The aforementioned combo + Doubling season(s). Even quicker
Silverware
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(11 votes)
@ Dark_raider
It is not strictly better than Helix Pinnacle. Helix Pinnacle can be played on turn one and green has alot of mana exceleraton. Geting 100 mana is not going to take 20 turns in decks that focus on using it.
Uh sungkwon, do the math. You're not tripling, you're quadrupling if both effects happen in the same turn. In any case, while that's a good combo, it's kind of boring to win like that. What happens when you get 20 counters? What does the reactor do? Yeah, I dunno either.
JarieSuicune
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(8 votes)
I can't BELIEVE you're all overlooking the ONE/TWO TURN (costly, but worth it) WIN: Clockspinning!
Wyldblayde
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Hit this with a Dismantle to double the counters on it for 2R. Or hit it with 2 of 'em while it has 5 counters on it to win.
BioPrince
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
eternity vessel+Dismantle early in the game + Darksteel Reactor = easy win get mana ramp creatures turn 3 Darksteel Reactor turn for eternity vessel with 20 counters turn 5 win
EvilCleavage
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(6 votes)
I wish they would have made this more interesting. How about when it reaches 20 counters, all opponents permanents, hand, graveyard and deck are exiled. I dunno, just something more funny I guess lol
Sironos
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(4 votes)
...My reactor is powered, I win... just stupid, they should've made it do something interesting, not just the lame "I win" effect.
UltimaCenturion
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Meh. This would be cool if it did something game-breaking other than just "you win." I mean, I don't mind "you win the game" sort of effects, they're just...boring. This would be cool if, when it had all the counters, it started churning out tokens, or dealing tons of damage to everything,. Or maybe if it just board-wiped everything for the cost of removing a certain amount of counters (that being less than twenty, of course.) Because then, since its indestructible, you could start building up counters and board wipe again later. That would be cool.
GoblinNaysayer93
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I don't know what everyone wants this card to say other than "you win". Suppose that it didn't say "you win", but instead decimated your opponent's field and life total, leaving him with an empty field and only a small amount of life. Then what? Decks that use this are designed to put 20 counters on this thing. They are not designed to deal the last points of damage to your opponent, and so you would lose even if you get 20 counters on your reactor. Further, if this did damage instead, decks that gain a ridiculous amount of life wouldn't care whether this gets 20 counters on it or not. So you see, because this card is only good if your sole intention is to get counters on it rather than win by traditional means, it would be worthless if it did anything less than win you the game.
Let's say it has 3 counters. Gilder bairn goes "I'll put 3 counters on it". Doubling season says "no, no, 6". 3+6 is 9. 9 is 3 tripled. I see why you thought it was 2x2, but that's not how it works.
coyotemoon722
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wow...proliferate sleeper FTW?
Resarcioira
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Use coretapper. Taps to put charge counters on target permanant. You can get two down before you get this down to prep it to. Play two after and you can win early on for cheap.
My friend has a deck that uses this...Profilerate profilerate profilerate profilerate...he wins turn 6. And in a type 2 world...thats the equivelent of a type 1 turn 4 win. I wish it want 20 counters though. That gives people a BIG gap to kill you or exile the reactor. Because of that. i give it a 4.5/5. Although, if you had it in an artifact deck with loads of profilerate abilities, and an Indomitable archangel in play, you are pretty much garunteed a win.
Bandswithother
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Run with the Eternity Vessel combo first game, then sideboard in Dark Depths and Liquidmetal Coating (or just do that to begin with). Using this combo can net a win on turn 4 (or earlier depending on how much money you throw at it).
I'd like to see an unversion of this that, whether win con or board wipes, says you can't play cards in the middle of that table anymore.
HippyRei
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I can just imagine Revoke Existence making someone cry after getting this card to 19 counters hahaha.
Aun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Silveware green has lots of ways of getting infinite mana on turn 3...
made4ipod
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you have a long enough game, this can be a devastating card
Anubisisking
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Proliferate, Doubling Season, Energy Chamber, etc.
C5r1a5z0y
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Interesting - one of only two cards that have non-time-restricted "you win the game" conditions (discounting The Cheese Stands Alone), the other being Coalition Victory. All the other alternate win condition cards only check at the beginning of your upkeep.
