Bloodwater Entity

I was meaning in standard

Getting a card that serves you now isn’t the problem.
The fact that it’s a turn later means you have to hope that what you stacked is enough to account for whatever your opponent will do NEXT turn.

I suppose, but if you had to choose between drawing something that might not serve you at all next turn or draw something that you know at the very least will serve you SOMEWHAT, then I’d figure you usually want the latter.

And again, the point to these kinds of effects usually isn’t to gain card advantage (although that is a plus when they go directly to your hand) but the idea of recycling your instants and sorceries in the first place, since they have one-shot effects and you don’t ordinarily get to keep using them. And in an aggro deck — where you’d usually play this card — you’re not really going to be spending as much time answering your opponent’s cards; you’re going to be taking the initiative yourself. You don’t typically plan an aggro deck around the idea of “I need to make sure the next card I draw counters whatever my opponent does”; that’s a control philosophy. Really, your point mainly indicates that this card might suffer in a control or midrange deck more than anything.

I think they both have uses, but I think recycling is funner because I feel like the best way to make a deck that feels like you’re an actual mage is a spell-focused deck, but it’s hard without using mainly buyback/flashback spells unless you have cards like this. =P

The coolest thing about prowess is it helps facilitate those kinds of decks, IMO. Or at least generally enhances the feeling of casting spells.