A very cool card. He is definitely coming in. Can't decide what 3-drop to cut, so I'll just throw a spell out for this guy.
Equipments, Anthems, bestow creatures, Rancor and Ghor-Clan Rampager are all brutal with this card. And the beauty is that even without those, it is still decent in aggressive decks.
I think I'm going to take out Blistering Firecat for this guy. Firecat has always been playable, if unexciting, and the Flamespeaker seems like it will see play in more archetypes than just monored. Monored will definitely play the Flamespeaker, but I think that UR and GR lists in particular will benefit from his inclusion.
The 1 power and double-red are significant drawbacks, but this is a 3 drop that gives red access to some utility that it doesn't normally get. I'm very excited for this card for my Stonebrow EDH deck, and I think it has some Cube implications as well. After all, Chandra, Pyromaster is playable right?
I am unsure about this guy, but I really think he's no chandra. Chandra gives you value the turn you play her, pinging for 1 and faltering their best blocker. With this guy, though, people have (correctly, imo) identified that he is at his best when he is suited up in some way, so say you play him on t3, then t4 play and equip jitte, well then you can't cast whatever you exile (even lands, cause you had to play the 4th one) and he's not really better than any other doublestriker. So, say you equip him with a sword that you already played so you still have mana left to play the cards, except that sword and this guy occupy the same place on the curve so one of them is delayed a turn. If you wait for 5 and play and equip a sword, again, he's just a double-striker (and I don't think anyone would play a 1/3 double strike for 3)
I think this guy is certainly testable, but he's no chandra, and I think he will be an one the edge card if he does see play. Of course, I could be wrong.
This guy has a huge reliance on other cards to be great (removal and/or pump spells). Also most of the pump support that makes him good is not in his colors (barring artifacts). That alone make me question this guy heavily. The gigantic best case is too good to ignore so I'm definitely going to be testing, just not getting super pumped either. He also is hugely cube dependent ( smaller cubes with higher chance of equipment might value him more, and cubes that run more pump effects like the +3 haste spell might trhave good luck with him )
While he quickly becomes insane with some pump, he is still good without any pump at all. He does only a little damage then, but he can still provide 1-2 extra cards in a single attack.
PS I definitely like this card. 3 butt is nice for surviving vs value 2/2s and trample is nice vs tokens. Lack of evasion is pretty awkward and usually kills saboteurs but I think that the base stats/ability should be good.
Cards that require some build around to be good, but are still (begrudingly) playable without, are the best cube cards.
Drawing 1-2 cards on a hit without pump is good. Not exactly what you want to be doing in a heavy red deck, but still good.
With a couple instant pump spells in your deck (unfortunately not enough playable ones in cube), blocking this is terrifying.
Block with a 4/4, get ghor-clan rampagered. Take 6 damage, lose your 4/4 and they can draw 1-2 cards.
The more I think about this guy, the more I'm up for giving him a shot. I think he fits nicely into the red aggro decks as well. He hits for two, he carries equipment well, and he gives you some extra gas to keep the pressure on. He definitely deserves a test, especially in medium to larger cubes.
This guy seems 360 worthy to me. Even without the plentiful equipment that will break this guy, the ceiling for this is still really high in a color that scrounges for good card advantage. I honestly don't understand the grumbling about how this guy could be better. Anything more would make him unprintable. As is he seems like a value work-horse. Hell, you can pair him with burn in first combat to deal with heavies and then replace the burn card on second combat. I'd take that deal in red.
It's probably already been said but I think it bears repeating that if you exhile a land you can play it. If you miss a land drop (frequent in aggro strategies) and he connects full on and you exhile a land and a spell you get a land drop you wouldn't have had AND are more likely to be able to cast your spell. Aggro decks curve out at four typically so you are going to get some serious gas out of this guy in an aggro shell, especially if you are packing the spot removal needed clear the way for him. The the extra land will also help in all manner of control/midrange shells, though you do run the risk of exhiling your wincon if you don't have the mana up to cast it. So yea he is not an Ophidian, but his "draw" trigger is really good. As a 1/3 with double strike survives combat with every 1/1 and the vast majority of 2/2 in the cube. Great on offense and defense. He's great in Aggro shells, and probably really good in control and midrange strategies. I fail to see how any of his abilities are drawbacks or conditionals. Gnarled Scarhide and Mana Confluence are going to be workhorse staples for years (if not forever) in cube, and Master of the Feast looks really promising, but I'm freaking STOKED to sleeve up Prophetic Flamespeaker. It looks like an absolute BLAST to play with. I'm probably more excited to play with this card than any other card printed in the past couple blocks.
One more thing, trample and double strike have only both been on one other creature in the history of Magic... and it cost 10 mana. Dragon Tyrant says hello.
EDIT: HA! dschumm, I must have been writing my post while you posted yours. Great minds...
I can actually see this being good. I mean yes its power is low, but for good reason. Its a 1/3 with Double Strike and Trample for 1RR. Give it a small power boost and it would actually become a 2/4 or even a 3/5 that hurts like truck.
I went ahead and preordered one. I really want to get one copy for my cube and concluded that it would be too risky to wait until after the prerelease. If this card actually finds a home in a standard deck or two, it might become very expensive very fast, since it is a mythic in a small third set.
Smart move. I think in a standard environment where Ghor-Clan Rampager is legal, it's highly likely we'll see this guy played. I'm seeing him at $10 right now, which feels pretty good to me.
Despite being super high on this card in cube, I would not be surprised at all if he's not played in standard.
Format is completely littered with black decks that have 9-10 removal spells ALL of which kill him, thoughtseize being everywhere rips away the ability to build around synergy with pump spells and protection spells.
