So I've been thinking that a discussion about the weakest creature slots in your cube might be a good combination of Print this Wizards and this or that. So if you have thoughts/would like advice or are just bored on a snow day like me, chime in.
White
1. 4 Drop
Starting with my most controversial. After Hero and Restoration Angel the creatures don't stack up with the non creature spells. And I'm one of those people who don't overload on planeswalkers, and haven't dropped the coin yet for moat or ravages of war.
2. 2 Drop
You think I'm crazy but how many two drops attack for 3 or are evasive, but have more than 1 toughness?
Blue
1. 1 Drop
Blue tempo is very good already but another aggressive 1 drop would go a long way to giving cube builders options. Also I think a defensive card selection card along the line of sigled starfish would be the nut.
2. 2 Drop
Same as above but much more likely for wizards to print.Omenspeaker is nice but a similar card that is a hair better. Also a bounce creature, even a 1/1 would be delicious. I could use a looter that can block or a flash creature that blinks something.
Black
1. 5 Drop
My current favorites are Shriekmaw and Herald of Torment, neither is really a 5. I could use a good reanimator target, token machine, sacrifice engine, or just a demon with one of Black's classic enchantments (contagion?) strapped to it.
2. 2 Drop
I'm open to lots of aggro cards that red and white have, but more tokeny sacrifice stuff is good.
Red
1. 1 Drop
I'll say it, I hate Jackal Pup cards.I play them but I'd replace them if given a chance. Maybe some token card, or other synergy card given that wizards doesn't give red Lions.
2. 6 Drop
My Inferno Titan is lonely at the top. Something worthy of stealing a spot from a cheaper slot, pairs well with sneak attack and wildfire or maybe card drawing or redundancy for Kikki-twin?
Green
1. 6 Drop
This is a need that wizards should be able to handle. With each set we get another great 5, that if amped up a little would be awesome. We get mythic green monsters but none good enough at 6. In gold we get Armada Wurm, and Rurhic Tar which I'd love in mono green.
2. 3 Drop
Couser and reclamation sage go a long way but there is so much opportunity. Is a 4/4 out of the question? Could we get a rampant growth etb 2/2? I'd go for a walking anthem creature as well or a tweaked hornet's nest (so close on defense and tokens and off the chart on fun)
Colorless
1. 1 Drop
Definetly a dream and not likely without Phrexian Mana but an aggressive colorless 1 drop would be in my cube forever, even if it were kind of bad. I am not sure what else they could do, maybe a myr that taps for colorless?
2. 4 Drop
I'm not a fan of the masticores and there is not much else. A juggernaut with trample or haste maybe? A token producer? But more sexy would be one of those artifacts like tangle wire, smokestack, or icy manipulator on a body.
Gold
1. W/B 1-3 Drop
Something aggressive, anthem-token-sacrifice friendly. Human or zombie would both be welcome.
2. R/X 2 Drop
Is it too greedy to ask for a multicoloured young pyromancer? Maybe, but a spells matter 2 drop in a red section could be awesome.
I think if I had to choose any slot to be the highest in need it would be black 5 drop. At least green 6 has Prime Time and a few fringe that are fine like Silvos and Baloths.
Bloodgift Demon is a solid black 5-drop, IMO. But yeah, in general, you have good 4-drops and good 6-drops in black.
Red 6 is pretty dry for me. Past Inferno Titan, there's a bunch of dragons I don't want to play.
For your white 2-drop question, you might consider Sigiled Paladin. No evasion, but he has first strike and can hit for 3 by himself.
I've tried Bloodgift and he is OK, but it turns out slow card advantage is not what I want at 5. I'm currently using Shadowborn Demon but that too would be an easy replace for a black deranged hermit.
I've never tried Sigled Paladin. Alas I fear it would play like knight of glory. Not great in my swarming white decks.
I've liked Rorix Bladewing but it wasn't worth the expensive slot, doesn't really stabilize the board, and isn't as good as some of the colorless 6 drops. I need a crater hellion without echo.
I've run Bloodgift ever since I started my cube (in every one of my commander decks that can run him, love the card), but I agree, his effect is kind of low impact. I'm currently testing Archfiend of Depravity, but haven't gotten to see him in action yet. Hoping it's good, because tokens are currently wreaking havoc in my list.
Really just black fatties in general for me. Besides Griselbrand, Grave Titan, and I guess Tombstalker if you count it (I don't), black is very sparse up there. I want one more good 6 drop and I'd be happy.
It's not snowing where I am, but I am on winter vacation so I have time to kill, too:
White 4-drops:
So far I've been pretty happy with Sublime Archangel and Jazal Goldmane. Each of them hits like a truck on its own and supports token/anthem and weenie decks rather nicely. High Sentinels of Arashin might also be worth a try, especially if you have some other ways to get +1/+1 counters on creatures. I've been looking into hatebears recently, and Angel of Finality and Linvala, Keeper of Silence are also on my radar but I have yet to try either one.
For evasive 2 drops you can't beat Dauthi Horror. I've also been happy with Oona's Prowler (helps support reanimator as well as aggro) and Dauthi Slayer gets the job done if you don't mind the BB cost. Dipping into hybrids, I've been happy with Inkfathom Infiltrator, which also sees more play in blue decks than you might expect.
Conquering Manticore does a lot of what you're looking for, and although it won't let you go infinite with Kiki-Jiki, they'd still work together pretty nicely.
I tried out both Nessian Wilds Ravager and Rampaging Baloths before I got my copy of Primeval Titan. Neither was as good as Prime Time, but both were solid. Also, dipping into hybrids, Gleancrawler can be nasty played right after trading creatures with some blockers. It plays nicely with Shriekmaw or any other Bloodrush or Evoke creatures you might happen to be running. As a 6-drop, the HHH cost isn't necessarily that hard to cast on curve in a non-Golgari green or black deck, too.
OK, there are some real problems with the casting costs on all of these. For three drop beaters the best options I can think of are Troll Ascetic and Witchstalker.
Could we get a rampant growth etb 2/2?
How about a 2/1 with forestwalk? I think this creature's pretty interesting because it can also fetch duals and even give a forest to an opponent if you want to make her unblockable or to an ally in multiplayer games/2HG.
I'd go for a walking anthem creature
Once again in hybrid, and you'd have to pay more than 3, but I've been liking Creakwood Liege in my cube. I support tokens in green and black, so this works really well in my cube. It also works in heavy black Pox/stax decks. Wilt-Leaf Liege also seems like it has potential.
