Judging Rubric
Terrible - Completely terrible cards.
Bad - Far under the curve.
Borderline - Cards that hover around the curve.
Cubable - The nuts and bolts of Pauper cubing.
Staple - The best cards in Pauper.
Bomb - The Legends of Pauper.
White Battlewise Valor - Doesn't do enough to raise it above other combat tricks. Bad Cavalry Pegasus - Relies too much on Tribal synergies. Bad Chosen by Heliod - Aura's need to boost power to be good in Pauper. Bad Divine Verdict - Reprint. Borderline Ephara's Warden - Underpowered for a tapper at 4cc. Bad Gods Willing - Adding Scry to Stave Off would have been good, but they took away the ability to target your opponents creatures. Borderline Hopeful Eidolon - Unless they have a remarkable ability, +2/+2 is the cutoff for Auras and a 1/1 Lifelinker isn't good. Bad Lagonna-Band Elder - 3/2 for 3cc isn't good enough unless paired with a great ability; lifegain is not a great ability. Bad Last Breath - White has much better removal available. Terrible Leonin Snarecaster - A slightly worse Azorius Arrester. Borderline Observant Alseid - On par with Knightly Valor. Borderline Ray of Dissolution - White has better options. Terrible Setessan Battle Priest - A bad body paired with a weak ability. Bad Silent Artisan - Vanilla and bad. Terrible Traveling Philosopher - Vanilla Bears aren't good enough in Pauper. Terrible Wingsteed Rider - One of the only Heroic cards that Pauperists would consider, {c}1{c}{w}{w} makes it just not good enough. Borderline Yoked Ox - Vanilla and bad. Terrible
Overall there are some interesting cards but no good cards.
Blue Annul - Reprint and narrow. Bad Aqueous Form - Getting this online early would be good; you're opponent would have to deal with it. Borderline Benthic Giant - The big Blue finisher you always wanted in your control deck. Staple Breaching Hippocamp - A decent mix of abilities but nothing to cheer about. Borderline Fate Foretold - Not a great way to draw two cards in Pauper. Bad Griptide - Reprint. Borderline Lost in a Labyrinth - Blue's best combat tricks are bounce spells. Bad Mnemonic Wall - Reprint. Cubable Nimbus Naiad - The best of the Bestows as the boost is good and the creature is at least on curve. Cubable Omenspeaker - A good body for an early control drop. Cubable Prescient Chimera - Finally a 5cc three power Blue Flyer with four toughness, and with Scry to boot. Staple Stymied Hopes - I find this actually appealing, but I know its not better than Daze. Bad Thassa's Bounty - Expensive for the effect at Sorcery speed. Bad Triton Shorethief - Bad. Terrible Vaporkin - Functional reprint of Welkin Tern. Cubable Voyage's End - Too narrow but Scry can save some cards. Borderline Wavecrash Triton - Decent stats for 3cc but the ability is difficult to trigger. Bad
Blue gets a couple Staples and some other interesting cards.
Multicolor Scholar of Athreos - I like it better than Basilica Guards, but it can't compete with the other great Orzhov cards. Borderline Setessan Griffin - Not good enought to compete in Selesnya. Bad Coastline Chimera - Too weak statwise to compete in Azorius. Bad Crackling Triton - For those who do not like Steamcore Weird, this is for you. Borderline Loathsome Catoblepas - Too much work for a two for one, but this is Golgari. Borderline Returned Phalanx - Dimir is too stacked for a weak card, but it does have decent stats. Borderline Deathbellow Raider - A solid aggressive two drop for Rakdos. Cubable Priest of Iroas - Just not Boros enough. Bad Agent of Horizons - Expensive evasion on an undercurve creature. Borderline Satyr Hedonist - Early beater with ramping built in. Borderline
Great review! Thanks for taking the time to do this. Between you and Al an incredible amount of analysis has already been produced for Theros.
I think I agree with all of the staple/cubable cards although I would probably just put Deathbellow Raider as a red card.
I would probably move Nylea's Presence to Terrible for just being blatantly and unapolegetically well, terrible (tacking on an extra mana to Abundant Growth??)
You underestimate the power of the OX. If you are in the UW fliers deck you want a certain amount of big butts to clog the ground while you bash in with your fliers. As far as big butts go he is pretty efficient. Also 4/3's for four are never bad especially when they are in red (Which does not happen often) 4 power for four mana is actually relatively decent (As far as vanilla guys go).
You underestimate the power of the OX. If you are in the UW fliers deck you want a certain amount of big butts to clog the ground while you bash in with your fliers. As far as big butts go he is pretty efficient. Also 4/3's for four are never bad especially when they are in red (Which does not happen often) 4 power for four mana is actually relatively decent (As far as vanilla guys go).
