Ok, I need some help. The question is mainly about the breakdown of sections when I go to 360. I'm posting here because I want more of the Pauper Cubists in on the discussion, because I'm having massive trouble on it, but what with Dark Ascension spoilerstorm imminent, I think it'd be best if I keep the discussion in my cube thread. So yes, help a Pauper cubist out!
I don't think Tragic Slip is as good as you think. Morbid on a pure removal spell is actually a bit awkward if you think about it. Very often you'll have to sacrifice a creature in order to get the Morbid active (while sacrifice here mostly means chumping a bigger guy, which is already kind of unreliable). It's a pretty bad topdeck and only half a Lava Dart in many cases. It's pretty much only really awesome if you're able to trade some dudes in combat and at the same time your opponent has another creature you really want to kill with it, or if you have another instant speed removal spell that actually kills a creature (so no Temporal Isolation for instance) at hand.
At least it's not terrible without Morbid, so it might still be playable, but it's far from being a staple imho.
Agree, to a point. I think it is a better card than you do (from what I can tell from this post) but I don't think that it's insane or anything. I think that experience with Brimstone Volley shows that morbid will happen within a few turns naturally if you hold the mana for the card up. So this card, to me, is maybe a little bit worse than the half of brimstone volley that kills creatures, for only one mana. Which, if you think about it that way, seems okay. But that's kind of fragile logic.
Tragic Slip is good (enough) if they have a creature with 1 toughness that's relevant to the gamestate. That happens a lot of the time, but the problem with cards like that normally is that they are almost blanks if there are no (good) creatures with 1 toughness. This card is still good (how good cannot really be known) even if they don't. For that reason I think that it's definitely at least an okay card. I don't really think anyone can claim to know that it's better than that, without playing the card.
In other news, I'm back online properly and will get my review of DA up within the next few days.
This makes my job of trying to find a cut for Headless Skaab that much harder. I may not even include it anymore, but damn is it a sweet body.
Also, Highborn Ghoul is damn intriguing. I've been meaning to find a cut for Order of the Ebon Hand. But really, that BB cost is debilitating on a creature you want to get out as soon as possible.
Erdwal Ripper also seems interesting.
Torch Fiend is excellent. Question is, do we cut Hearth Kami for it?
Young Wolf seems like it does a lot for 1 mana. I may try it.
Actual Fengraf is worse but I'll still play it instead of Sejiri Steppe.
Okay, I'm just going to say it: I don't think Dawntreader Elk is all that good. In fact, I think that Viridian Emissary is better than it, if by only a very slight margin. I'm not going to be cubing with it, at the least. I'm only hesitating in making this judgment because discussion in the DKA thread makes the Elk out to be solid (albeit not cubeable). What do people think?
Hey Lanxal, we drafted your cube online yesterday. Pertinent to your discussion on cutting Sejiri Steppe, it actually ended up winning me a set. I noticed that there are a lot of aura-based removal spells in pauper, and Sejiri Steppe removes them basically for free.
Ah, removing Sejiri Steppe. That's happened a few times. Ultimately, though, since I'm going to cut down to 25 Lands anyway, it's getting cut anyway. D=
@wolfer
I guess that's true. My gripe is just that, you don't feel the ramp until T4, and when you no longer need the ramp, the body isn't spectacular either. The ability to do both is good, but neither mode is good enough to fight out the other cards in the cube.
I'm with Wolfer on Elk>Emissary. Yeah, if you hit all of your land drops, the ramp is not that much of a bonus by the time that it becomes relevant. However, this is often the same with the Emissary, it doesn't always pop on their turn after you play it.
Also, while the ramp might not be that good if it starts having effects turn 4, fixing can be relevant (Kodama's Reach does not suck)
Hey guys! I'm really excited to play with some of the new cards we are getting from Dark Ascension. Faithless Looting feels like it'll be a great card. I just love looting in general and am really excited to see it in red. Can't wait to see what else they may attempt with the concept in the future.
Maybe something like a more aggressive Merfolk Traders in red? Like a 2/1 instead of a 1/2? I don't know, is that playable for us? Maybe instead of that, something like "Whenever ~ attacks, draw a card, then discard a card."
Anyways, before my excitement gets out of hand, I mainly wanted to come by and get some advice on my pauper cube. I did a slight update to it and would like you to rip my poor card evaluation skills to shreds. I feel like I made some silly cuts and would like to know what you think is better and how I could improve my cube in general. You can find it here.