Colorless 1 drops:
We might be waiting for a while on that one, but you are running all of the same hybrid 1 drops I am besides Tattermunge Maniac, which I'd say are the next best thing. I notice you also have Vault Skirge in your Rainbow/Miscellaneous section. How's that working for you?
You're already running Lingering Souls, but I can't think of a second one that fits this definition.
Tidehollow Sculler is a pretty cool disruptive W/B bear that's also a zombie. Putrid Warrior also seems kind of interesting but probably isn't quite powerful enough.
R/X 2 drops:
Maybe, but a spells matter 2 drop in a red section could be awesome.
You're in luck, they just printed one in Boros. At least, that's where I'm categorizing SFGM in my cube since I cut a Boros card to make room for it.
So I've been thinking that a discussion about the weakest creature slots in your cube might be a good combination of Print this Wizards and this or that. So if you have thoughts/would like advice or are just bored on a snow day like me, chime in.
White
1. 4 Drop
Starting with my most controversial. After Hero and Restoration Angel the creatures don't stack up with the non creature spells. And I'm one of those people who don't overload on planeswalkers, and haven't dropped the coin yet for moat or ravages of war. Yep! Agreed.
2. 2 Drop
You think I'm crazy but how many two drops attack for 3 or are evasive, but have more than 1 toughness? Two is fine in white IMO.
Blue
1. 1 Drop
Blue tempo is very good already but another aggressive 1 drop would go a long way to giving cube builders options. Also I think a defensive card selection card along the line of sigled starfish would be the nut. Definitely
2. 2 Drop
Same as above but much more likely for wizards to print. Omenspeaker is nice but a similar card that is a hair better. Also a bounce creature, even a 1/1 would be delicious. I could use a looter that can block or a flash creature that blinks something. There's room for expansion in this slot too.
Black
1. 5 Drop
My current favorites are Shriekmaw and Herald of Torment, neither is really a 5. I could use a good reanimator target, token machine, sacrifice engine, or just a demon with one of Black's classic enchantments (contagion?) strapped to it. Herald and Shriek are great but not true five drops as you say. Shadowborn Demon is OK too. But there aren't any 'staple' creatures. Ob Nixilis Planeswalker is a really good impression of one, however.
2. 2 Drop
I'm open to lots of aggro cards that red and white have, but more tokeny sacrifice stuff is good. Black's two drops are really shallow.
Red
1. 1 Drop
I'll say it, I hate Jackal Pup cards.I play them but I'd replace them if given a chance. Maybe some token card, or other synergy card given that wizards doesn't give red Lions. Red is definitely shallow in this department
2. 6 Drop
My Inferno Titan is lonely at the top. Something worthy of stealing a spot from a cheaper slot, pairs well with sneak attack and wildfire or maybe card drawing or redundancy for Kikki-twin? Not a problem for 360. I like Soul of Shandalar quite a bit if I wanted another one, and I also have the Wildfires at this CMC.
Green
1. 6 Drop
This is a need that wizards should be able to handle. With each set we get another great 5, that if amped up a little would be awesome. We get mythic green monsters but none good enough at 6. In gold we get Armada Wurm, and Rurhic Tar which I'd love in mono green. Prime time is in and out of my cube, but I never liked that card much. This is really something I would like.
2. 3 Drop
Couser and reclamation sage go a long way but there is so much opportunity. Is a 4/4 out of the question? Could we get a rampant growth etb 2/2? I'd go for a walking anthem creature as well or a tweaked hornet's nest (so close on defense and tokens and off the chart on fun). Agressive 2G creatures or token makers would be a nice contribution.
2. R/X 2 Drop
Is it too greedy to ask for a multicoloured young pyromancer? Maybe, but a spells matter 2 drop in a red section could be awesome. That would be sweet!
I'm running gray merchant of asphodel in my black 5-drop slot. It helps push mono-black as an archetype, as well as being an instant-win as part of the reveillark combo.
For red 6-drops not named Inferno Titan, I like moltensteel dragon. It can come down early, is a very fast clock, and has interaction with goblin welder.
I'm very light on black and blue 1-drops. I don't like the carnophage type cards outside of a Rakdos deck, so I'm only running delver of secrets and carrion feeder.
I'm running gray merchant of asphodel in my black 5-drop slot. It helps push mono-black as an archetype, as well as being an instant-win as part of the reveillark combo.
For red 6-drops not named Inferno Titan, I like moltensteel dragon. It can come down early, is a very fast clock, and has interaction with goblin welder.
I'm very light on black and blue 1-drops. I don't like the carnophage type cards outside of a Rakdos deck, so I'm only running delver of secrets and carrion feeder.
What about diregraf, gravecrawler, scarhide, and bloodsoaked champion? I agree there aren't good one-drops in blue though.
Colorless
1. 1 Drop
Definetly a dream and not likely without Phrexian Mana but an aggressive colorless 1 drop would be in my cube forever, even if it were kind of bad. I am not sure what else they could do, maybe a myr that taps for colorless?
Spike Rogue
White
Sublime has been decent in my testing, especially with all my tokens, I might have to give goldmane a try if I can ever fine a white commander deck at retail. 4 mana is a little tough for a hatebear but I would try Livinia if I had one.
I don't run the trooper because of I have personal hate for the card. Can't block or be blocked it boring. Dies to splittable removal and doesn't synergize with anything. I would rather play the Pegasus.
Blue
Augur of Bolas was a little worse than omenspeaker for me not better, but it will probably come back soon as I like 1/3s and it goes in the Jeskai spells deck. Research Assistant is just too slow for cube but is the right idea. Quickling isn't what I had in mind. I want a may, and blicnking can still save something or abuse come into play abilities. But a 2/2 flyer for 2 would be great. I am currently trying out Spined Thopter in my colorless section.
Black
Non of those 5s do it for me. And I really don't like the shadow guys in any color. 2/1s for 2 are on their way out in my cube unless they have a bigger upside than attacking unblocked.
Red
Both of the red 6 are good, but I am greedy and want something really stupid to justify bumping a wildfire or cheap spell.
Green
Gleancrawler is one I need to try. It is a nice natural order target, and even though it is not as bomby as Hellkite Overlord, that card isn't getting hardcast to I might give it a break. I have tried witchstalker(ok but the random hate is random) and the 2 touchness on the troll bums me out. I like wolfir avenger better but I might give leatherback baloths a try again until I find more I like. The dryad is very interesting but seems too slow to me. Wilt-Leaf Leige is awesome, I play it now and more should. Creakwood Leige might be a little fragile for me but I want to try it.
OThers
I just got my SFGM, but the izzet options are just bad. Pyromancer is sweet because the ability cost no mana.
