I've got an EDH deck that I'm pimping out. Currently I'm using an Kaladesh Invention Sol Ring. Also, all the other artifacts in the deck that have invention printings are present in their Kaladesh invention printing.
I do have the opportunity to put an Alpha Sol Ring in place of the invention, but I'm not sure if it's actually an upgrade in terms of wow factor. I feel like most people I play with wont really recognize it as alpha or think of the old non-foil card as being better then a fancy foiled version.
At the end of the day, pimping your deck isn't/shouldn't be about them, it's about you. Which do you feel is cooler, the OG historical Alpha one or the unique art and frame of the Masterpiece one? They both have merit. I'd personally be more impressed with the Alpha one.
I think the Alpha is technically the most impressive, but I can't tell it from other similar versions. It's a treasure that would be really cool to own just as a historical thing, but I would go with the masterpiece just for bling. It's the one that every player at the table will stop to look at, from the newest newbie to the guy who has Alpha because that's when he started playing. It's all personal preference. Alpha, Beta and Judge Promo Bolt are technically higher bling than the Players Reward, but I would rather have that one above any other to own, not sell.
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At the end of the day, pimping your deck isn't/shouldn't be about them, it's about you. Which do you feel is cooler, the OG historical Alpha one or the unique art and frame of the Masterpiece one? They both have merit. I'd personally be more impressed with the Alpha one.
Lol - absolute truth. I don't care if you choose to spend $1,000 on 1x Alpha, 3x Inventions, or 300+ cheap reprints. It all plays the same to me, so the bling is for your benefit, not mine. If you desperately want others to notice, the Invention is recognizable from across the table, while most players may not even notice an Alpha edition.
I think a real key component, which hasn't been mentioned, is how well either version fits in with the other cards around it.
If the deck is full of other old-frame cards, and has an old school feel, then Alpha all the way. One of my favorite decks is an all old-frame Ramses Overdark deck.
On the other hand, if the deck is full of newer cards like stuff from the Commander pre-cons, and has other foils, then I'd go with the Masterpiece version.
You can't just consider the card by itself, because the aesthetics is made up by the whole deck together. It's about how well the card blends with everything else on your board. Foils are nice, but when only a single card is foil, it feels off to me.
Personally, I'm more impressed by Alpha/Beta more than Masterpieces but I'll admit the only masterpieces I even really like are the expeditions so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Also, as stated previously, "pimping" a deck should be done according to what versions you like more as opposed to what others like as you will be the one playing the deck, so you must be the one who enjoys looking at the deck.
I think a real key component, which hasn't been mentioned, is how well either version fits in with the other cards around it.
I'll second this notion. For a Sol Ring specifically, since you can snag a Revised one for ~$10 an Alpha/Beta one's main distinction is the black border and the fact you paid money for it. That's a minor pimp increase in my opinion, as otherwise you're still using the old frame and the old art. It's not as dramatic an increase in visual flair as a regular vs. foil card is. Meanwhile, the masterpiece version stands out as "this is not a normal one". But if you're mostly in old frames, then having an old black border Sol Ring has a higher pimp factor due to the cost and the visual aesthetic of maintaining the old frame look.
For me Alpha all the way. But then I consider masterpieces gimmicky and newfangled, while an alpha anything is a little piece of Magic history as well as pimp (and the OG Sol Ring art is *****in' and way superior to the new ones, IMO).
But as others have said, it's your bling, so do what you like best.
I think that was always my issue with masterpieces, a lot of them seem so gimmicky. While I won't fault people for owning or playing with them, I couldn't see myself ever wanting to use them. My main issue is I can't get into the frames they use, they seem almost bold and too flashy for my liking.
its all about matching your 99. I have pretty pimped out deck where every card that can be foil, is. An alpha Sol ring would stick out like a sore thumb in my deck. I have a master piece and it looks real good with the 40ish other master pieces and judge foils in the list.
That said, i think that alpha is greatest pimp. other then basic lands.
For me, the idea of blinging out a deck would work best if you had a theme going. An Alpha printing of any card is certainly nice, but in this case it sounds like you already have a Kaladesh theme going so that would be the best thing to stay with.
Generally, on paper and in a vacuum, the alpha printing is considered the more "pimp" version of a card, but that's also usually because we outright state the version of the card in text here (and most of us here are older players who know and appreciate the game's history more). In practice, the recognition is a whole lot less, visually it takes either foiling (since it shines) or drastic border changes (be it alters, full-arts or Masterpieces) to get people to acknowledge a card's "pimpness", or at least, its uniqueness (and even with that, by now full-art basic lands pretty much elicit no reaction).
That being said, none of that has to do with my opinion, which is entrenched in consistency - you already said that all other artifacts in the deck with Masterpiece printings are in that version, so my opinion is that having the Masterpiece Sol Ring would fit the overall aesthetics of the deck better, especially when Sol Ring is pretty much just a utility card and not a centerpiece of some combo.
