Yea I wouldn't cut Braids, she is basically a staple for me. Between Braids, Cabal Minion and Smokestack you have a solid archetype and I would take that for my cube over a third kill spell on legs.
Braids can also be fairly interesting to play against, it changes how you have to approach you resources but it feels good if you manage to outplay an active Braids. Sure sometimes a resolved Braids makes an opponent concede, but cards like Armageddon or Opposition can also do that and usually means I had created an idea board state with the card in question being the capstone.
It took me a while to come round on her at first, but once you play a few good decks with her you will start to get a feel for how she works. I find that the hardest part of getting a braids deck on the go is getting Braids, there are a lot of cards that work in braids across most colours.
I love 187 creatures. I am always baffled how low LSV and others pick them in their cube drafts. Glad we got another great one.
I am not cutting any of my black 4-drops for it though. (Braids, Kalitas, Skinrender and Nekrataal - all pretty much uncuttable.) It's probably time for Sidisi to go.
Hm, I guess I will reconsider the Braids. If I ever get the rare 8 person draft she usually sees play, but not as often as I would like. Smokestack is only a recent addition for me so I need to let the archetype breathe a little.
Rummaging through my cube to sort and re-document it, and apparently I still run Bloodline Keeper, so I think it will be him, although he was always a favorite of the newer drafters. Looking through some lists on these forums and he is nowhere to be seen.
Bloodline Keeper is one of the many cards that were the literal best card (or top 3) in their limited format but come up short in cube. It's a pretty good card to untap with for a few turns, but that's a tall order for a 4 mana 3/3 with no protection.
I can't say I'm pleased to see you and must warn you I may have to do something about it.
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Pretty crazy that they stripped all restrictions and downsides from the quintessential 187-creature design. How do you not play it if you're already playing 3+ worse creatures?
I don't see how gaining +1 toughness, and being limited to your opponents creatures makes this better than Nek. Sometimes the knee-jerk reactions to new cards is odd around here.
Because the amount of misses from Nekrataal is not insignificant, especially when a quantity of the universal finishers are an artifact subtype, plus important black targets abound. Adding one toughness and losing first strike is secondary. Playing both is the right call in most cubes though.
Because the amount of misses from Nekrataal is not insignificant, especially when a quantity of the universal finishers are an artifact subtype, plus important black targets abound. Adding one toughness and losing first strike is secondary. Playing both is the right call in most cubes though.
Exactly this. It's mostly the expanded list of targets you get with the Chupacabra that makes it better than Nekrataal.
Sometimes the knee-jerk reactions to new cards is odd around here.
This is not a thought that's being held here exclusively. Patrick Sullivan went on a rant during an SCG broadcast about why Chupacabra is pretty bad design (which in this case is because its powerful, as he looks at this from a design standpoint), and it touches essentially on what we're talking about here in terms of how that's a much more powerful effect than non-black, non-artifact. It's mostly in regards to standard (some limited too--can't wait for chupacabra to get Siren's Rused!, like honestly how do you beat that), but the comments on the quality of the card vs FTK/nekrataal and how these cards play out in-game are applicable.
I don't see how gaining +1 toughness, and being limited to your opponents creatures makes this better than Nek. Sometimes the knee-jerk reactions to new cards is odd around here.
It's not like we don't know what to expect. I've been playing Nekrataal for 11 years in cube. I know that its targeting restriction can be a big deal in tons of cases, so I know how good Ravenous Chupacabra is going to be. It retains all the 2-power interactions that Nekrataal has, with none of the targeting restrictions. Yes, the loss of first strike matters, but gaining an extra 20+% of legal targets for it's Murder effect is big game. It's very likely the best 187-creature we have now, because of the fact that it's simply an answer to every potential target you might face. I don't think that assuming this card is good in cube is a knee-jerk reaction, when we have a decade of playtesting that outlines exactly how this card will perform.
