Pinpoint Avalanche MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Number	221
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Darrell Riche

Key Takeaways

The spell’s ability to discard for casting balances its removal power with strategic cost.
Instant speed allows for flexible gameplay, reacting swiftly to opponent’s actions.
Its stringent mana cost might limit deck versatility, requiring careful mana management.

Text of card

Pinpoint Avalanche deals 4 damage to target creature. The damage can't be prevented.

"Some solve problems by thinking and talking. Others use rocks." —Toggo, goblin weaponsmith

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pinpoint Avalanche helps you eliminate key threats on the battlefield, effectively reducing your opponent’s potential card advantage. This removal can swing the momentum in your favor, maintaining pressure and board control which is crucial during gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: While Pinpoint Avalanche in itself does not provide direct mana acceleration, efficiently removing an opponent’s creature can indirectly accelerate your resources by allowing your own creatures to continue attacking and potentially unlocking additional card abilities or synergies.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Pinpoint Avalanche at instant speed provides flexibility, allowing you to adapt to the state of the game without sacrificing the pace of your own strategy. It offers the element of surprise and enables you to respond to opponent’s moves during their turn, potentially saving your creatures from combat or disrupting your opponent’s plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pinpoint Avalanche demands the player discard a card upon casting, presenting a strategic setback particularly when your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost requires a precise combination of mana, which necessitates a heavier investment in red mana sources and could restrict its integration into multicolored builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With other removal options available at lower costs, the mana value of Pinpoint Avalanche might seem inefficient, making it less appealing for decks aiming for high-speed performance and early control.

Reasons to Include Pinpoint Avalanche in Your Collection

Versatility: Pinpoint Avalanche is a flexible removal option, easily sliding into decks that require precise creature elimination. Whether you’re sculpting a limited draft deck or weaving intricate control strategies in constructed play, this card handles problematic creatures with ease.

Combo Potential: Utilizing this instant can set the stage for game-changing turns. It flawlessly clears the way for direct attacks or synergizes with cards that thrive on casting spells, particularly those with instant triggers or prowess-like abilities.

Meta-Relevance: Facing decks packed with critical creatures? Pinpoint Avalanche offers an effective countermeasure. Its capability to disrupt opponent strategies by eliminating key pieces, especially those with indestructible or regeneration abilities, maintains its importance in evolving competitive environments.

How to beat

Encountering Pinpoint Avalanche on the battlefield can be a daunting challenge. This card is designed to directly remove threats with its precise damage output. However, overcoming this obstacle is not impossible. One effective strategy is to deploy creatures with toughness higher than the damage threshold of Pinpoint Avalanche. This approach requires the card’s controller to commit additional resources to take down a single durable creature.

Alternatively, countermagic serves as a solid defense against this direct damage spell. Keeping mana available to counter Pinpoint Avalanche can neutralize it before it affects the board. Moreover, implementing an array of hexproof or shroud-imbued creatures can provide strategic immunity, rendering Pinpoint Avalanche essentially ineffective against such units.

Tactically speaking, diversifying threats so that losing any single creature does not critically impact your game plan is also wise. This way, if Pinpoint Avalanche is used, it becomes a less pivotal moment in the match. Consistently applying these techniques can turn the tide against Pinpoint Avalanche, allowing players to maintain dominance in the game despite its presence.

Cards like Pinpoint Avalanche

Pinpoint Avalanche, a spell that deals with precision strikes in Magic: The Gathering, brings to mind the classic burn cards such as Lightning Bolt. While Lightning Bolt provides an efficient one-mana solution for dealing three damage to any target, the pinpoint precision of Pinpoint Avalanche ensures the destruction of a single creature without the chance of regeneration. This narrow focus comes at a higher cost, but the certainty it provides can be crucial in certain situations.

Another related card is Flame Slash, which offers a similar function with its four damage to a creature for just one red mana. However, while Pinpoint Avalanche benefits from being an instant, allowing for greater flexibility and surprise tactics during an opponent’s turn, Flame Slash is a sorcery, making it a more predictable play. Moreover, Chandra’s Outrage stands as a comparable card, dealing four damage to a creature and two damage to that creature’s controller, giving it added reach against the opponent directly.

Overall, Pinpoint Avalanche holds its own within the array of creature-targeting spells, offering a specialized solution to threats that demand immediate and irrevocable removal.

Cards similar to Pinpoint Avalanche by color, type and mana cost

Beacon of Destruction - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pinpoint Avalanche MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Pinpoint Avalanche and other MTG cards: