Despite the fact that I haven't posted in this thread for two years, the stack is still going strong. The Cube Tutor list is kept up to date.
The two major changes I've made recently are to increase the stack's size by 100 cards and to make every effect in the stack unique (no more functional reprints and no more strictly better/worse cards). There's still plenty of similar cards, but nothing is identical.
Anyway, here are the cards I'm eyeing from Guilds of Ravnica:
Crush Contraband: Great disenchant. Chemister's Insight: An excellent card advantage spell, but the front half kinda breaks my "No pure-upside card draw spells" rule. Dream Eater: A weird collection of effects, but they're all good. Price of Fame: Another entry in the long list of instant speed removal spells with minor upsides. Doom Whisperer: Manipulating a shared library is one of my favorite aspects of this format. Experimental Frenzy: I love that it doesn't actually reveal the top. Bounty of Might: This won't dethrone Decree of Savagery as the best pump spell, but it's possibly still worth running. The fact that you can use it on opponents' creatures is sweet. Discovery // Dispersal: One of the sickest bounce spells ever. I will be shocked if anyone ever casts Discovery. Trostani Discordant: A medium army-in-a-can card with an occasionally powerful third ability. We'll see. Hypothesizzle: Also comes close to breaking the "pure-upside" rule, but I'm probably going to run it anyway. Requiring a creature in play is awkward. Niv-Mizzet, Parun: He's like Nezahal, Primal Tide but deals damage instead of having an irrelevant protection ability. He'll probably replace Nezahal. Underrealm Lich: He's like Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar but is actually relevant in combat. Tomorrow is still great though, so I'll probably keep running it.
I'm not including Iwamori of the Open Fist at the moment because his downside is almost non-existent in this format and that doesn't feel right to me. I don't use online rarities, so there are a lot of "peasant" legends missing from my list. Maybe when Dominaria comes out.
My schedule prevents me from cubing with my normal group, but, as I've gotten to know other groups through working at my LGS, my pool of potential cubists has expanded. So I'm holding my first cube draft in over a year tomorrow.
I've updated the cube with cards from Aether Revolt, Modern Masters 2017, Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation, Ixalan and Iconic Masters (the Rivals of Ixalan cards are in the mail).
I've cut all the cards from non-booster pack products and multiplayer expansions. Most of the cube-worthy cards don't feel like they were designed with a reasonable limited format in mind, so I just don't feel super comfortable having them around.
I haven't been able to use the cube in some time (one of the things they don't tell you about getting a job at a game store is that you'll have way less time to play games), but I'm updating my cube anyway. Here are the updates for Shadows Over Innistrad, Eternal Masters, Eldritch Moon, Conspiracy 2, Kaladesh and Commander 2016.
I'm cutting a bunch of cards that can be frustrating and non-interactive. A lot of them are very strong cards that are probably seen as staples, but I want fewer one-sided non-games.
This format is supposed to be fun and these cards do not promote that. The paucity of maindeckable artifact and enchantment removal in peasant cube means a lot of these cards are nearly impossible to remove. Great Oak Guardian and Fire Covenant usually end the game when they get cast. Grafted Wargear is on the watchlist.
The cylcing lands are leaving as well. I love them, but there are already a ton of ETB tapped lands in peasant cube. I may reconsider the lifegain lands as well, but they're staying for now.
The guild sections are getting trimmed by one card each once again. I'm not too sad about any of the cuts, but there are a few that might creep back in at some point. Each color gets one more card and colorless gets five more.
As you may have noticed, that list is just a bucket of crazy cards, so let me try to explain some of my design choices behind them.
No tutors! I hate tutors. They slow down the game and make everything less interesting. No errata! Some stack-owners give cards errata to make them function in a format where you can only cast one spell per turn (things like Quicken or Chancellor of the Spires or cascade spells). This is a complicated format and I don't want to complicate it further with errata. No auto-kills! This format may be quick and deadly, but I don't want people to get kicked out of a game as soon as it starts. So that means no X burn spells or infinitely large creatures. No oppressive board presences! I don't want to play against things like Legacy Weapon or Azorius Guildmage. They make the game take forever if they aren't answered immediately. Interaction is good! Every card is answerable. Weird cards! Playing with strong cards is fun, but playing with strong AND weird cards is better! Having a lot of unique effects makes for more complex and memorable games. It's cheap! Very few cards in this are worth more than 2 or 3 dollars, and I intend to keep it that way. Everything is unique! There are no functional reprints or strictly better versions of other cards.
I'd love to hear what you think of my list. Also, you should probably build a stack. They're super fun.
One thing I've noticed is that topdecking the small enabler creatures in the late game is kind of miserable, so I think I want another card or two that let me sacrifice them for some kind of value. Not sure which ones are best, though.
