This is probably the most versatile removal available in red, and most red heavy decks can certainly handle the 3 damage but no one runs this any more. I did a search on Cubetutor - literally no one. What gives, is 4 mana really too much to be able to blow up any size creature in a color that can have trouble dealing with large critters?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Well, I know I run it in my Cube which is available in Cubetutor so your claim that literally no one runs it is clearly false unless you added parameters which are not mentioned in the original post to that search.
However, my Cube is Peasant and while I think some other Peasant Cube also run Aftershock, its mana cost remains a big turn-off. Personally, I run it mostly because I want red to have some artifact destruction which also does other things. It also helps red destroy bombs which are beyond burn range. The card being sorcery speed is likely another turn-off for many.
Edit: Ran the search with 657 results in total with no other parameters. Out of ~20000 Cubes, that is ~3,3% which may be negligible but it is something.
I played this for years but it was outclassed in the end by better options at that casting cost. A four mana red sorcery that bolts me was just a wee bit too klunky despite the great versatility. If wizards ever, and I doubt they would, get around to printing another decent LD spell for red I'd try out the Stone Rain and friends again, and probably consider including this among them. So IF you want to push LD this is one of the better options, if not...
I don't think this spell is needed badly in any deck. Mono red manages to win by accepting losses while attacking through fatties and by burn to the face, and 2 or more colored decks get access to better hard removal in the other colors. Land destruction comes a little late at 4 mana (not necessarily too late, but this is no Vindicate).
The versatility adds a lot of value to limiting formats like Sealed Deck and Winston, but in a regular draft it had a harder and harder time as time went on making the final 40 with any consistency.
I'm still running it but it is getting closer to the chopping block as we continue to get better and better cards. Two or three more sets and I imagine it will have to go.
Aftershock very rarely made our final decks when we played it. I've cut it and haven't looked back. The damage to self isn't a big issue, but 2RR is a steep price for what it does.
I loved Aftershock while it was in the cube, but it just couldn't stand the test of time. I can't afford to keep a slot in my 4cc section reserved for a card like Aftershock and still run things like Koth, Purphoros, and Hellrider. If it were 2R instead of 2RR, it'd be a shoe in, but I just don't have room for it at four.
It was a 360 power level about I think 4 years ago. However, a lot more good red cards have been printed since then, and a 4 mana sorcery removal that deals damage to you doesn't cut it anymore.
Aftershock
This is probably the most versatile removal available in red, and most red heavy decks can certainly handle the 3 damage but no one runs this any more. I did a search on Cubetutor - literally no one. What gives, is 4 mana really too much to be able to blow up any size creature in a color that can have trouble dealing with large critters?
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
However, my Cube is Peasant and while I think some other Peasant Cube also run Aftershock, its mana cost remains a big turn-off. Personally, I run it mostly because I want red to have some artifact destruction which also does other things. It also helps red destroy bombs which are beyond burn range. The card being sorcery speed is likely another turn-off for many.
Edit: Ran the search with 657 results in total with no other parameters. Out of ~20000 Cubes, that is ~3,3% which may be negligible but it is something.
Etali, Primal Storm EDH
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
http://cubetutor.com/cubeblog/993
http://www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/23690
CUBE TOP 10 - Help us vote for the best cards in cube
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
My cube
My cube on Cube tutor
I'm OP_Forever. I'll be putting this in my signature for a while so everyone know I change my nickname.