you may be able to tell that I like discard/mill effects. :-)

Hmm. Inferior to Underworld Dreams, but a lot easier to cast, so that's OK.

Inferior in some ways, but superior in others. If they have no cards in hand, when they draw they must either discard the just drawn card or lose 1 life. Creates tension for the opponent as the choice gets harder later in the game when they have less life.

I like cards that have a bit of tension, especially when the target has to make the choice.

It's more interesting politically. But you can view it like this: Each time that Underworld Dreams would trigger, this triggers as well. Each time that Underworld Dreams would make them lose 1 life, this will give them the choice of either losing 1 life or discarding the card.

In other words, any time that the card is worth 1 life, this is equal to Underworld Dreams. Any time when the card isn't worth 1 life, they get the better deal by being able to discard it rather than lose the life.

It's like the recent awful card Distant Memories. That's strictly worse than Concentrate, because when the tutored card is better than a Concentrate, you only get Concentrate; when the tutored card is worse than a Concentrate, you get the tutored card.

Both this and Distant Memories acquire a lot more interest when you consider trying to trick the opponent into making choices that you think are worse than other choices. But against an optimally-playing opponent, they're just worse than their choiceless equivalents.

Still its not a BAD card is it? as you said, easier to get out than Underworld Dreams. Plus, this would most likely see play in a Black/Blue discard deck with cards that punish having few/no cards in hand a-la The Rack, Rackling, Liliana's Caress, etc. so a lot of the time the 1 life will be the "lesser" choice.

Originally was going to have it whenever draw, discard, can pay to ignore.

Of course. It's in the same boat as Shared Triumph vs Glorious Anthem: less reliable effect but easier to cast.

This is a clock. If you can get your opponent down to no cards in hand - which black can do somewhat easily - this is "lose 1 life or mill the top card of your library rather than drawing it" whenever they would draw a card. I played this in a deck with discard cards & Howling Mines or similar abilities to increase draws and it was quite useful.

Also note, Whilts Underworld Dreams is draw and take the damage, it is take damage which can be prevented unlike loss of life - which is a small point in this card's favour. I mean Circle of Protection: Black shuts down Underworld Dreams nicely but would be useless against this.

Funny, actually, that, in a one on one match, unless you are playing a strange combo deck, or you're expecting your opponent to draw more than one card per turn, this card becomes worse than Onyx Goblet. I'd drop the card by . As it stands, this card might be okay at , but would require testing.

Also, have you thought about making this instead? Its technically a slow draining taxing card... it seems fine for that color combination as well. Punishing an opponent for drawing cards isn't really a blue thing, anyway, and you could get away with a more aggressive CC if the obvious color to combo it with isn't in the casting cost.

It can definately stand with a drop in CC. And it is expressly meant for a combo deck that runs Howling Mine type effects that force your opponent to draw extra cards. It is because that colour combo just felt right as it is a kind of pseudo-mill effect. I am considering changing it to this:

"Whenever an opponent would draw a card, instead put the top 2 cards of that player's library into their graveyard unless that player loses 1 life"; This way they can either draw the card for 1 life OR get milled for 2. This would definately justify the in the cost.

Yowch. Draw replacement is a very harsh ability. I've seen it come up in Generator games before, and it's never pleasant. This way at least they get to see what the card is before choosing whether to pay.

Which is why I hadn't made the change as yet - this works nicely as a little griefer card as is and I'm happy with it.