Welcome to this ongoing project! Our goal is to evaluate the cards you might want to include in your peasant cube. If you are looking at this thread for the first time, feel free to join in the current conversation.
Card listings begin in the second post.
It goes without saying that every cube is different. Each cube owner has their own views on a number of factors that influence their cube environment. As such, the following baseline or general guides are used for these evaluations.
General Power over Colour Pie / Flavour
Some people shape their cube based on their perspective of the colour pie, and include/exclude certain functions and flavour for each colour. Maybe you don’t want green to have flyers. Maybe you will never play Ray of Command because you think only red should have temporary creature stealing. Maybe you really want to push green counterspells. None of these considerations are taken into account for the purpose of these evaluations. Only the general power level of the card.
Interactivity
This is an extension of the above. There are some cards that do not lend themselves to interactivity with the opponent. Protection, landwalk, shadow, unblockability and hexproof are some examples. For some, these are powerful and will be valued as such. For others they can be random hosers which your opponent may feel unfair for choosing the wrong colour while drafting, or don’t promote the type of gameplay they desire. If that’s you, then ignore those cards.
Rarities
Some cards have only been released online as uncommons, but don’t have a printed version. Some older cards have some questionable rarities. Some people like to play those cards, and some don’t. These cards will be discussed here, but will be noted for those that want to avoid them.
The ‘Average Cube environment’ Evaluation
If your cube is 90% artifacts, Shattering Spree is a bomb. If your cube has zero artifacts, it’s a dead card.
For the purpose of these card evaluations, it’s assumed there is an ‘average’ mix of different cards types. All colours are equally (or close to) represented. Artifacts are in the cube but are not a focus, as are enchantments. There are creatures in every colour and spread over the mana curve, and so are other spell types.
As stated earlier, every cube is different and every card may be worse or better based on your specific environment. When possible, it will be noted in the card description which environments might change the valuation of a card. E.g. Reassembling Skeleton gets better the more sacrifice for benefit effects you have.
Card Listing & Scoring Methodology
Card Name - Score Description - Can include what is strictly better than it, why it's good, if it hoses certain archetypes, if it gets better or worse in particular environments etc. Anchors : Archetypes that this card signals are probably in the cube. Pulls you into that archetype. Supports : Might not pull you into an archetype, but if you are already in this archetype, the value of this card goes up.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good. 3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect. 2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds). 1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect. Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Diregraf Ghoul Description : 2/2 for B is awesome value. Coming into play tapped means you miss a turn of blocking, but most of the time you didn’t want to block anyway, you wanted to smash face. While he suits aggro perfectly, he might find homes in other decks due to the lack of a long-term drawback. Anchors: Aggro Support:
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Carnophage Description – 2 power for B is where black aggro likes to be. The drawback limits this guy to decks that want to turn guys sideways; if you are losing life you definitely want to be dishing it out. Key piece for aggro decks. Anchors: Aggro Support:
Gnarled Scarhide Description : Gnarled Scarhide has some great flexibility. Of the top, he is a 2/1 for B, making him solid for aggro. You probably didn’t want to block anyway. But he’s more than that; once you hit 4, you can slap that 2 points of power on something else and swing with it immediately, and still get back the Scarhide if the creature dies. For some added flexibility, you can put it on an opponents troubling blocker to force through some final points of damage. This makes him a solid staple. It's hardly the reason you would play him, but also supports any 'enchantment matters' themes that might pop up. Anchors: Support: Aggro, Enchantment Matters
Vampire Lacerator Description - Great aggro card. The decks that want to play this are usually trying to get that life total down as quickly as possible, making the drawback pretty negligible. Anchor - Aggro. Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Carrion Feeder Description – Makes your opponents removal worse
Builds into a sizable threat until he finally gets answered (or he gets answered early and is card neutral and often mana positive). Enables sacrifice/graveyard strategies for no additional mana, and keeps a permanent buff (compared to cards like Nantuko Husk). Makes attacking/blocking a little more complicated (and fun). Anchors: Support:
Disowned Ancestor Description - Can be a roleplayer in setting up early defense. As a baseline not too exciting but can stall some aggro or midrange decks. You can always beef him up if you've got nothing else to do and can take a turn off blocking. Anchors: Support: Control, +1/+1 counters
Pharika's Chosen / Typhoid Rats Description - It's not flashy, but it can trade with a lot of stuff for just a single mana. Anchor - Supports -
Plagued Rusalka Description - Decent as a sac outlet for your creatures on the way to the bin. Can mess with combat by threatening to sac some guys after combat to take out their big threats. Gets better with tokens or recursion cards like Reassembling Skeleton, but can fit into a lot of different deck types. Anchor - Supports - Tokens
Ruthless Ripper Description - Strictly better than Typhoid Rats, but depends if you want to support morph. This guy can be good for combat tricks to take down almost anything on the ground. Anchor - Supports -
Thoughtpicker Witch Description - Little investment if your creatures are already on their way to the yard, to impact the opponents card quality. As with all sac outlets, gets better the more other cards in your cube that trigger off creatures dying. Anchor - Supports - Sacrifice decks
Tormented Hero Description - Another decent black aggro 1-drop. Coming in tapped and missing the second point of toughness makes it a smidge worse than some other similar options. The heroic is probably not going to trigger often, but is a nice upside. Anchor - Supports - Aggro
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Deathgreeter Description - If you have a sac deck, the life gain might buy you time to get your engine running, or help stall against aggro in a control decks, but the effect is not strong. Creatures die in games, and if you support life gain matters themes it is a free effect that is repeated reasonably frequently if you are really looking for that effect. Anchors: Support: Sacrifice
Festering Goblin Description – Fume Spitter is going to be the better 1-drop for a similar effect most of the time, but it may be worth noting that Festering Goblin can actually trade with x/2’s. ok if you want some redundancy. Anchors: Support:
Festering Newt Description – On power level this is the same as Festering Goblin given we don’t have Bogbrew Witch. To avoid confusion about your card pool you are probably better to play Festering Goblin, unless you are looking for maximum redundancy. Unless you also include Bubbling Cauldron, which raises this guys value. Anchors: Support:
Fume Spitter Description – It doesn’t have much board presence, but at least it can threaten to mess with combat math, or take out utility creatures. Anchors: Support:
Guul Draz Vampire Description : 3/2 and intimidate for B? Sign me up! Except… you need to get your opponent down to 10 first. And before you get your opponent down to 10, you don’t want this card. It’s an interesting tension, but if you want this in an aggro deck you already need a critical mass of similar aggro cards, which makes this a slim inclusion. Anchors: Support: Aggro
Putrid imp Description - Not amazing as a creature, but is a cheap early discard outlet if you really want to push that as an enabler for graveyard shenanigans. Anchor - Supports - Reanimator, Threshold, Dredge
Qarsi High Priest Description - Can help in sacrifice decks, or replace creatures on the way to the graveyard. Anchor - Supports -
Rimebound Dead Description - This is only playable if you have access to snow mana. It probably means unplayable in most cubes,(if Coldsteel Heart is the only snow mana producer in your cube) but is a solid staller if you let players choose snow lands for their basics. In that case, it can hold back creatures on the ground in decks that want to stall. Anchor - Supports -
Shadow Alley Denizen Description - Not exciting, but an early drop that can help get some damage past enemy lines. Anchor - Supports -
Shadow Guildmage Description - Pingers are often useful, but this is not a very exciting one. Anchor - Supports -
Shambling Goblin Description -Fume Spitter is comparable, but this can take out most x/2's on it's own if required. Marginally but strictly better than Festering Goblin & Festering Newt for those odd occasions where you have to target your own guy (unless you have Bubbling Cauldron). Also a zombie for the occasions when that is relevant. Anchors - Supports -
Tenacious Dead Description - This might see play as support for sacrifice recursion decks. You probably want Reassembling Skeleton before this guy, but he can make a second. Anchor - Supports - Sacrifice decks
Thrull Parasite Description - Extort can help over time. The counter removal effect will depend on what is in your environment. The more prevalent Undying and Persist creatures are in your cube, the better this guy gets. Anchor - Supports - Extort
Tormented Soul Description - On it's own, relentlessly pings for damage but it aint much. It gets better the more pieces of power boosting equipment and auras you have in your cube but generally isn't that exciting. Anchor - Supports -
Viscera Seer Description - Gives you something to do with those creatures on their way to the graveyard, but not a high impact. Anchor - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Accursed Centaur – Downside too big. Not being able to cast this turn 1 loses all appeal. Acolyte of Xathrid – Can’t kill anything, can’t survive a block, and prohibitive activation cost. Asphodel Wanderer – The decks that would want a regen blocker have much better tools available, and he does nothing on offense. Bile Urchin – Doesn’t do enough and is strictly worse than Death Cultist. Blood Celebrant – Meh. Blood Pet – If you want to trade cards for speed, play Dark Ritual. Bog Rats – Even when it is on, ability has little impact on the game. Tormented Soul can play the same role. Cabal Trainee - Just doesn't do enough to affect the board. Carrion Beetles – If you want this ability, you want it on something that does something other than be a 1/1. Carrion Rats - A 2/1 for 1 wants to be in an aggro deck. Your opponent is either going to play some spells, or lose some creatures to your assault and turn this guys damage off a few times, giving them more time to stabilise. No thanks. Circling Vultures - 3/2 flyer for B is awesome. But that drawback requires too long to keep it on the board for more than a few turns. Dark Supplicant – Does nothing for peasant cube. Death Cultist – Doesn’t do much to affect the board, and the one-shot effect doesn’t give any major swings. Demon’s Herald – Does nothing for peasant cube. Disciple of the Vault - Only has value if you have support a very large amount of artifacts, and even the is too specific to include in your cube. Drainpipe Vermin - You want them to discard when it comes into play, not keep mana one in case it dies. Dreadwing – Forcing 3 colours makes this pretty weak. Duskwalker – Neither mode is good and the flexibility doesn’t make up for it. Duty-Bound Dead - It's hard to imagine what deck wants this, but could find a spot in decks that want to pump a single guy into the red zone. Facevaulter - This guy only has a place in tribal. Ghost-lit Stalker - Repeat discard is nice, but for the cost you may as well play something like Fugue (which is not to say you should). Gnat Miser – Just bad. Hunted Ghoul – No decks want this guy. Insidious Bookworms – Too much and have to keep mana open for the death trigger. Initiates of the Ebon Hand - This guy could help you hit any heavy black commitments, but most of the time it isn't going to do much. Kjeldoran Dead – Downside is too big to make up for the cheap mana cost. Maggot Carrier – Just bad. Mardu Shadowspear - On a clear board and viewed through the right lens, this has the same effect as a 2/1 for B. But the board is not always going to be clear, and sneaking some life loss past blockers doesn't make up for not being able to take out x/2's. The dash doesn’t really add much to the package. Martyr of Bones – Too narrow. Merrow Bonegnawer - Weak body, and opponent gets the choice of card to exile. Mindlash Sliver – Even if you are playing sliver tribal, this is not an effect you want. Molting Harpy – Ongoing upkeep makes this terrible. Muck Rats – Vanilla badness. Mindlash Sliver - Even if want to include tribal this is probably not an effect you want. Molting Harpy - Terrible with that upkeep cost. Muck Rats - Vanilla Badness Necra Disciple - Neither of the abilities do enough when they cost mana. Nezumi Shadow-watcher - Too narrow to ever matter. Nightscape Apprentice - Does do enough. Phyrexian Battleflies - Having to invest mana to deal any damage is pretty abysmal. Pit Imp - Same as Phyrexian Battleflies Plague Beetle - Unless you absolutely need a 1-drop swamp walker for some reason. Prickly Boggart - Doesn't do enough. Pulse Tracker - If you want this effect, Mardu Shadowspear is strictly better (unless Vampires or Rogues matter). Quag Vampires - Just meh. Rag Dealer - Too narrow. Rampart Crawler - Just bad. Ridged Kusite - Doesn't do enough. Sewer Rats - Better aggro cards. Shadowborn Apostle - Does nothing in cube. Slithering Shade - Too conditional. Smolder Initiate - Extort creatures better. Stone-Throwing Devils - Not good enough. Thornbow Archer - It's a 1 drop that can sometimes deal 2 damage, but not being able to trade with opposing bears is a decent detractor though. Urborg Skeleton - Cheap regeneration cost can make this guy ok as a staller, but with 0 power he doesn't threaten to kill anything. Once you are willing to pay the kicker, you may as well just get a much better card to fit the same role. Vampire Bats - Bad Zodiac Rat - bad. Zombie Cannibal - This guys size means it is unlikely to get triggered anyway, even if you want this effect. Zulaport Enforcer - Way too much mana investment required.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Booster Tutor Description - You'll need some form of house rule to play this, and if you are at 360 and often draft with 8 players, you won't have any cards left over to 'open'. On average there will be a handful cards that will be in your colours, and you will probably hit at least one card that will suit your deck. It's value goes up the more colours you are playing to open up more choices. The fact that it is instant gives you the opportunity to find an answer to a specific problem exactly when you need it. Anchor - Supports -
Darkblast Description - Darkblast can support a number of strategies. It's value goes up the more x/1's in your cube, and most cubes include a decent percentage of those. Being able to draw it anytime you need it to deal with a relevant creature for just B gives it plenty of long game value. It's value also goes up the more graveyard matters themes you include. It helps put cards in your graveyard for flashback, threshold, reanimation, delve, cards that count what is in your graveyard, and good old Reassembling Skeleton. Anchor - Supports - 'Graveyard Matters' themes
Inquisition of Kozilek Description - As a reference, the 360 card peasant cube has (at the time of review) 245 nonland cards that have a CMC of 3 or less, 68% of the cube. So that's better odds than the majority of these types of discard. Of course, your cube may vary, and deck building curves might not align exactly to the cube curve, but they are pretty good odds. Anchor - Supports -
Quest for the Gravelord Description - This is a black card. Black likes to kill creatures. It shouldn't take too long to trigger this guy. Great in the early game, but not a great top deck when you are down to the wire. Size compares favourably to nearly everything in cube outside of greens ramp targets. Anchor - Supports -
Sarcomancy Description - On it's own, it is decent for aggro decks based on stats for cost. Unlike similar black cards, this one doesn't have a drawback while the creature is in play, but once it leaves play. So if the token is quickly taken out that can be a bummer. However, if you are playing Sarcomancy you are probably playing other black aggro cards which happen to be zombies, mitigating the drawback somewhat. Incidental gating/bounce/sac-for-effect is also nice, though the card is good enough without going out of your way. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Undying Evil
Cheap enough that you can leave the mana open when you need it to restore a creature to the board. +1/+1 makes it more than just a regen, plus the ability to re-use comes into play abilities shouldn't be overlooked. Anchors - Supports -
Unearth Description - Solid for aggro, but also playable in a variety of decks. Solid due to efficient use of mana to get a creature back on the board, plus the ability to cycle if you are in top-deck mode and don't have a relevant target. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Blackmail Description – Not the best turn 1 play, but as the game goes on you are much more likely to get a target you want. Anchor -
Supports -
Dark Ritual Description - Not everyone will want it in their cube, but can be played across a spectrum of archetypes. It won't always be consistent, and the card disadvantage won't always be worth it. Late game it is often going to be a dead draw. Still, on some occasions you'll get an explosive start. Anchor - Supports -
Dead Weight Description - Fair 'removal' at the 1 mana spot. With a lot of toughness affecting black removal, if it's too big you are out of luck. Dead Weight is never dead, as you can always make something big a much lesser threat in a pinch. Still, most of the time you'd rather have something that cost a little more and deals with more threats with finality. Anchor - Supports –
Despise / Ostracize Description - This effect isn't too splashy and you might sometimes whiff, but generally decent card due to the choice. Mention of planeswalker on Despise might imply to some people that they are in your cube. Anchor - Supports –
Disfigure Description – Fair removal for the cost. Gets the job done. Anchor - Supports -
Duress Description – 137 targets in the average 360 Peasant on Cubetutor. Less targets than Despise which is a similar effect. Still, might have a place to get rid of buyback spells and the like that might be floating around in your cube. Anchor - Supports -
Funeral Charm Description - Two reasonable modes; instant speed discard can be nice, and the second option can help push through some damage, with the flexibility to kill utility x/1's or to finish a creature off after combat. The final mode won't matter most of the time, but random evasion as a bonus is nice. Anchor - Supports -
Paralyze Description - Good as a tempo spell that can remove early creatures from affecting the board, and even when the opponent has the mana it is still expensive to keep a creature active in the game. It might not turn off the most powerful creatures your opponents have and it's value goes down the longer the game, but it never does nothing. Anchor - Supports - Aggro
Phyrexian Reclamation Description - Solid as a potential recursion engine to grind out card advantage over time. Can add more value in sac decks to get benefits from the recursion, extort decks to offset the life loss while replaying cards and getting to extort again, and graveyard fillers so you have more targets. You just have to be careful of the lifeloss. Anchor - Graveyard Creature Recursion Supports - Extort, Sacrifice, Self-Mill
Raven's Crime Description - Solid re-usable discard. Can be a first turn play if you've got nothing else, and after you hit your required mana base, all lands you draw can turn into a discard spell. Best in a control deck to prevent your opponent from holding onto anything, but could still be in an aggro deck pushing a really low curve to strip slower decks of their cards once they hit the desired mana base. Also serves in reanimator decks because you can target yourself for a single mana. Anchor - Supports -Reanimator
Skeletal Scrying Description - Solid for control decks. More conditional than something like Night's Whisper or Ambition's Cost, but by the time you want to cast it you probably have the resources in the yard. Being instant also really helps. Anchors - Supports -
Tortured Existence Description -It can get your best creatures back form the yard, but having to discard another creature means you are at a card disadvantage as you have to invest in putting this on the board. Gets a lot better with dredgers or other ways to get more creatures in the yard for more selection. Anchors - Supports - Dredge
Tragic Slip Description - One of the few 1 mana black spells capable of killing just about every creature in cube... when it gets triggered. Creatures die a lot in any case, plus if you are playing this you are probably playing other black kill spells or sacrifice. Anchors - Supports -
Ulcerate Description - This will kill a decent number of creatures in most cubes, or finish something after blocks are declared. 3 life can hurt though. You want this card if you want push aggro mana efficiency to the limit, but is playable elsewhere.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vendetta Description -Better against small guys, but being able to kill larger ones in exchange for more isn't really a downside. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Coat With Venom Description - Most of the time, you will just want a non-combat removal spell instead of this. But it gets a mention as a spell that can help kill hexproof creatures, and may randomly save a creature you want to keep or rarely deliver the final point of damage. Anchors - Supports -
Cremate
Description - This is not the sort of effect that everyone will want in their cube, as it unlikely to matter in most games. But as a 1 mana cantrip, you can always play it to make your deck smaller so long as there is 1 card in a graveyard. Anchors - Supports -
Crippling Blight Description - You would cube this to give aggro decks a cheap way to remove their most relevant blocker or kill an x/1. Anchor Supports - Aggro
Executioner's Capsule Description - On it's own, it is almost always worst than Doom Blade. However, it can become more powerful if you have ways to tutor/retrieve/abuse it in an artifact matters theme. Anchor - Supports - Artifact Matters
Duh Description – This will be very swingy between different cube environments. It could hit lots if you try and make your cube new player friendly, or next to nothing if you pimp out with textless cards. Cheap and instant, so if you have enough creatures that fit the criteria it might make a reasonable alternative to blacks commonly used removal in the 2 cc spot. Anchor - Supports -
Ghoulcaller’s Chant Description - Return a single creature to your hand from your grave is not terribly exciting as a base. Gets better if you support dredge or otherwise chuck cards into your yard. 2 creatures? Now we are talking. It seems to force tribal, but there are a number of zombies which see play in cubes without forcing tribal themes; a number of those support black aggro which is likely to see some of its creatures die early. Anchor - Supports – Black aggro
Stop That Description -Could be ok if you are ok with un cards. It's cheap enough that if you only catch your opponent out once it's a nice two for one. If you only get one activation, it isn't worth it. Anchors - Supports -
Suffer the Past Description -Drain Life variant that doesn't hit creatures? Nah. Clears graveyards? Nah. But if you want a graveyard clearing effect that has some other upside, at least you get that so it isn't a dead card when graveyard clearing doesn't matter. Anchors - Supports -
Vile Rebirth Description - If you are looking for the exile from graveyard effect, this one gives you some extra value in the form of a 2/2 at instant speed for B. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Aphotic Wisps – Once off, non-guaranteed unblockability. Nah. Appetite For Brains – Targets are too narrow for most cube environments Artificer’s Hex – Way too narrow. Bloodcurdling Scream – Strictly worse than Howl From Beyond. Boggart Birth-Rite – Way too narrow. Bond of Agony – Having to pay both mana and life makes this too costly. Bone Splinters – Non-conditional is nice, but not at the cost of a creature at sorcery speed. Boon of Erebos – Doesn’t do enough to warrant the cost of card and life. Bubbling Muck – Hard to make effective use of in a cube environment. Bump In The Night – Doesn’t do enough. Burnt Offering – There might be some best case scenarios, but the probability of them happening is pretty slim. Dark Ritual more reliable. Cabal Therapy – Not going to work in cube due to the singleton status of the format. You could cast it and then flash it back to get something good, but you may as well just be playing a better card to begin with. Call to the Netherworld – Just black creatures is very narrow, and madness does not make up for it. Cateran Summons – May have a place if mercenary tribal is a theme. Chorus of Woe – Cheap, but not worth a card Coffin Purge – Just bad. Corrupted Roots – Too narrow. Cremate – Just bad. Cruel Feeding – Not sure there is a board position where I would want to play this card over anything else. Cry of Contrition - 2 cards for B sounds good, but there are too many hoops to jump through, and as your opponent gets the choice, they are more likely to know when to hold back a land for the second discard.
Culling the Weak - 2nd turn 5 mana sounds pretty nuts, but I don't see it playing out very consistently; you need a 1 drop plus this in your opening 8-9 cards, plus relevant cards to play with that 5 mana that just cost you two cards. Getting 3 for 1'd from some cheap removal will not make you a happy camper. Dark Ritual is the card you want for more flexibility and consistency. Cursed Flesh – Doesn’t do enough Dark Betrayal – Way too narrow. Darkness - Doesn't do enough. Deadly Allure - Unless the opponent only has one open blocker, you don't get to choose what to kill. You would rather have straight out removal, though effects like this may go up in value if you eschew removal in favour of combat tricks. Death Watch – Does nothing to affect the board Death Wind – Flexible and splashable, but other stuff just does it better. Deathmark – Too narrow Deaths Approach – Doesn’t do enough. Demonic Appetite – The situations where this is going to be favourable are going to be slim to none. Demonic Consultation – Given the singleton nature of cube, risking the game doesn’t seem worth it. ]Deviant Glee - Not good enough. Disembowel – Flexibility is nice but ends of costing too much compared to other black removal. Disentomb – Better alternatives Dread of Night – Too narrow. Dredge – Bad card draw. Ebony Charm – None of the modes are that exciting. Can be a way of including graveyard clearing without dedicating a full slot, but decks won’t want the other two effects either. Encroach – You are going to whiff the vast majority of the time. Endless Scream - Not good enough. Evil Presence – Way too narrow. Eye Gouge – Doesn’t do enough. Fade From Memory – Cremate is better for this effect. Fatal Blow – Not worth waiting for the right moment, just get a better kill spell. Fatal Mutation – Not relevant except in morph cubes, and even then you just force it to remain a 2/2. Feast of Flesh – Doesn’t work in Cube. Foul-Tongue Shriek - Too conditional to be reliable. Genju of the Fens - Too mana intensive to matter most of the time. If you are attacking, you've already spent 3 mana, leaving little mana left to push the attack (or cast anything else). The recursive nature does give it some marginal synergy with sacrifice decks, but not good enough. Ghastly Demise – Too conditional. Ghoulflesh – Doesn’t do enough Glyph of Doom – Just bad. Gravebind – Way too narrow Gruesome Deformity - The best case is that you spend 1 mana and a card, and get one of your bigger attackers through. But the threat of your opponent playing the right colour and or being 2-for-1'd by removal is too great a risk. Hell Swarm – Doesn’t do enough. Horrifying Revelation - Because the opponent has choice of discard, other discard options at this mana cost are preferred. The graveyard dumping doesn't add anything worthwhile. Howl From Beyond - Not good enough. Human Frailty – Too narrow. Illness In The Ranks - Too narrow. If you are going to support tokens, you probably don't want to neuter it with this card being in your pool. Killing Glare - After paying a few mana you will wish you just had a better kill spell. Lab Rats - Too slow to have an impact on the game compared to other token generators and you never want to play it as a 1/1 for B. Leshrac's Rite - Too narrow. Lose Hope - Lacks power. Lurking Jackals - A 3/2 on the cheap looks great, but the fact that it is useless until your opponent has lost half their life makes it unplayable in the decks that want it. Marsh Gas - If you want this effect, you probably just want Darkness. Midnight Charm - All of the modes are marginal. Mind Peel - Too expensive to re-use Mire Blight - Prefer something that actually kills the creature. Mire's Toll - Will be worse than Blackmail nearly all of the time. Misery Charm - Effects are too narrow. Misinformation - This is not worth the card disadvantage in the vast majority of situations. Molting Snakeskin - Black aggro likes cards that can hit for 2 power for 1 mana, and this is a pseudo-version of doing that with haste. But it carries the big downside of opening you up for a 2 for 1, and it isn't an extra body which the opponent has to block. Nighthaze - Doesn't do enough. Organ Harvest - Could be a powerful mana booster but too narrow an effect for a cube to take full advantage of (Maybe has some value if you play team games). Peppersmoke - Unless you have enough Faeries, Lose Hope is better. Planar Void - Too narrow an effect to care about if it isn't attached to a body. Postmorten Lunge - If we are going to be bringing something back and paying this much, we want it to stick around, not disappear at the end of the turn. Predator's Gambit - Too prone to 2 for 1. Psychic Spear - Far too narrow. Rain of Filth - Not any decks that would want to take advantage of this. Raise Dead - Ghoulcaller's Chant strictly better. Rat's Feast - Tormod's Crypt is the card you want. Restless Dreams - You end up down a card, which is a bummer. You can swap out poor creatures in your hand for better ones in your graveyard, but that seems like a lot of setup. If you are playing good cards, the ones in your hand shouldn't be that much worse than the ones in your yard anyway. Return to Battle - Ghoulcaller's Chant strictly better. Sacrifice - Acceleration isn't worth a creature and a card. Even if the creature is about to die, you have to wait for the perfect opportunity. Sadistic Glee - No immediate impact, and open to 2 for 1. Scare Tactics - Not worth the cost of a card. Shadowfeed - Just bad. Shattered Dreams - Way too narrow for cube. Shrieking Affliction - Has no early relevance, and most players are likely to hold onto at least 1 card as a bluff. By the time you play this on an empty hand, your opponent is likely to just hold onto a couple of lands. Too conditional to get going or get value. Shrouded Lore - Way too conditional to get what you want. Sicken - Too narrow. Sinister Possession - You would rather have a kill spell than this. Skull Fracture - Costs too much for 2 cards. Songs of the Damned - Hard to take advantage of in cube environment. Harder to load your graveyard, and even if you do not an abundant number of ways to abuse the mana. Soul Stair Expedition - While cheap, other effects that get your creatures back more consistently are preferred. Soul Strings - It could have some play in an aggro deck to reload after some early trades, but once you start paying more than a few mana you may as well have Death Denied. Soulshriek - Too conditional to be reliable. Stabbing Pain - It can lock down a bigger creature for a turn, but not a strong enough effect to matter. Stir the Grave - While flexible you are paying retail for the creature. Tainted Strike - Could be a way to make a big creature if you are chump blocking... but then you would prefer something else. Taste of Blood - Bad. Tendrils of Despair - Too situational and costs too much. Thrull Retainer - Does not do enough. Touch of Moonglove - Doesn't do enough. Torture - Way too slow. Touch of Darkness - Useless. Unholy Strength - Nah. Vampire's Bite - Doesn't do enough. Vampiric Link - Doesn't do enough to warrant a spot. Viper's Kiss - It only kills x/1's and they can still attack and block. Nope. Virulent Wound - Bad. Volrath's Motion Sensor - For a power perspective, 1 mana for non-guaranteed 3 damage is pretty bad. You would only play it for 'fun' reasons. Weakness - Bad. Withering Hex - Far too parasitic. Wretched Banquet - Narrow application means you are rarely going to kill what you want. Wring Flesh - Would rather have Disfigure most of the time, or pay an extra mana for an upgrade. Virulent Swipe - Not good enough.
Unscored - Innocent Blood
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Cloudfin Raptor Description - Nice as an early drop for aggro decks to go over the top when you can follow it with a steady stream of creatures. Not a great top deck, but neither are most 1-drops. May have a place in more creature-oriented control decks, with some possible fringe benefits from effects like blink / bounce. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Enclave Cryptologist Description - This guy slots into almost any blue deck that likes to play things slow. While fragile, there isn't much investment to start card filtering, and not a huge investment to turn that into true card advantage. Shame he can't trade with anything. Anchors - Supports - Control, graveyard matters, reanimator
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Delver of Secrets Description - You have to push Delver of Secrets to make it worthwhile, and ensure you have enough targets in your deck. Gets marginally better the more scry or similar effects are in your cube. Anchors - Supports - Spells Matter
Drowner Initiate
Description - This is ideally suited for a mill deck, but can also support a blue-based graveyard matters deck. If you aren't supporting at least 1 archetype that can benefit from this, it doesn't belong in your cube. Anchors - Mill Supports - Graveyard Matters themes
Nephalia Smuggler Description - Expensive to use, but can be used to blank an attacker, and re-use ETB effects. With mana open, your opponent has to play around it, especially for stuff like removal. Anchors - Blink Supports -
Phantasmal Bear Description - ok as a blue aggro card. Many things your opponent was going to throw at it were intended to kill it anyway, but will be annoying to lose it to repeatable tapdown effects and similar. Anchors - Supports - Aggro.
Wingcrafter Description - ok for granting another of your creatures evasion, and applies to any theatre of play. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Cursecatcher Description -Judge's Familiar is strictly better, but this card can be ok if you don't want to dedicate a multi-colour / hybrid spot for it. While it has a control element, it works better in aggro/midrange decks against control decks. Anchors - Supports -
Dakra Mystic Description - Can help with filtering card quality on both sides of the table. Has minor synergy with graveyard matters themes. But it is a little slow. Anchors - Supports -
Drifter il-Dal Description - Can be good in blue aggro, but needs sufficient support of other aggro cards in blue. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Drowned Rusalka Description - This card is functional, but not terribly exciting. It's a nice thing to have on the table to get some incremental value, but not worth going out of your way to draft. Minor graveyard matters support, as it is cheap and can always cycle itself as early as turn 2 to get a relevant target in the yard. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters themes
Faerie Impostor Description - Cheap cost probably means you can replay the bounced card. Lack of flash removes some options, so use of this card is relegated to ETB effects or saving creatures from random negative enchantments. Anchors - Supports -
Gudul Lurker - 1 Description - 1/1 unblockabe is a slow clock. 4 mana for a 2/2 unblockable is... better. But you may as well be playing Latch Seeker. Only worth it if you really want to go deep on unblockability. Gets better if you have a removal-lite environment with stat boosting auras/equipment. Anchors - Supports -
Hedron Crab Description - The obvious place is in a mill deck. In that deck it will be a great 1st turn play, but it's value goes down after that. Still, can be good support. Can do some extra work in decks that care about the graveyard by targeting yourself. Good synergy with specific cards Sensei's Diving Top, Brainstorm, or similar effects that play with the top of the library. Without benefiting from any of those effects or in a deidcated mill decks, it is trash. Anchor - Mill Supports -
Jace's Phantasm Description - Unexciting in it's normal mode. It's going to take a bit of effort to turn this 'on', but the upside is good. Probably best in a blue/black deck that takes full advantage of discard, counters and kill to fill the opponents graveyard. Probably a trap to play this in a mill deck; you either want to win by decking, or by killing the opponent. A true mill deck would rather have something like Fog Bank than waiting for this guy to get good on defense. Anchors - Supports -
Sidisi's Faithful Description - Of itself, a 0/4 for a single mana is not exciting; it can't kill anything, but at least it can be a minor roadblock to aggressive decks. Being able to bounce a creature may be effective against some threats or a good tempo play later in the game. You can always sacrifice something else, but that is pretty conditional. Anchors - Supports -
Spindrift Drake Description - Might have a place in aggro, but you probably just want Drifter Il-Kor instead. Anchors - Supports -
Triton Shorestalker Description - Unblockable is a powerful ability, but this is small. With some equipment or other pumps this could turn it into a clock that needs to be answered. Anchors - 'Pants' Supports -
Trusted Adviser Description - The hand size rider doesn't mean anything. This is another creature that only has a place in the blink / bounce decks. The fact that the creature has to be blue is restrictive, but there are plenty of playable blue creatures that you are happy to replay. e.g. Augur of Bolas, Sea Gate Oracle, Man-o-war. Anchors - Supports - Blink / Bounce
Vedalken Certarch Description - Needs a heavy artifact theme, but would be strong in that environment. Anchors - Artifact matters Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Aven Envoy - Just bad. Baldvuvian Shaman - Just bad. Caller of Gales - Better ways to grant flying. Cathartic Adept - This is going to be too slow even if you want to push a mill theme. Ceta Dsiciple - Doesn't do enough. Cloud Pirates / Cloud Sprite - Strictly better cards than this. Dreamcatcher - Bad. Eletric Eel - Bad. Embodiment of Spring - Too slow and not big enough butt to worry about. Faerie Miscreant / Flying Men / Zephyr Sprite - Pretty unexciting, even as a 1-drop in a Skies deck. Jace's Phantasm has upside over this, and the true unblockable creatures are going to be better in most cases. Faerie Miscreant may be misleading unless you have some house rules to give them more than 1 copy. Faerie Squadron - Both modes are bad. Fledgling Osprey - Why wouldn't you just use Jace's Phantasm? Fugitive Wizard - Vanilla badness. Grayscaled Gharial - Almost vanilla badness. Grixis Illusionist - Rarely relevant. Hapless Researcher - Chump blocking for a card filter not good enough. Imagecrafter - Doesn't do anything. Kraken Hatchling - Strictly better card, and extremely unlikely you would want the 0/4 redundancy. Manta Riders - Bad. Martyr of Frost - Meh. Merchant Ship - Terrible. Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - Vanilla badness. Merfolk Spy - Doesn't do enough. Merrow Witsniper - Small body plus only 1 card, this won't make it even in a dedicated mill deck. Mothdust Changeling - You can get cards with native flying at this cost. Reef Shaman - Doesn't do anything. Rootwater Diver - Even in an artifact themed cube, requiring a tap makes this guy too slow. Rootwater Mystic - Information is not going to be worth the cost. Sage of Epityr - Doesn't do enough. Sandbar Merfolk - Bad body and would rather have better card draw. Screeching Sliver - You don't want to rest your tribes success on this one card. Shaper Guildmage - Each mode not good enough to matter. Shrieking Drake - This is the dregs of gating creatures, and only serves a purpose in a deck that is really pushing the bounce / blink theme. In that deck, it does have the advantage of being cheap to give you a good chance of replaying the bounced creature the same turn. But it doesn't have flash, which is bad. It can bounce itself, but there aren't enough good triggers to take advantage of that fact. Skywatch Adept - Too mana intensive. Sphinx's Herald - Does nothing in cube. Spindrift Drake - You probably just want Drifter Il-Kor instead. Stormscape Apprentice - Unplayable on the basis that you don't want to waste multi-colour on this. Goldmeadow Harrier etc. do this in mono-white, and the black ability is largely irrelevant. Teardrop Kami - Does not do enough. Thought Nibbler - Just play a better creature. Tidal Visionary - Too narrow. Tidal Warrior - Too narrow. Tideshaper Mystic - Minor upside of mana fixing not worth it. Timebender - No targets. Trickster Mage - Not worth the card disadvantage. Triton Shorethief - At least this vanilla badness has an extra toughness. But still bad. Vortex Elemental - Can be a cheap way to get rid of annoying attackers, but needs mana open and only affects non-evasion. Wandering Ones - More vanilla badness. Water Wurm - Bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Condescend Description - Solid counterspell, which can somtimes be the equivalent of a Mana Leak on turn 2 with scry attached. Anchors - Supports - Control
Preordain Description - This is a solid card. It isn't flashy, but sets up your draws in the early game, and clears lands or other unwanted cards in the late game. It slots into most blue decks, with the probable exception of aggro decks that want to stick to using all of their mana to play threats. Also useful to hold and cast when a particular threat is presented to give you the best option of finding an answer at the time. Anchors - Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Ponder
Description - This is a solid card for getting you closer to what you need. While it can be used to set up sequences of future play, it can also be held until a specific threat comes along that needs to be dealt with; this then gives you 4 different chances to find the right answer on that turn, with a marginal advantage if you shuffle and don't find what you are looking for (over getting the next 3 which you know aren't what you need). Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Aqueous Form Description - This opens you up for 2 for 1's so it's value gets better the less direct removal in your cube. But if unanswered, it has some decent upside if you have at least mid-sized creatures to put the opponent on a decent clock, as well as lining up your future draws. Anchors - Supports -
Artful Dodge Description - Can be used to force through some damage for relatively cheap. While not great, it can let a finisher get through unopposed for a couple of turns, or let a couple of creatures through for the final few in a more aggro or midrange build. Also has some synergy with some of the 'spells matters' creatures (Kiln Fiend etc) by giving them a boost from casting while also letting them through unopposed. Also friendly with combat triggers (Stealer of Secrets etc). Anchors - Supports - Spells Matters
Blustersquall Description - Can turn off their attack if cast during your opponents turn, and let you swing in. Conditional on the board state, but can be swingy. Anchors - Supports -
Brainstorm Description - Brainstorm is worse in the Peasant cube format than its profile in Constructed and even compared to powered cubes. One of the preferred uses of Brainstorm is to put cards you don't need right now on the top of your deck and then shuffle. Most peasant deck decks don't have a steady stream of shuffle effects, so you get some marginal card quality for a couple of turns, but end up in the same place. It might be what you need to hit your land drops or find you the critical spell you need if it happens to be sitting near the top of your deck. Anchors - Supports -
Careful Study Description - Given the card disadvantage, you want the card filtering to be worth it. In which case, you need to be supporting some form of Graveyard Matters theme. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator
Curiosity
Description - Good on evasive guys (especially shado / unblockables) and pingers, but can also be good when you can simply tap down your opponents creatures or make blocking annoying. Opens you up for 2 for 1's, but the upside is high. Cinder Pyromancer is cute. Anchors - Supports - Pants
Distortion Strike Description - Bears similarities with Artful Dodge. You don't need to spend an extra mana, but you lose the flexibility of using it all up in one turn. As an extra bonus, you can do some extra damage. Good with spells matters or combat triggers. Anchors - Supports - Spells Matters
Flood Description - Flood can be solid in control decks that want to gum up the ground until stabilised, or to turn off key blockers to make an alpha strike. It's effectiveness scales depending on how many flyers you have in your cube and the general speed of the cube. Heavy blue can make it hard to use. Anchors - Supports -
Force Spike Description - Can be a great early tempo play for any type of deck, but good for aggro tempo plays. Loses potency in the mid to late game. Anchors - Supports -
Genju of the Falls Description - Decent 'manland' card, that can give control decks some long game by being able to trade or chump, or having a repeatable evasive beater in the late game. Anchors - Supports - Control
Gitaxian Probe Description - This card is a solid support card. Most cube designers consider this to be colourless, as it can make any deck smaller. While it offer some minimal support to something like a storm archetype, it is often just a 'good' card. Can help with blue decks that want to check the opponents hand before countering a spell, or verifying whether removal should be reserved for another threat. Anchors - Supports - Storm
Mystical Tutor Description - Best used as redundancy in a deck that needs its best answers or high impact spells despite the card disadvantage. While any deck can use it, probably more suited to control decks to find sweepers or lockdown effects. Anchors - Supports -
Repeal Description - This provides mana and card parity, which isn't exciting. But the tempo might be worth it. It can target any permanent, but in most cases it is likely to target creatures, and something like Repeal is probably more applicable and a better tempo play. Great for killing tokens for a single mana while drawing a card to boot. Anchors - Supports -
Serum Visions Description - Worse than Preordain because it doesn't let you filter to get the card you need this turn, but still playable and serves a similar function. Anchors - Supports -
Sleight of Hand Description - This is worse than Preordain, but still ok for this effect if you want extra redundancy. Anchors - Supports -
Triton Tactics Description - For 1 mana, this can do some interesting things. It says 'I'm optimal when blocking' but it isn't a requirement. You might use it when swinging in to save 2 of your guys from trades, with the upshot of being able to block on your opponents next turn. Just untapping 2 guys for 1 mana isn't a bad deal, though admittedly not many cubes have a plethora of strong tap for effect guys. If you are on the defense, being able to lock down two of their creatures is a pretty solid play for 1 mana. It's limitation is having enough stuff on the board to take reasonable advantage. Anchors - Supports -
Unsummon Description - An old classic that doesn't need much cube support to make it effective, as it works in a range of decks. In general, it's best use is as a tempo effect to return a creature that cost your opponent much more than the Unsummon, allowing you to swing in with what you've already cast, and hopefully cast something else alongside it. Can be used in a pinch to save a finisher from being removed, or to reu-se a critical ETB effect. Anchors - Supports -
Vapor Snag Description - The standard mode for Unsummon effects is to bounce your opponents creature, which means that the mandatory life loss on Vapor Snag is nearly always upside, and helps advance the aggro/tempo game plan. It will still occasionally be the correct play to take the life loss and save a critical creature on your side of the board. This is going to give Vapor Snag a leg up on Unsummon in most cubes. Anchors - Supports -
Word of Undoing Description - This is an oddball card. It gets the same score as Unsummon on the basis that it will be just an Unsummon most of the time, with some marginal upside. On the other hand, it might provide signals that you are supporting something specific, so you may not want to include it if you don't support some form of Azorius aura theme. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Cerulean Wisps Description - Cycles and can create a surprise blocker or re-use a relevant tap ability. Pretty conditional on the right board state, but with cycling can create a 2 for 1 in the right situations. Anchors - Supports -
Curfew
Description - You aren't always going to want a symmetrical effect, but it does have some interesting applications. It can be used to save a creature from removal while setting your opponent back, or similarly just to re-use a ETB effect while affecting your opponents tempo. Minor note that due to non-targeting it can force your opponent to bounce hexproof guys if they have nothing else. But the non-targeting can also be a downside, and limit the times where you can cast this profitably; mainly because your opponent can choose the best option, which may include one of their own ETB creatures. Peel From Reality is often going to be the better card because it does similar but targets, but you may want this for maximum redundancy, or if the single mana really matters to your cube design. Anchors - Supports - Bounce / Flicker
Diminish
Description - Narrow scope, but could find a place as a blue removal spell. It require some set up and the right board state. Anchors - Supports -
Disrupt Description - At it's worst (your opponent can pat the 1), you are card neutral and mana neutral. But when it works, it will be 2 for 1, and hopefully with a big tempo advantage by costing only a single mana. Anchors - Supports -
High Tide
Description - The card disadvantage is probably not going to be worth it. You may want to include it as an accelerator if you really want to push mono-blue as a thing in your cube. Anchors - Supports -
Mark of Eviction Description - This is going to be too slow on most opponents creatures as it takes a full turn. On the plus side, it is repeatable, though the time delay can be painful and give your opponent time to do something profitable, like attack you. Could be used as a slightly awkward support card for bounce / blink strategies. Anchors - Supports - Bounce / Blink
Mystic Speculation Description - At it's base, Mystic Speculation offers you future card quality for card disadvantage. In a weak opener, it can set up your land drops and early plays. It's best benefit comes from the buyback and being able to always draw your best cards. In some scenarios better than Crystal Ball (because you can play it turn 1) and in other instances worse (long term Crystal Ball is cheaper). Also has synergy with Spells Matters decks as a relatively cheap buyback spell. Anchors - Supports -
Opt Description - While the base effect is slightly worse than Preordain, this is an instant, which may matter if you are pushing a more 'draw-go' style in blue, or have Isochron Scepter. Anchors - Supports -
Piracy Charm Description - Has some flexibility in being able to pump someone, kill a small dude, or use some instant speed discard. Consider occasional evasion a bonus. Anchors - Supports - Aggro / Tempo
Pongify / Rapid Hybridization Description - Deserves a mention for being a 1-mana blue spell that can kill almot anything. Giving the opponent a 3/3 isn't exactly ideal though. It's best use will be against big creature decks, but even then you are just downsizing their creature. Has some minor upside in that you can flash in a 3/3 in response to some removal or one of your creatures on their way to the bin, so could be a conditional 3/3 for u in an aggro based deck, but that is a pretty narrow application. Anchors - Supports -
Seal of Removal Description - The lack of instant speed casting means this offers less surprise than Unsummon. However you can drop it any time you have the spare mana instead of holding onto the instant. It's a decent analogue if your cube cares about enchantments, or you have any devotion to blue themes. Anchors - Supports - Enchantment Matters, Blue Devotion
Shadow Rift Description - Single mana, card parity to get your best creature through for some damage. But still susceptible to a 2 for 1 if they remove your target in response to casting. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Sigil of Sleep Description - Sigil of Sleep can have some reasonable upside if it sticks, but is generally only going to be worthwhile on an evasive creature that can get multiple activations to maintain tempo advantage. Most cubes have a lot of good ETB effects, so it's value goes down the more you have given that the bounce is mandatory. Anchors - Supports -
Spell Burst Description - The effect itself is not great, but could be used as a late game lock, perhaps in a ramp deck... in which case you might be better off ramping into other threats. Regardless, the option is there if that type of deck is your cup of tea. Anchors - Supports - Ramp
Spell Snare - Description - Hits 110 targets out of 360 in the average peasant cube on cubetutor on the cheap. But as a reactive counterspell you have to cast it at the most opportune times. So you may counter a non-ideal threat just because it fits the criteria and you aren't sure when the next one will come along. Restrictive removal can always be cast after something hits the table, but you have a limited window to use this. Anchors - Supports -
Spell Pierce Description - 137 targets out of 360 in the average peasant cube on cubetutor. 42% of nonlands in the cube (324). Though its questionable whether the average cube deck contains the same percentage of noncreatures spells (9-10). Instinct says restricted targets plus reduced usefulness in the late game indicates playable but far from amazing. Anchors - Supports -
Thought Scour Description - Can be viewed simply as an instant speed cantrip. It can support a mill theme, and gives some synergy with dredge or other graveyard matters themes. If you want to support those themes, Mental Note is technically strictly worse, but can give a clearer signal to those new to your cube. Anchors - Mill Supports - Graveyard Matters
Turn Aside Description - While narrow, if your opponent is targeting your stuff with a spell, it's mostly likely to destroy it or permanently disable it... but your opponent may not be playing any, or very few of those spells. Anchors - Supports -
Twisted Image Description - Could be an ok combat trick that cycles, but will depend on the makeup of creature stats in your cube. Can kill 0 power creatures, so this may be stronger if you have a number of those walls in your cube. Anchors - Supports -
Unstable Mutation Description - This can be effective if you are pushing blue aggro. You just want to make sure that after you cast it, you are going to kill them within the next 3 turns. Suffers from the usual 2-for-1 trade on auras. Anchors - Aggro. Supports -
Void Snare Description - Most of the time, Void Snare is going to bounce a creature. In which case, you may as well move to Unsummon / Vapor Snag, which can give you instant speed. Still, the option is here if you really want the flexibility of all permanents, and it does still offer tempo advantage at sorcery speed. Anchors - Supports -
Whispers of the Muse Description - You need a bit of work to make Whispers of the Muse good in your cube. If your cube is fast, Whispers is not going to make it. It costs 6 mana if you want to use it as a card draw engine, for your first buyback. For 13 mana, you can buy it back twice and recast, to replace it with 3 other cards. For 5 mana, you can cast Jace's Ingenuity. It's best upside over Jace is not to forget that it only costs 1 mana. So the likely best use is to cycle it early game, and view the buyback as a bonus. Anchors - Supports -
Wind of Zendikon Description - This is a 2/2 flyer for 1 mana, with the quirky drawback of 'costing' a mana when you attack with it. Once cast, you could always view it as now having the option of swinging for 2 if you don't have enough other ways to maximise your mana... but you probably want to be swinging if you spent a card. At least you aren't a land down permanently if it gets removed. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Abjure - The card disadvantage isn't worth it. Aboshan's Desire - Doesn't do enough. Aerial Formation - Doesn't do enough for strive costs. Aether Tide - Card disadvantage not worth the tempo advantage. Air Bladder - Bad. Annul - Way too narrow. Apathy - If it tapped the creature, maybe. But it doesn't. Aquitect's Will - Just bad. Aura Finesse - Too narrow and needs targets to even cycle itself. Awesome Presence - Bad compared to Aqueous Form. Backfire - Creature can still block and use activated abilities, and if the opponent is aggro they probably don't care about the damage anyway. Banishing Knack - A lot worse than other forms of bounce/ Betrayal - You would rather use something that actually removes it. Blue Elemental Blast - Too narrow. Breakthrough - Looked at primarily as a draw card, this requires 5 mana to draw 4 cards and keep them all if this is the only card in your hand, with downside if you had more in your hand. But it could help dump stuff in your graveyard. Looking at 4 cards is decent so can be used to dig for reanimate cards or targets in the early turns, but that is going all in as you will have to dump a whole bunch of other cards. Broken Ambitions - Doesn't do enough. Broken Dam - Sorcery speed so can't save from attack, which means its best use is to tap down creatures so you can get through. In which case, Artful Dodge is probably better. Cencorship - Only for funsies. Chain of Vapor - It's either bad, or way too costly if you are running a self-bounce deck. Champion's Victory - Bad bounce. Clairvoyance - Peek is strictly better. Clash of Wills - Not good enough compared to other counterspell options. Cloak of Feathers - Combat trick/fly over, but needs target to cycle. Oh wait, sorcery, yuck. Cloak of Invisibility - You don't want this on your creatures, and you don't want this on your opponents creatures. Clockspinning - Too narrow. Constricting Tendrils - Doesn't have enough impact. Controlled Instincts - Too narrow targets. Coral Net - Narrow targets. Crab Umbra - This could have some narrow combo uses, but the cost to untap is too much to make use of in most decks. Cut the Earthly Bond - Way too narrow. Defensive Stance - Doesn't do enough. Defy Gravity - Doesn't do enough. Denied! - Bad. Disarm - Bad. Dispel - Unlikely to be sufficient targets. Dizzy Spell - Doesn't do enough. Downsize - Doesn't do enough. Drafna's Restoration - Only playable in a very heavy artefact cube, and even then narrow in effect, card disadvantage for card quality over the next few turns. Dream Coat - Too narrow for cube. Dream's Grip - None of the modes are strong enough to warrant inclusion. Dream twist - It's not possible to support an aggro mill deck, and there are better options for self mill. Enchantment Alteration - Too narrow in scope to be any use. Energy Tap - Compare to Dark Ritual; upside, can get more mana if cast on higher cost creature; downside, need to have a creature, it needs to be untapped, you need to tap it so it can't be used for something else, mana is colourless, card is sorcery speed. Blergh. Envelop - Only targets 10% of average cube. Ertai's Trickery - No. Essence Flare - Bad. Essence Leak - Just bad. Evanescent Intellect - Inefficient use of 2 cards just to get 1 effect. Not even if pushing a mill theme. Evermind - Unusable in cube. Eye Spy - Doesn't do enough even for a cantrip. Flash Flood - Narrow colour hoser. Fleeting DistractionIt's not going to be that effective the majority of the time. It might occasionally help you win a combat, and at worst you get to cantrip for a single mana, but you want more. Flight - Strictly better cards. Gigadrowse - In most cases other cards dedicated to tapping down all of your opponents creatures or having additional effects is going to provide better results. Glyph of Delusion - Way too narrow. Gridlock - See Gigadrowse. Hydroblast - Narrow targets. Hydrosurge - Might let you save a creature during combat, but isn't going to impact the board in a majority of cases. Index - The short term card quality is not worth the card disadvantage. Infiltrate - Distortion Strike strictly better. Intervene - Pretty narrow effect. Jump - Bad. Loose Lips - Probably just for fun factor.... but can you say "She sells sea shells by the sea shore"? Lost in a Labyrinth - Doesn't impact the board and scry doesn't make up for that. Mana Chains - Better off playing more effective 'removal' at the 2 mana spot. Mask of the Mimic - Has no use in cube. Mental Misstep - Targets too narrow in cube. Mental Note - Worse than Thought Scour which can target any player. Mind Bend - Too narrow for cube. Mind Bomb - Only remotely useful if you look to break the symmetry, and even then there are better ways to get things into your graveyard. Mind Games - Too expensive to buyback for this effect. Mind Harness - Bad. Mise - Requires too much set up to bother. Mizzium Skin - Doesn't do enough in any mode. Mystic Remora - Bad. Obsessive Search - Incremental benefit in madness decks doesn't outweigh the other 1cc draw spells. Opt - Worse than Preordain. Outwit - Too narrow. Part Water - Too narrow. Peek - Worse than Gitaxian Probe. Personal Tutor - Worse than Mystical Tutor, which is instant speed and can also search for instants. Portent - Worse than Ponder. Power Sink - Only if you really want more redundancy for Condescend. Private Research - Too much set up required. Prosperity - The symmetry and sorcery speed make this too hard to break. Psychic Purge - Blue direct damage! But the effect is negligible and the upside is pretty marginal. Quest for Ancient Secrets - If you want this effect, you want it outright. Ray of Erasure - Bad. Reach Through Mists - Bad unless you have heavy arcane. Recall - Discard AND XX? Too expensive for this effect. Reconstruction - Not for most cubes unless you are heavy artifact. Remove - Bad bounce spell. Rescue - The loss of returning your opponents stuff is too much lost flexibility compared to the upside of being able to target any permanent you control. Retraction Helix - Just get a bounce spell. Riptide - You are in blue so why would you want this (outside of some ridiculous scenario using inspired and guys with the untap symbol). Robe of Mirrors - Shroud is not worth losing a card for. Lightning Greaves similar and offers extra upside. Sapphire Charm - Not good enough. Saving Grasp - This forces a particular type of play style, but could be used to take advantage of ETB creatures in a defensive bounce deck. Generally there are better options though. Sea King's Blessing - Too narrow. Sea's Claim - Bad. Sensory Depravation - Doesn't do enough Shared Discovery - Maybe if it was instant. In a token deck. Shimmering Wings - Not strong enough effect. Silent Departure - Sorcery speed and costly second activation is too much downside. Siren's Call - It's asking your opponent to do what they probably want to do anyway. What you want them to attack into could get removed in response. Sisay's Ingenuity - Doesn't do enough. Sleight of Mind - Too narrow. Soothsaying - I want to like this card. But by the time you spend this much mana, you may as well be playing draw spells instead. Sorcerous Sight - This is sorcery, peek does same job at instant speed. Spell Blast - Better options. Spy Network - Bad. Steel Sabotage - Too narrow. Stream of Unconsciousness - Too narrow. Stubborn Denial - Bad. Syncopate - Better options. Tangle Kelp - Better lockdown options. Telepathy - Doesn't do enough for the card disadvantage. Thassa's Ire - Flexibility is nice, but activation is too much to ask for. Thermal Flux - Nah. Tidal Flats - Bad.
[card]Tome Scour[/card[ - There isn't enough density at singleton for an aggro mill deck. Trickery Charm - None of the modes do enough. Twiddle - Doesn't do enough. Vanishing - Interesting effect, but too mana intensive to either remove / protect creatures. Vault Skyward - Doesn't do enough. Veil of Birds - Bad. Veiled Sentry - Bad.