I think it is a very strong control only card. 0/4 for 1, in pauper is nothing to scoff at. There isn't a lot of removal to deal with that early on and can really hurt people.
I think it deserves some discussion if you really want to bolster control.
Considering the amount of permanents in black that have BB in their cost, Gray Merchant is much more then borderline. In any other color? Sure. In Black? The color of Dauthi Slayer, Chittering Rats, Pestilence? This card is superb.
Considering the amount of permanents in black that have BB in their cost, Gray Merchant is much more then borderline. In any other color? Sure. In Black? The color of Dauthi Slayer, Chittering Rats, Pestilence? This card is superb.
Thats our opinion as well, although we've played him in draft but not Cube (yet)
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Terrible - Completely terrible cards.
Bad - Far under the curve.
Borderline - Cards that hover around the curve.
Cubable - The nuts and bolts of Pauper cubing.
Staple - The best cards in Pauper.
Bomb - The Legends of Pauper.
White
Battlewise Valor - Doesn't do enough to raise it above other combat tricks. Bad
Cavalry Pegasus - Relies too much on Tribal synergies. Bad
Chosen by Heliod - Aura's need to boost power to be good in Pauper. Bad
Divine Verdict - Reprint. Borderline
Ephara's Warden - Underpowered for a tapper at 4cc. Bad
Gods Willing - Adding Scry to Stave Off would have been good, but they took away the ability to target your opponents creatures. Borderline
Hopeful Eidolon - Unless they have a remarkable ability, +2/+2 is the cutoff for Auras and a 1/1 Lifelinker isn't good. Bad
Lagonna-Band Elder - 3/2 for 3cc isn't good enough unless paired with a great ability; lifegain is not a great ability. Bad
Last Breath - White has much better removal available. Terrible
Leonin Snarecaster - A slightly worse Azorius Arrester. Borderline
Observant Alseid - On par with Knightly Valor. Borderline
Ray of Dissolution - White has better options. Terrible
Setessan Battle Priest - A bad body paired with a weak ability. Bad
Silent Artisan - Vanilla and bad. Terrible
Traveling Philosopher - Vanilla Bears aren't good enough in Pauper. Terrible
Wingsteed Rider - One of the only Heroic cards that Pauperists would consider, {c}1{c}{w}{w} makes it just not good enough. Borderline
Yoked Ox - Vanilla and bad. Terrible
Overall there are some interesting cards but no good cards.
Blue
Annul - Reprint and narrow. Bad
Aqueous Form - Getting this online early would be good; you're opponent would have to deal with it. Borderline
Benthic Giant - The big Blue finisher you always wanted in your control deck. Staple
Breaching Hippocamp - A decent mix of abilities but nothing to cheer about. Borderline
Fate Foretold - Not a great way to draw two cards in Pauper. Bad
Griptide - Reprint. Borderline
Lost in a Labyrinth - Blue's best combat tricks are bounce spells. Bad
Mnemonic Wall - Reprint. Cubable
Nimbus Naiad - The best of the Bestows as the boost is good and the creature is at least on curve. Cubable
Omenspeaker - A good body for an early control drop. Cubable
Prescient Chimera - Finally a 5cc three power Blue Flyer with four toughness, and with Scry to boot. Staple
Stymied Hopes - I find this actually appealing, but I know its not better than Daze. Bad
Thassa's Bounty - Expensive for the effect at Sorcery speed. Bad
Triton Shorethief - Bad. Terrible
Vaporkin - Functional reprint of Welkin Tern. Cubable
Voyage's End - Too narrow but Scry can save some cards. Borderline
Wavecrash Triton - Decent stats for 3cc but the ability is difficult to trigger. Bad
Blue gets a couple Staples and some other interesting cards.
Black
Asphodel Wanderer - Not good enough for Regenerate. Bad
Baleful Eidolon - Does not make the Aura cut and its worse than Typhoid Rats. Bad
Blood-Toll Harpy - Not good enough. Bad
Boon of Erebos - The combination of abilities makes it very functional. Borderline
Cavern Lampad - Would have been good -1 mana. Bad
Disciple of Phenax - Bad stats and cost. Terrible
Felhide Minotaur - Bad functional reprint. Terrible
Fleshmad Steed - 2/2 for 2cc don't need drawbacks. Terrible
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - Interesting card with defensive stats. Borderline
Lash of the Whip - Way too expensive for Pauper. Terrible
March of the Returned - An "up to" Death's Duet isn't really better. Bad
Pharika's Cure - Black has better removal but the lifeswing is nice. Borderline
Read the Bones - Probably the best common in the set. Staple
Returned Centaur - More mill themed cards. Bad
Scourgemark - Weak cantriping Auras aren't good. Bad
Sip of Hemlock - Too expensive and slow. Terrible
Viper's Kiss - Not versatile enough. Bad
Black manages one good card.
