One of those cards that looks great on paper, but so rarely gets there in practice. Agree with Salmo - 95% of the time it's just a bear with lifelink, which is fine, but not exciting. Not a must-have by any means, and I'd only include it now if you were pushing 3-color for some reason.
It's an okay bear body that draws removal because of the potential it represents. Sometimes it just trades away in combat and plays a poor Lone Missionary impression, but other times it's buying-back lifelinking Lightning Bolts and feels fantastic. It's not a staple or anything, but it's been a serviceable creature.
I agree that SGM hasn't been as great as I had hoped. However I still think that it is slightly better (or on par with) Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest and Jeskai Ascendancy. I've chosen to go with SGM as it is easily splashable and have a unique effect.
Soufire is OK. I agree with others that the buyback doesn't generally come in to play. When it does, it's great and it's sort of an unusual late game CA engine of sorts. So I keep it around for those moments.
This colorshifted Wall of Blossoms is quite a bit more straightforward than the last white 2-drop we discussed. One of the few Defenders that makes the cut in most cubes, this is exactly what you want to be playing on turn 2 in most controlling decks against aggro: something that holds off early aggression without giving up card advantage. Since it replaces itself immediately, it's also a fine topdeck in the later game, even if the body is no longer useful. As with any creature with an ETB trigger, it also plays nicely with blink and recursion, and it can be brought back with Reveillark. Because control decks are more likely to be playing white than green, Wall of Omens seems to be lasting longer than Wall of Blossoms in many cubes, including my own.
I imagine anyone who's nostalgic about Zendikar and hedrons probably prefers the original art, but I'm an absolute sucker for promos, so I run the FNM foil.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
It's a better Wall of Blossoms, which is already a solid card. It's colorshifted into a color that plays more control and also has flicker effects to get extra triggers. It's a staple.
Good card. Agree that it's a staple, since it's one of the few aggro hosers that doesn't feel bad since you can abuse it so much with blink triggers. The first card is good, and every other one after that is incredible.
We see a lot of spells matter Jeskai decks where Soulfire grand master is a great card... It's also easily playable in UW if you have recall or timewalk and some counter magic. Cheap blocker/pressure in a pinch, and a semi win condition late in the game.
I could imagine unpowered cube configurations where he would be unimpressive (cubes light on fixing, without recall/timewalk, few agro mirrors). One of the few cards that are better in small powered cubes than in large unpowered cubes.
Wall of omens is an incredible card for control decks that has some fringe utility in slower stax strategies. A can-tripping wall in a color with lots of blink effects to continue the value generation. I'd play it at any cube size and would happily run 2 if there was a functional reprint of it in white or blue.
Wall of Omens is fantastic. Not much to say about it that hasn't already be said. It's a staple. I really like the FNM promo. I don't much care for the Zendikar specific art on the original.
The only reason I don't run one is because I don't have one, and they're surprisingly expensive.
This is a very recent phenomenon. I actually had Wall of Omens on the under $2 list until a couple months ago, I have no idea why it's suddenly so expensive now.
I'd play it at any cube size and would happily run 2 if there was a functional reprint of it in white or blue.
I'd love to see one in blue, and I'm pretty sure it would end up being a pricey cross format staple if they ever did. Get on it, Wizards!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
It's not surprising that it's jumped in price. It's similar to Wall of Denial, it's a fantastic wall for a control shell that doesn't want many creatures, except smaller, easier to kill, easier to cast, and replaces itself in your hand.
Yep, it's a great card. But this was a quite sudden spike, the card tripled in price at the beginning of this year and it's stayed there. Usually when that happens it's because the card is doing well in a constructed archetype, I'm just not sure what Modern or eternal format decks have suddenly discovered this card.
One of the pleasant surprises of building and maintaining a cube for me has been how well the cube staples I've been acquiring have tended to hold and gain value over time, and the FNM foil Wall of Omens I picked up about a year and a half ago for $3 that's now retailing for $11 is a prime example of that. I won't be selling my cube any time soon, but it's nice to know I could probably get back most of what I've spent on it if I ever needed or wanted to.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
Welcome to today's installment of Random Two-Drop, er... I mean Cube Card of the Day. This is definitely my favorite of the two-drops discussed over the past few days, and it was voted #11 on the latest green Power Rankings, so a lot of this community definitely loves it too. This shouldn't be surprising, since it's effectively a creature version of this year's #1 green card, Survival of the Fittest. Like Survival of the Fittest, it improves overall card quality in any deck it's in turning every creature card drawn into a better costed Eladamri's Call, while filling the graveyard with creature cards to be recurred later. Fauna Shaman is at her best in a RecSur style deck that can use what she leaves in the 'yard, but unlike Survival of the Fittest, Fauna Shaman can also beat down on curve. This means Fauna Shaman also shines in "zoo" aggro decks where she spends just as much time attacking for 2 as she does tutoring up the utility dorks and finishers you need in the late game. I've first picked Fauna Shaman before, and I'm sure I will again.