He wont be able to get through on the ground against any sylvan caryatid deck, without pump.
No good equipment to use with him.
Not having haste and costing 3 mana makes him a liability to verdict.
That being said, he's so disgusting with pump, that if he's going to be in a deck, it'll likely be along side ways to make him bigger.
Some sort of G/R all in bloodrush/heroic deck could maybe? be a thing, if it can designed to flood the board fast enough to have game against mono black.
Id want this to be at the top of my curve in an agro deck in standard.
I'm going to cut Fire Imp to test this guy out. Removal on a body is good, but it has a limited number of targets and the BCS of this guy is way higher.
I just wish the Imp shot faces too.... The cut is just for testing. I'm not decided on Mindsparker yet so I could swap that to put the Imp back in... I don't get to cube enough!
It's either molten rain or firecat for me. I can't wait to test this guy. a red 3 drop that digs 2 cards down is pretty awesome no matter how you slice it, and I'll happily play all the burn he reveals.
I like him a lot and will certainly test him out. I think the 1/3 Double Strike, Trample body for 3CMC is pretty decent considering all the different equipment there is in Cube. Pair him with any Sword or Jitte for silly shenanigans and that's before you get to his triggered ability. I have high hopes for this guy.
I doubt I'll ever cut Fire Imp. There is almost nothing else like it. Red should get more creatures that burn stuff on the way in. If it shot faces too, it would have echo and be named Ghitu Slinger. It's a great creature. I'm not sure what I'm cutting; likely Chandra's Phoenix.
I just wish the Imp shot faces too.... The cut is just for testing. I'm not decided on Mindsparker yet so I could swap that to put the Imp back in... I don't get to cube enough!
Imp's pretty strong. Getting rid of early utility/beaters, combining with bounce effects, and post combat killing a large creature are all great applications. It also goes in any red deck. Not what I would look to cut.
Took a look at your cube, and obviously you will never feel comfortable with a cut until you've tested it yourself. BUT from experience I would cut any of these (looked for cards that are just not as good as they seem in testing): Ember Swallower Instigator Gang Pyrewild Shaman Mindsparker (But you already mentioned that above)
So much equipment in cube, finally an additional reason to go into my g/r fires archetype with rancor, ghor clan rampager, vines of vast wood.
360 material IMO
Last Updated 02/07/24
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Equipments, Anthems, bestow creatures, Rancor and Ghor-Clan Rampager are all brutal with this card. And the beauty is that even without those, it is still decent in aggressive decks.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
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I am unsure about this guy, but I really think he's no chandra. Chandra gives you value the turn you play her, pinging for 1 and faltering their best blocker. With this guy, though, people have (correctly, imo) identified that he is at his best when he is suited up in some way, so say you play him on t3, then t4 play and equip jitte, well then you can't cast whatever you exile (even lands, cause you had to play the 4th one) and he's not really better than any other doublestriker. So, say you equip him with a sword that you already played so you still have mana left to play the cards, except that sword and this guy occupy the same place on the curve so one of them is delayed a turn. If you wait for 5 and play and equip a sword, again, he's just a double-striker (and I don't think anyone would play a 1/3 double strike for 3)
I think this guy is certainly testable, but he's no chandra, and I think he will be an one the edge card if he does see play. Of course, I could be wrong.
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Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
I see what you did there.
PS I definitely like this card. 3 butt is nice for surviving vs value 2/2s and trample is nice vs tokens. Lack of evasion is pretty awkward and usually kills saboteurs but I think that the base stats/ability should be good.
I used to write cube articles on StarCityGames, now for GatheringMagic and podcast about cube (w/Antknee42.)
Drawing 1-2 cards on a hit without pump is good. Not exactly what you want to be doing in a heavy red deck, but still good.
With a couple instant pump spells in your deck (unfortunately not enough playable ones in cube), blocking this is terrifying.
Block with a 4/4, get ghor-clan rampagered. Take 6 damage, lose your 4/4 and they can draw 1-2 cards.
Last Updated 02/07/24
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Whoa! I hadn't thought of that. Good call.
I used to write cube articles on StarCityGames, now for GatheringMagic and podcast about cube (w/Antknee42.)
One more thing, trample and double strike have only both been on one other creature in the history of Magic... and it cost 10 mana. Dragon Tyrant says hello.
EDIT: HA! dschumm, I must have been writing my post while you posted yours. Great minds...
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
Format is completely littered with black decks that have 9-10 removal spells ALL of which kill him, thoughtseize being everywhere rips away the ability to build around synergy with pump spells and protection spells.
He wont be able to get through on the ground against any sylvan caryatid deck, without pump.
No good equipment to use with him.
Not having haste and costing 3 mana makes him a liability to verdict.
That being said, he's so disgusting with pump, that if he's going to be in a deck, it'll likely be along side ways to make him bigger.
Some sort of G/R all in bloodrush/heroic deck could maybe? be a thing, if it can designed to flood the board fast enough to have game against mono black.
Id want this to be at the top of my curve in an agro deck in standard.
Last Updated 02/07/24
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My 630 Card Powered Cube
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My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
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http://cubetutor.com/cubeblog/993
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Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Imp's pretty strong. Getting rid of early utility/beaters, combining with bounce effects, and post combat killing a large creature are all great applications. It also goes in any red deck. Not what I would look to cut.
Took a look at your cube, and obviously you will never feel comfortable with a cut until you've tested it yourself. BUT from experience I would cut any of these (looked for cards that are just not as good as they seem in testing):
Ember Swallower
Instigator Gang
Pyrewild Shaman
Mindsparker (But you already mentioned that above)
I would also strongly recommend adding in Avalanche Riders.
My 450 Cube