Vault Skirge just isn't cutting it. I wish it had 2 power or something instead of lifelink as aggro decks dont really care about that.
Colorless
1. 1 Drop
Definetly a dream and not likely without Phrexian Mana but an aggressive colorless 1 drop would be in my cube forever, even if it were kind of bad. I am not sure what else they could do, maybe a myr that taps for colorless?
I'm glad you like my suggestions for Golgari hybrids. They're not for every cube, but I do feel like they're a bit underrated, and they're solid budget options. Heck, you can get a prerelase foil of Gleancrawler for less than a buck! I like your suggestion of Wilt-Leaf Liege, too. I support tokens heavily in green and white, so it seems like a natural fit in that section.
On white 2-drops, I actually find that slot really interesting because there are so many playable options that there's a lot of room for customization, especially if you're willing to include a WW creature or two. I'm planning on giving Leonin Relic-Warder a try as well as Samurai of the Pale Curtain and Spirit of the Labyrinth to help fufill a "more hate bears, please" request I've gotten from some of my players. Since evasion is the effect you're after and you don't like shadow, you might try Kor Aeronaut, White Shield Crusader, or even Fledgling Griffin. Also, how has Daring Skyjek been working in your cube?
On green 3-drops, I actually had a bit of a brainstorm. You're right that no color would benefit more from 3 drops that beat down on or above the curve than green. T1 elf, T2 3-drop is such a good line of play. The mono-green options may be disappointing, but there are some interesting options in gold. By adding one to each green guild you give green decks a better shot at having an aggressive option at that slot in the curve.
Gruul: Boggart Ram-Gang (also helps solve the problem of a lack of 3-drops that beat down hard in red) and Flinthoof Boar used to be cube staples, and Fanatic of Xenagos rivals either. Your red and green 4-drop slots are both pretty stacked. You could probably afford to cut a Gruul 4-drop to make room for one of these.
Golgari: Dreg Mangler's the only option here worth considering.
Simic: Lorescale Coatl will always beat down for at least 3 the turn after it hits the table. I'm counting Yasova Dragonclaw as Simic but even without access to the activated ability it's not terrible.
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
White 2 Drop
This is a slot I love adding some synergy based creatures for: changing up your cube a little so that Fencing Ace or Seeker of the Way are solid picks is real nice. Hero of Iroas has actually not been that bad for me either, though he takes more work
White 4 Drop:
I can confirm that High Sentinels of Arashin is the real deal with a few creatures that have natural +1/+1 counters on them. He's also pretty bonkers posts Ajani activation, but that's not really something to hope for.
Blue 1-2 Drop:
I feel your pain! I think about 4 creatures at this CMC are NOT custom in my cube. As well: Snapcaster doesn't count here, unless you're flashing back phyrexian mana spells he's not a 2 drop.
Black 2 drop:
Almost as painful as blue IMO. Blood Artist can be devestating, Bloodghast is strong with a million different cards, and I enjoy bob as much as the next guy, but the bar really drops after that. 7/12 of my black 2 drops are custom, and I kinda wish I didn't have to run Oona's Prowler since it's so horrible in combat.
Black 5 drops: Puppeteer Clique does some heavy lifting with a sac outlet, try that card out! The value it can produce with Pod is insane, and you can just kill people out of nowhere with something like carrion feeder
Red 1 Drop:
This is the reason I broke singleton, origionally, and I still hate cards like Firedrinker Satyr. Stromkirk Noble has been my favorite so far (see high sentinils above), and Monastery Swiftspear has been solid but not amazing. I almost wish Rakdos Cackler had been mono-red, since the black drafters keep snatching him up!
Red 6:
As mentioned I recommend Crater Hellion, but if there's any color I find doesn't need many of these, it's red. Even the wildfire deck is going to be piled high on 6s, and benifits much more from beefy 4s-5s like Thundermaw Hellkite or Polukranos.
Green 3:
I would love a 3/4 with small upside sometime, I feel like that's a little more realistic to hope for rather than a 1 color loxodon smiter. Yavimaya Dryad has been quite decent for me actually, the only problem being the double green (which is not too huge). I'll say the number of times it's found the opponent a forest to be unblockable are few (but nonzero) while the times it's been better wood elves have been high: 1 power just doesn't kill anything in cube usually.
Green 6:
Baloths is pretty solid, but he can feel like a 7 if your cube has piles and piles of removal.
Please keep this thread going by the way! Hearing where the card pool falls short gives designers like me tons of ideas, and I love the hidden gems aspect we've got going here!
Please keep this thread going by the way! Hearing where the card pool falls short gives designers like me tons of ideas, and I love the hidden gems aspect we've got going here!
I figured I could update this list now that we have had a chance to look at Dragons of Tarkir.( I have also gotten around to a cubetutor update) I am also realizing that as I reweigh the set through the lens of what I actually need, some of my opinions are different from the raw reviewing I did with the spoilers.
White
We got another 1 drop, which wasn't really needed, but the dragon hunter goes in. 2 Drop
Hiidden Dragonslayer is a nice option, and I think I will give it a spin as it is so much more interactive than than the ones I have tried in the past. Anafenza seems so close in a million ways but not as a double white. She still might be worth it if the dragonslayer fails. 4 Drop
Ojutai Exemplars seem to be exciting for some but I am lukewarm. I am going to try Jazal Goldmane for a bit, as I am upping my warrior count on this change.
Blue 2 Drop
Stratus Dnacer seems really nice. It gives me a 2/1 flyer for 2 with at least a marginal (Or more) upside. I am in.
I wasn't asking for a 5 drop but that is pretty thin in blue as well so Icefall Regent has my eye. Just might not be worth a slot over Frost titan if I even need another finisher.
Black 2 Drops
Blood-Chin Rage is in. Not an amazing card, but 2 toughness, some evasion, and potential synergy with other things. Silumgar Assassin has a lot of people excited, I am really on the fence, but seeing as I have room for both of these it should be worth a shot. 5 Drops
Sidisi will certainly make some happy, and will probably float into rotation at some point for me but it is not really what I am looking for from this slot.
Red 1 Drops
Zurgo is a better card than I thought we would get. Keep 'em coming wizards.
Green
Nothing here that wasn't already a crowded slot
Colorless
It has been long enough since Mirrodin, but still no good colorless cards for us.
Gold
Some fatty dragons, showed up and are fine, but there were reasonable choices in areas already.As I side not I am giving Chief of the Edge a go as a W/B aggressive card for a while and up my warrior count.
