MTG Salvation

Ingot Chewer

Are there any cubers out there that have any extensive playtesting with this creature? Powered cubes are always looking to have cheap answers to broken fast mana, and this card can blow up Sol Rings and Moxen early enough to make a big impact on the development of the game. And later on (in a pinch) it can be played as a pseudo-Oxida Scrapmlter to give you a 3/3 body and blow up a more expensive artifact. Unpowered cubes have the luxury of waiting for Vandal mana to blow up the problematic artifacts in the cube, but is this a reasonable thing to include for powered lists? I've been considering giving this card a trial run because 1cc artifact destruction that's not totally outclassed in the later stages of the game could be at a premium. Thoughts?

I have a foil one sitting in my cube box, waiting for an increase in cube size to justify its inclusion.

I like it more than Oxxida, that's for sure. Red's four-drops are stacked already, and while this one is even worse at five, I imagine I'd be playing it as a one-mana sorcery at least two-thirds of the time in a powered environment. In an unpowered environment, it's probably going to be a 22nd or 23rd card, but it'll generally make the cut and both modes will be perfectly fine.

I also love the art.

I think evoke enables a lot of really good synergies with graveyard shenanigans. Plus it's always castable as long as you have red.

I'd throw it in if you're looking for more artifact hate or in replace of your least favorite artifact hate.

Thanks for the quick responses. I'm going to test him out for a bit and see how it plays out.

In powered hes better than almost all of the other artifact hate creatures commonly played in Cube. In unpowered I wouldn't Cube him.

Yep, I ran him for quite a long time. Early artifact removal is very very important. Plus, he's a fine ETB creature at any other point in the game, plays well with stuff like evolve and early reanimation spells, and has awesome adorable derpy art.

If you wondering why I cut him, then you should know he's been on the bench since that time but always close to reinclusion. He is very playable in a powered cube, but shouldn't make the grade in an unpowered one as early artifact removal isn't so highly needed there.

Awesome feedback! Thanks all.

Sounds nice with sacrifice theme stuff. Too bad a lot of that is sorcery speed. I'd be elated to dump this guy and ding someone with my bombardment or whatever. I guess his stock goes up vs his ability in powered cubes and grim monolith style card sporting cubes. Recursion and sac strategies lose some weight in those powerful cubes though. Gargadon always plays well though.

Have you tried smash to smithereens or the "replicate" anti artifact spell for R? Ingot could work, but a big factor is why you're including it. Ingot as a R sorcery spell mainly for anti-artifact could also be a dedicated spell unless you're also pushing for that flex to attack with the thing. I say smash because it also deals damage, which is relevant. The replicate one is great early game and only gets better when you start X for 1-ing several artifacts. The "downside" is that it's a true spell and won't ever be a critter. I'd test them or at least record situations where you played Ingot to see how the other cards would have been

I definitely wanted to dedicate at least one more that can be a decent bullet for powered mana. I wouldn't recommend testing it in unpowered cubes.

Smash is good, but loses the creature interactions, can't stop Sol Ring before it makes an Elspeth for them, and can't be a beater when they don't have other artifacts. And the replicate one is a bit too narrow.

I'm looking forward to blowing up artifacts and sending it back to my hand with Shard/Portal. Or saccing it to a Gargadon, snagging it with a reanimation spell later in the game, or just getting a card advantage duder.

I have been looking at Ingot Chewer for a while myself. As always question is what to cut. So far Fredo was not convinced, but maybe we can find a cut one of the next updates.

It won't be as good in a full-table Rochester draft as it is in Winston, Sealed and <6 player events, so it'll be harder to talk him into it I think...

Quote from wtwlf123

I definitely wanted to dedicate at least one more that can be a decent bullet for powered mana. I wouldn't recommend testing it in unpowered cubes.

Smash is good, but loses the creature interactions, can't stop Sol Ring before it makes an Elspeth for them, and can't be a beater when they don't have other artifacts. And the replicate one is a bit too narrow.

I'm looking forward to blowing up artifacts and sending it back to my hand with Shard/Portal. Or saccing it to a Gargadon, snagging it with a reanimation spell later in the game, or just getting a card advantage duder.

Gotcha. Where are Torch Fiend and Co. in comparison?

I used to really love those cards, but my adoration for them has waned over the last year. Hearth Kami might be a decent choice in powered because it can still snipe moxen for 1R, but losing the card and spending 3+ mana made them often play worse than Vandals, and they're more expensive at being just artifact hate.

I'm re-testing Smash to Smithereens though. It's a disenchant that aggro doesn't hate to play. And if I'm blowing up an early artifact with it, I don't lose out on the damage like I would by sacrificing Fiend/Kami.

Smash to Smithereens is my favorite red artifact killer, but I am admittedly a sucker for "tax" effects like that (Searing Blaze and Molten Rain for example). They are solid, fairly costed effects that help take the opponent into the life range where he has to start making "bad" decisions.

I'd like to try Ingot Chewer as well.

Its been 8 years later, has thoughts on this card changed?

Foundation Breaker + Evoke creature cycle performed fairly well given their flexibility. I'm wondering if this card could see a resurgence given the success of aristocrats + the need for creature decks to keep up with the speed of format.

Embereth Shieldbreaker was the card I was waiting for when I was entertaining the idea of running Ingot Chewer.

Quote from wtwlf123 »

Embereth Shieldbreaker was the card I was waiting for when I was entertaining the idea of running Ingot Chewer.

I think I might be in the market for a second to help creature decks keep up with unfair decks.