I assume in a Grand Melee event, each group of people who came into your range of influence would lose the game in turn, barring someone having a Platinum Angel out.
As for the flavor of it, remember that already-processed and shaped darksteel is indestructible? As the art shows clearly, the usual orbs of light normally circling around darksteel are being concentrated and compressed in the center of the Reactor. As time passes, a highly compressed sphere of energy is formed, for darksteel doesn't budge an inch, despite the pressure. When a certain threshold is achieved, stand at a safe place in the Reactor and press the Big Red Button.
For the people complaining about the anti-climatic effect: For the kind of deck commitment this card requires, any other effect would be terribly underwhelming. "Win the game" is rarely used and has a sense of inevitability and overwhelming power. I like it. And along with Door to Nothingness this card may be the most straightforward of them as to why you just won.
I was just playing a multiplayer game, with a deck I had just constructed, at one point I mentioned that the deck had no creatures in it, one of my opponents asked me "how will you win then?" at that point I realized the deck had absolutely no win condition, though it was extrodinary at stalling the game and keeping myself alive.
I think I just found my win condition.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Solid plan B for winning.
Albita
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love all the cards with alternative winning conditions <3<3<3
They give other flavours to the game, and not only the same, all the same, creature combats or all the same fire spells.
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Ehhm, boring win condition I think. Just pay 4, and hunker down until you win. I wouldn't actually build a strategy around it, but good for a backup plan at least.
So, why didn't the Mirrans just use this against the Phyrexians? Something tells me it's a bit of a challenge to fling a giant, flying rock Into the Core...
As a fan of winning by any means other than damage, I find this card to be amusing.
I love building creatureless decks, and this gives an additional wincon other than milling. I *love* the fact that it's Indestructible, leaving precious few methods of removing it (mostly bounce and exile)- they pretty much just have to watch the counters build while they fret helplessly.
This is hilarious in EDH, but do not cast it without a small army to defend yourself against every other player on the table.
wholelottalove
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is pretty much invincible because there's very little in the game that can exile non-creature artifacts. This card is just simply boring.
My second favorite card of all time. (Favorite being Autochthon Wurm, don't judge) This card was the mainstay of the first deck I ever made, back when I had no idea what I was doing. It just stalled and put counters on it with coretapper and energy chamber. I love this card to death. Also, look at that art. The reactor is HUGE!
Dragonshoredreamz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nothing boring about this card. You just have to feel the excitement that it's backed by!
Alternate win-cons are pretty tight. They add more dynamic to an otherwise well-known situation and the fact that this card gives the feel of a ticking time-bomb is such a thrill - especially if a deck is designed to prevent your opponent from doing much of anything. In that situation it's pretty exhilarating seeing how your opponent has to alter their usual play-mode just in order to race against the clock.
An opponent could use Gremlin Mine to knock off 4 charge counters but that just makes it even more interesting.
I'd say Wizards is pretty decent at balancing how many alternate win-cons there are and how they function. I personally wouldn't want tonnes of them but just the fact that a few are available here and there is really superb in my eyes.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there are a fair number of enchantment-wraths like Back to Nature which can kill pinnacle.
I'm a fan of both, however. The best part to me is that each is raceable. Unlike with some combos, it's not impossible to win against each even after they have hit the table.
This was my win condition for my infinite turn deck, but Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is uncounterable and protects me against mill. So I went with the big dog. This card is more stylish, but like I said it can be countered and doesnt give a mill defense.
Fluicor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Had this fun game with my Vorel of the Hull CladeEDH Turn 2 Aphetto Alchemist turn 3 Vorel turn 4 Reactor. Turn 5=4 counters Turn 6=20 counters Of course my opponents had responses to my win condition,but none bothered themselves to do the math,and none expected the reactor to explode so fast,so they tapped before my turn.
Theevbomb
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Dark steel reactor + Energy Chamber + 4 voltaic key + 4 coretapper + unwinding clock = victory at your next upkeep
Comments (46)
It is not strictly better than Helix Pinnacle. Helix Pinnacle can be played on turn one and green has alot of mana exceleraton. Geting 100 mana is not going to take 20 turns in decks that focus on using it.
get mana ramp creatures turn 3 Darksteel Reactor turn for eternity vessel with 20 counters turn 5 win
This would be cool if, when it had all the counters, it started churning out tokens, or dealing tons of damage to everything,.
