RCotD #32

Random Card of the Day #32:

Touch of Invisibility - 3U

Sorcery

Target creature is unblockable this turn.
Draw a card.

Initial thoughts:

Overcosted. The card that used to be the one everyone compared it to was Infiltrate. It has a cantrip, and most cantrips cost about {2} more than it's effect. So this price is already overcosted compared to other spells. It is also important to compare a 4-cost spell to a 6-cost spell+cantrip. Suddenly the 6-cost cantrip loses its worth. Why?

Its actually in the math of drawing lands. It is easy to get one mana in your opening hand, probably easy enough up to three. With lucky draws you can get 4 lands on turn 4. This assumes no ramp. If you were dedicated to ramp cards, you could get a turn 2 Rampant Growth, turn 3 Solemn Simulacrum, turn 4 Primeval Titan. But without ramp, 4 lands in 4 turns is fairly difficult. On average you will get 4th land on turn 4, about 50% of the time. And every turn+land afterwards is about 50% as well. This number can go up and down based off rearranging of your deck with something like, Ponder, though.

So as such, in my opinion I believe that 4 cost spells should be an additional 50% marginal power over 3 cost spells.

1-cost 1/1 -- average (I normally never play 1-cost creatures, it is too easily shut down but a turn 2 Grizzly Bears or any other */2. R&D knows this and prints things like Skitter of Lizards to make up for it.

2-cost 2/2 -- average

3-cost 3/3 -- average

4-cost 4/4 -- below average

4-cost 4/5 -- average

5-cost 6/6 -- average

This is just for vanilla creatures. Depending on the effect/ability on creatures you add or subtract accordingly. The same math though is there for instants/sorceries. Touch of Invisibility is no Distortion Strike, that's a given--in fact, nothing can really compare to Distortion Strike. It's become a staple unblockable card in almost every deck that has blue in it.

Even though Touch of Invisibility is overcosted by {1} it still surprisingly doesn't fall short. I know I'm giving a lot of hate for this card but it's not actually bad, it's just there's a few cards that are better than this card. I like this card, mainly because of its cantrip. If I was looking for another card to put unblockable on this would probably be my next choice. One of the things I look for in cards is: "Will this win the game, and if it doesn't will it at least get me the card beneath it that does?"

Getting the card beneath it helps. If your opponent only has one creature and you draw a Lightning Bolt. Lightning Bolt got you the card beneath it. Serum Visions and other cantrip cards make it obvious to get the card beneath it, but if it wins games, why not play it? Touch of Invisibility can win games as long as you have the creature to cast it on.

It's no groundbreaking card, and it may be slightly overcosted, but in a somewhat casual format on kitchen tables with friends, it's still a really good card. It may not see play in tournaments, but if I had a copy I might find a spot for it in my EDH deck. 3/5