I am making this thread because I honestly don't remember ever casting this card while taking full advantage of it, a ton of lists I've looked at run it, even I run it, but I don't know how to rate this card with my experience level with it.
Obviously it can be used to reanimate a creature in a pinch (although never in a "cheating" style, requiring you pay the full price and then some for the guy you want back.), give some guys fear for the turn, kill a guy, and/or sap some life. I know options are good, but are there any reasons this card is considered good enough that I've seen it in 360 lists previously? I'm sure I'll have egg on my face by the end of this discussion but curiosity has gotten the better of me.
What I like about Profane Command is the flexibility. It has 2 main modes I use: Utility Mode, which is usually cast for 5 to kill a 3-drop and bring a 3-drop back into play from the yard, and Alpha Strike mode, which is usually used to give evasion to my team and deal direct damage to the opponent. It has hybrid modes that mix other combinations of the four, but those are the two most commonly played combinations in our group.
It's a little less flexible than Cryptic Command because its main use is as a finisher whereas Cryptic can be both a finisher and a Dismiss. However, at the end of the game there is almost no card that I'd want to see more than Profane Command. The damage you deal with this card almost always exceeds any X burn spell. I hope someone can put it more eloquently than I. The best I can say is compare Cryptic Command to Dismiss or Into the Roil and it'll help you understand why this card is run. I've basically never seen it cast without winning the game.
What I like about Profane Command is the flexibility. It has 2 main modes I use: Utility Mode, which is usually cast for 5 to kill a 3-drop and bring a 3-drop back into play from the yard, and Alpha Strike mode, which is usually used to give evasion to my team and deal direct damage to the opponent. It has hybrid modes that mix other combinations of the four, but those are the two most commonly played combinations in our group.
We have pretty much the same experience in terms of combinations. It's never cheap for what it does, but it does many things well. Granting evasion to everyone is rare in cube too so that counts in its favour, as does the ability to directly damage a player (in black).
That said, I think it's on the fence at 360 or below. It's weird saying that after praising a card, but that's cube for you. Everything's good.
I think the key for Profane Command is what you're trying to do with your black section. My black section right now is trying hard to push graveyard and smokestack mechanics. I've got a lot of support for Braids and Smokestack, and I've got a lot of support for Reanimator. That means that the average black deck in my cube doesn't want 5-6 lands in play.
I think what the end result is that while Profane Command could be awesome in some decks in my cube, there's a very small number of them, and they aren't decks I'm trying to push. I suspect that any deck Profane makes would love to have it, but it'll see way too much time in the sideboard.
So . . . it's a good card, but make sure you're doing things in black that make it a card that will see play. If you're pushing other avenues for black (like we discussed in the Making Black Better thread), then you might find Profane doesn't get it done.
Profane has always been a solid performer in my cube. We see a lot of black contro, black and green mid-range, and other slower builds. I agree with Jeff that you wouldn't want this in a quick deck. In those slower decks, however, Profane is very powerful, and sets up two-for-ones all day long.
It's not too shabby in a fast black deck either. Well, it's not good in a hyper aggressive red style deck, but everything that kills after turn four welcomes the ability to drain the opponent for four or five and bashing through. Getting to six is a little bad, but I don't mind cards that are better if your game plan is failing; definitely better than the other way round.
Though I agree that Profane Command is waaay better in slowish builds, of course.
Specialities about the cube: U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
Sometimes we have new people cubing with us and they look at Profane Command with a look that says 'Pfff, this slow card is not cubeworthy'. The regulars look at each other knowingly at that point. It keeps on winning games when played. As soon as you have four mana it is always great. When you have more it easily enters broken territory.
One of the best x-spells in the cube, if not the best.
I find that when I'm casting Profane Command or having it played against me, it would be worth it for just one of the abilities. The fact that it's a "choose two" is bonkers. 5 mana to deal 3 damage and often make 3 guys unblockable is the mode I think I use most, though none of the other modes are shabby.
I am making this thread because I honestly don't remember ever casting this card while taking full advantage of it, a ton of lists I've looked at run it, even I run it, but I don't know how to rate this card with my experience level with it.
Obviously it can be used to reanimate a creature in a pinch (although never in a "cheating" style, requiring you pay the full price and then some for the guy you want back.), give some guys fear for the turn, kill a guy, and/or sap some life. I know options are good, but are there any reasons this card is considered good enough that I've seen it in 360 lists previously? I'm sure I'll have egg on my face by the end of this discussion but curiosity has gotten the better of me.
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We have pretty much the same experience in terms of combinations. It's never cheap for what it does, but it does many things well. Granting evasion to everyone is rare in cube too so that counts in its favour, as does the ability to directly damage a player (in black).
That said, I think it's on the fence at 360 or below. It's weird saying that after praising a card, but that's cube for you. Everything's good.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
I think what the end result is that while Profane Command could be awesome in some decks in my cube, there's a very small number of them, and they aren't decks I'm trying to push. I suspect that any deck Profane makes would love to have it, but it'll see way too much time in the sideboard.
So . . . it's a good card, but make sure you're doing things in black that make it a card that will see play. If you're pushing other avenues for black (like we discussed in the Making Black Better thread), then you might find Profane doesn't get it done.
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Though I agree that Profane Command is waaay better in slowish builds, of course.
450, Peasant*, unpowered**
Specialities about the cube:
U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
One of the best x-spells in the cube, if not the best.
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
Insane card.
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450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.