Aesthetically, I think the mix of goofy and macabre in the art on Fauna Shaman in print is just dripping with flavor. However, this is the kind of card I could easily see being reprinted in EMA because it has a lot of casual appeal, so maybe we'll get a new art to compare this to soon.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
This cards been in and out of my cube, didn't know it was valued so highly, I'll check if I still run it. I like this thread, it makes me realize I'm dumb sometimes.
Edit: quick question would it be bad to talk about past cards you missed? I took a kinda large break from cubing(didn't update cube since origins).
Love Fauna Shaman. it's an important tool for graveyard decks, and it's great for having access to a toolbox of good utility creatures you can fetch up.
Cannot deny it's power, as it's a once per turn Survival, but I don't have one to run. Green creature 2 drops aren't exactly bursting at the seams with power like the non-creature slot is. Tarmogoyf, Duskwatch Recruiter, Sylvan Caryatid, Fauna Shaman and then it falls off pretty good. On the non-creature side you have Survival of the Fittest, Sylvan Library and a slew of good utility and ramp spells.
Green creature 2 drops aren't exactly bursting at the seams with power like the non-creature slot is. Tarmogoyf, Duskwatch Recruiter, Sylvan Caryatid, Fauna Shaman and then it falls off pretty good.
I don't think I agree with this. Green's two best 2cc creatures didn't even make your list...
Rofellos, Lotus Cobra, Tribe Elder, Scavenging Ooze and Wall of Roots are all pretty great, and I've enjoyed cards like Wild Mongrel and Sylvan Advocate too.
Edit: quick question would it be bad to talk about past cards you missed? I took a kinda large break from cubing(didn't update cube since origins).
I'd rather you didn't, that would make the thread hard to follow. I've been bumping up the relevant SCD threads so any spillover discussion can continue there, and if there's a card from here that you want to discuss that doesn't have an SCD thread yet you could always just start a new one.
Cannot deny it's power, as it's a once per turn Survival, but I don't have one to run. Green creature 2 drops aren't exactly bursting at the seams with power like the non-creature slot is. Tarmogoyf, Duskwatch Recruiter, Sylvan Caryatid, Fauna Shaman and then it falls off pretty good.
The green 2-drop spot is full of really interesting and unique effects, many of them quite powerful and unfortunately the best ones are pretty expensive. There's no budget replacement I can suggest does what Fauna Shaman, Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, or Lotus Cobra does, but if you're looking for a ramp creature Rattleclaw Mystic is quite versatile at ramping and fixing for less than a buck. Strangleroot Geist, Ambush Viper, Nest Invader, and Leafcrown Dryad are all doing great work in my Peasant cube, so those might also be worth a try for you. Apologies if you're already running any of those, do you have a Cube Tutor page?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
In my cube fauna shaman has two very important roles in green decks, and he fills that role perfectly.
Recurring nightmare decks and creature combo decks... I wouldn't play him in zoo like thread of the day breakdown suggests, too slow for a deck that wants to end the game asap.
Being able to pitch things in the graveyard for reanimation or tutor up any creature in your deck is an incredibly powerful ability, one that should stand the test of time.
In our 4 color kiki-jiki combo decks, the ability to find multiple combo peices AND pitch one of them to the graveyard for revilark reanimation is extremly good.
I rank him a bit lower than the average forum member, but certainly in my top 25 and a staple in any cube size.
The difference between Venser, Shaper Savant and Man-o'-War is U and 4 words in the textbox. However, the added versatility that comes with Venser is massive and more than worth that extra blue mana, and I'd already had an unhealthy love for Man-o'-War long before Venser was printed. The ability to Remand any spell or bounce any permanent at instant speed while adding to your board is incredibly flexible and can turn a game you were losing into a win. Usman once compared Venser, Shaper Savant to duct tape because of its versatility as a stop-gap fix to nearly anything. It was voted #20 in the latest Power Rankings for blue, and while I don't think I've ever first-picked it, I've never seen it table in my cube, and I've never cut it from any blue deck that could handle the double blue.
I prefer the more realistic FTV:20 art to the original by quite a bit. I've always thought Venser looked like he was slipping on a banana peel in the original. This, however, could just be a rationalization to justify paying a fraction of the price for the FTV foil over the original Future Sight foil. The best version of Venser I've ever seen, though, is this alter given to Juju as a Secret Santa present a few years back:
One of my favorite blue creatures. Has a powerful and impactful ability on his own, and can be easily abused with a lot of other cards in the cube. One of the all time greats.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
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!
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/
This colorshifted Wall of Blossoms is quite a bit more straightforward than the last white 2-drop we discussed. One of the few Defenders that makes the cut in most cubes, this is exactly what you want to be playing on turn 2 in most controlling decks against aggro: something that holds off early aggression without giving up card advantage. Since it replaces itself immediately, it's also a fine topdeck in the later game, even if the body is no longer useful. As with any creature with an ETB trigger, it also plays nicely with blink and recursion, and it can be brought back with Reveillark. Because control decks are more likely to be playing white than green, Wall of Omens seems to be lasting longer than Wall of Blossoms in many cubes, including my own.