I have no attachment to either the deck or the Alpha Sol Ring, so it falls down to my preference of prioritizing presenting the deck's identity as a whole than to "ruin" it just to feature a card that is on paper more "pimp", but if one values showcasing his or her prized card (especially over personal emotional/historic reasons) over the overall identity of an EDH deck, it's definitely his or her right and priority to do so (although the way you presented the opportunity does make me feel like the Alpha Sol Ring is bluntly put "just a Alpha Card" with no further emotional value, so based on that I'd recommend sticking with consistency).
Still... high end foil gets most people attention...
Foils also have a tendency to curl, though (resulting in such absurdities as being unable to play Kess in Legacy because there were no "legal" printings of her), and some judges really have it out for "marked" foils.
But at the end of the day, that's something you can fight.
Alpha Sol Ring is pretty affordable, for desirable Alpha cards at least.
I am of the opinion that the Judge Promo Sol Ring is the best version of the card, from a visual standpoint. I really lik the way the red and yellow really pop next to the gray/steel.
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I do have the opportunity to put an Alpha Sol Ring in place of the invention, but I'm not sure if it's actually an upgrade in terms of wow factor. I feel like most people I play with wont really recognize it as alpha or think of the old non-foil card as being better then a fancy foiled version.
What do y'all think?
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2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
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If the deck is full of other old-frame cards, and has an old school feel, then Alpha all the way. One of my favorite decks is an all old-frame Ramses Overdark deck.
On the other hand, if the deck is full of newer cards like stuff from the Commander pre-cons, and has other foils, then I'd go with the Masterpiece version.
You can't just consider the card by itself, because the aesthetics is made up by the whole deck together. It's about how well the card blends with everything else on your board. Foils are nice, but when only a single card is foil, it feels off to me.
Corrupt Control B | Burn R | UG Turbofog UG | White Weenie W | GW Tethmos WG | BG Cycling Combo BG
Enchantress GBW | Colorless Tron C | Red Deck Wins R | UG Madness UG | Mono-G Tron G | UR Puzzlehorns UR
Rhystic Tron WU| WU Prowess WU | BR Reanimator BR | Mono-R Control R | Stompy G | Temur Tron URG
Mardu Infinite Priest WBR | 85-Card Dredge BRG | Elves GU | Boros Bully RW | Jeskai Familiars RWU
Also, as stated previously, "pimping" a deck should be done according to what versions you like more as opposed to what others like as you will be the one playing the deck, so you must be the one who enjoys looking at the deck.
I'll second this notion. For a Sol Ring specifically, since you can snag a Revised one for ~$10 an Alpha/Beta one's main distinction is the black border and the fact you paid money for it. That's a minor pimp increase in my opinion, as otherwise you're still using the old frame and the old art. It's not as dramatic an increase in visual flair as a regular vs. foil card is. Meanwhile, the masterpiece version stands out as "this is not a normal one". But if you're mostly in old frames, then having an old black border Sol Ring has a higher pimp factor due to the cost and the visual aesthetic of maintaining the old frame look.
I think that was always my issue with masterpieces, a lot of them seem so gimmicky. While I won't fault people for owning or playing with them, I couldn't see myself ever wanting to use them. My main issue is I can't get into the frames they use, they seem almost bold and too flashy for my liking.
That said, i think that alpha is greatest pimp. other then basic lands.
That being said, none of that has to do with my opinion, which is entrenched in consistency - you already said that all other artifacts in the deck with Masterpiece printings are in that version, so my opinion is that having the Masterpiece Sol Ring would fit the overall aesthetics of the deck better, especially when Sol Ring is pretty much just a utility card and not a centerpiece of some combo.
I have no attachment to either the deck or the Alpha Sol Ring, so it falls down to my preference of prioritizing presenting the deck's identity as a whole than to "ruin" it just to feature a card that is on paper more "pimp", but if one values showcasing his or her prized card (especially over personal emotional/historic reasons) over the overall identity of an EDH deck, it's definitely his or her right and priority to do so (although the way you presented the opportunity does make me feel like the Alpha Sol Ring is bluntly put "just a Alpha Card" with no further emotional value, so based on that I'd recommend sticking with consistency).
EDH: Xenagos, God of Revels.
Foils also have a tendency to curl, though (resulting in such absurdities as being unable to play Kess in Legacy because there were no "legal" printings of her), and some judges really have it out for "marked" foils.
But at the end of the day, that's something you can fight.
new foils for these cards keep coming out.
theres only one alpha.
I am of the opinion that the Judge Promo Sol Ring is the best version of the card, from a visual standpoint. I really lik the way the red and yellow really pop next to the gray/steel.