Pinecone Strike

Three damage plus exile is useful against small creatures and death value, but it is slower and less flexible than Burst Lightning; token-only artifact hate limits adoption.

Could be wrong if Artifact-token decks or graveyard-recursion creatures may become common enough to make the two-for-one mode a regular maindeck draw.

It is substantially narrower than Abrade, matching its creature-damage rate but hitting only artifact tokens. Exile gives it a plausible, narrow sideboard role.

Could be wrong if A metagame centered on artifact creature tokens or creatures that must be exiled could raise its sideboard demand.

Two mana for three creature-only damage is below Modern's normal removal rate, and destroying only artifact tokens is too narrow to displace efficient red interaction.

Could be wrong if A prominent artifact-token engine or a low-toughness graveyard creature deck could create a specialized sideboard use.

Legacy's one-mana interaction makes this inefficient, while the artifact mode misses actual artifacts. The exile rider is insufficient compensation for the mana cost.

Could be wrong if A successful token-based artifact strategy vulnerable to three damage and exile could create a small sideboard niche.

It is outclassed by Lightning Bolt and Galvanic Blast as general red removal, but instant exile and occasional artifact-token utility support fringe use.

Could be wrong if Token density and the number of relevant three-toughness creatures will determine whether its added mode merits a removal slot.

This is far narrower than Prismari Command: three damage rarely matters in multiplayer, and artifact-token-only removal is too replaceable for most optimized lists.

Could be wrong if A red deck specifically needing exile-based death denial while facing many artifact tokens could value the compact two-mode effect.

Cheap instant three-damage removal will normally make decks, and exile plus artifact-token destruction occasionally creates a meaningful two-for-one; 3 damage is not universal.

Could be wrong if Unknown creature toughness, removal density, and artifact-token prevalence could move it from solid removal to ordinary filler.