Pinecone Strike
HOB · common · Released 2026-08-14
Power
Tier shown as baseline → best-case (in its ideal shell). The score (-8 to 19) is a rank signal derived from tier + kind + atoms; browse by it on the cards page.
Derived from the 7 atoms below.
above rate
minor value alone
fits anywhere
fixed effect
multiple modes
broadly useful
n/a
Commander Bracket
Archetypes
No active conflicts.
Roles
Risks
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Mechanics
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Typal
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Structural
Rationale
2cmc modal instant — deals 3 damage to a creature with exile-instead-of-dying replacement, OR destroys a target artifact token, or both. Red removal at instant speed that incidentally hoses graveyard recursion and artifact tokens (Treasure, Clues, Food). Over-rate for 2 mana due to the modal nature; the exile clause is a meaningful bonus on the creature mode. Fits control and midrange as a clean, flexible answer.
Learnings (2)
The exile replacement effect on the creature mode only triggers if the creature 'would die this turn' — meaning it must actually be lethal (3 damage needs to exceed the creature's toughness or it already has damage marked); hitting a 4+ toughness creature gains nothing beyond 3 damage.
tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6
The second mode says 'artifact token' specifically, making it useless against non-token artifacts; this is a meaningful limitation that distinguishes it from generic artifact removal like Naturalize or Smash to Smithereens.
tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6
Popularity
- EDHREC rank: #29,847