By J. Matthew Markulin

Psychic Vortex
2BB
Enchantment
Cumulative Upkeep - Draw a card

At the end of each of your turns, sacrifice a land and discard your
hand.

"Tolaria floats upon a wheel of fortune."
-Ertai, wizard adept

A much maligned card from the Weatherlight expansion. The
possibilities since this cards release have accumulated like the
function of it's card drawing power.

Type 1
Functionally, the easiest form to use the Psychic Vortex's
vast abilities. This format's plethora of artifact mana make the
card's only true disadvantage of sacrificing a land nearly harmless.
Coupled with "Tolarian Academy," you may well empty your hand each
turn, despite the Academy being the only land in play. While the eventual
card advantage is impressive, getting there when dueling against a
serious Type 1 deck will most likely never happen. I'd keep this is
mind for a simple Type 1 Fun deck.

Type 1.5
With no Tolarian Academy or anywhere nearly as much good
artifact mana being available, this is most likely the weakest of
formats for this card.

Type 2 Extended
This is where this "Psychic Vortex" can shine. In the current
environment, the card doesn't quite measure up, but with the leaving
of Ice Age block in the sometime future (about year from now?) I
expect the power of the Vortex to grow. The unrestricted Mox Diamond
compliments the cards functionality well.

The Colors of Magic
Mono-Blue simply does not truly function. The nature of this
card practically forces you to splash, being as most mono-blue deck
are layered with counter magic and once the Psychic Vortex hits the
table, the counters are weak, at best.

U/R or `Pyromancer' can be truly deadly in Type 1 format,
though much weaker in any other. The ability to draw a handful of
burn spells and waste them each turn can be truly potent. A viscous
end game card is Firestorm, allowing you to drop as many cards as
needed in order to finish off your opponent.

U/W typically creates an extremely slow, defensive deck,
requiring some powerful form of recursion or else risk being decked.
In Type 1, you may take advantage of Land Tax, but then if you have
competent artifact mana, such a function may be redundant.

In U/G "Psychic Vortex" can well be inserted into many mono-
green deck archetypes with the existence of "Birds of Paradise",
"Quirion Elves", and "Utopia Tree" and you would not even be required
add any blue mana producing lands. Typically, this deck will not
require such added card advantage, though. If you are one who enjoys
the risk and advantages of `Recycle', perhaps your may want to try
replacing them with "Psychic Vortex", just to see which truly would
function better.

U/B creates an aggressive deck, though only due to the
appearance of newer cards. Most likely the greatest possible
combination for the Extended format.

Compliments of the House (Cards to use with…)
Dark Suspicions
A potent combo, making one of "Psychic Vortex's"
disadvantages into a power. This would be the deck I was referring to
in relation to Extended upon the Ice Age blocks demise. Cards
complimentary to the `Dark Vortex' deck are those which reduce your
hand size quickly, yet give you great advantages for it. "Masticore"
is a shoe in, being one of the best creatures in the game as it is,
though it will not survive the use of "Psychic Vortex." Null Brooch
is beefed up, taking advantage of both of this decks main cards. This
is one of the few deck types in which you can truly take advantage of
Forsaken City, though it will be the first of the lands you will
sacrifice to the Psychic Vortex once it is out.

Little to no counter magic graces `Dark Vortex' since the
counter magic strategy is not very productive with "Dark Suspicions"
and these spells tend to gain little use once the "Psychic Vortex"
hits the table. A couple of Morphlings go well, for good measure,
seeing as they are capable of handling most anything thrown at them
(gotta love the `Swiss Army Critter').

Lastly, for Type 1, there is nothing like having out a "Dark
Suspicions" out, with powered up "Psychic Vortex" and casting
"Windfall." `nuff said.

Ensnaring Bridge
When battling against nearly any deck containing creatures,
this card is a must for "Psychic Vortex." No cards in hand mean no
attackers with a power greater than 0. It's that simple. This will
mean your opponent may gather an army of powerful critters just
waiting behind that bridge to take you out. You will, of course, need
something to get through those massed creatures and thus flying
creatures are your best bet. Morphling, as stated, is a powerful
option. Creatures of another color should be splashable, typically
requiring only a single colored mana to cast, or else are likely to
never see the light of day. The often looked over Storm Elemental can
be used to effectively tap those would be flying blockers, though
this card leaves Extended with the rest of the Ice Age block.

Null Brooch
So, with the "Psychic Vortex" in play you have no card in
hand on your opponents turn. Null Brooch forces you to discard your
hand in order to counter a spell. What do we got? A match made in
heaven.

Taming the Vortex
Frankly, `Dark Vortex (see below)' requires little to no
recursion, if played properly. U/W will pretty well require recursion
and `Pyromancer' may well use some limited and controlled form.
Suggestions are cards such as "Soldevi Digger", "Feldon's Cane" and
even "Paradigm Shift."

"Library of Leng" can fill in the discarding gap well also,
allowing you to stack your next hand every round. The library is not
likely to be required in more aggressive "Psychic Vortex" decks,
though.

"Dark Vortex"
Type 2 Extended (Post Ice Age)

3x Psychic Vortex
4x Dark Suspicions
3x Ensnaring Bridge
2x Urza's Guilt
2x Prosperity
4x Straw Golem
2x Masticore
3x Morphling
3x Avatar of Woe
3x Rhystic Tutor
3x Null Brooch
4x Vision Charm
4x Mox Diamond
3x Forsaken City
4x Underground Sea
4x Underground River
7x Island
2x Swamp

"Pyromancer"
Type One - Fun

3x Psychic Vortex
4x Lightening Bolt
4x Shock
4x Incinerate
4x Guerrilla Tactics
2x Firestorm
3x Paradigm Shift
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Black Vise
2x Null Brooch
3x Ensnaring Bridge
1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Crypt
1x Mox Diamond
4x Mana Cylix
1x Library of Leng
1x Copy Artifact
4x Maze of Ith
4x Volcanic Island
2x Badlands
1x Tolarian Academy
1x Strip Mine
6x Mountain
2x Island

__________________
"...will happily give up 19 points of life as long as the final 20th point is denied."
- Robert Hahn

__________________
I'm always interested in commons from AN, LG, & AQ!

Sign your goddamn toploader!

quote:

---

Originally posted by OGOLE1:
unfortunately, weatherlight also left extended during the rotation.

---

quote:

---

posted October 04, 2001 07:56 AM

---

__________________
~Team Showercap~

Currently under construction, but check it out anyway! www.ruboonia.tk

Ruboonia's brand new AIM handle - g0nadzintherain