More filler! 2CC 2/1s are a dime-a-dozen in Theros, but I like having answers to weapons and sundry artifacts in my maindeck. I lean towards Reckless Reveler here.
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It's not your job to win games of Magic where you're mana screwed.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
We most assuredly are UR at this point. Going into Theros, we should be able to pick low CMC creatures that act as good early game, like omenspeaker and wavecrash triton. In addition, the reveler is amongst the weakest two-drop we could find. We can easily replace it with that 2/1 artifact if we need to, they usually go around. As such, the pinnacle or rage is the better, more unique pick that can be a 2-for-1. Beside, we're not aggro, so 2/1 is not what we're looking for.
We most assuredly are UR at this point. Going into Theros, we should be able to pick low CMC creatures that act as good early game, like omenspeaker and wavecrash triton. In addition, the reveler is amongst the weakest two-drop we could find. We can easily replace it with that 2/1 artifact if we need to, they usually go around. As such, the pinnacle or rage is the better, more unique pick that can be a 2-for-1. Beside, we're not aggro, so 2/1 is not what we're looking for.
Point of order: it can also be a 0-for-1. If I thought I could get a 2-for-1 with it reliably I'd take it in a heartbeat.
Reckless Reveler here. Pinnacle is a maindeckable card, and having one could be really sweet, but a six-mana spell would have to be something very strong to justify taking it over a two-drop creature at this juncture.
How are we not aggro? Only the Insight doesn't fit in an aggro-tempo deck so far. Reckless Reveler.
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Which card beside the kragma butcher is an aggro card? Stormcaller has haste but costs 3 for two power. The rest is all higher-cost. I guess you can include hammer, althoug hamemr fits pretty much any deck, so I don't include it as a card that define the type of deck we've got so far. OTOH, storm, insight and siren are no aggro, the cyclop is more mid-range and the helix requires you to hold back attackers.
What? Since when is a 6 mana card one that goes in an aggressive deck? Especially in this format? Heck, 5 mana spells should rarely make the cut.
This format is not nearly as blisteringly fast as you're making it out to be.
Pinnacle is the better aggressive card because it's the less replaceable of the two: it expensive, yes, but it also provides reach and CA potential, which are important for the late-game of an aggressive deck, whereas 2/1 dorks are almost always replaceable (and blowing up artifacts should be the least of the deck's concerns). It's also just the better card.
Yeah, I don't agree it's a "better" card. A 2/1 for 2 is fine and necessary for many decks and it's by no means a sure thing we'll get enough of them in the next two packs. A 6 mana burn spell that does a max of 3 damage on the other hand is nearly unplayable. 3 damage to two different targets is frankly bad in this format. Sure you can burn your opponent for 3 but for 6 mana that's bad. Sure you can target two opponent's creatures but by the time you hit 6 mana what worthwhile target has 3 toughness? Especially given all the +1/+1 counters and auras? None that matter. Sure you could kill their minor dorks that barely do anything anymore but you're not removing their actually meaningful threats or blockers that are stopping your attack.
There are times when it can matter but those are very few and far between IMO.
I don't have currently have the energy to explain all the ways in which your argument contradict each other and fall apart under the weight of best/worst case scenario tunnel vision but suffice it to say that I think you're wrong and I think you're vastly overrating bad early drops in this format.
If Pinnacle of Rage is making your maindeck, you're either seriously overvaluing its mediocre effect, or you just needed playables. The card is incredibly expensive and is a huge blank in so many board states.
Don't get me wrong - both of these picks are filler that I hope don't make our maindeck. But in this situation, it's insane to take the wonky, sometimes completely blank burn spell over the 2-power 2-drop creature in a format that's all about finding ways to beef up your creatures.
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It's not your job to win games of Magic where you're mana screwed.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
I'm never really happy to play Pinnacle, but my benchmark test of whether my slow deck is actually a pile in disguise is whether I have to play Goblin Piker. And looking at our picks so far, we have a Kragma Butcher and a bunch of blockers and defensive spells, so as far as I'm concerned we're shaping up to be slow.
Besides, if we're really desperate for vanilla 2/1s for 2, rather than the Omenspeakers that the deck could actually use, I'm sure we can end up with a 14th pick Rambler later or something.
I think you're slipping into a card-versus-card mentality that misses how aggro decks work - accumulating a certain number of 2-power two-drops is crucial to effective aggro, regardless of the fact that some of them will usually have to be bad.
Funny then, that people argue we should pick our first two-drop at the 11th pick, wouldn't you say? I've yet to see a convincing argument about how the picks so far form an aggro shell.
I'm never really happy to play Pinnacle, but my benchmark test of whether my slow deck is actually a pile in disguise is whether I have to play Goblin Piker. And looking at our picks so far, we have a Kragma Butcher and a bunch of blockers and defensive spells, so as far as I'm concerned we're shaping up to be slow.
