Notion Thief

[Crisys]

The wording on  {Notion Thief} confuses me a little bit. 

Take this scenario for example:


On my turn Opponent casts  {Sphinx's Revelation} for 4.
In response, I flash in  {Notion Thief}.  Thief resolves so now what happens? The ipponent will draw one because he hasn't drawn a card yet and then skips the other three and I draw three?

Or does the opponent draw one and then I draw one? I'm just not sure if the sphinx draws 4 cards instantaneously or if each draw is a separate event causing thief to trigger each time?

Thanks everyone

[Kagain123]

Actually they gain 4 life, you draw 4 cards.  {Notion Thief} states you get all the card draws except the first card on their draw steps.

[Crisys]

Actually they gain 4 life, you draw 4 cards.  {Notion Thief} states you get all the card draws except the first card on their draw steps.

Yep, thanks I missed the draw step part, I need to read the card better -.-

[Wingnut]

Make sure you have a couple  {Whispering Madness}'s in your deck with the notion thief (the look on their face when the realize what's going in is next to priceless).

[Crisys]

Make sure you have a couple  {Whispering Madness}'s in your deck with the notion thief (the look on their face when the realize what's going in is next to priceless).

Wouldn't I just mill myself out then?

[Anoobass]

You would, if you didn't run {reliquary tower} and {elixir of immortality}

[Wingnut]

You only do it once, cause you MAY cast a copy of the ciphered card but you don't have to. I'll take milling a couple cards out of my library to make my opponent discard his hand and fully ressuply mine any day.

[Kaleo42]

You would, if you didn't run {reliquary tower} and {elixir of immortality}

Running the tower would screw you over. You want to discard so elixir hits something.

[Wingnut]

You would, if you didn't run {reliquary tower} and {elixir of immortality}

Running the tower would screw you over. You want to discard so elixir hits something.

But having the tower out would make it so you can have more than 7 cards in your hand, you ARE going to have cards in your graveyard because you have to discard your first hand, you would then draw double the largest hand that you and you enemy just discarded, while your opponent looks at you mildly confused and slightly more pissed off as he draws nothing. He is going to have a VERY tough time getting restarted without a hand and you having a fully resupplied arsenal.

[Kaleo42]

Each time you use it you draw your hand x2. Thats more or less exponential growth. As someone who often over fills with {sphinx's revelation} I will say there shouldnt be a combination of 7 cards not good enough to warrent reducing your colored mana base.

[Wingnut]

Each time you use it you draw your hand x2. Thats more or less exponential growth. As someone who often over fills with {sphinx's revelation} I will say there shouldnt be a combination of 7 cards not good enough to warrent reducing your colored mana base.

Honestly I probably wouldn't do it more than once, on occasion I don't ever cypher the  {Whispering Madness}, I do it as a one .poo. deal to give me a boost and big my opponent down, I've even done it knowing full well I would have to discard a couple cards during my cleanup step. It's all about making my opponent discard his whole hand in one shot. Worse case if you DO cypher, you don't HAVE to cast it again if the ciphered creature does damage, it's optional, incase you need to shut them down again and/or ressuply.

[Mattao19]

If you have say 14 cards in hand with Tower and you can't win there's something wrong with your deck be careful but no max. hand size is unreal

[Wingnut]

If you have say 14 cards in hand with Tower and you can't win there's something wrong with your deck be careful but no max. hand size is unreal

Yeah yeah, what he said.

[Kaleo42]

If you have 7 the same should still be true. The point Im trying to make is colorless lands are always bad and should only be played when necessary. This isnt one of those time IMO.

[Mattao19]

Kinda agree but colorless land can be great imagine control without  {Nephalia Drownyard} or Midrange without  {Kessig Wolf Run} and Tower is still a great card to have even in this scenario if he draws his library and has mana open most decks will be able to win that turn