It's very likely the best 187-creature we have now, because of the fact that it's simply an answer to every potential target you might face
As far as 187 “Nekrataal” variants across all the colors goes, I honestly think Palace Jailer is the best one. Exiles has no restriction and I’d say the rate where the opponent actually gets their creature back (in my experience at least) is arounnd the 30% neighborhood.
If your group is largely combo/control variants, Jailer can be a house. But there were too many creature mirrors and decks with affordable interaction that kept Jailer pretty mediocre for us in testing. I think it's good, but I also think it's metagame/playgroup dependent. It would be an excellent card in the MTGO Vintage cube, for example, where the creature mirrors are fewer and further between, and most decks are light on (or significantly shave on) interaction.
Recently I have adjusted my cube to 360 and more combo oriented in the direction of the MTGO Vintage Cube. This means a lot of cards were cut, like Bone Shredder, Skinrender and Nekrataal, because there will be fewer Creatures around to kill. The only similar card I have left is Shriekmaw. Should I play the chupacabra over it?
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Cutting Custodi Lich for this, but only because a few in my play group are insisting that Gonti, Lord of Luxury "hasn't gotten a chance". If that card makes the 13th-15th pick one more time, I'm calling them on their BS and swapping Go-for-the-Goat for Gonti
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Ammit Eternal was my cut for this guy. I'd recommend that swap. I added Ammit Eternal and Plague Belcher in a few months back. Plague Belcher has been solid with a lot of synergies and fun interactions, but Ammit Eternal was just kinda meh. I'm very happy to have Chupacabra in that slot.
Has Ammitt Eternal been good for you? I would play this over that (& Gonti)
Ammit Eternal has been fine, nothing exciting. Gets the job done when you need it to - I'm pretty sure it should just be Flesh Carver though. I wouldn't cut it for Ravenous Chupacabra because they serve fundamentally different roles in our cube, where B/X , although Ravenous Chupacabra will often be better in decks that would play Ammit Eternal anyway.
I agree, but my drafters almost rioted when I tried to cut Gonti, Lord of Luxury, which I don't think is actually that good. I think they know it too, so I fully expect to just cut him to put Custodi Lich back in once they prove they're not committed to drafting him.
My Cubes - The Busted Cube. A fully functional, almost 100% custom cube. The project started out by asking "What if other colors got cards on the power level of Mana Drain,Ancestral Recall, and Time Walk?" Draft and enjoy!
Has Ammitt Eternal been good for you? I would play this over that (& Gonti)
Ammit Eternal has been fine, nothing exciting. Gets the job done when you need it to - I'm pretty sure it should just be Flesh Carver though. I wouldn't cut it for Ravenous Chupacabra because they serve fundamentally different roles in our cube, where B/X , although Ravenous Chupacabra will often be better in decks that would play Ammit Eternal anyway.
I agree, but my drafters almost rioted when I tried to cut Gonti, Lord of Luxury, which I don't think is actually that good. I think they know it too, so I fully expect to just cut him to put Custodi Lich back in once they prove they're not committed to drafting him.
What a strange phenomenon. My playgroup also adores Gonti, Lord of Luxury. I definitely think he's cuttable, but I don't think my cube is missing out on anything great by including him. I'm satisfied with making my players happy. I agree that maybe once they come around to the fact that he's not so strong I can cut him.
What a strange phenomenon. My playgroup also adores Gonti, Lord of Luxury. I definitely think he's cuttable, but I don't think my cube is missing out on anything great by including him. I'm satisfied with making my players happy. I agree that maybe once they come around to the fact that he's not so strong I can cut him.
It's not that I don't want to make my players happy - if they actually drafted him, I would gladly keep it. They have a bad habit of insisting cards are sweet and then refusing to draft them. I will admit though that some of their pushes have turned me around on some cards, including Monastery Swiftspear and Sword of Body and Mind. Still waiting for them to realize Purphoros, God of the Forge deserves its slot.
