A question of cmc preference
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on Oct. 7, 2017, 7:55 p.m. by K34
Having access to the right colors, and tutors for both, so equal playability is otherwise not an issue:
Do you use a 1 drop creature with a color requirement or a 2 drop artifact that has no color requirement when they both give you access to the same ability?
Example given: would you run Carrion Feeder or Altar of Dementia? There are minor differences, but for the sake of the discussion lets pretend the abilities are identical.
SteelSentry says... #3
Yeah, altar in this case, much harder and less likely to be removed, with some exceptions. Ex. I might run Carrion Feeder over an altar in Meren of Clan Nel Toth since it being a creature can fuel your commander (A lot of people will sac the Feeder to itself turn 4 once they have Meren out to start the EXP train)
Actually, unless mill/self-mill is part of your game plan, I would run Ashnod's Altar over either of these.
October 7, 2017 8:21 p.m.
ItinerantFailure says... #4
Alter is less susceptible to removal but if you aren't running a 3 color deck Carrion is probably a more reliable drop
October 7, 2017 8:23 p.m.
RazortoothMtg says... #5
I second SteelSentry that Ashnod's Altar is just better than either of these except in rare situations. Also, Phyrexian Altar if you can afford it. And on another note, if I were to build a Meren deck, I would play Viscera Seer over Carrion Feeder 9 times out of 10.
October 7, 2017 8:24 p.m.
Hyperalgialysis says... #6
For the purpose of your example, the altar is usally a better choice. To answer the broader question for me it is a matter of what the effect is and how I intend to use it. Magus of the Future and Future Sight are similar examples. The enchantment gets run for me a lot more simply because it is more difficult to remove. The creature on the other hand will see a lot more play in decks revolving around my graveyard Sidisi, Brood Tyrant and the like. At the end of the day, that is the question I ask about any card, how well does it synergize with the strategy I am using? More often than not it will be a card that is hard to remove. Color requirements don't really play a factor for me unless I need it to come down early. In a 3 or more color deck with the example you stated above, the feeder should be easily cast regardless of what point the game is at. With cards that require more than a single color tho, the colorless choice is better for anything that I need to cast early. After the 5th turn or so, if you can't generate all the colors your deck needs you are in bad shape regardless, so the point is kind of moot anyway.
October 7, 2017 10:33 p.m.
Ultimately it depends on the application. If your sac outlet is being used alongside something like a Zulaport Cutthroat then in this case, Carrion Feeder would be better than Ashnod's Altar. Probably because you're playing a Karador, Ghost Chieftain deck and creatures are easier to recur.
You just need to figure why you're running the card which will dictate which choice you make.
October 8, 2017 12:33 a.m.
chaosumbreon87 says... #8
assuming you cannot run both for whatever reason, it depends on the deck im using it for. In ad nauseam based decks that need a sac outlet ill take the carrion feeder. in most other cases, ill take the altar
October 8, 2017 1:18 a.m.
RedUndead40 says... #9
For most situations I will always play an artifact / enchantment over a creature, even if it costs 1 or 2 more mana. Just harder to remove.
However, depends on the deck. For example, the new Tishana, Voice of Thunder would much rather play Llanowar Elves over something like Moss Diamond.
RazortoothMtg says... #2
Almost always Altar. Being an artifact, and therefore not susceptible to most removal and wraths, is a huge boon. The color requirement is generally irrelavent as you don't often need a sac outlet turn 1 or 2, but later on in the game.
And then, taking into account their abilities, Altars is both more likely to kill someone and more likely to be helpful to your gameplan (in a zombies, dredge, reanimator, etc type deck)
October 7, 2017 8:06 p.m.