Red
Akroan Crusader - Not relevant enough to build around. Bad
Borderland Minotaur - Vanilla functional reprint. Terrible
Boulderfall - Would have been great for two less mana. Terrible
Demolish - Reprint. Terrible
Dragon Mantle - Aura doesn't do enough. Bad
Ill-Tempered Cyclops - Good stats and abilities. Cubable
Lightning Strike - Functional reprint. Staple
Messenger's Speed - Not enough of a boost. Terrible
Minotaur Skullcleaver - A solid, aggressive three drop for Red. Cubable
Portent of Betrayal - Scry doesn't make an overcosted Act of Treason good. Bad
Rage of Purphoros - Red doesn't have to usually worry about regeneration with its plethora of burn. Bad
Satyr Rambler - 2/1s do not need Trample, they need Evasion. Terrible
Spark Jolt - Give me one damage and Scry two and we'll talk. Bad
Spearpoint Oread - A bad creature and an overcosted Aura. Bad
Titan's Strength - Not enough of a boost for Scry to save. Bad
Two-Headed Cerberus - Double strike gets interesting at two power. Bad
Wild Celebrants - There are better 5cc creatures with nonSideboard abilities. Bad
Red gets a decent haul.
Green
Commune with the Gods - Would have been better if it was more like Gift of the Gargantuan. Bad
Defend the Hearth - A bad Fog. Bad
Fade into Antiquity - Bad Sideboard card. Bad
Feral Invocation - Decent combat trick with a permanent boost. Cubable
Leafcrown Dryad - For the cost, this is a workable Bestow card. Cubable
Nessian Asp - Solid stats and a nice ramp bonus. Staple
Nessian Courser - Reprint. Cubable
Nylea's Disciple - Not a great cost for a variable effect. Borderline
Nylea's Presence - Overcosted Abundant Growth. Bad
Pheres-Band Centaurs - Big vanilla. Borderline
Savage Surge - A combat trick that gives you so many options. Cubable
Sedge Scorpion - Planeshifted Typhoid Rats. Borderline
Shredding Winds - Not better than Plummet. Bad
Staunch-Hearted Warrior - If you want to build around Heroic this is a good card. Borderline
Time to Feed - Overcosted Prey Upon with a small upside. Borderline
Voyaging Satyr - Ley Druid made a little cheaper but not better. Bad
Vulpine Goliath - A worthy ramp target in Green. Cubable
Green got a few things it needed.
Colorless
Bronze Sable - Functional reprint. Terrible
Fleetfeather Sandals - Decent abilities but expensive. Borderline
Guardians of Meletis - A big wall. Bad
Opaline Unicorn - Bad stats and weak ability. Bad
Traveler's Amulet - Reprint. Bad
Unknown Shores - Functional reprint. Cubable
Nothing to talk about in Colorless.
Multicolor
Scholar of Athreos - I like it better than Basilica Guards, but it can't compete with the other great Orzhov cards. Borderline
Setessan Griffin - Not good enought to compete in Selesnya. Bad
Coastline Chimera - Too weak statwise to compete in Azorius. Bad
Crackling Triton - For those who do not like Steamcore Weird, this is for you. Borderline
Loathsome Catoblepas - Too much work for a two for one, but this is Golgari. Borderline
Returned Phalanx - Dimir is too stacked for a weak card, but it does have decent stats. Borderline
Deathbellow Raider - A solid aggressive two drop for Rakdos. Cubable
Priest of Iroas - Just not Boros enough. Bad
Agent of Horizons - Expensive evasion on an undercurve creature. Borderline
Satyr Hedonist - Early beater with ramping built in. Borderline
Hard to make waves in Multicolor.
I think I agree with all of the staple/cubable cards although I would probably just put Deathbellow Raider as a red card.
I would probably move Nylea's Presence to Terrible for just being blatantly and unapolegetically well, terrible (tacking on an extra mana to Abundant Growth??)
I think it is a very strong control only card. 0/4 for 1, in pauper is nothing to scoff at. There isn't a lot of removal to deal with that early on and can really hurt people.
I think it deserves some discussion if you really want to bolster control.
Currently 62/265 cards.
Thats our opinion as well, although we've played him in draft but not Cube (yet)