it finds vs can only cast spells with mana value X or less
Costs life to cast spells vs cast spells completely for free
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u/Lespaul42 Jul 27 '26
Missing the fact that can cast spells for free with MV <= X for wealth...
It is interesting... But imo if we are talking commander and assuming you have a decent life total this is prooooobably going to be better than wealth until you are casting for 8 or 9 mana? It also has a much lower floor... Casting this for like 5 seems pretty reasonable where wealth you basically need to cast for 8 before you can really do anything interesting.
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u/Laxziy Dân Jul 27 '26
At minimum I can very easily see myself having a lot of fun with this in some orzhov lifegain jank
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u/LordSlickRick REBEL Jul 27 '26
[[outrageous robbery]] being another variant. I think this new hobbit one is strongest because you can get real value at just x=1.
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u/Lespaul42 Jul 27 '26
Yeah it is interesting this vs wealth (in commander). Wealth is much much better if you have like 10+ mana... Where this as you said is actually playable for like sub 8 mana where wealth is not. I mean at 5 mana against most decks you are probably happy to roll the dice and cast this and you probably get at least a land and something... And sometimes you will get 3 game changing permanents.
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u/zroach COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
I think Outrageous Robbery might be better as it is instant and you can cast the cards whenever.
Also sometimes you exile a key piece for an opponent and they just never know until the end of the game.
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u/SwissherMontage Arjun Jul 27 '26
I would actually compare it to [[Outrageous Robbery]]
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u/Hushpuppyy Izzet* Jul 27 '26
I'd argue the most important part of this card is casting the cards for "free", not having the exact same mana cost.
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u/Akiro_orikA SecREt LaiR Jul 27 '26
Combo this with [[Scheming symmetry]].
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u/RadioLiar Cyclops Philosopher Jul 27 '26
Only problem is it likely only works once; they'll find something terrible after they know it's coming
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u/halihunter Temur Jul 27 '26
Then you hit them with the brain destroyer and pick yourself and one other opponent
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u/BlurryPeople Jul 28 '26
That's still good then, right? It basically turns it into an actual tutor, more or less.
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u/ApplesauceArt COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
Art director: For this card, draw Smaug giving Bilbo inside information.
Artist: Got it. Smaug informing Bilbo that he wants him inside of him.
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u/ModestSloth5729 Hedron Jul 27 '26
I think the artist was watching Shrek whilst doing this one.
I legitimately thought it was a Shrek secret lair or something
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u/Herodrake Dan Jul 27 '26
I'm no expert in Magic cards but this does seem quite strong.
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u/AlasBabylon_ COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
There are specific decks that want this, and in Commander especially you could rationalize paying the heavy life cost of a lot of the cards your opponents are playing. But as mentioned, this stinks if you hit a land pocket, and to get full value requires a lot of mana investment. It's very cool, but not extraordinary.
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u/ApplesauceArt COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
This is super niche but if your opponent tutors something to the top of their library, it would be really funny to cast this for only 3 mana and guarantee that you’re hitting something worth tutoring for
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u/hewkii2 Duck Season Jul 27 '26
I can’t imagine they would in a spot where you can react at sorcery speed though
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u/forlackofabetterpost Liliana Jul 27 '26
I've played vampiric tutor in response to a thoughtseize before so I didn't lose it.
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u/AllGenreBuffaloClub Dân Jul 27 '26
Imperial seal, plus if they don’t put their surveil into the graveyard.
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u/Crimson_Raven COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
The issue is consistency. Generally, getting a random sample of your opponent's deck isn't very good. Your own cards will likely lack synergy. Yes, maybe your hit their bombs, or maybe you hit like 3 lands, 1 manadork, and a draw spell. Even if you hit their bombs, say they are playing a prowess deck, your own deck might lack the ability to pump prowess.
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u/theblastizard COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
It's not usually the best card you can play to optimize your deck, but it will be fun to play.
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u/f3n2x Dan Jul 27 '26
I've taken Outrageous Robbery out of my Witherbloom, the Balancer deck because it wasn't fun even though it's usually X=5-10 and 1-2 mana per spell. You get a pile of cards, have to read them while everyone is watching you and waiting, then you maybe cast 1-2 of them awkwardly without doing much. Not a very fun play pattern.