Conclusion
Overall dragons was another good set for wizards filling cube holes. Blue and Red got slam dunks and white and black have a few toys to try out even if they don't stick.
It has been another 8 months and we have had 4 more sets to crowd our cubes so I thought I would give my impressions of what holes they filled.
Magic: Origins
This set felt like riches to cubes everywhere. Some crazy good staples in places were I didn't think it could get any better like Kytheon/Gideon and Languish. But the best thing to me are the new options for the slots I have called out.
Blue got Jace and Harbinger of Tides at 2. Wow is all I can say.
Black has some new options at 2 and 5, Despoiler of Souls and Priest of the Blood Rite.
Red has a new one drop in Goblin Glory Chaser and Chandra may have a chance for red 3s. (another slot I find thin)
Green gets Nissa at 3 (don't know why I haven't tried it yet)
Last but not least is white with Relic Seeker. I may be the only one who wants more at 2 here but I love having Stoneforge's ugly cousin in for a while.
Commander 2015
So we got cryptic command 2.0... I really don't want to ask for more. Great Oak Guardian and Magus of the Wheel can beat down and support their colors themes.
Battle for Zendikar
Some decent cards, and some great (Gideon) but the only slot filler to me is Greenwarden of Murasa, which feels distinctly green and very cube friendly. It is not explosive, but green 5s have enough beat down. We got another white planeswalker, a 4 drop Simic Kiora, 3 drop black beater are all cool but not necessarily need and of course thankfully a couple of manlands. Scythe Leopard can be a reasonable Aggro 1 for green which we do need for those supporting it.
Oath of the Gatewatch
We finally got our final manlands and a few neat spells but the pickings were slim for the slots we are missing unless you can support the colorless mana matters cards. Chandra makes a nice 6 drop for those who like that type of thing and brings in new options for red. I like Ayli in W/B, and it might finally be the cheap creature I was looking for but it is neither human or zombie.
If you are pro colorless there is a bunch of tasty stuff. Dimensional Infiltrator continues to round out blue 2 drops as a flash welkin tern with some flavor text. Bearer of Silence is an upgrade from some of the bad Aggro drops and should make quite a few lists because that slot is weak, but won't last if we ever get more good black 2s. Thought-Knot Seer is a 4 drop to come off a Sol Ring or Talisman and really make an impact. I may have to give it a try even if the colorless requirement is hard and features no artifact synergies.
Now the question is "what's left?" A year after I started this are have more choices than ever, many (including me) are expanding their cubes lists and tons of great cards are left on the sideline, but I there is still some room. Here is my new wish list for a new year.
White
White is still the easiest color for me to make cuts in, but I am biased. Maybe I finally need to pony up for a Moat or Ravages of War.
No mana cost spots seem thin anymore but the power level of 2s could be higher. I would really like to see more Prowess/spells matters cards to go with the ones we have gotten recently especially with white's high planeswalkers count. Durable or hastey creatures could be a boon. More than anything white feels the least combo-y color and could use ways to help those decks. Another bonesplitter equipment might make white weenie good but anything that could help that deck speed up or get reach would be welcome.
Blue
Tremendous 2 drops in the last year have led me to echo that it is the best color in cube.
More aggro/tempo one drops are needed to get critical mass for that color, but that is not something everyone wants. Larger cubes are looking for more counterspells which are unlikely to come from wizards but we did get mystic confluence so I can dream big. I still think a defensive looter (Maybe with hexproof) could still find room as well as a flash/bounce creature cheaper than 4.
Black
Still looking for 2s and 5s. Card like Blood Chin Rager are temporary, we can do better. Priest of the Blood Rite was a big fail for me and Ob Nix of the Black Oath was just ok. Where is my black Deranged Hermit Damn it? Think Blight Herder wizards! Make it 3BB instead of 5, lose the processor requirement, and boom.
Red
I have enough white and black one drops but red could use another really good one. Chandra is an interesting card but it doesn’t help sneak attack/reanimator/daretti-welder at the 6 spot. I am still holding out hope for a great token sneak creature in red at the 6+ slot. More artifact support would be nice as well maybe a new and improved Bosh? How about a baby Porphorus on legs?
Magus of the wheel is interesting but made me realize how few aggressive red 3 drop we have, surly wizards can fix that.
Green
Greenwarden and Great Oak Guardian are finally giving us something to try at 6 but I think we could still use something over the top in that slot. Cards like Courser of Kruphix and Reclamation Sage are what I want to be doing at 3, but I fell like a really big beater is due.
Colorless
1-3 aggro drops are still needed and still unlikely. More of our favorites like winter orb/tangle wire/ mimic vat could stand to grow legs.
Gold
I can’t really think of anything I need here. So many gold sets in a row have us spoiled with choices. I would rather they blow some top power level cards on non-gold for a while.
This is an interesting thread to revisit. My thoughts on where some of these slots stand now:
White 2s
Origins was a pretty big help here with Consul's Lieutenant and Relic Seeker. Both have been performing quite nicely. Because the power level is so much higher on ww 2-drops I'm willing to dedicate 2 slots to them despite their more restrictive casting cost. I'm using the other ww slot for Precinct Captain which is fantastic in the same decks as Consul's Lieutentant and other token/anthem cards. So far these are working out much better than the hatebears I'd mentioned earlier for these spots.
Red 3s
Peasant cubes run a lot more aggressive 3 drops in red, so there are definitely options if that's the direction you'd like to go. Acolyte of the Inferno, Splatter Thug, and Boggart Brute could be worth trying. I've also been having great results with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and I've even played it in some red decks that couldn't activate the recursive ability because there are plenty of decks that can make good use of a 3/2 first striker for 2R. Countryside Crusher did not pan out when I wanted to try it, even aggressive decks don't always want to be stuck on three lands, and the RR in the casting cost didn't help.
Green 3s
Maybe Vile Redeemer is worth a shot. 3/3 with flash isn't bad for 2G even in decks that can't pay C.
Colorless 1-3s
Running Conspiracy cards gives you access to Agent of Acquisitions and Lore Seeker. Lore Seeker is one of my favorite Conspiracy cards, and Lore Seeker gets run as curve-filler more often than you might expect. Phyrexian War Beast comes with a nasty drawback, but one aggro decks can usually live with. It's popular enough in Peasant cubes that maybe it's worth a try.
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
This is an interesting thread to revisit. My thoughts on where some of these slots stand now:
White 2s
Origins was a pretty big help here with Consul's Lieutenant and Relic Seeker. Both have been performing quite nicely. Because the power level is so much higher on ww 2-drops I'm willing to dedicate 2 slots to them despite their more restrictive casting cost. I'm using the other ww slot for Precinct Captain which is fantastic in the same decks as Consul's Lieutenant and other token/anthem cards. So far these are working out much better than the hatebears I'd mentioned earlier for these spots.