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I'm a bit more fortunate with my playgroup in that regard. They draft the cards they like. You could sell me on Purphoros if you want. I don't run him in my 360 unpowered. There are many red 4 drops I like ahead of him. Where do you think he ranks in the grand scheme of red 4 drops and red in general? I do have enough token makers to support him, I've actually added more recently.
Braids can also be fairly interesting to play against, it changes how you have to approach you resources but it feels good if you manage to outplay an active Braids. Sure sometimes a resolved Braids makes an opponent concede, but cards like Armageddon or Opposition can also do that and usually means I had created an idea board state with the card in question being the capstone.
It took me a while to come round on her at first, but once you play a few good decks with her you will start to get a feel for how she works. I find that the hardest part of getting a braids deck on the go is getting Braids, there are a lot of cards that work in braids across most colours.
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I am not cutting any of my black 4-drops for it though. (Braids, Kalitas, Skinrender and Nekrataal - all pretty much uncuttable.) It's probably time for Sidisi to go.
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Rummaging through my cube to sort and re-document it, and apparently I still run Bloodline Keeper, so I think it will be him, although he was always a favorite of the newer drafters. Looking through some lists on these forums and he is nowhere to be seen.
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I don't see how gaining +1 toughness, and being limited to your opponents creatures makes this better than Nek. Sometimes the knee-jerk reactions to new cards is odd around here.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Exactly this. It's mostly the expanded list of targets you get with the Chupacabra that makes it better than Nekrataal.
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This is not a thought that's being held here exclusively. Patrick Sullivan went on a rant during an SCG broadcast about why Chupacabra is pretty bad design (which in this case is because its powerful, as he looks at this from a design standpoint), and it touches essentially on what we're talking about here in terms of how that's a much more powerful effect than non-black, non-artifact. It's mostly in regards to standard (some limited too--can't wait for chupacabra to get Siren's Rused!, like honestly how do you beat that), but the comments on the quality of the card vs FTK/nekrataal and how these cards play out in-game are applicable.
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It's not like we don't know what to expect. I've been playing Nekrataal for 11 years in cube. I know that its targeting restriction can be a big deal in tons of cases, so I know how good Ravenous Chupacabra is going to be. It retains all the 2-power interactions that Nekrataal has, with none of the targeting restrictions. Yes, the loss of first strike matters, but gaining an extra 20+% of legal targets for it's Murder effect is big game. It's very likely the best 187-creature we have now, because of the fact that it's simply an answer to every potential target you might face. I don't think that assuming this card is good in cube is a knee-jerk reaction, when we have a decade of playtesting that outlines exactly how this card will perform.
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As far as 187 “Nekrataal” variants across all the colors goes, I honestly think Palace Jailer is the best one. Exiles has no restriction and I’d say the rate where the opponent actually gets their creature back (in my experience at least) is arounnd the 30% neighborhood.
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Ammit Eternal has been fine, nothing exciting. Gets the job done when you need it to - I'm pretty sure it should just be Flesh Carver though. I wouldn't cut it for Ravenous Chupacabra because they serve fundamentally different roles in our cube, where B/X , although Ravenous Chupacabra will often be better in decks that would play Ammit Eternal anyway.
I agree, but my drafters almost rioted when I tried to cut Gonti, Lord of Luxury, which I don't think is actually that good. I think they know it too, so I fully expect to just cut him to put Custodi Lich back in once they prove they're not committed to drafting him.
Anyway, Ravenous Chupacabra is what we expected. Had an absolutely sweet deck last night with it, Shriekmaw, Skinrender, and Phantasmal Image, and it hit a Griselbrand.
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I too am waiting for my playgroup to realize that Gonti is bad and they never draft it so I can cut it for a better card.
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It's not that I don't want to make my players happy - if they actually drafted him, I would gladly keep it. They have a bad habit of insisting cards are sweet and then refusing to draft them. I will admit though that some of their pushes have turned me around on some cards, including Monastery Swiftspear and Sword of Body and Mind. Still waiting for them to realize Purphoros, God of the Forge deserves its slot.
The struggles of curating a cube
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