Burden the Mind

I recently stumbled across Burden the Mind when looking for master cards in a bleed that can block (at least somewhat), e.g. Tremere or Ventrue antitribu.

Name: Burden the Mind
[LotN:C]
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 1 pool
Master.
Put this card on any minion. While it is not this minion's turn, using an effect to untap this minion or to allow this minion to block as if untapped costs an additional pool. This minion may burn this card and untap as a action.

The card seems decent to me in s such a low stealth, heavy bleed decks, but what does players deter from using the card? The burn ability, the pool cost, the non-trifleness?

Or am I misreading "block as if untapped" as only applicable to the use of cards like No Secrets or Eternal Vigilance, but not applicable to block attempts using On the Qui Vive, WwEF, etc.?

There are just too much competition of good masters in a deck. Even trifle might not make it playable. Burden can be good but "can be" is not good enough. Not all decks even use wakes and player can just pay one pool if it is something very serious action. That pay one pool to avoid whole effect kills it for me. That card had to stay for a long time to make it worthwhile. Playing it to your prey means that your prey is taking D actions against you and not going forward. Playing it to your predator means he is losing pool which can be bad sometime. I don't think that card is playable.

I tried it out briefly, but my actual play experience was that people are happy to pay an extra pool for their Wake if the alternative is not being able to Deflect a bleed of six. For me, Burden's pool cost was what led me to abandon it, since it usually boiled down to me paying a pool and an MPA to deal one or two pool damage to my prey. That's not a big enough effect to warrant an MPA.

john bell has used this card against me in a carna/mistress toolbox, and it isn't terrible. if you want to block and bleed (like !ventrue "grinder" decks do) i can see using this card.

since if you want pool to be burned for attempted blocks, you are going to be playing a deck that takes actions and have a prey that would want to block them, which is including a card based on a variable you have no control over. your prey is nadima wall, ok, blockers will probably stay untapped or freak drive. your prey is malk '94 though and they are still going to tap out, and just pay a pool to wake and deflect a big bleed.

also, most decks that want to block will take the action to burn it. if you are playing combat and they aren't playing stealth, this is a good thing for you. if they have stealth, better combat than you, or aren't going to block anyway, its not the most optimal card to play.

its good, but its just circumstantial. its kind of like leadership vacuum.

For an offensive deck, Misdirection is plain better: it is always useful and will most often do more damage than Burden the Mind. I can only see it in a swarm deck as a silver bullet against No Secrets. Pentex is better in that role but unique.

Instead of Burden The Mind being printed, Deflection should've been changed to be 1 pool, and everything would've been right with the world.