I haven't tried the Lieutenant. I have been limiting myself to one WW. I have been trying Anafenza and it has been too slow and noone has pulled any combos with it yet. Precinct Captain was in for a long time and may come back. Overall I have about a dozen too many in my on deck binder, but they all feel just fine and are late picks/filler in decks and drafts that want to curve out. Thalia and Stoneforge are really the only two I consider uncuttable.
Red 3s
Peasant cubes run a lot more aggressive 3 drops in red, so there are definitely options if that's the direction you'd like to go. Acolyte of the Inferno, Splatter Thug, and Boggart Brute could be worth trying. I've also been having great results with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and I've even played it in some red decks that couldn't activate the recursive ability because there are plenty of decks that can make good use of a 3/2 first striker for 2R. Countryside Crusher did not pan out when I wanted to try it, even aggressive decks don't always want to be stuck on three lands, and the RR in the casting cost didn't help.
It is a good point about peasant cube. Don't get me wrong Rabblemaster is a complete house, but he is the only one on the aggressive side. Splatter Thug and Alesha have been nice but I still think there is room for a mini hellrider or porphouous. I think Reds 2s are so good and 4s are so good that there is still a noticeable drop here. If we do get more aggressive ones at 3 it puts pressure on other CMCs to support combo.
Green 3s
Maybe Vile Redeemer is worth a shot. 3/3 with flash isn't bad for 2G even in decks that can't pay C.
To me most of the 3s like Redeember and Troll Ascetic are fine but not above the curve enough to justify replacing a ramp card. I am not a green aggro person but I have Goyf, Ooze , and Advocate at 2. Green 4 and 5 drops hit like a truck. In between meh...
Colorless 1-3s
Running Conspiracy cards gives you access to Agent of Acquisitions and Lore Seeker. Lore Seeker is one of my favorite Conspiracy cards, and Lore Seeker gets run as curve-filler more often than you might expect. Phyrexian War Beast comes with a nasty drawback, but one aggro decks can usually live with. It's popular enough in Peasant cubes that maybe it's worth a try.
I guess I might be asking too much out of colorless but I have found cards like Spined Thopter to overperform. I have been asked to pull it multiple times but it ALWAYS gets played. Someone wants another two drop that can be aggressive or block or be sacked to tinker or whatever. Lore seeker on the other hand was drafted for the funzies but no ever played it. Togglodyte get played on and off and I like that a little better than War Beast. I am hopeful for a bear mana-rock in commander or another useful thing tacked on to a cheap creature. I really enjoy revoker style cards.
Overall this thread is causing me to rethink my set choices a little. Cards like Magus of the Wheel, Thought Knot Seer, and Consul's Lieutenant deserve more of a play than I have given them. I really enjoy others thoughts on where they think choices are thin and possible options.
White
1. 4 Drop
Starting with my most controversial. After Hero and Restoration Angel the creatures don't stack up with the non creature spells. And I'm one of those people who don't overload on planeswalkers, and haven't dropped the coin yet for moat or ravages of war.
2. 2 Drop
You think I'm crazy but how many two drops attack for 3 or are evasive, but have more than 1 toughness?
Blue
1. 1 Drop
Blue tempo is very good already but another aggressive 1 drop would go a long way to giving cube builders options. Also I think a defensive card selection card along the line of sigled starfish would be the nut.
2. 2 Drop
Same as above but much more likely for wizards to print.Omenspeaker is nice but a similar card that is a hair better. Also a bounce creature, even a 1/1 would be delicious. I could use a looter that can block or a flash creature that blinks something.
Black
1. 5 Drop
My current favorites are Shriekmaw and Herald of Torment, neither is really a 5. I could use a good reanimator target, token machine, sacrifice engine, or just a demon with one of Black's classic enchantments (contagion?) strapped to it.
2. 2 Drop
I'm open to lots of aggro cards that red and white have, but more tokeny sacrifice stuff is good.
Red
1. 1 Drop
I'll say it, I hate Jackal Pup cards.I play them but I'd replace them if given a chance. Maybe some token card, or other synergy card given that wizards doesn't give red Lions.
2. 6 Drop
My Inferno Titan is lonely at the top. Something worthy of stealing a spot from a cheaper slot, pairs well with sneak attack and wildfire or maybe card drawing or redundancy for Kikki-twin?
Green
1. 6 Drop
This is a need that wizards should be able to handle. With each set we get another great 5, that if amped up a little would be awesome. We get mythic green monsters but none good enough at 6. In gold we get Armada Wurm, and Rurhic Tar which I'd love in mono green.
2. 3 Drop
Couser and reclamation sage go a long way but there is so much opportunity. Is a 4/4 out of the question? Could we get a rampant growth etb 2/2? I'd go for a walking anthem creature as well or a tweaked hornet's nest (so close on defense and tokens and off the chart on fun)
Colorless
1. 1 Drop
Definetly a dream and not likely without Phrexian Mana but an aggressive colorless 1 drop would be in my cube forever, even if it were kind of bad. I am not sure what else they could do, maybe a myr that taps for colorless?
2. 4 Drop
I'm not a fan of the masticores and there is not much else. A juggernaut with trample or haste maybe? A token producer? But more sexy would be one of those artifacts like tangle wire, smokestack, or icy manipulator on a body.
Gold
1. W/B 1-3 Drop
Something aggressive, anthem-token-sacrifice friendly. Human or zombie would both be welcome.
2. R/X 2 Drop
Is it too greedy to ask for a multicoloured young pyromancer? Maybe, but a spells matter 2 drop in a red section could be awesome.
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I think if I had to choose any slot to be the highest in need it would be black 5 drop. At least green 6 has Prime Time and a few fringe that are fine like Silvos and Baloths.
Red 6 is pretty dry for me. Past Inferno Titan, there's a bunch of dragons I don't want to play.
For your white 2-drop question, you might consider Sigiled Paladin. No evasion, but he has first strike and can hit for 3 by himself.
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I've tried Bloodgift and he is OK, but it turns out slow card advantage is not what I want at 5. I'm currently using Shadowborn Demon but that too would be an easy replace for a black deranged hermit.
I've never tried Sigled Paladin. Alas I fear it would play like knight of glory. Not great in my swarming white decks.
I've liked Rorix Bladewing but it wasn't worth the expensive slot, doesn't really stabilize the board, and isn't as good as some of the colorless 6 drops. I need a crater hellion without echo.