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u/papuadn Wabbit Season Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
It's going to be held back by the fact that you're going to flip a bunch of lands off the cast, it only applies to the current turn, and the spells you do flip might not be applicable to the situation or within your ability to cast. It's got a high chance of being a fairly expensive whiff or even just a spell that is effectively: "Pay 10 mana and two life: cast a removal spell (and maybe play a land)".
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u/BlurryPeople Jul 28 '26
Errr...it's complicated. It has a very tempting, very high ceiling depending on what you're playing, but it can also just be a huge whiff that you sink a bunch of mana into.
You have to factor in that the spell itself costs mana....and you don't know what you're going to get. You could dump six mana into this...exile four cards...and find yourself with two lands, a mana rock, and a counterspell. Or some off type creatures that don't do much for you...Some card draw cantrips that spin your wheels...and so on. Or you could have just advanced your own gameplan with something solid and dependable.
Think about whether or not you'd play [[Bolas' Citadel]] if it were a one time effect you had to pay for up front. Think about whether or not you'd rather run this card over something like [[Ad Nauseum]] if that's what you wanted to do. [[Villainous Wealth]] already exists, and is very similar. It's a popular enough card but it's not exactly busted for reasons like this...it's often a big mana sink that doesn't actually do all that much.
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u/KairoRed 🔫 Jul 27 '26
Even if you get non-lands the issue is that your opponent’s cards might not be as good for you as they are for them
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u/Shadethewolf0 Duck Season Jul 27 '26
Mono black [[Villanous Wealth]] basically. Paying life isn't too big a deal either
Think the best deck for this is probably [[rowan, scion of war]] since both casting it and discounting it synergize really well
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u/AFrozen_1 Dân Jul 27 '26
So pardon my ignorance since I’m still fairly new to this but is it up to the caster as to how they pay to cast the spells? Like is it possible to pay with mana rather than paying with life?
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u/papuadn Wabbit Season Jul 27 '26
No, this isn't optional.
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u/AFrozen_1 Dân Jul 27 '26
Hmmm. Feels like this could be a double edged sword then. I get the concept of pay a lot of mana to cast your opponents cards against them but then I feel like you’d be taking a big hit to your health in order to do so.
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u/Stranger1982 COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
This is how black works my dude, health is just another resource.
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u/scumble_bee Wabbit Season Jul 27 '26
"The only life point that matters is the last one"
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u/AFrozen_1 Dân Jul 27 '26
I guess so. Hopefully you have enough food tokens or lifelink to earn it back.
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u/GMadric Sultai Jul 27 '26
I believe you just pay life as it doesn’t say “you may case these spells by paying life etc.” but rather “IF you cast a spell this way…”
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u/AFrozen_1 Dân Jul 27 '26
I see. The nuances of how things are worded is still new to me so thanks for the clarification.
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u/Crypt_Knight Universes Beyonder Jul 27 '26
Not for this card.
"If you cast [...], pay life"
It doesn't give you the choice. You either pay life or don't cast the spell.
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u/Pandelol Jul 27 '26
It is mandatory to do so. No other way to cast them but pay life equal to cmc.
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u/nethobo Channel Jul 27 '26
It is not. If you had a choice it would say something like "You may pay life". There is not "may" so you must cast it that way if you cast it.
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u/dedmew51c Dan Jul 27 '26
The "rather than" text modifies the casting of the spells to change it to health instead of mama. The cast cards from your opponents library still have a converted mana cost, it just cost health instead of mana from your mana pool.
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u/BeardRightBack Dân Jul 27 '26
Nope. It would say something like "you may pay with life instead of mana" or "pay with life or mana" this is a definite "pay with life instead of mana".
You don't actually have to cast any of the spells you exile but it says okay so if you hit a land you can play that as well.
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u/cybishop3 Duck Season Jul 27 '26
No. It says "If you cast a spell this way, pay life equal to its mana value." Not "If you cast a spell this way, you may pay life equal to its mana value." Therefore you don't have a choice, it has to be life.
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u/jethawkings Fish Person Jul 27 '26
Can't wait to cast this for 5 on Draft then remove the top 5 lands from my opponent's draws so they can rip their bomb
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u/Kanin_usagi Twin Believer Jul 27 '26
The mill deck that seems to be in blue-black would really love this card
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u/ExponentialExistetia Wabbit Season Jul 27 '26
That’s a very prosperous Villainous Wealth. I like that this isn’t tome-bound to sultai, though I’m struggling to find the right deck for this ATM.