Venarian Glimmer - You have to be going SUPER deep on a draw go deck that wants this type of effect; they either cast it before you get the mana to strip it, or it just costs a budketload of mana. Vision Charm - Only the first is going to matter in a mill deck, in which case you want Tome Scour. Writ of Passage - Too mana intensive for limited targets.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Arbor Elf Description - Excellent card for helping accelerate your plays. Only the most marginal downside over mana-generating contemporaries (can't create mana if your green source is not from a Forest, rare occasions where your untap on the stack is responded to in a meaningful way), but has other upsides if your card pool includes Wild Growth, Utopia Sprawl, Dawn's Reflection etc. Arbor Elf on turn 1 followed by either Wild Growth or Utopia Sprawl can lead into 4-drops being possible on turn 2. Other synergies are marginal, but can interact with Genju of the Cedars and other land animation effects, or the likes of Squirrel Nest. Anchors - Supports - Midrange, Ramp
Experiment One Description - Excellent turn 1 play for an aggro/midrange deck that can follow up with almost anything to start making it bigger. Doesn't require much in the way of support to make it good. Anchors - Supports - Aggro, Midrange
Joraga Treespeaker Description - Among the top green mana accelerators; there isn't much better than a turn 1 Treespeaker, turn 2 level up into some more acceleration. Has some marginal upside with a full level up with some token themes. Anchors -
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Elvish Mystic / Fyndhorn Elves / Llanowar Elves Description - This is a solid staple for greens mana acceleration plan, whether into midrange, into a 2nd turn Cultivate for ramp decks, or helping control deck set up. In an aggro deck, it can even beat down for 1 and provide support later. It's not uncommon for cubes to include more than 1 of these if the cube owner doesn't care about functional reprints. Anchors - Supports -
Wild Nacatl Description - It almost forces you into red or white, but as a 2/2 for 1 mana, this is good value. If you get it to 3/3, that's just gravy. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Jungle Lion Description - Has a place in aggro decks that just want to be swinging. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Twinblade Slasher - 2 Description - While mildly mana intensive to activate, the wither can help get around some low power/high toughness blockers that might be floating around in your cube. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Wasteland Viper Description - Seems decent for green aggro. It either pings through for damage, or can trade with anything. Can also use bloodrush to take out larger threats and survive fights, or in a pinch deal that extra damage to the opponent. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Young Wolf Description - It doesn't need any support and is not a threat before dying, but is likely to keep pinging through for damage because your opponent doesn't want to block it. Can be ok as a chump blocker that upgrades or useful as a sacrificial lamb. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Avacyn's Pilgrim Description - As a general ability, the acceleration ability is solid regardless of colour produced. However most cube owners are likely to consider this a Selesnya card (which is what it will signal), and it isn't exciting for those limited slots however. Anchors - Supports -
Basking Rootwalla Description - This is marginal as an aggro 1-drop due to the threat of activation, though if you do activate it, it slows down your development. Madness is fine if you want to maximise a looter etc, but this is unlikely to influence your decision to include it in your cube. Almost strictly worse than Twinblade Slasher as the madness is rarely going to be relevant. Anchors - Supports -
Boreal Druid Description - It accelerates, even if it is colorless. This still has value in cubes, but there are a lot of options that produce coloured mana. This could make the cut if you are supporting some form of snow in your cube. Anchors - Supports -
Elves of Deep Shadow Description - Another mana accelerator. As with other non-green mana critters, this signals a specific direction even though it is decent in non-black decks. Damage knocks its stock down slightly, but most of the time you will be happy to take the hit and accelerate. Anchors - Supports -
Elvish Herder Description - It's in the color of decent-sized creature, but requires the right conditions to be decent. Can support ramp creatures that don't have trample, or help step over chump token blockers. Anchors - Supports - Ramp
Elvish Pioneer Description - Has some upside over mana accelerators; they can be more easily removed than a land being put on the table. On the downside, Elvish Pioneer is a terrible top deck. This inconsistency limits its appeal. Anchors - Supports -
Essence Warden Description - Life gain isn't going to be relevant most of the time. You'll get more out of it if you support tokens (and may keep you in the come against aggro decks whgile you build a critical mass of them) but not too exciting. Has little value in the late game. Anchors - Supports -
Ghazban Ogre Description - It's hard to ensure you can manage the drawback, but with strong aggro support in green this might find a place. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Gladecover Scout Description - Requires the support of the Voltron deck (equips and auras), but can be solid as a first turn play in that deck to follow up. Without that, he is a vanilla 1/1 most of the time and not worth a place in your cube. Anchors - Voltron Supports-
Granger Guildmage Description - Off-colour activation is not great, but a pinger often has impact on the board. Anchors - Supports -
Groundskeeper Description - Gets a mention for being the only repeatable effect like this. Has specific synergies with Constant Mists, Genjus, looters, retrace cards, and Forbid. While those synergies exist, adding 1G to those effects will create a slow engine. Perhaps the biggest knock is that there is no redundancy, meaning your inclusion should support other themes, not push its own archetype. Anchors - Supports -
Nettle Sentinel Description - Can work in heavy-green aggro deck, as a turn 1 play should be able to attack without much of a drawback. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Pouncing Jaguar Description - Needs the support of other aggro cards, but is unexciting. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Quirion Ranger Description - Has utility, but most cubes don't have a lot of creatures that tap for effect that you would want to use this for. Can still set up blocks after you've attacked, get out from some opponents tap effects. It can also re-use mana accelerators, replay Forets for landfall triggers, and if you don't have a land drop for the turn, pseudo-acceleration. While those synergies exist, they aren't high impact most of the time. Anchors - Supports -
Rogue Elephant Description - Only fits into aggro, and the loss of a land is a decent hit to your development. Played alongside something else around turn 3 is probably the sweet spot to maintain early pressure. Anchors - Supports -
Scattershot Archer Description - It's application is pretty limited, but may differ depending in your cube. Most likely targets are spirit and bird tokens, with a few other x/1's in blue. You might be able to use this in conjunction with a blocker to take something out, but generally this is pretty narrow. Has downside of hitting your creatures too should you have any. Anchors - Supports -
Scythe Tiger Description - Similar to Rogue Elephant, this can suit an aggro deck. It loses out on a point of toughness, allowing 2/x's to trade with it, but the shroud can prevent you from getting effectively 2 for 1'd. Anchors - Supports -
Sedge Scorpion Description - Can be used to trade up, with more application in a control deck than aggro. Wasteland Viper is strictly better, but this might see play in larger cubes or if you have a penchant for deathtouch. Anchors - Supports - Control
Servant of the Scale Description - If you are going to play a 1/1, being able to transfer a single +1/+1 counter upon death is ok, but not exciting. It's value goes up if you support a +1/+1 theme where there is sufficient opportunity for it to get more counters. Has synergy with Cenn's Tactician. Anchors - Supports - +1/+1 counters
Skarrgan Pit-Skulk Description - It's not a 1 drop you want to play on turn 1, but can support a Sligh style deck full of 1 and 2 drops. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Skyshroud Archer Description - Scattershot Archer is probably better, because it gives you extra toughness and hits everything at once. Minor upside is that this sometimes you might be able to make larger creatures small enough to survive a block. But it has limited targets and only useful in very specific board states. Anchors - Supports -
Spore Frog Description - It's a fog effect, which is something. Given that you have to have it on the board, it doesn't provide the surprise of most Fog effects. Being a creature opens it up to potential recursion, but it's a bit of work. Anchors - Supports -
Sunblade Elf Description - Decent card for Selesnya, if not terribly exciting. Secondary ability does have some synergy with token strategies, which often happen to be in those colours. However you need to be looking for a 1 mana 2/2 for those colours or have the pump ability be very relevant to consider it over other options. Anchors - Supports -
Taunting Elf Description - Narrow applications. Can be used as a 'finisher', but beware removal. You can swing in with everything, this dies to removal and then your opponent can eat your attackers. Most decks will want better forms of evasion than this. Anchors - Supports -
Thornscape Apprentice Description - The tap down effect is good, but forcing it into two colours makes it less likely to find its way into both decks and cubes. The first strike is not particularly appealing; it's upside to what is essentially a Selesnya card. Anchors - Supports -
Tinder Wall - 1
Description - This can be used to stall early in a game if required, with some minor upside of being able to kill something it blocks. The bigger upside is usually to accelerate into something else. Can be used as a Gruul monster ramp card, but it's perfectly fine in a non-red ramp deck. It can also be used aggressively, either as turn 1 play into 2 red 1-drops, or into a turn 2 Lava Hounds/Blastoderm etc. Like Dark Ritual, it might not be worth the card disadvantage, but it does have more flexibility than pure acceleration. Anchors - Supports -
Tukatongue Thallid Description - Not a particularly thrilling card, but if you are trading with 2/1's you end up on top. Best for control decks that just want to buy time with chumpers, but there are going to be better options to fill that role most of the time. Minor support for token themes. Anchors - Supports -
Veteran Explorer Description - It can be good where the symmetry works more in your favour, which is mostly against aggro decks, so you can ramp into bigger spells. It might make it a sideboard card some of the time, but can at least absorb an attack while accelerating you. Anchors - Supports -
Wild Dogs Description - Can still switch sides once it is on the board, but downside mostly mitigated by being able to cycle. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Aisling Leprachaun - Unique but doesn't do anything. Ana Disciple - Doesn't do enough. Behemoth's Herald - Doesn't do anything in Peasant. Birchlore Rangers - Difficult to make use of in cube. Bond Beetle - Not efficient use of a card. Brown Ouphe - Too narrow. Caustic Caterpillar - Not good enough. Centaur's Herald - You paint yourself into a corner to maximise this card. Essentially becomes 4 mana to cancel a ground attack and put a 3/3 into play, but you have to have the mana available at the right time. Charging Badger / Defiant Elf - Requires too much support to make the trample matter. Child of Thorns - Too many other better combat tricks. Copperhorn Scout - Not enough tap abilities that would matter, and the pseudo-vigilance is unlikely to matter much and is very fragile. Deepwood Wolverine - It might force through for 1 for a number of turns, but that isn't great, and the opponent can trade whenever they feel like it. Diligent Farmhand - Just play Sakura-Tribe Elder. This technically has upside because it can be played a turn earlier to attack or block, but it's not likely to matter. Diregraf Escort - Only if your green section is getting pummelled by black decks. Which probably means change something else. Druid Lyrist / Elvish Lyrist - Green has more flexible removal options. Elvish Berserker - Most of the time your opponent just won't block it and it won't matter much. Elvish Eurologist - Gonna go with not amazing even if you are Elf Tribal. Elvish Handservant - Too hard to support. Elvish Lookout - Maybe with hexproof, but not shroud.
[card]Elvish Scout[/card[ - Too dependant on board state most of the time. Elvish Scrapper - Green has more flexible removal options. Elvish Skysweeper - Probably just to use that mana to put a creature with reach into play. Ezuri's Archers - Only effective at 1 thing, and is still going to die to most flyers anyway. Folk of An-Havva - A 1-drop that can take out x/3's doesn't sound too bad. But it's a 1 trick pony that only serves that specific purpose, and is terrible otherwise. Ghazban Ogress - Doesn't generate desired gameplay (you would just sideboard it out). Greenseeker - Not fast enough compared to other acceleration. Hana Kami - Hana Kami's value is directly proportional to what other arcane spells you include and how many; generally this will be not enough to care about. Death Denied is a nice engine card. Kodama's Reach is a staple, though not exciting to get back. After that, most arcane cards are worse versions than anything else available, and is not enough to support this card. Harvest Mage - Down a mana and a card for your mana fixing. Nope. Heritage Druid - Even in an Elf token deck, you just want better mana fixers. Joven's Ferrets - They will just let it through. Jukai Messenger - Too conditional. Kin-Tree Warden - Meh. Krosan Wayfarer - Not worth the card disadvantage. LLanowar Augur - Only during your upkeep kills it. Llanowar Elite - Both modes are bad. Llanowar Mentor - Doesn't do enough as a token generator or an accelerator. Marsh Boa - Too conditional. Martyr of Spores - Sure, it's on a creature, but you'd rather have an actual pump spell that is reliable and doesn't force you to reveal your hand to the opponent. Mold Adder - Too conditional. Mossdog - If they are going to target it, they are most likely killing it anyway. Mtenda Lion - If each player only plays 2 colours, you have a 40% chance they are playing blue. Could be a good sideboard card if you are playing green aggro. Which means it doesn't belong in your cube. Naf's Asp - Doesn't do enough. Nimble Mongoose - Most of the time this is going to be a 1/1. Shroud doesn't make it good. The times when it will be a 3/3 for g are unlikely to outweigh the times when it will be bad. Norwood Ranger - Bad. Nurturer Initiate - Doesn't do enough. Orcohi Leafcaller - If you want fixing, you generally don't want it on something this fragile. Patron of the Wild - 6 mana investment is too much. Promised Kannushi - Only with a strong Spirit theme which is not really viable. Renowned Weaver - It does replace itself, but you have to have the mana handy when you are ready to chump with it. Then you get another chumper. Rime Dryad - Too narrow to care. S.N.O.T. - No application in cube unless you want to create a rule that when you draft 1, you get all 4. Which might be fun. Sacred Prey - Just no. Sakura-Tribe Scout - It does have some unique applications, but most of it's roles are just better filled with other accelerators. Savaean Elves - Waaaaaaaaaay too narrow. Scavenger Folk - Better removal options.
[card]Scryb Sprites[/card[ - In fairness, if you want a 1 drop evasive creature in green, this might be your option. You just don't want it. Shanodin Drayds - Too narrow. Simic Initiate - Costing g plus a card to put a +1/+1 counter on another creature is bad. Skyshroud Elite - This is not going to be consistent most of the time unless you have more than average nonbasics, and your drafters aggressively draft them. Skyshroud Ranger - Sakura-Tribe Scount strictly better (no sorcery speed). Skyshroud Ridgeback - Most likely it will be blocked or trade with something, or be unplayable in the mid to late game. Spike Drone - 3 mana and a card to put a +1/+1 on something else, and this card is likely to have much utility before then. Spike Tracer - Not a significant enough form of evasion. Stampede Driver - Too weak and slow to have impact. Starved Rusalka - Not a big enough effect to warrant inclusion. Sunblade Elf - Not good enough as a Selesnya card. Tarpan - No. Thallid - Too slow as a token generator Trained Jackal - Not exciting. Traproot Kami - It could be annoying late game, but early game it is going to have a hard time defending against most stuff. Maybe if mono-coloured decks are a thing in your cube. Tree Monkey - Scryb Sprites are better. Treefolk Harbinger - Not enough good targets. Treetop Scout - Meh. Uktabi Drake - Not good enough. Utopia Mycon - Too slow. Village Elder - Too intensive. Viridian Acolyte - The fact that it doesn't accelerate hurts too much. Virulent Sliver - Even if you support sliver tribal, you don't want them to be normal creatures sometimes, and all poisonous other times. Either a dead card in your hand, or you get your opponent to 9 poison counters, dies to removal, and then you have to deal 20. Wall of Vines - Bad. Wall of Wood - Bad. Weatherseed Elf - Too narrow. Whippoorwill - Too narrow. Willow Dryad - Bad. Wirewood Symbiote - Only in ELf tribal. Woodland Druid - Worse than Wasteland Viper. Zodiac Rabbit - Bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Rancor Description - Excellent value as a power booster, trampler, and gets around the usual aura drawback (unless creature is removed while it is on the stack of course). Every speed of deck is happy to play this. Fringe applications if you can benefit from sacrificing or recasting it. Anchors - Supports -
Utopia Sprawl Description - Solid acceleration and fixing in a single card for 1 mana, with minor drawback that it has to enchant a Forest and not just any land, and you need to generate 2 mana. Good synergy with Arbor Elf. Anchors - Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Berserk Description - Solid in most aggro/midrange decks that are the beatdown to break through and deal that final blow. Can also do work in green ramp, particularly with non-trample guys getting chumped by tokens. It's very situational, but the extra damage you take might be worth using this as removal sometimes. Anchors - Supports -
Mutagenic Growth Description - Having the opportunity to pay 0 mana makes this a card to respect. Allows winning a combat out of nowhere, or sealing the deal on a game when an opponent would otherwise be able to alpha strike back. The surprise factor is usually worth giving up that extra point of damage compared to Giant Growth. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Commune With Nature Description - Played early it can set up your curve, and as a top deck you can go digging for the best creature for the current board state. Occasionally you will whiff, and worth noting there are similar cards that dump the remaining cards in your graveyard if you are pursuing graveyard matters strategies. Anchors - Supports -
Gather Courage Description - ok as a pump for free. Upside that a creature with summoning sickness can block, and then benefit from this before combat damage is dealt. Mutagenic Growth not strictly better, but probably better in most situations as a free pump spell. Anchors - Supports -
Genju of the Cedars Description - Solid card, giving you the opportunity to attack with a 4/4 as early as turn 3, while also being very resilient. Playable in a wide variety of decks, though perhaps most at home in green aggro/midrange decks. Anchors - Supports -
Giant Growth Description - The old standby. ok, but not spectacular. Ideally you want to maintain card parity while impacting the board (changing a trade into a kill), or put the opponents life total within reach. Anchors - Supports -
Groundswell Description - In decks that like to be the beatdown, this is likely to be better than Giant Growth more often than not, and you'll usually know when the +2/+2 will be sufficient for the situation anyway. Still playable in a deck that intends to go long, but a little less good on the defense. Anchors - Supports -
Hunger of the Howlpack Description - Without morbid, it isn't very good. But giving something +3/+3 permanently is good upside. Still situational due to the morbid trigger, sometimes preventing the opportunity to boost mid-combat, but can be cast after a trade or block. Sometimes your opponent will answer it before you get any benefit, but if they can't you have a creature that should hit pretty hard.
Anchors -
Supports -
Hurricane Description - The biggest effect that matters here is the damage to each player, giving green some reach. Flyers is greens weakness, but not hitting ground creatures makes it less desirable. Anchors - Supports -
Prey Upon Description - It's always situational. You need a creature that should preferably win the fight. You might win the fight, but the damage dealt to your creature might now make it unwise to attack into whatever is left remaining. It’s sorcery speed, which means no mid-combat tricks. On the plus side, if you have creatures of a decent size (which green has) for a single mana you can take out large creatures on the opposing side of the board. Anchors - Supports -
Vines of Vastwood Description - Solid effect with 2 modes. Hold it as a counterspell to removal or other targeted ability for a single mana. Or as a good combat trick for 2 mana. Hopefully both! Does require the right situation to maximise value, but those situations come along frequently enough. Anchors - Supports -
Wild Growth Description -Utopia Sprawl is going to be better most of the time because it also fixes mana, but worth noting it isn't strictly better than Wild Growth. If you only have one Forest, you can play Wild Growth onto another land and get the benefit straight away. Anchors -
Supports - Ramp
Worldly Tutor Description - Provides card disadvantage, but can find you the answer you need. You may want to consider this higher if you have some creature-based combos built into your cube. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Abundant Growth Description - It doesn't accelerate, but draws a card. Not a terrible card if you want fixing as opposed to acceleration, though I suspect most cubes prefer to get both out of a single card. Anchors - Supports -
Aerial Volley - 1 Description - It's conditional removal, but can be decent in certain environments / matchups, though it will be a dead card against certain decks. Most cubers won't want a 'sideboard card', but getting a 2 for 1 or being able deal with multiple spirit / bird tokens will be good against those decks. Anchors - Supports -
Ancient Stirrings
Description - Finds lands and the occasional artifact / Eldrazi. Caravan Vigil is going to be the better card in vast majority of cubes because it gets you exactly which (basic) land you need. You probably want to upgrade to Mulch, but this does help find early lands at the cheapest cost. Has more value in a cube that has strong artifacts or artifact creatures.
Aspect of Hydra Description - You need to build around it to some degree (by drafting more green), but can be good bang for buck. More effective in green ramp decks that tend to use more creatures that have double green in their cost. Anchors - Supports - Green Ramp
Caravan Vigil Description - Grabs you whatever land you need for only a single mana. You probably want to upgrade to Mulch, but this does help find early lands at the cheapest cost. Morbid is going to hard to trigger in early turns, especially as this is a sorcery, which limits the effectiveness. Later in the game the morbid is easier to trigger, but even if you don't you can probably just play the land from your hand anyway. May get a bit more value if you support Eldrazi spawn-making creatures. Anchors - Supports -
Corrosive Gale Description - It's targets are limited so it is pretty situational, but can be used in a pinch if you need to off some fliers. In certain circumstances, against Skies decks for example, can be a blowout, or undo a Lingering Souls. Anchors - Supports -
Elephant Grass Description - A poor man's Propaganda… or maybe a fairer one. It's not a lockdown because it will eventually go away, but might be worth it in the midgame to either hold off or minimise your opponents attack for a few turns, or hold off their board development while they attack. Extra hosing on black might turn some cube designers away. Anchors - Supports -
Keen Sense Description - Works well on pingers or evasive creatures. Suffers from aura 2 for 1 problem; has strong upside but harder to trigger with base green, as green has less evasion than most other colours. Anchors - Supports -
Nature's Claim Description - Cheap, instant, and uncondtional removal and hits both artifacts and enchantments. All adds up to good stuff, but unless you really want this effect to be at the 1 mana spot, Naturalize is probably going to be worth paying the extra 1 for to not give your opponent the 4 life. Anchors - Supports -
Noxious Revival Description - Trades selective card quality for card disadvantage, and possibly for no mana. Worldly Tutor etc have the advantage of searching your entire library, where this requires a card to already be in your graveyard which is more limiting. Can be more useful in a graveyard matters theme that puts more cards in your graveyard, though by paying a little more mana you can maintain card parity (Regrowth) or obtain advantage (Eternal Witness). Anchors - Supports -
Primal Bellow Description - Probably only better than most growth effects if you are playing mono-green or green based ramp; as it narrows down the number of decks it can be played in, majority of cubes will want something more flexible or that they can splash for. If you support mono-green in other ways then you might consider it. Anchors - Mono-green Supports -
Ranger's Guile Description - The stat bonus is secondary to having hexproof, which can be used at instant speed to counter removal or other undesirable effects. While not strictly better, Vines of Vastwood is likely to be the more desirable card most of the time. This is a reasonable second if you want this effect. Anchors - Supports -
Rofellos's Gift Description - Very narrow application, but could be useful in the decks that wants it. Enchantment Matters or Aura-based Voltron might want this if those decks skew towards green. Absolutely need the right support to consider it though. Anchors - Supports - Enchantment Matters, Voltron
Sandstorm Description - Green doesn't get a lot of ways to damage creatures. It's more effective against tokens or 'go wide' strategies, so its use will depend on your cube construction. You probably want to avoid having it being a complete blowout against other decks you might support. Anchors - Supports -
Serene Sunset Description - If you have an empty board, it's an expensive Fog. If you have some creatures, it has the potential to be strong, either aggressively or defensively. Turning two trades into two kills, or triple blocking Pelakka Wurm without losing a dude is good times. So situational based on board state, but potential for upside. Anchors - Supports -
Spider Umbra Description - The pump and reach is not significant, but with protection of the totem armor can provide enough to be up for consideration.
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Sylvan Tutor Description - Strictly worse than Worldly Tutor, but could be a redundant piece if you are pushing creature-based combos, or want decks to be able to find their answers. Anchors - Supports -
Thrill of the Hunt Description - It could be +2/+4 for GW which is borderline. Probably better if you can eke out advantage from a single cast, and then threaten the second, or cast on two different creatures in the same combat, but only 1 power makes it more situational to get that advantage, and is unlikely to make it as a Selesnya card unless you really want to push combat tricks in those colors. Anchors - Supports -
Vitalize Description - This is pretty situational, but could cause a blowout in the right circumstances. With a few mana dorks, can be a weird way of accelerating. It's floor (which is probably most situations) is probably going to be a surprise block, with some potential upsides. Anchors - Supports -
Warrior's Lesson Description - Draw 2 cards for G at instant speed is awesome. But it is pretty conditional and won't be reliable. Most likely to get you your cards if you are playing tokens and going around your opponent, or heavy evasive decks. Anchors - Supports -
Windstorm Description - Narrow targets, but instant speed and can shore up a weakness in green. Situational, but can be effective.
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Winter Blast Description - It can serve as a finisher by tapping down potential blockers and letting you swing in. Works in any green deck, but probably best in a ramp deck to ensure fatties don't just get chumped by tokens, or aggro/tempo decks before your opponent can recover. You wouldn't play it only for its ability to kill small flyers, but it can be used that way in a pinch.
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Wreath of Geists Description - Comes with the standard weakness of all auras, but can turn into a big threat if left unanswered. It can be ok in a midrange deck that is happy to trade guys in early turns, but the main reason to consider including this in your cube is if you are pushing a graveyard matters theme that dumps creatures from your library into your graveyard. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Animate Land - It can set up a surprise blocker, or a hasty attacker, but is situational and doesn't have enough impact on most games. Autumn's Veil - Far too narrow. Avoid Fate - Not goo enough; Vines of Vastwood strictly better. Battlegrowth - Burst of Strength strictly better. Bequeathal - Unplayable Skullclamp. Blossoming Wreath - Better options like Gnaw to the Bone. Briar Shield - The +1/+1 on its own isn't good enough. And the trouble with the +3/+3 option is that you have already committed it to the creature, so there is no surprise value. Burst of Strength - Of itself, it can be not only a surprise blocker, but leave behind something stronger. To make it worth it, it really needs to be able get value out of the untap, which is going to be very situational, and the upside is not that high. Camouflage - Too much text to read, confusing and no skill. Canopy Claws - Bad. Carapace - Bad. Carpet of Flowers - Too narrow. Chatter of the Squirrel - 3 mana to put 2 1/1 tokens onto the battlefield is not a good deal. Choking Vines - Too narrow. Cocoon - Bad. Corrosive Gale - While it is ok against decks with lots of flyers, not going to be worth it in general. Corrosive Gale - While it's ok against decks with lots of flyers, not going to be worth it in general. If you support a Skies deck, you might include this as a sweeper, but you likely don't want something that is a blowout against another deck you are supporting.
Crop Rotation - Not enough good nonbasics to make this worthwhile, given that it doesn't accelerate you. Crossbow Ambush - Too narrow to be consistent enough. Crumble - Green has better options for artifact removal. Divergent Growth - This is not worth spending a card on. Dryad's Favor - Too narrow. Dwell On The Past - This effect is likely to only matter if you have a graveyard matters theme that likes dumping cards from your library into your graveyard. In which case, you want a version that has flashback. Earthlore - Only works on defense, which limits its usefulness. Elven Fortress - Not good enough. Elven Palisade - Too many restrictions to be any good (single land type, only works if you are being attacked). Elvish Fury - If you wait to buy it back, it is probably too late. Emerald Charm - None of the modes do enough. Explosive Growth - Become Immense going to be better most of the time. False Mourning - Card disadvantage not worth it. One more mana for Regrowth. Fog - It's the classic Fog effect, but not very good as is; other options like Constant Mists or Momentary Peace are worth paying a higher mana cost. Font of Fertility - Not good enough. Forced Adaptation - Takes too long to matter. Forgotten Lore - Will nearly always cost more than Regrowth etc. to get what you want. Frog Tongue - Even as a cantrip, this is not worth the card. Fruition - Not good enough. Gaea's Might / Might of Alara - Not likely to be better than Giant Growth majority of the time, with more chance for downside. You would have to be actively pushing domain to depower your cube for this effect. Gift of the Woods - Not sure why you would play this over another blocker. Surviving some combats is not going to change much and the life gain won't matter. Glyph of Reincarnation - Bad. Healing Leaves - Bad. Hidden Guerrillas - Only in a heavy artifact theme. Hidden Spider - Turn 1 play would be a beating against a skies deck. But it might not even trigger against some decks. Hornet Sting - Yay, green direct damage! But no. Hunger of the Howlpack - No going to be consistent enough. Hunt Down - Just use fight effects instead. Hunt the Hunter - Too narrow targets. Instil Energy - Doesn't do enough. Irresistible Prey - Not having the option of choosing which creature is going to block limits its applications. Joint Assault - Not going to get the extra benefit most of the time. Kodama's Might - Splicing too narrow. Lay of the Land - Better ways to find or fix mana. Leaf Arrow - Narrow removal. Lush Growth - Abundant Growth fixes all colours and draws a card. Magnify - Doesn't do enough. Mending Touch - Not going to matter enough. Metamorphosis - Too much setup and not worth the effort. Just ramp! Might of Old Krosa - You don't want to play this main phase, you want to play it mid-combat. Mirran Mettle - Not going to be better than Giant Growth except for an artifact heavy cube. Mobilize - Sorcery speed kills it. There aren't many creatures with amazing tap effects that you would want to use on your turn. There might be a few cards that convoke or otherwise ask you to tap your creatures for effects, but by and large they aren't going to be numerous enough in a single cube to make this worth it. Molder - Having to pay X makes this too costly. Mortal Wound - Bad removal. Multani's Harmony - This requires 2 cards just to make one fixer. Paradise Mantle is better if you need the effect. Multani's Presence - Way too narrow. Mutant's Prey - Instant is nice; having your creature choice options extremely limited is not. Nature's Chosen - Not enough creatures that tap for great effect, and not an effective tool to use to untap an attacker and be able to block. Too easy to get 2 for 1'd. And white restriction. Nature's Panoply - Flexibility doesn't make up for too high a cost. Compare Incremental Growth. One With Nature - You could put this on an evasive creature, and start thinning out your deck. It's not a reliable card if ramping/fixing is your aim, and other combat trigger auras like Keen Sense are likely going to provide you better advantage. Oxidize - For when you absolutely must kill that artifact. There are unlikely to be many artifacts that naturally regnerate in most cubes, making more flexible options (Naturalize or Reclamation Sage) more desirable. Piper's Melody / Renewing Touch - Self-mill decks might like this effect to prevent running out of cards, but in those decks you generally want this type of effect to have flashback. In a vacuum, the improved likelihood of drawing creatures isn't going to make up for playing this card for a number of turns and isn't worth the effect. Predatory Hunger - Bad. Primal Cocoon - Terrible. Primal Frenzy - Rancor exists. Reclaim - Noxious Revival strictly better. Run Wild - Neither effect is exciting enough to matter. Rust - Too narrow. Salvage - Sorcery speed Noxious Revival? No. Scent of Ivy - In practice, the pump is likely to be worse than other pump effects, with the downside of revealing your hand. Pumps of 4 or more are going to be rare if you are playing properly. Seal of Strength - By being an enchantment, you miss out on the surprise factor that is often a critical timing factor for pump spells. In an enchantment matters theme, this is not good enough to waste time on recursion. Seedling Charm - Too situational. Shape the Sands - No increase to power makes this very unexciting. Serene Remembrance - Decks that want this effect are usually graveyard matters themes, and want flashback versions. Shrink - Doesn't do enough. Silk Net / Snare the Skies - Doesn't do enough. Simplify - If you were to draft this, it would mean not playing your own enchantments, or being extra careful about how you play them. And when your opponent has more than 1, they choose what they want to sacrifice. The more flexible options are much better than this at getting rid of enchantments. Slime Molding - Not going to provide you an efficient enough creature at nearly all points of the curve. Maybe if you REALLY want green/x spells matters to be a thing. Spider Climb - Doesn't do enough. Spreading Algae - Too narrow. Sprout - 1/1 with flash is not enough for 1 mana. Storm Front - Too narrow a way to deal with fliers. Stream of Life - This type of life gain is not good. Street Savvy - Bad. Subdue - Each side of this card seems at odds with when you would want the other half to matter. Sylvan Echoes - Clash is not a mechanic to make into a thing in cube. Sylvan Paradise - Has no place in cube. Thrive - Not going to be good enough in majority of situations. Tropical Storm - Unless the blue part matters to you, Windstorm is better. Turn to Dust - Too narrow. Undergrowth - Strictly better than Fog, but the 'kicker' effect is not easily taken advantage of. Unnatural Predation - Doesn't do enough. Untamed Might - While scalable, it is worse than many other cards at fixed mana costs. The potential ceiling is rarely going to be above something like Become Immense. Urban Burgeoning - Not being true acceleration (having an extra mana on your turn) is going to kill this for most decks/cube designers. Might be worth pointing out that it has some extra benefit for some nonbasics, mainly bouncelands. Vigorous Charge - As a one-off effect, it doesn’t do enough to warrant costing a card. Vineweft - Too weak. Expensive recursion and weak effect not good enough for an enchantment matters recursion subetheme. Viridian Harvest - Too narrow. Vitality Charm - None of the modes are exciting, and the flexibility doesn't offer enough
Viridescent Wisps - It's a cantrip that could help you win a combat, but so rarely that you would never include it. War Dance - Too slow to matter. Web - Doesn't do enough. Whip Silk - Of itself it is bad. It is one of the cheapest bounce effects to trigger stuff like heroic, prowess, or other cards that trigger off enchantments or non-creature spells being cast. But even if you are really pushing those themes it is still hardly worth playing. Wing Puncture - Instant is good, but you want versatility in your fight effects. Wirewood Pride - Only in a full-on tribal cube. Withstand Death - Meh. Can save a dude, but often going to be 1 for 1 at best (surviving a trade or countering a removal spell).
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Jackal Pup Description - This is one of few good 2/x's in red. The drawback usually ends up only being a few damage when it trades with something. It doesn't fit every deck, but as long as you support some form of red aggro this is among the strongest of the 1-drops available. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Stonewright Description – Solid 1-drop that can help push damage through. Does extra work with evasive and first strike creatures. It can help aggro guys trade up, or finishers quickly smash through. Already good, but essential if you support a double-strikers / pump archetype. Anchors – Supports –Voltron / Double-strikers
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Frenzied Goblin Description - Solid 1 drop, letting you turn off their most annoying blocker. Dies easy, but a couple of activations can buy you time. Anchors - Supports -
Monastery Swiftspear Description – Vies for best red 1-drop that doesn’t have base 2 power and solid all round. Stats with haste is reasonable for one mana, with the option of boosting. Playable in almost any deck, but shines in red aggro (with burn support), Gruul aggro (with combat trick support) or spells matters (for obvious reasons). Anchors – Supports – Spells Matters
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Foundry Street Denizen Description - ok in early turns in aggro decks. Gets better if you support red tokens; turn 1 Foundry Street Denizen, Turn 2 Dragon Fodder, Turn 3 Hordeling Outburst is good times against durdly opponents. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Bushwhacker Description - Essentially a 2-drop with an alternative 1 mana mode if you need a turn 1 vanilla 1/1 to maximise your sequence of plays. Kicked, at worst it is a 2/1 hasty guy, but is usually going to be pumping a few dudes. Can also be held back in decks that like to guy wide and punch through or around defenses with tokens. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Glory Chaser Description - Dropping this on turn 1 is great, with a decent opportunity to get in on turn 2, earn renowned, and have an evasive 2/2 for just 1 mana. But after the first few turns, it may just become a vanilla 1/1 that will get eaten by anything on the opposing side of the board. It also gets worse if you are on the draw. Red has ways to clear a path (can't block effects, burn), and this gets better the more you have in your cube, but this isn't likely to be consistent and is often going to be a bad top deck. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Kird Ape Description - Everyone counts this as a Gruul card. If in the opening hand, more often than not can be attacking turn 2 as a 2/3, which is amazing value. Playable anywhere, but helps support to red/green aggro. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Lightning Berserker Description - Sometimes it will just be a 1/1 that meets a 1/1 token or utility creature, other times it might only trade slightly above its weight. Other times the threat of activation against an opponent with a low life total can help trade it up. The dash can sometimes just flatout win games when an opponent is tapped out, but that is going to happen a lot less than you'd like. You have to have the mana open, but it can also serve as a deterrent to trade up on defense as well. Anchors Supports
Reckless Waif Description – Attacking with this for 3 damage on turn 2 is a beautiful thing. It's an inconsistent beauty though. So it has very strong upside, but you never know when it will transform. In the aggro decks that most want it, turns 3+ might be best served with 2 low cost spells, undermining this card. Anchors – Aggro Supports –
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Akroan Crusader Description - It's no Young Pyromancer, but it can serve a similar role. It's going to trigger a lot less, and is only worth considering if you include some self-bouncing auras or push a lot of combat tricks like Brute Force. Anchors - Supports -
Forge Devil Description - ok for clearing out utility creatures, and can also be held back to cast after combat if you need to deal an extra 1 to something. Burn does that better, and the body isn't anything, but at least it's something. Noteworthy that the ability is mandatory, so not really playable if the opponent has an empty board. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Arsonist
Description - Serviceable but not exciting. Can trade and then deal 1, unlike the sacrifice guys like Mogg Fanatic. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Cohort / Mogg Conscript Description - This needs enough support to make work, in the form of other efficient aggro beaters so that you can keep attacking. But if it is attacking every turn, then it is efficient. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Fireslinger Description - The value in most pingers is being able to hit creatures and control the board, which this doesn't do. However it does have value if you support bloodthirst or other cards that care about your opponent being damaged. Outside of that it isn't stellar, but does give red decks some reach in the late game. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Patrol Description - You end up paying rr for a vanilla 2/1 which is far from amazing. On the plus side, you can be swinging with it turn 2. You only want this if you are heavily pushing aggro in red; being able to divide its cost can help you sequence your plays to maximise the use of your mana every turn. Anchors - Supports -
Gorilla Shaman Description - The repeatable artifact destruction deserves a mention, but the ability does become very expensive. If your cheapest artifacts in your cube are Grafted Wargear and Loxodon Warhammer, this is not your guy. If you want players to feel good about playing him, you should only consider including him if you have sufficient targets at 0-2 mana. Anchors - Supports -
Intimidator Initiate Description - The ability is nice to get your creatures through. It's drawback is that in the early game, you probably want to curve out, and don't want to leave mana up for this ability. It also means playing your spells pre-combat, which is not ideal. Anchors - Supports -
Jackal Familiar Description - You need plenty of other aggro oriented 1 and 2 drops to offset the risk. But if you do, you get a 2 power creature for R. Preferably comes down turn 2 or 3 after one or more creatures are on the board; as a turn 1 play, he isn't likely to be attacking turn 2. Opponents with sufficient removal will make you very sad. Anchors - Supports -
Mogg Fanatic Description - Serviceable. Can threaten activation during combat to mess up other blocks, threaten small utility creatures, and can always chump and then ping something if needed. Anchors - Supports -
Orcish Lumberjack Description – It's a card with a history, but a bit harder to make work in peasant cube. You don't have sufficient redundancy to rely on it to 'combo out' a big fatty on turn 3. General ramp just seems a lot more reliable. Anchors – Supports –
Satyr Hoplite Description – You only want to consider this if you had self-bouncing auras for some ‘combo’, or have a removal-lite cube with lots of auras. Anchors – Supports –
Scorched Rusalka Description – Lets you ping if your creatures are about to die anyway. Won't be a common occurrence, but additional bonus of countering cards like Lighting Helix by removing their target. The ability to use it repeat times in a turn is what elevates it to a potential finisher if the board state is right. If your opponents life total is less than or equal to the number of creatures you control, you win (mana permitting). Anchors – Supports –
Skittering Lizard Description - It isn't particularly efficient at any point of the curve, but it does have versatility going for it. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Lightning Bolt Description – The gold standard for 1 mana burn. The most damage you will get for 1 mana that hits players or creatures at instant speed without any drawbacks. Usually worth splashing for if you have any kind of mana fixing. Anchors – Supports –
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Chain Lightning Description – As a sorcery, it isn't going to be better than Lightning Bolt a lot of the time, but can be another analogue, as 3 damage for 1 mana is always going to be good. Fringe use of being able to target your Spitemare, and then copy to deal another 3 to the opponents face if you just need to get 6 damage through. Anchors – Supports –
Faithless Looting
Description – Solid red looting card. It provides card disadvantage on the first casting, but will usually make up for it with card quality. Can help enable some graveyard strategies, and being able to cast a second time is gravy. Spells Matters decks also like this card triggering on each casting, as well as increasing likelihood of finding. Low curve aggro decks are also happy to throw away extra lands to keep the gas going. Anchors – Supports – Reanimator, graveyard matters, Spells Matters, Aggro
Firebolt Description – Fair burn spell. You might consider this over Burst Lightning, depending on whether and how much you want to balance sorcery and instant speed burn. This also plays well into graveyard themes if you can dump it there to flash it back. Anchors – Supports –
Flame Slash Description – Sorcery speed , but maximum damage for a single mana. It won’t deal with hasty creatures immediately, but the ability to take out a lot of larger threats before they get to attack while still having mana to develop your board is excellent. Anchors – Supports –
Skred Description - If you allow snow lands for basics, then this is excellent burn. If not, then it doesn't go in your cube. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Brute Force Description – Playable combat trick. It’s not flashy, but in aggro trades can help trade up or win otherwise bad combats, or help key creatures survive for a single mana. Anchors – Supports –
Burst Lightning Description – Most of the time this will just be a Shock, which is fine, with upside in the late game. 5 mana looks like a lot, but outside of and green and Eldrazi there aren't going to be many creatures that can survive a kicked Burst Lightning. Anchors – Supports –
Coordinated Assault Description – The combo of surprise power boost and first strike is going to win you some combats that might have been going the other way. Being able to do it with two creatures is gravy. It requires the right board state, but it won't be too often that this won't be able to do something. Anchors – Supports –
Dynacharge Description – The more likely mode for this spell is to boost an aggro team swinging for the final kill. Great anthem for token decks, or aggro decks full of cheap threats. Occasionally there will be board states where it won't matter, but there is also the single mana mode if you need to take out a larger threat during combat. While you'd rather use it in an aggro fashion, it can still help you boost your defending team if needed. No toughness means it doesn't help your team stay alive, but increases your chances of removing other threats. Anchors – Supports –
Fireball Description – It hits both creatures and players, and can divide its damage between creatures and players if required, and it is scalable direct damage. This card offers great options to either help clear the board so you can swing in, or just going straight for the opponents face. Its effectiveness will scale depending on the speed of your cube, but in slower cubes most decks will be willing to splash this. Anchors – Supports –
Flame Jab Description – 1 damage does not appear significant, but repeatable burn is very powerful. Once you've hit your required land drops, this can help maintain control of creatures on the board, and with cards in hand your opponent will need to play around it. Anchors – Supports –
Forked Bolt Description – Sometimes you'll deal the final 2 needed to kill a large creature after combat. Sometimes you will take out a Guttersnipe before it gets online. Sometimes you will take out that Mardu Woe-Reaper and Dragon Hunter on turn 2. Sometimes you will deal that final 2 to the dome. Basically, this is a flexible spell that will always have some use; preferably as a 2 for 1, but it's never going to be a dead card. If you support fast aggro with lots of x/1’s, the value goes up. Anchors – Supports –
Genju of the Spires Description – 6 power that is repeatable is something to be respected. Can simply be a 1-drop to activate once you've played out other threats in an aggro deck, and can be a surprise 6/1 hasty 4-drop. Even if it dies every turn, in a longer game, repeatedly swinging with 6 power is going to whittle away most defenses opponents can put up. Anchors – Supports –
Gut Shot Description – 'Free' is always good. Can be good to support any storm cards in your cube. Control decks may be happy to take the 2 life to remove an aggressive creature while using mana to set up defenses. Also good in an aggro mirror to maintain board control. Anchors – Supports – Storm
Hammerhand Description – This can be a roleplayer in an aggro deck; it can push through damage by preventing blocks, pumping power, and giving something haste. It does require the right board state and sequence of plays to maximise its effectiveness. Anchors – Supports – Aggro
Lava Dart Description - What it lacks in raw power (compared to other burn spells that provide the same total damage) it makes up for in flexibility. Flame Jab may be better in a number of situations because it is more repeatable, but if necessary this can be cast twice in succession with only a single mana, which may be better if you support Storm cards. Outside of that archetype, it can still take out a couple of aggressive or utility creatures, or deal an extra point needed mid or post combat. Anchors - Supports - Storm
Magmatic Insight Description - While any deck can play it, it is more suited to aggro decks, as they are most likely to have the land spare early in the game. Costing only a single mana can help sequence plays more effectively in those decks. It is reasonably effective, but it only does one thing. Because it only lets you discard land, it doesn't help other graveyard strategies like Faithless Looting, a card that is slightly less good in the pure aggro decks, but more versatile for other archetypes. Anchors - Supports -
Onslaught Description – It is situational, but if played early you can turn off their most effective blocker in subsequent turns. Even if you are racing, you can prevent their summoning sick creatures from blocking. Worth noting this is not optional; if your opponent’s board is clear, you want to attack first, then target your tapped creature. This might be awkward for some creatures which are worth playing pre-combat, but if the opponent’s board is clear, you are probably winning anyway and can afford the awkwardness. Works well with flash creatures to tap down creatures on opponents turn. Good friends with Whitemane Lion. Anchors – Supports –
Reckless Charge Description – Of the 1-mana spells that grant haste, this one has other upside to make it worth casting even if a creature didn't come into play this turn. Casting something and swinging in with an extra 3 power is nice; hopefully the haste means you have the best chance of actually connecting. So it is still situational. Flashback is nice, though the cost makes it harder to use on something you've just cast. But if all you need is to push through that final 3, the threat may keep your opponent from swinging in. Anchors – Supports –
Rock Slide Description – An X-spell that has big blowout potential, balanced by a restriction on what you can target. Being able to divide the damage provides a lot of potential to either take out some attackers/blockers before combat damage, or spread it out enough to wipe out the opposition after your creatures apply combat damage. Anchors – Supports –
Titan's Strength Description - ok combat pump with some card filtering. It isn't exciting and will mostly be a 1 for 1, turning a trade into a win, or a chump block into a trade, with the occasional opportunity for winning when you get double-blocked, or just deal the finishing 3. Gets the job done and can work in a range of decks. Anchors - Supports -
Weapon Surge Description - Instant speed, first strike, and power boosting potentially for your entire team. You won't need to work too hard to make this reasonable, with some occasions where you might take down a number of opposing creatures. The fact that it is flexible and can be used on the attack or block makes it useful in a range of decks. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Barrage of Expendables Description – It's a poor imitation of Goblin Bombardment, but is still playable if you want redundancy of that effect. You just can't win out of nowhere with this. Anchors – Supports –
Collateral Damage Description – Generally, burn is universally good; Collateral Damage is a more aggro-oriented piece of burn. Control decks are often not going to have creatures they are willing to throw away, whereas aggro decks are more likely to have 1-2 drops that have outgrown their usefulness, or are about to die in combat. You may want to include to give aggro burn that other decks are less likely to want. Anchors – Supports – Aggro
Crimson Wisps Description - In an aggro deck, it can help push through a few damage a turn earlier than expected, or once a control deck has taken control of the game, can drop their finisher and start swinging. There will be times you wish you had drawn something else, but as long as there is a creature on the board you can cycle it for 1 mana. Anchors - Supports -
Crowd's Favor Description - Being potentially free makes this worth a mention. Dropping a red creature, attacking with something else and then taking advantage of the convoke to win combat is nice. Similarly blocking with a red creature, and then tapping it to pump itself and give itself first strike is a great tempo play. Anchors - Supports -
Death Spark Description – It may take some diligence, but casting it in response to one of your creatures about to die isn't too difficult to keep pinging away. Can help fuel a spells matters deck. Anchors – Supports – Spells Matter
Disintegrate Description – Direct damage X spells that hit both creatures and players are good value. Mid-game it can remove almost any creature from the board, and provides reach that can help a stalled deck win out of nowhere. It shuts down regeneration creatures and potential graveyard shenanigans. It’s effectiveness will scale depending on the speed of your cube, and is not likely to be effective in fast cubes. Fireball is likely to be better in most situations, unless there are significant regenerating creatures or graveyard shenanigans in the cube. Anchors – Supports –
Dragon Mantle Description – If you want this effect, at least it nets you a card if it resolves. Stonewright is probably going to be better in majority of situations. Anchors – Supports –
Electrickery Description – Overload is going to be the primary mode for this spell. Certain decks are particularly vulnerable; black and white aggro often have a number of x/1's, and token based decks are likely to suffer. Against other decks or higher toughness, it still provides extra damage mid or post combat to turn things around. It won't suit all situations and you might side it out against particular decks, but against most it isn't usually difficult to obtain a 1 for 1, with opportunities for upside. Anchors – Supports –
Furor of the Bitten Description - The power and toughness boost is solid for a single mana, and the attack clause probably means nothing when you wanted to attack anyway. As with all auras, it opens you up to 2 for 1's; in a regular environment it probably isn't strong enough to overcome this downside. Best in environments that are removal-lite, or push prowess/heroic mechanics. Anchors - Supports -
Kaervek’s Torch Description – An X-burn spell that targets creatures and players is rarely bad. The secondary effect on this is probably not going to matter in majority of games, so other options are probably better. Anchors – Supports –
Lava Burst Description – Direct damage X spells that hit both creatures and players are good value. Mid-game it can remove almost any creature from the board, and provides reach that can help a stalled deck win out of nowhere. It’s effectiveness will scale depending on the speed of your cube, and is not likely to be effective in fast cubes. Fireball is likely to be better in most situations, unless there are significant damage redirection/prevention effects in your cube (Harm’s Way, Test of Faith, Lashknife Barrier). In which case, this mostly becomes an anti-white card. Anchors – Supports –
Magma Spray Description – 2 damage that only hits creatures is not especially effective compared against other options. However, it’s value does go up in environments full of persist/undying creatures or graveyard retrieval. If you have few of these, there are better burn spells. (Maybe there is something almost always better for this effect I’m not considering?) Anchors – Supports –
Mark of Fury Description – It can effectively give all of your creatures haste when in top deck mode, though something like Lightning Greaves is generally going to be better. It does open you up to 2 for 1's from removal or your creature dying in combat, so Racecourse Fury is more resilient if you want the effect in red. You might consider playing this if you have some constellation effects in your cube, or noncreature triggers like prowess or heroic. Anchors – Supports –
Mugging Description – Neither effect is best in class, but it is flexible. Worth it? It is more aggro oriented, where it can be used to either clear a blocker completely, or turn a larger one off to get extra damage through. Anchors – Supports – Aggro
Pillar of Flame Description - 2 damage for 1 mana is reasonable in most environments, though there are better options. However, it’s value does go up in environments full of persist/undying creatures or graveyard retrieval. If you have few of these, there are better burn spells. Anchors - Supports -
Racecourse Fury Description – Looks ok at first glance as it can give anything you cast haste, but it costs the use of a land. So its best use comes when you are in top deck mode, or you are happy to play creatures 1 below your curve… which negates the best impact of granting haste in the first place. Lightning Greaves is better in most situations, but this may be an option if you want the effect to be in red. Anchors – Supports -
Raze Description – Probably only if you are pushing land destruction really hard; turn 3 3-mana LD spell, followed by a turn 4 3-mana LD spell + this equals bad times for your opponent. But could also make the cut in a low curve aggro deck on turn 3+ alongside another drop to keep your opponent off their higher cost spells or deny them a colour. Anchors – Supports – Land Destruction
Rites of Initiation Description – This has a high cost for its effect, but also comes with a potentially high ceiling. 1-drop into turn 2 Dragon's Fodder into Turn 3 Hordeling Outburst gives you 6 creatures, and end of that turn you may have already dealt 3+ damage; turn 4 give those 6 creatures +3/+0 for 24+ damage. This is an all or nothing card, so it depends how you want red to play and whether you want to reward your players for having the balls to cast this. Anchors – Supports –
Seal of Fire Description - Downsides; while activation is instant speed, casting it is sorcery speed. If you play it without intention of using it straight away, opponent has option to play around/into it. Upsides; Can play on a turn when you have the mana spare and don't have to hold up mana. Can be supportive of an enchantment matters/retrieval theme, and on balance is probably the only reason you would ply this over other burn. Anchors - Supports -
Shard Volley Description - As straight burn is universally good, all speed of decks vie for them. If you want your burn to support your aggro decks, Shard Volley is a good option as control decks are less likely to have the lands to sacrifice. Anchors - Supports -
Shattering Spree Description - Shattering Spree trades instant speed (Smelt) for replication. The instant speed is going to better a lot of the time (to remove equipment mid-combat for example, especially if it was cast and equipped same turn), and probably outweighs the times that Shattering Spree will destroy multiple artifacts. It's value goes up the more artifacts in your cube. Anchors - Supports -
Wave of Indifference Description - Can be used as a finisher, or let some combat trigger creatures through for a turn. Is still pretty conditional. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
About Face – It’s not useless, but too conditional to be reliable. Active Volcano – Too narrow targets. Artifact Blast – Too narrow targets. Assault Strobe - As a sorcery, it is too easy to trump. Opponent can see it coming, and they can block accordingly. Balduvian Rage - It can be used as a finisher, a way to trade up, or just push some extra damage through and draw into something else. All of those are still very conditional though. Banners Raised - Doesn't do enough. Hearth Charm limits this effect to attacking, but has other options. Blaze - There are strictly better spells than Blaze (Lava Burst, Kaervek's Torch, Fireball, Disintegrate) and inclusion of Blaze will be a power-based decision. Blazing Salvo - Bad because opponent gets to choose. Blinding Flare - Just upgrade to Order // Chaos. Bloodshed Fever - Doesn't do enough. Brightstone Ritual - Only in a full-on tribal cube. Brutal Suppression - Nope. Builder’s Bane – Too narrow. Bull Rush – Brute Force laughs at you. Burning Cloak - Bad. Both things are at odds with the other. Burning Inquiry - Random effect makes this too difficult to use effectively. Burrowing – Bad. Burst of Speed - Uses are too limited to warrant exploring them in cube. Chaos Charm - Too narrow. Clear a Path - Too narrow. Conflagrate - Too hard to make this work. Crack the Earth - It's a tough sell, because you end up down two cards to their one. You might include it if you want to push low curve red aggro really hard, but it is also easily trumped by a few token generating spells. Crackling Club - Doesn't do enough. Crown of Flames - Dragon Mantle is the better aura for this type of effect (or Stonewright for a creature version). Crush – Too narrow. Desperate Gamble – Not worth the card disadvantage. Detonate – paying X is too much. Dizzying Gaze - Too narrow. Dust Corona - Most decks are going to have creatures on the ground, so it's easy to get blocked and get 2 for 1'd. Dwarven Catapult - Too conditional on what your opponent controls. Dwarven Song - Does not do anything. Earthbind – Bad. Electrostatic Bolt - The artifact clause isn't going to matter majority of the time. Engulfing Flames - The extra damage on Firebolt is worth the sorcery speed. Enrage - Balduvian Rage strictly better if you want this effect. Epiphany Storm - Just get the right creature to start with that has this effect. Eternal Warrior – Bad. False Orders - A weird way of giving one of your creatures unblockability and forcing a block they may not have wanted, but too conditional and reliant on your opponent making choices you think they are going to make. Feint – Bad. Fever Charm – Doesn’t do enough. Fiery Impulse - Worse than other burn spells; only if you are regulating the power of burn. Firebreathing – Crown of Flames and Dragon Mantle are strictly better if you want this effect. Also, consider Stonewright. Flamespeaker’s Will - Doesn't do enough. Flaming Gambit - Being able to double cast an X spell is nice, and there will be times when your opponent has a clear board, but not consistently enough to warrant playing this. When they have multiple creatures on the board, value decreases dramatically. Flowstone Blade – Bad as removal, and bad as a creature enhancer. Furious Resistance - Restricting it to blocking closes up its uses a lot. Galvanic Blast – Only in an artifact matters theme. Geistflame - The extra damage on Firebolt is worth the sorcery speed. Glyph of Destruction - Too narrow. Goblin Grenade - Needs a full on tribal cube. Goblin Tutor – Too variable. Goblin War Strike - Needs a full on tribal cube. Ground Rift - Too narrow. Guide of Fire – Not good in any mode. Hearth Charm - None of the modes does enough. Heat Ray - One of a handful of instant speed direct damage x-spells. But it can't hit players, and lots of other burn is more efficient. You can always use Fissure if you want to be able to kill anything which has a flat. Illuminate - Kicker costs are too much to make this be worth it. Immolation - You probably want this to be a kill spell most of the time. In which case there are better options. Putting on majority of creatures you would draft just makes them easier to kill. Imposing Visage - Better options for this effect. Incendiary – Far too slow. Incite – Doesn’t do enough. Infernal Plunge – Almost never going to be worth the double card disadvantage. Inflame – Too narrow. Into the Fray – Doesn’t do enough. Kindled Fury - Coordinated Assault strictly better. Kuldotha Rebirth – A standard cube won’t have enough artifacts, and the ones you include, you don’t want to sacrifice. Laccolith Rig - Not seeing situations where this is going to be particularly helpful. Landslide - It's a card you would generally only want to play as a finisher, and cube is not the best environment for this card. Plenty of other burn spells are much more versatile and can fill different roles. Last-Ditch Effort - Too 'all in', when you have access to Goblin Bombardment and Barrage of Expendables. Lava Spike - 3 damage for a single mana is solid, but only being able to target players at sorcery speed is a big downside. The arcane doesn't do anything in cube. Lightning Axe – If it could hit players, it might have been a finisher. But the additional costs are not worth it to hit only creatures. Magnetic Theft – Way too narrow. Meltdown - Not going to be better than spot removal in most cubes. There are some token generators that make artifact creatures, but if you are supporting those cards you probably don't want a single mana blowout answer in your cube either. Messenger’s Speed - Doesn't do enough. Meteor Shower - More efficient options at all costs. Mob Mentality - Too situational or forces unfavorable attacks. Needle Drop - Too situational. Outmaneuver- Just make creatures not able to block instead; Order // Chaos, Awe for the Guilds. Overload - There are better artifact removal options. Panic - Doesn't do enough/ Pillar of Flame - Magma Spray strictly better. Pyroblast - Too narrow. Quest for Pure Flame - Too slow and conditional; you'd rather just have drawn another piece of burn. Quest for the Goblin Lord - Needs a full-on goblin tribal theme. Reckless Abandon - Not worth the sacrifice at sorcery speed. Red Elemental Blast - Too narrow. Reflexes – Doesn’t do enough. Rending Volley - Narrow application renders it too unreliable. Ricochet – Nope. Rite of Flame – Not for cube. Rouse the Mob - Costs too much compared to other options. Scorching Spear - Bad. Scorching Winds - Electrickery is less conditional and worth paying the extra mana for. Searing Touch - neither mode is efficient. Seething Anger - If it was instant, maybe. Shadowstorm - Too narrow. Shock - Shock is not bad in and of itself. But a number of other spells is strictly better. Given how universally good burn is, you might choose to include Shock if you are tempering the effectiveness of burn for the purpose of balance. Shower of Sparks - Doesn't do enough. Singe - Cool flavour, but not good enough. Smelt - You may want more flexibility from your removal (i..e a body attached). Smash to Smithereens is likely worth the extra mana over this if you really a card dedicated to just artifact removal. Sonic Seizure - Random discard is hard to swallow and make the card work. Spark Jolt - Scry is good, but more damage is better. Spark Spray - Doesn't do enough. Spite of Mogis - Big potential downside with the upside tempered too much by not being able to hit players. Strafe - In terms of power, 3 damage for 1 mana with a minor restriction (most opponents will at least have something to target) at sorcery speed is ok. But Sunlance is good for white; Strafe is not good for red. Street Spasm - It has instant speed going for it, and the ability to blast all of your opponents ground creatures in overload mode. But if you are going to limit it to non-flyers and not be able to target your opponent, as well as expensive overload mode, you may as well look at other options. Surge of Zeal - Can backfire or be useless. Tahngarth's Glare - Not strong enough synergies with anything else to care. Tahngarth's Rage - Better ways to get the power boost without the downside. Tarfire - Only if you have a goblin tribal theme that can benefit from this. Taste for Mayhem - Not worth the potential card disadvantage. Timecrafting - Too narrow. Tremor - Electrickery is going to be better most of the time. Tunnel - Bad. Unnatural Speed - Get Lightning Greaves or better options in red. Unstable Footing - Not good enough. Vandalblast - Overloading will be very rare. Vertigo - Doesn't do enough. Veteran's Voice - You are investing 2 cards for 1 effect. Weight of Spires - Won't do anything some games. Wild Slash - Maybe if you want a piece of burn that works best in a deck with big creatures. But the damage prevention clause will only turn off a few effects that people include in cube. Winds of Change - This provides you card disadvantage for the effect. Has the potential to draw you a lot of cards at once for something like Lorescale Coatl, but there are not enough similar worthy effect to warrant inclusion in your cube.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Mother of Runes Description - One of whites most annoying creatures to be on the opposite side of the table. In a defensive deck you can block almost anything (preferably killing it with a large enough blocker) which can stall the board, and in an aggressive deck it can help push through some final damage or let creatures that were blocked survive. It may draw removal immediately, but if it does you only paid 1 mana for it. If it doesn't get hit immediately, it becomes harder to remove. It's far from infallible, but often requires your opponent to make a sub-optimal play to get you to tap it so they can safely target it. Anchors - Supports -
Mardu Woe-Reaper Description - This is perhaps the best aggressive 1-drop in white. 2 power for 1 mana, with upside of potential life gain. You may not want it in slower decks, but highly desirable for any white aggro deck. Being bale to negate some random graveyard strategies is a nice bonus. It's not likely to make you revalue other warriors in your pool, but if you trigger it more than once is another bonus. Anchors - Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Dragon Hunter Description - 2/1's for 1 mana with upside are hard to beat. Great for aggro, but can be played anywhere. The protection from Dragons is likely to rarely matter, and should make for a good story when it does happen. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Elite Vanguard / Savannah Lion Description - 2/1 for 1 mana with no downside is good for aggro support, but can always be played in any deck. Elite Vanguard's creature types may sometimes matter. Mardu Woe-Reaper and Dragon Hunter are strictly better, but the base stats are good enough that you may want to go deep and include one or both of these. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Gideon's Lawkeeper / Goldmeadow Harrier
Description - Role players in many decks, allowing aggro decks to down down big threats in the mid-game to allow you to break through, or tap down offensive threats in a controlling deck while setting up your big players. Not uncommon for both to be played in a cube. Goldmeadow Harrier is usually the choice if using only 1 due to synergy with Cloudgoat Ranger. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Boros Elite Description - ok card for aggro decks, and can get some mileage in token deck. If you aren't pushing white aggro, you shouldn't play this. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Cenn's Tactician Description - As a baseline, can block and pump himself in response, or pump at end of turn, which can be good for a control deck biding its time. With a bit of soldier support (which isn't difficult in most cubes), can help mess with combat math, shifting it to more aggro support. The additional block probably isn't going to matter much, but is a nice bonus. Anchors - Supports -
Doomed Traveler Description - A reasonable 1-drop. In an aggro deck, at least you get an evasive replacement once it is outclassed. In a control deck even if it is just chumping at least you get to do it twice. Good upside against aggressive decks full of x/1's, and potential for two activations for a single mana in a sacrifice deck. Anchors - Supports -
Loam Lion Description - Generally considered a green/white card, this is solid if you are pushing aggro in both those colours, and efficient enough that you would play it in decks of nearly any speed. Anchors - Supports -
Perimeter Captain Description - Strong early anti-aggro card. On its own it can block mid-sized creatures with relevant life gain upside, which can offset other unblocked attackers. Also out of Bolt range. Anchors - Supports - Defender
Steppe Lynx Description - Can be ok for aggro decks, played turn 1 and then swinging in with a 2/3 for the following number of turns. However it can be unreliable. Note : Some peasant cube owners support multiple copies of Terramorphic Expanse or rare saclands, which make this card better. Playable without them, but lacks consistency. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Akrasan Squire Description - Played turn 1, it can attack for 2 on turn 2 which is nice. But most decks drafted from cube don't facilitate a single attacker being effective, so it can awkward to get benefit from it after that. Anchors - Supports -
Alaborn Zealot Description - It's situational, but it will usually either provide mana tempo by taking something out more costly, or hold off attacks while your opponent searches for an answer. Anchors - Supports -
Anointer of Champions / Infantry Veteran Description - It can help with combat math after blockers are declared in an aggro deck, to help your creatures either survive, trade up, or maximise damage to the opponent. Conditional on board state, and bad if you are losing. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Aven Skirmisher / Lantern Kami / Suntail Hawk Description - Not exciting, but serviceable. If you want one of these, Aven Skirmisher's tribe of Warrior is the most likely to matter. If you include hybrid cards in the comparison, Judge's Familiar is a strict upgrade. Anchors - Supports -
Benevolent Bodyguard Description - Fragile as a creature, but can act as a way to counter removal against some of your bigger threats, or clear a way for final damage. Anchors - Supports -
Deftblade Elite Description - It looks innocuous, but it can sit back and soak up damage. The provoke doesn’t do much most of the time, but when you are ready to swing in it can tie up an annoying defender from blocking something else. Mostly fits in defensive decks. If you can give it a power boost with equipment, it can turn into an odd form of spot removal, but is upside you should probably not be relying on. Anchors - Supports -
Dragon's Eye Sentry Description - It serves a specific role, but its stats for cost with first strike are worth noting. It can take out aggressive x/1's and survive 2 power creatures. The faster your aggro section is, particularly those with 1 power, the better tool this will be to allow control decks to reach their end game. Anchors - Supports - Control
Favored Hoplite Description - You need to support specific types of decks to get the best value. Either an aura-based Voltron theme, or heavy pump theme is needed to get the best value. Outside of those archetypes, you want at least a few white spells you would be willing to throw at this guy to consider inclusion. Anchors - Supports - Voltron / Pants (aura-based)
Glint Hawk Description - This requires a very specific environment to work, ideally one with lots of artifacts, that are also cheap, that you would also benefit from playing twice. Generally, most cubes won't fit this criteria. Anchors - Supports -
Icatian Javelineers Description - The ability to threaten use while others attack can mess with combat math. The one off reduces its threat level, and then becomes a vanilla 1/1. But it can also threaten players and provides reach; minor, but it is there. Anchors - Supports -
Kor Duelist Description - If you are supporting a Voltron / pants archetype, this might just make the cut, on the assumption you have a high number of power-boosting equipment. Outside of that deck/environment, not worth it. Anchors - Supports -
Loyal Pegasus Description - It's a terrible 1st turn play but with the support of enough other small creatures to mitigate the drawback, is an efficient beater. Gets worse in a heavy removal environment. Anchors - Supports -
Nomads en-Kor Description - Only good enough if you support defensive decks with a lot of of high toughness creatures. Minor synergy with Spitemare. Anchors - Supports -
Soltari Foot Soldier Description - It's not a great clock, but there are likely to be few other creatures in the cube that can block it. It can always carry equipment or auras, so can be good in a Voltron deck. Anchors - Supports - Voltron
Soul Warden / Soul's Attendant Description - Functionally identical apart from the 'may' ability which you will always trigger. This can be quite variable depending on both your and your opponents deck, and you really need it to be giving you upwards of half a dozen life to be worth the cost of the card. Played early in or against a token deck, it can buy you time and make it difficult for your opponent to swing in. As a top deck in a game where players have exhausted their hands, it is going to be bad. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Abu Ja-far - At least Alaborn Zealot can attack. Akroan Jailer - Overcosted. Angel's Herald - Not for peasant cube. Apothecary Initiate - If you want this type of effect, Soul Warden is likely to give a similar return without any mana cost. Ardent Recruit - Only in an artifact heavy cube. Auriok Glaivemaster - Only in an equipment heavy cube. Auriok Transfixer - Only in an artifact heavy cube. Benalish Hero - Nah. Benalish Missionary - You could view it as a costly Mother of Runes that only works on defence. Tappers are more efficient at turning off creatures. Burrenton Forge-Tender - Too narrow. Bushi Tenderfoot - Too narrow. Camel - Not any good. Caravan Escort - 5/5 first strike is good, but is too costly. Playing first turn and levelling on turn 2 means you paid 3 mana for a 2/2, and the tempo loss isn't worth that extra point of damage. Caregiver - Cost is too high. Cathedral Sanctifier - Not good enough; worth the upgrade to Lone Missionary for this sort of effect. Charm Peddler - Not good enough. Children of Korlis - Likely to have less effect than something like Holy Day. Civic Guildmage - Timewalking yourself is not good. Clergy of the Holy Nimbus - Could be annoying, but Glittering Lynx going to better most of the time. Confessor - Not likely to matter most of the time. Daru Mender - Too expensive for the effect. Death Speakers - Minor evasion, but needs something else. Dedicated Martyr - Cathedral Sanctifier does this when it comes into play, and will be better in almost all situations, but that's not good enough anyway. Upgrade to Lone Missionary. Dega Disciple - Not good enough. Devoted Hero - Strictly worse than Favored Hoplite. Devoted Retainer - Mtenda Herder is going to be better most of the time. Devout Harpist - Not effective enough. Dromoka Dunecaster - Too narrow. Eager Cadet - Just bad. Empty-Shrine Kannushi - It's going to have pro-white and most often another colour, but it isn't really going to be that impactful. Firehoof Cavalry - It's a vanilla 1/1 as a white card, and nowhere need good enough to be counted as Boros card. Foothill Guide - Too narrow. Frontline Strategist - Too narrow. Gelid Shackles - Letting it attack is bad, and needing a mana every turn to prevent it from attacking (even if you allow all snow basics) is not great when compared to paying a couple of mana more for better effects. Ghost-Lit Redeemer - Channeling is not good value. Repeat life gain is not useful until you have control of the board. A tapper like Goldmeadow Harrier is likely to prevent a lot more damage for the same costs than this would ever gain. Glint Hawk - Too many hoops to jump through; maybe in an artifact heavy cube. Glittering Lynx - Easy enough to deal with. Goldenglow Moth - Prevent damage from 1 attacker and gain 4 life… actually doesn't seem terrible at face value. If it was an instant, it might be ok, but as a creature, no. Goldenmeadow Dodger - Meh. Goldmeadow Stalwart - Only if you support Kithkin tribal. Gustcloak Runner - Not a threat. You get to save it, but then do what with it? Haazda Exonerator - Better enchantment removal. Hada Freeblade - Only if you support Ally tribal. Honor Guard - The ability isn't going to help you win. Honorable Scout - Too narrow. Hopeful Eidolon - A 1/1 lifelinker is not really going to help. There are better and cheaper ways to grant lifelink to other creatures. Icatian Infantry - Strictly worse than Mosquito Guard (unless want to support banding). Icatian Moneychanger - Bad. Icatian Priest - Too expensive to boost. Icatian Scout - Not a good enough combat trick. Kami of False Hope - Being on a stick means there is no surprise factor. Kelsinko Ranger - Too narrow. Kitesail Apprentice - Too conditional on getting equipment to be good. Kitsune Diviner - Far too narrow. Kjeldoran Javelineer - Too difficult to effectively take advantage of. Kjeldoran Warrior - Meh. Lagonna-Band Trailblazer - Better defensive creatures. Leonin Elder - Only in heavyt artifact matters theme. Lionheart Maverick - There are better mana sinks. Mardu Hateblade - Just get a black deathtoucher instead. Martyr of Sands - Too difficult to abuse or make use of in cube. Martyred Rusalka - Too costly just to hold off an attacker for a turn. Midnight Duelist - Stats are not good enough and vampires rarely matter. Miracle Worker - Too narrow. Mosquito Guard - While flexible, doesn't do enough. Mtenda Herder - At best, your opponent will just let it through for 1 damage which is not a good clock, and still easily blocked by creatures with a few points of toughness. Mystic Penitent - Not enough upside to offset the times when threshold won't be reached. Netter en-dal - Not worth the discard. Nova Cleric - Slow and spot removal like to be faster and sufficient. Nyxborn Shieldmate - Not good enough in either mode and flexibility doesn't make up for it. Order of the Stars - Better creatures for control decks. Plated Sliver - Only in tribal. Pride Guardian - The extra point of toughness on Perimeter Captain is likely to matter more often than the extra point of life gain, and Perimeter Captain shares the life gain love with friends. Ramosian Sergeant - Not enough good rebels. Resistance Fighter - Effect not strong enough for the cost of a card. Royal Herbalist - Just bad. Salvage Scout - Lots of better options for creatures that can get back artifacts with more relevant bodies. Samite Censer-Bearer - I can see this being annoying sitting across the table, but doesn't seem worth the card. Sanctuary Cat / Volunteer Militia - Nah. Selfless Cathar - Better ways to pump your team. Serra Zealot / Tundra Wolves / Warclamp Mastiff - Not good enough. Strictly worse than Mosquito Guard. Shield Mate - Effect is not worth the card. Sidewinder Sliver - Only in heavy tribal. Songstitcher - The fact that it only deals with creatures attacking you makes it useless when you want to be on the attack. Probably better to invest in flying defensive creatures if that is what you are looking for. Soulmender - Bad. Spurnmage Advocate - It's a powerful repeatable effect, but giving your opponent card advantage is bad. There will be times when you will be happy to use it (destroy an Eldrazi to return Sakura-Tribe Elder and a Terramorphic Expanse) but will be outweighed many more times by poor trades that you won't want to initiate. You would be better off replacing this with just about any other white removal. Sunscape Apprentice - Doesn't do enough. Tireless Tribe - Effect is not worth the card disadvantage. Trade Caravan - Maybe if it was on your turn and you could accelerate. But you can't. So no way to guarantee capitalising on this. Tragic Poet - You can get the effect attached to more relevant bodies. Trained Caracal - Strictly worse than Hopeful Eidolon (with exception of weakness to enchantment removal). Valiant Guard - Poor. Vigilant Martyr - Benevolent Bodyguard is better in a similar role. Votary of the Conclave - Not good enough. Wall of Hope - Perimeter Captain going to be better in most situations. War Falcon - When compared to Loyal Pegasus, it can still block, but makes it less likely to be able to attack, which is what you want to be doing if you are paying discounted price. Yoked Ox - Strictly worse than Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Path to Exile Description - One of, if not the best 1 mana removal in white. Can target any creature at instant speed, and exiles them to prevent recursion potential all for a single mana. It can accelerate your opponent, but usually you will have gained a bunch of tempo already. Anchors - Supports -
Swords to Plowshares Description - Vies for best 1 mana white removal spell with Path To Exile. Gets around any graveyard shenanigans, persist/undying, and has no conditions. The life gain might hurt aggro decks against big butt targets, but it's hard to go wrong for 1 mana. Anchors - Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Harm's Way Description - Nice way to swing things around for 1 mana. Turn a trade into killing two of their guys instead. Turn their mid-combat direct damage spell against another creature, creating a 2 for 1. It can even provide reach if that is what is you need. Very rare you can't do something with it, will almost always be at least a 1 for 1, with decent opportunities for 2 for 1's. Anchors - Supports -
Land Tax
Description - Excellent value in all white decks bar focused aggro decks. Barring specific synergies, the baseline lets you keep pace with your opponents land drops, and helps pull lands out of your deck, giving you more chance of drawing gas. Depending on how many lands you have in play and cost of your cards, it may be best to sit on 1 land less than your opponent and strip all the lands out of your deck, even if you have to discard them. Also great for turning them into other resources; using looters, supporting Forbid, Goblin Trenches, Constant Mists and various other cards. Picked early, its power will certainly shape your draft choices. Anchors - Supports -
Sunlance Description - Despite the restriction there are still a lot of targets; Strafe is bad in red, but it is good enough in white to be played in most decks. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Ajani's Presence Description - As a base it helps save a creature from most forms of destruction, and may occasionally help get a kill with the pump. Targeting two creatures could help turn a combat around, but will be conditional on board state. Anchors - Supports -
Cloudshift Description - Simple and elegant, can be used as a way to 'counter' a spell or effect targeting the creature, shift out after blocking so that it survives, or simply re-trigger an ETB effect… preferably more than 1 of those at a time. Anchors - Supports -
Condemn Description - Less flexible than Swords to Plowshares for essentially the same effect. You would consider this over Swords to Plowshares if you care about the flavour of white (i.e. retribution against those who attack it) or want to max out exile effects at 1 mana. It can help if you want to ensure more options for a dedicated control deck. Anchors - Supports -
Emerge Unscathed Description - It can counter a spell targeting your creature, remove an annoying aura, or help it get through in combat. The rebound can then be used to push through some more damage. This is slightly more aggro oriented than similar effect Shelter for that reason. Anchors - Supports -
Enlightened Tutor Description - Provides card disadvantage, but may be worth it depending on the artifacts and enchantments in your cube. If you include powerhouses like Grafted Wargear, Loxodon Warhammer, Curse of Predation and Curse of Graves, this can be worth it. But can also just find answers (e.g. Oblivion Ring) or the other half of synergistic pieces. Anchors - Supports - Enchantment Matters, Artifact Matters
Faith's Shield Description - Has upside over similar cards, as this can protect permanents, not just creatures. There aren't too many non-counterspell cards that can protect your Curse of Predation or Grafted Wargear. Strong upside when you are on deaths door, either making blocking a lot easier, or preventing some (or maybe all) of your opponents creatures from blocking. However, most things you protect will still be creatures, so you may want to consider the upsides of Shelter and Gods Willing first. Anchors - Supports -
Genju of the Fields Description - Genu of the Fields is a great defensive player if you just need to survive the early game to set up your big plays. A 2/5 either eats early aggro creatures, or can stand in the way of midrange creatures, all while gaining life. Anchors - Supports - Control
Glaring Aegis Description - Most suited to aggro / tempo decks in the mid-game to both tap down their best blocker, while making one of your team more effective. Requires the type of deck that needs to push the advantage; if you aren't getting advantage out of the tap-down, then you shouldn't have it in your deck. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Gods Willing Description - This is a serviceable protection spell to either counter a removal spell, protect something in combat, or be able to walk past blockers, plus some card filtering. That said, paying an extra 1 for Shelter is usually going to be worth the card draw over the scry. Anchors - Supports -
Hyena Umbra Description - Can be used as insurance on your best creature with the totem effect, and the boost and first strike will make it harder to kill in combat anyway. Anchors - Supports -
Mana Tithe Description - Provides disruption primarily in early turns. Can be unexpected as white is not usually the counterspell colour, and leaving 1 mana open is usually not too difficult. Can be a great tempo play in early turns, but loses value in the late game when the opponent has enough lands. This makes it better in aggro / tempo decks, but can still provide early support for control decks. Anchors - Supports -
Oust Description - Good tempo card, as the creature will almost always cost more than Oust. It doesn't get rid of it permanently, but it is still card parity and maybe a couple of turns without that threat is all you need. In a pinch, you can cast it on one of your creatures if you need a critical ETB effect, get around a pacifism effect, or in rare instances if the life gain is going to be relevant. Anchors - Supports -
Pollen Remedy Description - Damage prevention often isn't amazing, but this is quite flexible due to the ability to divide the damage. It might sometimes do a Healing Salve impression, but where you've got a few creatures about to trade, you might only need to prevent a single point of damage, which can give this potential for a pseudo-3-for-1. In the late game, being able to prevent 6 damage for a single mana can help break complicated board states. Usable in most types of decks. Anchors - Supports -
Swift Justice Description - Can allow you to trade up in a fight, and give you a bit of a life buffer if you are either racing, or in defense mode to give you a little more time. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Bandage
Description - At worst it can cycle so long as there is a creature on the board. It's situational as it's not much damage prevention, but there will be times when a single point is all you need to turn a trade into a win or prevent lethal damage to a creature from burn.