In the first draft, I first-picked Reassembling Skeleton and forced the BG sacrifice deck, and it worked out beautifully. Thoughtpicker Witch is a very good card. While I didn't win the draft, I certainly had the coolest deck.
In the second draft, I first-picked Staggershock and ended up with mono-red aggro. There were some incredibly close games (particularly against the WB sacrifice deck featuring Thoughtpicker Witch and Blood Artist), but I ended up winning the draft.
---
In light of recent discussions here, I'm making some more changes:
Even the dedicated ramp decks could find better things to do for four mana than cast Dynamo. I know it may be difficult to assemble the Scepter deck in a cube this large, but I'm giving it a shot anyway.
I'm hoping that Salvation's successor site is adequate for this community. Reddit is cool, but it doesn't really facilitate long-term discussions.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Pacifism -> Conclave Tribunal
Emancipation Angel -> Sunhome Stalwart
Vaporkin -> Departed Deckhand
Ray of Command -> Mirror Image
Angler Drake -> Murmuring Mystic
Olivia's Bloodsworn -> Vampire Sovereign
Fleshbag Marauder -> Plaguecrafter
Village Messenger -> Goblin Cratermaker
Reckless Racer -> Goblin Instigator
Trophy Hunter -> Kraul Harpooner
Darkthicket Wolf -> District Guide
Brine Shaman -> Dinrova Horror
Bloodwater Entity -> League Guildmage
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
The two major changes I've made recently are to increase the stack's size by 100 cards and to make every effect in the stack unique (no more functional reprints and no more strictly better/worse cards). There's still plenty of similar cards, but nothing is identical.
Anyway, here are the cards I'm eyeing from Guilds of Ravnica:
Crush Contraband: Great disenchant.
Chemister's Insight: An excellent card advantage spell, but the front half kinda breaks my "No pure-upside card draw spells" rule.
Dream Eater: A weird collection of effects, but they're all good.
Price of Fame: Another entry in the long list of instant speed removal spells with minor upsides.
Doom Whisperer: Manipulating a shared library is one of my favorite aspects of this format.
Experimental Frenzy: I love that it doesn't actually reveal the top.
Bounty of Might: This won't dethrone Decree of Savagery as the best pump spell, but it's possibly still worth running. The fact that you can use it on opponents' creatures is sweet.
Discovery // Dispersal: One of the sickest bounce spells ever. I will be shocked if anyone ever casts Discovery.
Trostani Discordant: A medium army-in-a-can card with an occasionally powerful third ability. We'll see.
Hypothesizzle: Also comes close to breaking the "pure-upside" rule, but I'm probably going to run it anyway. Requiring a creature in play is awkward.
Niv-Mizzet, Parun: He's like Nezahal, Primal Tide but deals damage instead of having an irrelevant protection ability. He'll probably replace Nezahal.
Underrealm Lich: He's like Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar but is actually relevant in combat. Tomorrow is still great though, so I'll probably keep running it.
This set is sweet.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Sunhome Stalwart
Goblin Cratermaker
Kraul Harpooner
League Guildmage
are probably the only ones I'll start. Murmuring Mystic and Goblin Banneret will be kept in mind.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Elite Vanguard -> Dauntless Bodyguard
Sunlance -> Baird, Steward of Argive
Daring Skyjek -> Adanto Vanguard
Niblis of the Urn -> Danitha Capashen, Paragon
Genju of the Falls -> Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
Quickling -> Merfolk Trickster
Withdraw -> Blink of an Eye
Nekrataal -> Whisper, Blood Liturgist
Makeshift Mannequin -> Memorial to Folly
Death Denied -> Wander in Death
Wild Nacatl -> Heir of the Wilds
Beastbreaker of Bala Ged -> Untamed Kavu
Devoted Druid -> Servant of the Conduit
Rampant Growth -> Song of Freyalise
Scatter the Seeds -> Saproling Migration
Moroii -> Brine Shaman
Rix Maadi Guildmage -> Garna, the Bloodflame
Boros Charm -> Sunhome Guildmage
Lashweed Lurker -> Tatyova, Benthic Druid
Foundry of the Consuls -> Myriad Landscape
Chronomaton -> Elixir of Immortality
Guardian Idol -> Viridian Longbow
Pierce Strider -> Sunset Pyramid
Additionally, I'm cutting some of the hybrids in favor of mono-color cards:
-Burning-Tree Emissary
-Gruul Guildmage
-Inkfathom Infiltrator
-Rakdos Guildmage
-Fire // Ice
+Essence Scatter
+Supernatural Stamina
+Manic Vandal
+Anger
+Sifter Wurm
I'm keeping an eye on aggro decks; it seems like this and the last few updates haven't done them many favors.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Expedition Envoy -> Skymarcher Aspirant
Cenn's Enlistment -> Promise of Bunrei
Timely Hordemate -> Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon"
Welkin Tern -> Kitesail Corsair
Reaver Drone -> Grasping Scoundrel
Vampire Interloper -> Stinkweed Imp
Nezumi Graverobber -> Undead Gladiator
Terror -> Ravenous Chupacabra
Contagion -> Golden Demise
Haunter of Nightveil -> Shadowmage Infiltrator
Sylvok Lifestaff -> Ash Barrens
I'm not including Iwamori of the Open Fist at the moment because his downside is almost non-existent in this format and that doesn't feel right to me. I don't use online rarities, so there are a lot of "peasant" legends missing from my list. Maybe when Dominaria comes out.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
My schedule prevents me from cubing with my normal group, but, as I've gotten to know other groups through working at my LGS, my pool of potential cubists has expanded. So I'm holding my first cube draft in over a year tomorrow.
