Is that a better sideboard card than whats available? The decks that would use it would get hurt by it. Everyone else has better or can't cast it.
Since the number one target for this is lotus/moxen in a PO list, I think the question becomes would it be better to just turn them off with Null Rod rather than give them the opportunity to use one or 2 of them to get an answer.
I actually don't know.
If Bloodmoon was a viable list nowadays I would say that maybe this could work there over null rod and that way you could basically cut all the artifacts from your list, but since the thing that prevent that deck from being viable is Force of Vigor, and that does still removes this and a blood moon just fine, i'm not sure getting punisher damage off it is enough. The one damage a turn is marginally useful in lists that can take advantage of it, basically lists that have bolts.
Against the right deck (PO), this is Pyrostatic Pillar on steroids. That being said, it's super narrow. I see it as a local-meta-specific hate card at best.
I think on balance this will often be better than pillar since it allows far fewer cards to be played against the decks where you would want pillar, plus has the guaranteed damage. This one does not hit cantrips like pyrostatic but it does hit Gush, FOW, FOV, FON, mindbreak trap.
Lol, this is fun. It hits Hogaak, Hollow One, Rootwalla and, as mentioned, Vigor as well if they try to destroy it. Also drops Deathrite from gaining life.
Xerox wouldn't run this.
If you keep force back to protect this in any blue deck, you eat 5 damage (PO will always have at least one bounce). It's viable against Hollow Vine but doesn't beat them. This doesn't beat any deck, its a speed bump that's symmetrical.
I don't like it. I would rather have null rod, and I play ouphe instead of null rod already.
Christmas beats may come early this year 
Iād run this along side Magus/Blood moon, Ouphe/Null rod.
@ten-ten said in [ZRN] Roiling Vortex:
Christmas beats may come early this year
Iād run this along side Magus/Blood moon, Ouphe/Null rod.
But you already have Eidolon of the Great Revel and Cindervines. You wan't Mindbreak Trap anyways in case they turn zero you. Do you really need 16 (24 with Ouphe and Rod) cards against PO?
I would play this before Eidolon but there's already way too much anti storm stuff out there for this to be profitable.
I could see this in Mono Red Moon.dec
@john-cox said in [ZRN] Roiling Vortex:
I could see this in Mono Red Moon.dec
I don't think you can make that list viable in the current meta. FOV is too prominent and too good against the whole of the list, even with punisher burn. My only thought is maybe if you play more direct damage in that list in the form of Bolt, maybe even something like goblin guide or swiftspear to go under your opponent so that the life loss to remove this thing with FOV matters.
What red would really need is some sort of 1 mana counter against FOV to protect this, but I don't ever see that happening. If it did I think my stock in that list would skyrocket.