Anchors -
Supports -
Brave the Elements Description - Can work in buffing your team, especially in a colour that is often associated with tokens. Anchors - Supports -
Ethereal Armor Description - It's generally only going to get played in an enchantment deck, but could still make the cut in a deck with enough solid enchantments. The built in synergy of boost plus first strike gives it the opportunity to still have some board impact even if it is the only enchantment you have. Anchors - Enchantment Matters, Pants Supports -
Flickering Ward Description - Flickering Ward can help itself get around the 2 for 1 by giving the creature protection from the most likely colour of removal your opponent is playing, and with mana up can return itself. A creature with protection against half your opponents creatures is only reasonable, but has some fringe upside as well, by being able to remove pacifism effects from your team, and hilariously remove positive auras from your opponents team. Plays well with Pestilence/Pyrohemia. Anchors - Supports -
Marrow Shards
Description - Only affects attacking creatures, but can hurt some aggro decks, or help set up combat trades/wins. However it is conditional on board state. If your cube is designed with lots of aggro x/1 creatures or token decks it can have its moments, but you may also not want to include a card that hoses specific decks. Anchors - Supports -
Niveous Wisps Description - Given that it's a cantrip, this is an ok way to turn off a blocker or prevent an attack for a turn. Anchors - Supports -
Oppressive Rays Description - The best of the 1 mana Pacifism effects, but strong creatures can always circumvent it with enough mana on the board. As such, you may consider this if you want more removal for your aggro decks that control decks don't want. Anchors - Supports -
Steelshaper's Gift Description - If you have a few pieces of strong equipment in your cube, this can be worth inclusion. You'd need to consider how many pieces of equipment a drafter is likely to see, so it can be pretty conditional. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Alms - 1 mana for the repeat effect is ok, but only being able to rely on it a limited number of times isn't. Requires too much set up. Anoint - Bad. Archery Training - It has some strong upside… if your opponent can't deal with it or the creature, AND you have enough time for it to accumulate sufficient counters to matter. Which is too unlikely to happen. Argivian Find - Often won't be anything to target. Armor of Faith - Boost is not good enough. Artifact Ward - Not going to be effective. Awe Strike - Better similar effects. Bandage - Bad. Benedict of Moons - Only if you play with 4+ player multiplayer with your cube. Black Scarab - Too unreliable. Black Ward - Too unreliable. Blaze of Glory - On your own creature, not sure why you wouldn't just want a Fog effect. On your opponents creature, not sure why you wouldn't just want removal. Blessed Breath - Emerge Unscathed is strictly unless you are REALLY pushing arcane to be a thing. Blessing of the Nephilim - Too few hybrids/gold in most cubes to matter. Blue Scarab - Too unreliable. Blue Ward - Too unreliable. Brainwash - It's bad because your opponent can still block. Burden of Guilt - You should feel guilty for having to pay mana for this each turn. Burst of Energy - Too narrow. Capashen Standard - Doesn't do enough. Change of Heart - Too expensive to buy back. Coalition Flag - You get 2 for 1'd in a way you kind of prefer. Consecrate Land - Too narrow. Coordinated Barrage - There might be some happy accidents, but not worth inclusion in a standard cube, and there is less conditional 1 mana removal. Cowed by Wisdom - It might prevent some early attackers, but can end up doing nothing, and you'd rather just have actual removal. Daily Regimen - Takes too long to do anything. Death Ward - Just play Ajani's Presence. Defensive Formation - Requires too many things to matter; play this which has no immediate impact on the board; you need to have multiple creatures on the board; your deck needs to be defensive in nature; you need to be able to at least double block each attacker to make the damage distribution have any chance of working in your favour. Defiant Strike - Needs something else; might help you trade up on odd occasion, but won't help you win without something like first strike. Demystify / Quiet Purity - Simple enchantment removal, but you probably want Erase instead to prevent recursion, or pay 1 extra mana for the flexibility of Disenchant. Detainment Spell - There are a number of creatures this could work on… but generally you just want removal that does more, like prevent attacking or defending. Dispatch - More than likely, even if you push an artifact matters theme, other 1 mana removal options (Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares) are going to be more reliable. Divine Light - Allows you to swing in with impunity, but your opponent can still block of course, which limits it somewhat. Fringe benefit of protecting your creatures with Pestilience/Pyrohemia, or board sweepers. But I'm not seeing a deck you would want to draft with this in it. Empty City Ruse / False Peace - I can see turns where you attack, and your opponent doesn't block because they see a chance to strike back the following turn. And then you cast this. But too many things have to go right for that to work. Enshrouding Mist - Better options. Ephara's Radiance - Requires two cards to make bad life gain. Equinox - Too narrow. Erase/card] - In most cases, Disenchant is more flexible, or you can get enchantment removal attached to a body. Ethereal Haze / Holy Day - They are Fogs. Very situational and may keep you alive for an extra turn but don't affect the board. Excise - Limited to attacking creatures, and smart opponents will leave their mana open before combat, further limiting its usefulness. Fasting - Bad. Festival - Maybe it is worth a mention as a soft lock on an Isochron Scepter, but is the same as Empty City Ruse. Festival of Trokin / Peach Oath Garden - In the decks where this would gain you a lot of life, you should be playing something else to be able to swing in and win with your army. Funeral Pyre - You don't want to give your opponent this stuff. Fylgja - I have a soft spot for this card. But it is not good. Gaze of Justice - This is only likely to be effective in white token decks, which makes it very limited in its application, and that deck wants the better removal anyway. Gelid Shackles - Letting it attack is bad, and needing a mana every turn to prevent it from attacking (even if you allow all snow basics) is not great when compared to paying a mana or 2 more for better effects. Get a Life - You know whether this card applies to you. Gift of Granite - Bad. Glimpse the Sun - There are better options. Glyph of Life - Way too narrow. Great Defender - Doesn't boost power. Any of the spells that grant protection is going to be better vast majority of the time. Green Scarab - Too narrow. Green Ward - Too narrow. Guard Duty - Bad as they can still block. Guardian Angel - Expensive damage prevention. Guildscorn Ward - Nowhere near enough targets. Guilty Conscience - Bad removal that the control can control. Hail of Arrows - The window of opportunity and situations where this can be good is too narrow. Harrow - Too narrow for cube. Head to Head - Funny, but a bajillion better cards that have no conditions. Heal - Get Bandage if you want this effect for the immediate card draw. Healing Salve - Not good enough. Heaven's Gate - Serves no purpose. High Ground - Doesn't do enough. Holy Armor - Doesn't do enough. Holy Strength - Doesn't do enough to overcome inherent aura weakness. Hope Charm - The first strike trick is probably the only one worth noting. Which means just get Ajani's Presence instead. Hundred-Talon Strike - Ajani's Presence is going to have same effect most of the time with more upside. Indestructible - Ajani's Presence is better. Inheritance - Too conditional and slow. Iron Will - Doesn't do enough. Ivory Charm - None of the modes are good enough. Kirtar's Desire - Not good removal. Kithkin Armor - Not good enough. Lance - Nope. Lifelink - Not good enough. Luminesce - Too narrow. Mask of Law & Grace - Too narrow. Mending Hands - Doesn't do enough. Moment of Silence - It is a better version of Empty City Recluse, but the situations where it will be worth playing are still too narrow. Mortal Obstinacy - Not particularly effective at anything. Mortal's Ardor - Doesn't do enough. Off Balance - Just play Niveous Wisps instead. Opal Caryatid - Not reliable enough. Orim's Touch - Don't touch it. Pay No Heed - They aren't the same, but the upside of Harm's Way is likely to matter more often than maximum damage prevention. Piety Charm - Effects don't do enough. Primastic Wardrobe - Cube owners choice on this one. Prophecy - Bad. Pull from Eternity - Extremely narrow. Purify the Grave - You really want this effect attached to a creature or have some other use. Quest for the Holy Relic - Too slow and a horrible top deck. Rain of Blades - Marrow Shards is strictly better and you don't want two of that effect. Rally The Troops - Too conditional. If you want this effect, the cantrip on To Arms! is probably worth the extra 1 and more flexible. Reaping the Rewards - Zuran Orb will be better a lot of the time. If you want life gain in white, there are better options. Rebuff The Wicked - Faith's Shield is going to serve the same purpose with more upside. Reciprocate - Need to wait for a bad thing to happen instead of just removing it. Reconnaissance - This could work if you want to attack in force, and then save creatures from unfavourable blocks. But playing this is 1 less creature you are playing. Too conditional on board state to matter in most games. Red Scarab - Too conditional. Red Ward - Too conditional. Reinforcements - Card disadvantage is not going to be worth the card quality and too difficult to set up any combos etc. Remove Enchantments - Very narrow. And complicated. Reward The Faithful - Not good enough. Righteous Blow - Conditional Shock, which might be just ok for white, except there is lots of better removal. So you probably only want to include it if you are going deep, or want to regulate the power of your removal. Righteousness - It can turn a losing block into a win, but relies on you wanting to block. There are other cards that can achieve a similar result without being so restrictive. In magical christmas land I'd love to block with my Spikehsot Goblin, cast this, and go 8 to the dome. But moments like those are rarely going to present themselves. Ritual of Restoration - Argivian Find strictly better. Sacred Rites - Card disadvantage for not much of anything. Samite Blessing - The effect is not bad. But you are using two cards to get the effect you want, which is bad. Save Life - On its own this card is bad. If you think you can trigger the Gotcha a few times, it might be worth it. Could be a card to put in the cube temporarily for a laugh. Scapegoat - Requires too many things to go right; you want a creature that is already on its way to the graveyard or gives you a benefit, plus 1 or more creatures you want to save or ETB effects to re-use. Scent of Jasmine - Not good enough. Seize the Initiative - Ajani's Presence is going to have the same effect vast majority of the time and has other upside. Serra's Hymn - Terrible. Sex Appeal - Nah. Shadow Lance - Not good enough. Shield of Duty and Reason - Too narrow. Shielded Passage - Ajani's Presence is all upside over this. Shieldmate's Blessing - Bad. Shields of Velis Vel - Doesn't do enough. Smite - Very narrow removal. Spirit Link - Not worth a card and setting you up for a 2 for 1. Spiritual Visit - Bad. Stand Firm - Doesn't do enough. Stave Off - Emerge Unscathed, Faith's Shield and God's Willing all have upside compared to this. Strip Bare - Too narrow. Sunspring Expedition - 1 mana and a card for 8 life is not terrible, but it isn't an instant, and will be terrible unless played in opening turns. Testament of Faith - Too much investment. Unified Strike - Too tribal. Valor Made Real - The cost of this card is unlikely to be repaid by its effect. Veteran's Reflexes - Too situational. Vigilance - Doesn't do enough. Visions - Bad. Wake the Reflections - Many cubes have token archetypes, but this is going too deep. Warning - Too narrow. White Scarab - Too conditional. White Ward - Too conditional. Wojek Siren - Depending on the board state, might only affect a portion of your team, and might even be a dead card if your opponent shares a colour with you. Wordmail - Very environment dependant. It probably most wants to be played in an aggro deck to push the advantage, so check your average word count on your white aggro creatures. A glance at the 720 average peasant cube only shows a handful of white creatures that have 3 words in their name. +2/+2 is probably only ok if your cube is light on removal, but you want to be able to do better. Blade of the Sixth Pride can become a turn 3 powerhouse, but that synergy isn't worth playing it over strictly better cards like Accorder Paladin. Worthy Cause - 3 mana for a life gain engine… It sounds ok, but you would only want to save mana for this if you had nothing else to do. Not something you would want to rely on when you draft.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
None.
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Memnite Description - You might include this if you want your aggro decks to be able to unload their hands as quickly as possible, though it will be bad in those decks as a top deck, and unplayable in most other types of decks. Maybe if you support some artifact matters/affinity theme. Anchors - Supports - Artifact Matters, Aggro
0 - Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Ornithopter - It can defend against 1/1 tokens. But so can other stuff. It can wear equipment. But so can other stuff. It might matter for some artifact matters themes, but the 0 cost seems to not matter enough outside of that. Phyrexian Walker - It can block early aggro creatures, but its not like the decks that want to be defensive don’t have better creatures they would be willing to pay a few mana for. Shield Sphere - It might prevent a few attacks, but the tempo gain from costing 0 is quickly lost. Majority of decks would rather pay for a more permanent blocker. Shifting Wall - Scalability is nice, but with defender is not good.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Everflowing Chalice Description - While flexible, there are better options across the curve. Cast for 2, you'd rather have better 2cc mana rocks. And ramp decks just want better ramp spells. Still, its flexibility is worth noting, and it does give you back half your investment immediately. But whatever deck it goes in probably wishes for a better version more appropriate to what the deck is trying to achieve. Anchors - Supports - Ramp
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Lotus Petal Description - Gives you a one-off boost, which might help some decks, but at peasant the card disadvantage is usually not worth it. You might include it if for maximum support of Storm decks. Anchors - Supports - Storm
Zuran Orb Description - The 'free' life gain can help when you are on the ropes, potentially giving you time to cast your game winning spells and turn the game around. In some cases, it's just delaying the inevitable. Does have some good synergy with some specific cards which may elevate its worth in your cube; Land Tax, Vizkopa Mage, Ajani's Pridemate, Worm Harvest. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Accorder's Shield - Equip too expensive for effect. Bone Saw - Shuko costs the same to equip to the first creature, but is free after that. Briber's Purse - Tumble Magnet or Icy Manipulator are better options. Claws of Gix - Too much investment to make this worth it. Dark Sphere - Bad. Darksteel Relic - Absolutely zero use outside of a affinity/artifact matters theme. Delif's Cone - Bad. Fountain of Youth - Too much mana investment. Herbal Poultice - Bad. Jeweled Amulet - You can do this better with lands like Mirrodin's Core. Kite Shield - Not good enough. Mishra's Bauble - Outside of your opening hand, you end up behind. Paradise Mantle - The fixing/semi-acceleration is not going to matter in most decks when it requires its creatures to tap. It's close to uselessness isn't likely to be overcome by card specific combos or synergies. Spellbook - This effect is not going to matter in vast majority of games/decks. Spidersilk Net - Not good enough. Tormod's Crypt - Perhaps the best card if all you want to do is nullify graveyard strategies. But it might just wreck decks you've spent effort supporting. Better to find this effect attached to something else (a body or cantrip) if you want it. Urza's Bauble - Outside of your opening hand, you end up behind. Urza's Contact Lenses - The advantage you get (keeping the card you draw on your turn hidden until your opponents turn if you activate this) is too marginal to care about Welding Jar - Too narrow.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Chronomaton Description - Can be useful for control decks that lock down the board. Over time, it can turn into a threatening blocker, pumping itself either after blocking or end of opponents turn, and then attacking once it is formidable enough. Anchors - Supports -
Signal Pest Description - Useful for supporting token or other go wide strategies. The evasion means it can be a decent target for equipment. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Bonded Construct Description - Can fit into aggro decks of any colour. Slightly more fragile as it is vulnerable to artifact removal. Worth noting that it is missing the 'can't block alone' clause on similar creatures so it isn't completely useless alone. Best as a support card when you have sufficient 1-drops in your aggro decks that it can be drafted alongside. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Skullclamp Description - The best piece of equipment at peasant, this will quickly take over games with massive card advantage. Even a single turn, where the opponent doesn't have instant speed artifact removal, can generate a big advantage. Some cube owners do not include this card for being overpowered. While aggro and token decks have the most to gain, every deck will want this, and if picked early, will shape that players draft as they look for small creatures to sacrifice to it or ways to dig for it. It can pump an attacker to force damage through, then placed on a weak blocker; it is always threatening to generate more card advantage. Anchors - Supports -
Sol Ring Description - The best artifact available, it's acceleration is stupidly good. Often considered one of the best cards in fully powered cubes, let alone peasant. In the opening hand, it is insane in making all your future turns 2 turns ahead of the curve. That type of advantage usually wins games. Late game at it’s worst it nets you a mana the turn you play it, and is no worse than a land. Unless your deck is hungry for coloured mana, you can probably straight up replace a land for this, meaning it has no negative impact on your deck at any time. Due to the significant advantage it provides, many cube owners do not include it for power reasons. Anchors - Supports -
Bonesplitter Description - Excellent piece of equipment for aggro decks. A 1-drop followed on turn 2 by a Bonesplitter and equip is an amazing start. If the creature dies, its cheap to throw it on other creatures. Best in aggro, but can show up in defensive decks if they have a high enough creature count. Great with first strikers or double strikers. The only decks that won't benefit are control decks with few finishers. Anchors - Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Aether Vial Description - This can be good for aggro and midrange decks, but requires skill in sequencing of plays. Once set up, being able to flash creatures in is powerful. Also has some synergy with Crystal Shard decks, allowing those decks to replay key creatures for free. Anchors - Supports - Aggro, Bounce
Leonin Scimitar Description - It's not flashy, but it is cheap enough to consider. Anchors - Supports -
Sai of the Shinobi Description - Potentially never having to pay an equip cost makes this appealing. Can allow you to attack with an equipped creature, and then drop a creature on curve and have a bigger blocker. Anchors - Supports -
Sensei's Diving Top Description - Playable, but the pieces are missing to make this truly powerful. It's value goes up the more shuffle effects in your cube, or the more effects you have that remove cards from the top of your library (dredge, scry). Anchors - Supports -
Sylvok Lifestaff Description - The power pump is usually secondary to the life gain which can help in racing situations or buy time in sacrifice decks. Anchors - Supports -
Trusty Machete Description - Reasonable boost for reasonable cost. Feel like this needs more description but don't have much to say. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Adventuring Gear Description - Can be ok in general land ramp decks, or if your cube has a lot of saclands (Terramorphic Expanse / Evolving Wilds or breaks Peasant for rare saclands). It can be inconsistent, and is not great when it top deck mode. Anchors - Supports -
Aether Spellbomb Description - Could be an alternate for a bounce effect if you support an artifact matters theme. If you don't have that synergy, just get a better bounce spell. Anchors - Supports -
Black Vise Description - There will be times you play this and it can just win the game for you against slow opponents. But if your opponent is on the play and has a fast deck, it might do almost nothing even if it is in your opening hand. The more cards your cube has that slows the game down by bouncing your opponents permanents, or maybe if you support land destruction, or is just slow in general, it gets a little better. But without this support, opponents will often get down to 4 cards quickly enough to negate its effects. Anchors - Supports -
Chromatic Sphere Description -Chromatic Star is strictly better, but this still serves almost the exact same role, and may be worth inclusion if you want redundancy of the effect. Most decks will want more permanent color fixing though. Can help support storm cards if you include them. Anchors - Supports -
Chromatic Star Description - Reasonable way for any deck to get some 1-off mana fixing, and at worst has a net cost of 1 to cycle into another card. Most decks will want more permanent colour fixing though. Can help support storm cards if you include them. Marginal benefit of still netting card drawn if sacrificed to something else. Anchors - Supports -
Codex Shredder Description - Can support a control based mill deck if you want to push that, with minor upside. You can also target yourself if you support graveyard-based archetypes. A fringe use is to filter your draws if you have ways of looking at the top of your deck. Another fringe benefit is removing cards from the top of your opponents library if they scry or use tutors that go to top of library. Anchors - Mill / Graveyard Supports -
Elixir of Immortality Description - Fills a specific niche if your cube supports graveyard / self-mill decs that will want to start over, or in control decks that can lock down the game and want to go long. The life gain can buy you some time. Shuffling business spells back in slightly improves your card quality. It gets better in decks that have a lot of card draw or filtering (Ponder and friends, Crystal Ball), allowing you to dig back to your more powerful spells quickly. Anchors - Supports -
Expedition Map Description - It's value depends entirely on the nonbasic lands you have in your cube. If you just need fixing, you probably want Traveler's Amulet / Wanderer's Twig / Wayfarer's Bauble. If you are finding Maze of Ith or other utility lands, this may have a place. Anchors - Supports -
Flayer Husk Description - It's not exciting, but is a vanilla 1/1 that leaves something behind when it dies. Can help give your aggro deck a bit of colourless support, but you will often be happier with a better creature or equipment. Anchors - Supports -
Ghoulcaller's Bell Description - Can be used in a graveyard matters theme, but there will usually be better cards for that. Can be used alongside other mill cards. If you have ways of looking at the top of your opponents library, can prevent them from drawing gas, but is a narrow archetype. Anchors - Supports - Mill
Infiltration Lens Description - It doesn't make anything unblockable, but it probably means your opponent won't block, pushing damage through. And if they are forced to block, you get to draw more gas. Allowing the opponent the choice is usually bad, but the the cast and equip cost are cheap enough. You need something decent size or with a combat damage trigger to put it on for the most impact. Anchors - Supports -
Ivory Tower Description - This card is a trap in cube. You can drop it turn 1, and just hit land drops in an attempt to gain 3 life a turn. But most opposing decks will deal more than that after the first couple of turns, and as you play answers you just wasted this card. If it isn't in your opening hand, you are more likely to play threats and answers, and then draw into this and it will be a dead card. It is friends with Land Tax, but synergy with one card is not going to be worth it. Anchors - Supports -
Lantern of Insight Description - In a vacuum this is bad, but gets a mention on the basis that it can be used with targeted mill cards such as Thoughtpicker Witch, Codex Shredder, Ghoulcaller Bell etc to support a deck that can prevent the opponent from drawing anything useful. But if you don't support that deck, it does nothing.
Anchors -
Supports -
O-Naginata Description - The effect for the casting cost and equip cost is solid. Inclusion in your cube will depend on what type of decks will consistently be able to make use of this. It can give green ramp a way to break through tokens, and red and black aggro get some low cost creatures with 3 power. Anchors - Supports -
Pyrite Spellbomb Description - When compared to other red direct damage, this is poor, but when direct damage is poor it can still be ok. The only reason you would include it over other options is if you had an artifact matters theme or recursion like Auriok Salvagers. Anchors - Supports -
Springleaf Drum Description - Being able to tap a creature while it has summoning sickness makes this an accelerator as well as a fixer primarily useful for aggro decks that didn't want blockers anyway. While most 'inspired' creatures are not considered playable on their own, it provides synergy to those cards. Anchors - Supports -
Squee's Toy Description - For a single mana you get a repeatable no-cost effect that can threaten to mess with combat math. The more combat-heavy your cube, the better it becomes. Anchors - Supports -
The Rack Description - Getting below 3 cards is a common occurrence as players either play threats, or answers to threats. Holding onto cards usually means not keeping up on the board. However once The Rack hits the table, it’s not hard to hold onto a few lands. Black has a number of discard cards, including some repeat effects like Hypnotic Spectre, which The Rack can be paired with. Outside of that type of deck, The Rack might get in a few points of damage, but becomes easier to play around.
Anchors -
Supports - Discard subthemes
Traveler's Amulet / Wanderer's Twig Description - Played turn 1, it can help you find your second color on turn 2 if required. Fights with Wayfarer's Bauble for mana fixing, which also accelerate. Expedition Map costs 1 more to activate but finds nonbasics if you have utility lands.
Anchors -
Supports -
Triangle of War
Description - 3 mana isn't the most efficient cost for this effect and your opponent can see it coming; you won't be springing any surprises mid-combat. However it is 'removal' that is available to every colour. Anchors - Supports -
Viridian Longbow - 1 Description - The equip cost is a little high, but with enough creatures on the board, can ping for 2 damage for 3 mana, or 3 damage with 6 mana on the board. It can be slow, but if you have enough time (either your cube is slower or you support decks that can slow the game down) it can start taking control of the board. Has synergies with deathtouchers or saboteur effects that don't care if it was combat damage. Anchors - Supports -
Voyager Staff Description - ok blink effect if you want it in artifact form. Casting cost means it can be tutored if you have Trinket Mage or want an Auriok Salvagers package. Anchors - Supports - Blink
Wayfarer's Bauble Description - Played on turn 1 allows you to accelerate and fix into 4 mana on turn 3. Most ramp decks are more likely to want greens better ramp spells, and control decks are more likely to prefer mana rocks. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Rakdos Cackler Description - The vanilla is bad, so you would only include if red and/or black aggro is something you push. But in those decks it is amazing, and having both power and toughness at 2 for a single mana with no meaningful long-term drawback is excellent. In a pinch, you DO have the option to play it as a vanilla if you just need a blocker. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Dryad Militant Description - Even if you don't support green aggro, the flexible mana cost is appealing over other vanilla white 2/1's, but is probably the best green aggro 1-drop. However, the graveyard hate might be something you want to avoid if you are trying to push archetypes that care about it. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Judge's Familiar Description - Doesn't really need anything in the way of support, and at worst is 1/1 evasive creature for 1 which is passable. Opponent can play around it as it is an on-board trick, but can slow down their sequence of plays. Anchors - Supports -
Tattermunge Maniac Description - The drawback forces this to only fit in red or green aggro decks that want to rush out of the gates, but is a reasonable addition to those decks. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Blistercoil Weird Description - Can work in a spells matters theme. The untap is not going to matter a lot in those decks, but can be used to present a surprise blocker. The Paradise Mantle 'combo' can exist in cube, allowing you to untap the Weird to generate mana to cast more spells, preferably cheap card draw so you can keep playing spells. Hard to pull off effectively in cube though. Anchors - Supports - Spells Matter
Slippery Bogle Description - Pillar of the 'hexproof' deck, but needs the right environment to work. Needs friends with hexproof, and sufficient equipment and auras to be a force to reckoned with. Anchors - Supports - Voltron / Hexproof
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Boros Recruit - Making a bad card available to 2 colours does not make it good. Duergar Assailant - Too narrow. Elvish Hexhunter - Needing to tap this makes it too slow. Manaforge Cinder - This type of fixing not worth worrying about. Nip Gwyllion - Just meh. Odious Trow - Not efficient enough. Oona's Gatewarden - It will just trade with something. If you don't kill it, sure you made it smaller... but you didn't kill it. Scuzzback Scrapper - Most of the time is likely to just trade with something anyway. Seedcradle Witch - It's not effective until mid-game, but combat with the mana open can make combat difficult for the opponent. The untap is mostly a bonus, but can turn your tapped attackers into blockers if required. The cost required however makes this too difficult to use. Makes me wish Viridian Joiner was playable. Slitherhead - Bad as a vanilla creature, and the scavenge is not significant enough. Stream Hopper - Not good enough. Wild Cantor - The sacrifice is not often going to be worth it for a 1-off effect, even if for a single turn of acceleration the following turn. Can support Storm cards, but that is a narrow application. Zealous Guardian - Not good enough.
Barkshell Blessing - 1 Description - Not the best base stats for a pump, but being able to effectively cast it twice makes it worth a look. On defense, can block with two creatures, then tap them to give them each the bonus. Situational, and value goes up in cubes with less removal and more focus on combat. Anchors - Supports -
Just a thought on the project. With the spreadsheet, almost all of the entrees will be Unplayable just because it's out of color, so I think the easier representation would be a list of all the archetypes and then all the cards that support each archetype. Otherwise, the spreadsheet will become too large to be actually useful.
imo: this is A LOT of man power for a "cheat sheet" on how/what to draft—not worth the effort.
the more you research RND design and draft; the more clear all of this will be.
Keep It Simple Stupid.
An alternative to the spreadsheet method might be to use the traditional card evaluation style you see on this website, but include a line to mention which archetypes the card is a player in, and then have a separate section for Archetypes where you re-list each card relevant to each archetype with a star rating in that context (eg, Guttersnipe might be a 2star card in an "average" deck, but a 4-5 star card in spells matter/burn).
Something like that would give the best of both worlds between the traditional primer style and your more archetype-focused goal.
I think this is the kind of project that everybody should participate in, and it'll take a while. Maybe do 10 cards every week that people can weigh in on and eventually it'll all get done (800 cards to evaluate, 80 weeks, a year and a half to complete... hmm..) It'd be a hell of a resource when it's done!
E: Perhaps each archetype can have a star rating on various axis (Power when pushed, how parasitic it is to support, etc). That'd probably be something to assign in the final stages of the project when the archetype sections are properly fleshed out.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Dauthi Horror Description - Solid evasive creature for aggro decks, but can also be an evasive threat for control decks. It can even evade white shadow creatures you might have in your cube. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Blood Artist Description - Creatures die all the time in Magic. Without any specific support, this can be good for that reason alone. With some support, it can grind out a lot of advantage over a game. Gets better with tokens, or with sacrifice outlets. A free sacrifice outlet (like Goblin Bombardment) plus Blood Artist provides reach equal to the amount of creatures you control, which can make your opponent very nervous, and allow you to win out of nowhere. Anchors - Sacrifice decks Supports -
Blood-Chin Rager Description - On it's own, a 2/2 for 2 with evasion in black is decent. Most cubes have enough warriors in a few other colours that others will also benefit from this. Well suited for an aggro deck, but can see play as a cheap threat in a control deck. Anchors - Supports -
Fledgling Djinn Description - 2 mana, 2 power creatures with built-in flying are not common for mono-black. The drawback is worth it for the cheap evasive power, primarily in aggro decks. Anchors - Aggro Supports - Skies
Nezumi Cutthroat Description - Solid evasive creature that can work well as part of an aggro assault team, or even in a control deck to chip away at the opponents life total. Obviously worse against black decks, where you might side it out. Anchors - Supports -
Thrill-Kill Assassin Description - Versatile card. 'Leashed' it can be used as a blocker to trade up. As an attacker well suited to an aggro deck, eating through any low power / high toughness defenders (Wall of Blossoms, Wall of Denial) the opponent would throw in its way, and still able to trade up once it becomes outclassed. Anchors - Supports -
Vampire Interloper Description - 2 evasive power for 2 mana is usually solid enough for aggro decks, and the drawback doesn't matter if you are aggro. It's not out of the question for a defensive deck to sport this is as an evasive threat while other cards answer the opponents threats. Anchors - Supports -
Vile Bile Description - If you are ok with Un-cards, this plays like a 2/3 for 2 mana with 'every two times this deal combat damage to a player, deal them an extra damage'. Which is a strict upgrade compared to similar cards like Erg Raiders or Shambling Ghoul... so long as you don't touch it of course. Anchors - Supports -
Wight of Precinct Six Description - Can be a good finisher in a control deck that intends to go long, fighting attrition battles, or in decks with incidental milling. Can be randomly good against dredge / graveyard decks, and even decent in aggro decks after a few trades. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Battle Brawler Description - A 3/2 first striker for 2 mana is good value. Can be slightly unreliable and could get turned off mid-combat with removal, but decent enough upside if you lean more towards one of the support colours. Anchors - Supports -
Black Knight Description - There are few black creatures with native first strike if that matters. The double black in the casting cost can be troublesome, giving you something that is somewhat efficient, but doesn't really stand out. Anchors - Supports -
Blind Creeper Description - Downside can be played around, but sometimes you will be trumped in combat by an instant, or an opponent will play a creature post-combat. Aggro-oriented, so you will usually know what you are attacking into, and can factor it into what you want to cast post-combat. Anchors - Supports -
Cuombajj Witches Description - Can be an ok creature for black control, with other creatures with higher than average toughness to give your opponent few chances to remove your creatures. Anchors - Supports - Control
Dauthi Slayer Description - The extra toughness over Dauthi Horror will matter occasionally (divisible burn, pingers) but the double black in the casting cost hurts more than that upside. The attack each turn clause means nothing because you were going to do that anyway. Black Knight is more flexible at the same cost, a bit less useful on the attack (lacking evasion) but can put up a defense. You would play this if you want to give aggro some tools that other decks don't want. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Erg Raiders Description - Erg Raiders has decent stats for cost, and the drawback relates to something you want to be doing anyway; attacking. Only fits in aggro decks. Worth noting that it's drawback can be exploited by opponents with tap down effects, Pacifism etc. Shambling Ghoul and Thrill-Kill Assassin are similar cards that are playable in a wider variety of decks, but you might include Erg Raiders if you want to give aggro a card that no-one else is going to want and is more likely to wheel. Its minor, but Erg Raiders is the only one of those cards that can block before it starts swinging (if you want the aggro version of Thrill-Kill Assassin). Anchors -
Hand of Cruelty Description - Double black in the casting cost makes it hard to swallow, but being a 3/3 in combat for 2 mana can make attacking or blocking awkward for your opponent in early turns. By comparison to Black Knight, this will kill x/3's (Augur of Bolas) that Knight will leave behind, but this will die to 3/2's like Borderland Marauder. Which of these is better (if it comes down to these two) will depend on your specific environment. Anchors - Supports -
Knight of Infamy Description - Can turn itself into an attacking 3/2 for 2 mana if alone, but still easy enough to kill. The exalted is nice to have and might help a 1-drop get in if you play this on turn 2. It isn't bad, but it's hard to imagine a deck where it will truly excel. Pro-white will turn some off. Anchors - Supports -
Mardu Skullhunter Description - Excellent value when it triggers, and useful in most stages of the game. You don't want to play this turn 2 without a 1-drop swinging with some consistency, so to get the most value you want to have sufficient aggro 1-drops in black and whichever other aggro colours you support, but still playable in a slower deck. Anchors - Supports -
Mesmeric Fiend Description - Can come down on turn 2 and strip their best card, or their on-curve card, to disrupt them. The body is nothing, but you can always treat it like a 2 mana Thoughtseize, and just keep it out of combat; if they use removal to get the card back, that isn't a bad trade. Almost identical to Brain Maggot; your choice will depend on whether Brain Maggot being an enchantment matters more to you / your environment than the stack tricks that are possible with Mesmeric Fiend. Anchors - Supports -
Nezumi Graverobber Description - Solid utility creature. As a vanilla 2/1 for 2 mana it isn't entirely embarassing for aggro decks, with the ability giving an option in the late game if plan A doesn't work out. While slower, can be an inevitable engine for grindy midrange / control decks, especially when combined with ETB creatures and/or sacrifice effects. Sometimes it will come down so late that the ability just isn't worth pursuing. In some cases can randomly hose graveyard decks. Anchors - Supports -
Onyx Mage Description - Helps all of your creatures match up against the enemy if you can afford the payment. Combined with a repeatable token generator can lead to inevitability with chumpers / attackers that can trade with anything in the way. Good with first strikers or pingers. However it is pretty slow. Anchors - Supports -
Reassembling Skeleton Description - A role player in different types of decks. In defensive decks that need to buy time you can chump their biggest attacker, and then return him to the battlefield EOT to untap and do it all over again. Good with loot / dredge cards, as you can just get it back out of the 'yard. Good with sacrifice outlets, as you can just keep returning it to the battlefield. The main downside is needing to leave mana up to activate at the right times, and can be too slow against fast decks. Anchors - Supports -
Shambling Ghoul Description - It doesn't require anything in the way of support, but isn't particularly exciting. If you are aggro, there are better aggro options. If you want a defensive creature, there are better options. But it does have the versatility of being able to slot into any deck. Anchors - Supports -
Skulking Ghost Description - 2 evasive power for 2 mana is solid. If they were going to target it, it was probably with intent to remove it anyway. It's going to be randomly bad against some cards (Mother of Runes, Goldmeadow Harrier, Tumble Magnet, Crystal Shard). If equipment is a big part of your aggro decks, this gets a little worse.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Spiteful Returned Description - This has a kind of reach, allowing you to force life loss even against a wall of blockers. Best when bestowed, allowing you to swing for the 2 life loss immediately (giving it pseudo-haste), and if the creature is killed in combat you still get the Spiteful Returned to swing again next turn. So it is often an automatic 4 life loss even if it can be dealt with in combat. Anchors - Supports -
Sultai Emissary Description - In a vacuum, it can work as a staller for a control deck. Not exciting, but you get a 1/1 and 2/2 for 2 mana. Sometimes the manifested card will become something, but not something you should rely on. Gets a little better in sacrifice decks, and scales with the number of scry or similar effects to manifest something you can flip up. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice
Wretched Anurid Description - This fits into the suicide aggro deck when you want to maximise power to cost. If you are not the beatdown this guy can hurt, especially if your opponent can put up a high toughness defender that doesn't kill it. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Augur of Skulls Description - One of few cards in Peasant that can take 2 cards for 2 mana, albeit with a turn delay. A specific line of play can be to use Unearth or Undying Evil to quickly strip your opponents cards. A turn 2 Augur of Skulls followed by Undying Evil during upkeep on turn 3 gives you an early 4 for 2, leaving your opponent with little to do. It is situational however, and your opponent has a turn of opportunity to remove it (though forcing removal on it may not be so bad), and is poor if your opponent is in top deck mode. Anchors - Supports -
Basilica Screecher Description - It's stats and flying for cost are not great, but can be a support card for extort / drain archetypes. Anchors - Supports - Extort / Drain
Bloodthrone Vampire Description - The sac ability can mess with combat, potentially eating something that was going to die to take out a bigger attacker. In swarm/token decks, the opponent may have no choice but to block to avoid a killing blow. It is conditional on the board position and you don't want to eat your creatures unless it presents enough advantage, but can also support some graveyard recursion strategies such as Reassembling Skeleton. Generally considered worse than Nantuko Husk, as the baseline if you aren't sacrificing creatures is significant. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice Decks, Tokens
Brain Maggot Description - Can come down on turn 2 and strip their best card, or their on-curve card, to disrupt them. The body is nothing, but you can always treat it like a 2 mana Thoughtseize, and just keep it out of combat; if they use removal to get the card back, that isn't a bad trade. Almost identical to Mesmeric Fiend; your choice will depend on whether this being an enchantment matters more to you / your environment than the stack tricks that are possible with Mesmeric Fiend. Brain Maggot is also more prone to removal as a result of being an enchantment. Anchors - Supports - Enchantment Matters
Child of Night Description - Reasonable aggressive creature. Nothing spectacular, but decent. Allows you to race, and even if it trades you still end up ahead. Not ideal if you are on the defensive, but at least it can help keep you stay alive a little bit longer. Anchors - Supports -
Corrupt Court Official / Ravenous Rats Description - It's a 2 for 1, but it leaves behind a not very exciting body. It gets better if surrounded by other discard options to create an aggro/disruption deck to capitalise on the 2 for 1. Anchors - Supports -
Disciple of Griselbrand Description - The body is nothing, so you need the ability to do something. Sure, activating it when something is going to die anyway is nice, but the life gain isn't huge impact. If you just need a sacrifice outlet, many other sacrifice outlets are going to have a bigger impact on your game. Anchors - Supports -
Fallen Askari Description - It might be an ok creature if you want something purely for aggro decks. Eats defending bears, and can't be double blocked by 1/1 tokens, but other black creatures can serve a similar role. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Foul Imp Description -Fledgling Djinn may end up costing you more life in the long run, but having to pay upfront is worse, as is the need to pay double black. However it is still 2 flying power for 2 mana in black, so it might make the cut in larger cubes or if you really want to push Skies in black. Anchors - Supports - Skies
Frightcrawler Description - A 3/3 evasive creature for 2 mana sounds pretty nice, but is not going to be reliable; 2 mana for a 1/1 is pretty bad, even if it has fear. If you give black or other support colours lots of ways to fill the graveyard, it might be ok. If your cube doesn't support threshold often, You may want to consider Blind Creeper or Wretched Anurid if you want a 3 power 2 mana black creature. Anchors - Supports -
Gatekeeper of Malakir Description - 2/2 for 3 mana and force the opponent to sacrifice a creature is solid. When all 3 of that mana has to be black, it makes it a little harder to swallow. It's inclusion will depend on whether you want to reward mono-colour drafters. Anchors - Supports -
Gnawing Zombie Description - The body isn't exciting, but the 3 toughness can at least stall some of the smaller aggro creatures, or eat 2/1's. 2 mana for the sacrifice ability is a bit on the expensive side, reducing your ability to instantly end the game if you have more creatures than your opponents life total. It's still ok as support for life drain style decks, or with creatures that like being sacrificed / Blood Artist type effects. If your cube is on the faster side, this is probably not going to pass muster. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice
Golgari Thug Description - There is no noteworthy body attached, so you need to get value from the other effects. The biggest value is dredge, if combined with other cards that like being in your graveyard. The retrieval doesn't net you advantage, but can be useful to get a critical creature ready for the next turn you may have dredged away. You have to push graveyard matters themes to make this worth it, but the high number on the dredge can help support those strategies. Anchors - Dredge / Graveyard Matters Supports -
Hand of Silumgar Description - It isn't as good as other options if heading the pure aggro route, but it isn't embarrassing there (and it may force trading up if the opponent is on the back foot), and can help slower defensive decks take out larger incoming threats. Worth noting that Thrill-Kill Assassin is more flexible and will survive to kill again in situations where this will die. Anchors - Supports -
Keeper of the Dead - 1 Description - The core ability (destroying creatures) is a really powerful repeat ability. The trick then is to have lots of creatures in your graveyard. As such, this is probably only worth drafting, and therefore including in your cube, as support for graveyard matters themes. So you need a specific archetype present which this will narrowly fit into. Good for killing tokens, as they won't fill your opponents graveyard. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Marang River Skeleton Description - As a base without considering Megamorph, it's unexciting. It's a 1/1 with cheap regeneration, which can be an ok chumper, but the power isn’t going to kill much on defense, and the regen, while cheap, still costs mana. The megamoprh doesn't add much. 2 power is a lot better than 1, but still costs a total of 7 mana before it gets there. It is strictly better than Drudge Skeleton and friends. Anchors - Supports -
Painsmith Description - Narrow, but could fit in a heavy artifact theme Anchors - Supports -
Pit Keeper Description - If you aren't retrieving a creature, the baseline is bad. Can be unreliable in 'normal' decks, but gets better in dredge decks or other graveyard matters themes. Anchors - Supports -
Plague Witch Description - It's a graveyard enabler that can kill off utility creatures, but is a little slow and sometimes there won't be any worthwhile targets. Might be worth noting errata makes this an Elf if you support that tribe. Anchors - Supports -
Rathi Trapper Description - It is not as good as counterparts Goldmeadow Harrier & Gideon's Lawkeeper, but is the best tapper in black. The extra mana cost does make it noticeably worse (you aren't likely to use it for aggro support) but can still play a role in control decks. However it may depend on the rest of your black control support cards; if you use sweepers like Barter in Blood and Drown in Sorrow, Rathi Trapper doesn't synergise well with them. Anchors - Supports -
Returned Phalanx Description - A cheap enough wall with reasonable stats to stall early aggro starts. The faster your aggro decks are, the better this will generally be, as it will not only survive but kill most grounded 2-drops. If you happen to be playing blue, you can use it offensively once the game is under control. In slower cubes or where aggro is less prevalent, it is likely to be less useful. Anchors - Control Supports -
Skirk Ridge Exhumer Description - It kind of has a few synergies going for it; graveyard enabler, token producer, decent sacrifice fodder. They are all pretty loose, and you probably need all three of those to matter in the one deck to make this worth considering. Anchors - Supports -
Undertaker Description - It takes a turn to come online so you won't be using this is an aggro deck, but on its own it can trade excess lands into creatures, or upgrade any lesser creatures into the best tool for the job. With a dredger, you can discard the dredger to get a creature, draw the dredger next turn and increase your targets, repeat. Great with ETB triggers, especially if you can sac them for benefit. Evoking a Mulldrifter with this on the board just feels unfair. Phyrexian Reclamation isn't a discard outlet, but is more reliable, and provides value if you can afford the life loss. Anchors - Supports -
Vault Skirge Description - 1/1 flyers for 1 mana are not particularly exciting, but the lifelink is marginal upside, you can play it any deck, and it is an artifact if you are supporting any artifact themes. Nice if you can equip it early with power boosting equipment, making it difficult to race if the opponent can't mount an air defence. Anchors - Supports -
Wall of Souls Description - Can be an anti-aggro card, but aggro decks will probably accept the damage and win a race unless you otherwise stabilise. Can support a draining theme. Anchors - Supports - Drain / Extort
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Abyssal Gatekeeper - Narrow and you lack control. Agent of Shauku - Probably ok if it had an extra point of power for aggro decks. But it doesn't. Ashen-Skin Zubera - Just meh. Baleful Eidolon - You can get cheaper deathtouchers. The bestow is expensive, but even if the creature you put it on dies, you still get this back for another deathtoucher, so you are at least at card parity. There are board states where this would be good, but too conditional to rely one. Bane Alley Blackguard - Strictly worse than Gnawing Zombie. Barrow Ghoul - Downside too high. Basal Thrull - If you want the acceleration, use Dark Ritual. Black Cat - You want the effect when it comes into play. Blighted Shaman - Needing to tap plus sacrifice combine to make this too slow and too costly. Blightsoil Druid - Not good acceleration/fixing. Blightspeaker - Not enough rebels to make it a thing. Blister Beetle - Not efficient enough. Bloodcrazed Hoplite - Too narrow. Blood Seeker - Not a good body for cost and ability not quite good enough to get it over the line. Bog Imp - Upgrade to Basilica Screecher. Bog Initiate - Doesn't do enough. Bojuka Brigand - Allies aren't good enought to support. Boneshard Slasher - Worse than Basilica Screecher a lot of the time. Bone Knitter - Not efficient enough even if you have other zombies. Brine Shaman - Bad. Brood of Cockroaches - It's recursive, but only returning end of turn makes it too slow. If you chump block in a control deck, it takes 2 turns before you can block again. This restriction makes it too hard to abuse in a sacrifice deck. Butcher Ghoul - As an attacker, your opponent may just let it through most of the time because it simply isn't much of a threat. If you want it to be defensive, then you probably just want a better defensive creature. Minor mileage for sacrifice decks, but you probably just want better creatures to sacrifice. Cabal Inquisitor - Too conditional for repeat discard. By the time you set this up, you could just have Honden on Night's End or other permanent discard. Cabal Interrogator - Too expensive, even with the card choice. Cackling Witch - Can threaten, but is too slow. Cateran Persuader - Narrow tribal. Clot Sliver - Tribal. Corpse Hauler - For the total mana cost, you need to get more value while it is in play than just the sac ability. So you need to get into combat, and you can sac before damage is on the stack and not trade. And you need the mana open when it would otherwise die. Too narrow. Craven Knight - Strictly worse than Fallen Askari. Cruel Deceiver - Just get a creature with deathtouch instead. Crypt Creeper - When the ability doesn't matter, it is just a bad vanilla creature. If you want the effect, I'd look elsewhere. Crypt Sliver - Tribal. Cyclopean Mummy - Bad. Daggerdrome Imp - Doesn't do enough. Dakmor Scorpion - Bad. Dauthi Cutthroat - It might have a few targets if you have other shadow creatures in your cube, but probably not often enough to make up for this being a 1 power 2-drop. Dauthi Ghoul - There aren't going to be enough other shadow creatures dying to have this matter. Dauthi Warlord - There are not likely to be enough other shadow creatures to make this worthwhile. Deathknell Kami - Just bad. Deathspore Thallid - On its own, It's a 2 drop that doesn' t provide any threat until 3 turns later. And even then the threat is slim. Disciple of Malice - Not good enough. Dregscape Zombie - Without activating unearth, it is a vanilla 2/1 for 2 mana, which is bad. It's not a significant enough body that adding unearthing it is going to be significantly threatening. Helps out sacrifice decks by getting 2 uses, but you probably want better effects for that than this, and it's probably not going to make the cut in decks that don't have a few sac outlets. Drekavac - Not going to be worth the card disadvantage most of the time. If it let you discard creatures to support reanimation it might have some play… but it doesn't. Dross Hopper - Just get Fledgling Djinn instead. Drudge Skeletons / Restless Dead / Unworthy Dead - Strictly worse than Marang River Skeleton, depending on if you care about morph. They can be chumpers, and the regeneration is cheap, but they won't kill much. Dunerider Outlaw - Not going to connect often enough to matter. Duskhunter Bat - You want to get 2 flying power reliably; options that have drawback are going to be better than this to ensure that reliability. Earthblighter - Too narrow. Exiled Boggart - Bad outside narrow applications. Fellhide Brawler - Bad. Festercreep - Doesn't do enough for the costs. Fetid Imp - It's just... meh. Filthy Cur - Just bad. Flensermite - Too difficult to make infect a thing. Flesh Reaver - Downside too high. Fleshmad Steed - Bad. Fog of Gnats - Something like Rathi Trapper is a safer bet for a similar effect. Frenzy Sliver - Tribal. Frogtosser Banneret - Not enough depth in goblins or rogues to make this worth playing. Ghost Hounds - Just not very good. Giant Slug - Bad. Glaze Fiend - Probably not even in a heavy artifact cube. Goblin Turncoat - Narrow tribal. Grim Roustabout - Aggro mode not effective enough for aggro decks, and more efficient versions of the defensive mode. Grimclaw Bats - Too costly. Gurmag Swiftwing - Cost for abilities and stats seems reasonable, but as a whole package doesn't add up to anything worth playing. Gutter Skulk - Worse than Battle Brawler. Hasran Ogress - Downside is too high. Hate Weaver - Not efficient / effective enough. Headhunter - Better ways to force your opponent to discard. Too easily outclassed on the board. Highborn Ghoul - You weren't likely to block with this anyway, so you may as well play the easier to cast Nezumi Cutthroat. Knight of Stromgald / Order of the Ebon Hand - The double black in both the casting cost and activation make this difficult to recommend over other options. Kolaghan Skirmisher - Neither mode is good enough. Krovikan Elementalist - Not efficient enough. Krovikan Scoundrel - Just bad vanilla. Kuro's Taken - A 2/2 blocker with regen could be an ok staller, but there are better options for defensive decks. You would never consider it as an attacker as they will just let the 1 damage though. Leeching Licid - I suppose you could block, attach, then deactivate this to create an endless blocking loop. But you can do that with better cards. The aura mode is not worth talking about. Leeching Sliver - Tribal Lurking Nightstalker - Wei Ambush Force is strictly better as is the same card but doesn't cost double black. Malakir Cullblade - This takes too much work to be good. A 3/3 for 2 mana would make this good, but getting that within a turn of it hitting play is going to be rare. In which case black has other immediate 3/3's with drawbacks for 2 mana you could be playing (or just paying an extra mana for). Manor Skeleton - The haste doesn't make up for higher regen cost of similar cards, or its comparison to Reassembling Skeleton. Mire Shade - Maybe if the effect wasn't sorcery speed. But it is, so it's not worth considering. Mishappen Fiend - Strictly worse than Daggerdrome Imp. Nakaya Shade - Bad. Nath's Buffoon - Too narrow. Nectar Faerie - Too narrow. Nether Shadow - Too hard to abuse. Not too difficult with graveyard strategies to have 3 creatures above it and put it into play, but outside of using cards that have no use anywhere else, its hard to repeat and not worth the effort. Nezumi Bone-Reader - Attached to a weak body. You will rarely want to activate the ability, maybe if you have a lot of tokens, but still pretty rare at sorcery speed.