I've updated the cube with cards from Aether Revolt, Modern Masters 2017, Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation, Ixalan and Iconic Masters (the Rivals of Ixalan cards are in the mail).
I've cut all the cards from non-booster pack products and multiplayer expansions. Most of the cube-worthy cards don't feel like they were designed with a reasonable limited format in mind, so I just don't feel super comfortable having them around.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Siren Stormtamer could be cool. Chart A Course seems like it has a pretty mediocre average-case-scenario, but I might try it out anyway.
Tribal sets are boring.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
I'm cutting a bunch of cards that can be frustrating and non-interactive. A lot of them are very strong cards that are probably seen as staples, but I want fewer one-sided non-games.
Removed from the cardpool:
Mother of Runes
Shrine of Loyal Legions
Curse of Shallow Graves
Shrine of Burning Rage
Curse of Predation
Great Oak Guardian
Fire Covenant
Isochron Scepter
This format is supposed to be fun and these cards do not promote that. The paucity of maindeckable artifact and enchantment removal in peasant cube means a lot of these cards are nearly impossible to remove. Great Oak Guardian and Fire Covenant usually end the game when they get cast. Grafted Wargear is on the watchlist.
The cylcing lands are leaving as well. I love them, but there are already a ton of ETB tapped lands in peasant cube. I may reconsider the lifegain lands as well, but they're staying for now.
The guild sections are getting trimmed by one card each once again. I'm not too sad about any of the cuts, but there are a few that might creep back in at some point. Each color gets one more card and colorless gets five more.
-Secluded Steppe
-Mother of Runes
-Guided Strike
-Shrine of Loyal Legions
+Cenn's Tactician
+Thraben Inspector
+Aerial Responder
+Fairgrounds Warden
+Celestial Crusader
+Visionary Augmenter
-Lonely Sandbar
-Gitaxian Probe
-Illusory Angel
-Silumgar Sorcerer
-Nimbus Naiad
+Essence Flux
+Tattered Haunter
+Withdraw
+Sprite Noble
+Stitched Mangler
+Rise from the Tides
+Phyrexian Ingester
-Barren Moor
-Quest for the Gravelord
-Chittering Rats
-Phyrexian Ghoul
-Curse of Shallow Graves
-Bellowing Saddlebrute
+Heir of Falkenrath
+Olivia's Bloodsworn
+Fleshbag Marauder
+Tooth Collector
+Vampire Aristrocrat
+Homicidal Seclusion
+Havoc Demon
-Forgotten Cave
-Humble Defector
-Torch Fiend
-War-Name Aspirant
-Arc Trail
-Shrine of Burning Rage
-Boggart Brute
-Manic Vandal
-Brimstone Volley
-Mark of Mutiny
-Traitorous Instinct
-Shockmaw Dragon
+Village Messenger
+Kessig Forgemaster
+Thermo-Alchemist
+Thriving Grubs
+Brazen Scourge
+Brazen Wolves
+Imperial Recruiter
+Thopter Engineer
+Weaver of Lightning
+Besmirch
+Enthralling Victor
+Smoldering Werewolf
+Malevolent Whispers
-Tranquil Thicket
-Snapping Gnarlid
-Undercity Troll
-Scion of the Wild
-Curse of Predation
-Sprout Swarm
-Great Oak Guardian
+Blossoming Defense
+Duskwatch Recruiter
+Longtusk Cub
+Noose Constrictor
+Ulvenwald Captive
+Manaplasm
+Pack Guardian
+Arborback Stomper
-Arctic Aven
-Haunter of Nightveil
-Fire Covenant
-Gruul War Chant
-Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
-Unburial Rites
-Turn // Burn
-Deathreap Ritual
-Truefire Paladin
-Kiora's Follower
-Azorius Guildmage
-Curse of Chains
-Momentary Blink
-Lyev Skyknight
+Cloudblazer
+Migratory Route
-Kird Ape
+Voltaic Brawler
-Skyknight Legionnaire
+Nahiri's Machinations
-Quicksand
-Isochron Scepter
+Aether Hub
+Ash Barrens
+Chronomaton
+Culling Dais
+Basalt Monolith
+Hedron Archive
+Eldrazi Devastator
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Does anyone have experience with it in peasant cube? Does it fit into any particular strategy or is it just kinda good value?