Really just black fatties in general for me. Besides Griselbrand, Grave Titan, and I guess Tombstalker if you count it (I don't), black is very sparse up there. I want one more good 6 drop and I'd be happy.
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White 4-drops:
So far I've been pretty happy with Sublime Archangel and Jazal Goldmane. Each of them hits like a truck on its own and supports token/anthem and weenie decks rather nicely. High Sentinels of Arashin might also be worth a try, especially if you have some other ways to get +1/+1 counters on creatures. I've been looking into hatebears recently, and Angel of Finality and Linvala, Keeper of Silence are also on my radar but I have yet to try either one.
White 2 drops:
Why aren't you running Soltari Trooper?
Blue 1 drops:
You might try Hypnotic Siren, since it scales well into the late game (albeit not so well into the mid-game), or Cloudfin Raptor.
Blue 2 drops:
Augur of Bolas?
Research Assistant? I know the activation cost is steep but it played well in M15 draft.
Quickling?
You might also try Spined Thopter in this slot, even though it will probably get played more by black, red, and white based aggro decks.
Black 5 Drops:
Archfiend of Depravity, Indulgent Tormentor, Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath all give you at least some of what you're looking for. I've also been happy with Bloodgift Demon so far, but I know that it's not great for faster cubes.
Black 2 drops:
For evasive 2 drops you can't beat Dauthi Horror. I've also been happy with Oona's Prowler (helps support reanimator as well as aggro) and Dauthi Slayer gets the job done if you don't mind the BB cost. Dipping into hybrids, I've been happy with Inkfathom Infiltrator, which also sees more play in blue decks than you might expect.
Red 1 drops:
You could do worse than Stonewright and Tattermunge Maniac.
Red 6 drops:
Conquering Manticore does a lot of what you're looking for, and although it won't let you go infinite with Kiki-Jiki, they'd still work together pretty nicely.
Hellkite Charger is the red 6 I keep trying to find room for.
Green 6 drops:
I tried out both Nessian Wilds Ravager and Rampaging Baloths before I got my copy of Primeval Titan. Neither was as good as Prime Time, but both were solid. Also, dipping into hybrids, Gleancrawler can be nasty played right after trading creatures with some blockers. It plays nicely with Shriekmaw or any other Bloodrush or Evoke creatures you might happen to be running. As a 6-drop, the HHH cost isn't necessarily that hard to cast on curve in a non-Golgari green or black deck, too.
Green 3 drops:
Not at all. Or how about a 4/5??
OK, there are some real problems with the casting costs on all of these. For three drop beaters the best options I can think of are Troll Ascetic and Witchstalker.
How about a 2/1 with forestwalk? I think this creature's pretty interesting because it can also fetch duals and even give a forest to an opponent if you want to make her unblockable or to an ally in multiplayer games/2HG.
Once again in hybrid, and you'd have to pay more than 3, but I've been liking Creakwood Liege in my cube. I support tokens in green and black, so this works really well in my cube. It also works in heavy black Pox/stax decks. Wilt-Leaf Liege also seems like it has potential.
Colorless 1 drops:
We might be waiting for a while on that one, but you are running all of the same hybrid 1 drops I am besides Tattermunge Maniac, which I'd say are the next best thing. I notice you also have Vault Skirge in your Rainbow/Miscellaneous section. How's that working for you?
W/B 1-3 Drops:
You're already running Lingering Souls, but I can't think of a second one that fits this definition.
Tidehollow Sculler is a pretty cool disruptive W/B bear that's also a zombie. Putrid Warrior also seems kind of interesting but probably isn't quite powerful enough.
R/X 2 drops:
You're in luck, they just printed one in Boros. At least, that's where I'm categorizing SFGM in my cube since I cut a Boros card to make room for it.
I think you also have a few interesting options in Izzet.
I hope you've found a few things worth trying in this wall of text.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
13CMC and 14CMC
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
For red 6-drops not named Inferno Titan, I like moltensteel dragon. It can come down early, is a very fast clock, and has interaction with goblin welder.
I'm very light on black and blue 1-drops. I don't like the carnophage type cards outside of a Rakdos deck, so I'm only running delver of secrets and carrion feeder.
[180 classic cube]
What about diregraf, gravecrawler, scarhide, and bloodsoaked champion? I agree there aren't good one-drops in blue though.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
Signal Pest?
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
White
Sublime has been decent in my testing, especially with all my tokens, I might have to give goldmane a try if I can ever fine a white commander deck at retail. 4 mana is a little tough for a hatebear but I would try Livinia if I had one.
I don't run the trooper because of I have personal hate for the card. Can't block or be blocked it boring. Dies to splittable removal and doesn't synergize with anything. I would rather play the Pegasus.
Blue
Augur of Bolas was a little worse than omenspeaker for me not better, but it will probably come back soon as I like 1/3s and it goes in the Jeskai spells deck. Research Assistant is just too slow for cube but is the right idea. Quickling isn't what I had in mind. I want a may, and blicnking can still save something or abuse come into play abilities. But a 2/2 flyer for 2 would be great. I am currently trying out Spined Thopter in my colorless section.
Black
Non of those 5s do it for me. And I really don't like the shadow guys in any color. 2/1s for 2 are on their way out in my cube unless they have a bigger upside than attacking unblocked.
Red
Both of the red 6 are good, but I am greedy and want something really stupid to justify bumping a wildfire or cheap spell.
Green
Gleancrawler is one I need to try. It is a nice natural order target, and even though it is not as bomby as Hellkite Overlord, that card isn't getting hardcast to I might give it a break. I have tried witchstalker(ok but the random hate is random) and the 2 touchness on the troll bums me out. I like wolfir avenger better but I might give leatherback baloths a try again until I find more I like. The dryad is very interesting but seems too slow to me. Wilt-Leaf Leige is awesome, I play it now and more should. Creakwood Leige might be a little fragile for me but I want to try it.
OThers
I just got my SFGM, but the izzet options are just bad. Pyromancer is sweet because the ability cost no mana.
Vault Skirge just isn't cutting it. I wish it had 2 power or something instead of lifelink as aggro decks dont really care about that.
Thanks for the feedback
Signal pest just seems like a legion loyalist card to me. A one drop that is better after you have other things on the board.
On white 2-drops, I actually find that slot really interesting because there are so many playable options that there's a lot of room for customization, especially if you're willing to include a WW creature or two. I'm planning on giving Leonin Relic-Warder a try as well as Samurai of the Pale Curtain and Spirit of the Labyrinth to help fufill a "more hate bears, please" request I've gotten from some of my players. Since evasion is the effect you're after and you don't like shadow, you might try Kor Aeronaut, White Shield Crusader, or even Fledgling Griffin. Also, how has Daring Skyjek been working in your cube?
