Current Oath packages: Archon of Cruelty?
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I haven't had the opportunity to play Vintage in a while and was looking through recent Vintage Challenge decklists to assess the state of my favorite archetype, Oath.
It seems like Archon of Cruelty is the popular Oath package these days. What's the theory behind this choice over other options?
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I don’t know for sure but here are my theories:
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Hype. New card. MH2 hype. (The set has some format warping stuff) Its not legendary so it can’t be Karakased.
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Card Advantage. When it hits, you get an instant +3 card advantage and a free Lightning Helix. One swing is likely game. (Deals 3 when it enters the battlefield and then swings for 9. A second Oath trigger will deal another 3 on that same turn. If they’re not dead you’re just burying them with card advanatge) In this respect it’s basically an Emrakul that cantrips.
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The meta. A lot more creatures. Pithing Needle in every deck.A lot more threat to your life total. Activating Griselbrand might not be possible especially if you then have no way to interact with the board. Archon at least gains 3 life and generates CA without any activated abilities.
Main point? Perhaps every deck playing Pithing Needle and deploying giant constructs is enough to give Archon the nod over Grisel.
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Would also add that Hullbreacher is played in about ~25% of decks and much less effective against Archon than Griselbrand or Niv-Mizzet.
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- Not being hit by karakas
- Immediate impact unlike titans or the other just big creatures
- Constructs are often bigger then griselbrand making him as a body less effective than the sac trigger
- Hullbreacher and needle are much less effective as counterplay
- Gains life instead of paying it