Nightscape Familiar - 95% of the time any old mana rock is going to be better. This has upside if you cast multiple spells of the right colour a turn, but a mana rock can be used for activated abilities and is more resilient. Null Champion - A 7/3 that regenerates for a single mana would be difficult to handle. But it costs 14 mana to get there. And a 4/2 for 5 mana is also not good. Nyxborn Eidolon - Base mode is vanilla badness. 5 mana for bestow to give something a small power bonus… you end up with a 2/1 if it dies, but still too much investment. Oona's Blackguard - There are a handful of rogues that might see play, but probably not enough to influnce the inclusion of Oona's Blackguard. The +1/+1 counter trigger matters more, but will need to push that as a theme to make this worth considering. Phyrexian Denouncer - Too slow and ineffective. Plague Fiend - Just get Ruthless Ripper. Plague Stinger - Not enough support to make infect a thing. Priest of Yawgmoth - Too narrow. Puppet Conjurer - As a baseline, it can create chumpers while you are on the defensive. It puts creatures into play if you have anything that triggers off that. It creates tokens you can sacrifice to anything (including things that want artifacts). And even if you have death triggers like Blood Artist, you don't even need another sacrifice outlet; Puppet Conjurer creates the tokens and kills them all by itself. However By virtue of being limited to only being effective in BU decks, it really limits the types of decks it will go in. Qarsi Sadist - If played in 'spell mode', it's expensive for no effect on the board. It's not worth considering for those times when you might have a token lying around. Rabid Rats - Too situational. Rats of Rath - Rarely going to matter in cube. Raving Oni-Slave - This is probably going to cost you 6 life by the time you are done, and the extra power is not worth this downside. Returned Reveler - 1/3 vanilla needs something more. It plays into graveyard themes, but needing to die first instead of an ETB effect makes this bad. Roofstalker Wight - Too much to pay. There are a other 2 mana 2 power flyers with drawbacks which are more palatable than this cost. Rotting Giant - Too difficult to reliably get online early (when the power to cost ratio matters) and maintain. Rotting Rats - The symmetry attached to a meaningless body makes it hard to be excited. It can get better if you support graveyard themes, both because of the discard, and the unearth if it makes it into your grave from dredge etc. but there are still better options to support that type of deck. Ruthless Cullblade - 4/2 for 2 mana is great. Played on turn 2, it is going to be vanilla. To reliably get big, it needs a fairly big suite of aggro 1 and 2 drops alongside it. And once you've included those in your cube, you probably don't have room for this. And even when it is big, it still only has 2 toughness which is not difficult to take care of. Salvage Slasher - Requires 2 artifacts in your graveyard just to make it worth the cost. Too hard to get good upside. Sangrophage - Not big enough upside for that damage. Scarred Vinebreeder - Bad. Shepherd of Rot - Tribal. The symmetry makes it hard to break. Sickle Reaper - If you are on the attack, it is probably just going to trade with something regardless of the wither. On defense, it either trades, or makes something smaller, in which case you wish you had a better blocker or removal instead. There are some commonly played 0 power defensive guys (Wall of Blossoms, Wall of Omens, Nyx-Fleece Ram) but not enough to consider this. Skeletal Changeling - Bad. Skeletal Snake - Bad. Skinthinner - Baseline is not good, and costs 8 mana for Nekrataal without first strike. The flexibility does not make up for it. Skirsdag Flayer - Tribal. Skittering Skirge - The drawback is to offset the fact that it is cheap… you want it to be cheap so you can cast it early… but then you can't follow up. Could have limited applications as a cheap efficient creature you can protect with counterspells, or sequence plays so this is the last creature you play alongside something else. Skullsnatcher - If you want a graveyard clearer, it isn't attached to an embarassing body for the cost. But still too narrow for most cubes to include. Slith Bloodletter - Heavy black cost is not appealing. Even played on turn 2 anything with 2 toughness can block it. Played after turn 2 it becomes terrible. Soldevi Adnate - It's a sacrifice outlet, it can help you ramp… but as a package it just doesn't add up to enough or contribute enough to a deck you would want to draft. Spineless Thug - Strictly worse than Fallen Askari. Spiteful Bully - Downside too high. Squeaking Pie Sneak - Too conditional for cube. Squirming Mass - Frightcrawler strictly better. Stromgald Crusader - Double black in casting cost and activation makes it hard to swallow. Pro white will also turn off some cube owners. Equally good or better aggro options without the double casting cost. Surrak Marauder - If you want intimidate, you aren't intending to block. In which case, Nezumi Cutthroat is better. Swamp Mosquito - Bad. Swarm of Rats - Not good enough. Tainted Monkey - Combos with Lantern of Insight and Wizened Snitches. Or bounce that puts to the top of the library. Which is not enough to make this playable. Tavern Swindler - There is never a time you would want this. Thrull Surgeon - 4 total mana for this effect is a no. Vampire Hexmage - One of few black creatures that have first strike. But the double black cost is not worth the first strike, and removing all counters from something isn’t important enough in peasant cube. Walking Corpse - Worse than Battle Brawler. Wall of Corpses - Any of blacks removal does a better job. Maybe if its toughness was 4 or something. Wall of Tombstones - Bad. Wei Ambush Force - Not good enough. Wei Infantry - Bad. Wei Scout - Black has better shadow creatures to fill this evasive spot. Whipstictched Zombie - Just bad. Wicked Akuba - The ability isn't worth the double black in the casting cost. It will be difficult to get through even if cast on curve. Withered Wretch - Not worth paying the double black in the casting cost. Working Stiff - Bad. Yixlid Jailer - Either too narrow, or single-handedly hoses archetypes you are trying to support. Young Wei Recruits - Bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Demonic Tutor Description - Great card for all black decks, and sometimes worthy of a splash. Let's you find any answer to the current board state, or find synergistic pieces for what your deck is doing. Only costing 2 mana gives you the opportunity to cast the card you find the turn you play it. If you have ways to get it back from the graveyard it can set up combos all by itself. Value goes down slightly in purer aggro decks that may not want to spend 2 mana that doesn't affect the board. Anchors -
Doom Blade Description - One of blacks best removal spells, it will hit the majority of creatures you face. You will rarely be wanting for targets, as even if your opponent is also playing black, they are likely playing a second colour. Anchors - Supports -
Go For The Throat Description - One of blacks best pieces of instant removal, hitting the vast majority of creatures in cubes. Anchors - Supports -
Hymn to Tourach Description - The best 2 mana discard spell available to black. Being random discard makes this particularly potent, as it does not allow the opponent to keep their best cards, and it can hit lands. Its for this reason that some cube owners may avoid this card; cast on turn 2 and even taking a single land can be devastating and knock some players out of their game. It's a 2 for 1 for 2 mana in most stages of the game, and in the late game its rare that an opponent will play every single card on the turn they draw it. Consider Wrench Mind if you want a 'fair' 2 mana discard 2 cards spell. Anchors - Supports -
Ultimate Price Description - Outside of the handful of artifact creatures, Eldrazi and multi-colour creatures that most cubes have, this hits everything else, making it the top black removal spell that is playable in any deck, and is likely to be splashed even if you aren't playing black. Anchors - Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Animate Dead Description - Animate Dead is a solid card in almost any fair black deck, getting you back your best creature for only 2 mana. 1 less power usually doesn't matter if you only paid 2 mana for a 4+ drop. You don't need to support reanimator for Animate Dead to be good but it also has that upside. Turn 1 discard outlet, Turn 2 Animate Dead on Trostani's Summoner is going to be tough to beat. Anchors - Supports - Reanimator
Night's Whisper Description - The mana cost is cheap for draw 2, offset by the life loss. Most decks will be happy to pay that though. The cheaper cost can make it playable in an aggro deck, allowing it to play this after dumping its hand and potentially playing the drawn threats that turn. Similarly control decks can cast this while keeping mana up for counterspells or other responses, or to activate on-board control. Anchors - Supports -
Terror Description -Doom Blade and Go For The Throat both have more targets, but this still hits a lot of targets. It also kills regenerators. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Dance of the Dead Description - Similar to Animate Dead, with power and toughness upside, inability to block the turn you reanimate due to coming in tapped downside, and upkeep downside. The downsides make this less applicable to 'fair' decks (though still ok) and more appropriate for reanimation decks that are happy to pay 2 mana on turn 3 to untap their 9/9 Ulamog's Crusher. Anchors - Reanimator Supports - Graveyard Matters
Death Denied Description - Paying 3 mana for a Raise Dead is bad. Paying 5 mana at the end of the opponents turn to get 3 creatures back is gravy. The flexibility in casting cost and being an instant makes this a solid card for attrition-based midrange or control decks. Hana Kami on it's own is narrow, but is an engine when combined with this card. Less effective in an aggro deck. Anchors - Supports -
Devour In Shadow Description - The combination of double black and life loss make this one harder to swallow than other removal. But it has upside over similar costed black removal in that it will kill virtually anything you want. For most it still won't be worth the downsides, but is certainly not unplayable. Value goes up if you have lots of regnerators in your card pool. Anchors - Supports -
Distress
Description - In terms of effect, stripping any nonland card is quite powerful. The question becomes is that additional power worth paying 2 black mana, over the more conditional 1 mana versions? The answer is likely to be no, as the 1 mana versions can let you better sequence plays, but this is still a playable piece of discard.
Anchors -
Supports -
Grasp of Darkness Description - Serviceable if you want to control the effectiveness of your removal, and want your players to commit to black for their removal. Can give ramp / reanimator strategies a little more of a chance while still hitting a significant number of creatures in the cube. Anchors - Supports -
Last Gasp Description - Kills a lot of things in cubes, but you need to combine with something else to take out bigger threats. Your Doom Blades and Go For the Throat are generally better, and the inclusion of Last Gasp can help ramp / control decks with larger threats have more of a chance. Anchors - Supports -
Macabre Waltz Description - Trade this and a card you don't want (or that you want in your graveyard) for the 2 best creatures in your graveyard. You don't end up ahead, but have (or should have) improved card quality. Has synergy with graveyard decks which can put more targets in the graveyard in the first place, and the discard effect of this card, but still works fine in other decks. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Shadows of the Past Description - It does nothing the turn that it comes into play… and potentially for a few turns after that. But creatures die in games, so you should get a number of scry's out of it, which can add up over the game. Gets better in sacrifice decks which can control the scry. Worth noting that when lots of creatures die, you might find the card you want in your first scry, making further triggers until your next draw step redundant. You won't want to rely on the drain effect, but is a nice bonus if you have the mana spare or if a couple of activations are all that is needed to finish a game. Primarily for control / attrition decks that intend to go long. Anchors - Supports -
Sinkhole Description - If you want to push a land destruction package in black, this is your only 2 mana option. The better the nonbasic lands in your cube, the better this gets. However unless you support land destruction as a theme, on its own it is going to be very narrow targeted removal for those cards. It can be good in aggro decks to help slower decks off their bigger spells after laying down some threats. Anchors - Supports -
Smother Description - It hits less targets than the likes of Doom Blade and Go For The Throat, and doesn't kill larger creatures that are more likely to be the ones you want to kill. But it is instant speed and doesn't discriminate against colour. It's inclusion in your cube is probably based on intentionally lowering the power level of removal in your cube, or giving your slower decks specific removal against aggro decks. Anchors - Supports -
Victim of Night Description - Without checking any particular cubes, it probably hits more creatures than any other 2 mana black destroy spells with the possible exceptions of Go For The Throat and Ultimate Price. But it's probably not enough to make up for the double black to consider it before some of those other options. Still a fine piece of removal. Anchors - Supports -
Wrench Mind Description - Potentially the next best 2 mana for 2 discard spells after Hymn to Tourach. The player choice makes it worse than Hymn, but makes it fairer if you are finding the randomness of Hymn to reduce the fun factor. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Bile Blight Description -Last Gasp is easier to cast and will be better the vast majority of the time, but you might want to consider this if you want a card to deal with token decks. Anchors - Supports -
Blight Description - You don't get too many 2 mana land removal spells, though the opponent does get one more use out of the land. You need to be pushing a land destruction deck pretty hard, but at least you give it a 2 mana option for the curve. Anchors - Supports - Land Destruction
Cabal Ritual Description - Narrow enabler for a storm deck. It could be an accelerator in a dredge deck, putting you up 3 mana once you hit threshold, but by the time you've hit threshold you are less likely to need that extra mana. Anchors - Supports - Storm
Chainer's Edict Description - Can be useful for control decks to stall an aggro start and get an extra use in the late game, You won't care if you flip it early, but has synergy with dredge decks Anchors - Supports -
Corrupted Zendikon Description - You can attack turn 3 with a 3/3, but if you want to use it as a creature, you tie up a mana for each subsequent turn. Can be ok in a low curve aggro deck, but not likely to get much play outside of that. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Diabolic Edict Description - It's instant and great against single targets like Jetting Glasskite, but the player choice means you are less likely to actually get what you want. Might be worth it in slow cubes where decks curve out at higher end, and you don't support tokens. Anchors - Supports -
Exhume Description - You get your best creature, but so does your opponent, and you are down this card. But if you want to maximise cheap reanimation cards, this can be an option; ideally your creature will cost significantly more than your opponents if you have discard / looting support. If you are finding reanimator decks too often being wrecked by enchantment removal (Animate Dead & friends), this gives you another cheap option alongside Reanimate. Anchors - Supports - Reanimator
Grave Strength Description - This card has a low floor but a high ceiling. The ceiling can be hard to reach in most decks, as it will have little value in the early game, but may provide a decent creature boost after some attrition battles. It does still open you up for a 2 for 1. Other cards can provide a boost more reliably, but the self-mill also helps other graveyard strategies as well. Anchors - Supports -
Grim Discovery Description - The only reason you would consider this is if you were getting the 2 for 1 on a regular basis, which probably requires some form of land matters theme. There are cards that it might be able to do some work with (Goblin Trenches, Foundry of the Consuls, dead manlands) but you need a critical mass of those types of cards to consider this.
Anchors -
Supports -
Grim Harvest Description - Grim Harvest offers creature recursion ad infinitum, but in practice is tricky to use. You always need the mana open to recover it, so your battle plan needs to account for this, which might be by holding it in hand until you know the mana will be available, or waiting until you are ready to trigger a sacrifice effect. Can provide long term value, but only fits in grindy value decks that can survive aggro assaults long enough to play it. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Marsh Casualties Description - Against most opponents you will want to be getting the larger effect. 5 mana is a lot for the effect, but can apply to different situations. Against aggro or token decks, it may wipe out most of their team. Played before combat against larger creatures, you make them all ineffective blockers, either dying to your attackers, or letting the damage get through. Or played as an 'after combat trick' to ensure creatures that were dealt damage during combat die. Situational and smidge more than you want to pay, but a 1 sided Infest is worth considering. Anchors - Supports -
Nameless Inversion Description - In most cases this is just going to be a Lasp Gasp with some downside (you can't just make a big creature small and have your creature survive combat). Does have upside of allowing power boosting your creatures with high toughness, though this mode is unlikely to be used often. Marginal upside of being about to be tutored by some tribal cards. Anchors - Supports -
Rime Transfusion Description - If you let your players have snow basics, this can be a power booster and make the creature almost unblockable. Decent upside, but still at the mercy of 2 for 1, and having to pay a mana every turn can hurt early development. Anchors - Supports -
Sign In Blood Description -Night's Whisper is going to be the better card most of the time. This has the extra flexibility of being able to force through the final 2 life loss on your opponent, but with the rare times that will happen, you will want the easier to cast of Night's Whisper. Maybe for larger cubes where you want additional redundancy of this effect. Anchors - Supports -
Smallpox Description - It has a powerful effect, but there isn't really a deck or arcehtype that can make great use of it. Anchors - Supports -
Steal Strength Description - Conditional, but could turn around 2 combat trades, or kill some utility creatures. However is still situational. Anchors - Supports -
Withering Boon Description - This deserves a mention as a card that is relatively unique in blacks arsenal. Removal doesn't require the timing that this does, but it can deal with some problem creatures like Blastoderm / Calciderm, Jetting Glasskite, and 'counters' any ETB effects when removal would be too late. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Abandon Hope - Even if you have a deck that wants to put stuff in the graveyard, you are still down a card and it is expensive if you want to throw multiple cards. Addle - A reasonable discard card. While different than the 1 mana options, it's not likely to give you more results and therefore not likely worth investing the extra mana. Altar's Reap - At least it is instant speed. But the casting is very situational, restricted to both when one of your creatures is about to die, and you have the 2 mana spare. For those reasons it isn't going to make the cut. Ancestral Vengeance - Not a big enough effect. Assasin's Blade - Narrow removal. Only if you want to regulate power of your removal. Banewasp Affliction - It doesn't actually affect the board. Bereavement - Too narrow. Bile Blight - Last Gasp is better because it requires less commitment to black. It can be used against token decks, but if you support tokens, you probably don't want a hoser. Binding Agony - Doesn't affect the board. Brain Pry - For the most part, you will see the opponents hand and draw a card, for which there are better options. There might be some game states where you will know what they have (bounce spells for example) but not enough to make this playable. Cannibalize - Bad removal. Cast into Darkness - Just use straight up removal. Chain of Smog - You could target yourself for reanimator decks or other graveyard themes, then target your opponent, but probably too variable and unreliable to get the outcome you want. Chill Haunting - Just get better removal. Chime of Night - Or just play Doom Blade. Circle of Affliction - It requires you to be damaged in the first place, you need to invest mana and you don't always have control over when the damage is going to hit you, and most opponents have 2+ colour decks and can play around it. Claim of Erebos - Need to invest 2 cards, opening you up to 2 for 1's, plus need to invest 2 mana every turn. I could see this being used end of turn in a quirky defender deck, but most creatures you would enchant are likely to be better off swinging or using their other abilities. Clinging Darkness - If you don't want flat out kill spells, Last Gasp is better than this. Cloak of Confusion - If you invest a card, you want bonus, not swapping damage for something else. Coils of Medusa - Too narrow. Consume Spirit - Needing to spend only black mana makes this bad. Contaminated Bond - They still get to attack or block. Contaminated Ground - Going first and played turn 2, this could either deal some damage or stunt the opponents development if they avoid the damage, or even turn off a colour for them in early turns, but is easy enough to play around. Played later, it is terrible and is likely to make up the majority of the time. Cradle to the Grave - Just get Doom Blade. Crown of Suspicion - Too situational. Cruel Edict - Chainer's Edict is strictly better. Crumbling Ashes - Not enough ways to effectively support this. If you've got -1/-1 counters happening, they should be enough to kill things anyway. Dark Privilege - Not good enough. Dark Favor - The upside of being able to swing with an evasive creature with an extra 3 damage on the turn you cast this makes this somewhat appealing, but not enough to overcome potential 2 for 1. Anchors - Supports - Death Stroke - Just get better removal, unless intentionally monitoring power level of removal. Deathgrip - Too narrow. Debilitating Injury - Dead Weight has the same effect for 1 mana. Decompose - Not worth a card. Defeat - Smother strictly better. Dash Hopes - Opponent option is bad. Despondency - You just want better removal. Devour Flesh - It's instant and great against single targets like Jetting Glasskite, but the player choice means you are less likely to actually get what you want. Giving them life is bad when you can just play Diabolic Edict. There may be rare times when you could use this on your own creature that is about to die because you need the life gain, but that is incidental upside that should not impact on whether you play this card or not. Disturbed Burial - 5 mana for no board impact is too slow an engine except in the super durdliest of cubes. Disturbing Plot - Having to pay 2 mana instead of Raise Dead's 1 means you need to get value out of conspire to make this worth it. While that is not impossible, you either aren't going to have the two black creatures, or if you do won't want to tap them down instead of attack or be available as blockers, often enough to warrant this. Dragon Shadow - Doesn’t do enough as an aura. The graveyard retrieval is rarely going to happen. Drain Life - Consume Spirit strictly better (can drain more than life total / toughness). Drudge Spell - Requiring 2 cards to exile means you won't get a critical mass of tokens even in a graveyard based deck. Being regenerators, it is at its best in an attrition based defensive deck, and it can provide some extra creatures for a sacrifice deck. But even in those decks, it is still not going to be that impressive. Dry Spell - Doesn't do enough. Dying Wail - Too unreliable. Dying Wish - Too unreliable. Echoing Decay - It's going to be a bad Disfigure most of the time, or a blowout against the token decks you might be trying to support. Enfeeblement - Dead Weight is strictly better. Eternal Thirst - Not good enough to offset potential 2 for 1's. Exsanguinate - Doesn't do enough. Fear - Dragon Shadow is strictly better if you really want this effect. Feast of Blood - Vampires is not something you can rely on. Feast of Dreams - Removal that is too specific. Feebleness - Dead Weight is better as an aura, and if instant speed matters then you probably want something like Last Gasp. Festering Wound - Magical Christmas Land sees this being cast on a defender and the opponent has not way to remove it and you have time to wait. But in 99% of games this will do very little. Font of Return - Death Denied much more flexible / powerful. The only upside this has is that you don't need two black mana on the same turn, but you would play this effect late enough in the game that it doesn't matter. Gate to Phyrexia - Poor use of resources. Unless you REALLY want black to have an option for artifact removal. Gaze of Pain - Very narrow. It could have some use in evasive decks to help wipe the opponents creatures. But is very conditional on board state, and if you are the evasive player, you probably just want to be dealing that damage to the player and winning the game. Does nothing if you are not already winning. Geth's Verdict - Not good enough. Ghoul's Feast - It might do some work as a finisher in a graveyard based deck, or an attrition deck, but is too narrow and is not going to be very effective outside of those decks. Grave Consequences - Minor hoser if your opponent has a graveyard strategy. It just doesn't do enough. And if you are black, you are more likely to be playing some graveyard matters cards yourself. Grave Peril - Lack of control over what you kill is bad. Even if you have enchantment recursion, this is too poor outside of that interaction to warrant inclusion. Grave Servitude - Doesn't do enough. Greel's Caress - Bad. Headstone - Cremate strictly better (which is still not worth playing) Hunger of the Nim - Too narrow, even if pushing artifacts. Hypnotic Cloud - Two mana is too much for a single card, and 6 mana is too much for 3. Imperial Edict - Worse Diabolic Edict. Imp's Taunt - At the cheap cost you want it as a cantrip, and too expensive to re-use for this effect. Infernal Harvest - Too narrow. Need to be mono-black to make it work, and even in those decks unless it is really late in the game, it is going to set you back too much. Infernal Scarring - It can get around the inherent 2 for 1 of auras (unless it is on the stack) but it doesn't do enough. Insubordination - A fine drain card if you can put it on a defender, but in most games it is not going to do anything, and your opponent is going to want to attack you anyway. Kiku's Shadow - It's not bad removal, but there are much better options without the double casting cost. Leshrac's Sigil - Too narrow. Liliana's Caress - It has a 'build around me' feel, but you need far too much discard to be in your cube to be reliable enough to outclass other cards that just deal damage to your opponent. Lim-Dul's Hex - Not worth it. Lingering Death - They still get to have one more attack; you would rather just have better removal. Maybe in the durdliest of cubes with Dowsing Shaman or other recursion. Lost Hours - 1 mana discard options are better. Midnight Covenant - 2 for 1 city. Mind Burst - No effect in peasant cube. Mind Knives - Either shave a mana and get targeted discard, or go double black for Hymn to Tourach to get two cards. Mind Swords - It can support all out aggro as the last card it plays, or even play for a free by saccing an outclassed creature. But just play Hymn To Tourach. It's not like other decks go out of their way to steal all of aggro's discard spells to consider this. Morgue Theft - Paying 7 mana all up is too much for this effect. Mourning - Doesn't do enough to affect the board, and the return doesn't add much. Nausea - It's a sweeper, but -1/-1 is going to be situational. Nightcreep - There might be cards that synergise with this on some level, but they are either so minor or so specific, and the card does nothing outside of that, that this is worthless in most cubes. No Rest For The Wicked - It has a higher ceiling than Raise Dead, but the timing issues required to gain card advantage make it rare that you will get optimum plays. Sorceries like Death's Duet are going to give yo more consistency. Oblivion Crown - Investment city for short term rewards. If you need to get cards into your graveyard, there are much better ways. Ordeal of Erebos - Too slow. Pack's Disdain - Too conditional. Painful Memories - Sorcery speed, so you prevent them from seeing a new card on their next turn. Because it is not affecting the board and is still costing you a card, it doesn't do enough. Parallax Dementia - Not a big enough reward for the risk. Pharika's Curse / Sorin's Thirst / Vicious Hunger - Black has much better creature removal and this costs double black. Phyresis - Not effective to make infect a thing. Pooling Venom - Bad at everything. Premature Burial - Too conditional. Doesn't kill the worst threat on the board if you top deck it, and limited window to use it on each creature, impacting your ability to play other spells. If it cost 1 mana, it might be worth it, but not at 2 mana when there are much better options. Pretender's Charm - I don't see any scenarios where you would want to play this. Prowess of the Fair - You need to be full on tribal to make this into something. It doesn't affect the board itself, and there aren't enough incidental Elves to make this worth it. Psychic Miasma - It at least ensures the opponent can't just hold onto land as targets for your discard spells. But targeted options are better. Pulling Teeth - The opponent gets the choice, and when it is a 1 for 1, you feel bad. Ragged Veins - Not worth the card investment. Reave Soul - You might play it if you drafted it as it isn't unplayable, but there are many other better options given its limited targets and the sorcery speed. Revive The Fallen - 2 mana Raise Dead is bad. Rite of Consumption - It's reach, but black has other forms of reach. It's conditional, requiring you to have a creature to get rid of at sorcery speed. It doesn't hit creatures, and it will usually do nothing until you are ready to actually end the game. Rouse - It's free, but it isn't enough impact. Mutagenic Growth is a strict upgrade. Scent of Nightshade - It's rarely going to be better than Last Gasp, and this forces you to reveal information to your opponent. As a top deck, it is a completely useless card. Scourgemark - Not worth paying for. Seizures - If you put this on an opponent's creature, they aren't going to attack with it or activate it's tap abilities… unless they are going to win anyway. So just play removal instead. Self-Inflicted Wound - Narrow. Shade's Breath - You would need a fair bit of mana on the board, and have it be black, for this to be effective. Shattered Crypt - Death Denied is strictly better; instant and doesn't cost you any life. Shred Memory - Paying 2 mana for this effect with nothing else is bleh. Transmute doesn't add anything meaningful. Shriek of Dead - Just bad. Shrivel - It's a sweeper, but the small value makes it situational. You can always cast it after combat if you are attacking into larger creatures, but it is still too situational to consider for most cubes. Sickening Dreams - It's a powerful effect for 2 mana. Dealing 4 damage and wiping out 4+ opposing cards would be amazing… but will cost you 5 cards total. It's too difficult to reliably use. Simulacrum - You have to wait until you receive the damage first. So you can't undo your opponent swinging for lethal or throwing the final burn at your dome. And you have to have a creature in play to 'sacrifice'. It's like giving yourself a 2 for 1 for some life gain. Would be nice with Spitemare... but it's not playable. Sinister Strength - Not worth the possibility of the 2 for 1. Skeletal Grimace - Not good enough. Skulltap - Not at sorcery speed. Too high a cost to be consistently playable. Soul Exchange - A very conditional reanimation spell. If you could reliably get the +2/+2 bonus, that upside might make it worth a look-in, but there are only a couple of playable Thrulls. Soul Reap - Too conditional. Soul Rend - Too conditional. Soulless Revival - The baseline is a bad Raise Dead, with very few synergies to get upside. Death Denied probably fills the same role. Specter's Wall - Random discard can be good, but it's worth paying the double black for Hymn to Tourach. Spinal Graft - It has some nice upside, but giving one of your creatures the skulk ability via an aura almost guarantees you will be 2 for 1'd by just about anything. You might get a hit in if your opponent is tapped out, but you'll be lucky for more than a couple. Spirit Shackle - It's just bad. Spiteful Shadows - Too narrow. You would rather just remove the target. Stitch Together - You would only want to include this in your cube / deck if you expected to resolve this card with threshold on a regular basis. By the time you've hit threshold, you can usually cast Zombify or something cheaper but more reliable than this. Strength of Lunacy - Doesn't have enough impact. The madness doesn't add enough to consider it over other options. Surging Dementia - Doesn't do anything in singleton peasant. Swallowing Plague - It only hits creatures, and other removal is better. Talara's Bane - Too narrow for cube. Torment - Just play actual removal. Toxic Stench - Doom Blade is strictly better. Transmutation - Too conditional to be consistent. Treacherous Link - Too hard to abuse, you will usually just want removal instead. Twisted Experiment - Not enough upside to cast on your own creautre over Sinister Strength which isn't really playable, and the -1 toughness isn't enough to consider this for removal. Tyrant's Choice - It's a guaranteed 4 life loss for 2 mana. It's not terrible reach and can help finish an aggro start, but the fact that it only hits opponents makes this a glorified Lava Spike. Urge to Feed - Some vampires you might see in peasant cubes; Blood Artist, Bloodthrone Vampire, Child of Night, Falkenrath Noble, Moroii, Pawn of Ulamog, Sengir Vampire, Vampire Interloper, Vampire Nighthawk, Viscera Seer. The question is, how many do you need in your cube to consider this over the easier to cast Last Gasp? The answer is unclear, but requiring the vampires to be untapped sucks. You might consider this if you want your removal to be less splashable and reward players committed to black. Vampirism - Just bad. Warp Artifact - Terrible. Warren Weirding - It's either a sorcery edict that is randomly useless against some opponents, or it's a very narrow tribal card. Wicked Rewards - It's a nice boost for the mana cost, but the sacrifice cost is too much. Word of Binding - It can help your guys get through, but the double black makes it too unappealing. Yawgmoth's Edict - Too narrow. Yoke of the Damned - Narrow removal. Zombie Infestation - 2 cards is a lot to ask. Too much. Graveyard synergies don't make up for it.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Looter il-Kor Description - Strong evasion, which means the card filtering is almost always on, which is great whether it is support for aggro decks that want to keep up pressure, or control decks trying to find appropriate answers or threats. Also provides additional support for graveyard decks or reanimator. Also handy with equipment. There is rarely a blue deck that won't want it. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Carnivorous Death-Parrot Description - Great for blue aggro, but also playable in any other deck, as long as you are ok with Un-cards and remember to say it. Anchors - Supports - Aggro / Skies
Vaporkin / Welkin Tern Description - The inability to block forces this into aggro decks more than others, but it's not unreasonable as a cheap evasive threat for control decks. It's an evasive 2 power 2-drop whose drawback is not going to be relevant most of the time in those decks. Anchors - Aggro, Skies Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Augury Owl Description - The body it leaves behind is not impressive, but scry 3 digs enough that it can be worth being a chump blocker to stall while setting up plays, or getting in a few points of evasive damage. Anchors - Supports -
Azure Mage Description - The stats are flexible enough that it might see play in both control and aggro decks. It can allow control decks some card draw once stabilised, and give aggro the opportunity to draw some cards as a back up plan if it runs out of gas. Anchors - Supports -
Briarberry Cohort Description - Can support blue aggro decks that want to go wide. It will have 2 power less consistently than some other cards that fill a similar role (like Welkin Tern, Gossamer Phantom), but when boosted the extra toughness can help it better survive divisible burn or opposing flying tokens. It's not the greatest fit for a control deck, but is a better fit than other cheap blue evasive creatures. Anchors - Supports -
Cloudskate Description - Most 2 power evasive 2 drops are saddled with 1 toughness. The extra point of toughness here is not massive, but lets it attack into spirit tokens or other flying 1/1's. The fading relegates it to decks that want to win quickly, so you need to be pushing blue aggro to include this. Anchors - Aggro / Skies Supports -
Fog Bank Description - Sits back and blocks nearly everything your opponent throws at you, and is great for buying time in a control deck, or even in an aggro/control deck that lays cheap evasive threats and then stalls the opponent. Depending on where you want this type of card on the curve, you may also consider Guard Gomazoa for a similar effect that can actually deal damage. Anchors - Supports - Control
Frost Walker Description - Blue aggro, here we come. Best if there are support cards for an aggro control or aggro tempo deck that lays threats like this, and keeps the way clear with removal, tap down, or bounce effects to get hits in. It will die to a bunch of stuff, but you only paid 2 mana for it, and if your opponent was going to target it, they were probably trying to kill it anyway. It can be inconsistent, and if you don't have sufficient tempo based support
(tap down / bounce) to ensure the 4 power matters, you might want to look elsewhere. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Gossamer Phantasm Description - A decent 2 power evasive 2 drop for aggro. You will probably want to consider Welkin Tern / Vaporkin ahead of this if you want to support blue aggro, as this will be easier for your opponent to remove. You get to block more stuff with this, but if you are spending time blocking, you probably want something more robust than this anyway. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Halimar Wavewatch Description - This can come down on turn 2 to block most aggro creatures, and with a minor upgrade can block almost anything on the ground. You would wait until you've got the game under control, but once you are ready you can dump spare mana into it to turn it into a threat. Anchors - Control Supports -
Invisible Stalker Description - You can get cheaper 1/1's that can’t be blocked… but the hexproof combined with power boosting auras or equipment can make this a powerhouse. It needs the support of those cards to be good (which are not uncommon in most cubes), but for some players it goes straight from bad to being unfair and unfun as there are few ways to interact with it. Anchors - Pants / Voltron Supports -
Magical Hacker Description - At a quick glance, this could affect the following types of cards; opposing boosting auras and equipment (Griffin Guide, Grafted Wargear), you can make your unleashed creatures block, endless recursion with persist and undying, turn opposing +1/+1 counter strategies and prowess into a disadvantage, kill opposing Wild Nacatl / Kird Apes, add versatility to both your combat pumps or tougness based removal while nullifying your opponents, and makes monstrous hard for your opponent to activate. You won't play it in an aggro deck and you will want enough cards in your cube that it will interact with, but that is not hard for most cubes. Perhaps one of the best foils for Curse of Predation. Anchors - Supports -
Merfolk Looter / Thought Courier Description - Cheap, repeatable card filtering. You will probably want to consider Looter-il-Kor before this for a similar effect with combat damage upside (though you do have more timing control here). Helps support graveyard themes while just being solid at improving your card quality in other decks. Anchors - Supports -
Omenspeaker Description - Good card for control, puts a reasonable butt on the board to stall aggro, while digging for what you need. Not the best target for Crystal Shard / bounce decks, but is cheap enough to recast to get that decks engine going. Anchors - Supports - Bounce
Quickling Description - A cheap evasive creature that can let you re-use another creatures ETB ability. Best use is to save from removal or other destruction; take care if just using to bounce otherwise. If you cast this when you have 1 other creature, your oppoenent can cast removal while this is on the stack, forcing a 2 for 1. Anchors - Supports - bounce
Sejiri Merfolk Description - You wouldn't play this as just a blue card, but has good enough abilities to fit in blue / white decks of any speed, even if it isn't flashy. Combination of abilities make it a good candidate for power boosting auras and equipment. Anchors - Supports -
Sigiled Starfish Description - ok for blocking bears and then scrying at the end of your opponents turn to improve your card quality. It's not tricky and is just generally solid in any deck that isn't trying to win quickly, though it can support cards that care about what is on the top of your deck should you have any of those in your cube. Anchors - Control Supports -
Vedalken Mastermind Description - Good for bounce decks. Baseline lets you block with something and then boune it before damage is dealt as a stalling tactic, but once you start throwing ETB effects into the mix then you start generating incremental advantage. If you suspect removal, you can always hold up this effect. Anchors - Bounce Supports -
Wall of Tears Description - Tempo card that can hurt aggro decks, and even it doesn't survive it still gets to return the creature. The more prevalent ETB effects are in your cube, the less effective this will be. Kaijin of Vanishing Touch slightly worse (3 toughness) but may be an option if you find this too good at anti-aggro in your environment. Anchors - Supports - Control
Waterfront Bouncer Description - It's a card disadvantage trade for tempo, but can be useful for graveyard filling for reanimator. In the late game it turns all your extra lands into bounce spells to keep big threats off the board or remove blockers. It won't be your go-to for Crystal Shard decks, but can provide that deck some extra support. Fringe use of 'countering' removal by trading the target with the worst card in your hand. Anchors - Supports - Bounce, Reanimator, Graveyard Matters
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Alluring Siren Description - Supports a narrow 'punisher' deck with cards that deal damage or otherwise punish the opponent whenever they attack, or force small creatures into Spitemare, or high toughness creatures with at least some power. It is very situational, given that your opponent is probably going to want to attack you anyway. May have more value in slower, grindier cubes. Almost useless against quick aggro decks. Anchors - Punisher decks Supports -
Aquamoeba Description - At a glance it can support graveyard and reanimation strategies while having stats just ok enough to block small aggro creatures. But it's fairly narrow compared to other options. Anchors - Supports - Reanimator, Dredge, Graveyard Matters
Augur of Bolas - 1 Description - Not consistent enough for most decks, making it most likely to be played only in spells matters decks that are high on sorceries and instants. Omenspeaker is much more flexible while still supporting that deck. Anchors - Spells Matter Supports -
Balduvian Conjurer Description - If you let your player play with snow basics, this might actually be playable in a control deck that intends to go long, letting you throw excess lands either on the attack or helping with blocks, or to sacrifice outlets. However it is still situational and is really only good in the late game in slower cubes. Anchors - Supports - Control, Sacrifice
Cloud of Faeries Description - It fits narrowly into aggro decks that just want to get threats on the board early, allowing you play this and another threat. It also lets control decks play a threat while keeping mana up for counters / answers. It's evasive, but it is still a 1/1. Marginal opportunities for fixing, or acceleration with bounce lands. Can also provide Storm support. Anchors - Supports - Storm
Deranged Assistant Description - Blue will usually want a less fragile accelerator, such as any mana rock. The assistance it provides to graveyard matters themes is minor, but by virtue of milling a single card, can be useful if you have enough effects like scry or look at the top of your library to hit the cards you want and improve the quality of your draws. It could be worth including then, because even without those synergies, it is still at least an accelerator. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Drake Familiar Description - Difficult to use unless pushing an enchantment theme, though occasionally it can be used as temporary removal for opponents enchantments. You probably only want this in your cube if you are going really deep on pushing the enchantment theme. Cute synergies with Sarcomancy. Anchors - Enchantment Matters Supports -
Dream Stalker Description - You are probably not going to play this turn 2 as you will probably have to return a land, but it can survive combat with almost everything up to 4-drops. It's good for bouncing ETB creatures, but can also bounce auras like Banishing Light if you want to replay them. It can even keep bouncing itself if you have ways to benefit from repeatedly playing spells or creatures entering / leaving play. Anchors - Supports - Bounce
Dreamscape Artist Description - It trades 2 cards for 2 cards. The lands don't come into play tapped, so it sort of only costs 1 mana. It fills your graveyard for threshold, and let's you discard other cards that might benefit from being in the graveyard. After a few activations, you really thin your deck of lands, increasing your chance of drawing business spells. BUT, if you play this on turn 2 and activate it on turn 3 to get your engine running, it's 2 turns with no meaningful interaction with your opponent. Only for slower cubes. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator
Elusive Spellfist Description - None of the stats or abilities are bad, but it looks like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be doing. It could be defensive, but there are better options. It could be aggressive, but there are better options. It can go in a variety of decks, but it is not likely to be a standout in any of them. Anchors - Supports - Spells Matter
Fathom Seer Description - Gush is good, but this is not the same as Gush on legs. You can pay 3 mana and get a 1/3 and 2 cards which sounds good, but you can't do that effectively on turn 3. Gush doesn't demand any mana. It might be ok in slower cubes that can afford the setup time. Anchors - Supports -
Kaijin of the Vanishing Touch Description -Wall of Tears is strictly better, but this is another analogue for larger cubes if you want it, or you just want to temper the effect. Tempo card that can hurt aggro decks, and even it doesn't survive it still gets to return the creature. The more prevalence beneficial ETB effects are in your cube, the less effective this will be. Anchors - Supports - Control
Meletis Astronomer Description - Only in an enchantment heavy theme. Fits into an aura-based Voltron theme, though fairly narrow on that theme. Anchors - Supports - Pants / Voltron
Plaxmanta Description - You might consider this as a 2 mana mono-blue spell that counters anything that targets creatures you control, like removal. In that role, it's probably a bit narrower compared to other counterspells for the mana cost. You might class this as a Simic spell for cube construction, where it is gravy if it does cause a 2 for 1. Anchors - Supports -
Renowned Weaponsmith Description - 2 mana is fairly solid acceleration, but you need several artifacts to make good use of it. At the very least it's a 1/3 for 2 mana, which is not great but at least can block smaller creatures. Including this in your cube may make it look like you have the two artifacts it searches for, which is unlikely to be the case. Anchors - Artifact Matters Supports -
Riddlesmith Description - It's narrow, but can support an artifact matters theme. Outside of that particular archetype it probably won't see much play, but can be aggro filler if you need to fill out your curve. Anchors - Artifact Matters Supports -
Screeching Skaab / Sultai Skullkeeper Description - Without taking advantage of the cards being put into the graveyard, you probably won't include this deck, except maybe as aggro filler. Does a little extra work in graveyard matters themes, whether it is chucking dredgers, unearth creatures, or enabling Worm Harvest / Spider Spawning / threshold cards. But even then, it will rarely see play outside of those types of decks. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Spellstutter Sprite Description - Countering a spell while putting an evasive creature into play is reasonable. However, it is quite conditional, given that the vast majority of the time, you can only counter 1 mana spells (Quickling and Pestermite might help out, but rarely). While there are some good removal spells you might want to counter, you might be holding up mana for something that isn't there. Probably only for control decks that were going to hold up mana anyway. Anchors - Control Supports -
Stitcher's Apprentice Description - If you have something that is about to die from removal or chumping in combat, you can always replace it. It might have spotty performance outside of sacrifice decks, but is probably good enough to make the cut sometimes in stalling decks. In sacrifice decks, you get a replacement, giving you an endless stream for triggers like Falkenrath Noble. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice
Thrummingbird Description - It will do the most work with cards that have +1/+1 counters, so you would need enough of those cards in your cube. The dream is turn 2 Thrummingbird, turn 3 Curse of Predation, swing. But without anything else on the board, it's a bad flyer. So it only fits narrowly into that theme. Anchors - Supports - +1/+1 counters
Wall of Deceit Description - It gives control decks an early wall that can turn into a bear when you are ready to turn the game around. But it's still a 0 power wall until then. Halimar Wavewatch is comparable and likely to be preferred over this. Anchors - Supports -
Willbender Description - The payoff can be great, redirecting removal back to an opponents creature. But it does come with the caveat that you need enough other morphs to give it the surprise factor, and you also need to hold up mana for the 'right time', making it situational. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Mana Drain Description - Occasionally it might just be a counterspell if you top deck it or just don't have anything, but other times it will lead to absolute blowouts, resulting in massive board advantages. Great in any deck with enough islands. Anchors - Supports - Control
Mana Leak Description - Excellent tempo counterspell or early play for a control deck. Only costing a single blue makes it more likely you can cast it on turn 2 over options like Counterspell to stem early aggro, as well as the ability to cast other blue spells while holding up Mana Leak. However it can lose some steam in the late game when they have the 3 mana spare. Can be a good support spell for aggro decks to counter the opponents answers and maintain board pressure. Anchors - Supports - Control, Aggro / Tempo
Remand Description - One of the best tempo plays available. Sure, they get the threat back, but if it required timing or finesse, that is out the window. It can mess with your opponents sequencing, can keep the board clear if you are the agressor, and if you counter a 4+ cmc card and are still using the rest of your mana, you are clearly ahead. On top of that, the card draw keeps you at parity. Excellent whether you need to push your advantage, or just buy some time to get back into the game. Anchors - Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Counterspell Description - It's a baseline for hard counters, but the double blue in conjunction with non-Constructed mana bases can make the U1 soft counters more desirable, depending on the deck. But still a solid counter for most blue based control decks, particularly for long games. Anchors - Supports - Control
Daze Description - Most of the time it is going to be cast in the mid-game when your opponent taps out for a midrange threat, providing you a solid tempo boost while having minor impact on your ability to keep affecting the board. Anchors - Supports -
Impulse Description - Great for digging and finding the answer / threat that you need, and fits in nearly every blue deck. It doesn't enable anything specific; it's just good everywhere. Instant speed lets you dig for the answer you need at the exact time you need it. Anchors - Supports -
Into The Roil Description - Solid and flexible tempo card. Early game you can simply clear an early threat and push a board advantage, and late game you can throw card draw in to maintain card parity. Anchors - Supports - Tempo
Jilt Description - You might consider this a blue+ card, or an Izzet card. There are better pure blue options for creature bounce, but is still ok as just bounce for tempo. When kicked it can clear the board for a turn and usually results in strong tempo advantage while maintaining card parity. The rating reflects how powerful it can be in red / blue decks. Anchors - Supports -
Singing Bell Strike Description - Great tempo-based removal for blue. Removes most creatures from the game completely, though in the late game they can untap it if they have nothing else to spend the mana on. Anchors - Supports -
Snap Description - Good tempo card, allowing you to set back your opponent while still using the mana to develop your board. Also supports Storm if you are pushing that. Minor synergies with bouncelands to accelerate, or cast Snap and untap other lands you weren't representing. Anchors - Tempo Supports - Storm
Standstill Description - Standstill is an interesting card because it is either great or it is terrible. If you are in a dominant board position, you can lay it down and your opponent has to respond. If you top deck it while you are behind, it does nothing. For those reasons, it is best in blue-based aggro decks that can get out ahead quickly, forcing the opponent to respond. Also works well with manlands. If your blue section is slow and only control focused, you probably don't want this in your cube. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Arcane Denial Description - It's the only unconditional counter that doesn't have 2 water drops in its casting cost. It does give your opponent extra cards, but if you are playing the tempo game and just need to keep the board long enough to win, the cards in their hand won't matter. You also get to draw into (hopefully) more tempo-oriented spells to keep the pressure going. In a slower control deck, the card disadvantage is likely to matter more. Anchors - Supports -
Boomerang Description - There are better ways to bounce creatures, but being able to bounce lands puts this in contention. Setting your opponent back in the early game can make this a great tempo play, epecially against lands that enter the battlefield tapped. Brutal against bouncelands if you have them in your card pool. It still plays as creature bounce once your opponent has a stable land base. Anchors - Supports - Tempo
Compulsion Description - The filtering can be useful, though is unlikely to make the cut in faster cubes. In slower cubes, the extra time can improve your card quality while helping dump relevant cards in the graveyard for any graveyard matters theme. It has more resiliency than creature based version, and with sufficient mana on the board can help you really dig for the answer you need. Opens up the opportunity for a turn 3 filter plus Reanimate. Anchors - Supports - Reanimator / Graveyard Matters
Essence Scatter / False Summoning / Preemptive Strike / Remove Soul Description - You will always have targets, but the lack of flexibility hurts it a little. You'll sometimes wish you just had a soft counter like Mana Leak in the early game for non-creature threats (e.g. Curse of Predation), but is better in the late game for control decks that want to go long. Sometimes the extra mana matters, but Exclude gives you card advantage for an additional mana and may be the preferred spell. Anchors - Supports -
Hands of Binding Description - It has some high upside, particularly if you can pair it with something evasive. The first cast also makes it more likely you will get through, allowing you to keep a big threat in lockdown, or over a couple of turns guarantee 2 creatures are out of action. Gets more value if your cube has some unblockables, shadow etc. Anchors - Supports -
Legacy's Allure Description - Played on turn 2, this can be a powerful effect to have on the board, forcing your opponent to make hard decisions about what they commit to the board. The instant speed flexibility to activate can make it hard to play around and is therefore resilient to enchantment removal. Once it has enough counters, your opponent has to consider the possibility of activating it end of their turn and then swinging with the target. However, it is situational and if you are behind, it can be a bad top deck unless you are going to survive another few turns. Anchors - Supports - Control
Memory Lapse
Description - It's not great if the spell is truly powerful because it will come back next turn, but if the spell required timing, it can be almost as good as a regular counterspell. You also know they have the spell, allowing you to play around it next turn if needed. Anchors - Supports -
Miscalculation Description - The difference between 2 mana here and the 3 mana on Mana Leak is considerable, but this counter serves mostly the same purpose. It just fizzles a bit sooner, but has the bonus of being able to cycle in the late game, or if you just need to draw a threat Anchors - Supports -
Narcolespy Description - Decent blue removal, but it doesn't tap upon casting, which doesn't allow you to get past blockers that turn, and if it has a tap ability, it can still be used in response. Anchors - Supports -
Prohibit Description - Decent if a little unexciting. There are a number of decent targets at 2 mana (including most removal). In the late game you probably don't mind paying the kicker cost to hit the majority of targets. Anchors - Supports -
Telekinesis Description - On it's own, this can take out a creature for 3 attack phases, which is excellent against mid-size creatures or ramp targets if you just need to survive a bit longer. However enchantments like Singing Bell Strike can do that more permanently. The double blue makes it harder to recommend over some of those options. Anchors - Tempo Supports -
Think Twice Description - It's not particularly fast, but it is inevitable card advantage. You aren't going to be particularly excited about it in a dredge deck. Better in control decks full of instants or flash creatures to be able to hold up mana and cast at end of opponents turn if there is nothing better to do. Anchors - Supports - Draw/Flash Go
Withdraw Description - Answering your opponents tapout on turn 4 or 5 and returning 6 or more mana's worth of creatures to their hand is a good beating. The last clause makes it bad in the late game, but decent for a tempo-based deck that just wants to keep the way clear long enough. The double blue isn't terrible, as you won't want to play it in the first few turns. May have some legs in a bounce deck by targeting your own creature with the second effect (they don't need to be controlled by the same player) while also setting your opponents board back. Worth noting that you must have two targets to be able to cast it. Anchors - Supports - Bounce
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Agoraphobia Description - It removes a threat, but you still have to attack into it. However it may still have a place in control decks that just need to shut down early threats. Anchors - Supports -
Anticipate Description - It's worse than Impulse, but it is still playable if you want redundancy of the effect, giving you instant access to the top 3 cards if you need an immediate answer. Anchors - Supports -
Call to Heel Description - Most bounce leans towards your opponents creatures with the upside of targeting yours in a pinch, but this is the opposite. Can help save a creature from removal while generating card advantage, or provide assistance to a bounce deck. In a pinch, you can always clear a blocker or a truly threatening creature. Anchors - Bounce Supports -
Chronic Flooding Description - It doesn't affect the board, but could be useful if you want to go deep for dredge / delve / threshold strategies. Potential for player to assume you have mill win conditions in your cube if they see this without understanding the archetypes you are pushing in your cube. Anchors - Dredge, Graveyard Matters Supports -
Confound Description - It has limited targets, but it counters most removal as well as opposing creature buffs while providing card advantage. Anchors - Supports -
Delay Description - So long as you are going to win in the next 3 turns, it doesn't matter that the spell is coming back. It makes this counterspell a bit narrower than others, but can help give aggro / tempo decks a counterspell that 'hunker down' control won't want. Some spells might fizzle or be less than optimal if they do come back. Anchors - Supports - Aggro / Tempo
Deprive Description - It's obviously worse than Counterspell, but is a 2 mana hard counter. You won't be playing it early, but allows you to hold up two mana in the late game when the likes of Mana Leak are too late to be effective. Aggro / tempo decks might have more option to give up the land drop a little earlier, but the soft counters are probably going to be just as effective there. Anchors - Supports -
Echoing Truth Description - Tempo decks are going to much prefer Vapor Snag / Unsummon. There will be occasions where you will want to bounce an artifact or enchantment, but auras and equipment will still fall off if you bounce creatures. The mana difference will be relevant more frequently. This can hose tokens if you want a card to counter those types of decks; consider Disperse if you don't want that effect. Into The Roil is going to strictly better unless you really care about dealing with tokens. Anchors - Supports -
Eel Umbra Description - It's functional, but not exciting. It's best use will be where the +1/+1 is enough to win a combat that was going to be a loss, and then have the totem armor provide a sort of 2 for 1 by surviving another combat. But that is all situational and it is likely to be stranded in your hand for a while. Anchors - Supports -
Familiar's Ruse Description -Counterspell is 'strictly' better because it doesn't have an additional cost, but this has narrow applications in a bounce deck. You might play it outside of that archetype, but it will be inconsistent and sometimes just stranded if you don't have a creature on the board. Anchors - Supports -
Ideas Unbound Description - It can help graveyard based decks, but has minor use outside of that archetype given that it ends up being card disadvantage. It could be used in explosive aggro decks as the last card in hand that it plays in the mid-game, to fill up the hand and cast stuff the same turn, but that is pretty narrow, and the double blue doesn't help. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator, All-out aggro
Mage's Guile Description - It's like a narrow counterspell for removal, with some flexibility upside with cycling. Or you could view it as a 1 mana cantrip to make your blue decks smaller with shroud upside. Anchors - Supports -
Merchant Scroll Description - It's usefulness will largely depend on other blue instants in your cube and the decks you are pushing, but the narrow target range means it often won't make the cut. Anchors - Supports -
Military Intelligence Description - Could be worth it for blue / X aggro decks, particularly for 'Skies' or tempo based aggro, using the card draw to continue to lay down aggro threats, or bouncing / tapping down opponents resources. Can also work in a token deck, but it is the kind of card you want to go to work for you right away, not wait around in your hand. Minor tension with whether to drop this or drop threats first. Anchors - Supports - Aggro / Tempo
Negate Description - There are some powerful noncreature spells in cube. This might end up being a sideboard card, but its inclusion in your cube scales with the quality and quantity of your noncreature spells. Other soft counters are more flexible and likely to be more desirable for decks than this. Anchors - Supports -
Ovinize Description - It's not an outright kill spell, but this can serve as blue removal, letting you kill an attacker as long as you have something with at least 1 power to block with. Conditional, but is a blue 'removal' option. Anchors - Supports -
Perilous Research Description - At least as an instant, you can sac something that is about to chump or is the target of removal. Provides some minor synergy with sacrifice decks, but most decks will want their card draw to be more flexible. Minor support for sacrifice decks with the likes of Blood Artist / Falkenrath Noble / Hissing Iguanar. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice
Spectral Flight Description - It comes with the standard 2 for 1 aura problem, but evasion and a decent boost for a reasonable cost can make this one worth consideration, primarily for decks that want to end games quickly before the opponent can answer the threat. Anchors - Supports -
Strategic Planning Description - Let's you filter for card quality, while also being able to dump stuff in the graveyard. At 2 mana, you can either have better digging options with Impulse, or some of the 1 mana cantrips. This might be a swap if you want keep card filtering but give your graveyard matters decks a little push. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Telling Time Description - Reasonable card filtering. As an instant can help you filter or dig when you need to. Impulse is better because you get to dig a card deeper. While it's definitely a niche archetype, this supports 'top of deck matters' cards. Anchors - Supports - Top of Deck Matters
Words of Wisdom Description - You end up at card parity, but you get to cast it end of turn, so you get to play your 2 new cards first. Could fit in a tempo deck that gets an early board presence and keeps bouncing the opponents permanents, and they won't benefit from the extra cards before they're dead. However it is pretty narrow on that archetype. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Accumulated Knowledge - Not for cube. Aether Burst - Not for cube. Alexi's Coat - It kind of says "counter target spell or ability that targets a creature you control". Confound is better for that. The ongoing shroud doesn't really make up for that. Arcanum Wings - Doesn't do enough. Aura Graft - Too narrow. Aura of Dominion - Token decks with pingers? Block and then protect with Mother of Runes? Outside of those narrow combos, any other instance where it might be useful, say untapping a big attacker so it can block, you would rather have just played another creature or something else that affected the board. Backslide - Way too narrow. Barrin's Unmaking - Too unreliable. Brain Freeze - There isn't enough support for a dedicated mill deck, and you don't want to cast it on yourself for graveyard strategies because it does nothing to the board. Not reliable enough for storm decks. Buoyancy - Bad. Carry Away - Bad. Chill - Bad. Cloak of Mists - Bad. Aqueous Form cheaper and better. Consuming Vortex - Bad Unsummon / Vapor Snag. Contempt - Creature can still block. Better to lock it down with something like Singing Bell Strike etc. Convinving Mage - Bad. Coral Reef - Way too intensive for little gain. Corrupted Resolve - Bahahahaha. Counterbalance - Bad. Can't effectively control this like in constructed. Creature Bond - Bad. No impact on the board. Crown of Ascension - Bad. Crypsis - I think they forgot to print "Draw a card" on it. It's not worth the card investment. Cunning - Bad. Customs Depot - Enclave Cryptologist, Looter il-Kor and Merfolk Looter are going to be more consistent. They are creatures and a bit more vulnerable, but having to pay mana and having no effect on the board renders this short of playable. Dampen Thought - Not enough good support to make dedicated mill into a thing. Dance of Many - Too much investment and setup required. Dance of the Skywise - Requires too many things to go right. Deep Water - Bad. Diplomatic Immunity - Alexi's Cloak strictly better. Disdainful Stroke - Well, it’s guaranteed to give you mana advantage! But you want more flexibility from your counterspells, given that most (well constructed) decks won't have many cards 4 and above outside of ramp decks. Dispersal Shield - Too conditional. Disperse - Into the Roil is strictly better. Downpour - While not essentially unplayable, there are enough better options that serve a similar purpose, like Frost Breath, Sleep, Crippling Chill, all of which can maximise value even if the opponent doesn't have 3 creatures. Dragon Wings - Narrow. Need to have sufficient fatty support, plus enough ways to get this into the graveyard. Maybe in Simic ramp? Probably not useful elsewhere. And probably better ways to give flying to things anyway. Fatigue - This is going to be too inconsistent to matter. Early Frost - You could make a case for it supporting an aggro tempo deck to lock down opposing lands, but it's too inconsistent to rely on. Encase in Ice - Too narrow. Enervate - Fire // Ice strictly better. Ensoul Artifact - Requires too much support to be consistent enough. Evasive Action - Mana Leak (or many other counterspells) will be better than this vast majority of the time. Excavation - The symmetry is too hard to break given that you have to invest the card. Nice with Land Tax, but not worth it for that synergy. Extinguish - Too narrow. Eye of Nowhere - Boomerang strictly better because it is an instant. Fascination - Sorcery speed kills it. The card draw gives you’re opponent a full turn to use everything they have drawn. The milling is not efficient. Fate Foretold - It needs a creature in play before you can cantrip it. If the target is removed in response, you get nothing. And you have to have it die to get the extra card. A lot of things need to go right. Fishliver Oil - Bad. Flash Counter - Too narrow. Flashfreeze - Too narrow.