On green 3-drops, I actually had a bit of a brainstorm. You're right that no color would benefit more from 3 drops that beat down on or above the curve than green. T1 elf, T2 3-drop is such a good line of play. The mono-green options may be disappointing, but there are some interesting options in gold. By adding one to each green guild you give green decks a better shot at having an aggressive option at that slot in the curve.
Selesnya: You're already running Kitchen Finks. Wilt-leaf Cavaliers, Loxodon Smiter, and Dauntless Escort look like good candidates if you want a second.
Gruul: Boggart Ram-Gang (also helps solve the problem of a lack of 3-drops that beat down hard in red) and Flinthoof Boar used to be cube staples, and Fanatic of Xenagos rivals either. Your red and green 4-drop slots are both pretty stacked. You could probably afford to cut a Gruul 4-drop to make room for one of these.
Golgari: Dreg Mangler's the only option here worth considering.
Simic: Lorescale Coatl will always beat down for at least 3 the turn after it hits the table. I'm counting Yasova Dragonclaw as Simic but even without access to the activated ability it's not terrible.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
This is a slot I love adding some synergy based creatures for: changing up your cube a little so that Fencing Ace or Seeker of the Way are solid picks is real nice. Hero of Iroas has actually not been that bad for me either, though he takes more work
White 4 Drop:
I can confirm that High Sentinels of Arashin is the real deal with a few creatures that have natural +1/+1 counters on them. He's also pretty bonkers posts Ajani activation, but that's not really something to hope for.
Blue 1-2 Drop:
I feel your pain! I think about 4 creatures at this CMC are NOT custom in my cube. As well: Snapcaster doesn't count here, unless you're flashing back phyrexian mana spells he's not a 2 drop.
Black 2 drop:
Almost as painful as blue IMO. Blood Artist can be devestating, Bloodghast is strong with a million different cards, and I enjoy bob as much as the next guy, but the bar really drops after that. 7/12 of my black 2 drops are custom, and I kinda wish I didn't have to run Oona's Prowler since it's so horrible in combat.
Black 5 drops:
Puppeteer Clique does some heavy lifting with a sac outlet, try that card out! The value it can produce with Pod is insane, and you can just kill people out of nowhere with something like carrion feeder
Red 1 Drop:
This is the reason I broke singleton, origionally, and I still hate cards like Firedrinker Satyr. Stromkirk Noble has been my favorite so far (see high sentinils above), and Monastery Swiftspear has been solid but not amazing. I almost wish Rakdos Cackler had been mono-red, since the black drafters keep snatching him up!
Red 6:
As mentioned I recommend Crater Hellion, but if there's any color I find doesn't need many of these, it's red. Even the wildfire deck is going to be piled high on 6s, and benifits much more from beefy 4s-5s like Thundermaw Hellkite or Polukranos.
Green 3:
I would love a 3/4 with small upside sometime, I feel like that's a little more realistic to hope for rather than a 1 color loxodon smiter. Yavimaya Dryad has been quite decent for me actually, the only problem being the double green (which is not too huge). I'll say the number of times it's found the opponent a forest to be unblockable are few (but nonzero) while the times it's been better wood elves have been high: 1 power just doesn't kill anything in cube usually.
Green 6:
Baloths is pretty solid, but he can feel like a 7 if your cube has piles and piles of removal.
Please keep this thread going by the way! Hearing where the card pool falls short gives designers like me tons of ideas, and I love the hidden gems aspect we've got going here!
I figured I could update this list now that we have had a chance to look at Dragons of Tarkir.( I have also gotten around to a cubetutor update) I am also realizing that as I reweigh the set through the lens of what I actually need, some of my opinions are different from the raw reviewing I did with the spoilers.
White
We got another 1 drop, which wasn't really needed, but the dragon hunter goes in.
2 Drop
Hiidden Dragonslayer is a nice option, and I think I will give it a spin as it is so much more interactive than than the ones I have tried in the past. Anafenza seems so close in a million ways but not as a double white. She still might be worth it if the dragonslayer fails.
4 Drop
Ojutai Exemplars seem to be exciting for some but I am lukewarm. I am going to try Jazal Goldmane for a bit, as I am upping my warrior count on this change.
Blue
2 Drop
Stratus Dnacer seems really nice. It gives me a 2/1 flyer for 2 with at least a marginal (Or more) upside. I am in.
I wasn't asking for a 5 drop but that is pretty thin in blue as well so Icefall Regent has my eye. Just might not be worth a slot over Frost titan if I even need another finisher.
Black
2 Drops
Blood-Chin Rage is in. Not an amazing card, but 2 toughness, some evasion, and potential synergy with other things. Silumgar Assassin has a lot of people excited, I am really on the fence, but seeing as I have room for both of these it should be worth a shot.
5 Drops
Sidisi will certainly make some happy, and will probably float into rotation at some point for me but it is not really what I am looking for from this slot.
Red
1 Drops
Zurgo is a better card than I thought we would get. Keep 'em coming wizards.
Green
Nothing here that wasn't already a crowded slot
Colorless
It has been long enough since Mirrodin, but still no good colorless cards for us.
Gold
Some fatty dragons, showed up and are fine, but there were reasonable choices in areas already.As I side not I am giving Chief of the Edge a go as a W/B aggressive card for a while and up my warrior count.
Conclusion
Overall dragons was another good set for wizards filling cube holes. Blue and Red got slam dunks and white and black have a few toys to try out even if they don't stick.
Magic: Origins
This set felt like riches to cubes everywhere. Some crazy good staples in places were I didn't think it could get any better like Kytheon/Gideon and Languish. But the best thing to me are the new options for the slots I have called out.
Blue got Jace and Harbinger of Tides at 2. Wow is all I can say.
Black has some new options at 2 and 5, Despoiler of Souls and Priest of the Blood Rite.
Red has a new one drop in Goblin Glory Chaser and Chandra may have a chance for red 3s. (another slot I find thin)
Green gets Nissa at 3 (don't know why I haven't tried it yet)
Last but not least is white with Relic Seeker. I may be the only one who wants more at 2 here but I love having Stoneforge's ugly cousin in for a while.
Commander 2015
So we got cryptic command 2.0... I really don't want to ask for more. Great Oak Guardian and Magus of the Wheel can beat down and support their colors themes.
