Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas is great if you run enough artifacts and generally support artifact-heavy decks in blue+x. If you don't do that, cut him. Otherwise, Shadowmage Infiltrator is probably the best cut.
To the three who respond to the land cut, why cut Glimmervoid? I thought it would be a good land for the artifact deck to use. I have artifacts in U/B with a splash in W and it lets you play some of those harder to play things.
Breaking news.
There will be no Tibalt, Tamiyo, Tezzeret, Garruk, Chandra, Liliana, mini-Jace, big-Jace, Garruk again, or Sarkhan in Theros either.
There will also be no Black Lotus.
To the three who respond to the land cut, why cut Glimmervoid? I thought it would be a good land for the artifact deck to use. I have artifacts in U/B with a splash in W and it lets you play some of those harder to play things.
Because it does nothing in a deck without a lot of artifacts, so it's too narrow. Even Rogue's Passage will at least stick around and tap for mana if you have an empty board.
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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.
While we're on the subject, should it be both? How many artifact/enchantment hate cards should a general cube run?
----------
Avenger of Zendikar vs Pelakka Wurm
I've never actually cubed with Avenger outside of the MTGO cube, so I'd like to give him a run. What are opinions here? Is he better than Pelakka Wurm?
Of all the disenchant/naturalize effects on bodies and the like that we have available nowadays, those two cards NEVER fail to do excellent work for us. Costing 2 rather than 3, being instant speed, and wreaking havoc on Swords and other equipment to give you two-fers... I wouldn't cube without them.
Ophiomancer
Flesh Carver
Vampire Nighthawk
Mardu Strike Leader - may switch places with Vampire Nighthawk after it's had some more games
Xathrid Necromancer - I stop running things from here and below
Lifebane Zombie - not a fan of cards that hate out a specific color or do nothing otherwise
Bone Shredder
Fleshbag Marauder
Merciless Executioner
Geralf's Messenger - way too hard to cast
Ophiomancer
Flesh Carver
Vampire Nighthawk
Mardu Strike Leader - may switch places with Vampire Nighthawk after it's had some more games
Xathrid Necromancer - I stop running things from here and below
Lifebane Zombie - not a fan of cards that hate out a specific color or do nothing otherwise
Bone Shredder
Fleshbag Marauder
Merciless Executioner
Geralf's Messenger - way too hard to cast
Flesh Carver
Ophiomancer
Vampire Nighthawk
Hypnotic Specter (not in your list, but this is where I'd rank him)
Master of the Feast
Mardu Strike Leader (I don't have any real data on this guy yet, but he's the last three drop that I run on this list)
Bone Shredder
Geralf's Messenger (he's hard to cast, but he's solid if your cube supports a heavy black deck)
Lifebane Zombie
Bane of the Living (again, not in your list, but this is where I'd rank him)
Fleshbag Marauder / Merciless Executioner (either/or with these guys, depending how much you value the zombie creature type)
Xathrid Necromancer
I see your point about Lifebane Zombie...that card is probably just leftover from my attempts to help Gravecrawler.
Why would you think Gravecrawler need any help?
Because it was mostly just a Savannah Lions that couldn't block, and my regulars never really cared for that.
Hippy always had the raw power, but he never really had much for synergy with anything else, so he was kinda boring. Other threes (Bone Shredder, Xathrid Necromancer) have a lot more of that.
Definitely Mortars over Bonfire. The latter is a stupid miracle card that is unreliable and swingy as fudge. Mortars on the other hand has two reliable and useful playmodes.
Bonfire. It has a much higher ceiling with less red demand, it can hit players, and it's often card advantage even in its two most common hardcast modes. I like both Wildfires and both 'Quakes better, but after those, this is my favorite sweeper effect in red, despite the variance.
Because it was mostly just a Savannah Lions that couldn't block, and my regulars never really cared for that.
That's been my experience too and I'm wondering if I should consider cutting it for just another 2/1 or 2/2 with an upside - especially now that Bloodsoaked Champion exists for decks that wanf a recurring threat.
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You're the dude who just lies a lot and makes people hate you and then magically becomes town later, right?
That's been my experience too and I'm wondering if I should consider cutting it...
It's your call if you want to consider it, but I wouldn't actually do it. Gravecrawler is a staple of black aggro. Aggro decks shouldn't care about blocking.
That's been my experience too and I'm wondering if I should consider cutting it...
It's your call if you want to consider it, but I wouldn't actually do it. Gravecrawler is a staple of black aggro. Aggro decks shouldn't care about blocking.
Even if it were simply a black Savannah Lions with no downside, that still isn't very attractive. I recently cut the Lions from my cube in favor of a better version (Mardu Woe-Reaper). Why should Gravecrawler be held to a lower standard?
Fair question, but to me, it's not about lower standards. It's about redundancy. I want more 2-power creatures for 1 because I try to make aggro decks viable and they need the early pressure. Is Mardu Woe-Reaper "better" than Savannah Lions? Sure. IMO, it's better to run both.
I think something that's important to remember here is that Asenion has a 180 card cube, and there are only 15 creatures in his entire black section. I'd never consider cutting Gravecrawler from my cube, but an aggro deck as we know it probably isn't even viable in his without 1-drops being half of his white, black, and red creature sections.
Asenion, I'd imagine that for your cube you'd want to push just one or two archetypes for your entire black section and build around them pretty strictly. A zombie tribal theme with Gravecrawler and zombie token generators along with other creatures that recur from the graveyard could be an interesting one to try, and maybe some ways to sac those creatures for value, but you might have something else in mind that Gravecrawler won't be any good for.
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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.
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My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
...