Dark Ascension, although one of the most lackluster sets for our format for quite a while, is still pretty exciting. Wizards has got into the swing of doing things right.
I think that a 2/1 red Merfolk Trader would be pretty boss, and completely printable. I'd like Merfolk Looter straight colourshifted even more though. Card selection in red decks is pretty bonkers.
So I'm pretty bad at adding too many new cards to test (don't ask me how many Souleaters from New Phyrexia were once in my Cube...). Anyway, here are the changes I'm making to my 500-card Cube:
IN for OUT
Loyal Cathar for Order of Leitbur
Headless Skaab for Augury Owl
Stormbound Geist for Sky Ruin Drake
Tragic Slip for Order of the Ebon Hand
Highborn Ghoul for Wei Strike Force
Undying Evil for Tendrils of Corruption
Forge Devil for Crested Craghorn
Torch Fiend for Flamewave Invoker
Hinterland Hermit for Village Ironsmith
Faithless Looting for Fire Juggler
Dawntreader Elk for Ondu Giant
Young Wolf for Ember Weaver
Ulvenwald Bear for Elvish Warrior
Hunger of the Howlpack for Death-Hood Cobra
Haunted Fengraf for Fire at Will
I'm trying to phase out unnecessary 1-toughness guys if I can (because of the super-Tim presence my Cube has). I'm also looking for underpowered guys for their cost to cut as well. The best card I'm cutting is Tendrils of Corruption but with the number of people we usually have it's not nearly as good as it should be. I really think that Undying Evil's surprise factor will win some games for people. Seriously.
The good thing about Cube is that I can always bring cards back
Overgrowth was generally too slow to be relevant for a ramp spell that doesn't fix. I think Kodama's Reach x 2 and Harrow are just better cards at that ramp slot.
Nest Invader is kinda sweet but, in my opinion, has nothing on the current green 2 drops in most cubes (including Lanxal's)
Devoted Druid is a card that could get a whole lot better when there become good 5-drop commons. Playing Winding Wurm on turn 3 isn't even that scary.
At least, that's what playing with them made me think.
Blind Creeper was absolutely terrible for us. It died so often to them having two instants (or one with flashback, etc) or something after you played a spell.
Blind Creeper isn't worth it because I have enough better black 2 drops, especially with an impending downsizing to 360.
I think I'll try Smash to Smithereens. Everything else I've either had already or don't need.
I've had a lot of success with Smash to Smithereens. Shatter on a Lava Spike is cool stuff. It does compete with Manic Vandal and Keldon Vandals, but running all 3 is good because is fosters red's colour identity of artifact destuction. There is almost nothing better than blowing up a Borderpost in an all in red deck with Smash to Smithereens. That pretty much reads game.
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My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Agree, to a point. I think it is a better card than you do (from what I can tell from this post) but I don't think that it's insane or anything. I think that experience with Brimstone Volley shows that morbid will happen within a few turns naturally if you hold the mana for the card up. So this card, to me, is maybe a little bit worse than the half of brimstone volley that kills creatures, for only one mana. Which, if you think about it that way, seems okay. But that's kind of fragile logic.
Tragic Slip is good (enough) if they have a creature with 1 toughness that's relevant to the gamestate. That happens a lot of the time, but the problem with cards like that normally is that they are almost blanks if there are no (good) creatures with 1 toughness. This card is still good (how good cannot really be known) even if they don't. For that reason I think that it's definitely at least an okay card. I don't really think anyone can claim to know that it's better than that, without playing the card.
In other news, I'm back online properly and will get my review of DA up within the next few days.
Stormbound Geist is nuts, by the way. Much more nuts than Headless Skaab, which is good but maybe not good enough.
Draft it on Cubetutor!
This makes my job of trying to find a cut for Headless Skaab that much harder. I may not even include it anymore, but damn is it a sweet body.
Also, Highborn Ghoul is damn intriguing. I've been meaning to find a cut for Order of the Ebon Hand. But really, that BB cost is debilitating on a creature you want to get out as soon as possible.
Erdwal Ripper also seems interesting.
Torch Fiend is excellent. Question is, do we cut Hearth Kami for it?
Young Wolf seems like it does a lot for 1 mana. I may try it.
