Dies to Removal

No worries.

I never said that it was good in those match ups (I agree, it's mediocre vs black and awful vs UWx). I was focusing on the aggro match up. I think the difference is in meta between my area and MTGO. When I go to a tournament in this area (5 stores, varying competitiveness, more if it's entry with good prizes) that I will go against an aggro deck 100% of the time. Usually it's in the later stages, sometimes early (and if so, I'll probably see 2+ aggro decks during the tournament). It's a match up I give due respect.

Race may have been the wrong word, but it's how I think of it. He's trying to kill me. I'm trying to stop him. Classic beat down vs control. I'm trying to 1 for 1 and if he does 1 drop into 2 drop or has a BTE chain, I will be taking damage. Incremental damage will start to add up as we both approach a top deck war. Going in 8 to 16 health while top decking is dangerously close to not
winning. He's a couple spells from taking the game out of no where. If we can get into a top deck war with similar life totals, I'm confident that my top deck cards are going to win that. Searing Blood lets me get to that point.

Searing blood has never changed how the aggro match plays out.

Except all the times it did. The card puts you ahead in the race while answering their threat X/2 threats which is about everything in their deck. It lets you beat their nut draws, turn losing games into wins, and even punishes them hard if they putter.

I'm with you on potentially underestimating convoke though. I'm willing to give it a shot, but I'm skeptical.

I'm more skeptical about Stoke the Flames than Hushwing Griff.

I'm worried that 6 4 mana cards might be taxing the mana too much. It seems great with Young Pyromancer and his tokens, but wouldn't I rather be attacking with my birds than tapping them for mana? I'm also worried that -2 Searing Blood will make the vs aggro match ups a lot harder.

The Griff though, I think it has potential. The card becomes "Counter whatever you were about to do unless you have removal RIGHT NOW". Even if you're only able to counter a single card, it was mostly like one of their win cons or critical support cards. Wasn't that the point of playing Skullcrack? To shut down a few win cons/critical support cards? Now it does that and can be a threat to win the game with.