Font of Fortunes - It costs 4 mana for 2 cards. While there are some advantages to being an enchantment, it's not close enough to playable to make it in enchantment matters deck. Force Away - The conditional card filter isn’t strong enough to make up for the extra mana cost over Unsummon / Vapor Snag. Foreshadow - Bad. Foresight - Manipulate Fate strictly better. Framed! - Cube dependant. Gainsay - Too narrow. Ghostform - Artful Dodge is going to provide more flexibility in most cases. Ghostly Touch - It effectively costs you two cards to get this effect, and it isn't worth that. Ghostly Wings - Doesn't do enough. Glint - Doesn't do enough. Grip of Amnesia - Terrible. Hermetic Study - Bad, card disadvantage. Hesitation - Your opponent can see it coming and can play into. Does nothing when you are behind. Hidden Strings - The lack of lockdown means it isn't really relevant for combat once it has been ciphered. Too situational. Hisoka's Defiance - Too narrow. Homarid Spawning Bed - It costs 5 mana before it does anything, and either requires an additional sacrifice upfront, or timing to respond to removal etc. Too intensive. Hoodwink - You would not want this over other bounce options. Hubris - Too narrow. Ice Cage - Bad. Too easy to break. Iceberg - Bad. Icy Prison - Too costly. Illuminated Wings - Doesn't do enough. Illusionary Terrain - Bad. Immobilizing Ink - Gives them an out, and no worthwhile combos you can play yourself. Inaction Injunction - Not good enough. Inertia Bubble - Bad. Interdict - Too narrow. Invisibility - Bad. Ior Ruin Expedition - Too slow. Jace's Erasure - Too slow even if you want to push mill. Jaded Response - Too narrow. Jinx - Doesn't do anything worthwhile. Laquatas's Disdain - Bad. Lat-Nam's Legacy - It looks similar to 'draw 2, discard 1', which would be excellent at 2 mana. You get rid of a card you don't want, and get the opportunity to draw 2 more. But it doesn't enable graveyard strategies like a discard effect would, and it's a terrible top deck for 2 reasons; you have to wait a turn, so you can't refill and cast straight away, and you MUST shuffle a card in. It's useless if you don't have another card. Launch - Doesn’t do enough. Lifetap - Bad. Lifting Refrain - Bad. Lingering Mirage - Bad. Logic Knot - For two blue mana, you could just actually counter it… Lost in Thought - It might be ok in blue aggro decks when they won't have 3 cards, but other blue 'removal' effects are better. Mana Vapors - Could be a tempo card, but relies on your opponent having tapped all their lands. It might seal a game that is even or where you are ahead, but it is too unreliable. Manipulate Fate - Paying two mana to slightly improve your draws doesn't do enough. Meddle - Too narrow. Memory's Journey - It's not a cantrip, and the flashback is off-colour… There are decks that might benefit from this effect, but not with this narrow application. Merrow Commerce - Tribal. Metamorphose - About the only time you would be happy to play this was if your opponent had an empty hand. It might get rid of a truly threatening card in other situations, but will usually still be replaced with something else. Mind Sculpt - Aggro' mill is not deep enough to support, stick to repeatable effects if you really want mill. Misstep - It relies too much on the opponent having tapped them first. Exhaustion costs more but is likely to be more robust. Frost Breath may also be worth considering if you want this type of effect. Mistform Mask - Bad. Muddle the Mixture - Too narrow and the transmute doesn't add enough. Mystic Veil - Bad. Neutralizing Blast - Too few targets. Nullify - Just get counterspell, or Essence Scatter. Omen - Strictly worse than Ponder. Ordeal of Thassa - Bad. Minor immediate impact, inherent card disadvantage. Peel From Reality - It's a narrow application, but it might work in a bounce deck to get you back an ETB creature while setting your opponents board back. Outside of a deck with sufficient ETB creatures (and therefore enough in your cube), it's unlikely to see play. You could cast it in response to removal, but you are probably looking at parity; you both spend mana casting a card, and you both get set back on the board. But that is pretty narrow upside, and not enough to warrant space in your cube. Peer Through Depths - Given the narrow search criteria and limited cards, this supports a spells matters deck (setting up your next trigger), but is not playable anywhere else. You could include it to throw that deck a card other decks don't want, but there are generally better cards for that. Pendrell Flux - At first glance it looks like a form of blue removal, but your opponent has the choice of paying if they are still going to win the next turn by keeping the creature around. Phantasmal Terrain - Bad. Phantom Wings - The flexibility doesn't make up for the expensive cost of either of those effects. Pin to the Earth - The flexibility of Agoraphobia will matter more often than the additional point of power reduction. Power Artifact - Bad. Power Leak - Targets too conditional and bad in the late game. Power Taint - Targets too conditional and bad in the late game. Predict - You need a specific environment / deck to make this more than a 2 mana cantrip. You need too much scry / top of deck matters cards to get good advantage for this. Prohibit - Too narrow. Psionic Gift - Bad. Card disadvantage. Psychic Barrier - The 1 life loss does not compare favourably to either Essence Scatter or Counterspell. Psychic Puppetry - You will never use the arcane, which makes this bad. Psychic Rebuttal - It has to target you, making this too narrow. Psychic Venom - Meh. Even if cast early, unlikely to matter much. Quickchange - Worse than sway of illusion. Quiet Speculation - It gives you access to 3 spells, which you tutor for, but if the cost of the flashback isn't reasonable then you've wasted your time. You will probably need a pretty specific set of cards supporting this, and then drafted together, to consider spending your second turn setting up. If I could guarantee I could get Crippling Fatigue, Deep Analysis and Roar of the Wurm every time (which also would need to have not already been drawn by the time Quiet Speculation is played) then maybe. But that is across 3 colours, and the chance of drafting those altogether is almost nil. This is going to be too parasitic for most cubes. Reality Ripple - It doesn't do enough to be considered removal. Reality Shift - It's instant speed blue removal, but the drawback is too much. Reality Spasm - Doesn't do enough. Rebound - Too narrow. Refocus - I'm surprised there isn't a strictly better version than this. Still, it doesn't do enough. Research the Deep - Not consistent enough. Reset - As a card, can either be used to surprise your opponent and have more mana available than they anticipated, or unorthodox ramp on their turn. In the context of cube, it isn't going to find a home in a deck. Rites of Refusal - Costs you two cards to be a Mana Leak, and 3 cards to almost guarantee they can't cast a spell. I invoke my rite to refuse this card. Rune Snag - Bad in singleton cube. Runner's Bane - Meh. Ok effect but narrowness of targets not appealing compared to similar options. Scent of Brine - Bad. Second Guess - Far too narrow. See Beyond - You end up at card parity, but get to see two new cards, both if which you can keep if you have something worse in hand to get rid of. It can help shape your hand early, especially if you are either mana screwed or mana flooded. On an empty hand, it is worse than Preordain. Ultimately it's not bad, but other card filters / draws are generally more efficient or effective, and you won't need to go deep enough on those effects to include this. Send to Sleep - While not terrible, you would rather pay the extra mana for Frost Breath and guarantee 2 turns of the creatures being out of action. When you don't have spell mastery, which is far from guaranteed, the impact is not enough for the cost of the card. Shimmering Mirage - Doesn't do enough. Silhouette - Too narrow. Silumgar's Scorn - Doesn't do anything for peasant cube. Skygames - The fact that the activation is only sorcery speed means you should be looking at equipment for your flying needs. Skyscribing - Too hard to break the symmetry in peasant cube. Snapback - No mana to clear an opposing creature is a great tempo play, but two cards is often going to be too high a cost, and paying the regular mana cost is too much. Snap is better for the same spot. Snow Devil - Bad. Soar - Bad. Sorry - Doesn't do anything in singleton peasant. Spell Rupture - Too narrow. Spell Syphon - Too narrow. Spreading Seas - Bad. Squelch - Too narrow. Spectral Cloak - Bad. Sleeping Potion / Spectral Prison - Too easy to break compared to other blue 'sleep' options. Steal Enchantment - Bad. Stratus Walk - Just meh. Stream of Unconsciousness - Doesn't do enough to warrant the card disadvantage. Stupefying Touch - It replaces itself, but the effect is too narrow. You would rather have something like Singing Bell-Strike that can target almost anything. Stymied Hopes / Voyage's End - The extra mana over Unsummon isn't worth a single scry. Suffocation - Too narrow. Sunken City - Bad. Sunken Field - Bad. Sway of Illusion - It doesn't do enough. Taigam's Scheming - Potential graveyard synergies / deck stacking doesn't make up for the inherent card disadvantage. Teferi's Curse - Meh. Seems better just to get rid of the target. Teferi's Veil - Doesn't seem to have any benefit. Thassa's Rebuff - Too inconsistent. Tidal Bore - In the right tempo-based deck, it can be effective as a free spell to tap down something on your opponents board once you start hitting the top of your curve, but is too narrow an effect compared to other options. Tidal Surge - Downpour strictly better. Time and Tide - I thought this sounded like a good end of turn trick until I re-read it and the creatures have to have phasing. Tolarian Winds - It is inherent card disadvantage. It may provide an improvement to card quality and dump some stuff for graveyard strategies, but it's not worth the card disadvantage. Train of Thought - The flexibility comes at too high a cost; inefficiency. Transmute Artifact - Too narrow. Trapfinder's Trick - Errr…no. Trapmakers Snare - Too narrow. Treasure Hunt - Without manipulation, most decks will have about a 60% chance of just getting one card. 40% of the time you get 2 cards… or more. The potential for high upside isn't going to outweigh the times you get 1 card. If you support a narrow 'top of deck matters' deck, it could be ok in that deck. Truth or Tale - You aren't likely to get the card you want. Turn the Tide - Not good enough. Turn to Frog - A form of permanent instant speed removal for blue if you can block the offender in combat. Very conditional, where other removal options (auras etc) are just going to be better. Unified Will - Too narrow. Updraft - Leap strictly better. Veil of Secrecy - There are better counterspells, and better cards to give unblockable. Veiled Apparition - Bad. Venarian Gold - Bad. View from Above - It's only ok (and just ok) in a blue white deck. You wouldn't waste an Azorius slot on this, and unless you are skewing your colours, it is in the best two flying colours anyway. Viscerid Armor - Just not good. Vision Skeins - Words of Wisdom exists. Volrath's Curse - Bad. Gives them an out. Whirlpool Whelm - Too inconsistent to be good. Wind Sail - Sorcery speed means it isn't a good combat trick. Wings of Velis Vel - Means that any of your little creatures can survive a lot of things, but not everything. You would rather have removal. Worldly Counsel - Even if you push 5 colour decks, this is too narrow compared to other green digging cards that more decks can use. Zephyr Charge - 4 mana before you give your first creature flying. Investing in equipment would be better. Zephyr Net - Not good at anything.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Sakura-Tribe Elder Description - Excellent accelerator and fixer while also able to be a 'free' speed bump, stemming damage in the early game against aggro, or even a large late game threat. Possibly the only time you wouldn't play it is in a blistering fast green/x aggro deck that doesn't want to take time off from swinging. Anchors - Supports -
Wall of Roots Description - Can stall early aggro for a couple of turns while still getting value from the acceleration. Can help squeeze out extra value by providing mana in your opponents turn if you have combat tricks, flash creatures, or instant speed activated abilities. Top tier accelerator Anchors - Supports - Flash / Go, Ramp
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Devoted Druid Description - It lets you untap on turn 3 into 5 mana if you hit your land drop, which can lead to an explosive start. You wouldn't rely on it, but you might eke out 3 or more mana in a single turn if you can boost it's toughness. Anchors - Supports - Ramp
Jade Mage Description - It might not make the cut is super-fast aggro decks, but even there it gives you something to do with spare mana. Left alone a while it can build a solid board state that is useful to most types of decks. Can be a contributor to a sacrifice deck, or a more controlling version of a token deck. Anchors - Supports - Tokens, Sacrifice
Leafcrown Dryad Description - Its flexibility makes it solid. 2/2 with reach isn't setting the world on fire, but is still ok in a range of decks. The bestow is where it shines, giving you the option of setting up a strong defensive creature, or just keeping up pressure by casting and then swinging. Supplementary support for enchantment matters theme if you include them in your cube. To n00b1n8tR, it is a crime not to consider the art in your evaluation. Anchors - Supports - Voltron, Enchantment Matters
Mire Boa Description - The swampwalk may turn some cubers away as it punishes black, but a 2/1 that regenerates for a single mana is solid in aggro decks to survive combat where it would usually trade, or to sit back in a more controlling deck and ward off attacks. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Nest Invader Description - A bear+ that provides some synergies for a few different types of decks. The additional mana on the following turn can help cement a board prescence for aggro / midrange decks. It fits into sacrifice decks, and works particularly well with the morbid ability. It doesn't set the world on fire for token decks, but helps you go wide if you have power boosters. At worst in a control deck, you get a couple of blockers against early aggro decks to survive until you can make your late plays. Anchors - Supports -
River Boa Description - The islandwalk may turn some cubers away as it punishes blue, but a 2/1 that regenerates for a single mana is solid in aggro decks to survive combat where it would usually trade, or to sit back in a more controlling deck and ward off attacks. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Strangleroot Geist Description - Good enough upside to consider double green on a 2-drop. Swings for 2 on turn 2 with a good degree of resiliency. Even on the defensive, starting at 2 power and upgrading to 3 means you will usually have the opportunity for a couple of trades. Also has some value in getting a couple of uses from sacrifice decks. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice
Wall of Blossoms Description - Solid for ramp or control decks, providing an early blocker without the cost of a card. It's not a juicy target for bounce decks, but can get some card draw going for that deck if it needs it. Anchors - Supports - Ramp, Bounce
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Ainok Survivalist
Description - It will depend on your stance on morph, but is a reasonable piece of enchantment / artifact removal. It costs 5 mana if you need that removal right now, but the morph options mean you can break down those costs depending on the game state. Sometimes you might just need a 2-drop to sequence your plays and hit your curve. Anchors - Supports -
Albino Troll
Description - The echo can make it harder to sequence, but you can always drop it turn 2 to stem some early aggro until you can hit your regen mana. In an aggro deck you aren't going to want to pay for your 2 drop twice, but the 'split' cost of echo can can help you drop 2 creatures later as you curve out. Anchors - Supports -
Ambush Viper Description - It's most common use would be as a 'removal' spell for non-flying attackers. In that light, it is a pretty narrow removal spell, but this is green. It is also a creature you can flash in at the end of your opponents turn and beat down with if you need it to. Ultimately it is not bad, just not exciting. Maybe if you are looking for options for a Simic flash / go deck. Anchors - Supports - Flash / Go
Beastbreaker of Bala Ged Description - It can potentilly swing into just about anything on turn 3 for 4, but you have to give up other third turn board development to do so. In topdeck mode, dropping this for 5 mana for a 4/4 is not efficient but not terrible. The upside of the final level is not enough to consider spending the extra 9 mana unless you have nothing else to do. Anchors - Supports - Aggro / Midrange
Boreal Centaur Description - The score is on the assumption you let your players have snow basics, in which case it can be ok as an aggro creature. It can make combat decisions more difficult for your opponent in the early game, and having the mana spare isn't likely to be a problem later. Anchors - Supports -
Broodhatch Nantuko Description - If your opponent is the beatdown, this can be an ok early staller, chumping to get some number of token replacements. Difficult to abuse, and requires your opponent to be willing to attack you, but if you support enough morph creatures for this to be a surprise it might be decent. Get's a little better if you can throw Rancor or power boosting equipment on it so your opponent has to take notice, but I'd be dubious that the tokens are worth putting other auras on it and getting 2 for 1'd. Can also get some mileage in token decks. Anchors - Supports - Tokens
Darkthicket Wolf Description - It's a bear that can threaten to be worth two bears. Best in aggro decks, where you can drop it on turn 2, and swing on turn 3 with 3 mana open into almost anything. If the opponent blocks, you can pump and secure board advantage. If they don't, which is more likely, you get to connect for a couple of damage and keep developing your board.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Deadly Recluse Description - Similar to Thornweald Archer, though this is more defensive. They are likely to trade in combat in similar situations, but the spider can survive spirit tokens and is a little more resistant to divisible burn or pinging effects if that is more important to you than being able to attack for 2. Anchors - Supports -
Flinthoof Boar Description - This can come down as 3/3 on turn 2 which is excellent, with the possibility of being a hasty 3/3 for 3 later. Solid all around for Gruul decks. Anchors - Aggro / midrange Supports -
Gatstaf Shepherd Description - It might not be consistent, but it does help green aggro. Anchors - Supports -
Gemhide Sliver Description - 2-drops that generate mana are generally poor, but making any colour makes this ok even when it is alone. However, it may make your drafters believe there is a sliver theme to draft. Manaweft Sliver only affects your own, but is unlikely to matter unless you actually push Slivers as a tribe. Anchors - Supports - Sliver Tribal
Heir of the Wilds Description - A bear with deathtouch is reasonable. It compares with Thornweald Archer or Ambush Viper, but this is the slightly more resilient and aggressive version, allowing it survive chump blocks by 1/1's, ans sometimes getting in for 3 damage. Anchors - Supports -
Hermit Druid Description - Can be an enabler for graveyard based decks. Decks that have recursive elements often require a bit of mana, so the land searching aspect is good for those decks while also dumping things in the yard. Picked early, you might prioritise more nonbasics to maximise the graveyard dump. It might not be the first choice, but in non-graveyard decks like ramp or control it can still find extra lands to be played. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters, Ramp
Manaweft Sliver Description - 2-drops that generate mana are generally poor, but making any colour makes this ok even when it is alone. However, it may make your drafters believe there is a sliver theme to draft. You could go Gemhide Sliver if you want a second of this effect; they are identical unless you actually support other Slivers. Anchors - Supports -
Overgrown Battlement Description - Most 2 drop accelerators are not very good, but the 4 toughness gives this some flexibility to stall aggro, especially if you have instants or on-board abilities you can sink the mana into end of turn. While the 'defender deck' is a narrow archetype, it does support it, though it is comfortable just sitting alongside Wall of Blossoms as the only other defender in your cube without needing specific defender support. Anchors - Supports - Defender
Satyr Wayfinder Description - It puts a mostly irrelevant creature on the board, but it’s the ETB effect that matters most. Helps you dig for lands if you need to find your next drop (or have a bunch of utility lands), but perhaps more importantly is the ability to drop stuff in the graveyard. A selection of 4 cards is big enough to help put creatures in the yard for reanimation, dredgers, or just put more cards in to activate threshold. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Thornweald Archer Description - It's not a blowout, but it is decent in a range of decks. It's likely to simply trade more often than not when used aggressively, but can break through any 0-power walls you might have in your environment (Wall of Blossoms, Nyx-Fleece Ram, Wall of Denial etc.) or trade up if all they have to block with is a midrange / fatty creature. On the defensive it can make attacking difficult for your opponent given that it can block most things, forcing them to make poor decisions or buying you time. Anchors - Supports -
Undercity Troll Description - Solid bear with upside. Played turn 2, most of the time you will be able to attack and hold up the regeneration mana if they have a blocker, providing hard choices for your opponent. Against some decks it might not be worth giving up your third turn to survive combat, but then you would just trade and play your 3-drop. The regen isn't cheap, but is mostly bonus. Anchors - Supports -
Werebear Description - 2 drops that accelerate a single mana need to have good upside over the 1 mana versions to be worth consideration. The ability to be a 4/4 is lucrative enough, but you need to provide sufficient support to get enough cards in the graveyard. Providing that support is not too difficult, turning your accelerator into a legitimate threat. Outside of the graveyard / attrition decks, it is going to be worse than the 1 mana accelerators. Anchors - Graveyard Matters Supports -
Wild Mongrel Description - Supports a number of different graveyard strategies, particularly being able to drop a target for reanimation, can turn threshold on at instant speed, and can set up an early Roar of The Wurm or other flashback cards, all while threatening combat. Even without support it can be difficult to block, and attacking an opponent who has low health while you have a few cards in hand can make decisions difficult for your opponent. Anchors - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Blight Mamba Description - Too hard to make infect a thing, so this won't be attacking. It could be a defensive creature that slowly dwindles opposing creatures down… slowly… It might just be ok if you throw some equipment or other power boosters on it; your opponent might be willing to throw his wider army at you a few turns in a row if you are only reducing his total forces by -1/-1, but be more reluctant if you can outright kill that Skysnare Spider in 2 attacks. You would have to have enough support and draft around this pretty aggressively to make that happen though. Anchors - Supports - Control
Boneyard Wurm Description - You aren't likely to play this on turn 2. Can be a solid finisher in attrition based decks, or dredge decks, where it can get large quickly. If you are going to be waiting to cast it, you want the payoff to be worth it. If you are consistently not playing it until you've got 6+ mana on the board, it had better be a 5/5 or greater, which might be a third of the creatures in your deck being in your graveyard. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Bramblesnap Description - It can be useful in a tokens deck or other decks that go wide, though it isn't likely to be of much use elsewhere. It's dependent on the board position, but with a few other creatures it can make it harder for your opponent to attack into you and expect a trade, and with a few more, the trample can help you break through stalemates. With only a couple of other creatures on your board though, it doesn't have a lot of value. Anchors - Supports - Tokens
Bramblewood Paragon Description - If you have enough Warriors in your cube, this could be worth the times it will just be a bear. With monstrous and unleashed creatures in your cube, the trample can also be relevant. But it needs that specific support to be worth considering. Anchors - Warrior sub-theme, +1/+1 counters Supports -
Brindle Shoat Description - If your opponent is the beatdown, this can be an ok early staller, hopefully trading the 1/1 but at least chumping and then getting a more reasonable threat. If you are the beatdown, this is terrible though, as the opponent will just let the 1 damage through. Has some extra legs in sacrifice decks as a 2 for 1. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice
Brushstrider Description - With power more than the casting cost, this could fit into a green aggro mold, though the vigilance is not exciting and it will die to almost anything. Best in decks that can keep blockers out of the way. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Canopy Spider Description - It will depend on the prevalence and breakdown of flyers in your cube, but it can deal with spirit tokens, and some of the aggro options such as Mistral Charger, Vampire Interloper, and Welkin Tern, while also being able to hold off bears on the ground. It might not be exciting, but it might fill a particular spot for your defensive green decks in dealing with that subset of creatures. You may also consider Juvenile Gloomwidow if you don't care about the double green. Anchors - Supports -
Carapace Forger Description - Only playable in the artifact deck, which you would need to support pretty hard to make up for the times this would jut be a bear. Anchors - Artifact Matters Supports -
Dreampod Druid Description - You wouldn't play it outside of an aura-based Voltron deck (unless you are desparate to fill your curve), but this could be a solid anchor for that deck. Usual 2 for 1 caveat applies, but getting 2 token per turn cycle is decent upside. Following this up with something like Griffin Guide or Elephant Guide can quickly give you excellent board development if your opponent doesn't have an answer. A bear isn't too threatening, but if it's unenchanted your opponent won't dare cast the likes of Pacifism or Singing Bell Strike on it. Anchors - Voltron / Pants Supports -
Dryad Sophisticate Description - It's value will change depending on the prevalence of nonbasic lands in your cube or your draft format, but the inconsistency means it isn't amazing. Anchors - Supports -
Elvish Visionary Description - It can at worst chump while cycling. It's mostly filler though, and doesn't really support any specific types of decks. Anchors - Supports -
Elvish Warrior Description - It's strictly worse than Kalonian Tusker. It does have good stats for its cost, but costing double green makes it difficult to land on turn 2. While it has good stats, the lack of extra abilities means that it is more likely to be outclassed by the time you cast it. Anchors - Supports -
Garruk's Companion Description - It has good stats, but it's not quite big enough for the trample to matter a great deal, and the 2 toughness means it is still going to get killed by a decent amount of things. Not being able to consistently cast this on turn 2 in multi-colour decks also makes it harder to consider, unless you actively push mono-colour decks.
Hamlet Captain Description - There are likely to be enough Humans in your cube that this might actually be ok to contribute primarily towards wide, depending on your thoughts on errata and the versions of cards that you have. Anchors - Human Tribal Supports -
Kalonian Tusker Description - Solid stats for cost, but it's the sort of creature you want to cast on turn 2, which will be more difficult given the double green in its cost. If you actively support mono-decks though, then this is solid in that deck. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Kavu Predator Description - This will be cube dependant, but if you have a lot of incidental life gain effects, this might be worth including. It's not worth considering any cards that might give your opponent life to pair it with though, and it might be too strong a hate card if you are pushing a life gain matters theme. Anchors - Supports -
Laughing Hyena Description - Give it a mention because it could be decent in graveyard strategies. But of course will depend on your play group… and whether you are funny or not. Anchors - Supports -
Nightshade Peddler Description - In most decks, you are just going to want a better creature that has deathtouch. It probably only has use in decks where you can pump out tokens, so you can keep pairing them. Also has fringe use with reds pingers. Anchors - Supports - Tokens
Pendelhaven Elder Description - At first glance, it would fit in with a token theme, and would work well alongside a number of token generators that make 1/1's, with some minor upside with some other utility creatures. However, it can turn into a nombo if you include other permanent token boosting cards (Intangible Virtue, Phantom General). Anchors - Supports - Tokens
Plant Elemental Description - Supports low curve aggro, allowing this to be played potentially alongside another 2 drop on turn 4. You will need to be heavy on green aggro to consider it. Anchors - Supports -
Priest of Titania Description - Played alone, this is a bad Llanowar Elf. With another Elf on the field, it becomes good acceleration. Its inclusion is likely to be less as an indicator of Elf tribal being supported, but rather a ramp strategy supported by Elf mana producers. You need enough other Elves, but there are enough playables Elves without going out of your way to include them. Anchors - Supports - Ramp
Quirion Sentinel Description - Most of its value will come from being in an aggro deck, putting two power on the board and then playing something else. It's pretty close to being strictly worse than Burning-Tree Emissary in a similar role (minor flexibility in casting and creates any colour mana) but it can fit a similar role in helping to fill the board quickly. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Scryb Ranger Description - Has utility, but most cubes don't have a lot of creatures that tap for effect that you would want to use this for. Can still set up blocks after you've attacked, get out from some opponents tap effects. It can also re-use mana accelerators, replay Forets for landfall triggers, and if you don't have a land drop for the turn, pseudo-acceleration. While those synergies exist, they aren't high impact most of the time. You probably want Quirion Ranger over this for the cheaper mana cost. Anchors - Supports -
Silhana Ledgewalker Description - Can fit the hexproof version of the Voltron / pants deck, but if you aren't actively supporting it, you don't want this. Anchors - Voltron / Pants Supports -
Temur Charger Description - It exists if you want to maximise greens 3 power 2-drops for aggro decks. The morph doesn't add a lot, but the option is there at least. Anchors - Supports -
Thallid Shell-Dweller Description - In general it doesn't compare favourably to something like Wall of Blossoms, but it can provide an early blocker with some upside. It supports token decks and sacrifice decks, but only in a minor way because it takes so long. Anchors - Supports - Tokens, Sacrifice
Viridian Emissary Description - I can see it being played either aggressively or defensively in a ramp deck, and even as an aggro-ish creature in midrange, trading while setting up your beef next turn. Anchors - Supports -
Voracious Wurm Description - You would need a pretty solid 'life gain matters' theme to get this to trigger enough to warrant inclusion. Which is not impossible, but it would just take a bit of work to push as a theme. Anchors - Life Gain Matters Supports -
Wall of Mulch
Description - It can cycle itself, which is nice. In a vacuum, Wall of Blossoms is significantly better by getting you the card ETB instead of saccing. However it can support a defender theme if you have enough defenders with the wall creature type. Anchors - Supports - Defenders
Wandering Wolf Description - You would only be excited about drafting it in a Voltron deck, though it remains vulnerable to removal. At least it can't be blocked by tokens. Anchors - Supports - Pants / Voltron
Whisperer of the Wilds Description - Whether this is useful will depend on how many creatures fit the criteria in your cube, particularly in green. However most decks will want more efficient / reliable mana acceleration. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Acridian - This might actually be ok in some situations, such as a turn 2 play against full on aggro decks that can eat most of what the opponent throws at you and survive most of the rest. But you will never be excited to play it in any other situation, and it sucks in aggro decks. Anoik Guide - It's a bear, or it is minor mana fixer without any card advantage while leaving behind a bad body. No thanks. Aquastrand Spider - It's not likely to be playable even if you are pushing a +1/+1 theme. Archer's Parapet - As a mono-green card, there is no reason you would play this over Wall of Blossoms or some other better defenders. If you consider this a green+ card, you are still pushing it. It's not good enough if you consider it a Golgari card. Argothian Pixies - Nope. Ashcoat Bear - Not good enough. The deathtouch on Ambush Viper is worth more than the extra point of toughness in majority of cases. Balduvian Bears / Barbary Apes / Bear Cub / Cylian Elf /Forest Bear / Grizzly Bears / Runeclaw Bear - Vanilla badness. Bassara Tower Archer - The hexproof could lend it to a Voltron deck, but you probably wouldn't play it otherwise. Bayou Dragonfly - Bad. Bloodline Shaman - Too narrow. Bosk Banneret - Tribal. Bull Aurochs - bad for cube. Citanul Druid - Not going to trigger often enough. Darkthicket Wolf - You can activate this ability once on Beastbreaker of Bala Ged and have a permanent 4/4. Dawntreader Elk - Not good enough. Deadly Recluse - Having 2 toughness doesn't give it significantly more survivability than Thornweald Archer, where the extra power matters more if the opposing board is clear. Dwynen's Elite - You really need a guaranteed turn 1 Elf to make this worthwhile, and it isn't worth supporting the density required. Death-Hood Cobra - The extra toughness here doesn't make up for these two abilities being native on Thornweald Archer. Deepwood Drummer - After a couple of turns, at best you've invested 2 cards for a bad Giant Growth as an onboard trick. Being able to repeat it doesn't make it much better. Disciple of the Old Ways - Not good enough as Gruul card. Dripping-Tongue Zubera - Just not good enough value. Drudge Beetle - The scavenge cost is too high to overcome this otherwise just be a bear. Druid of the Anima - 2 mana is too much. Elvish Hunter - Too slow, and you let them attack you first. Emerald Dragonfly - Poor abilities and stats. Forcemage Advocate - There are few situations where this will be worth it. Freyalise Supplicant - You have to sacrifice creatures of 4 power or more to really have much effect, which is not going to happen most of the time. Frontier Guide - If you want a card that slowly strips your lands out to improve card draws in a long game… well, this is one. Very slow. 6 mana before you can start thinning your deck, and 4 mana a turn is too much. Gatecreeper Vine - Too narrow, and the 2 toughness isn't going to survive much.Fa'adiyah Seer - A card that only lets you draw lands, and throws the rest in your graveyard… It does provide some card advantage (if you didn't activate this, you would have drawn the land next turn instead of the next card) but not enough. Fire Sprites - Not good enough. Gatecreeper Vine - Too narrow, and the 2 toughness isn't going to survive much. Gatherer of Graces - It wants to be in an aura-based Voltron deck, but even in a dedicated deck it doesn't really make the cut compared to other options. Gempalm Strider - Too tribal to consider. Glade Watcher - Not worth playing. Gnarlid Pack - It's not particularly exciting anywhere on the mana curve. Golden Hind / Leaf Gilder - The 1 mana versions are going to be better the vast majority of the time. Grapple Spider - Seton's Scout and Thornweald Archer are strictly better. Greenside Watcher - Too narrow. Guardian Shield-Bearer - Too slow in megamorph mode and not good enough in basic mode. Gloomwidow - The three points of toughness is perhaps 1 shy of where you want it to be for the wither to really matter over similarly costed creatures, especially at double green. Harvest Wurm - For the setup, you may as well just be playing Kalonian Tusker. Harvester Druid - Too far down the chain of mana producers. Heart Warden - Reliability of turn 1 mana acceleration is worth much than the card draw option. Heartwood Dryad - Too narrow. Highland Game - Not good enough. Humble Budoka - Perhaps just marginally better than Grizzly Bears. Perhaps. Ironshell Beetle - Doesn’t do enough. Karoo Meerkat - Too narrow. Keeper of Beasts - Repeatable bears seems powerful enough to take notice even if it is limited. I just don't know what you would be doing with the rest of your mana while you actively don't play creatures. Play attrition until your opponent is out of cards, then dump your hand? Presumably it still isn't too hard to play around, especially if your opponent has decent mid-size creatures. Kithkin Daggerdare - It looks like it could have use in midrange decks that want to keep pushing threats into the red zone, making it harder for your opponent to block. However the green in the cost is not irrelevant, as those types of decks are more likely to want to curve out their threats. Krakilin - There are better regenerators across the mana curve, that the flexibility doesn't make up for. Kraul Warrior - Way too expensive cost for ability. Lifesmith - Even if you are pushing artifact themes, this doesn't do enough to warrant inclusion. Llanowar Druid - It does have the potential upside of massive acceleration, but it is Magical Christmas Land that is never likely to happen in practice, and you want more reliable and permanent ramp. Loam Dweller - Too narrow. Lynx - Strictly worse than Somberwald Dryad. Matsu-Tribe Sniper - Not a bad tapper against flying decks or killing spirit tokens, but banking on that is too unreliable, and it's not good enough elsewhere. Might Weaver - Just meh. Moon Sprite - Worse than Bayou Dragonfly. You don't want to be worse than Bayou Dragonfly. Multani's Acolyte - Having to pay echo sucks. Muscle Sliver - Tribal. Nacatl Savage - Not relevant enough. Nantuko Tracer - Ability not relevant enough. Nissa's Chosen - Worse than Kalonian Tusker, ability rarely relevant. Nomadic Elf - Fixer that decelerates. Nope. Nurturing Licid - Meh. Oran-Rief Survivalist - Ally tribal. Orcohi Ranger - The tap down effect only matters if you are dealing with a larger creature that it can't kill. Helps if you are outclassed, but it seems like you are setting yourself up for a losing proposition in the first place by playing it. People of the Woods - Even if you want to push mono-green as a deck, this is not making the cut. Petalmane Baku - Too narrow. Pygmy Razorback - Strictly worse than Kavu Predator. Pygmy Troll - The single mana to regenerate is nice, but you would never play it over Mire Boa / River Boa. Quick Sliver - Tribal. Quirion Elves - Too far down the chain of mana producers. Quirion Explorer - Too far down the chain of mana producers. Riftsweeper - Too narrow. Rushwood Dryad - Strictly worse than Somberwald Dryad. Satyr Grovedancer / Timberland Guide - It's a flexible bear. But the flexibility leaves you with a slightly pumped creature, and an irrelevant one. Satyr Hedonist - Turn 2 play, turn 3 swing, sac and play a 5 drop? Too inconsistent as a one-time accelerator, especially as a Gruul card. Scaleguard Sentinels - 3/4 for 2 mana is pretty sick. But will be such a rarity in peasant that you would never consider it. Scarwood Hag - Just bad. Scorned Villager - If you play this on turn 2 and your opponent doesn't cast anything, you have the option of attacking for 2 and accelerating to 5 mana on turn 3. That is good upside… if your opponent doesn't cast anything. Most cubes include enough turn 2 plays that this will be a bad Llanowar Elf frequtently enough to feel bad about it. Seeker of Skybreak - I can't find anything abusable for this guy. There are situations where the untap will be useful, but it doesn't provide siginficant enough value to warrant inclusion. Seton's Scout - Even in graveyard decks, there is going to be too long before this becomes good. Shelkin Brownie - Oh good, lose banding. Sheltering Ancient - Maybe there are some crazy combos, but too hard to build around. Shinen of Life's Roar - Not going to be consistent enough. Silverglade Pathfinder - There might be some graveyard decks that are happy to dump cards while building their land base, but one-shot effects like Satyr Wayfinder and going to be faster and playable in more decks. Skyshooter - Not good enough. Skyshroud Elf - Too far down the chain of mana producers. Slith Predator - Too slow to get the counter clock ticking. Especially if you are on the draw, your opponent is likely to have an answer. Smoke Teller - Too narrow. Soilshaper - Too narrow. Somberwalk Dryad - Just meh. Spectral Bears - A 3/3 every 2 turns is bad. Spellwild Ouphe - Turn 2 play, turn 3 Elephant Guide, Griffin Guide, Moldervine Cloak… Too Magical Christmas Land to rely on the potential upsides and open to removal. Spinneret Sliver - Tribal. Spore Flower - Played early, this could be end up being annoying to play against in decks that intend to go long. But it relies too heavily on being played early, and it's a dead top deck if you are already behind. Stonewood Invoker - Too costly to consider. Swordwise Centaur - Strictly worse than Kalonian Tusker / Garruk's Companion. Sylvan Hierophant - To be of reasonable value, it needs to provide value on the board as well as graveyard retrieval. And it doesn't. Sylvan ranger - Not good enough when compared to other options that can actually accelerate. Sylvok Explorer - Too far down the chain of mana producers. Tangle Asp - Wasteland Viper exists. Tel-Jilad Chosen - Too narrow. Thornscape Familiar - In most cases a mana rock is going to be more resilient, and better except in some pretty uncommon circumstances. Timberpack Wolf - No place in cube. Transluminant - Not good enough as a Selesnya card. Uktabi Faerie - Too costly. Unseen Walker - Just poor. Urborg Elf - Too far down the chain of mana producers. Venom Sliver - Tribal Vine Trellis - Overgrown Battlement strictly better and there are other options if you want more walls. Vintara Snapper - Humble Budoka strictly better. Vitapsore Thallid - The fact that it is 1/1 for 2 mana for at least 3 turns before it does anything else is poor, and even then the haste does not really make up for it. Voyaging Satyr - The effect is more flexible than Arbor Elf, but the extra mana in the cost matters too much. Warren-Scourge Elf - Nope. Wellwisher - As a 2 mana 1/1, you need to get some decent upside. While most cubes include a number of otherwise good Elves, this effect isn't likely to be worth inclusion. Whirling Dervish - Too slow to get going, and easy enough to block for most decks. Willow Faerie - Not good stats. Wirewood Herald - Pretty narrow on Elf tribal. Wirewood Hivemaster - Too narrow on Elf tribal. Wolf-Skull Shaman - Without a lot of tribal support, won't be worth more than a bear. Woodland Changeling - Rarely relevant. Wren's Run Vanquisher - Too inconsistent to be good. Wyluli Wolf - Going to be too slow for vast majority of cubes. Zodiac Monkey - Strictly worse than Somberwald Dryad. Zodiac Rooster - Just bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Regrowth Description - Solid card in almost any green deck. It can get back the most relevant target in your graveyard for the current game state, whether it is the best creature that got hit by removal, getting back your own removal to deal with a new threat, or getting an engine going. Can combine with other retrieval cards to form loops, such as Eternal Witness. Also good in graveyard decks that can dredge stuff into the graveyard for later retrieval. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Sylvan Library Description - If you aren't paying life to get more cards, you are invested a card. Played early it can help you hit your land drops, and stem their flow once you hit the required number. However once you hit 2 'dud' cards it isn't really helping much than if you had just drawn them. If you have a few shuffling or scry effects, it does get better by letting you see new cards more frequently. 4 life is not insignificant, but not having a mana cost attached can let you draw cards without impacting your ability to play them. Note that you are still drawing 2 extra cards a turn, regardless of whether you put them back, so it has some specific synergies with Lorescale Coatl and Horizon Chimera. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Commune With The Gods Description - Digging 5 and being able to find 2 relevant card types makes it unlikely that you will whiff. Helps find your powerful cards, and assist graveyard decks by dumping any relevant card there. In particular, dumping a reanimation target while finding a reanimation enchantment (Animate Dead, Necromancy) is some pretty strong synergy for that deck. Also solid in enchantment based Voltron / enchantment matters decks, or just to increase the chance of finding your powerful enchantments like Curses, or removal like Banishing Light. Fits well in just about any deck, but goes the extra mile in decks built to take advantage. Anchors - Supports - Reanimator, Graveyard Matters
Constant Mists Description - A single Fog effect usually delays the inevitable without getting you ahead. In the case of Constant Mists, being able to buy it back a number of turns in a row can lock out the opponent while you set up your board or other plays. Once your opponent knows you have it, it makes things difficult for them; do they all out assault? Only attack with a single evasive creature to draw out the sacrifice or hope you will take the damage? Don't attack and let you draw into more lands? Has strong synergy with a handful of other cards. Land Tax keeps the fuel going, and paired with Guttersnipe can be a slow rolling death machine. Anchors - Supports -
Edge of Autumn Description - Helps in the early game to accelerate and fix, while providing flexibility in the late game to draw into something more useful, essentially for free. Anchors - Supports -
Epic Confrontation - Playable Description - Decent option for green removal. Allows your creatures to trade up by virtue of the toughness, and if you are clearing a path, you get an extra point of damage in. It can still be situational; even if your creature survives, your creature might have taken sufficient damage that attacking may no longer be profitable if the opponent has another blocker. Anchors - Supports -
Mulch Description - Can help with decks that need to hit their land drops early, while also helping to fill the graveyard. Marginally better if you have effects which let you manipulate or look at the top of your library, but it is bit of work. Waiting unti your Sensei's Divining Top has hit 3 lands before you cast it may not fit your game plan. Anchors - Supports -
Naturalize Description - It's not sexy, but it gets the job done. While there are plenty of options attached to creatures, you can always keep this held back until your opponent is committed to an attack before removing equipment, power boosting auras etc to maximise other opportunities to mess with your opponent. Anchors - Supports -
Predator's Strike Description - It fights among other pump options, but 2 mana isn't back breaking to get your early creatures to trade up / survive, and the trample can be relevant to break through the final points in the lategame. Anchors - Supports -
Rampant Growth Description - A fairly basic effect that ramp or control decks will welcome for mana fixing and accelerating from turn 2 into 4-drops. It's not flashy, but gets the job done. Sakura-Tribe Elder is better in nearly all situations, but you might include this if you want multiple 2cc spells that both fix and accelerate. Anchors - Supports -
Resize Description - The baseline effect is worse than Giant Growth or Predator's Strike, so it depends on whether you will get use out of Recover. It's not optional; if you can't pay the mana, it gets exiled. That is going to be tricky for some decks to manage. A midrange deck that want to keep laying threats on curve and pushing the advantage isn't going to want to hold that mana up 'just in case'. An alternative play is using 4 mana in response to removal or a trigger on the stack, but you still have to have another creature worth casting this on in the first place. May be more suited to grindy cubes that find their decks with mana to spare in the late game. Anchors - Supports -
Savage Surge Description - A reasonable combat trick, particularly in racing situations. It can either be used on the attack to win what would be a losing / trade situation and then have a blocker for your opponents turn. Or allow you to swing in, and then have a surprise blocker when your opponent swings back. Anchors - Supports -
Sprout Swarm Description - The effectiveness of Sprout Swarm is highly dependent on the average speed of your cube. Given time, it accelerates into a machine of mass tokens. In fast cubes, you will probably be on the back foot and won’t have time to get into a position to cast it twice in a turn, and will need to start blocking with your tokens to survive, killing your engine. If you do have the time and your opponent doesn't have an answer (counterspells, targeted discard, or evasive creatures you can't deal with), it can be an inevitable win condition. Anchors - Supports - Tokens
Symbiosis Description - It does have the downside of requiring two targets, but it has the ability to turn around a couple of combat interactions. Anchors - Supports -
Tangle Description - One of the better Fog effects that can help you survive an alpha strike and then let you strike back for 2 consecutive attack phases. It might even be a reasonable stalling tactic played early against aggro, protecting your life total and giving you time to cast your larger creatures. Anchors - Supports -
Titanic Growth Description - Pump spells often come down to personal preference (you might consider Predator's Strike or Giant Growth to fill the same spot), but this is a solid pump spell. Anchors - Supports -
Utopia Vow Description - 2 mana for green to remove a creature from combat is a good option. You fix and accelerate their mana; the closest comparison is Path To Exile, and while this is worse (permanently on abilities still apply, they can sacrifice the creature, sorcery speed) when it comes to green removal you won't find much better. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Channel Description - It's possible to support the Channel / Fireball combo in peasant cube. The question is, how good is it outside of that combo? The double green in the casting cost makes it much harder to accelerate into green ramp targets. You will need 5 green mana on the board if you want to ramp into something like Pelakka Wurm. On the plus side, you can accelerate into Eldrazi or large artifact creatures as early as turn 2, so you might give it more consideration if you have more of those in your cube. It has potential for really high upside, but will be wildly inconsistent. Anchors - Supports -
Druid's Call Description - It comes with the inherent 2 for 1 problem if your opponent has removal. But if they can't remove the target, then it can become problematic for them to attack into. It isn't likely to generate a squillion squirrels, but more likely to provide virtual card advantage by holding off attacks until they draw removal. You wouldn't want to rely on it, but minor synergies with pingers. Anchors - Supports -
Evolution Charm Description - Nothing is particularly noteworthy, but each effect will being relevant often enough to consider as a package. Anchors - Supports -
Exoskeletal Armor Description - This can have some pretty big upside, especially if you support graveyard matters decks. It's tempered by the standard 2 for 1 aura issue, and times when the bonus will be miniscule. Can be ok in hexproof / pants decks, and when paired with greens 'digging' cards like Commune With The Gods. Anchors - Gravedyard Matters Supports -
Explore Description - It can help accelerate and at worst is a 2 mana cantrip. Anchors - Supports -
Farseek Description - At peasant, it finds less than Rampant Growth / Sakura-Tribe Elder for the same cost. However, I've listed it here noting that some peasant cube owners may break rarity for dual lands that have basic land types. In those cubes, this might have a place. Anchors - Supports -
Fists of Ironwood Description - Trample might be relevant, depending on the number of fatties you have in your cube, with the tokens making up for the cost of the card. In a pinch, you can cast on a small creature just to use this as a green Dragon Fodder if you just need bodies. Anchors - Supports -
Gather the Pack Description - It competes with Commune With The Gods, which can find enchantments as well. The upside of Gather The Pack is the ability to keep 2 creatures if you have spell mastery. The likely decks that would want this variant are spell-based ramp (Cultivate, Kodama's Reach etc) that can then dig for their targets with the highest likelihood of hitting spell mastery. It may be a little inconsistent in other decks. Anchors - Supports - Ramp, Spells Matter
Into the North Description - The only time you would consider including this in your cube is if you had the 5 snow dual fixers, let your players play with snow basics, and probably Mouth of Ronom as well. Without the nonbasics (and whenever you don't draft them for your deck) it's just a Rampant Growth. Anchors - Supports -
Moment's Peace Description - Fog variant that gives you two Fogs. It just buys time, but it buys more time than most. The threat of the second activation might actually buy you more time. Minor synergy with graveyard strategies, who might be happy to have this effect dumped in the graveyard while they set up their plays. Anchors - Supports -
Name Dropping Description - This… seems interesting. It could do absolutely nothing if the opponent is careful, but it could do a lot for a grindy threshold deck against some opponents. It's not optional, so it would be hilarious for your opponent to fill your hand to prevent threshold while Grizzly Fate is on the stack. Anchors - Supports -
Nature's Lore / Three Visits Description - It doesn't hit the battlefield tapped like other searchers, but it only finds Forests. There aren't any nonbasic Forests worth finding at Peasant, and this locks you into finding green mana, and land searchers that find other basic land types support more decks. However coming into play untapped can be important, and can be really good when sequenced on turn 3 alongside another 2-drop.
Nature's Spiral Description - It's strictly worse than Regrowth, but there are still enough targets that you may consider this as a second effect for larger cubes, or you are really pushing deep on recursion themes in green. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Nostalgic Dreams Description - This requires a bit of setup. You need cards in your graveyard you want to get back, and cards in your hand you are ready to get rid of; preferably ones that benefit from being in the graveyard. Compared to the likes of Regrowth, you end up at card disadvantage, but it can give you card quality. Best in dredge-type graveyard decks that can give you lots of targets to shape your hand to the current game state. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard Matters
Provoke Description - It's a form of green removal. It's something you would play more for the gameplay it generates than raw power. It can help take out some utility creatures.
Seal of Primordium Description - Enchantment version of Naturalize. The only reason you would play this over the instant version, or attached to creatures, is for enchantment matters themes. Anchors - Supports - Enchantment Matters
Sylvan Scrying Description - This will be highly dependent on the nonbasics in your cube. If you are finding basics, it is just worse than Rampant Growth or Sakura-Tribe Elder. If you have powerful utility lands (Maze of Ith, Library of Alexandria) it gets a little boost, and it can always find tri-lands or rainbow lands for multi-colour decks.
Travel Preparations Description - You aren't going to play it without the flashback, making this a conditional 4 power and 4 tougness for 4 mana. It requires two creatures to maximise value, and once you've put counters on creatures, they are still prone to removal. Being a sorcery is a knock against it, but if you support any +1/+1 counter themes this can be worth it. It also has minor synergy with persist creatures. It can also help aggro starts stay relevant long enough to close the game. Anchors - Supports -
Wildwood Rebirth Description - It's narrower than Regrowth, but it is instant speed, which might suit flash / go style decks. One of few retrieval effects that fits on Isochron Scepter if you want to create that synergy. Anchors - Supports - Flash / Go
Unplayables Aether Web - Doesn't do enough. Aggressive Urge - This seems too situational, I'd prefer the cost of the card for a Giant Growth, or Wildsize as my cantrip combat spell. Alpha Authority - Only really useful on a creature that is already decent size, and therefore should be outclassing your opponents creatures anyway. Armor of Thorns - Just not effective. Aspect of Mongoose - Despite coming back if the creature dies, the protection still costs you a card. There might be some creatures you want to protect , but this is not the card. Lightning Greaves gives you a similar effect with a lot more upside and fits in more decks. Back to Nature - You either don't have a lot of enchantments, where Naturalise is likely to be more flexible. Or you are pushing an enchantment theme / deck, and this might turn out to be a blowout against that deck. It won't fit the design of most cubes. Bower Passage - Too conditional. Canopy Cover - Doesn't have enough impact. Canopy Surge - Hurricane exists. Compost - Too narrow. Crosswinds - Too narrow. Crown of Vigor - Better options. Decomposition - Too narrow. Deep Wood - Bad version of Constant Mists. Defend the Hearth - Too narrow. Deglamer - If it's truly threatening (Skullclamp, Curse of Predation), you wouldn't want to put it back into the players library to draw again. It isn't worth the card to 'save' your own. Dense Canopy - Too narrow. Display of Dominance - Too narrow. Dragon Fangs - The number of decks where this would make sense are far too narrow. Druid's Deliverance - Only prevents damage to you, not all combat damage. Too narrow. Earthbrawn - The flexibility of a single +1/+1 counter is not worth the extra mana cost over Giant Growth. Echoing Courage - Worse than many other effects, except in token decks. Elfhame Sanctuary - You would need a pretty good reason to play this. It can keep fueling a Constant Mists or Goblin Trenches, but isn't likely to be worth investing a card to the board for that purpose. Elven Rite - A Diregraf Ghoul might be nice swinging as a 4/4 on turn 2, but in most cases this isn't going to be worth it. At sorcery speed, it can't be used as a combat trick. Feed The Clan - 10 life is an ok amount if you can get it. I'm just not sure what deck would want it. Ferocity - It's probably most likely to just let your creatures through so they don't grow, and if they can kill the creature you just got 2 for 1'd. It could have a place in decks with regeneration creatures, warding off attacks and then being able to swing in, but it's too narrow for most decks to contemplate. You'd rather have it be an aura with immediate impact or a combat trick. Fertile Ground - You would rather be able to accelerate on turn 1 with Utopia Sprawl. This has minor upsides, but in most cases won't be worth the extra mana. Fistful of Force - You want to know what you are getting with a combat trick. Lots of better green pump spells at 1 or 2 mana. Flock of Rabid Sheep - You probably need X to be at least 6 to get an average of 3 bears… err.. Sheep. Not efficient enough. I'd rather the guarantee and repeatability of Grizzly Fate even without threshold. Fog Patch - A poor Fog. Fortitude - Too costly. Freyalise's Charm - Too narrow. Freyalise's Radiance - Bad. Full Moon's Rise - Too narrow. Gaea's Blessing - It can help shuffle critical cards into your library without costing a card, but you still have to take time off to cast it, and the likelihood of drawing those cards in the next few turns is still going to be slim. The first effect would be most useful in decks like dredge, but the second effect is completely counter to what dredge decks want to be doing. Gaea's Touch - The dream would be to drop this turn 2 and play your 3rd Forest, turn 3 drop 2 more Forests, sac this, and play something like Plated Crusher. But you need to be mono-green to be consistent, and it does not make for a good top deck. There are a few cards that bounce lands to your hand (like Quirion Ranger) but the synergy is not strong enough to consider pursuing. Gleeful Sabotage - The likelihood of having two targets is low, or that you will want to tap two of your creatures, and that you will want to do so at sorcery speed, is very slim. Glissa's Scorn - The flexibility of Naturalise is better. Grounded - Super narrow. Growth Spurt - The average is not better than other options, and the inconsistency will drive most players nuts. Heavy Fog - It only prevents damage to you, not your creatures. Pass. Hidden Ancients - This is going to be a sideboard card at best, and only then if you support an enchantment based deck. Howling Gale - If your cube includes a prevalence of spirit tokens and 2/1 flyers, this might give green some outs, while also being about to take out some 2 toughness flyers from time to time. But there are better effects. Invigorating Boon - Too difficult to make cycling a thing, and the upside is not great regardless. Jolrael's Favor - Flashing it into play might save a decent creature, but it is still a 4 mana combat trick. With the prevalence of white exile removal and black 'can’t regenerate' removal, investing an extra card in regeneration is not likely to be worth it. Karametra's Favor - It replaces itself, but it works on the proviso that you have a creature already on the board that you are willing to give up whatever its inherent value is to become a mana creature. Just include more mana creatures. Khalni Heart Expedition - If you can play it consistently on turn 2, it is solid. When you play it on turn 5+, it might have no impact for several turns. It gets better in ramp decks that include other land searching spells, but not enough to warrant the inclusion of this in your cube. Krosan Reclamation - It costs you a card. Sure, you get to cast it twice, but it still costs you a card you never get back. The fixing of card draw or improvement in card quality is so minor, it nowhere near makes up for it, and there are no worthwhile combos or synergies that can make effective use of this. Lammastide Weave - The only place I could see this fitting is for the fateseal deck, that looks at the opponents top of deck and uses this to mill an offending card. If you support a graveyard matters themes and have other cards in your cube that monitor the top of your deck, it could also fit there. It is very narrowly on theme however. Land Aid '04 - This sounds fun, but double G kills it. Land Grant - Hardcast it is worse than a lot of other options. Casting it for free is nice, but as we don't have nonbasic Forest options, it may as well just be another Forest. It could a free spell to trigger prowess, Guttersnipe etc, but that is too narrow to consider inclusion. Leeching Bite - It requires the right board state to be effective, and you would usually prefer a better pump effect. It can kill things, but not enough to warrant inclusion. Useless if you have no creatures. Lifeforce - Too narrow. Lignify - You can cast it on your own creature, using 2 cards to build a wall… or you could include Wall of Blossoms which sort of costs 0 cards. Or you could cast it on your opponents creatures… and then have a wall that you have to break through. No thanks. Lull - It's a Fog variant. The cycling doesn't make it worth playing. Mantle of Webs - Not providing actual flying makes this not worth it. Mark of Sakiko - It requires a lot of set up for what is not likely to be a lot of payoff. Magical Christmas land sees a 2 power 1 drop followed by this without being opposed, allowing you to play another 2-drop, using removal to keep the board clear and keep casting dudes. Or getting a trampler connecting in the midgame to power out midrange or high end fatties. But the reality is more likely to be getting blocked and 2 for 1'd, or not being able to make effective use of the mana anyway. Just stick with more consistent ramp. Might of the Nephilim - Except in very rare instances, it's going to be worse than Titanic Strength. Monstrous Growth - Titanic Strength is the same effect but instant. Moonmist - Far too narrow to consider. Mortal's Resolve - It's more likely you will wish the bigger growth spell than this more often than vice versa. Muscle Burst - Not going to be anything more than an expensive Giant Growth in singleton peasant. Nature's Kiss - I thought it said 'top of your library', which was still dubious. Graveyard? Nope. Night Soil - Doesn't do enough. Without a lot of support, there won't be enough creatures in graveyards. And if you spend a lot of effort, you only have a handful of 1/1 tokens to show for it. Nourish - Not enough life gain to be good. Nylea's Presence - Not enough impact. It doesn't cost you a card, but it only fixes mana and doesn't accelerate while costing you 2 mana. Ordeal of Nylea - It requires you to draft the right deck, and then for things to go right. Ideally you need an early creature you want to attack with, wait up to 3 turns, and then wait another turn for your ramp as the lands comes into play tapped. You could accelerate it with creatures that enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters, but you are clutching for the perfect confluence of events. Phytoburst - A quarter of a life total is a lot. However sorcery speed means this is probably not going to connect when you want it to, and Titanic Growth is better for the instant speed. Plummet - Too narrow. Powerleech - Narrow Mcnarrowson. Primal Rage - There are board states where this might have an impact, but there are better ways to give creatures trample. Quest for Renewal - Pseudo-vigilance that may not become active until several turns after you play it. There might be some interesting combos (Sprout Swarm), but they don't overcome the fact that this is otherwise terrible, and are probably just win more anyway. Quest For The Gemblades - It isn't going to be consistent enough. Quiet Disrepair - It's quirky, but for the most part you don't want to wait a turn for your removal to work. 2 life for 'free' each turn is not bad if you are racing or have some life gain matter cards, but you would rather have something a little more consistent. Reality Anchor - Too narrow. Reap - This could probably amount to some good card advantage, but is too narrow for cube. Regenerate - Not good enough. Mortal's Resolve is strictly better. Regeneration - Doesn't do enough. Repopulate - It's not a cantrip, and even if you improve the density of nonlands, on average it is going to take may turns for that to turn into a full card. Resounding Roar - 8 mana is too much, and there are better versions of the base effect. Respite - It's a Fog with upside, but not enough to warrant playing. Restore - It's too narrow to be of any consequence. Resuscitate - Mortals' Resolve is strictly better. Revive - It's a narrow Regrowth. Rites of Spring - It doesn't ramp, and you end up down a card. It lets you dump stuff in your graveyard, but it just doesn’t have enough upside. Root Cage - Welcome to narrow town. Savage Punch - Epic Confrontation is far more consistent for this effect. Scouting Trek - You end up down a card, and there are few synergies that are easy to exploit in singelton peasant. It can give you a constant stream of Wurm Harvests, but it isn't worth including for a single card. Serene Heat - Too narrow. Sheltering Wood - The upside on Vines of Vastwood is much better than the upside here that you wouldn't consider playing this. Skyreaping - Even if you want this type of effect, this is too inconsistent. Skyshroud Blessing - For when you really really really need to protect that Treetop Village. Solidarity of Heroes - This is so all in on the +1/+1 theme, and is only going to be playable in a deck that has a fair number of creatures with +1/+1 counters. There are likely to be board states where casting this will be an absolute blowout, but is still situational and it costs a bucket ton of mana if you have a few targets. Song of Serenity - Too narrow and will do nothing a lot of the time, except help you lose the game by not playing cards that mattered. Spring Cleaning - Most of the time there will only be 1 target anyway, in which case you want a more flexible card. Strength from the Fallen - In the early to midgame it might just do nothing. You need the perfect confluence of graveyard dumping cards and enough enchantments, which is a tall order to fulfill. Strength in Numbers - You want this to be more consistent to consider playing it. Summer Bloom - The upside seems high. Play on turn 2, drop 3 lands (maybe a bounceland), play a land on turn 3 and play a 6-drop. But this fails anywhere other than turn 2, fails if you don't have an opening hand full of land, and other 1 and 2 mana acceleration options are more consistent. You are probably only happy to see this in an opening hand with 5 other lands and a relevant 5-6 drop. Which could get hit by removal anyway.