Battle for Zendikar
Some decent cards, and some great (Gideon) but the only slot filler to me is Greenwarden of Murasa, which feels distinctly green and very cube friendly. It is not explosive, but green 5s have enough beat down. We got another white planeswalker, a 4 drop Simic Kiora, 3 drop black beater are all cool but not necessarily need and of course thankfully a couple of manlands. Scythe Leopard can be a reasonable Aggro 1 for green which we do need for those supporting it.
Oath of the Gatewatch
We finally got our final manlands and a few neat spells but the pickings were slim for the slots we are missing unless you can support the colorless mana matters cards. Chandra makes a nice 6 drop for those who like that type of thing and brings in new options for red. I like Ayli in W/B, and it might finally be the cheap creature I was looking for but it is neither human or zombie.
If you are pro colorless there is a bunch of tasty stuff. Dimensional Infiltrator continues to round out blue 2 drops as a flash welkin tern with some flavor text. Bearer of Silence is an upgrade from some of the bad Aggro drops and should make quite a few lists because that slot is weak, but won't last if we ever get more good black 2s. Thought-Knot Seer is a 4 drop to come off a Sol Ring or Talisman and really make an impact. I may have to give it a try even if the colorless requirement is hard and features no artifact synergies.
White
White is still the easiest color for me to make cuts in, but I am biased. Maybe I finally need to pony up for a Moat or Ravages of War.
No mana cost spots seem thin anymore but the power level of 2s could be higher. I would really like to see more Prowess/spells matters cards to go with the ones we have gotten recently especially with white's high planeswalkers count. Durable or hastey creatures could be a boon. More than anything white feels the least combo-y color and could use ways to help those decks. Another bonesplitter equipment might make white weenie good but anything that could help that deck speed up or get reach would be welcome.
Blue
Tremendous 2 drops in the last year have led me to echo that it is the best color in cube.
More aggro/tempo one drops are needed to get critical mass for that color, but that is not something everyone wants. Larger cubes are looking for more counterspells which are unlikely to come from wizards but we did get mystic confluence so I can dream big. I still think a defensive looter (Maybe with hexproof) could still find room as well as a flash/bounce creature cheaper than 4.
Black
Still looking for 2s and 5s. Card like Blood Chin Rager are temporary, we can do better. Priest of the Blood Rite was a big fail for me and Ob Nix of the Black Oath was just ok. Where is my black Deranged Hermit Damn it? Think Blight Herder wizards! Make it 3BB instead of 5, lose the processor requirement, and boom.
Red
I have enough white and black one drops but red could use another really good one. Chandra is an interesting card but it doesn’t help sneak attack/reanimator/daretti-welder at the 6 spot. I am still holding out hope for a great token sneak creature in red at the 6+ slot. More artifact support would be nice as well maybe a new and improved Bosh? How about a baby Porphorus on legs?
Magus of the wheel is interesting but made me realize how few aggressive red 3 drop we have, surly wizards can fix that.
Green
Greenwarden and Great Oak Guardian are finally giving us something to try at 6 but I think we could still use something over the top in that slot. Cards like Courser of Kruphix and Reclamation Sage are what I want to be doing at 3, but I fell like a really big beater is due.
Colorless
1-3 aggro drops are still needed and still unlikely. More of our favorites like winter orb/tangle wire/ mimic vat could stand to grow legs.
Gold
I can’t really think of anything I need here. So many gold sets in a row have us spoiled with choices. I would rather they blow some top power level cards on non-gold for a while.
White 2s
Origins was a pretty big help here with Consul's Lieutenant and Relic Seeker. Both have been performing quite nicely. Because the power level is so much higher on ww 2-drops I'm willing to dedicate 2 slots to them despite their more restrictive casting cost. I'm using the other ww slot for Precinct Captain which is fantastic in the same decks as Consul's Lieutentant and other token/anthem cards. So far these are working out much better than the hate bears I'd mentioned earlier for these spots.
Red 3s
Peasant cubes run a lot more aggressive 3 drops in red, so there are definitely options if that's the direction you'd like to go. Acolyte of the Inferno, Splatter Thug, and Boggart Brute could be worth trying. I've also been having great results with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and I've even played it in some red decks that couldn't activate the recursive ability because there are plenty of decks that can make good use of a 3/2 first striker for 2R. Countryside Crusher did not pan out when I wanted to try it, even aggressive decks don't always want to be stuck on three lands, and the RR in the casting cost didn't help.
Green 3s
Maybe Vile Redeemer is worth a shot. 3/3 with flash isn't bad for 2G even in decks that can't pay C.
Colorless 1-3s
Running Conspiracy cards gives you access to Agent of Acquisitions and Lore Seeker. Lore Seeker is one of my favorite Conspiracy cards, and Lore Seeker gets run as curve-filler more often than you might expect. Phyrexian War Beast comes with a nasty drawback, but one aggro decks can usually live with. It's popular enough in Peasant cubes that maybe it's worth a try.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
I haven't tried the Lieutenant. I have been limiting myself to one WW. I have been trying Anafenza and it has been too slow and noone has pulled any combos with it yet. Precinct Captain was in for a long time and may come back. Overall I have about a dozen too many in my on deck binder, but they all feel just fine and are late picks/filler in decks and drafts that want to curve out. Thalia and Stoneforge are really the only two I consider uncuttable.
It is a good point about peasant cube. Don't get me wrong Rabblemaster is a complete house, but he is the only one on the aggressive side. Splatter Thug and Alesha have been nice but I still think there is room for a mini hellrider or porphouous. I think Reds 2s are so good and 4s are so good that there is still a noticeable drop here. If we do get more aggressive ones at 3 it puts pressure on other CMCs to support combo.
To me most of the 3s like Redeember and Troll Ascetic are fine but not above the curve enough to justify replacing a ramp card. I am not a green aggro person but I have Goyf, Ooze , and Advocate at 2. Green 4 and 5 drops hit like a truck. In between meh...
I guess I might be asking too much out of colorless but I have found cards like Spined Thopter to overperform. I have been asked to pull it multiple times but it ALWAYS gets played. Someone wants another two drop that can be aggressive or block or be sacked to tinker or whatever. Lore seeker on the other hand was drafted for the funzies but no ever played it. Togglodyte get played on and off and I like that a little better than War Beast. I am hopeful for a bear mana-rock in commander or another useful thing tacked on to a cheap creature. I really enjoy revoker style cards.
Overall this thread is causing me to rethink my set choices a little. Cards like Magus of the Wheel, Thought Knot Seer, and Consul's Lieutenant deserve more of a play than I have given them. I really enjoy others thoughts on where they think choices are thin and possible options.