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
The rules of the format are pretty simple:
Here's the list!
As you may have noticed, that list is just a bucket of crazy cards, so let me try to explain some of my design choices behind them.
No tutors! I hate tutors. They slow down the game and make everything less interesting.
No errata! Some stack-owners give cards errata to make them function in a format where you can only cast one spell per turn (things like Quicken or Chancellor of the Spires or cascade spells). This is a complicated format and I don't want to complicate it further with errata.
No auto-kills! This format may be quick and deadly, but I don't want people to get kicked out of a game as soon as it starts. So that means no X burn spells or infinitely large creatures.
No oppressive board presences! I don't want to play against things like Legacy Weapon or Azorius Guildmage. They make the game take forever if they aren't answered immediately.
Interaction is good! Every card is answerable.
Weird cards! Playing with strong cards is fun, but playing with strong AND weird cards is better! Having a lot of unique effects makes for more complex and memorable games.
It's cheap! Very few cards in this are worth more than 2 or 3 dollars, and I intend to keep it that way.
Everything is unique! There are no functional reprints or strictly better versions of other cards.
I'd love to hear what you think of my list. Also, you should probably build a stack. They're super fun.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
1 Shepherd of Rot
1 Thermo-Alchemist
1 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh
1 Lobber Crew
1 Nettle Drone
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Tunneling Geopede
1 Vithian Stinger
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Mogis, God of Slaughter
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Archfiend of Depravity
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Grave Titan
1 Harvester of Souls
1 Pontiff of Blight
1 Reaper from the Abyss
1 Inferno Titan
1 Soul of Shandalar
1 Soul of New Phyrexia
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Deathbringer Regent
1 Lord of the Void
1 Overseer of the Damned
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Knollspine Dragon
1 Tsabo Tavoc
1 Avatar of Woe
1 Reiver Demon
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Magmatic Force
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
1 Terminate
1 Ashes to Ashes
1 Fire Covenant
1 Staff of Nin
1 Night's Whisper
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Read the Bones
1 Underworld Connections
1 Vampiric Rites
1 Bitterblossom
1 Retreat to Hagra
1 Whip of Erebos
1 Gratuitous Violence
1 Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Sol Ring
1 Charcoal Diamond
1 Fire Diamond
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Talisman of Indulgence
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Kolaghan Monument
1 Rakdos Cluestone
1 Rakdos Keyrune
1 Akoum Refuge
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodfell Caves
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cinder Barrens
1 Command Tower
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Graven Cairns
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Opal Palace
1 Rakdos Carnarium
1 Rakdos Guildgate
1 Rocky Tar Pit
1 Shadowblood Ridge
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Temple of Malice
1 Tresserhorn Sinks
1 Urborg Volcano
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Piranha Marsh
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Spinerock Knoll
5 Swamp
5 Mountain
One thing I've noticed is that topdecking the small enabler creatures in the late game is kind of miserable, so I think I want another card or two that let me sacrifice them for some kind of value. Not sure which ones are best, though.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
In the first draft, I first-picked Reassembling Skeleton and forced the BG sacrifice deck, and it worked out beautifully. Thoughtpicker Witch is a very good card. While I didn't win the draft, I certainly had the coolest deck.
In the second draft, I first-picked Staggershock and ended up with mono-red aggro. There were some incredibly close games (particularly against the WB sacrifice deck featuring Thoughtpicker Witch and Blood Artist), but I ended up winning the draft.
---
In light of recent discussions here, I'm making some more changes:
-Dauntless Onslaught
+Griffin Guide
While I do think Onslaught and Symbiosis are good cards, they can be unwieldy.
-Stormbound Geist
+Arcane Denial
-Goblin Fireslinger
+Tormenting Voice
I'm not sure how I have allowed Goblin Fireslinger to remain in the cube this long. It's not a good card.
-Symbiosis
-Vines of Vastwood
+Mutagenic Growth
+Invigorate
-Thran Dynamo
+Isochron Scepter
Even the dedicated ramp decks could find better things to do for four mana than cast Dynamo. I know it may be difficult to assemble the Scepter deck in a cube this large, but I'm giving it a shot anyway.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)