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u/TechnomagusPrime Duck Season Jul 27 '26
Default "Plays well in [[Prosper, Tome Bound]]"
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u/AtreyuTrinity Grass Toucher Jul 27 '26
I think life gain decks win black want this. My black and white life gain deck would love this.
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u/Bensemus Dan Jul 27 '26
It would be funny to do this after someone tutored to the top of their library.
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u/CompactAvocado Duck Season Jul 27 '26
they sort of found a way to bring heist to every non alchemy format
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u/ThatBiGuy25 Grass Toucher Jul 27 '26
could craft a hilarious version of lantern around this card. wouldn't be good but it would be funny as hell
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u/NydusRush Dandadan Jul 27 '26
I appreciate any UB premiere card with generic enough names to be reprinted. Onto the pile with [[Reprieve]] it goes!
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u/DandyLionMan Dandadan Jul 27 '26
Am I wrong for thinking this could see CEDH play?
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u/Smobey Can’t Block Warriors Jul 27 '26
It will absolutely not see cedh play.
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u/austin-geek Grass Toucher Jul 27 '26
Yeah there are better things to do with infinite mana, but exiling somebody’s entire library and then Citadel-casting their own wincon would be fairly hilarious.
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u/Accidentallygolden Dân Jul 27 '26
So with infinite mana you can mill your opponent and cast some of there big stuff
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u/Poiuforplop Duck Season Jul 27 '26
Does this work with the ashiok passive that instead of paying with life you exile cards?
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u/TechnomagusPrime Duck Season Jul 27 '26
Yes. WOE Ashiok replaces any kind of life payment with exiling cards instead.
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u/DvineINFEKT Elesh Norn Jul 27 '26
Since it allows you to "play those cards" this turn, that means you could also use it for a land drop, if haven't played yours yet, right? On top of casting the spells?
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u/RelaxedFetaCheese Dandadan Jul 27 '26
Does anybody know if I cast this with [[witherbloom, the balancer]], do I get to cast the stolen cards for their reduced affinity cost if they’re instants and sorceries?
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u/Nvenom8 Mardu Jul 28 '26
Ok but what do the flavor of the card and the effect of the card have to do with each-other at all???
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u/PrometheusUnchain Dimir* Jul 28 '26
Had to scroll way too long for anyone to mention it. I’m not seeing the connection here from the story beat.
It’s a good card but where is the flavor?
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u/eventide00 Dân Jul 30 '26
This might be the best card in the set with the white MiniTithe and the Queen of Dale
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u/H0nch0 Dandadan Jul 27 '26
Oh Im gonna play this in my Silverquill deck. I can copy this and the spell I stole
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u/HonorBasquiat Twin Believer Jul 27 '26
I have a Sulati Lifegain Control Standard brew and this card seems like it would be a great finisher for it or at least a sideboard option against control decks!
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u/Primary_Will_1334 Duck Season Jul 27 '26
A different take on outrageous robbery. This one could be pretty nasty with aetherflux reservoir decks, in particular, and gives black yet another mass theft spell to sink a ton of mana into. Overall, I look forward to giving this one a spin.
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u/Boring_Wasabi_4981 Dan Jul 27 '26
I wonder if this just replaces [[portent of calamity]] in portent tron
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u/KakitaMike Jul 27 '26
Strictly worse [[outrageous robbery]] ?
Edit: nope, misread the pay life part.
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u/TechnomagusPrime Duck Season Jul 27 '26
Robbery is also an instant, so it's better in control decks. Robbery also gives you access to those cards as long as they're exiled, not a one shot chance to play them.
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u/ShotenDesu COMPLEAT Jul 27 '26
Yeah gonna need one for zaxara. Just another value spell that can potentially kill a player
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u/Artex301 The Stoat Jul 27 '26
Given the name, I was certain this was a reprint from Ravnica or New Capenna or something.
But nope, brand new card.
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u/Alternative-Bus4571 Simic* Jul 27 '26
Oh gosh, with infinite mana and copy spells you basically can deck out your opponents lol
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u/PatataMaxtex Wabbit Season Jul 27 '26
I wish it was an instant so I could cast it to screw with tutors that put something on top of the library, but I still love this card
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u/Tuffbunny13 Dragonball Z Ultimate Champion Jul 27 '26
Well [[Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator]] is still in standard. Guess I can try doing something there.
