However, to make it as fast as a Goyf/Mandrills (T7 kill), you need to invest a total of 4 mana into it, effectively eating 2.5 turns worth of mana. That's 2 turns of not interacting with your opponent's spells. 2 turns of not using spells to maintain board superiority. Hexdinker's potential upside, is that it turns some cards in your opponent's hand into dead cards.
This.
And on top of that, you can't just judge the cards in a vacuum. Hexdrinker has some drawbacks that go against the idea of playing tempo. 1: Have to level up at sorcery speed. 2: Have to invest extra ressources. 3: Have to level up 1 level at a time, setting you up for being set back after you've sunk the extra mana into it and not reaching the good levels.
I think that for those who like Hexdrinker, it might be worth it to try and go RUG Midrange instead. Have every creature played be a bigger threat than both Delver and Mongoose. Basically give up speed for power, since that's what Hexdrinker does anyway.
I will probably try out a build with creature base being:
4 Delver
4 Mongoose
4 Goyf
2 Snapcaster
Drop a turn 1 creature, don't have to put extra ressources to make it grow, protect it, get within bolt-snap-bolt range. Tempo doesn't really have a backup "go long" plan. Either plan A works or we lose.
The questions I am asking myself right now, is which of the usual cards are still valid.
Blood Moon in SB?
4 Remand main?
Would Trickbind work nowadays? (Since Stifle isn't a legal option)
Play Shoal? (Trickbind is another 2cmc to pitch if need be)
Play the new Force?
17-18 lands?
Keep the deck as much at instant speed as possible? (Don't worry about Goyf, the opponent has card types in their graveyard too)
This.
And on top of that, you can't just judge the cards in a vacuum. Hexdrinker has some drawbacks that go against the idea of playing tempo. 1: Have to level up at sorcery speed. 2: Have to invest extra ressources. 3: Have to level up 1 level at a time, setting you up for being set back after you've sunk the extra mana into it and not reaching the good levels.
How do people rate Electrolyze as one of the flex spots?
Has the meta run past it full speed or are there enough viable targets that it could work?
4 Delver
4 Mongoose
4 Goyf
2 Snapcaster
Drop a turn 1 creature, don't have to put extra ressources to make it grow, protect it, get within bolt-snap-bolt range. Tempo doesn't really have a backup "go long" plan. Either plan A works or we lose.
The questions I am asking myself right now, is which of the usual cards are still valid.
Blood Moon in SB?
4 Remand main?
Would Trickbind work nowadays? (Since Stifle isn't a legal option)
Play Shoal? (Trickbind is another 2cmc to pitch if need be)
Play the new Force?
17-18 lands?
Keep the deck as much at instant speed as possible? (Don't worry about Goyf, the opponent has card types in their graveyard too)
That's what I'm afraid of. But it definitely warrants a round of testing nonetheless.
Time to bench Mandrills for testing purposes.