Superior Numbers - Green direct damage! But it is probably only ever going to be consistent enough in a dedicated token deck. Supersize - Nope.
Sustenance - Too inefficient. Sylvan Might - The baseline is not good, and the flashback is expensive. Sylvan Scrying - There aren't enough good nonbasics to put this in your pool. You'd rather play something Rampant Growth to actually accelerate you. Tangleasp - So about the only time you would want to play this is during your combat phase when you have a bunch of tramplers and your opponent is intending to block. Tel-Jilad Defiance - Too narrow. Tel-Jilad Justice - Scrying is nice, but there are plenty of more flexible options that hit enchantments as well.
Terrifying Presence - Doesn't do enough. Thoughtleech - Too narrow. Time of Need - There isn't the critical mass of playable legendary creatures at uncommon to consider this. Toil to Renown - It could gain you 10+ life in the right deck, but is going to be too inconsistent to be relied upon. Tower Defense - If you have no creatures a real Fog effect will be better, but It might just be one of the best pseudo-Fog effects if you have creature parity on the board. It will help your creatures survive almost any encounter with opposing forces, hopefully turn trades into wins, and if you are on defense you can deal with flyers. In practice, it is going to be too inconsistent, and in other situations doesn't help you win the game. Tracker's Instincts - You would have to consider this a Simic card, otherwise you would just play Commune With the Gods or Gather the Pack. It isn't terrible incremental advantage, but it's not good enough to break into a Simic section. Tranquil Domain - Too narrow. Tread Upon - Predator's Strike strictly better. Treetop Bracers - Doesn't do enough. Tribute to the Wild - Unless you are playing multiplayer, Naturalize is better. Unravel the Aether - Very little upside over Natualize. You might prevent some decks from using graveyard retrieval, but you give them the chance of drawing it again. Verdant Touch - The effect is too expensive for what you get. You don't get anything extra to add to the board. Centaur Glade has a higher initial investment, but doesn't cost you your lands. Even Zendikar's Roil would be better in most cases. Vital Surge - Just nope. Wallop - Narrowness added to narrowness. Wear Away - No benefit in cube over the easier to cast Naturalize. Whiteout - The effect is too narrow. In a cube that allows snow lands I would like to see it alongside Guttersnipe, but it's not enough to save it. Wielding the Green Dragon - It's sorcery speed. Worse than Titanic Growth. Wild Might - Not getting a guaranteed pump is bad. Winds of Qal Sisma - Too inconsistent as a Fog. Wrap in Vigor - Mortal's Resolve strictly better.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your
cube unless you ban them for being too good.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck /
archetype / effect.
Borderland Marauder Description - Play it, then swing for three. As simple as possible, a key card for any red aggressive deck. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Frazzled Editor Description - It requires some house rules about interpretation, but can be really strong. Mainly you need to decide whether you count reminder or flavour text. Even if you don't count those, cube is full of higher complexity cards which lend themselves to more rules text. Basically, it is a red 2/2 with protection from a bunch of stuff, which is more than red usually gets. Note that it might preclude you targeting it with some of your own stuff, but that is a pretty minimal downside in comparison to what you get. Anchors - Supports -
Gore-House Chainwalker Description - You only want to include this in aggro decks that want to swing for the fences. 3 power for 2 mana that doesn't die to a 1/1 utility creature or token is excellent in those decks though. The 2/1 is a distant secondary mode if you really need it as a blocker. Anchors - Supports -
Keldon Marauders Description - Good for aggro decks that want to punch through quickly. The 3/3 stats are often enough force through damage, or force the opponent to lose a creature if they block. 2 mana to either deal 5 damage to a player, or kill a creature and deal 2 damage is a pretty good deal. Even if you are behind, it can still deal a couple of damage while chumping if you happen to be behind. Anchors - Supports - Aggro
Mogg War Marshal Description - Decent token generator. If you don't pay the echo, you still get Dragon Fodder's worth of tokens, but you also get the opportunity to block if you aren't intending to pay. Paying the echo is mostly upside if you happen to have the mana spare. Good for sacrifice decks, getting 3 activations for a couple of mana. Can fit into a range of decks. Anchors - Supports - Sacrifice, Aggro, Tokens
Stormblood Berserker Description - Two mana 3/3 is great, and is easy enough to support with other aggressive 1-drops or other sequencing. Anchors - Supports -
Young Pyromancer Description - Base stats are not embarrassing, but the ability to spawn multiple tokens over a game make this a solid card even if you aren't heavy on 'spells matters' themes. You can get it out early and use removal to keep the path clear while building your army, or use the tokens for sacrifice effects. It works well with token spells like Hordeling Outburst to really go wide. Can combine with Sprout Swarm for a quickly accelerated
army. Anchors - Spells Matters Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a
Ashmouth Hound Description - Obviously great in combat against X/1s, and can trade up with x/3's. Situationally good. Anchors - bSupports -
Blood Knight Description - Similar to White Knight and Black Knight, perhaps a little worse as an attacker since red usually wants to keep the board as clear as possible and a 3-power dude will outperform 2-power with first strike. Anchors - Supports -
Ember Hauler Description - Hard to cast, but when you do get it out early it can attack while it can, and turn into removal later. Anchors - Supports -
Firefist Striker Description - Repeatable can't-block effects are great for aggro, and this is just easy enough to trigger to be a very solid card. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Fireslinger Description - Repeatably taking down X/1s is quite strong for two mana, despite the damage drawback. Anchors - Supports -
Generator Servant Description - Red ramp is a very rare effect, but it's always at least on a 2/1 body and can lead to some very explosive plays. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Shortcutter Description - Solid for red aggro decks, turning off your opponents blockers in the early to midgame and forcing some damage through, or prevent a trade / unfavorable block. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Goblin Wardriver Description - ok stats for cost, and the battlecry can be relevant in aggro decks laying out multiple cheap threats or token decks. The double red makes it harder to cast on curve in multicolour decks. It's not flashy, but fits into decks that want to be attacking. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Hellspark Elemental Description - It comes out the gates swinging in aggro decks... twice. In the early game it can be hard to block, either forcing your opponent to lose a creature or take what amounts to a Lava Spike that can be repeated. minor synergies with sacrifice decks, and it isn't a prime target but could also see
play in dredge-style graveyard decks. Anchors - Aggro Supports - Sacrifice, Graveyard Matters
Lightning Mauler Description - You can always play it as a 2-drop haste by pairing it with a 1-drop, but it is best served waiting for a 3+ drop to come down and swing ahead of curve. As a result, it only really belongs in aggressive decks. Sometimes you might be able to sequence this plus another 2-drop on turn 4 for a surprise swing, but that will be uncommon. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Mogis's Warhound Description - As a baseline you wouldn't accept the attack each turn drawback, but being able to bestow it makes it reasonable to boost one of your own creatures. Good for midrange decks that want to put an extra 2 power on the board immediately and swing. Anchors - Supports -
Plated Geopede Description - It may be inconsistent, but a 3/3 first striker on the attack for a couple of turns in the early game can make things difficult for your opponent. It needs to be an aggro or midrange deck that just wants to get out swinging. Some upside if you have ramp cards, or with Terramoprhic Expanse, or you break rarity for fetchlands. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Reckless Reveler / Torch Fiend Description - It isn't embarrassing stats if you want artifact removal on legs. Anchors - Supports -
Sigiled Skink Description - The scry is a good smoother for aggressive decks. It doesn't do anything tricky; it's just solid for filtering away lands you don't need once you've hit requirements, and keep pressure up. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Sparksmith Description - Compared to Fireslinger, it doesn't hit players, but hitting creatures is more important anyway. The damage to yourself is usually worth it to take out opposing creatures. An early Hordeling Outburst alongside this gives you the opportunity to dominate the opposing
board; the life loss will hardly matter if they have no creatures and you still have other cards to drop. Sometimes your opponent might even help you out by playing some goblins. Anchors - Supports - Pinger Control
Wall of Razors Description - The 1 toughness makes it vulnerable, but 4 first striking power makes this hard to attack into for a lot of creatures. Good for supporting defensive control in red. Anchors - Supports -
War-Name Aspirant Description - They can't use tokens to trade with it, and they can't use the likes of Wall of Blossoms to stall it. Raid gives it the extra boost; in aggressive decks, getting down a 3/2 where the opponent's opportunity to easily trade up is removed, it can be solid. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Blazing Effigy Description - If you are playing defensively in red, it stalls 2/x's, and when it is outclassed is probably going to take something with it. Wall of Razors and a couple of other walls fit a similar the role, but this doesn't die to Gut Shot or divisible burn, and even if it gets bolted you still get to take something with it. Downside that you must target your own creatures if they have nothing on the board. Anchors - Supports - Control
Crimson Mage Description - Decent effect tacked on to a Piker body, one extra mana is usually a fair price for tacking on haste to a creature. Anchors - Supports -
Crimson Muckwader Description - A very solid card in a vacuum, but seldom seen due to strong competition among Rakdos cards. Anchors - Supports -
Deathbellow Raider Description - A good attacker even for non-black decks, having a third toughness makes him much more sturdy than the must-attack drawback on a 2/2 or 2/1, but can still be a dead card from time to time. Anchors - Supports -
Dwarven Blastminer / Dwarven Miner Description -If you want a mediocre way to punish greedy manabases, consider one of these guys. Anchors - Supports -
Embersmith Description - Certainly dependent on having a dedicated artifact theme in your cube, but if that's present this is a strong threat (and, in that cube, still has the "always a bear" upside for when the theme doesn't come together fully). Anchors - Artifact Matters Supports -
Emberwilde Augur Description - If it attacks and isn't blocked once then gets sacrificed, it's the same amount of damage as Keldon Marauders, but it's not reliable enough as basically a vanilla creature. Anchors - Supports -
Everflame Eidolon Description - Pretty miserable when hard-cast, but will add on a decent amount of damage when used as an aura. Anchors - Supports -
Falkenrath Exterminator Description - Slow, but has a very strong best-case scenario and works well with other effects that can grant it a +1/+1 effect. Anchors - Supports -
Goblin Skycutter Description - 2 power for 2 is not embarrassing, and free activation cost gives it some flexibility to take out opposing flyers if you need to clear them out. It will be actively subpar against any deck that doesn't have many flyers though. Anchors - Supports -
Horde Ambusher
Description - Without morph it is a bear with downside, but the 'free' morph cost gives you options and supports the 'can't block' subtheme.
Anchors -
Supports -
Humble Defector Description - Drawing 2 cards is pretty solid, but what if your opponent gets to do it too? Being in red, in the late game this could help you draw into reach and possibly close out the game before your opponent can respond. It can also work by sacrificing or bouncing in response to an activation. While there aren't many untap effects that are highly playable, untapping it in response to the first activation can net you 4 cards before you give it to your opponent. Anchors - Supports -
Kiln Fiend Description - You need to be pretty heavy on the spells matters themes to get this to work, but can be a good threat. Using removal to keep the path clear and swinging in for 4 damage is a solid plan, but the 2 toughness doesn't give it a lot of longevity, and it will be inconsistent. When your opponent is in the single digits and you have cards in hand, it can make them a little nervous. Anchors - Spells Matter Supports -
Kruin Striker Description - Has a reasoable chance of hitting for 3, and can be more if supporting tokens. The trample is mostly bonus, so getting power is the real draw, in which case most creatures that have a baseline 3 power when attacking are going to be better served in the same slot, or that have better upside. This also forces you to play 'badly', making you cast creatures before combat. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Mardu Scout Description - Reds only base 3 power creature at 2 mana that doesn't kill itself or have a drawback (aside from costing double red). However it just doesn't do enough compared to other options. The dash can be a surprise, but having to pay for it each turn is either going to stunt your development or will often start coming down too late to matter. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Mogg Flunkies Description - While its drawback can be overcome, it isn't going to be a consistent 3 power attacking 2 drop like some other cards, but might be an option for larger cubes. Not having a 1 drop means it can't attack turn 3 (or block opposing 2-drops), and it can get neutered by removal on other creatures. If you can draft go wide decks in your cube, its value goes up a little as it helps mitigate the drawback to some degree. Anchors - Supports -
Rustrazor Butcher Description - On its own, it can survive combat with 2/x's, but this doesn't fit an aggro deck. Better as a defensive creature, but you would need ways to pump its power, and get more benefit from the first strike / wither combo, to feel comfortable playing it. If you can put a couple of +1/+1 counters on it, it can survive a lot of combat situations. Anchors - Supports -
Skirk Marauder Description - It seems expensive, but a 2 for 1 particularly with direct damage may deserve some respect. Probably only if you support a morph contingent to your cube. Anchors - Supports -
Slavering Nulls Description - It isn't flashy, but as a Rakdos card, you are in the two colors that can help clear a path (burn, kill spells, can't block effects) and get it connecting early. It's fine in that deck, but it fights with other more 'interesting' Rakdos cards, given black has access to Hypnotic Specter and similar friends. Anchors - Supports -
Soulbright Flamekin Description - Whether this is effective or not will probably depend on how red pairs up with other colors. It might be ok with green on the assumption you are playing ramp targets, with some higher end red aggro / midrange creatures. Anchors - Supports -
Sparkmage Apprentice Description - It might be useful if your cube is crammed with x/1 aggro creatures, or 1/1 utility creatures, where it can both kill one on the way in and then trade with something. Elsewhere it is likely to be lackluster, and require awkward timing to get use of the damage, and then leave behind a mostly useless body. Anchors - Supports -
Stingscourger Description - It's ok as a control card. 2 mana sorcery Unsummon is not great, but even if you aren't paying the echo you still get a chumper that can trade. Needing to pay the echo cost is hard though, given you have to give up the chance to cast something relevant you may be able to draw. Anchors - Supports - Control
Viashino Slaughtermaster Description - The activated ability makes it look like this is a 3 colour card, but as a baseline it is a red Fencing Ace. On that basis, you might consider it if you have a Voltron / pants theme, or sufficient combat pump spells. Outside of that support it isn't going to be good. Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Adder-Staff Boggart - Sometimes being a 3/2 for 2 mana is probably just ok, but there are better more consistent options.
Akki Blizzard-Herder - If you could get some value out of it before it dies, it might be ok in dedicated aggro that can deal with losing a land to keep your opponent off their higher drops. But if you are aggro, your opponent won't block it, and you don't want to be holding back this guy in the hopes your opponent will attack into it.
Goblin Furrier - It will mostly be a vanilla 2/2 for 2, which is actually uncommon for red. But you want more. Goblin Glider - A 1/1 flyer for 2 mana AND a drawback? Goblin Lookout - Too tribal to consider. Goblin Masons - Too narrow. Goblin Mime - Just meh. Goblin Piker - Bad. Goblin Raider - Too much drawback. Goblin Recruiter - Too tribal. Goblin Rock Sled - Just bad. Goblin Sappers - Several degrees of bad. Goblin Ski Patrol - Just bad compared to many other options. Goblin Striker - Just poor stats. Goblin Tinkerer - There won't be sufficient artifacts for the repeat ability to outweigh the mana investment or time investment (needing to wait a turn). Goblin Tunneler - There are some creatures this would work well with; sabotuers such as Jhessian Thief, Stealer of Secrets etc. However, the setup cost is high. If you don't have saboteurs, it has cost you 2 cards to get 2 damage through. It isn't going to benefit consistently enough to warrant a spot in the cube. Goblin War Buggy - Not good enough. Grotag Siege-Runner - Too narrow. Hammer Mage - Too narrow for artifact removal. It's slow, and it costs you a card investment to put this on the board, and then another to actually remove what is probably only 1 artifact. And it will destroy your own artifacts if you have any. Heart Sliver - Tribal. Hearth Kami - Torch Fiend is more efficient. Heartlash Cinder - The one-shot of possibly being decent does not make up for the rest of the time when this is a 1/1 for 2 mana. Highland Berserker - Too hard to make allies a thing. Hinterland Hermit - The upgrade isn't enough. Hulking Goblin - Bad. Hunter Sliver - Tribal. Impetuous Sunchaser - They had to give it a drawback? Independent Troops - Bad vanilla. Ironclaw Orcs - Not good enough. Keeper of the Flame - It might make for interesting games where you use your life total as a resource to maximise the damage, but that doesn't make it actually good. Kolaghan Aspirant - Ashmouth Hound strictly better. Kobold Drill Sergeant - None of the Kobold cards are good on their own and are still ordinary even when they are all together. Kobold Overlord - None of the Kobold cards are good on their own and are still ordinary even when they are all together. Kobold Taskmaster - None of the Kobold cards are good on their own and are still ordinary even when they are all together. Kyren Glider - Because it needed a drawback… Kyren Legate - Even when it is free it is still bad. Leaping Master - Vanilla as a red card, and not good enough as a Boros card. Mad Dog - Bear with a drawback. Mage-Ring Bully - While there is prowess upside, the forced attack increases the times this will be bad. Minotaur Explorer - A 3/3 for 2 mana is not worth 2 cards, especially not a random one. Mogg Jailer - It can attack into almost nothing. Mogg Maniac - You might chump to prevent some damage and Lava Spike your opponent, but it isn't going to do a lot for your game plan. Mogg Squad - The times when this will be a bear or just stranded in hand are going to heavily outweight the times this is an efficient beater. Mogg Toady - Being a bear is not worth having a drawback. Mudbrawler Cohort - A 2/2 with haste is good. If it is sometimes a 1/1, it is not so good. Ogre Sentry - There are better walls. Orcish Healer - Activation costs are too high. Orcish Settlers - The only place I could see this getting played is in a ramp deck to wipe out the opponent's mana base once you hit 7 or 9 mana, but that seems way too unreliable, and presumably you'd rather spend that mana to put a stabiliser / finisher on the board. Oxidda Daredevil - Cost is too much to make it any better than a poor vanilla crreature. Pouncing Kavu - Neither mode is good enough. Pygmy Dinosaur - Lightning Berserker is all kinds of upside over this. Pyre Charger - While not strictly better, you would prefer Lightning Berserker over this for more flexibility. Pyric Salamander - Lightning Berserker is all kinds of upside over this. Rage Weaver - Just get Crimson Mage. Riot Piker - It might fit in some aggro decks, but it is going to be outlcassed too often for you to want to rely on it. Rogue Kavu - There isn't going to be many red decks that wants to swing with just a single 3/1. Satyr Rambler - Doesn't do enough. Scalding Devil - Bad body and only hitting players gives this a no. Sell-Sword Brute / Smoldering Efreet - Bear with downside. No. Skinbrand Goblin - It doesn't seem terrible, but when it comes to 2/1's for 2 mana with upside for aggro decks, it doesn't quite reach expectations. Skirk Drill Sergeant - Too tribal. Skittish Kavu - Conditional bear. Slith Firewalker - It isn't going to be consistent enough. Smokebraider - Elemental tribal, and you wouldn't play it otherwise. Spitfire Handler - Bad Lightning Berserker. Squealing Devil - Doesn't do enough as a Rakdos card. Storm Entity - Even at the end of a good storm chain, you can still be undone by a piece of removal. Subterranean Scout - It has some value, but is likely to be inconsistent enough that it won't have huge impact on the game. Played turn 2 your 1-drop might have been getting through anyway, or you may not have a 1-drop, and it might be the only 2-drop in your hand. Snflare Shaman - Even if you have enough other elementals in your cube that this could be an occasional shock, there are still better options. Thick-Skinned Goblin - There just aren't going to be enough echo cards in your cube to warrant playing this. Thunderscape Familiar - Except in limited circumstances, a mana rock is going to be better and fit in more decks. Tin Street Hooligan - Not good enough as a Gruul card. Two-Headed Sliver - Tribal Utvara Scrapper - Stats are not good enough. Valley Dasher - A 2/2 hasty guy is only going to be wanted by cheap aggressive decks, but the forced attack is going to make it a dead card too often. Viashino Sandscout - It has minimal combo potential with ETB effect, but it is too many hoops to jump through and terrible in other cases. It can dodge sorcery speed removal, but most cubes don't include much of that and you are likely to have other targets anyway. Viashino Slasher - Generally poor stats and ability. Village Ironsmith - Being a sometimes 3/1 first striker makes this a lot worse than other 2-drops that always have 3 power on the attack. Wall of Diffusion - It can block stuff, but at this cost you would trade the extra point of toughness for the pump of Aetherflame Wall, or the shadow ability to go for Wall of Tanglecord and be able to block 'derms. Wall of Earth - You can get Wall of Tanglecord for colorless. Wall of Torches - Wall of Razors strictly better. Yellow Scarves Cavalry - 1/1 unblockable for 2 mana is not good. Yellow Scarves Troops - Bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Arc Trail Description - Great divisible burn, with the flexibility to take out two smaller creatures, or a creature plus sneak in some damage against your opponent. Excellent control tool against early aggro, so you may include / exclude depending on how those matchups are looking in your cube. Anchors - Supports - Control
Goblin Bombardment Description - Good sacrifice outlet for a number of decks. It can provide reach, being an almost instant win once your opponents life total is less than or equal to the number of creatures you have in play. Synergises nicely in the 'sacrifice deck' with Falkenrath Noble, Hissing Iganuar, and Blood Artist. Not requiring mana to activate makes it very easy to get extra damage in just during the normal course of gameplay. Anchors - Sacrifice Supports -
Incinerate Description - Just good solid burn. It's a 2 mana Lightning Bolt in most cases, but depending on the make-up of your cube, it might kill the odd Cudgel Troll, Undercity Troll and friends. Anchors - Supports -
Pyroclasm Description - A good sweeper given how cheap it is. It clears out a decent number of opposing creatures against aggro and is good against token decks. In midrange once you get past the 2 toughness barrier, it can clear out opposing creatures to let you swing, or you can cast it after combat to help trade up. You wouldn't play it in low to the ground aggro, but it's powerful enough to play it in decks where it will kill some of your creatures, given you have the power of when to cast it. Anchors - Sweeper Control Supports -
Searing Blaze Description - Generally only playable on your turn (to meet landfall requirement), this is still a good card to clear out opposing blockers to swing in, while pushing damage through to the opponent. It's 6 damage for 2 mana which is excellent. There might be the occasional timing issues (no lands to play) but is going to be excellent most of the time. Even if you can't kill an opposing creature it can just be used as reach, and even with landfall you can still use it midcombat to enhance things like first strikers. You can always hang on to an Evolving Wilds to crack it on your opponents turn too... or bluff that you have this. Anchors - Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Breath of Darigaaz Description - 4 mana for 4 damage is going to clear out most opposing creatures on the ground. While red doesn't really contribute to the flyers archetype, this can also be a decent splash card for that type of deck. Anchors - Sweeper Control Supports -
Dragon Fodder / Krenko's Command
Description - It's not exciting, but it puts bodies on the board. To get the most benefit, you want it in aggro decks that have some form of pump. Nice on defense if you are facing aggressive x/1's to gain card advantage. Anchors - Supports - Tokens
Flame Rift Description - It only deals damage to players, and that includes you. However, it is 4 damage for 2 mana, something you won't find anywhere else. You would include it in your cube if you want to give aggro decks some burn that will wheel, giving them some extra reach to close out the game. Anchors - Aggro Supports -
Lightning Strike / Searing Spear Description - It's strictly worse than Lightning Bolt and Incinerate. However, it is still 3 damage at instant speed for 2 mana that can hit either players or creatures, which is still a good deal, possibly for larger cubes. Anchors - Supports -
Madcap Skills Description - By giving the creature menace, it helps reduce the possibility of getting 2 for 1'd in combat, as the power boost will often help you take out 2 blockers if the opponent can block. If they don't block, an extra 3 'haste' power on the board does good work in aggressive decks. Anchors - Supports -
Magma Jet Description - Without scry it is inefficient burn, but the scry is excellent, particularly in red which is without many smoothing options. Anchors - Supports -
Rolling Thunder Description - One of the better red X spells, though it is still slow. It takes a bit of mana to be better than Arc Lightning, but is flexible in allowing you to kill multiple creatures of varying sizes. Anchors - Supports - Ramp
Searing Blood Description - It can clear out creatures while dealing damage to the opponent. While it has more flexibility in timing compared to Searing Blaze, the third point of damage to creatures that card can do is important, and needing to kill the creature to get the extra 3 damage to the player also makes this less flexible in targets. It's a decent card of itself if you have space for 2 cards that cost double red. Anchors - Supports -
Tormenting Voice Description - Helps support graveyard / reanimator strategies in red, and can be a way to give aggro decks some gas by discarding land they no longer need. It doesn't excel, but is fine in those decks. Anchors - Supports -
Whipflare Description - It's a decent enough proxy of Pyroclasm, though your mileage may vary depending on your artifact creature count and sizes, with both upsides and downsides. If your cube is full of artifact creatures it might do little, but if there are enough that you can draft the 'artifact deck' then you might be sitting pretty against other decks. Anchors - Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Break Through The Line Description - It's effectiveness is going to depend on the specific makeup of creatures in your cube, but it could support saboteurs or aggro. Once your opponent starts stabilising while in the single digits, it can let your outclassed early drops get through. In control decks, it can let card drawing sabotuers through to maintain card advantage while slowly pinging away their life total. Shoutout to Throat Slitter for beig able to eliminate their board at the same time. Don't forget the haste which can also be important. Those upsides or situations aside, it is still going to be situational. Anchors - Supports - Aggro, Sabotuers
Burning Oil
Description - The timing is more restrictive than most burn, but the 2 for 1 can make up for that. You are loathe to cast this on a blocker, but in a defensive Boros deck it might be worthwhile to stem an early threat with another use late game. However it isn't likely to be considered among other Boros options and may also be considered 'boring' as a gold card. Anchors - Supports -
Circle of Flame
Description - It can invalidate some token strategies, but what deck wants this? It's a sideboard card as opposed to part of a particular strategy. Anchors - Supports -
Fall of the Hammer Description - On pure power, it is worse than more consistent burn. However it might be a more interesting burn choice if you want removal that your midrange / ramp decks are likely to want more than your aggressive decks. Anchors - Supports -
Fiery Conclusion Description - 5 damage kills a lot of creatures. Can help aggro decks trade up, sacrificing a creature in a 'go wide' strategy to help keep the guys get through. However there might not always be an opportune time to cast it, and occasionally will be a dead card when you have no creatures on the board. Anchors - Supports -
Fling Description - The question is, how often will this be better than Searing Spear, and how often will you be willing to sac a creature for it? That consideration will limit it to ramp or midrange decks with enough big creatures to get advantage from it, probably to close out the game. Also has synergy with temporary steal effects, so it might be more appealing if you have a few of those. Anchors - Supports -
Grapeshot Description - The only reason you would include this in your cube is as an anchor card for a storm deck, and will need to support it with other cards that support storm. Anchors - Storm Supports -
Impact Tremors Description - Ongoing damage triggers are nice, but the issue is that it doesn't develop your board. Red aggressive decks need to lay down threats and get them in for damage before the opponent stabilises; taking a turn off to cast this reduces the ability to do that. It does have use in midrange decks, token decks, or grindy graveyard creature recursion decks, but it won't fit everywhere. Anchors - Supports -
Lash Out Description - Other burn can target both players and creatures, but often burn is best saved for creatures, so the possibility of hitting your opponent may be worth considering. Anchors - Supports -
Mob Justice Description - It only hits players. Most burn will be better, unless you want some burn that is going to wheel to players drafting 'go wide' decks. Anchors - Supports -
Nightbird's Clutches Description - It's not flashy (but it's flashbacky...) but it can get past some annoying blockers when you need it to. It's bad as a 6 mana sorcery if you need to push through in a single turn (Order // Chaos is your guy) but spreading over 2 turns and having minor synergy with graveyard themes might cause you to choose this for your cube. Anchors - Supports - Graveyard themes
Ordeal of Purphoros Description - Throwing on a 1-drop that can outrace the defense, and then take out something at the end seems reasonable, but is going to be inconsistent. Also good on evasive creatures. However, it is going to be inconsistent and still fails the 2 for 1 test. Anchors - Supports -
Pyrostatic Pillar Description - Many cubes are built with tight mana curves in mind and a reasonable number of spells that cost 3 or less. It means it will trigger often enough, but so will your spells. Aggressive decks are the ones that are most likely to want it, but are also more likely to play the trigger cards. It's abstractly powerful, but hard to break in a cube context. Anchors - Supports -
Scouring Sands Description - This is probably a metagame call if you want to punish over reliance on aggressive x/1's or token creatures. Boiling Earth and Electrickery are similar options you may wish to consider. You'd pick this over those mainly if you just want to add more deck smoothing cards to your environment. Anchors - Supports -
Shrapnel Blast Description - If you push an artifact deck, this could be included as a reach card for that deck, but no other deck will want it. Anchors - Supports -
Skullcrack Description - This is highly environment dependent, but can stem life gain effects if they are prevalent in your cube, and can be a metagame card against prevention effects like Phantom Centaur. You need to be running enough cards it is going to hate on to be worth it. Anchors - Supports -
Smash to Smithereens Description - Dedicated artifact destruction cards are a hard sell, but it has reasonable upside so might be worth considering. Anchors - Supports -
Sudden Shock Description - It is inefficient compared to most burn. You would only consider it if you want specific options to deal with troublesome cards, like Mother of Runes. Most would consider this unecessary, but the option is there. Anchors - Supports -
Temur Battle-Rage Description - It's performance is likely to be inconsistent and the decks that can maximise its potential are limited, but it does have some high upside if you pull it off. It's value might be a little higher if combat pump is more prevalent in your cube and you are lighter on instant speed removal. Anchors - Supports -
Twin Bolt Description - This is decent flexible burn. The 2 mana shock option is poor but it is still burn, but can take out two creatures, particularly helping trade up in combat or in conjunction with first strikers. Fire // Ice is strictly better, depending on your stance (some count it as mono-red with occasional upside in blue decks). Anchors - Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Battle Hymn - There is some high upside in Magical Christmas land (1-drop, Draggon Fodder, Hordeling Outburst, drop your hand turn 4) but is far too inconsistent to rely on.
Battle Strain - On the surface it can force an opponent to make some difficult blocking choices and could be some 'reach' for red, but it is also symmetrical, and probably only helps you if you were winning anyway.
Betrothed of Fire - There might be some fringe places this is playable, but they are so narrow it isn't worth considering.
Blades of Velis Vel - It may help creatures trade up, but it doesn't up their survival rate, so is going to be limited compared to other options.
Blood Frenzy - It's bad on your own creatures, and it has limited times when you would be happy to play it on opposing creatures.
Blood Lust - Errata on this card reads funny. Ultimately not a good card though. Pump that makes your creatures vulnerable, or make your opponents creatures vulnerable while likely making them kill your dudes in combat.
Book Burning - Terrible. Your opponent will always take the 6 cards without any benefit to your game plan, and potentially improving your opponents if they are playing graveyard matters cards. Even if you are trying to support mill, your opponent would just take the 6 damage instead.
Bravado - It looks like a bone for a go wide strategy, but it is going to be too inconsistent for inclusion in cube.
Break Open - No place in cube unless you are make a morph cube.
Brood Birthing - You'd have to be going hard on including lots of Eldrazi spawn generators in your cube to warrant this, and it only fits in that one deck, so isn't worth including in cube.
Burn the Impure - Searing Spear (and others) is strictly better, because you aren't going to be playing any Infect creatures.
Call of the Full Moon - While it might not be the easiest thing in the world to cast 2 spells in one turn, it is often enough to dismiss this (as well as the inherent 2 for 1 from standard removal).
Chain of Plasma - It's probably more interesting than powerful. Giving your opponent the opportunity to take out your creatures / you is not that appealing. While there is a minor combo with Spitemare if you have cards in hand and opponent is on low enough life total, that alone doesn't save this.
Custody Battle - Likely outcome is they sac a land and then kill you with the creature you wanted.
Dangerous Wager - It can fit into low to the ground aggro decks to draw a couple of cards once you've dropped your initial hand, but you can get other cards that deck wants that also have other applications.
Desperate Ritual - Netting only one mana is not going to cut it in most decks. If you want red rituals for Storm, you probably don't want anything past Seething Storm.
Fanning the Flames - It costs 8 mana to deal 3 damage per turn. At sorcery speed. The likelihood of wanting to buy it back says just play Fireball or other X burn spells.
Fiery Mantle - Stonewright fills the same role better, and you won't want to go this deep on this effect.
Fire Ambush - This is 'bad' in the sense there are several strictly better options (cheaper, instant, other upsides), but is still an ok option if you are depowering your burn spells and want something solid at sorcery speed.
Fists of the Anvil - Not boosting toughness makes this a hard sell, as you might trade up but your creature is unlikely to survive, 2 for 1'ing yourself.
Fit of Rage - This looked ok until I realised it is a sorcery.
Flame Burst - Doesn't do anything in singleton peasant.
Flowstone Embrace - If you want to remove your opponents creatures, almost any burn is better. If you want to boost your creatures, this is not the card you want.
Flowstone Strike - There doesn't seem to be any deck that would want this.
Flowstone Surge - A 2 mana permanent power booster might be worth paying attention to. However it is anti-synergy with a lot of tokens, and the red decks that would benefit from this are usually the decks that want 1 or 2 drops with 1 toughness. So, no deal.
Font of Ire - 6 mana for 5 damage… Not efficient enough and too slow.
Fractured Loyalty - There does not seem to be any application where it would make sense to play this.
Fury Charm - None of the effects are going to be useful often enough to consider it a playable card overall.
ghitu Firebreathing - Stonewright does this better and you don't need to go this deep.
Glacial Ray - Rarely going to splice this, making it worse than a lot of other burn.
Goblin Kite - Limited targets plus drawback = no thanks.
Goblin Lore - It enables some cards such as those with threshold or Lorescale Coatl, but the random discard makes it too unreliable.
Goblin War Paint - Remove the haste for a moment, and a permanent +2/+2 isn't too bad for 2 mana, but not worth possible 2 for 1's. The haste itself doesn't add too much; while far from impossible, sequencing a card and keeping the 2 extra mana available will be difficult.
Gorilla War Cry - It's a slowtrip so it replaces itself, but for an extra mana you can get Goblin War Drums for the permanent effect.
Guerilla Tactics - It's going to trigger to infrequently to consider over other options.
Harvest Pyre - Too unreliable. Probably only if you want to include a burn spell that a graveyard matters deck wants.
Kamahl's Desire - It's pretty solid if you could guarantee threshold. Without threshold, it isn't worth considering, and you don't want the unreliability.
Keldon Mantle - Effects are not good enough in any combination of coloured decks.
Lightning Reflexes - You'd rather have a combat trick that is an instant, this is not worth casting as a sorcery speed aura.
Lightning Rift - While it looks possible to support Lightning Rift, you need constructed levels of cycling support in your deck, and therefore massive amounts in your cube, to the extent that it is not worth pursuing.
Puncture Bolt - Shock is cheaper and can hit players. This has 'upside' if it doesn't kill the creature by leaving it a tiny bit smaller. That is hardly upside.
Punishing Fire - The effect itself is not terrible, but is automatically more punishing to certain colours depending on how many life gain effect you support in your cube.
Pursuit of Flight - Baseline not good enough, and it doesn't cut it as an Izzet card.
Pyretic Ritual - Netting only one mana is not going to cut it in most decks. If you want red rituals for Storm, you probably don't want anything past Seething Storm.
Tribal Flames - It requires 4 lands to be better than Searing Spear, none of which can be nonbasic. Only for cubes with heavy domain theme.
Uncanny Speed - It sits in no mans land. It has instant speed over Reckless Charge, which provides for better combat trick, but then you just want Brute Force. You still need to cast this sorcery speed if you want the haste benefit, in which case you would much rather Reckless Charge.
Volcanic Geyser - It has instant going for it, but it's not enough.
Volcanic Spray - You could cast it as a 3 mana Pyroclasm that doesn't hit flyers with some additional flexibility options, but not hitting all creatures is too big a drawback.
Volcanic Strength - Most players won't like that this punishes red players.
Zektar Shrine Expedition - There doesn't seem to be a deck that wants it. Even if played turn 2 in aggro, you give up early board position with the potential to not get this on the board on turn 5, by which time your opponent may have stablilised. Control doesn't want a one-off creature, especially when Rite of the Raging Storm exists.
@kingavarice
I think I get what you are saying, but this doesn't seem much different than some of the arcehtype threads we already have (perhaps with a more complete list of cards). What those don't do is provide at a glance, or filterable list, a comparison to other archetypes or where you can cross-pollinate.
@ALIK4
It's intended more as what to include in your cube, and less about how to draft. I don't deny a lot of effort will be involved, and who knows, maybe this will fail and not meet my lofty goals. But I'm hoping for some flexibility in the end product, maybe with some comparison or suggestive features based on what archetypes you want to push.
@n00b1n8R
I'm not sure which card evaluation you mean; do you mean the 1-5 rating in the pauper evaluate everything thread, or something else? I think each archetype should include a description, including how many anchor and support cards (or whatever agreed classification) are required to make the deck viable.
Mardu Woe-Reaper This card is hands down white's best aggressive 1drop creature. If you want your white decks to be turning dudes sideways on turn 2, this will be the first cards you include to support it. Archetypes: Aggro, White Weenie
This card is the bomb-diggity in this archetype because it's really obvious why it's good
Evaluate all the cards in the first section, then in the archetype only discuss the cards that are relevant to that archetype, and how important they are to it.
The reason I'd prefer it in a spreadsheet format is the opportunity to manipulate or collate the information later. I can envision having a column where you can mark which cards you currently have in your cube, and have it calculate how much you support each archetype. Or maybe listing primary archetypes you want to include, and have it list the highest ranking cards to support that.
All that said, I'd prefer to collaborate and happy to consider other suggestions. My aim was for maximum flexibility with the end result.
Just curious what basis you made this strictly worse statement on? (joke/ art preference/ Human > Kithkin)
In a peasant environment I would argue that the harrier is better due to the staple status of Cloudgoat Ranger, and a lack of humans matter spells. (also if you are being serious, one cannot be strictly better than the other in the same way that Mardu Woe-Reaper is not strictly better than Elite Vanguard, as there are warriors matter spells AND soldiers matter spells - mostly irrelevant in cube I know, but still a valid point)
Although, if you are talking about the art, I agree. Goldmeadow Harrier is a total uggo.
It's a joke that a 5/5 card could still be worse than something else. In CUbe I can see the argument that goldmeadow is better by having that kithkin interaction. I might actually make the swap for that reason...
I think we could reasonably run a discussion on a set of cards every week, especially if they're all simmilar cards ("this week: 1 drop white and blue creatures", "white 2 drop creatures", etc). We already have an active This or That which is a simmilar kind if discussion and it would be a great way to start internet arguments which are sure to generate posts.
@Bacchus2: That's a pretty great concept but is the technology there to easily make it (would anybody put excessive time in to support and maintain a service like that?)
@kingavarice
I think I get what you are saying, but this doesn't seem much different than some of the arcehtype threads we already have (perhaps with a more complete list of cards). What those don't do is provide at a glance, or filterable list, a comparison to other archetypes or where you can cross-pollinate.
@ALIK4
It's intended more as what to include in your cube, and less about how to draft. I don't deny a lot of effort will be involved, and who knows, maybe this will fail and not meet my lofty goals. But I'm hoping for some flexibility in the end product, maybe with some comparison or suggestive features based on what archetypes you want to push.
@n00b1n8R
I'm not sure which card evaluation you mean; do you mean the 1-5 rating in the pauper evaluate everything thread, or something else? I think each archetype should include a description, including how many anchor and support cards (or whatever agreed classification) are required to make the deck viable.
Think that was a joke I don't see myself contributing on this a whole lot. Too much work, too many cubes are different, our meta changes every few months it seems so data becomes quickly outdated, etc.
Like, I'd be like Exhume? Uhh... not for me, but some people play it in their whackjob "I support fun decks that make people interested to draft cube" cubes.
18 months ago we would have called lashknife barrier and peregrine drake as chaff, and according to the silly 720 average cube lust for war may also be chaff. I mean, grizzly bears are obviously bad, but what about all of mirrodin block... So many cards miiight not be chaff if we wanted to not be. It's probably not as good as reanimator, but I'm sure some people have some brown decks going on somewhere.
Lookin at you trinket mage and shrapnel blast.
So many cards miiight not be chaff if we wanted to not be. It's probably not as good as reanimator, but I'm sure some people have some brown decks going on somewhere.
Lookin at you trinket mage and shrapnel blast.
You are correct, every cube is different. Every environment can't be fully taken into account, but if cards are listed with a 'general' score as noob implied with further information about what archetypes they specifically support, it can give more information about a variety of environments. Or when a new set comes out, it can be easy to evaluate cards against the archetypes that you are actively trying to support.
The artifact/metalcraft deck you allude to is a great example; trinket mage is unplayable in most decks, and might be listed as 0 or 1/5 (or whatever scale is decided on) but is listed as a supporting the metalcraft deck. It gives some insight that this is a card you might want to include if pushing the metalcraft deck is really something you want to do (your fun whackjob decks analogy) but is rarely going to support any other decks.
There will always be some aspects of the environment you can't take into account, and I would certainly acknowledge any assumptions in a primer to the information (general power considered over flavour/colour pie philosophies, assumes an 'average' mix of the different card types).
Assuming a classification of card approach as noob suggested, I suspect I would take out the chaff, but list which cards I considered chaff in case anyone wanted to elevate them.
After thinking some more about the practicalities of getting started and making collaboration easier, I'm partial to n00bs suggestion to make it more aligned to the current pauper evaluate everything thread. If I'm still hellbent on trying for some of the features i mentioned earlier, I can spend time manipulating it into the format I need later.
I've got a list elsewhere of potential archetypes, so I will grab that and post that here tomorrow.
Proposed card listing and scoring methodology, let me know if there are any other suggestions/feedback;
Card Name - Score Description - Can include what is strictly better than it, why it's good, if it hoses certain archetypes, if it gets better or worse in particular environments etc. Anchors : Archetypes that this card signals are probably in the cube. Pulls you into that archetype. Supports : Might not pull you into an archetype, but if you are already in this archetype, the value of this card goes up.
Scoring would be it's 'general' score.
5 - Bomb. This card is top of the range and is playable in almost every deck of the cards colours, or may warrant a splash. These are likely to be contenders for first picks, and later in the draft you will probably pick these over something that supports the archetype you are pushing.
4 - Staple. This card is good and is likely to be played in most decks of its colours.
3 - Playables. These cards might not always be the most exciting, but they get the job done.
2 - Borderline. These cards might make the cut in some cubes, but probably won't make the majority. This category might include strictly worse cards to consider if you want redundant effects.
1 - Fringe. These cards are almost unplayable in most decks, but may serve to support specific archetypes. Cards that push a parasitic mechanic or theme may fit this category.
0 - Unplayable. There aren't really any decks that would want this card, let alone your cube.
Example
Grafted Wargear - 5
This is the best available piece of equipment, and one of the best cards available to peasant cubes. If your opponent does not have an immediate answer and you have a creature, it often ends games by itself. Note that some cubers ban this card due to its significant power. While any decks can play it, It is particularly brutal in any aggressive build. Anchors : None Supports : Aggro decks in all colours.
Eternal Witness - 4
Eternal Witness is great at generating card advantage, and interacts nicely with a number of different themes often found in cubes. While her value goes up in decks that want to abuse the graveyard to give her more targets or can re-use her ETB effect, she can still serve a role in reusing early resources in an aggro build, or even just a 'speed bump' while a control deck marshals its resources. Anchors : None Supports : Golgari Dredge, Crystal Shard, Flicker
Lava Spike - 1
When compared to Lightning Bolt, Lava spike doesn't look so hot. It's a sorcery and it only deals damage to players. Sure it deals 3 for 1, but there are dozens of better burn spells than this. Anchors : Arcane decks Supports : Nothing
I'd be inclined to use half ratings (Lava Spike a 0.5) and use 5.0 for the cards that are so bomb that you splash for them (BBE, FoF, Shriekmaw) and use 4.5 for the less splashable bombs (Control Magic)but otherwise that system sounds good.
I think Loxodon Warhammer is better than Grafted Wargear though (you can use it on an attacker, then stick it on a blocker for double value and has an impact to both sides life).
Can you give me some other examples that would sit more in the middle layers? e.g. 2.5 and 3.5. I can see pros and cons. A pro of having 5 ratings is that where there is some minor variance between peoples opinions, they will probably slot into one of the major categories. With 10 different ratings, there might be more quibbles over which half-point a card sits in. On the other hand, having the half-point system might allows some of those differences, where some say a card is a 3 and some say it is a 4, to be settled by putting a card at 3.5. with the description taking care of the variance.
We can update the examples when we get to those categories
Card listings begin in the second post.
It goes without saying that every cube is different. Each cube owner has their own views on a number of factors that influence their cube environment. As such, the following baseline or general guides are used for these evaluations.
General Power over Colour Pie / Flavour
Some people shape their cube based on their perspective of the colour pie, and include/exclude certain functions and flavour for each colour. Maybe you don’t want green to have flyers. Maybe you will never play Ray of Command because you think only red should have temporary creature stealing. Maybe you really want to push green counterspells. None of these considerations are taken into account for the purpose of these evaluations. Only the general power level of the card.
Interactivity
This is an extension of the above. There are some cards that do not lend themselves to interactivity with the opponent. Protection, landwalk, shadow, unblockability and hexproof are some examples. For some, these are powerful and will be valued as such. For others they can be random hosers which your opponent may feel unfair for choosing the wrong colour while drafting, or don’t promote the type of gameplay they desire. If that’s you, then ignore those cards.
Rarities
Some cards have only been released online as uncommons, but don’t have a printed version. Some older cards have some questionable rarities. Some people like to play those cards, and some don’t. These cards will be discussed here, but will be noted for those that want to avoid them.
The ‘Average Cube environment’ Evaluation
If your cube is 90% artifacts, Shattering Spree is a bomb. If your cube has zero artifacts, it’s a dead card.
For the purpose of these card evaluations, it’s assumed there is an ‘average’ mix of different cards types. All colours are equally (or close to) represented. Artifacts are in the cube but are not a focus, as are enchantments. There are creatures in every colour and spread over the mana curve, and so are other spell types.
As stated earlier, every cube is different and every card may be worse or better based on your specific environment. When possible, it will be noted in the card description which environments might change the valuation of a card. E.g. Reassembling Skeleton gets better the more sacrifice for benefit effects you have.
Card Listing & Scoring Methodology
Card Name - Score
Description - Can include what is strictly better than it, why it's good, if it hoses certain archetypes, if it gets better or worse in particular environments etc.
Anchors : Archetypes that this card signals are probably in the cube. Pulls you into that archetype.
Supports : Might not pull you into an archetype, but if you are already in this archetype, the value of this card goes up.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Diregraf Ghoul
Description : 2/2 for B is awesome value. Coming into play tapped means you miss a turn of blocking, but most of the time you didn’t want to block anyway, you wanted to smash face. While he suits aggro perfectly, he might find homes in other decks due to the lack of a long-term drawback.
Anchors: Aggro
Support:
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Carnophage
Description – 2 power for B is where black aggro likes to be. The drawback limits this guy to decks that want to turn guys sideways; if you are losing life you definitely want to be dishing it out. Key piece for aggro decks.
Anchors: Aggro
Support:
Gnarled Scarhide
Description : Gnarled Scarhide has some great flexibility. Of the top, he is a 2/1 for B, making him solid for aggro. You probably didn’t want to block anyway. But he’s more than that; once you hit 4, you can slap that 2 points of power on something else and swing with it immediately, and still get back the Scarhide if the creature dies. For some added flexibility, you can put it on an opponents troubling blocker to force through some final points of damage. This makes him a solid staple. It's hardly the reason you would play him, but also supports any 'enchantment matters' themes that might pop up.
Anchors:
Support: Aggro, Enchantment Matters
Vampire Lacerator
Description - Great aggro card. The decks that want to play this are usually trying to get that life total down as quickly as possible, making the drawback pretty negligible.
Anchor - Aggro.
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Carrion Feeder
Description – Makes your opponents removal worse
Builds into a sizable threat until he finally gets answered (or he gets answered early and is card neutral and often mana positive). Enables sacrifice/graveyard strategies for no additional mana, and keeps a permanent buff (compared to cards like Nantuko Husk). Makes attacking/blocking a little more complicated (and fun).
Anchors:
Support:
Disowned Ancestor
Description - Can be a roleplayer in setting up early defense. As a baseline not too exciting but can stall some aggro or midrange decks. You can always beef him up if you've got nothing else to do and can take a turn off blocking.
Anchors:
Support: Control, +1/+1 counters
Pharika's Chosen / Typhoid Rats
Description - It's not flashy, but it can trade with a lot of stuff for just a single mana.
Anchor -
Supports -
Plagued Rusalka
Description - Decent as a sac outlet for your creatures on the way to the bin. Can mess with combat by threatening to sac some guys after combat to take out their big threats. Gets better with tokens or recursion cards like Reassembling Skeleton, but can fit into a lot of different deck types.
Anchor -
Supports - Tokens
Ruthless Ripper
Description - Strictly better than Typhoid Rats, but depends if you want to support morph. This guy can be good for combat tricks to take down almost anything on the ground.
Anchor -
Supports -
Thoughtpicker Witch
Description - Little investment if your creatures are already on their way to the yard, to impact the opponents card quality. As with all sac outlets, gets better the more other cards in your cube that trigger off creatures dying.
Anchor -
Supports - Sacrifice decks
Tormented Hero
Description - Another decent black aggro 1-drop. Coming in tapped and missing the second point of toughness makes it a smidge worse than some other similar options. The heroic is probably not going to trigger often, but is a nice upside.
Anchor -
Supports - Aggro
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Deathgreeter
Description - If you have a sac deck, the life gain might buy you time to get your engine running, or help stall against aggro in a control decks, but the effect is not strong. Creatures die in games, and if you support life gain matters themes it is a free effect that is repeated reasonably frequently if you are really looking for that effect.
Anchors:
Support: Sacrifice
Festering Goblin
Description – Fume Spitter is going to be the better 1-drop for a similar effect most of the time, but it may be worth noting that Festering Goblin can actually trade with x/2’s. ok if you want some redundancy.
Anchors:
Support:
Festering Newt
Description – On power level this is the same as Festering Goblin given we don’t have Bogbrew Witch. To avoid confusion about your card pool you are probably better to play Festering Goblin, unless you are looking for maximum redundancy. Unless you also include Bubbling Cauldron, which raises this guys value.
Anchors:
Support:
Fume Spitter
Description – It doesn’t have much board presence, but at least it can threaten to mess with combat math, or take out utility creatures.
Anchors:
Support:
Guul Draz Vampire
Description : 3/2 and intimidate for B? Sign me up! Except… you need to get your opponent down to 10 first. And before you get your opponent down to 10, you don’t want this card. It’s an interesting tension, but if you want this in an aggro deck you already need a critical mass of similar aggro cards, which makes this a slim inclusion.
Anchors:
Support: Aggro
Putrid imp
Description - Not amazing as a creature, but is a cheap early discard outlet if you really want to push that as an enabler for graveyard shenanigans.
Anchor -
Supports - Reanimator, Threshold, Dredge
Qarsi High Priest
Description - Can help in sacrifice decks, or replace creatures on the way to the graveyard.
Anchor -
Supports -
Rimebound Dead
Description - This is only playable if you have access to snow mana. It probably means unplayable in most cubes,(if Coldsteel Heart is the only snow mana producer in your cube) but is a solid staller if you let players choose snow lands for their basics. In that case, it can hold back creatures on the ground in decks that want to stall.
Anchor -
Supports -
Shadow Alley Denizen
Description - Not exciting, but an early drop that can help get some damage past enemy lines.
Anchor -
Supports -
Shadow Guildmage
Description - Pingers are often useful, but this is not a very exciting one.
Anchor -
Supports -
Shambling Goblin
Description - Fume Spitter is comparable, but this can take out most x/2's on it's own if required. Marginally but strictly better than Festering Goblin & Festering Newt for those odd occasions where you have to target your own guy (unless you have Bubbling Cauldron). Also a zombie for the occasions when that is relevant.
Anchors -
Supports -
Tenacious Dead
Description - This might see play as support for sacrifice recursion decks. You probably want Reassembling Skeleton before this guy, but he can make a second.
Anchor -
Supports - Sacrifice decks
Thrull Parasite
Description - Extort can help over time. The counter removal effect will depend on what is in your environment. The more prevalent Undying and Persist creatures are in your cube, the better this guy gets.
Anchor -
Supports - Extort
Tormented Soul
Description - On it's own, relentlessly pings for damage but it aint much. It gets better the more pieces of power boosting equipment and auras you have in your cube but generally isn't that exciting.
Anchor -
Supports -
Viscera Seer
Description - Gives you something to do with those creatures on their way to the graveyard, but not a high impact.
Anchor -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Accursed Centaur – Downside too big. Not being able to cast this turn 1 loses all appeal.
Acolyte of Xathrid – Can’t kill anything, can’t survive a block, and prohibitive activation cost.
Asphodel Wanderer – The decks that would want a regen blocker have much better tools available, and he does nothing on offense.
Bile Urchin – Doesn’t do enough and is strictly worse than Death Cultist.
Blood Celebrant – Meh.
Blood Pet – If you want to trade cards for speed, play Dark Ritual.
Bog Rats – Even when it is on, ability has little impact on the game. Tormented Soul can play the same role.
Cabal Trainee - Just doesn't do enough to affect the board.
Carrion Beetles – If you want this ability, you want it on something that does something other than be a 1/1.
Carrion Rats - A 2/1 for 1 wants to be in an aggro deck. Your opponent is either going to play some spells, or lose some creatures to your assault and turn this guys damage off a few times, giving them more time to stabilise. No thanks.
Circling Vultures - 3/2 flyer for B is awesome. But that drawback requires too long to keep it on the board for more than a few turns.
Dark Supplicant – Does nothing for peasant cube.
Death Cultist – Doesn’t do much to affect the board, and the one-shot effect doesn’t give any major swings.
Demon’s Herald – Does nothing for peasant cube.
Disciple of the Vault - Only has value if you have support a very large amount of artifacts, and even the is too specific to include in your cube.
Drainpipe Vermin - You want them to discard when it comes into play, not keep mana one in case it dies.
Dreadwing – Forcing 3 colours makes this pretty weak.
Duskwalker – Neither mode is good and the flexibility doesn’t make up for it.
Duty-Bound Dead - It's hard to imagine what deck wants this, but could find a spot in decks that want to pump a single guy into the red zone.
Facevaulter - This guy only has a place in tribal.
Ghost-lit Stalker - Repeat discard is nice, but for the cost you may as well play something like Fugue (which is not to say you should).
Gnat Miser – Just bad.
Hunted Ghoul – No decks want this guy.
Insidious Bookworms – Too much and have to keep mana open for the death trigger.
Initiates of the Ebon Hand - This guy could help you hit any heavy black commitments, but most of the time it isn't going to do much.
Kjeldoran Dead – Downside is too big to make up for the cheap mana cost.
Maggot Carrier – Just bad.
Mardu Shadowspear - On a clear board and viewed through the right lens, this has the same effect as a 2/1 for B. But the board is not always going to be clear, and sneaking some life loss past blockers doesn't make up for not being able to take out x/2's. The dash doesn’t really add much to the package.
Martyr of Bones – Too narrow.
Merrow Bonegnawer - Weak body, and opponent gets the choice of card to exile.
Mindlash Sliver – Even if you are playing sliver tribal, this is not an effect you want.
Molting Harpy – Ongoing upkeep makes this terrible.
Muck Rats – Vanilla badness.
Mindlash Sliver - Even if want to include tribal this is probably not an effect you want.
Molting Harpy - Terrible with that upkeep cost.
Muck Rats - Vanilla Badness
Necra Disciple - Neither of the abilities do enough when they cost mana.
Nezumi Shadow-watcher - Too narrow to ever matter.
Nightscape Apprentice - Does do enough.
Phyrexian Battleflies - Having to invest mana to deal any damage is pretty abysmal.
Pit Imp - Same as Phyrexian Battleflies
Plague Beetle - Unless you absolutely need a 1-drop swamp walker for some reason.
Prickly Boggart - Doesn't do enough.
Pulse Tracker - If you want this effect, Mardu Shadowspear is strictly better (unless Vampires or Rogues matter).
Quag Vampires - Just meh.
Rag Dealer - Too narrow.
Rampart Crawler - Just bad.
Ridged Kusite - Doesn't do enough.
Sewer Rats - Better aggro cards.
Shadowborn Apostle - Does nothing in cube.
Slithering Shade - Too conditional.
Smolder Initiate - Extort creatures better.
Stone-Throwing Devils - Not good enough.
Thornbow Archer - It's a 1 drop that can sometimes deal 2 damage, but not being able to trade with opposing bears is a decent detractor though.
Urborg Skeleton - Cheap regeneration cost can make this guy ok as a staller, but with 0 power he doesn't threaten to kill anything. Once you are willing to pay the kicker, you may as well just get a much better card to fit the same role.
Vampire Bats - Bad
Zodiac Rat - bad.
Zombie Cannibal - This guys size means it is unlikely to get triggered anyway, even if you want this effect.
Zulaport Enforcer - Way too much mana investment required.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Booster Tutor
Description - You'll need some form of house rule to play this, and if you are at 360 and often draft with 8 players, you won't have any cards left over to 'open'. On average there will be a handful cards that will be in your colours, and you will probably hit at least one card that will suit your deck. It's value goes up the more colours you are playing to open up more choices. The fact that it is instant gives you the opportunity to find an answer to a specific problem exactly when you need it.
Anchor -
Supports -
Darkblast
Description - Darkblast can support a number of strategies. It's value goes up the more x/1's in your cube, and most cubes include a decent percentage of those. Being able to draw it anytime you need it to deal with a relevant creature for just B gives it plenty of long game value. It's value also goes up the more graveyard matters themes you include. It helps put cards in your graveyard for flashback, threshold, reanimation, delve, cards that count what is in your graveyard, and good old Reassembling Skeleton.
Anchor -
Supports - 'Graveyard Matters' themes
Inquisition of Kozilek
Description - As a reference, the 360 card peasant cube has (at the time of review) 245 nonland cards that have a CMC of 3 or less, 68% of the cube. So that's better odds than the majority of these types of discard. Of course, your cube may vary, and deck building curves might not align exactly to the cube curve, but they are pretty good odds.
Anchor -
Supports -
Quest for the Gravelord
Description - This is a black card. Black likes to kill creatures. It shouldn't take too long to trigger this guy. Great in the early game, but not a great top deck when you are down to the wire. Size compares favourably to nearly everything in cube outside of greens ramp targets.
Anchor -
Supports -
Sarcomancy
Description - On it's own, it is decent for aggro decks based on stats for cost. Unlike similar black cards, this one doesn't have a drawback while the creature is in play, but once it leaves play. So if the token is quickly taken out that can be a bummer. However, if you are playing Sarcomancy you are probably playing other black aggro cards which happen to be zombies, mitigating the drawback somewhat. Incidental gating/bounce/sac-for-effect is also nice, though the card is good enough without going out of your way.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Undying Evil
Cheap enough that you can leave the mana open when you need it to restore a creature to the board. +1/+1 makes it more than just a regen, plus the ability to re-use comes into play abilities shouldn't be overlooked.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unearth
Description - Solid for aggro, but also playable in a variety of decks. Solid due to efficient use of mana to get a creature back on the board, plus the ability to cycle if you are in top-deck mode and don't have a relevant target.