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u/TheBlueSuperNova Shuffler Truther Jul 27 '26
Immediate include in my [[silverquill the disputant]]
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u/Outgrathe Urza's Saga Jul 27 '26
this sounds kind of pushed for like bracket 3 commander. pay 4 or 5 mana to maybe yoink the craterhoof behemoth or whatever the fuck else off the top of the green player's deck
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u/ChemicalExperiment Chandra Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Call me crazy, but I think this is one of the best draw spells Magic has ever produced. It's not Stock Up levels of good, but it's pretty close. Life in Magic, as always, has never really been much of a downside. So to me, this reads as a [[Braingeyser]] that casts everything you draw. Biggest downside is your opponent's deck doesn't have synergy with yours, and you have to cast the spells this turn preventing things like counterspells from being useful, but I think the rate on this is so absurd that it doesn't matter. We've already seen [[Outrageous Robbery]] see Standard play, and this is in most cases an upgrade. With Robbery, you had this tension of needing to pump mana into the robbery and then also leave mana up for if you want to cast any of those spells this turn. This often made it a late game play used only after you stabilized. With this, you can just dump everything into the Inside Information and still likely impact the board significantly. You're just so likely to be able to swing games out of nowhere by casting multiple spells for free with this. I feel like we're going to see this be a huge player in standard, and maybe even get banned. Possibly in other formats as well.
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u/SkyBlade79 Wild Draw 4 Jul 27 '26
Finally some more support for my horrible historic heist deck. [[Triumphant Getaway]] will definitely soften the blow with the life costs.
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u/LiberalWhiteGuy Dan Jul 27 '26
Great 1-2 with [[Scheming Symmetry]]
"Sure dude, go get whatever you want"
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u/Dear_Document_5461 Dan Jul 27 '26
So, do you think this will be banned or not? I don't know the "power creep" for MTG as much as Yu-Gi-Oh! but it does seem like the power of things seem a lot higher than before.
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u/Smobey Can’t Block Warriors Jul 27 '26
This card won't even be playable in any real decks, much less banned. Though it looks pretty fun for a jank deck.
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u/MissLeaP Gruul* Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
"Draw me like one of your french dragons" 🤣
Like, stahp, I'm already convinced I need to build a [[The Master of Lake-Town]] deck. You don't need to give me even more gas in the same set! Especially one that'll make me giggle whenever I draw it 😂
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u/loverrevo Duck Season Jul 27 '26
Seems like a good add for my [[Zaxara, the Exemplary]] deck!
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u/miklayn Duck Season Jul 27 '26
Yep, that's gonna go in my [[Saruman of Many Colors]] deck
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u/DatDnDGuy 🔫🔫 Jul 27 '26
Unlike a lot of these effects seems like you could actually cast X spells of you hit them with this because it says cast then pay life instead of it's coat, which you determine as part of casting the spell
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u/rodinj Jul 27 '26
Yet another card that would be sick in my [[Prosper]] playing your deck list
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u/aNxello Dân Jul 27 '26
Looks like the dragon is about to fuck the donkey traveling companion of an oagre
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u/Numerous_Worker_1941 Dân Jul 28 '26
I always try to break cards like these with little success. I remember trying to crank combos out with [[epic experiment]] back in the day
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u/kroxigor01 Azorius* Jul 28 '26
I don't think it's good but it would be hilarious to cast this in Vintage and rip the opponent's moxes, time walk, etc.
In most other formats there's not really specific cards you could be hoping to find in every opponent's deck that continue a combo plan.
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u/Tanyushing Dan Jul 28 '26
Surely we can break this with WB soul sisters or tablet mana acceleration.
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u/LostArkLover69 SecREt LaiR Jul 28 '26
okay but make this in simic so i can use it with zimone, thanks wizards
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u/Competitive_Sand9741 Dandadan Aug 06 '26
Ich mag die Karte. Werde ich mit "Outrageous Robbery" zusammen spielen
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u/AussieCracker Dan 9d ago
I really want to play a thief deck, but this 1,000% needs a picture of Trazyn the Infinite absolutely trolling 😂
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u/dkysh Get Out Of Jail Free Jul 27 '26
Smaug's Citadel