Being able to resolve Molten Vortex on turn one when you may not have much else going on, as the second spell in a turn or using only one mana while holding up other mana you need to hold open for whatever reason seems useful. That's not even considering easing the manabase considerations of trying to build around needing BB for Smallpox, RRR for Seismic and G.
In addition, with it in play, it makes all of your turns very efficient as extra red mana can be used effectively during opponents end steps. Vortex might need some thought put into how to build the deck; but it certainly seems worth consideration for this archetype.
If you want to be able to use a trick in combat if you need one, then cast your creatures postcombat. Isn't this the very first thing people learn to do in Magic when they move beyond "how do I cast spells" and "what's a triggered ability"?
Because using mana on a combat trick and then having more mana to play more guys is never relevant. I said he's one-drops 9-12; I not sure why this tone was required.
Its difficult to understand the argument that Honored Hierarch secondary ability is irrelevant.
Once he has a counter, he has vigilance, so he can be swinging and also representing the ability to cast spells during or post-combat. I'm always mana starved in the first few turns of a game; having the ability to play a trick and then a creature when you wouldn't otherwise is certainly relevant.
Again, I don't think he's great. I do think he's worthy of consideration.
He costs you one damage versus a generic 2/1 that you don't get swinging on Turn 2, but the upsides are:
He plays really well with Avatar
If you have an Avatar that gets through you recouped the single point
He enables multi-color splashes to a certain extent
His ability is really relevant when your one drops can't swing for whatever reason
He might allow slightly less land or a utility land depending on how purely you want to stick to the plan
I think he's certainly one-drops 9-12 in the base deck; the question being of course do you want that many one drops. He's not as good as Experiment One, and Militant's ability is so disruptive and relevant, its difficult to replace him, but I think he's a worthy consideration\tool in the toolbox.
Languish is the most format defining card so far in my opinion. With what we know right now UB control seems like the go to choice for best deck.
In addition, with it in play, it makes all of your turns very efficient as extra red mana can be used effectively during opponents end steps. Vortex might need some thought put into how to build the deck; but it certainly seems worth consideration for this archetype.
Because using mana on a combat trick and then having more mana to play more guys is never relevant. I said he's one-drops 9-12; I not sure why this tone was required.
Once he has a counter, he has vigilance, so he can be swinging and also representing the ability to cast spells during or post-combat. I'm always mana starved in the first few turns of a game; having the ability to play a trick and then a creature when you wouldn't otherwise is certainly relevant.
Again, I don't think he's great. I do think he's worthy of consideration.
Honestly, I think he's pretty good.
He costs you one damage versus a generic 2/1 that you don't get swinging on Turn 2, but the upsides are:
I think he's certainly one-drops 9-12 in the base deck; the question being of course do you want that many one drops. He's not as good as Experiment One, and Militant's ability is so disruptive and relevant, its difficult to replace him, but I think he's a worthy consideration\tool in the toolbox.