Actual Fengraf is worse but I'll still play it instead of Sejiri Steppe.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Ah, removing Sejiri Steppe. That's happened a few times. Ultimately, though, since I'm going to cut down to 25 Lands anyway, it's getting cut anyway. D=
@wolfer
I guess that's true. My gripe is just that, you don't feel the ramp until T4, and when you no longer need the ramp, the body isn't spectacular either. The ability to do both is good, but neither mode is good enough to fight out the other cards in the cube.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Also, while the ramp might not be that good if it starts having effects turn 4, fixing can be relevant (Kodama's Reach does not suck)
But neither deserve a spot IMHO.
edit: Made this make some sense
Draft it on Cubetutor!
This we can agree on.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Maybe something like a more aggressive Merfolk Traders in red? Like a 2/1 instead of a 1/2? I don't know, is that playable for us? Maybe instead of that, something like "Whenever ~ attacks, draw a card, then discard a card."
Anyways, before my excitement gets out of hand, I mainly wanted to come by and get some advice on my pauper cube. I did a slight update to it and would like you to rip my poor card evaluation skills to shreds. I feel like I made some silly cuts and would like to know what you think is better and how I could improve my cube in general. You can find it here.
2/1 Looter? In Red? That's playable everywhere.
We were discussing that here. Fingers crossed.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
I think that a 2/1 red Merfolk Trader would be pretty boss, and completely printable. I'd like Merfolk Looter straight colourshifted even more though. Card selection in red decks is pretty bonkers.
Draft it on Cubetutor!
IN for OUT
Loyal Cathar for Order of Leitbur
Headless Skaab for Augury Owl
Stormbound Geist for Sky Ruin Drake
Tragic Slip for Order of the Ebon Hand
Highborn Ghoul for Wei Strike Force
Undying Evil for Tendrils of Corruption
Forge Devil for Crested Craghorn
Torch Fiend for Flamewave Invoker
Hinterland Hermit for Village Ironsmith
Faithless Looting for Fire Juggler
Dawntreader Elk for Ondu Giant
Young Wolf for Ember Weaver
Ulvenwald Bear for Elvish Warrior
Hunger of the Howlpack for Death-Hood Cobra
Haunted Fengraf for Fire at Will
I'm trying to phase out unnecessary 1-toughness guys if I can (because of the super-Tim presence my Cube has). I'm also looking for underpowered guys for their cost to cut as well. The best card I'm cutting is Tendrils of Corruption but with the number of people we usually have it's not nearly as good as it should be. I really think that Undying Evil's surprise factor will win some games for people. Seriously.
The good thing about Cube is that I can always bring cards back
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
I tend not to agree with this. The Ghoul's cost is just so inhibiting I don't think it's worth it, especially not for the Strike Force.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Read this. It's my Dark Ascension Pauper evaluation thread.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
I used to write cube articles on StarCityGames, now for GatheringMagic and podcast about cube (w/Antknee42.)
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Other ideas: Bloodfire Dwarf, Dreamscape Artist and Spike Colony.
I used to write cube articles on StarCityGames, now for GatheringMagic and podcast about cube (w/Antknee42.)
I don't think there's any room for Spike Colony or Pouncing Kavu either.
Bloodfire Dwarf is certainly a good choice.
Wrench Mind is also pretty good. It'll go in if there's no more appealing choice.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Blind Creeper, BTW, is almost assuredly better than you think it is.
I used to write cube articles on StarCityGames, now for GatheringMagic and podcast about cube (w/Antknee42.)
I've actually cubed with all of these. I think that Fertile Ground and Smash to Smithereensare the best of the bunch, ground being superior to Rampant Growth in a cube without much LD.
Overgrowth was generally too slow to be relevant for a ramp spell that doesn't fix. I think Kodama's Reach x 2 and Harrow are just better cards at that ramp slot.
Nest Invader is kinda sweet but, in my opinion, has nothing on the current green 2 drops in most cubes (including Lanxal's)
Devoted Druid is a card that could get a whole lot better when there become good 5-drop commons. Playing Winding Wurm on turn 3 isn't even that scary.
At least, that's what playing with them made me think.
Blind Creeper was absolutely terrible for us. It died so often to them having two instants (or one with flashback, etc) or something after you played a spell.
Draft it on Cubetutor!
I think I'll try Smash to Smithereens. Everything else I've either had already or don't need.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
I've had a lot of success with Smash to Smithereens. Shatter on a Lava Spike is cool stuff. It does compete with Manic Vandal and Keldon Vandals, but running all 3 is good because is fosters red's colour identity of artifact destuction. There is almost nothing better than blowing up a Borderpost in an all in red deck with Smash to Smithereens. That pretty much reads game.