Anchors -
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Blackmail
Description – Not the best turn 1 play, but as the game goes on you are much more likely to get a target you want.
Anchor -
Supports -
Dark Ritual
Description - Not everyone will want it in their cube, but can be played across a spectrum of archetypes. It won't always be consistent, and the card disadvantage won't always be worth it. Late game it is often going to be a dead draw. Still, on some occasions you'll get an explosive start.
Anchor -
Supports -
Dead Weight
Description - Fair 'removal' at the 1 mana spot. With a lot of toughness affecting black removal, if it's too big you are out of luck. Dead Weight is never dead, as you can always make something big a much lesser threat in a pinch. Still, most of the time you'd rather have something that cost a little more and deals with more threats with finality.
Anchor -
Supports –
Despise / Ostracize
Description - This effect isn't too splashy and you might sometimes whiff, but generally decent card due to the choice. Mention of planeswalker on Despise might imply to some people that they are in your cube.
Anchor -
Supports –
Disfigure
Description – Fair removal for the cost. Gets the job done.
Anchor -
Supports -
Duress
Description – 137 targets in the average 360 Peasant on Cubetutor. Less targets than Despise which is a similar effect. Still, might have a place to get rid of buyback spells and the like that might be floating around in your cube.
Anchor -
Supports -
Funeral Charm
Description - Two reasonable modes; instant speed discard can be nice, and the second option can help push through some damage, with the flexibility to kill utility x/1's or to finish a creature off after combat. The final mode won't matter most of the time, but random evasion as a bonus is nice.
Anchor -
Supports -
Paralyze
Description - Good as a tempo spell that can remove early creatures from affecting the board, and even when the opponent has the mana it is still expensive to keep a creature active in the game. It might not turn off the most powerful creatures your opponents have and it's value goes down the longer the game, but it never does nothing.
Anchor -
Supports - Aggro
Phyrexian Reclamation
Description - Solid as a potential recursion engine to grind out card advantage over time. Can add more value in sac decks to get benefits from the recursion, extort decks to offset the life loss while replaying cards and getting to extort again, and graveyard fillers so you have more targets. You just have to be careful of the lifeloss.
Anchor - Graveyard Creature Recursion
Supports - Extort, Sacrifice, Self-Mill
Raven's Crime
Description - Solid re-usable discard. Can be a first turn play if you've got nothing else, and after you hit your required mana base, all lands you draw can turn into a discard spell. Best in a control deck to prevent your opponent from holding onto anything, but could still be in an aggro deck pushing a really low curve to strip slower decks of their cards once they hit the desired mana base. Also serves in reanimator decks because you can target yourself for a single mana.
Anchor -
Supports -Reanimator
Skeletal Scrying
Description - Solid for control decks. More conditional than something like Night's Whisper or Ambition's Cost, but by the time you want to cast it you probably have the resources in the yard. Being instant also really helps.
Anchors -
Supports -
Tortured Existence
Description -It can get your best creatures back form the yard, but having to discard another creature means you are at a card disadvantage as you have to invest in putting this on the board. Gets a lot better with dredgers or other ways to get more creatures in the yard for more selection.
Anchors -
Supports - Dredge
Tragic Slip
Description - One of the few 1 mana black spells capable of killing just about every creature in cube... when it gets triggered. Creatures die a lot in any case, plus if you are playing this you are probably playing other black kill spells or sacrifice.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ulcerate
Description - This will kill a decent number of creatures in most cubes, or finish something after blocks are declared. 3 life can hurt though. You want this card if you want push aggro mana efficiency to the limit, but is playable elsewhere.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vendetta
Description -Better against small guys, but being able to kill larger ones in exchange for more isn't really a downside.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Coat With Venom
Description - Most of the time, you will just want a non-combat removal spell instead of this. But it gets a mention as a spell that can help kill hexproof creatures, and may randomly save a creature you want to keep or rarely deliver the final point of damage.
Anchors -
Supports -
Cremate
Description - This is not the sort of effect that everyone will want in their cube, as it unlikely to matter in most games. But as a 1 mana cantrip, you can always play it to make your deck smaller so long as there is 1 card in a graveyard.
Anchors -
Supports -
Crippling Blight
Description - You would cube this to give aggro decks a cheap way to remove their most relevant blocker or kill an x/1.
Anchor
Supports - Aggro
Executioner's Capsule
Description - On it's own, it is almost always worst than Doom Blade. However, it can become more powerful if you have ways to tutor/retrieve/abuse it in an artifact matters theme.
Anchor -
Supports - Artifact Matters
Duh
Description – This will be very swingy between different cube environments. It could hit lots if you try and make your cube new player friendly, or next to nothing if you pimp out with textless cards. Cheap and instant, so if you have enough creatures that fit the criteria it might make a reasonable alternative to blacks commonly used removal in the 2 cc spot.
Anchor -
Supports -
Ghoulcaller’s Chant
Description - Return a single creature to your hand from your grave is not terribly exciting as a base. Gets better if you support dredge or otherwise chuck cards into your yard. 2 creatures? Now we are talking. It seems to force tribal, but there are a number of zombies which see play in cubes without forcing tribal themes; a number of those support black aggro which is likely to see some of its creatures die early.
Anchor -
Supports – Black aggro
Stop That
Description -Could be ok if you are ok with un cards. It's cheap enough that if you only catch your opponent out once it's a nice two for one. If you only get one activation, it isn't worth it.
Anchors -
Supports -
Suffer the Past
Description -Drain Life variant that doesn't hit creatures? Nah. Clears graveyards? Nah. But if you want a graveyard clearing effect that has some other upside, at least you get that so it isn't a dead card when graveyard clearing doesn't matter.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vile Rebirth
Description - If you are looking for the exile from graveyard effect, this one gives you some extra value in the form of a 2/2 at instant speed for B.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Appetite For Brains – Targets are too narrow for most cube environments
Artificer’s Hex – Way too narrow.
Bloodcurdling Scream – Strictly worse than Howl From Beyond.
Boggart Birth-Rite – Way too narrow.
Bond of Agony – Having to pay both mana and life makes this too costly.
Bone Splinters – Non-conditional is nice, but not at the cost of a creature at sorcery speed.
Boon of Erebos – Doesn’t do enough to warrant the cost of card and life.
Bubbling Muck – Hard to make effective use of in a cube environment.
Bump In The Night – Doesn’t do enough.
Burnt Offering – There might be some best case scenarios, but the probability of them happening is pretty slim. Dark Ritual more reliable.
Cabal Therapy – Not going to work in cube due to the singleton status of the format. You could cast it and then flash it back to get something good, but you may as well just be playing a better card to begin with.
Call to the Netherworld – Just black creatures is very narrow, and madness does not make up for it.
Cateran Summons – May have a place if mercenary tribal is a theme.
Chorus of Woe – Cheap, but not worth a card
Coffin Purge – Just bad.
Corrupted Roots – Too narrow.
Cremate – Just bad.
Cruel Feeding – Not sure there is a board position where I would want to play this card over anything else.
Cry of Contrition - 2 cards for B sounds good, but there are too many hoops to jump through, and as your opponent gets the choice, they are more likely to know when to hold back a land for the second discard.
Culling the Weak - 2nd turn 5 mana sounds pretty nuts, but I don't see it playing out very consistently; you need a 1 drop plus this in your opening 8-9 cards, plus relevant cards to play with that 5 mana that just cost you two cards. Getting 3 for 1'd from some cheap removal will not make you a happy camper. Dark Ritual is the card you want for more flexibility and consistency.
Cursed Flesh – Doesn’t do enough
Dark Betrayal – Way too narrow.
Darkness - Doesn't do enough.
Deadly Allure - Unless the opponent only has one open blocker, you don't get to choose what to kill. You would rather have straight out removal, though effects like this may go up in value if you eschew removal in favour of combat tricks.
Death Watch – Does nothing to affect the board
Death Wind – Flexible and splashable, but other stuff just does it better.
Deathmark – Too narrow
Deaths Approach – Doesn’t do enough.
Demonic Appetite – The situations where this is going to be favourable are going to be slim to none.
Demonic Consultation – Given the singleton nature of cube, risking the game doesn’t seem worth it.
]Deviant Glee - Not good enough.
Disembowel – Flexibility is nice but ends of costing too much compared to other black removal.
Disentomb – Better alternatives
Dread of Night – Too narrow.
Dredge – Bad card draw.
Ebony Charm – None of the modes are that exciting. Can be a way of including graveyard clearing without dedicating a full slot, but decks won’t want the other two effects either.
Encroach – You are going to whiff the vast majority of the time.
Endless Scream - Not good enough.
Evil Presence – Way too narrow.
Eye Gouge – Doesn’t do enough.
Fade From Memory – Cremate is better for this effect.
Fatal Blow – Not worth waiting for the right moment, just get a better kill spell.
Fatal Mutation – Not relevant except in morph cubes, and even then you just force it to remain a 2/2.
Feast of Flesh – Doesn’t work in Cube.
Foul-Tongue Shriek - Too conditional to be reliable.
Genju of the Fens - Too mana intensive to matter most of the time. If you are attacking, you've already spent 3 mana, leaving little mana left to push the attack (or cast anything else). The recursive nature does give it some marginal synergy with sacrifice decks, but not good enough.
Ghastly Demise – Too conditional.
Ghoulflesh – Doesn’t do enough
Glyph of Doom – Just bad.
Gravebind – Way too narrow
Gruesome Deformity - The best case is that you spend 1 mana and a card, and get one of your bigger attackers through. But the threat of your opponent playing the right colour and or being 2-for-1'd by removal is too great a risk.
Hell Swarm – Doesn’t do enough.
Horrifying Revelation - Because the opponent has choice of discard, other discard options at this mana cost are preferred. The graveyard dumping doesn't add anything worthwhile.
Howl From Beyond - Not good enough.
Human Frailty – Too narrow.
Illness In The Ranks - Too narrow. If you are going to support tokens, you probably don't want to neuter it with this card being in your pool.
Killing Glare - After paying a few mana you will wish you just had a better kill spell.
Lab Rats - Too slow to have an impact on the game compared to other token generators and you never want to play it as a 1/1 for B.
Leshrac's Rite - Too narrow.
Lose Hope - Lacks power.
Lurking Jackals - A 3/2 on the cheap looks great, but the fact that it is useless until your opponent has lost half their life makes it unplayable in the decks that want it.
Marsh Gas - If you want this effect, you probably just want Darkness.
Midnight Charm - All of the modes are marginal.
Mind Peel - Too expensive to re-use
Mire Blight - Prefer something that actually kills the creature.
Mire's Toll - Will be worse than Blackmail nearly all of the time.
Misery Charm - Effects are too narrow.
Misinformation - This is not worth the card disadvantage in the vast majority of situations.
Molting Snakeskin - Black aggro likes cards that can hit for 2 power for 1 mana, and this is a pseudo-version of doing that with haste. But it carries the big downside of opening you up for a 2 for 1, and it isn't an extra body which the opponent has to block.
Nighthaze - Doesn't do enough.
Organ Harvest - Could be a powerful mana booster but too narrow an effect for a cube to take full advantage of (Maybe has some value if you play team games).
Peppersmoke - Unless you have enough Faeries, Lose Hope is better.
Planar Void - Too narrow an effect to care about if it isn't attached to a body.
Postmorten Lunge - If we are going to be bringing something back and paying this much, we want it to stick around, not disappear at the end of the turn.
Predator's Gambit - Too prone to 2 for 1.
Psychic Spear - Far too narrow.
Rain of Filth - Not any decks that would want to take advantage of this.
Raise Dead - Ghoulcaller's Chant strictly better.
Rat's Feast - Tormod's Crypt is the card you want.
Restless Dreams - You end up down a card, which is a bummer. You can swap out poor creatures in your hand for better ones in your graveyard, but that seems like a lot of setup. If you are playing good cards, the ones in your hand shouldn't be that much worse than the ones in your yard anyway.
Return to Battle - Ghoulcaller's Chant strictly better.
Sacrifice - Acceleration isn't worth a creature and a card. Even if the creature is about to die, you have to wait for the perfect opportunity.
Sadistic Glee - No immediate impact, and open to 2 for 1.
Scare Tactics - Not worth the cost of a card.
Shadowfeed - Just bad.
Shattered Dreams - Way too narrow for cube.
Shrieking Affliction - Has no early relevance, and most players are likely to hold onto at least 1 card as a bluff. By the time you play this on an empty hand, your opponent is likely to just hold onto a couple of lands. Too conditional to get going or get value.
Shrouded Lore - Way too conditional to get what you want.
Sicken - Too narrow.
Sinister Possession - You would rather have a kill spell than this.
Skull Fracture - Costs too much for 2 cards.
Songs of the Damned - Hard to take advantage of in cube environment. Harder to load your graveyard, and even if you do not an abundant number of ways to abuse the mana.
Soul Stair Expedition - While cheap, other effects that get your creatures back more consistently are preferred.
Soul Strings - It could have some play in an aggro deck to reload after some early trades, but once you start paying more than a few mana you may as well have Death Denied.
Soulshriek - Too conditional to be reliable.
Stabbing Pain - It can lock down a bigger creature for a turn, but not a strong enough effect to matter.
Stir the Grave - While flexible you are paying retail for the creature.
Tainted Strike - Could be a way to make a big creature if you are chump blocking... but then you would prefer something else.
Taste of Blood - Bad.
Tendrils of Despair - Too situational and costs too much.
Thrull Retainer - Does not do enough.
Touch of Moonglove - Doesn't do enough.
Torture - Way too slow.
Touch of Darkness - Useless.
Unholy Strength - Nah.
Vampire's Bite - Doesn't do enough.
Vampiric Link - Doesn't do enough to warrant a spot.
Viper's Kiss - It only kills x/1's and they can still attack and block. Nope.
Virulent Wound - Bad.
Volrath's Motion Sensor - For a power perspective, 1 mana for non-guaranteed 3 damage is pretty bad. You would only play it for 'fun' reasons.
Weakness - Bad.
Withering Hex - Far too parasitic.
Wretched Banquet - Narrow application means you are rarely going to kill what you want.
Wring Flesh - Would rather have Disfigure most of the time, or pay an extra mana for an upgrade.
Virulent Swipe - Not good enough.
Cloudfin Raptor
Description - Nice as an early drop for aggro decks to go over the top when you can follow it with a steady stream of creatures. Not a great top deck, but neither are most 1-drops. May have a place in more creature-oriented control decks, with some possible fringe benefits from effects like blink / bounce.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Enclave Cryptologist
Description - This guy slots into almost any blue deck that likes to play things slow. While fragile, there isn't much investment to start card filtering, and not a huge investment to turn that into true card advantage. Shame he can't trade with anything.
Anchors -
Supports - Control, graveyard matters, reanimator
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Delver of Secrets
Description - You have to push Delver of Secrets to make it worthwhile, and ensure you have enough targets in your deck. Gets marginally better the more scry or similar effects are in your cube.
Anchors -
Supports - Spells Matter
Drowner Initiate
Description - This is ideally suited for a mill deck, but can also support a blue-based graveyard matters deck. If you aren't supporting at least 1 archetype that can benefit from this, it doesn't belong in your cube.
Anchors - Mill
Supports - Graveyard Matters themes
Nephalia Smuggler
Description - Expensive to use, but can be used to blank an attacker, and re-use ETB effects. With mana open, your opponent has to play around it, especially for stuff like removal.
Anchors - Blink
Supports -
Phantasmal Bear
Description - ok as a blue aggro card. Many things your opponent was going to throw at it were intended to kill it anyway, but will be annoying to lose it to repeatable tapdown effects and similar.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro.
Wingcrafter
Description - ok for granting another of your creatures evasion, and applies to any theatre of play.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Cursecatcher
Description - Judge's Familiar is strictly better, but this card can be ok if you don't want to dedicate a multi-colour / hybrid spot for it. While it has a control element, it works better in aggro/midrange decks against control decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Dakra Mystic
Description - Can help with filtering card quality on both sides of the table. Has minor synergy with graveyard matters themes. But it is a little slow.
Anchors -
Supports -
Drifter il-Dal
Description - Can be good in blue aggro, but needs sufficient support of other aggro cards in blue.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Drowned Rusalka
Description - This card is functional, but not terribly exciting. It's a nice thing to have on the table to get some incremental value, but not worth going out of your way to draft. Minor graveyard matters support, as it is cheap and can always cycle itself as early as turn 2 to get a relevant target in the yard.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters themes
Faerie Impostor
Description - Cheap cost probably means you can replay the bounced card. Lack of flash removes some options, so use of this card is relegated to ETB effects or saving creatures from random negative enchantments.
Anchors -
Supports -
Gudul Lurker - 1
Description - 1/1 unblockabe is a slow clock. 4 mana for a 2/2 unblockable is... better. But you may as well be playing Latch Seeker. Only worth it if you really want to go deep on unblockability. Gets better if you have a removal-lite environment with stat boosting auras/equipment.
Anchors -
Supports -
Hedron Crab
Description - The obvious place is in a mill deck. In that deck it will be a great 1st turn play, but it's value goes down after that. Still, can be good support. Can do some extra work in decks that care about the graveyard by targeting yourself. Good synergy with specific cards Sensei's Diving Top, Brainstorm, or similar effects that play with the top of the library. Without benefiting from any of those effects or in a deidcated mill decks, it is trash.
Anchor - Mill
Supports -
Jace's Phantasm
Description - Unexciting in it's normal mode. It's going to take a bit of effort to turn this 'on', but the upside is good. Probably best in a blue/black deck that takes full advantage of discard, counters and kill to fill the opponents graveyard. Probably a trap to play this in a mill deck; you either want to win by decking, or by killing the opponent. A true mill deck would rather have something like Fog Bank than waiting for this guy to get good on defense.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sidisi's Faithful
Description - Of itself, a 0/4 for a single mana is not exciting; it can't kill anything, but at least it can be a minor roadblock to aggressive decks. Being able to bounce a creature may be effective against some threats or a good tempo play later in the game. You can always sacrifice something else, but that is pretty conditional.
Anchors -
Supports -
Spindrift Drake
Description - Might have a place in aggro, but you probably just want Drifter Il-Kor instead.
Anchors -
Supports -
Triton Shorestalker
Description - Unblockable is a powerful ability, but this is small. With some equipment or other pumps this could turn it into a clock that needs to be answered.
Anchors - 'Pants'
Supports -
Trusted Adviser
Description - The hand size rider doesn't mean anything. This is another creature that only has a place in the blink / bounce decks. The fact that the creature has to be blue is restrictive, but there are plenty of playable blue creatures that you are happy to replay. e.g. Augur of Bolas, Sea Gate Oracle, Man-o-war.
Anchors -
Supports - Blink / Bounce
Vedalken Certarch
Description - Needs a heavy artifact theme, but would be strong in that environment.
Anchors - Artifact matters
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Baldvuvian Shaman - Just bad.
Caller of Gales - Better ways to grant flying.
Cathartic Adept - This is going to be too slow even if you want to push a mill theme.
Ceta Dsiciple - Doesn't do enough.
Cloud Pirates / Cloud Sprite - Strictly better cards than this.
Dreamcatcher - Bad.
Eletric Eel - Bad.
Embodiment of Spring - Too slow and not big enough butt to worry about.
Faerie Miscreant / Flying Men / Zephyr Sprite - Pretty unexciting, even as a 1-drop in a Skies deck. Jace's Phantasm has upside over this, and the true unblockable creatures are going to be better in most cases. Faerie Miscreant may be misleading unless you have some house rules to give them more than 1 copy.
Faerie Squadron - Both modes are bad.
Fledgling Osprey - Why wouldn't you just use Jace's Phantasm?
Fugitive Wizard - Vanilla badness.
Grayscaled Gharial - Almost vanilla badness.
Grixis Illusionist - Rarely relevant.
Hapless Researcher - Chump blocking for a card filter not good enough.
Imagecrafter - Doesn't do anything.
Kraken Hatchling - Strictly better card, and extremely unlikely you would want the 0/4 redundancy.
Manta Riders - Bad.
Martyr of Frost - Meh.
Merchant Ship - Terrible.
Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - Vanilla badness.
Merfolk Spy - Doesn't do enough.
Merrow Witsniper - Small body plus only 1 card, this won't make it even in a dedicated mill deck.
Mothdust Changeling - You can get cards with native flying at this cost.
Reef Shaman - Doesn't do anything.
Rootwater Diver - Even in an artifact themed cube, requiring a tap makes this guy too slow.
Rootwater Mystic - Information is not going to be worth the cost.
Sage of Epityr - Doesn't do enough.
Sandbar Merfolk - Bad body and would rather have better card draw.
Screeching Sliver - You don't want to rest your tribes success on this one card.
Shaper Guildmage - Each mode not good enough to matter.
Shrieking Drake - This is the dregs of gating creatures, and only serves a purpose in a deck that is really pushing the bounce / blink theme. In that deck, it does have the advantage of being cheap to give you a good chance of replaying the bounced creature the same turn. But it doesn't have flash, which is bad. It can bounce itself, but there aren't enough good triggers to take advantage of that fact.
Skywatch Adept - Too mana intensive.
Sphinx's Herald - Does nothing in cube.
Spindrift Drake - You probably just want Drifter Il-Kor instead.
Stormscape Apprentice - Unplayable on the basis that you don't want to waste multi-colour on this. Goldmeadow Harrier etc. do this in mono-white, and the black ability is largely irrelevant.
Teardrop Kami - Does not do enough.
Thought Nibbler - Just play a better creature.
Tidal Visionary - Too narrow.
Tidal Warrior - Too narrow.
Tideshaper Mystic - Minor upside of mana fixing not worth it.
Timebender - No targets.
Trickster Mage - Not worth the card disadvantage.
Triton Shorethief - At least this vanilla badness has an extra toughness. But still bad.
Vortex Elemental - Can be a cheap way to get rid of annoying attackers, but needs mana open and only affects non-evasion.
Wandering Ones - More vanilla badness.
Water Wurm - Bad.
Condescend
Description - Solid counterspell, which can somtimes be the equivalent of a Mana Leak on turn 2 with scry attached.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Preordain
Description - This is a solid card. It isn't flashy, but sets up your draws in the early game, and clears lands or other unwanted cards in the late game. It slots into most blue decks, with the probable exception of aggro decks that want to stick to using all of their mana to play threats. Also useful to hold and cast when a particular threat is presented to give you the best option of finding an answer at the time.
Anchors -
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Ponder
Description - This is a solid card for getting you closer to what you need. While it can be used to set up sequences of future play, it can also be held until a specific threat comes along that needs to be dealt with; this then gives you 4 different chances to find the right answer on that turn, with a marginal advantage if you shuffle and don't find what you are looking for (over getting the next 3 which you know aren't what you need).
Anchors -
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Aqueous Form
Description - This opens you up for 2 for 1's so it's value gets better the less direct removal in your cube. But if unanswered, it has some decent upside if you have at least mid-sized creatures to put the opponent on a decent clock, as well as lining up your future draws.
Anchors -
Supports -
Artful Dodge
Description - Can be used to force through some damage for relatively cheap. While not great, it can let a finisher get through unopposed for a couple of turns, or let a couple of creatures through for the final few in a more aggro or midrange build. Also has some synergy with some of the 'spells matters' creatures (Kiln Fiend etc) by giving them a boost from casting while also letting them through unopposed. Also friendly with combat triggers (Stealer of Secrets etc).
Anchors -
Supports - Spells Matters
Blustersquall
Description - Can turn off their attack if cast during your opponents turn, and let you swing in. Conditional on the board state, but can be swingy.
Anchors -
Supports -
Brainstorm
Description - Brainstorm is worse in the Peasant cube format than its profile in Constructed and even compared to powered cubes. One of the preferred uses of Brainstorm is to put cards you don't need right now on the top of your deck and then shuffle. Most peasant deck decks don't have a steady stream of shuffle effects, so you get some marginal card quality for a couple of turns, but end up in the same place. It might be what you need to hit your land drops or find you the critical spell you need if it happens to be sitting near the top of your deck.
Anchors -
Supports -
Careful Study
Description - Given the card disadvantage, you want the card filtering to be worth it. In which case, you need to be supporting some form of Graveyard Matters theme.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator
Curiosity
Description - Good on evasive guys (especially shado / unblockables) and pingers, but can also be good when you can simply tap down your opponents creatures or make blocking annoying. Opens you up for 2 for 1's, but the upside is high. Cinder Pyromancer is cute.
Anchors -
Supports - Pants
Distortion Strike
Description - Bears similarities with Artful Dodge. You don't need to spend an extra mana, but you lose the flexibility of using it all up in one turn. As an extra bonus, you can do some extra damage. Good with spells matters or combat triggers.
Anchors -
Supports - Spells Matters
Flood
Description - Flood can be solid in control decks that want to gum up the ground until stabilised, or to turn off key blockers to make an alpha strike. It's effectiveness scales depending on how many flyers you have in your cube and the general speed of the cube. Heavy blue can make it hard to use.
Anchors -
Supports -
Force Spike
Description - Can be a great early tempo play for any type of deck, but good for aggro tempo plays. Loses potency in the mid to late game.
Anchors -
Supports -
Genju of the Falls
Description - Decent 'manland' card, that can give control decks some long game by being able to trade or chump, or having a repeatable evasive beater in the late game.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Gitaxian Probe
Description - This card is a solid support card. Most cube designers consider this to be colourless, as it can make any deck smaller. While it offer some minimal support to something like a storm archetype, it is often just a 'good' card. Can help with blue decks that want to check the opponents hand before countering a spell, or verifying whether removal should be reserved for another threat.
Anchors -
Supports - Storm
Mystical Tutor
Description - Best used as redundancy in a deck that needs its best answers or high impact spells despite the card disadvantage. While any deck can use it, probably more suited to control decks to find sweepers or lockdown effects.
Anchors -
Supports -
Repeal
Description - This provides mana and card parity, which isn't exciting. But the tempo might be worth it. It can target any permanent, but in most cases it is likely to target creatures, and something like Repeal is probably more applicable and a better tempo play. Great for killing tokens for a single mana while drawing a card to boot.
Anchors -
Supports -
Serum Visions
Description - Worse than Preordain because it doesn't let you filter to get the card you need this turn, but still playable and serves a similar function.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sleight of Hand
Description - This is worse than Preordain, but still ok for this effect if you want extra redundancy.
Anchors -
Supports -
Triton Tactics
Description - For 1 mana, this can do some interesting things. It says 'I'm optimal when blocking' but it isn't a requirement. You might use it when swinging in to save 2 of your guys from trades, with the upshot of being able to block on your opponents next turn. Just untapping 2 guys for 1 mana isn't a bad deal, though admittedly not many cubes have a plethora of strong tap for effect guys. If you are on the defense, being able to lock down two of their creatures is a pretty solid play for 1 mana. It's limitation is having enough stuff on the board to take reasonable advantage.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unsummon
Description - An old classic that doesn't need much cube support to make it effective, as it works in a range of decks. In general, it's best use is as a tempo effect to return a creature that cost your opponent much more than the Unsummon, allowing you to swing in with what you've already cast, and hopefully cast something else alongside it. Can be used in a pinch to save a finisher from being removed, or to reu-se a critical ETB effect.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vapor Snag
Description - The standard mode for Unsummon effects is to bounce your opponents creature, which means that the mandatory life loss on Vapor Snag is nearly always upside, and helps advance the aggro/tempo game plan. It will still occasionally be the correct play to take the life loss and save a critical creature on your side of the board. This is going to give Vapor Snag a leg up on Unsummon in most cubes.
Anchors -
Supports -
Word of Undoing
Description - This is an oddball card. It gets the same score as Unsummon on the basis that it will be just an Unsummon most of the time, with some marginal upside. On the other hand, it might provide signals that you are supporting something specific, so you may not want to include it if you don't support some form of Azorius aura theme.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Cerulean Wisps
Description - Cycles and can create a surprise blocker or re-use a relevant tap ability. Pretty conditional on the right board state, but with cycling can create a 2 for 1 in the right situations.
Anchors -
Supports -
Curfew
Description - You aren't always going to want a symmetrical effect, but it does have some interesting applications. It can be used to save a creature from removal while setting your opponent back, or similarly just to re-use a ETB effect while affecting your opponents tempo. Minor note that due to non-targeting it can force your opponent to bounce hexproof guys if they have nothing else. But the non-targeting can also be a downside, and limit the times where you can cast this profitably; mainly because your opponent can choose the best option, which may include one of their own ETB creatures. Peel From Reality is often going to be the better card because it does similar but targets, but you may want this for maximum redundancy, or if the single mana really matters to your cube design.
Anchors -
Supports - Bounce / Flicker
Diminish
Description - Narrow scope, but could find a place as a blue removal spell. It require some set up and the right board state.
Anchors -
Supports -
Disrupt
Description - At it's worst (your opponent can pat the 1), you are card neutral and mana neutral. But when it works, it will be 2 for 1, and hopefully with a big tempo advantage by costing only a single mana.
Anchors -
Supports -
High Tide
Description - The card disadvantage is probably not going to be worth it. You may want to include it as an accelerator if you really want to push mono-blue as a thing in your cube.
Anchors -
Supports -
Mark of Eviction
Description - This is going to be too slow on most opponents creatures as it takes a full turn. On the plus side, it is repeatable, though the time delay can be painful and give your opponent time to do something profitable, like attack you. Could be used as a slightly awkward support card for bounce / blink strategies.
Anchors -
Supports - Bounce / Blink
Mystic Speculation
Description - At it's base, Mystic Speculation offers you future card quality for card disadvantage. In a weak opener, it can set up your land drops and early plays. It's best benefit comes from the buyback and being able to always draw your best cards. In some scenarios better than Crystal Ball (because you can play it turn 1) and in other instances worse (long term Crystal Ball is cheaper). Also has synergy with Spells Matters decks as a relatively cheap buyback spell.
Anchors -
Supports -
Opt
Description - While the base effect is slightly worse than Preordain, this is an instant, which may matter if you are pushing a more 'draw-go' style in blue, or have Isochron Scepter.
Anchors -
Supports -
Piracy Charm
Description - Has some flexibility in being able to pump someone, kill a small dude, or use some instant speed discard. Consider occasional evasion a bonus.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro / Tempo
Pongify / Rapid Hybridization
Description - Deserves a mention for being a 1-mana blue spell that can kill almot anything. Giving the opponent a 3/3 isn't exactly ideal though. It's best use will be against big creature decks, but even then you are just downsizing their creature. Has some minor upside in that you can flash in a 3/3 in response to some removal or one of your creatures on their way to the bin, so could be a conditional 3/3 for u in an aggro based deck, but that is a pretty narrow application.
Anchors -
Supports -
Seal of Removal
Description - The lack of instant speed casting means this offers less surprise than Unsummon. However you can drop it any time you have the spare mana instead of holding onto the instant. It's a decent analogue if your cube cares about enchantments, or you have any devotion to blue themes.
Anchors -
Supports - Enchantment Matters, Blue Devotion
Shadow Rift
Description - Single mana, card parity to get your best creature through for some damage. But still susceptible to a 2 for 1 if they remove your target in response to casting.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Sigil of Sleep
Description - Sigil of Sleep can have some reasonable upside if it sticks, but is generally only going to be worthwhile on an evasive creature that can get multiple activations to maintain tempo advantage. Most cubes have a lot of good ETB effects, so it's value goes down the more you have given that the bounce is mandatory.
Anchors -
Supports -
Spell Burst
Description - The effect itself is not great, but could be used as a late game lock, perhaps in a ramp deck... in which case you might be better off ramping into other threats. Regardless, the option is there if that type of deck is your cup of tea.
Anchors -
Supports - Ramp
Spell Snare -
Description - Hits 110 targets out of 360 in the average peasant cube on cubetutor on the cheap. But as a reactive counterspell you have to cast it at the most opportune times. So you may counter a non-ideal threat just because it fits the criteria and you aren't sure when the next one will come along. Restrictive removal can always be cast after something hits the table, but you have a limited window to use this.
Anchors -
Supports -
Spell Pierce
Description - 137 targets out of 360 in the average peasant cube on cubetutor. 42% of nonlands in the cube (324). Though its questionable whether the average cube deck contains the same percentage of noncreatures spells (9-10). Instinct says restricted targets plus reduced usefulness in the late game indicates playable but far from amazing.
Anchors -
Supports -
Thought Scour
Description - Can be viewed simply as an instant speed cantrip. It can support a mill theme, and gives some synergy with dredge or other graveyard matters themes. If you want to support those themes, Mental Note is technically strictly worse, but can give a clearer signal to those new to your cube.
Anchors - Mill
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Turn Aside
Description - While narrow, if your opponent is targeting your stuff with a spell, it's mostly likely to destroy it or permanently disable it... but your opponent may not be playing any, or very few of those spells.
Anchors -
Supports -
Twisted Image
Description - Could be an ok combat trick that cycles, but will depend on the makeup of creature stats in your cube. Can kill 0 power creatures, so this may be stronger if you have a number of those walls in your cube.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unstable Mutation
Description - This can be effective if you are pushing blue aggro. You just want to make sure that after you cast it, you are going to kill them within the next 3 turns. Suffers from the usual 2-for-1 trade on auras.
Anchors - Aggro.
Supports -
Void Snare
Description - Most of the time, Void Snare is going to bounce a creature. In which case, you may as well move to Unsummon / Vapor Snag, which can give you instant speed. Still, the option is here if you really want the flexibility of all permanents, and it does still offer tempo advantage at sorcery speed.
Anchors -
Supports -
Whispers of the Muse
Description - You need a bit of work to make Whispers of the Muse good in your cube. If your cube is fast, Whispers is not going to make it. It costs 6 mana if you want to use it as a card draw engine, for your first buyback. For 13 mana, you can buy it back twice and recast, to replace it with 3 other cards. For 5 mana, you can cast Jace's Ingenuity. It's best upside over Jace is not to forget that it only costs 1 mana. So the likely best use is to cycle it early game, and view the buyback as a bonus.
Anchors -
Supports -
Wind of Zendikon
Description - This is a 2/2 flyer for 1 mana, with the quirky drawback of 'costing' a mana when you attack with it. Once cast, you could always view it as now having the option of swinging for 2 if you don't have enough other ways to maximise your mana... but you probably want to be swinging if you spent a card. At least you aren't a land down permanently if it gets removed.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Aboshan's Desire - Doesn't do enough.
Aerial Formation - Doesn't do enough for strive costs.
Aether Tide - Card disadvantage not worth the tempo advantage.
Air Bladder - Bad.
Annul - Way too narrow.
Apathy - If it tapped the creature, maybe. But it doesn't.
Aquitect's Will - Just bad.
Aura Finesse - Too narrow and needs targets to even cycle itself.
Awesome Presence - Bad compared to Aqueous Form.
Backfire - Creature can still block and use activated abilities, and if the opponent is aggro they probably don't care about the damage anyway.
Banishing Knack - A lot worse than other forms of bounce/
Betrayal - You would rather use something that actually removes it.
Blue Elemental Blast - Too narrow.
Breakthrough - Looked at primarily as a draw card, this requires 5 mana to draw 4 cards and keep them all if this is the only card in your hand, with downside if you had more in your hand. But it could help dump stuff in your graveyard. Looking at 4 cards is decent so can be used to dig for reanimate cards or targets in the early turns, but that is going all in as you will have to dump a whole bunch of other cards.
Broken Ambitions - Doesn't do enough.
Broken Dam - Sorcery speed so can't save from attack, which means its best use is to tap down creatures so you can get through. In which case, Artful Dodge is probably better.
Cencorship - Only for funsies.
Chain of Vapor - It's either bad, or way too costly if you are running a self-bounce deck.
Champion's Victory - Bad bounce.
Clairvoyance - Peek is strictly better.
Clash of Wills - Not good enough compared to other counterspell options.
Cloak of Feathers - Combat trick/fly over, but needs target to cycle. Oh wait, sorcery, yuck.
Cloak of Invisibility - You don't want this on your creatures, and you don't want this on your opponents creatures.
Clockspinning - Too narrow.
Constricting Tendrils - Doesn't have enough impact.
Controlled Instincts - Too narrow targets.
Coral Net - Narrow targets.
Crab Umbra - This could have some narrow combo uses, but the cost to untap is too much to make use of in most decks.
Cut the Earthly Bond - Way too narrow.
Defensive Stance - Doesn't do enough.
Defy Gravity - Doesn't do enough.
Denied! - Bad.
Disarm - Bad.
Dispel - Unlikely to be sufficient targets.
Dizzy Spell - Doesn't do enough.
Downsize - Doesn't do enough.
Drafna's Restoration - Only playable in a very heavy artefact cube, and even then narrow in effect, card disadvantage for card quality over the next few turns.
Dream Coat - Too narrow for cube.
Dream's Grip - None of the modes are strong enough to warrant inclusion.
Dream twist - It's not possible to support an aggro mill deck, and there are better options for self mill.
Enchantment Alteration - Too narrow in scope to be any use.
Energy Tap - Compare to Dark Ritual; upside, can get more mana if cast on higher cost creature; downside, need to have a creature, it needs to be untapped, you need to tap it so it can't be used for something else, mana is colourless, card is sorcery speed. Blergh.
Envelop - Only targets 10% of average cube.
Ertai's Trickery - No.
Essence Flare - Bad.
Essence Leak - Just bad.
Evanescent Intellect - Inefficient use of 2 cards just to get 1 effect. Not even if pushing a mill theme.
Evermind - Unusable in cube.
Eye Spy - Doesn't do enough even for a cantrip.
Flash Flood - Narrow colour hoser.
Fleeting DistractionIt's not going to be that effective the majority of the time. It might occasionally help you win a combat, and at worst you get to cantrip for a single mana, but you want more.
Flight - Strictly better cards.
Gigadrowse - In most cases other cards dedicated to tapping down all of your opponents creatures or having additional effects is going to provide better results.
Glyph of Delusion - Way too narrow.
Gridlock - See Gigadrowse.
Hydroblast - Narrow targets.
Hydrosurge - Might let you save a creature during combat, but isn't going to impact the board in a majority of cases.
Index - The short term card quality is not worth the card disadvantage.
Infiltrate - Distortion Strike strictly better.
Intervene - Pretty narrow effect.
Jump - Bad.
Loose Lips - Probably just for fun factor.... but can you say "She sells sea shells by the sea shore"?
Lost in a Labyrinth - Doesn't impact the board and scry doesn't make up for that.
Mana Chains - Better off playing more effective 'removal' at the 2 mana spot.
Mask of the Mimic - Has no use in cube.
Mental Misstep - Targets too narrow in cube.
Mental Note - Worse than Thought Scour which can target any player.
Mind Bend - Too narrow for cube.
Mind Bomb - Only remotely useful if you look to break the symmetry, and even then there are better ways to get things into your graveyard.
Mind Games - Too expensive to buyback for this effect.
Mind Harness - Bad.
Mise - Requires too much set up to bother.
Mizzium Skin - Doesn't do enough in any mode.
Mystic Remora - Bad.
Obsessive Search - Incremental benefit in madness decks doesn't outweigh the other 1cc draw spells.
Opt - Worse than Preordain.
Outwit - Too narrow.
Part Water - Too narrow.
Peek - Worse than Gitaxian Probe.
Personal Tutor - Worse than Mystical Tutor, which is instant speed and can also search for instants.
Portent - Worse than Ponder.
Power Sink - Only if you really want more redundancy for Condescend.
Private Research - Too much set up required.
Prosperity - The symmetry and sorcery speed make this too hard to break.
Psychic Purge - Blue direct damage! But the effect is negligible and the upside is pretty marginal.
Quest for Ancient Secrets - If you want this effect, you want it outright.
Ray of Erasure - Bad.
Reach Through Mists - Bad unless you have heavy arcane.
Recall - Discard AND XX? Too expensive for this effect.
Reconstruction - Not for most cubes unless you are heavy artifact.
Remove - Bad bounce spell.
Rescue - The loss of returning your opponents stuff is too much lost flexibility compared to the upside of being able to target any permanent you control.
Retraction Helix - Just get a bounce spell.
Riptide - You are in blue so why would you want this (outside of some ridiculous scenario using inspired and guys with the untap symbol).
Robe of Mirrors - Shroud is not worth losing a card for. Lightning Greaves similar and offers extra upside.
Sapphire Charm - Not good enough.
Saving Grasp - This forces a particular type of play style, but could be used to take advantage of ETB creatures in a defensive bounce deck. Generally there are better options though.
Sea King's Blessing - Too narrow.
Sea's Claim - Bad.
Sensory Depravation - Doesn't do enough
Shared Discovery - Maybe if it was instant. In a token deck.
Shimmering Wings - Not strong enough effect.
Silent Departure - Sorcery speed and costly second activation is too much downside.
Siren's Call - It's asking your opponent to do what they probably want to do anyway. What you want them to attack into could get removed in response.
Sisay's Ingenuity - Doesn't do enough.
Sleight of Mind - Too narrow.
Soothsaying - I want to like this card. But by the time you spend this much mana, you may as well be playing draw spells instead.
Sorcerous Sight - This is sorcery, peek does same job at instant speed.
Spell Blast - Better options.
Spy Network - Bad.
Steel Sabotage - Too narrow.
Stream of Unconsciousness - Too narrow.
Stubborn Denial - Bad.
Syncopate - Better options.
Tangle Kelp - Better lockdown options.
Telepathy - Doesn't do enough for the card disadvantage.
Thassa's Ire - Flexibility is nice, but activation is too much to ask for.
Thermal Flux - Nah.
Tidal Flats - Bad.
[card]Tome Scour[/card[ - There isn't enough density at singleton for an aggro mill deck.
Trickery Charm - None of the modes do enough.
Twiddle - Doesn't do enough.
Vanishing - Interesting effect, but too mana intensive to either remove / protect creatures.
Vault Skyward - Doesn't do enough.
Veil of Birds - Bad.
Veiled Sentry - Bad.
Venarian Glimmer - You have to be going SUPER deep on a draw go deck that wants this type of effect; they either cast it before you get the mana to strip it, or it just costs a budketload of mana.
Vision Charm - Only the first is going to matter in a mill deck, in which case you want Tome Scour.
Writ of Passage - Too mana intensive for limited targets.
Arbor Elf
Description - Excellent card for helping accelerate your plays. Only the most marginal downside over mana-generating contemporaries (can't create mana if your green source is not from a Forest, rare occasions where your untap on the stack is responded to in a meaningful way), but has other upsides if your card pool includes Wild Growth, Utopia Sprawl, Dawn's Reflection etc. Arbor Elf on turn 1 followed by either Wild Growth or Utopia Sprawl can lead into 4-drops being possible on turn 2. Other synergies are marginal, but can interact with Genju of the Cedars and other land animation effects, or the likes of Squirrel Nest.
Anchors -
Supports - Midrange, Ramp
Experiment One
Description - Excellent turn 1 play for an aggro/midrange deck that can follow up with almost anything to start making it bigger. Doesn't require much in the way of support to make it good.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro, Midrange
Joraga Treespeaker
Description - Among the top green mana accelerators; there isn't much better than a turn 1 Treespeaker, turn 2 level up into some more acceleration. Has some marginal upside with a full level up with some token themes.
Anchors -
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Elvish Mystic / Fyndhorn Elves / Llanowar Elves
Description - This is a solid staple for greens mana acceleration plan, whether into midrange, into a 2nd turn Cultivate for ramp decks, or helping control deck set up. In an aggro deck, it can even beat down for 1 and provide support later. It's not uncommon for cubes to include more than 1 of these if the cube owner doesn't care about functional reprints.
Anchors -
Supports -
Wild Nacatl
Description - It almost forces you into red or white, but as a 2/2 for 1 mana, this is good value. If you get it to 3/3, that's just gravy.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Jungle Lion
Description - Has a place in aggro decks that just want to be swinging.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Twinblade Slasher - 2
Description - While mildly mana intensive to activate, the wither can help get around some low power/high toughness blockers that might be floating around in your cube.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Wasteland Viper
Description - Seems decent for green aggro. It either pings through for damage, or can trade with anything. Can also use bloodrush to take out larger threats and survive fights, or in a pinch deal that extra damage to the opponent.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Young Wolf
Description - It doesn't need any support and is not a threat before dying, but is likely to keep pinging through for damage because your opponent doesn't want to block it. Can be ok as a chump blocker that upgrades or useful as a sacrificial lamb.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Description - As a general ability, the acceleration ability is solid regardless of colour produced. However most cube owners are likely to consider this a Selesnya card (which is what it will signal), and it isn't exciting for those limited slots however.
Anchors -
Supports -
Basking Rootwalla
Description - This is marginal as an aggro 1-drop due to the threat of activation, though if you do activate it, it slows down your development. Madness is fine if you want to maximise a looter etc, but this is unlikely to influence your decision to include it in your cube. Almost strictly worse than Twinblade Slasher as the madness is rarely going to be relevant.
Anchors -
Supports -
Boreal Druid
Description - It accelerates, even if it is colorless. This still has value in cubes, but there are a lot of options that produce coloured mana. This could make the cut if you are supporting some form of snow in your cube.
Anchors -
Supports -
Elves of Deep Shadow
Description - Another mana accelerator. As with other non-green mana critters, this signals a specific direction even though it is decent in non-black decks. Damage knocks its stock down slightly, but most of the time you will be happy to take the hit and accelerate.
Anchors -
Supports -
Elvish Herder
Description - It's in the color of decent-sized creature, but requires the right conditions to be decent. Can support ramp creatures that don't have trample, or help step over chump token blockers.
Anchors -
Supports - Ramp
Elvish Pioneer
Description - Has some upside over mana accelerators; they can be more easily removed than a land being put on the table. On the downside, Elvish Pioneer is a terrible top deck. This inconsistency limits its appeal.
Anchors -
Supports -
Essence Warden
Description - Life gain isn't going to be relevant most of the time. You'll get more out of it if you support tokens (and may keep you in the come against aggro decks whgile you build a critical mass of them) but not too exciting. Has little value in the late game.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ghazban Ogre
Description - It's hard to ensure you can manage the drawback, but with strong aggro support in green this might find a place.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Gladecover Scout
Description - Requires the support of the Voltron deck (equips and auras), but can be solid as a first turn play in that deck to follow up. Without that, he is a vanilla 1/1 most of the time and not worth a place in your cube.
Anchors - Voltron
Supports-
Granger Guildmage
Description - Off-colour activation is not great, but a pinger often has impact on the board.
Anchors -
Supports -
Groundskeeper
Description - Gets a mention for being the only repeatable effect like this. Has specific synergies with Constant Mists, Genjus, looters, retrace cards, and Forbid. While those synergies exist, adding 1G to those effects will create a slow engine. Perhaps the biggest knock is that there is no redundancy, meaning your inclusion should support other themes, not push its own archetype.
Anchors -
Supports -
Nettle Sentinel
Description - Can work in heavy-green aggro deck, as a turn 1 play should be able to attack without much of a drawback.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Pouncing Jaguar
Description - Needs the support of other aggro cards, but is unexciting.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Quirion Ranger
Description - Has utility, but most cubes don't have a lot of creatures that tap for effect that you would want to use this for. Can still set up blocks after you've attacked, get out from some opponents tap effects. It can also re-use mana accelerators, replay Forets for landfall triggers, and if you don't have a land drop for the turn, pseudo-acceleration. While those synergies exist, they aren't high impact most of the time.
Anchors -
Supports -
Rogue Elephant
Description - Only fits into aggro, and the loss of a land is a decent hit to your development. Played alongside something else around turn 3 is probably the sweet spot to maintain early pressure.
Anchors -
Supports -
Scattershot Archer
Description - It's application is pretty limited, but may differ depending in your cube. Most likely targets are spirit and bird tokens, with a few other x/1's in blue. You might be able to use this in conjunction with a blocker to take something out, but generally this is pretty narrow. Has downside of hitting your creatures too should you have any.
Anchors -
Supports -
Scythe Tiger
Description - Similar to Rogue Elephant, this can suit an aggro deck. It loses out on a point of toughness, allowing 2/x's to trade with it, but the shroud can prevent you from getting effectively 2 for 1'd.
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Sedge Scorpion
Description - Can be used to trade up, with more application in a control deck than aggro. Wasteland Viper is strictly better, but this might see play in larger cubes or if you have a penchant for deathtouch.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Servant of the Scale
Description - If you are going to play a 1/1, being able to transfer a single +1/+1 counter upon death is ok, but not exciting. It's value goes up if you support a +1/+1 theme where there is sufficient opportunity for it to get more counters. Has synergy with Cenn's Tactician.
Anchors -
Supports - +1/+1 counters
Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
Description - It's not a 1 drop you want to play on turn 1, but can support a Sligh style deck full of 1 and 2 drops.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Skyshroud Archer
Description - Scattershot Archer is probably better, because it gives you extra toughness and hits everything at once. Minor upside is that this sometimes you might be able to make larger creatures small enough to survive a block. But it has limited targets and only useful in very specific board states.
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Spore Frog
Description - It's a fog effect, which is something. Given that you have to have it on the board, it doesn't provide the surprise of most Fog effects. Being a creature opens it up to potential recursion, but it's a bit of work.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sunblade Elf
Description - Decent card for Selesnya, if not terribly exciting. Secondary ability does have some synergy with token strategies, which often happen to be in those colours. However you need to be looking for a 1 mana 2/2 for those colours or have the pump ability be very relevant to consider it over other options.
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Taunting Elf
Description - Narrow applications. Can be used as a 'finisher', but beware removal. You can swing in with everything, this dies to removal and then your opponent can eat your attackers. Most decks will want better forms of evasion than this.
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Supports -
Thornscape Apprentice
Description - The tap down effect is good, but forcing it into two colours makes it less likely to find its way into both decks and cubes. The first strike is not particularly appealing; it's upside to what is essentially a Selesnya card.
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Tinder Wall - 1
Description - This can be used to stall early in a game if required, with some minor upside of being able to kill something it blocks. The bigger upside is usually to accelerate into something else. Can be used as a Gruul monster ramp card, but it's perfectly fine in a non-red ramp deck. It can also be used aggressively, either as turn 1 play into 2 red 1-drops, or into a turn 2 Lava Hounds/Blastoderm etc. Like Dark Ritual, it might not be worth the card disadvantage, but it does have more flexibility than pure acceleration.
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Supports -
Tukatongue Thallid
Description - Not a particularly thrilling card, but if you are trading with 2/1's you end up on top. Best for control decks that just want to buy time with chumpers, but there are going to be better options to fill that role most of the time. Minor support for token themes.
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Supports -
Veteran Explorer
Description - It can be good where the symmetry works more in your favour, which is mostly against aggro decks, so you can ramp into bigger spells. It might make it a sideboard card some of the time, but can at least absorb an attack while accelerating you.
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Supports -
Wild Dogs
Description - Can still switch sides once it is on the board, but downside mostly mitigated by being able to cycle.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Ana Disciple - Doesn't do enough.
Behemoth's Herald - Doesn't do anything in Peasant.
Birchlore Rangers - Difficult to make use of in cube.
Bond Beetle - Not efficient use of a card.
Brown Ouphe - Too narrow.
Caustic Caterpillar - Not good enough.
Centaur's Herald - You paint yourself into a corner to maximise this card. Essentially becomes 4 mana to cancel a ground attack and put a 3/3 into play, but you have to have the mana available at the right time.
Charging Badger / Defiant Elf - Requires too much support to make the trample matter.
Child of Thorns - Too many other better combat tricks.
Copperhorn Scout - Not enough tap abilities that would matter, and the pseudo-vigilance is unlikely to matter much and is very fragile.
Deepwood Wolverine - It might force through for 1 for a number of turns, but that isn't great, and the opponent can trade whenever they feel like it.
Diligent Farmhand - Just play Sakura-Tribe Elder. This technically has upside because it can be played a turn earlier to attack or block, but it's not likely to matter.
Diregraf Escort - Only if your green section is getting pummelled by black decks. Which probably means change something else.
Druid Lyrist / Elvish Lyrist - Green has more flexible removal options.
Elvish Berserker - Most of the time your opponent just won't block it and it won't matter much.
Elvish Eurologist - Gonna go with not amazing even if you are Elf Tribal.
Elvish Handservant - Too hard to support.
Elvish Lookout - Maybe with hexproof, but not shroud.
[card]Elvish Scout[/card[ - Too dependant on board state most of the time.
Elvish Scrapper - Green has more flexible removal options.
Elvish Skysweeper - Probably just to use that mana to put a creature with reach into play.
Ezuri's Archers - Only effective at 1 thing, and is still going to die to most flyers anyway.
Folk of An-Havva - A 1-drop that can take out x/3's doesn't sound too bad. But it's a 1 trick pony that only serves that specific purpose, and is terrible otherwise.
Ghazban Ogress - Doesn't generate desired gameplay (you would just sideboard it out).
Greenseeker - Not fast enough compared to other acceleration.
Hana Kami - Hana Kami's value is directly proportional to what other arcane spells you include and how many; generally this will be not enough to care about. Death Denied is a nice engine card. Kodama's Reach is a staple, though not exciting to get back. After that, most arcane cards are worse versions than anything else available, and is not enough to support this card.
Harvest Mage - Down a mana and a card for your mana fixing. Nope.
Heritage Druid - Even in an Elf token deck, you just want better mana fixers.
Joven's Ferrets - They will just let it through.
Jukai Messenger - Too conditional.
Kin-Tree Warden - Meh.
Krosan Wayfarer - Not worth the card disadvantage.
LLanowar Augur - Only during your upkeep kills it.
Llanowar Elite - Both modes are bad.
Llanowar Mentor - Doesn't do enough as a token generator or an accelerator.
Marsh Boa - Too conditional.
Martyr of Spores - Sure, it's on a creature, but you'd rather have an actual pump spell that is reliable and doesn't force you to reveal your hand to the opponent.
Mold Adder - Too conditional.
Mossdog - If they are going to target it, they are most likely killing it anyway.
Mtenda Lion - If each player only plays 2 colours, you have a 40% chance they are playing blue. Could be a good sideboard card if you are playing green aggro. Which means it doesn't belong in your cube.
Naf's Asp - Doesn't do enough.
Nimble Mongoose - Most of the time this is going to be a 1/1. Shroud doesn't make it good. The times when it will be a 3/3 for g are unlikely to outweigh the times when it will be bad.
Norwood Ranger - Bad.
Nurturer Initiate - Doesn't do enough.
Orcohi Leafcaller - If you want fixing, you generally don't want it on something this fragile.
Patron of the Wild - 6 mana investment is too much.
Promised Kannushi - Only with a strong Spirit theme which is not really viable.
Renowned Weaver - It does replace itself, but you have to have the mana handy when you are ready to chump with it. Then you get another chumper.
Rime Dryad - Too narrow to care.
S.N.O.T. - No application in cube unless you want to create a rule that when you draft 1, you get all 4. Which might be fun.
Sacred Prey - Just no.
Sakura-Tribe Scout - It does have some unique applications, but most of it's roles are just better filled with other accelerators.
Savaean Elves - Waaaaaaaaaay too narrow.
Scavenger Folk - Better removal options.
[card]Scryb Sprites[/card[ - In fairness, if you want a 1 drop evasive creature in green, this might be your option. You just don't want it.
Shanodin Drayds - Too narrow.
Simic Initiate - Costing g plus a card to put a +1/+1 counter on another creature is bad.
Skyshroud Elite - This is not going to be consistent most of the time unless you have more than average nonbasics, and your drafters aggressively draft them.
Skyshroud Ranger - Sakura-Tribe Scount strictly better (no sorcery speed).
Skyshroud Ridgeback - Most likely it will be blocked or trade with something, or be unplayable in the mid to late game.
Spike Drone - 3 mana and a card to put a +1/+1 on something else, and this card is likely to have much utility before then.
Spike Tracer - Not a significant enough form of evasion.
Stampede Driver - Too weak and slow to have impact.
Starved Rusalka - Not a big enough effect to warrant inclusion.
Sunblade Elf - Not good enough as a Selesnya card.
Tarpan - No.
Thallid - Too slow as a token generator
Trained Jackal - Not exciting.
Traproot Kami - It could be annoying late game, but early game it is going to have a hard time defending against most stuff. Maybe if mono-coloured decks are a thing in your cube.
Tree Monkey - Scryb Sprites are better.
Treefolk Harbinger - Not enough good targets.
Treetop Scout - Meh.
Uktabi Drake - Not good enough.
Utopia Mycon - Too slow.
Village Elder - Too intensive.
Viridian Acolyte - The fact that it doesn't accelerate hurts too much.
Virulent Sliver - Even if you support sliver tribal, you don't want them to be normal creatures sometimes, and all poisonous other times. Either a dead card in your hand, or you get your opponent to 9 poison counters, dies to removal, and then you have to deal 20.
Wall of Vines - Bad.
Wall of Wood - Bad.
Weatherseed Elf - Too narrow.
Whippoorwill - Too narrow.
Willow Dryad - Bad.
Wirewood Symbiote - Only in ELf tribal.
Woodland Druid - Worse than Wasteland Viper.
Zodiac Rabbit - Bad.
Rancor
Description - Excellent value as a power booster, trampler, and gets around the usual aura drawback (unless creature is removed while it is on the stack of course). Every speed of deck is happy to play this. Fringe applications if you can benefit from sacrificing or recasting it.
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Supports -
Utopia Sprawl
Description - Solid acceleration and fixing in a single card for 1 mana, with minor drawback that it has to enchant a Forest and not just any land, and you need to generate 2 mana. Good synergy with Arbor Elf.
Anchors -
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Berserk
Description - Solid in most aggro/midrange decks that are the beatdown to break through and deal that final blow. Can also do work in green ramp, particularly with non-trample guys getting chumped by tokens. It's very situational, but the extra damage you take might be worth using this as removal sometimes.
Anchors -
Supports -
Mutagenic Growth
Description - Having the opportunity to pay 0 mana makes this a card to respect. Allows winning a combat out of nowhere, or sealing the deal on a game when an opponent would otherwise be able to alpha strike back. The surprise factor is usually worth giving up that extra point of damage compared to Giant Growth.
Anchors -
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Commune With Nature
Description - Played early it can set up your curve, and as a top deck you can go digging for the best creature for the current board state. Occasionally you will whiff, and worth noting there are similar cards that dump the remaining cards in your graveyard if you are pursuing graveyard matters strategies.
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Supports -
Gather Courage
Description - ok as a pump for free. Upside that a creature with summoning sickness can block, and then benefit from this before combat damage is dealt. Mutagenic Growth not strictly better, but probably better in most situations as a free pump spell.
Anchors -
Supports -
Genju of the Cedars
Description - Solid card, giving you the opportunity to attack with a 4/4 as early as turn 3, while also being very resilient. Playable in a wide variety of decks, though perhaps most at home in green aggro/midrange decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Giant Growth
Description - The old standby. ok, but not spectacular. Ideally you want to maintain card parity while impacting the board (changing a trade into a kill), or put the opponents life total within reach.
Anchors -
Supports -
Groundswell
Description - In decks that like to be the beatdown, this is likely to be better than Giant Growth more often than not, and you'll usually know when the +2/+2 will be sufficient for the situation anyway. Still playable in a deck that intends to go long, but a little less good on the defense.
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Supports -
Hunger of the Howlpack
Description - Without morbid, it isn't very good. But giving something +3/+3 permanently is good upside. Still situational due to the morbid trigger, sometimes preventing the opportunity to boost mid-combat, but can be cast after a trade or block. Sometimes your opponent will answer it before you get any benefit, but if they can't you have a creature that should hit pretty hard.
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Supports -
Hurricane
Description - The biggest effect that matters here is the damage to each player, giving green some reach. Flyers is greens weakness, but not hitting ground creatures makes it less desirable.
Anchors -
Supports -
Prey Upon
Description - It's always situational. You need a creature that should preferably win the fight. You might win the fight, but the damage dealt to your creature might now make it unwise to attack into whatever is left remaining. It’s sorcery speed, which means no mid-combat tricks. On the plus side, if you have creatures of a decent size (which green has) for a single mana you can take out large creatures on the opposing side of the board.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vines of Vastwood
Description - Solid effect with 2 modes. Hold it as a counterspell to removal or other targeted ability for a single mana. Or as a good combat trick for 2 mana. Hopefully both! Does require the right situation to maximise value, but those situations come along frequently enough.
