In my cube Tribute Mage finds 19-20 targets, whereas Trinket Mage grabs 13-15. The effects represented at 2 mana are are pretty similar to what what Trinket Mage can find. Trinket can get ramp, card draw/selection (Top/Clamp), disruption (Needle), removal (Ballista), creatures (Hangarback), and Bonesplitter. Tribute can get ramp, creatures, stax, card selection, disruption, equipment, and removal.
I think a big part of Trinket Mage's power is grabbing a Mox and casting the Mox on the same turn, which Tribute Mage obviously cannot do. Grabbing a Ballista or Hangarback are also amazing plays that scale in power with the game. Maybe Trinket Mage is better in a powered environment but Tribute is better in unpowered? I run some fast mana in my cube along with Trinket Mage but I'm not sure if have space for both.
Tribute seems better than Trinket in our unpowered 720 given the larger number of high impact targets. All you really need in your deck to make this card solid is at least one mana rock and one “value” target (maybe a Scroll Rack, Treasure Map, or Strix). Obviously it’s fantastic in a deck with Jitte.
I've never really considered any of the Trinket Mage variants before (Trinket Mage itself was briefly in the cube, but was very unexciting and got cut, since I ran a generic unpowered cube). This one does catch my eye, since it will have 27 tutor targets post MH1. In unpowered, Trinket Mage never represented ramp and its targets were limited (11 total), so it wasn't good or consistent enough. I'm not convinced, but it's worth testing/considering, although I don't know what it'd come in for.
It is worth noting that for mana rocks with Tribute Mage, the fastest payoff is going to be a turn slower, since you won't just be able to immediately unload the rock you get (since it isn't a free Mox).
We were never impressed with Trinket Mage just because of the lack of targets. Fetching up a Mox or even a Sol Ring on turn three was pretty lackluster. This seems to have better targets available considering the timing, but I still don't know if it'll make the cut. I want this card, but with "or less" tacked on. That's probably too much to ask, though.
It seems the best of the 3 mages as it has a decent range of targets since it can get creatures,hate cards, ramp and busted equipment, this feels like it will make it more playable in a wider range of decks than the other two don't have as as broad a range of targets; Trinket mage doesn't really grab creatures or ramp (outside of powered) and treasure mage doesn't have much much going for it in my cube at all.
Another Trinket Mage variant. This one is probably better than Trophy Mage or Treasure Mage for cube, but is it good enough?
Targets:
-Signets/Talismans/Grim Monolith
-Phyrexian Revoker/Sorcerous Spyglass
-Metallic Mimic
-Jitte/Smuggler's Copter/Lightning Greaves
-Ratchet Bomb
-Winter Orb
-Treasure Map
In my cube Tribute Mage finds 19-20 targets, whereas Trinket Mage grabs 13-15. The effects represented at 2 mana are are pretty similar to what what Trinket Mage can find. Trinket can get ramp, card draw/selection (Top/Clamp), disruption (Needle), removal (Ballista), creatures (Hangarback), and Bonesplitter. Tribute can get ramp, creatures, stax, card selection, disruption, equipment, and removal.
I think a big part of Trinket Mage's power is grabbing a Mox and casting the Mox on the same turn, which Tribute Mage obviously cannot do. Grabbing a Ballista or Hangarback are also amazing plays that scale in power with the game. Maybe Trinket Mage is better in a powered environment but Tribute is better in unpowered? I run some fast mana in my cube along with Trinket Mage but I'm not sure if have space for both.
What do you guys think?
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It is worth noting that for mana rocks with Tribute Mage, the fastest payoff is going to be a turn slower, since you won't just be able to immediately unload the rock you get (since it isn't a free Mox).
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It seems the best of the 3 mages as it has a decent range of targets since it can get creatures,hate cards, ramp and busted equipment, this feels like it will make it more playable in a wider range of decks than the other two don't have as as broad a range of targets; Trinket mage doesn't really grab creatures or ramp (outside of powered) and treasure mage doesn't have much much going for it in my cube at all.
Still a pass for me.
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