Or maybe if it just board-wiped everything for the cost of removing a certain amount of counters (that being less than twenty, of course.) Because then, since its indestructible, you could start building up counters and board wipe again later. That would be cool.
Let's say it has 3 counters. Gilder bairn goes "I'll put 3 counters on it". Doubling season says "no, no, 6". 3+6 is 9. 9 is 3 tripled. I see why you thought it was 2x2, but that's not how it works.
I'd like to see an unversion of this that, whether win con or board wipes, says you can't play cards in the middle of that table anymore.
I assume in a Grand Melee event, each group of people who came into your range of influence would lose the game in turn, barring someone having a Platinum Angel out.
1) Be attacked by a Blightsteel Colossus, with a second one had just been shaped.
2) Tutor two Galvanizers with Myr Turbine and Voltaic Key mid-combat.
3) Block Colossus with pumped Myr tokens, surviving with 9 poison counters.
4) Cast the Reactor
5) Mana myr, two Galvanizers and Coretapper
6) ???
7) PROFIT!!!
Most epic moment evar.
As for the flavor of it, remember that already-processed and shaped darksteel is indestructible? As the art shows clearly, the usual orbs of light normally circling around darksteel are being concentrated and compressed in the center of the Reactor. As time passes, a highly compressed sphere of energy is formed, for darksteel doesn't budge an inch, despite the pressure. When a certain threshold is achieved, stand at a safe place in the Reactor and press the Big Red Button.
For the people complaining about the anti-climatic effect: For the kind of deck commitment this card requires, any other effect would be terribly underwhelming. "Win the game" is rarely used and has a sense of inevitability and overwhelming power. I like it. And along with Door to Nothingness this card may be the most straightforward of them as to why you just won.
at that point I realized the deck had absolutely no win condition, though it was extrodinary at stalling the game and keeping myself alive.
I think I just found my win condition.
They give other flavours to the game, and not only the same, all the same, creature combats or all the same fire spells.
What about Helix Pinnacle?
Something tells me it's a bit of a challenge to fling a giant, flying rock Into the Core...
As a fan of winning by any means other than damage, I find this card to be amusing.
I love building creatureless decks, and this gives an additional wincon other than milling.
I *love* the fact that it's Indestructible, leaving precious few methods of removing it (mostly bounce and exile)-
they pretty much just have to watch the counters build while they fret helplessly.
This is hilarious in EDH, but do not cast it without a small army to defend yourself against every other player on the table.
Kick it with Leyline of Anticipation (played at beginning of game) before your next turn starts and GG.
This card was the mainstay of the first deck I ever made, back when I had no idea what I was doing. It just stalled and put counters on it with coretapper and energy chamber.
I love this card to death. Also, look at that art. The reactor is HUGE!
Alternate win-cons are pretty tight. They add more dynamic to an otherwise well-known situation and the fact that this card gives the feel of a ticking time-bomb is such a thrill - especially if a deck is designed to prevent your opponent from doing much of anything. In that situation it's pretty exhilarating seeing how your opponent has to alter their usual play-mode just in order to race against the clock.
An opponent could use Gremlin Mine to knock off 4 charge counters but that just makes it even more interesting.
I'd say Wizards is pretty decent at balancing how many alternate win-cons there are and how they function. I personally wouldn't want tonnes of them but just the fact that a few are available here and there is really superb in my eyes.
Cheers
-Disperse
The reason to play this over Helix Pinnacle?
-Vorel of the Hull Clade and Gilder Bairn
Another thing to keep in mind is that there are a fair number of enchantment-wraths like Back to Nature which can kill pinnacle.
I'm a fan of both, however. The best part to me is that each is raceable. Unlike with some combos, it's not impossible to win against each even after they have hit the table.
Turn 2 Aphetto Alchemist turn 3 Vorel turn 4 Reactor.
Turn 5=4 counters
Turn 6=20 counters
Of course my opponents had responses to my win condition,but none bothered themselves to do the math,and none expected the reactor to explode so fast,so they tapped before my turn.
4x vorel of the hull clade
4x doubling season
4x copy enchantment
4x gilder bairn
4x vedalken infuser
weirdo