I imagine anyone who's nostalgic about Zendikar and hedrons probably prefers the original art, but I'm an absolute sucker for promos, so I run the FNM foil.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
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!
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
The list on cube cobra
Read my blog on cube - Latest post June 2nd 2022
I could imagine unpowered cube configurations where he would be unimpressive (cubes light on fixing, without recall/timewalk, few agro mirrors). One of the few cards that are better in small powered cubes than in large unpowered cubes.
Wall of omens is an incredible card for control decks that has some fringe utility in slower stax strategies. A can-tripping wall in a color with lots of blink effects to continue the value generation. I'd play it at any cube size and would happily run 2 if there was a functional reprint of it in white or blue.
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
This is a very recent phenomenon. I actually had Wall of Omens on the under $2 list until a couple months ago, I have no idea why it's suddenly so expensive now.
I'd love to see one in blue, and I'm pretty sure it would end up being a pricey cross format staple if they ever did. Get on it, Wizards!
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
One of the pleasant surprises of building and maintaining a cube for me has been how well the cube staples I've been acquiring have tended to hold and gain value over time, and the FNM foil Wall of Omens I picked up about a year and a half ago for $3 that's now retailing for $11 is a prime example of that. I won't be selling my cube any time soon, but it's nice to know I could probably get back most of what I've spent on it if I ever needed or wanted to.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Welcome to today's installment of Random Two-Drop, er... I mean Cube Card of the Day. This is definitely my favorite of the two-drops discussed over the past few days, and it was voted #11 on the latest green Power Rankings, so a lot of this community definitely loves it too. This shouldn't be surprising, since it's effectively a creature version of this year's #1 green card, Survival of the Fittest. Like Survival of the Fittest, it improves overall card quality in any deck it's in turning every creature card drawn into a better costed Eladamri's Call, while filling the graveyard with creature cards to be recurred later. Fauna Shaman is at her best in a RecSur style deck that can use what she leaves in the 'yard, but unlike Survival of the Fittest, Fauna Shaman can also beat down on curve. This means Fauna Shaman also shines in "zoo" aggro decks where she spends just as much time attacking for 2 as she does tutoring up the utility dorks and finishers you need in the late game. I've first picked Fauna Shaman before, and I'm sure I will again.
Aesthetically, I think the mix of goofy and macabre in the art on Fauna Shaman in print is just dripping with flavor. However, this is the kind of card I could easily see being reprinted in EMA because it has a lot of casual appeal, so maybe we'll get a new art to compare this to soon.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Edit: quick question would it be bad to talk about past cards you missed? I took a kinda large break from cubing(didn't update cube since origins).
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=484979
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!
I don't think I agree with this. Green's two best 2cc creatures didn't even make your list...
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!
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
I'd rather you didn't, that would make the thread hard to follow. I've been bumping up the relevant SCD threads so any spillover discussion can continue there, and if there's a card from here that you want to discuss that doesn't have an SCD thread yet you could always just start a new one.
The green 2-drop spot is full of really interesting and unique effects, many of them quite powerful and unfortunately the best ones are pretty expensive. There's no budget replacement I can suggest does what Fauna Shaman, Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, or Lotus Cobra does, but if you're looking for a ramp creature Rattleclaw Mystic is quite versatile at ramping and fixing for less than a buck. Strangleroot Geist, Ambush Viper, Nest Invader, and Leafcrown Dryad are all doing great work in my Peasant cube, so those might also be worth a try for you. Apologies if you're already running any of those, do you have a Cube Tutor page?
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Recurring nightmare decks and creature combo decks... I wouldn't play him in zoo like thread of the day breakdown suggests, too slow for a deck that wants to end the game asap.
Being able to pitch things in the graveyard for reanimation or tutor up any creature in your deck is an incredibly powerful ability, one that should stand the test of time.
In our 4 color kiki-jiki combo decks, the ability to find multiple combo peices AND pitch one of them to the graveyard for revilark reanimation is extremly good.
I rank him a bit lower than the average forum member, but certainly in my top 25 and a staple in any cube size.
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
The difference between Venser, Shaper Savant and Man-o'-War is U and 4 words in the textbox. However, the added versatility that comes with Venser is massive and more than worth that extra blue mana, and I'd already had an unhealthy love for Man-o'-War long before Venser was printed. The ability to Remand any spell or bounce any permanent at instant speed while adding to your board is incredibly flexible and can turn a game you were losing into a win. Usman once compared Venser, Shaper Savant to duct tape because of its versatility as a stop-gap fix to nearly anything. It was voted #20 in the latest Power Rankings for blue, and while I don't think I've ever first-picked it, I've never seen it table in my cube, and I've never cut it from any blue deck that could handle the double blue.
I prefer the more realistic FTV:20 art to the original by quite a bit. I've always thought Venser looked like he was slipping on a banana peel in the original. This, however, could just be a rationalization to justify paying a fraction of the price for the FTV foil over the original Future Sight foil. The best version of Venser I've ever seen, though, is this alter given to Juju as a Secret Santa present a few years back:
Featured in this post.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
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!