Besides, if we're really desperate for vanilla 2/1s for 2, rather than the Omenspeakers that the deck could actually use, I'm sure we can end up with a 14th pick Rambler later or something.
It's not entirely vanilla. I've won drafts because a late pick Reveler that made the maindeck entirely for curve purposes traded with a Pillar of War in one match and a Whip of Erebos in another. And even if the card just makes it into the sideboard, isn't it nice to have answers to artifacts that can also attack and block if necessary?
To put it another way: if this pick ends up in our sideboard (as I hope it does), I can't imagine any matchup where I would willingly bring in Pinnacle of Rage. I can easily imagine matchups where I could bring in Reveler.
I'm under no illusions that we're somehow a super aggressive deck. But it's not like it's hard to find bad 6-drops in Theros. Heck, I'd much rather play Rage of Purphoros over Pinnacle of Rage (it's not even close), and we can get as many of those as we want in the dregs of the next couple of packs.
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It's not your job to win games of Magic where you're mana screwed.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
I think you're slipping into a card-versus-card mentality that misses how aggro decks work - accumulating a certain number of 2-power two-drops is crucial to effective aggro, regardless of the fact that some of them will usually have to be bad.
Funny then, that people argue we should pick our first two-drop at the 11th pick, wouldn't you say? I've yet to see a convincing argument about how the picks so far form an aggro shell.
The only reason I even mentioned Aggro is because OhDaisy! said Pinnacle was a better card in an aggressive deck (which I disagreed with strongly). Our deck right now doesn't really have a direction. That said no matter what direction we go I would rather have a 2/1 for 2 (which at the very least is a cheap body to throw our Insight or Helix on if needed) then a 6 mana deal 3 damage spell. It's really not a control vs aggro issue as it is I think Pinnacle is a bad card.
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1 Sudden Storm
1 Servant of Tymaret
1 Nyxborn Wolf
1 Retraction Helix
1 Fall of the Hammer
1 Oracle's Insight
1 Kragma Butcher
1 Stormcaller of Keranos
1 Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
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It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
Point of order: it can also be a 0-for-1. If I thought I could get a 2-for-1 with it reliably I'd take it in a heartbeat.
What? Since when is a 6 mana card one that goes in an aggressive deck? Especially in this format? Heck, 5 mana spells should rarely make the cut.
?
Which card beside the kragma butcher is an aggro card? Stormcaller has haste but costs 3 for two power. The rest is all higher-cost. I guess you can include hammer, althoug hamemr fits pretty much any deck, so I don't include it as a card that define the type of deck we've got so far. OTOH, storm, insight and siren are no aggro, the cyclop is more mid-range and the helix requires you to hold back attackers.
This format is not nearly as blisteringly fast as you're making it out to be.
Pinnacle is the better aggressive card because it's the less replaceable of the two: it expensive, yes, but it also provides reach and CA potential, which are important for the late-game of an aggressive deck, whereas 2/1 dorks are almost always replaceable (and blowing up artifacts should be the least of the deck's concerns). It's also just the better card.
There are times when it can matter but those are very few and far between IMO.
Don't get me wrong - both of these picks are filler that I hope don't make our maindeck. But in this situation, it's insane to take the wonky, sometimes completely blank burn spell over the 2-power 2-drop creature in a format that's all about finding ways to beef up your creatures.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
Besides, if we're really desperate for vanilla 2/1s for 2, rather than the Omenspeakers that the deck could actually use, I'm sure we can end up with a 14th pick Rambler later or something.
Funny then, that people argue we should pick our first two-drop at the 11th pick, wouldn't you say? I've yet to see a convincing argument about how the picks so far form an aggro shell.
It's not entirely vanilla. I've won drafts because a late pick Reveler that made the maindeck entirely for curve purposes traded with a Pillar of War in one match and a Whip of Erebos in another. And even if the card just makes it into the sideboard, isn't it nice to have answers to artifacts that can also attack and block if necessary?
To put it another way: if this pick ends up in our sideboard (as I hope it does), I can't imagine any matchup where I would willingly bring in Pinnacle of Rage. I can easily imagine matchups where I could bring in Reveler.
I'm under no illusions that we're somehow a super aggressive deck. But it's not like it's hard to find bad 6-drops in Theros. Heck, I'd much rather play Rage of Purphoros over Pinnacle of Rage (it's not even close), and we can get as many of those as we want in the dregs of the next couple of packs.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
The only reason I even mentioned Aggro is because OhDaisy! said Pinnacle was a better card in an aggressive deck (which I disagreed with strongly). Our deck right now doesn't really have a direction. That said no matter what direction we go I would rather have a 2/1 for 2 (which at the very least is a cheap body to throw our Insight or Helix on if needed) then a 6 mana deal 3 damage spell. It's really not a control vs aggro issue as it is I think Pinnacle is a bad card.