Eternal Dragon is better, due to its flexibility.
...
Cut one:
Crater Hellion vs Bogardan Hellkite vs Thunder Dragon
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
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
(W/B) Teysa, Orzhov Scion (W/B)
G Devoted G
(U/R) Scramblefun (U/R)
(W/U) Heh, Birbs (W/U)
Because it does nothing in a deck without a lot of artifacts, so it's too narrow. Even Rogue's Passage will at least stick around and tap for mana if you have an empty board.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
While we're on the subject, should it be both? How many artifact/enchantment hate cards should a general cube run?
----------
Avenger of Zendikar vs Pelakka Wurm
I've never actually cubed with Avenger outside of the MTGO cube, so I'd like to give him a run. What are opinions here? Is he better than Pelakka Wurm?
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
And Avenger > Wurm.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Whatever that consensus number is, add one.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
- Bone Shredder
- Flesh Carver
- Fleshbag Marauder
- Geralf's Messenger
- Herald of Torment
- Lifebane Zombie
- Mardu Strike Leader
- Master of the Feast (forgot to include him)
- Merciless Executioner
- Ophiomancer
- Vampire Nighthawk
- Xathrid Necromancer
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
Ophiomancer
Flesh Carver
Vampire Nighthawk
Mardu Strike Leader - may switch places with Vampire Nighthawk after it's had some more games
Xathrid Necromancer - I stop running things from here and below
Lifebane Zombie - not a fan of cards that hate out a specific color or do nothing otherwise
Bone Shredder
Fleshbag Marauder
Merciless Executioner
Geralf's Messenger - way too hard to cast
Forgot to include Master of the Feast and Herald of Torment in that list...
I see your point about Lifebane Zombie...that card is probably just leftover from my attempts to help Gravecrawler.
Why is Bone Shredder so low on the list?
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
Flesh Carver
Ophiomancer
Mardu Strike Leader
Master of the Feast
Hypnotic Specter
Vampire Nighthawk
Grim Haruspex
Lifebane Zombie Even if it whiffs, a free Peek is still deceptively good, plus 3 power evasion is nothing to sneeze at.
Bone Shredder I really like all the interactions this can have with Volrath's Stronghold/Recurring Nightmare. Its on the cusp for me but still in.
Herald of Torment
Xathrid Necromancer
Fleshbag Marauder
Merciless Executioner
Geralf's Messenger
It would be hard for me to cut any of the top six, but below them the power level really flattens out.
Etali, Primal Storm EDH
Ophiomancer, Flesh Carver, Mardu Strike Leader, Vampire Nighthawk, Master of the Feast & Hypnotic Specter are my 3-drops of choice in black.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Ophiomancer
Vampire Nighthawk
Master of the Feast
Mardu Strike Leader
Hypnotic Specter
Flesh Carver
Dauthi Marauder
Bone Shredder
Geralf's Messenger
Herald of Torment
Xathrid Necromancer
Grim Haruspex
Lifebane Zombie
Fleshbag Marauder
Merciless Executioner
Why would you think Gravecrawler need any help?
As for black 3 drops, I'd rank them like this:
Flesh Carver
Ophiomancer
Vampire Nighthawk
Hypnotic Specter (not in your list, but this is where I'd rank him)
Master of the Feast
Mardu Strike Leader (I don't have any real data on this guy yet, but he's the last three drop that I run on this list)
Bone Shredder
Geralf's Messenger (he's hard to cast, but he's solid if your cube supports a heavy black deck)
Lifebane Zombie
Bane of the Living (again, not in your list, but this is where I'd rank him)
Fleshbag Marauder / Merciless Executioner (either/or with these guys, depending how much you value the zombie creature type)
Xathrid Necromancer
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
Because it was mostly just a Savannah Lions that couldn't block, and my regulars never really cared for that.
Hippy always had the raw power, but he never really had much for synergy with anything else, so he was kinda boring. Other threes (Bone Shredder, Xathrid Necromancer) have a lot more of that.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
...
Black 3-drops:
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
Bonfire. It has a much higher ceiling with less red demand, it can hit players, and it's often card advantage even in its two most common hardcast modes. I like both Wildfires and both 'Quakes better, but after those, this is my favorite sweeper effect in red, despite the variance.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
That's been my experience too and I'm wondering if I should consider cutting it for just another 2/1 or 2/2 with an upside - especially now that Bloodsoaked Champion exists for decks that wanf a recurring threat.
My cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9981
It's your call if you want to consider it, but I wouldn't actually do it. Gravecrawler is a staple of black aggro. Aggro decks shouldn't care about blocking.
My Eternal Cube on CubeTutor| |My Reject Rare Cube on CubeTutor| |My Peasant Cube on CubeTutor
I used to write for MTGS, including Cranial Insertion and cube articles. Good on you if you can find those after the upgrade.
Even if it were simply a black Savannah Lions with no downside, that still isn't very attractive. I recently cut the Lions from my cube in favor of a better version (Mardu Woe-Reaper). Why should Gravecrawler be held to a lower standard?
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
My Eternal Cube on CubeTutor| |My Reject Rare Cube on CubeTutor| |My Peasant Cube on CubeTutor
I used to write for MTGS, including Cranial Insertion and cube articles. Good on you if you can find those after the upgrade.
Asenion, I'd imagine that for your cube you'd want to push just one or two archetypes for your entire black section and build around them pretty strictly. A zombie tribal theme with Gravecrawler and zombie token generators along with other creatures that recur from the graveyard could be an interesting one to try, and maybe some ways to sac those creatures for value, but you might have something else in mind that Gravecrawler won't be any good for.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.