Anchors -
Supports -
Wild Growth
Description - Utopia Sprawl is going to be better most of the time because it also fixes mana, but worth noting it isn't strictly better than Wild Growth. If you only have one Forest, you can play Wild Growth onto another land and get the benefit straight away.
Anchors -
Supports - Ramp
Worldly Tutor
Description - Provides card disadvantage, but can find you the answer you need. You may want to consider this higher if you have some creature-based combos built into your cube.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Abundant Growth
Description - It doesn't accelerate, but draws a card. Not a terrible card if you want fixing as opposed to acceleration, though I suspect most cubes prefer to get both out of a single card.
Anchors -
Supports -
Aerial Volley - 1
Description - It's conditional removal, but can be decent in certain environments / matchups, though it will be a dead card against certain decks. Most cubers won't want a 'sideboard card', but getting a 2 for 1 or being able deal with multiple spirit / bird tokens will be good against those decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ancient Stirrings
Description - Finds lands and the occasional artifact / Eldrazi. Caravan Vigil is going to be the better card in vast majority of cubes because it gets you exactly which (basic) land you need. You probably want to upgrade to Mulch, but this does help find early lands at the cheapest cost. Has more value in a cube that has strong artifacts or artifact creatures.
Aspect of Hydra
Description - You need to build around it to some degree (by drafting more green), but can be good bang for buck. More effective in green ramp decks that tend to use more creatures that have double green in their cost.
Anchors -
Supports - Green Ramp
Caravan Vigil
Description - Grabs you whatever land you need for only a single mana. You probably want to upgrade to Mulch, but this does help find early lands at the cheapest cost. Morbid is going to hard to trigger in early turns, especially as this is a sorcery, which limits the effectiveness. Later in the game the morbid is easier to trigger, but even if you don't you can probably just play the land from your hand anyway. May get a bit more value if you support Eldrazi spawn-making creatures.
Anchors -
Supports -
Corrosive Gale
Description - It's targets are limited so it is pretty situational, but can be used in a pinch if you need to off some fliers. In certain circumstances, against Skies decks for example, can be a blowout, or undo a Lingering Souls.
Anchors -
Supports -
Elephant Grass
Description - A poor man's Propaganda… or maybe a fairer one. It's not a lockdown because it will eventually go away, but might be worth it in the midgame to either hold off or minimise your opponents attack for a few turns, or hold off their board development while they attack. Extra hosing on black might turn some cube designers away.
Anchors -
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Keen Sense
Description - Works well on pingers or evasive creatures. Suffers from aura 2 for 1 problem; has strong upside but harder to trigger with base green, as green has less evasion than most other colours.
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Supports -
Nature's Claim
Description - Cheap, instant, and uncondtional removal and hits both artifacts and enchantments. All adds up to good stuff, but unless you really want this effect to be at the 1 mana spot, Naturalize is probably going to be worth paying the extra 1 for to not give your opponent the 4 life.
Anchors -
Supports -
Noxious Revival
Description - Trades selective card quality for card disadvantage, and possibly for no mana. Worldly Tutor etc have the advantage of searching your entire library, where this requires a card to already be in your graveyard which is more limiting. Can be more useful in a graveyard matters theme that puts more cards in your graveyard, though by paying a little more mana you can maintain card parity (Regrowth) or obtain advantage (Eternal Witness).
Anchors -
Supports -
Primal Bellow
Description - Probably only better than most growth effects if you are playing mono-green or green based ramp; as it narrows down the number of decks it can be played in, majority of cubes will want something more flexible or that they can splash for. If you support mono-green in other ways then you might consider it.
Anchors - Mono-green
Supports -
Ranger's Guile
Description - The stat bonus is secondary to having hexproof, which can be used at instant speed to counter removal or other undesirable effects. While not strictly better, Vines of Vastwood is likely to be the more desirable card most of the time. This is a reasonable second if you want this effect.
Anchors -
Supports -
Rofellos's Gift
Description - Very narrow application, but could be useful in the decks that wants it. Enchantment Matters or Aura-based Voltron might want this if those decks skew towards green. Absolutely need the right support to consider it though.
Anchors -
Supports - Enchantment Matters, Voltron
Sandstorm
Description - Green doesn't get a lot of ways to damage creatures. It's more effective against tokens or 'go wide' strategies, so its use will depend on your cube construction. You probably want to avoid having it being a complete blowout against other decks you might support.
Anchors -
Supports -
Serene Sunset
Description - If you have an empty board, it's an expensive Fog. If you have some creatures, it has the potential to be strong, either aggressively or defensively. Turning two trades into two kills, or triple blocking Pelakka Wurm without losing a dude is good times. So situational based on board state, but potential for upside.
Anchors -
Supports -
Spider Umbra
Description - The pump and reach is not significant, but with protection of the totem armor can provide enough to be up for consideration.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sylvan Tutor
Description - Strictly worse than Worldly Tutor, but could be a redundant piece if you are pushing creature-based combos, or want decks to be able to find their answers.
Anchors -
Supports -
Thrill of the Hunt
Description - It could be +2/+4 for GW which is borderline. Probably better if you can eke out advantage from a single cast, and then threaten the second, or cast on two different creatures in the same combat, but only 1 power makes it more situational to get that advantage, and is unlikely to make it as a Selesnya card unless you really want to push combat tricks in those colors.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vitalize
Description - This is pretty situational, but could cause a blowout in the right circumstances. With a few mana dorks, can be a weird way of accelerating. It's floor (which is probably most situations) is probably going to be a surprise block, with some potential upsides.
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Supports -
Warrior's Lesson
Description - Draw 2 cards for G at instant speed is awesome. But it is pretty conditional and won't be reliable. Most likely to get you your cards if you are playing tokens and going around your opponent, or heavy evasive decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Windstorm
Description - Narrow targets, but instant speed and can shore up a weakness in green. Situational, but can be effective.
Anchors -
Supports -
Winter Blast
Description - It can serve as a finisher by tapping down potential blockers and letting you swing in. Works in any green deck, but probably best in a ramp deck to ensure fatties don't just get chumped by tokens, or aggro/tempo decks before your opponent can recover. You wouldn't play it only for its ability to kill small flyers, but it can be used that way in a pinch.
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Supports -
Wreath of Geists
Description - Comes with the standard weakness of all auras, but can turn into a big threat if left unanswered. It can be ok in a midrange deck that is happy to trade guys in early turns, but the main reason to consider including this in your cube is if you are pushing a graveyard matters theme that dumps creatures from your library into your graveyard.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Animate Land - It can set up a surprise blocker, or a hasty attacker, but is situational and doesn't have enough impact on most games.
Autumn's Veil - Far too narrow.
Avoid Fate - Not goo enough; Vines of Vastwood strictly better.
Battlegrowth - Burst of Strength strictly better.
Bequeathal - Unplayable Skullclamp.
Blossoming Wreath - Better options like Gnaw to the Bone.
Briar Shield - The +1/+1 on its own isn't good enough. And the trouble with the +3/+3 option is that you have already committed it to the creature, so there is no surprise value.
Burst of Strength - Of itself, it can be not only a surprise blocker, but leave behind something stronger. To make it worth it, it really needs to be able get value out of the untap, which is going to be very situational, and the upside is not that high.
Camouflage - Too much text to read, confusing and no skill.
Canopy Claws - Bad.
Carapace - Bad.
Carpet of Flowers - Too narrow.
Chatter of the Squirrel - 3 mana to put 2 1/1 tokens onto the battlefield is not a good deal.
Choking Vines - Too narrow.
Cocoon - Bad.
Corrosive Gale - While it is ok against decks with lots of flyers, not going to be worth it in general.
Corrosive Gale - While it's ok against decks with lots of flyers, not going to be worth it in general. If you support a Skies deck, you might include this as a sweeper, but you likely don't want something that is a blowout against another deck you are supporting.
Crop Rotation - Not enough good nonbasics to make this worthwhile, given that it doesn't accelerate you.
Crossbow Ambush - Too narrow to be consistent enough.
Crumble - Green has better options for artifact removal.
Divergent Growth - This is not worth spending a card on.
Dryad's Favor - Too narrow.
Dwell On The Past - This effect is likely to only matter if you have a graveyard matters theme that likes dumping cards from your library into your graveyard. In which case, you want a version that has flashback.
Earthlore - Only works on defense, which limits its usefulness.
Elven Fortress - Not good enough.
Elven Palisade - Too many restrictions to be any good (single land type, only works if you are being attacked).
Elvish Fury - If you wait to buy it back, it is probably too late.
Emerald Charm - None of the modes do enough.
Explosive Growth - Become Immense going to be better most of the time.
False Mourning - Card disadvantage not worth it. One more mana for Regrowth.
Fog - It's the classic Fog effect, but not very good as is; other options like Constant Mists or Momentary Peace are worth paying a higher mana cost.
Font of Fertility - Not good enough.
Forced Adaptation - Takes too long to matter.
Forgotten Lore - Will nearly always cost more than Regrowth etc. to get what you want.
Frog Tongue - Even as a cantrip, this is not worth the card.
Fruition - Not good enough.
Gaea's Might / Might of Alara - Not likely to be better than Giant Growth majority of the time, with more chance for downside. You would have to be actively pushing domain to depower your cube for this effect.
Gift of the Woods - Not sure why you would play this over another blocker. Surviving some combats is not going to change much and the life gain won't matter.
Glyph of Reincarnation - Bad.
Healing Leaves - Bad.
Hidden Guerrillas - Only in a heavy artifact theme.
Hidden Spider - Turn 1 play would be a beating against a skies deck. But it might not even trigger against some decks.
Hornet Sting - Yay, green direct damage! But no.
Hunger of the Howlpack - No going to be consistent enough.
Hunt Down - Just use fight effects instead.
Hunt the Hunter - Too narrow targets.
Instil Energy - Doesn't do enough.
Irresistible Prey - Not having the option of choosing which creature is going to block limits its applications.
Joint Assault - Not going to get the extra benefit most of the time.
Kodama's Might - Splicing too narrow.
Lay of the Land - Better ways to find or fix mana.
Leaf Arrow - Narrow removal.
Lush Growth - Abundant Growth fixes all colours and draws a card.
Magnify - Doesn't do enough.
Mending Touch - Not going to matter enough.
Metamorphosis - Too much setup and not worth the effort. Just ramp!
Might of Old Krosa - You don't want to play this main phase, you want to play it mid-combat.
Mirran Mettle - Not going to be better than Giant Growth except for an artifact heavy cube.
Mobilize - Sorcery speed kills it. There aren't many creatures with amazing tap effects that you would want to use on your turn. There might be a few cards that convoke or otherwise ask you to tap your creatures for effects, but by and large they aren't going to be numerous enough in a single cube to make this worth it.
Molder - Having to pay X makes this too costly.
Mortal Wound - Bad removal.
Multani's Harmony - This requires 2 cards just to make one fixer. Paradise Mantle is better if you need the effect.
Multani's Presence - Way too narrow.
Mutant's Prey - Instant is nice; having your creature choice options extremely limited is not.
Nature's Chosen - Not enough creatures that tap for great effect, and not an effective tool to use to untap an attacker and be able to block. Too easy to get 2 for 1'd. And white restriction.
Nature's Panoply - Flexibility doesn't make up for too high a cost. Compare Incremental Growth.
One With Nature - You could put this on an evasive creature, and start thinning out your deck. It's not a reliable card if ramping/fixing is your aim, and other combat trigger auras like Keen Sense are likely going to provide you better advantage.
Oxidize - For when you absolutely must kill that artifact. There are unlikely to be many artifacts that naturally regnerate in most cubes, making more flexible options (Naturalize or Reclamation Sage) more desirable.
Piper's Melody / Renewing Touch - Self-mill decks might like this effect to prevent running out of cards, but in those decks you generally want this type of effect to have flashback. In a vacuum, the improved likelihood of drawing creatures isn't going to make up for playing this card for a number of turns and isn't worth the effect.
Predatory Hunger - Bad.
Primal Cocoon - Terrible.
Primal Frenzy - Rancor exists.
Reclaim - Noxious Revival strictly better.
Run Wild - Neither effect is exciting enough to matter.
Rust - Too narrow.
Salvage - Sorcery speed Noxious Revival? No.
Scent of Ivy - In practice, the pump is likely to be worse than other pump effects, with the downside of revealing your hand. Pumps of 4 or more are going to be rare if you are playing properly.
Seal of Strength - By being an enchantment, you miss out on the surprise factor that is often a critical timing factor for pump spells. In an enchantment matters theme, this is not good enough to waste time on recursion.
Seedling Charm - Too situational.
Shape the Sands - No increase to power makes this very unexciting.
Serene Remembrance - Decks that want this effect are usually graveyard matters themes, and want flashback versions.
Shrink - Doesn't do enough.
Silk Net / Snare the Skies - Doesn't do enough.
Simplify - If you were to draft this, it would mean not playing your own enchantments, or being extra careful about how you play them. And when your opponent has more than 1, they choose what they want to sacrifice. The more flexible options are much better than this at getting rid of enchantments.
Slime Molding - Not going to provide you an efficient enough creature at nearly all points of the curve. Maybe if you REALLY want green/x spells matters to be a thing.
Spider Climb - Doesn't do enough.
Spreading Algae - Too narrow.
Sprout - 1/1 with flash is not enough for 1 mana.
Storm Front - Too narrow a way to deal with fliers.
Stream of Life - This type of life gain is not good.
Street Savvy - Bad.
Subdue - Each side of this card seems at odds with when you would want the other half to matter.
Sylvan Echoes - Clash is not a mechanic to make into a thing in cube.
Sylvan Paradise - Has no place in cube.
Thrive - Not going to be good enough in majority of situations.
Tropical Storm - Unless the blue part matters to you, Windstorm is better.
Turn to Dust - Too narrow.
Undergrowth - Strictly better than Fog, but the 'kicker' effect is not easily taken advantage of.
Unnatural Predation - Doesn't do enough.
Untamed Might - While scalable, it is worse than many other cards at fixed mana costs. The potential ceiling is rarely going to be above something like Become Immense.
Urban Burgeoning - Not being true acceleration (having an extra mana on your turn) is going to kill this for most decks/cube designers. Might be worth pointing out that it has some extra benefit for some nonbasics, mainly bouncelands.
Vigorous Charge - As a one-off effect, it doesn’t do enough to warrant costing a card.
Vineweft - Too weak. Expensive recursion and weak effect not good enough for an enchantment matters recursion subetheme.
Viridian Harvest - Too narrow.
Vitality Charm - None of the modes are exciting, and the flexibility doesn't offer enough
Viridescent Wisps - It's a cantrip that could help you win a combat, but so rarely that you would never include it.
War Dance - Too slow to matter.
Web - Doesn't do enough.
Whip Silk - Of itself it is bad. It is one of the cheapest bounce effects to trigger stuff like heroic, prowess, or other cards that trigger off enchantments or non-creature spells being cast. But even if you are really pushing those themes it is still hardly worth playing.
Wing Puncture - Instant is good, but you want versatility in your fight effects.
Wirewood Pride - Only in a full-on tribal cube.
Withstand Death - Meh. Can save a dude, but often going to be 1 for 1 at best (surviving a trade or countering a removal spell).
Jackal Pup
Description - This is one of few good 2/x's in red. The drawback usually ends up only being a few damage when it trades with something. It doesn't fit every deck, but as long as you support some form of red aggro this is among the strongest of the 1-drops available.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Stonewright
Description – Solid 1-drop that can help push damage through. Does extra work with evasive and first strike creatures. It can help aggro guys trade up, or finishers quickly smash through. Already good, but essential if you support a double-strikers / pump archetype.
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Supports –Voltron / Double-strikers
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Frenzied Goblin
Description - Solid 1 drop, letting you turn off their most annoying blocker. Dies easy, but a couple of activations can buy you time.
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Monastery Swiftspear
Description – Vies for best red 1-drop that doesn’t have base 2 power and solid all round. Stats with haste is reasonable for one mana, with the option of boosting. Playable in almost any deck, but shines in red aggro (with burn support), Gruul aggro (with combat trick support) or spells matters (for obvious reasons).
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Supports – Spells Matters
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Foundry Street Denizen
Description - ok in early turns in aggro decks. Gets better if you support red tokens; turn 1 Foundry Street Denizen, Turn 2 Dragon Fodder, Turn 3 Hordeling Outburst is good times against durdly opponents.
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Goblin Bushwhacker
Description - Essentially a 2-drop with an alternative 1 mana mode if you need a turn 1 vanilla 1/1 to maximise your sequence of plays. Kicked, at worst it is a 2/1 hasty guy, but is usually going to be pumping a few dudes. Can also be held back in decks that like to guy wide and punch through or around defenses with tokens.
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Goblin Glory Chaser
Description - Dropping this on turn 1 is great, with a decent opportunity to get in on turn 2, earn renowned, and have an evasive 2/2 for just 1 mana. But after the first few turns, it may just become a vanilla 1/1 that will get eaten by anything on the opposing side of the board. It also gets worse if you are on the draw. Red has ways to clear a path (can't block effects, burn), and this gets better the more you have in your cube, but this isn't likely to be consistent and is often going to be a bad top deck.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Kird Ape
Description - Everyone counts this as a Gruul card. If in the opening hand, more often than not can be attacking turn 2 as a 2/3, which is amazing value. Playable anywhere, but helps support to red/green aggro.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Lightning Berserker
Description - Sometimes it will just be a 1/1 that meets a 1/1 token or utility creature, other times it might only trade slightly above its weight. Other times the threat of activation against an opponent with a low life total can help trade it up. The dash can sometimes just flatout win games when an opponent is tapped out, but that is going to happen a lot less than you'd like. You have to have the mana open, but it can also serve as a deterrent to trade up on defense as well.
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Supports
Reckless Waif
Description – Attacking with this for 3 damage on turn 2 is a beautiful thing. It's an inconsistent beauty though. So it has very strong upside, but you never know when it will transform. In the aggro decks that most want it, turns 3+ might be best served with 2 low cost spells, undermining this card.
Anchors – Aggro
Supports –
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Akroan Crusader
Description - It's no Young Pyromancer, but it can serve a similar role. It's going to trigger a lot less, and is only worth considering if you include some self-bouncing auras or push a lot of combat tricks like Brute Force.
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Forge Devil
Description - ok for clearing out utility creatures, and can also be held back to cast after combat if you need to deal an extra 1 to something. Burn does that better, and the body isn't anything, but at least it's something. Noteworthy that the ability is mandatory, so not really playable if the opponent has an empty board.
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Goblin Arsonist
Description - Serviceable but not exciting. Can trade and then deal 1, unlike the sacrifice guys like Mogg Fanatic.
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Goblin Cohort / Mogg Conscript
Description - This needs enough support to make work, in the form of other efficient aggro beaters so that you can keep attacking. But if it is attacking every turn, then it is efficient.
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Goblin Fireslinger
Description - The value in most pingers is being able to hit creatures and control the board, which this doesn't do. However it does have value if you support bloodthirst or other cards that care about your opponent being damaged. Outside of that it isn't stellar, but does give red decks some reach in the late game.
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Goblin Patrol
Description - You end up paying rr for a vanilla 2/1 which is far from amazing. On the plus side, you can be swinging with it turn 2. You only want this if you are heavily pushing aggro in red; being able to divide its cost can help you sequence your plays to maximise the use of your mana every turn.
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Gorilla Shaman
Description - The repeatable artifact destruction deserves a mention, but the ability does become very expensive. If your cheapest artifacts in your cube are Grafted Wargear and Loxodon Warhammer, this is not your guy. If you want players to feel good about playing him, you should only consider including him if you have sufficient targets at 0-2 mana.
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Intimidator Initiate
Description - The ability is nice to get your creatures through. It's drawback is that in the early game, you probably want to curve out, and don't want to leave mana up for this ability. It also means playing your spells pre-combat, which is not ideal.
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Jackal Familiar
Description - You need plenty of other aggro oriented 1 and 2 drops to offset the risk. But if you do, you get a 2 power creature for R. Preferably comes down turn 2 or 3 after one or more creatures are on the board; as a turn 1 play, he isn't likely to be attacking turn 2. Opponents with sufficient removal will make you very sad.
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Mogg Fanatic
Description - Serviceable. Can threaten activation during combat to mess up other blocks, threaten small utility creatures, and can always chump and then ping something if needed.
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Orcish Lumberjack
Description – It's a card with a history, but a bit harder to make work in peasant cube. You don't have sufficient redundancy to rely on it to 'combo out' a big fatty on turn 3. General ramp just seems a lot more reliable.
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Satyr Hoplite
Description – You only want to consider this if you had self-bouncing auras for some ‘combo’, or have a removal-lite cube with lots of auras.
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Scorched Rusalka
Description – Lets you ping if your creatures are about to die anyway. Won't be a common occurrence, but additional bonus of countering cards like Lighting Helix by removing their target. The ability to use it repeat times in a turn is what elevates it to a potential finisher if the board state is right. If your opponents life total is less than or equal to the number of creatures you control, you win (mana permitting).
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Skittering Lizard
Description - It isn't particularly efficient at any point of the curve, but it does have versatility going for it.
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Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Akki Avalanchers - Could be used as an aggro 1 drop, but you aren't going to want to apply the pressure early. Ability can help it trade up, but it isn't terribly effective.
Ali Baba - Bad.
Armorer Guildmage - Doesn't do enough.
Bellows Lizard - Has upside, but the base is too low to care about and the cost to activate is too much.
Bloodcrazed Goblin - You need too many other things to go right or use your burn at non-optimum times.
Bllodfire Dwarf - Not good enough.
Boggart Forager - Too narrow.
Branded Brawlers - Too conditional.
Cinder Wall - Nah.
Crazed Goblin - It's not even vanilla badness. It's a 1/1 for R with a drawback.
Dragon's Herald - Not for peasant cube.
Duct Crawler - Not good enough.
Dwarven Grunt - Not appealing.
Dwarven Scorcher - Opponents choice makes this bad.
Dwarven Trader - Vanilla badness.
Enslaved Dwarf - Too narrow.
Fire Bowman - a poor Mogg Fanatic.
Firefright Mage - Too slow and not worth the card disadvantage.
Flailing Soldier - Too easy for opponent to overcome.
Flamekin Bladewhirl - Only in heavy tribal.
Flamekin Brawler - Stonewright is better.
Flamekin Harbinger - Only in heavy tribal.
Frostling - Worse than Mogg Fanatic.
Furnace Scamp - I suppose you could trot this out turn 1 in a burn style deck. But it is going to be too inconsistent and die to most things it comes up against.
Glitterfang - Not enough good stuff to combo with to make it worth running. Onslaught is about the best.
Goblin Artisans - Bad.
Goblin Balloon Brigade - Not good enough.
Goblin Bookie - Nope.
Goblin Cadets - You will rarely have enough burn or removal to make sure this guy can get through.
Goblin Chirurgeon - Only in heavy tribal.
Goblin Digging Team - Bad.
Goblin Firestarter - Worse than Mogg Fanatic.
Goblin Gaveleer - Not going to be good enough.
Goblin Grappler - Provoke isn't useless, but there are better cards if you want to 'turn off' blockers or trade with x/1's.
Goblin Lackey - Only in heavy tribal.
Goblin Mountaineer - Not good enough.
Goblin Sledder - Only in heavy tribal.
Goblin Soothsayer - Only in heavy tribal.
Goblin Spy - Maybe there are some quirky combos, but mostly this just gives your opponent information.
Goblin Swine-Rider - It doesn't work in aggro because it gives your opponent an opportunity to kill your attacking force… I don't see when you would want this effect.
Goblin Taskmaster - Only in heavy tribal.
Goblin Vandal - Too conditional for artifact removal.
Goblins of the Flarg - Bad.
Godo's Irregulars - Will mostly feel like an unblockable guy, but single power is not a good clock and they can block it when it suits them
Gorilla Shaman - Repetable but expensive. Single use options better unless you are a heavy artifact cube.
Hurr Jackal - Ability too narrow to worry about.
Karplusan Wolverine - Will mostly feel like an unblockable guy, but single power is not a good clock and they can block it when it suits them
Keeper of Kookus - Bad.
Kill-Suit Cultist - Not good enough.
Kolaghan Stormsinger - Neither mode is good enough.
Krark-Clan Shaman - Bad.
Kris Mage - Not worth the card disadvantage.
Laccolith Whelp - The effect on combat math is mostly minor and your opponent can play around if they need to.
Liberated Dwarf - Too narrow.
Martyr of Ashes - Can be used to clear the ground, but giving your opponent information about your hand allows them to plan their recovery, and is near useless in top deck mode. It might have moments of greatness, but is not going to be consistent.
Mogg Raider – Only in heavy tribal.
Mon’s Goblin Raiders – Bad.
Mon’s Goblin Waiters – Bad.
Mountain Bandit – Monastery Swiftspear laughs at you.
Mountain Goat / Zodiac Goat - Bad.
Mudbutton Clanger – Only in heavy tribal.
Nyxborn Rollicker – Both modes are bad.
Orcish Captain – Not going to be worth it.
Orcish Conscripts – Goblin Cohort strictly better.
Orcish Spy - Doesn’t do anything.
Priest of Iroas – You may as well just play a better version in white.
Primordial Ooze – Major mana investment when you should just be playing other creatures.
Raging Goblin – Monastery Swiftspear strictly better.
Raka Disciple - Doesn't do enough.
Rift Elemental – Too narrow.
Roc Hatchling - It's like a bad suspend card with no hard cast mode. With no reliable way to get the counters off quickly, this is unplayable.
Sacred Puma – Too narrow.
Skirk Prospector – Only in heavy tribal.
Skitter of Lizards - Even with haste, it isn't efficient at any mana cost.
Soldier of Fortune - Generally the effect does nothing, outside of some very specific combos.
Somberwalde Vigilante – Essentially a vanilla 1/1 that your opponent can choose to block when it suits them.
Spark Elemental - It's a Lava Spike the opponent can block.
Spark Mage - As a 1/1, anything can trade with it. There are very few board situations where the ability will actually matter.
Striking Sliver – Only in heavy tribal.
Thunderscape Apprentice – Not good enough.
Torpid Moloch - Terribad.
Toxic Iguanar - If you are in Gruul, just include one of greens actual deathtouch cards instead.
Warbreak Trumpeter - After you've already paid 3 to put it into play, it costs 7 to put 3 tokens into play… Too slow.
War-Torch Goblin - Almost any burn is better in majority of situations.
Lightning Bolt
Description – The gold standard for 1 mana burn. The most damage you will get for 1 mana that hits players or creatures at instant speed without any drawbacks. Usually worth splashing for if you have any kind of mana fixing.
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Supports –
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Chain Lightning
Description – As a sorcery, it isn't going to be better than Lightning Bolt a lot of the time, but can be another analogue, as 3 damage for 1 mana is always going to be good. Fringe use of being able to target your Spitemare, and then copy to deal another 3 to the opponents face if you just need to get 6 damage through.
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Faithless Looting
Description – Solid red looting card. It provides card disadvantage on the first casting, but will usually make up for it with card quality. Can help enable some graveyard strategies, and being able to cast a second time is gravy. Spells Matters decks also like this card triggering on each casting, as well as increasing likelihood of finding. Low curve aggro decks are also happy to throw away extra lands to keep the gas going.
Anchors –
Supports – Reanimator, graveyard matters, Spells Matters, Aggro
Firebolt
Description – Fair burn spell. You might consider this over Burst Lightning, depending on whether and how much you want to balance sorcery and instant speed burn. This also plays well into graveyard themes if you can dump it there to flash it back.
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Flame Slash
Description – Sorcery speed , but maximum damage for a single mana. It won’t deal with hasty creatures immediately, but the ability to take out a lot of larger threats before they get to attack while still having mana to develop your board is excellent.
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Skred
Description - If you allow snow lands for basics, then this is excellent burn. If not, then it doesn't go in your cube.
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Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Brute Force
Description – Playable combat trick. It’s not flashy, but in aggro trades can help trade up or win otherwise bad combats, or help key creatures survive for a single mana.
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Burst Lightning
Description – Most of the time this will just be a Shock, which is fine, with upside in the late game. 5 mana looks like a lot, but outside of and green and Eldrazi there aren't going to be many creatures that can survive a kicked Burst Lightning.
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Coordinated Assault
Description – The combo of surprise power boost and first strike is going to win you some combats that might have been going the other way. Being able to do it with two creatures is gravy. It requires the right board state, but it won't be too often that this won't be able to do something.
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Dynacharge
Description – The more likely mode for this spell is to boost an aggro team swinging for the final kill. Great anthem for token decks, or aggro decks full of cheap threats. Occasionally there will be board states where it won't matter, but there is also the single mana mode if you need to take out a larger threat during combat. While you'd rather use it in an aggro fashion, it can still help you boost your defending team if needed. No toughness means it doesn't help your team stay alive, but increases your chances of removing other threats.
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Fireball
Description – It hits both creatures and players, and can divide its damage between creatures and players if required, and it is scalable direct damage. This card offers great options to either help clear the board so you can swing in, or just going straight for the opponents face. Its effectiveness will scale depending on the speed of your cube, but in slower cubes most decks will be willing to splash this.
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Flame Jab
Description – 1 damage does not appear significant, but repeatable burn is very powerful. Once you've hit your required land drops, this can help maintain control of creatures on the board, and with cards in hand your opponent will need to play around it.
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Forked Bolt
Description – Sometimes you'll deal the final 2 needed to kill a large creature after combat. Sometimes you will take out a Guttersnipe before it gets online. Sometimes you will take out that Mardu Woe-Reaper and Dragon Hunter on turn 2. Sometimes you will deal that final 2 to the dome. Basically, this is a flexible spell that will always have some use; preferably as a 2 for 1, but it's never going to be a dead card. If you support fast aggro with lots of x/1’s, the value goes up.
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Genju of the Spires
Description – 6 power that is repeatable is something to be respected. Can simply be a 1-drop to activate once you've played out other threats in an aggro deck, and can be a surprise 6/1 hasty 4-drop. Even if it dies every turn, in a longer game, repeatedly swinging with 6 power is going to whittle away most defenses opponents can put up.
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Gut Shot
Description – 'Free' is always good. Can be good to support any storm cards in your cube. Control decks may be happy to take the 2 life to remove an aggressive creature while using mana to set up defenses. Also good in an aggro mirror to maintain board control.
Anchors –
Supports – Storm
Hammerhand
Description – This can be a roleplayer in an aggro deck; it can push through damage by preventing blocks, pumping power, and giving something haste. It does require the right board state and sequence of plays to maximise its effectiveness.
Anchors –
Supports – Aggro
Lava Dart
Description - What it lacks in raw power (compared to other burn spells that provide the same total damage) it makes up for in flexibility. Flame Jab may be better in a number of situations because it is more repeatable, but if necessary this can be cast twice in succession with only a single mana, which may be better if you support Storm cards. Outside of that archetype, it can still take out a couple of aggressive or utility creatures, or deal an extra point needed mid or post combat.
Anchors -
Supports - Storm
Magmatic Insight
Description - While any deck can play it, it is more suited to aggro decks, as they are most likely to have the land spare early in the game. Costing only a single mana can help sequence plays more effectively in those decks. It is reasonably effective, but it only does one thing. Because it only lets you discard land, it doesn't help other graveyard strategies like Faithless Looting, a card that is slightly less good in the pure aggro decks, but more versatile for other archetypes.
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Onslaught
Description – It is situational, but if played early you can turn off their most effective blocker in subsequent turns. Even if you are racing, you can prevent their summoning sick creatures from blocking. Worth noting this is not optional; if your opponent’s board is clear, you want to attack first, then target your tapped creature. This might be awkward for some creatures which are worth playing pre-combat, but if the opponent’s board is clear, you are probably winning anyway and can afford the awkwardness. Works well with flash creatures to tap down creatures on opponents turn. Good friends with Whitemane Lion.
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Reckless Charge
Description – Of the 1-mana spells that grant haste, this one has other upside to make it worth casting even if a creature didn't come into play this turn. Casting something and swinging in with an extra 3 power is nice; hopefully the haste means you have the best chance of actually connecting. So it is still situational. Flashback is nice, though the cost makes it harder to use on something you've just cast. But if all you need is to push through that final 3, the threat may keep your opponent from swinging in.
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Rock Slide
Description – An X-spell that has big blowout potential, balanced by a restriction on what you can target. Being able to divide the damage provides a lot of potential to either take out some attackers/blockers before combat damage, or spread it out enough to wipe out the opposition after your creatures apply combat damage.
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Titan's Strength
Description - ok combat pump with some card filtering. It isn't exciting and will mostly be a 1 for 1, turning a trade into a win, or a chump block into a trade, with the occasional opportunity for winning when you get double-blocked, or just deal the finishing 3. Gets the job done and can work in a range of decks.
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Weapon Surge
Description - Instant speed, first strike, and power boosting potentially for your entire team. You won't need to work too hard to make this reasonable, with some occasions where you might take down a number of opposing creatures. The fact that it is flexible and can be used on the attack or block makes it useful in a range of decks.
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1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Barrage of Expendables
Description – It's a poor imitation of Goblin Bombardment, but is still playable if you want redundancy of that effect. You just can't win out of nowhere with this.
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Collateral Damage
Description – Generally, burn is universally good; Collateral Damage is a more aggro-oriented piece of burn. Control decks are often not going to have creatures they are willing to throw away, whereas aggro decks are more likely to have 1-2 drops that have outgrown their usefulness, or are about to die in combat. You may want to include to give aggro burn that other decks are less likely to want.
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Supports – Aggro
Crimson Wisps
Description - In an aggro deck, it can help push through a few damage a turn earlier than expected, or once a control deck has taken control of the game, can drop their finisher and start swinging. There will be times you wish you had drawn something else, but as long as there is a creature on the board you can cycle it for 1 mana.
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Crowd's Favor
Description - Being potentially free makes this worth a mention. Dropping a red creature, attacking with something else and then taking advantage of the convoke to win combat is nice. Similarly blocking with a red creature, and then tapping it to pump itself and give itself first strike is a great tempo play.
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Death Spark
Description – It may take some diligence, but casting it in response to one of your creatures about to die isn't too difficult to keep pinging away. Can help fuel a spells matters deck.
Anchors –
Supports – Spells Matter
Disintegrate
Description – Direct damage X spells that hit both creatures and players are good value. Mid-game it can remove almost any creature from the board, and provides reach that can help a stalled deck win out of nowhere. It shuts down regeneration creatures and potential graveyard shenanigans. It’s effectiveness will scale depending on the speed of your cube, and is not likely to be effective in fast cubes. Fireball is likely to be better in most situations, unless there are significant regenerating creatures or graveyard shenanigans in the cube.
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Dragon Mantle
Description – If you want this effect, at least it nets you a card if it resolves. Stonewright is probably going to be better in majority of situations.
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Electrickery
Description – Overload is going to be the primary mode for this spell. Certain decks are particularly vulnerable; black and white aggro often have a number of x/1's, and token based decks are likely to suffer. Against other decks or higher toughness, it still provides extra damage mid or post combat to turn things around. It won't suit all situations and you might side it out against particular decks, but against most it isn't usually difficult to obtain a 1 for 1, with opportunities for upside.
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Furor of the Bitten
Description - The power and toughness boost is solid for a single mana, and the attack clause probably means nothing when you wanted to attack anyway. As with all auras, it opens you up to 2 for 1's; in a regular environment it probably isn't strong enough to overcome this downside. Best in environments that are removal-lite, or push prowess/heroic mechanics.
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Kaervek’s Torch
Description – An X-burn spell that targets creatures and players is rarely bad. The secondary effect on this is probably not going to matter in majority of games, so other options are probably better.
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Lava Burst
Description – Direct damage X spells that hit both creatures and players are good value. Mid-game it can remove almost any creature from the board, and provides reach that can help a stalled deck win out of nowhere. It’s effectiveness will scale depending on the speed of your cube, and is not likely to be effective in fast cubes. Fireball is likely to be better in most situations, unless there are significant damage redirection/prevention effects in your cube (Harm’s Way, Test of Faith, Lashknife Barrier). In which case, this mostly becomes an anti-white card.
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Magma Spray
Description – 2 damage that only hits creatures is not especially effective compared against other options. However, it’s value does go up in environments full of persist/undying creatures or graveyard retrieval. If you have few of these, there are better burn spells. (Maybe there is something almost always better for this effect I’m not considering?)
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Mark of Fury
Description – It can effectively give all of your creatures haste when in top deck mode, though something like Lightning Greaves is generally going to be better. It does open you up to 2 for 1's from removal or your creature dying in combat, so Racecourse Fury is more resilient if you want the effect in red. You might consider playing this if you have some constellation effects in your cube, or noncreature triggers like prowess or heroic.
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Mugging
Description – Neither effect is best in class, but it is flexible. Worth it? It is more aggro oriented, where it can be used to either clear a blocker completely, or turn a larger one off to get extra damage through.
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Supports – Aggro
Pillar of Flame
Description - 2 damage for 1 mana is reasonable in most environments, though there are better options. However, it’s value does go up in environments full of persist/undying creatures or graveyard retrieval. If you have few of these, there are better burn spells.
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Racecourse Fury
Description – Looks ok at first glance as it can give anything you cast haste, but it costs the use of a land. So its best use comes when you are in top deck mode, or you are happy to play creatures 1 below your curve… which negates the best impact of granting haste in the first place. Lightning Greaves is better in most situations, but this may be an option if you want the effect to be in red.
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Raze
Description – Probably only if you are pushing land destruction really hard; turn 3 3-mana LD spell, followed by a turn 4 3-mana LD spell + this equals bad times for your opponent. But could also make the cut in a low curve aggro deck on turn 3+ alongside another drop to keep your opponent off their higher cost spells or deny them a colour.
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Supports – Land Destruction
Rites of Initiation
Description – This has a high cost for its effect, but also comes with a potentially high ceiling. 1-drop into turn 2 Dragon's Fodder into Turn 3 Hordeling Outburst gives you 6 creatures, and end of that turn you may have already dealt 3+ damage; turn 4 give those 6 creatures +3/+0 for 24+ damage. This is an all or nothing card, so it depends how you want red to play and whether you want to reward your players for having the balls to cast this.
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Seal of Fire
Description - Downsides; while activation is instant speed, casting it is sorcery speed. If you play it without intention of using it straight away, opponent has option to play around/into it. Upsides; Can play on a turn when you have the mana spare and don't have to hold up mana. Can be supportive of an enchantment matters/retrieval theme, and on balance is probably the only reason you would ply this over other burn.
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Shard Volley
Description - As straight burn is universally good, all speed of decks vie for them. If you want your burn to support your aggro decks, Shard Volley is a good option as control decks are less likely to have the lands to sacrifice.
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Shattering Spree
Description - Shattering Spree trades instant speed (Smelt) for replication. The instant speed is going to better a lot of the time (to remove equipment mid-combat for example, especially if it was cast and equipped same turn), and probably outweighs the times that Shattering Spree will destroy multiple artifacts. It's value goes up the more artifacts in your cube.
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Wave of Indifference
Description - Can be used as a finisher, or let some combat trigger creatures through for a turn. Is still pretty conditional.
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Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Active Volcano – Too narrow targets.
Artifact Blast – Too narrow targets.
Assault Strobe - As a sorcery, it is too easy to trump. Opponent can see it coming, and they can block accordingly.
Balduvian Rage - It can be used as a finisher, a way to trade up, or just push some extra damage through and draw into something else. All of those are still very conditional though.
Banners Raised - Doesn't do enough.
Hearth Charm limits this effect to attacking, but has other options.
Blaze - There are strictly better spells than Blaze (Lava Burst, Kaervek's Torch, Fireball, Disintegrate) and inclusion of Blaze will be a power-based decision.
Blazing Salvo - Bad because opponent gets to choose.
Blinding Flare - Just upgrade to Order // Chaos.
Bloodshed Fever - Doesn't do enough.
Brightstone Ritual - Only in a full-on tribal cube.
Brutal Suppression - Nope.
Builder’s Bane – Too narrow.
Bull Rush – Brute Force laughs at you.
Burning Cloak - Bad. Both things are at odds with the other.
Burning Inquiry - Random effect makes this too difficult to use effectively.
Burrowing – Bad.
Burst of Speed - Uses are too limited to warrant exploring them in cube.
Chaos Charm - Too narrow.
Clear a Path - Too narrow.
Conflagrate - Too hard to make this work.
Crack the Earth - It's a tough sell, because you end up down two cards to their one. You might include it if you want to push low curve red aggro really hard, but it is also easily trumped by a few token generating spells.
Crackling Club - Doesn't do enough.
Crown of Flames - Dragon Mantle is the better aura for this type of effect (or Stonewright for a creature version).
Crush – Too narrow.
Desperate Gamble – Not worth the card disadvantage.
Detonate – paying X is too much.
Dizzying Gaze - Too narrow.
Dust Corona - Most decks are going to have creatures on the ground, so it's easy to get blocked and get 2 for 1'd.
Dwarven Catapult - Too conditional on what your opponent controls.
Dwarven Song - Does not do anything.
Earthbind – Bad.
Electrostatic Bolt - The artifact clause isn't going to matter majority of the time.
Engulfing Flames - The extra damage on Firebolt is worth the sorcery speed.
Enrage - Balduvian Rage strictly better if you want this effect.
Epiphany Storm - Just get the right creature to start with that has this effect.
Eternal Warrior – Bad.
False Orders - A weird way of giving one of your creatures unblockability and forcing a block they may not have wanted, but too conditional and reliant on your opponent making choices you think they are going to make.
Feint – Bad.
Fever Charm – Doesn’t do enough.
Fiery Impulse - Worse than other burn spells; only if you are regulating the power of burn.
Firebreathing – Crown of Flames and Dragon Mantle are strictly better if you want this effect. Also, consider Stonewright.
Flamespeaker’s Will - Doesn't do enough.
Flaming Gambit - Being able to double cast an X spell is nice, and there will be times when your opponent has a clear board, but not consistently enough to warrant playing this. When they have multiple creatures on the board, value decreases dramatically.
Flowstone Blade – Bad as removal, and bad as a creature enhancer.
Furious Resistance - Restricting it to blocking closes up its uses a lot.
Galvanic Blast – Only in an artifact matters theme.
Geistflame - The extra damage on Firebolt is worth the sorcery speed.
Glyph of Destruction - Too narrow.
Goblin Grenade - Needs a full on tribal cube.
Goblin Tutor – Too variable.
Goblin War Strike - Needs a full on tribal cube.
Ground Rift - Too narrow.
Guide of Fire – Not good in any mode.
Hearth Charm - None of the modes does enough.
Heat Ray - One of a handful of instant speed direct damage x-spells. But it can't hit players, and lots of other burn is more efficient. You can always use Fissure if you want to be able to kill anything which has a flat.
Illuminate - Kicker costs are too much to make this be worth it.
Immolation - You probably want this to be a kill spell most of the time. In which case there are better options. Putting on majority of creatures you would draft just makes them easier to kill.
Imposing Visage - Better options for this effect.
Incendiary – Far too slow.
Incite – Doesn’t do enough.
Infernal Plunge – Almost never going to be worth the double card disadvantage.
Inflame – Too narrow.
Into the Fray – Doesn’t do enough.
Kindled Fury - Coordinated Assault strictly better.
Kuldotha Rebirth – A standard cube won’t have enough artifacts, and the ones you include, you don’t want to sacrifice.
Laccolith Rig - Not seeing situations where this is going to be particularly helpful.
Landslide - It's a card you would generally only want to play as a finisher, and cube is not the best environment for this card. Plenty of other burn spells are much more versatile and can fill different roles.
Last-Ditch Effort - Too 'all in', when you have access to Goblin Bombardment and Barrage of Expendables.
Lava Spike - 3 damage for a single mana is solid, but only being able to target players at sorcery speed is a big downside. The arcane doesn't do anything in cube.
Lightning Axe – If it could hit players, it might have been a finisher. But the additional costs are not worth it to hit only creatures.
Magnetic Theft – Way too narrow.
Meltdown - Not going to be better than spot removal in most cubes. There are some token generators that make artifact creatures, but if you are supporting those cards you probably don't want a single mana blowout answer in your cube either.
Messenger’s Speed - Doesn't do enough.
Meteor Shower - More efficient options at all costs.
Mob Mentality - Too situational or forces unfavorable attacks.
Needle Drop - Too situational.
Outmaneuver- Just make creatures not able to block instead; Order // Chaos, Awe for the Guilds.
Overload - There are better artifact removal options.
Panic - Doesn't do enough/
Pillar of Flame - Magma Spray strictly better.
Pyroblast - Too narrow.
Quest for Pure Flame - Too slow and conditional; you'd rather just have drawn another piece of burn.
Quest for the Goblin Lord - Needs a full-on goblin tribal theme.
Reckless Abandon - Not worth the sacrifice at sorcery speed.
Red Elemental Blast - Too narrow.
Reflexes – Doesn’t do enough.
Rending Volley - Narrow application renders it too unreliable.
Ricochet – Nope.
Rite of Flame – Not for cube.
Rouse the Mob - Costs too much compared to other options.
Scorching Spear - Bad.
Scorching Winds - Electrickery is less conditional and worth paying the extra mana for.
Searing Touch - neither mode is efficient.
Seething Anger - If it was instant, maybe.
Shadowstorm - Too narrow.
Shock - Shock is not bad in and of itself. But a number of other spells is strictly better. Given how universally good burn is, you might choose to include Shock if you are tempering the effectiveness of burn for the purpose of balance.
Shower of Sparks - Doesn't do enough.
Singe - Cool flavour, but not good enough.
Smelt - You may want more flexibility from your removal (i..e a body attached). Smash to Smithereens is likely worth the extra mana over this if you really a card dedicated to just artifact removal.
Sonic Seizure - Random discard is hard to swallow and make the card work.
Spark Jolt - Scry is good, but more damage is better.
Spark Spray - Doesn't do enough.
Spite of Mogis - Big potential downside with the upside tempered too much by not being able to hit players.
Strafe - In terms of power, 3 damage for 1 mana with a minor restriction (most opponents will at least have something to target) at sorcery speed is ok. But Sunlance is good for white; Strafe is not good for red.
Street Spasm - It has instant speed going for it, and the ability to blast all of your opponents ground creatures in overload mode. But if you are going to limit it to non-flyers and not be able to target your opponent, as well as expensive overload mode, you may as well look at other options.
Surge of Zeal - Can backfire or be useless.
Tahngarth's Glare - Not strong enough synergies with anything else to care.
Tahngarth's Rage - Better ways to get the power boost without the downside.
Tarfire - Only if you have a goblin tribal theme that can benefit from this.
Taste for Mayhem - Not worth the potential card disadvantage.
Timecrafting - Too narrow.
Tremor - Electrickery is going to be better most of the time.
Tunnel - Bad.
Unnatural Speed - Get Lightning Greaves or better options in red.
Unstable Footing - Not good enough.
Vandalblast - Overloading will be very rare.
Vertigo - Doesn't do enough.
Veteran's Voice - You are investing 2 cards for 1 effect.
Weight of Spires - Won't do anything some games.
Wild Slash - Maybe if you want a piece of burn that works best in a deck with big creatures. But the damage prevention clause will only turn off a few effects that people include in cube.
Winds of Change - This provides you card disadvantage for the effect. Has the potential to draw you a lot of cards at once for something like Lorescale Coatl, but there are not enough similar worthy effect to warrant inclusion in your cube.
Mother of Runes
Description - One of whites most annoying creatures to be on the opposite side of the table. In a defensive deck you can block almost anything (preferably killing it with a large enough blocker) which can stall the board, and in an aggressive deck it can help push through some final damage or let creatures that were blocked survive. It may draw removal immediately, but if it does you only paid 1 mana for it. If it doesn't get hit immediately, it becomes harder to remove. It's far from infallible, but often requires your opponent to make a sub-optimal play to get you to tap it so they can safely target it.
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Mardu Woe-Reaper
Description - This is perhaps the best aggressive 1-drop in white. 2 power for 1 mana, with upside of potential life gain. You may not want it in slower decks, but highly desirable for any white aggro deck. Being bale to negate some random graveyard strategies is a nice bonus. It's not likely to make you revalue other warriors in your pool, but if you trigger it more than once is another bonus.
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3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Dragon Hunter
Description - 2/1's for 1 mana with upside are hard to beat. Great for aggro, but can be played anywhere. The protection from Dragons is likely to rarely matter, and should make for a good story when it does happen.
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Supports - Aggro
Elite Vanguard / Savannah Lion
Description - 2/1 for 1 mana with no downside is good for aggro support, but can always be played in any deck. Elite Vanguard's creature types may sometimes matter. Mardu Woe-Reaper and Dragon Hunter are strictly better, but the base stats are good enough that you may want to go deep and include one or both of these.
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Supports - Aggro
Gideon's Lawkeeper / Goldmeadow Harrier
Description - Role players in many decks, allowing aggro decks to down down big threats in the mid-game to allow you to break through, or tap down offensive threats in a controlling deck while setting up your big players. Not uncommon for both to be played in a cube. Goldmeadow Harrier is usually the choice if using only 1 due to synergy with Cloudgoat Ranger.
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2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Boros Elite
Description - ok card for aggro decks, and can get some mileage in token deck. If you aren't pushing white aggro, you shouldn't play this.
Anchors - Aggro
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Cenn's Tactician
Description - As a baseline, can block and pump himself in response, or pump at end of turn, which can be good for a control deck biding its time. With a bit of soldier support (which isn't difficult in most cubes), can help mess with combat math, shifting it to more aggro support. The additional block probably isn't going to matter much, but is a nice bonus.
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Doomed Traveler
Description - A reasonable 1-drop. In an aggro deck, at least you get an evasive replacement once it is outclassed. In a control deck even if it is just chumping at least you get to do it twice. Good upside against aggressive decks full of x/1's, and potential for two activations for a single mana in a sacrifice deck.
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Loam Lion
Description - Generally considered a green/white card, this is solid if you are pushing aggro in both those colours, and efficient enough that you would play it in decks of nearly any speed.
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Perimeter Captain
Description - Strong early anti-aggro card. On its own it can block mid-sized creatures with relevant life gain upside, which can offset other unblocked attackers. Also out of Bolt range.
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Supports - Defender
Steppe Lynx
Description - Can be ok for aggro decks, played turn 1 and then swinging in with a 2/3 for the following number of turns. However it can be unreliable. Note : Some peasant cube owners support multiple copies of Terramorphic Expanse or rare saclands, which make this card better. Playable without them, but lacks consistency.
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1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Akrasan Squire
Description - Played turn 1, it can attack for 2 on turn 2 which is nice. But most decks drafted from cube don't facilitate a single attacker being effective, so it can awkward to get benefit from it after that.
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Alaborn Zealot
Description - It's situational, but it will usually either provide mana tempo by taking something out more costly, or hold off attacks while your opponent searches for an answer.
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Anointer of Champions / Infantry Veteran
Description - It can help with combat math after blockers are declared in an aggro deck, to help your creatures either survive, trade up, or maximise damage to the opponent. Conditional on board state, and bad if you are losing.
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Supports - Aggro
Aven Skirmisher / Lantern Kami / Suntail Hawk
Description - Not exciting, but serviceable. If you want one of these, Aven Skirmisher's tribe of Warrior is the most likely to matter. If you include hybrid cards in the comparison, Judge's Familiar is a strict upgrade.
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Benevolent Bodyguard
Description - Fragile as a creature, but can act as a way to counter removal against some of your bigger threats, or clear a way for final damage.
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Deftblade Elite
Description - It looks innocuous, but it can sit back and soak up damage. The provoke doesn’t do much most of the time, but when you are ready to swing in it can tie up an annoying defender from blocking something else. Mostly fits in defensive decks. If you can give it a power boost with equipment, it can turn into an odd form of spot removal, but is upside you should probably not be relying on.
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Dragon's Eye Sentry
Description - It serves a specific role, but its stats for cost with first strike are worth noting. It can take out aggressive x/1's and survive 2 power creatures. The faster your aggro section is, particularly those with 1 power, the better tool this will be to allow control decks to reach their end game.
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Supports - Control
Favored Hoplite
Description - You need to support specific types of decks to get the best value. Either an aura-based Voltron theme, or heavy pump theme is needed to get the best value. Outside of those archetypes, you want at least a few white spells you would be willing to throw at this guy to consider inclusion.
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Supports - Voltron / Pants (aura-based)
Glint Hawk
Description - This requires a very specific environment to work, ideally one with lots of artifacts, that are also cheap, that you would also benefit from playing twice. Generally, most cubes won't fit this criteria.
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Icatian Javelineers
Description - The ability to threaten use while others attack can mess with combat math. The one off reduces its threat level, and then becomes a vanilla 1/1. But it can also threaten players and provides reach; minor, but it is there.
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Kor Duelist
Description - If you are supporting a Voltron / pants archetype, this might just make the cut, on the assumption you have a high number of power-boosting equipment. Outside of that deck/environment, not worth it.
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Loyal Pegasus
Description - It's a terrible 1st turn play but with the support of enough other small creatures to mitigate the drawback, is an efficient beater. Gets worse in a heavy removal environment.
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Nomads en-Kor
Description - Only good enough if you support defensive decks with a lot of of high toughness creatures. Minor synergy with Spitemare.
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Soltari Foot Soldier
Description - It's not a great clock, but there are likely to be few other creatures in the cube that can block it. It can always carry equipment or auras, so can be good in a Voltron deck.
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Supports - Voltron
Soul Warden / Soul's Attendant
Description - Functionally identical apart from the 'may' ability which you will always trigger. This can be quite variable depending on both your and your opponents deck, and you really need it to be giving you upwards of half a dozen life to be worth the cost of the card. Played early in or against a token deck, it can buy you time and make it difficult for your opponent to swing in. As a top deck in a game where players have exhausted their hands, it is going to be bad.
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Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Akroan Jailer - Overcosted.
Angel's Herald - Not for peasant cube.
Apothecary Initiate - If you want this type of effect, Soul Warden is likely to give a similar return without any mana cost.
Ardent Recruit - Only in an artifact heavy cube.
Auriok Glaivemaster - Only in an equipment heavy cube.
Auriok Transfixer - Only in an artifact heavy cube.
Benalish Hero - Nah.
Benalish Missionary - You could view it as a costly Mother of Runes that only works on defence. Tappers are more efficient at turning off creatures.
Burrenton Forge-Tender - Too narrow.
Bushi Tenderfoot - Too narrow.
Camel - Not any good.
Caravan Escort - 5/5 first strike is good, but is too costly. Playing first turn and levelling on turn 2 means you paid 3 mana for a 2/2, and the tempo loss isn't worth that extra point of damage.
Caregiver - Cost is too high.
Cathedral Sanctifier - Not good enough; worth the upgrade to Lone Missionary for this sort of effect.
Charm Peddler - Not good enough.
Children of Korlis - Likely to have less effect than something like Holy Day.
Civic Guildmage - Timewalking yourself is not good.
Clergy of the Holy Nimbus - Could be annoying, but Glittering Lynx going to better most of the time.
Confessor - Not likely to matter most of the time.
Daru Mender - Too expensive for the effect.
Death Speakers - Minor evasion, but needs something else.
Dedicated Martyr - Cathedral Sanctifier does this when it comes into play, and will be better in almost all situations, but that's not good enough anyway. Upgrade to Lone Missionary.
Dega Disciple - Not good enough.
Devoted Hero - Strictly worse than Favored Hoplite.
Devoted Retainer - Mtenda Herder is going to be better most of the time.
Devout Harpist - Not effective enough.
Dromoka Dunecaster - Too narrow.
Eager Cadet - Just bad.
Empty-Shrine Kannushi - It's going to have pro-white and most often another colour, but it isn't really going to be that impactful.
Firehoof Cavalry - It's a vanilla 1/1 as a white card, and nowhere need good enough to be counted as Boros card.
Foothill Guide - Too narrow.
Frontline Strategist - Too narrow.
Gelid Shackles - Letting it attack is bad, and needing a mana every turn to prevent it from attacking (even if you allow all snow basics) is not great when compared to paying a couple of mana more for better effects.
Ghost-Lit Redeemer - Channeling is not good value. Repeat life gain is not useful until you have control of the board. A tapper like Goldmeadow Harrier is likely to prevent a lot more damage for the same costs than this would ever gain.
Glint Hawk - Too many hoops to jump through; maybe in an artifact heavy cube.
Glittering Lynx - Easy enough to deal with.
Goldenglow Moth - Prevent damage from 1 attacker and gain 4 life… actually doesn't seem terrible at face value. If it was an instant, it might be ok, but as a creature, no.
Goldenmeadow Dodger - Meh.
Goldmeadow Stalwart - Only if you support Kithkin tribal.
Gustcloak Runner - Not a threat. You get to save it, but then do what with it?
Haazda Exonerator - Better enchantment removal.
Hada Freeblade - Only if you support Ally tribal.
Honor Guard - The ability isn't going to help you win.
Honorable Scout - Too narrow.
Hopeful Eidolon - A 1/1 lifelinker is not really going to help. There are better and cheaper ways to grant lifelink to other creatures.
Icatian Infantry - Strictly worse than Mosquito Guard (unless want to support banding).
Icatian Moneychanger - Bad.
Icatian Priest - Too expensive to boost.
Icatian Scout - Not a good enough combat trick.
Kami of False Hope - Being on a stick means there is no surprise factor.
Kelsinko Ranger - Too narrow.
Kitesail Apprentice - Too conditional on getting equipment to be good.
Kitsune Diviner - Far too narrow.
Kjeldoran Javelineer - Too difficult to effectively take advantage of.
Kjeldoran Warrior - Meh.
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer - Better defensive creatures.
Leonin Elder - Only in heavyt artifact matters theme.
Lionheart Maverick - There are better mana sinks.
Mardu Hateblade - Just get a black deathtoucher instead.
Martyr of Sands - Too difficult to abuse or make use of in cube.
Martyred Rusalka - Too costly just to hold off an attacker for a turn.
Midnight Duelist - Stats are not good enough and vampires rarely matter.
Miracle Worker - Too narrow.
Mosquito Guard - While flexible, doesn't do enough.
Mtenda Herder - At best, your opponent will just let it through for 1 damage which is not a good clock, and still easily blocked by creatures with a few points of toughness.
Mystic Penitent - Not enough upside to offset the times when threshold won't be reached.
Netter en-dal - Not worth the discard.
Nova Cleric - Slow and spot removal like to be faster and sufficient.
Nyxborn Shieldmate - Not good enough in either mode and flexibility doesn't make up for it.
Order of the Stars - Better creatures for control decks.
Plated Sliver - Only in tribal.
Pride Guardian - The extra point of toughness on Perimeter Captain is likely to matter more often than the extra point of life gain, and Perimeter Captain shares the life gain love with friends.
Ramosian Sergeant - Not enough good rebels.
Resistance Fighter - Effect not strong enough for the cost of a card.
Royal Herbalist - Just bad.
Salvage Scout - Lots of better options for creatures that can get back artifacts with more relevant bodies.
Samite Censer-Bearer - I can see this being annoying sitting across the table, but doesn't seem worth the card.
Sanctuary Cat / Volunteer Militia - Nah.
Selfless Cathar - Better ways to pump your team.
Serra Zealot / Tundra Wolves / Warclamp Mastiff - Not good enough. Strictly worse than Mosquito Guard.
Shield Mate - Effect is not worth the card.
Sidewinder Sliver - Only in heavy tribal.
Songstitcher - The fact that it only deals with creatures attacking you makes it useless when you want to be on the attack. Probably better to invest in flying defensive creatures if that is what you are looking for.
Soulmender - Bad.
Spurnmage Advocate - It's a powerful repeatable effect, but giving your opponent card advantage is bad. There will be times when you will be happy to use it (destroy an Eldrazi to return Sakura-Tribe Elder and a Terramorphic Expanse) but will be outweighed many more times by poor trades that you won't want to initiate. You would be better off replacing this with just about any other white removal.
Sunscape Apprentice - Doesn't do enough.
Tireless Tribe - Effect is not worth the card disadvantage.
Trade Caravan - Maybe if it was on your turn and you could accelerate. But you can't. So no way to guarantee capitalising on this.
Tragic Poet - You can get the effect attached to more relevant bodies.
Trained Caracal - Strictly worse than Hopeful Eidolon (with exception of weakness to enchantment removal).
Valiant Guard - Poor.
Vigilant Martyr - Benevolent Bodyguard is better in a similar role.
Votary of the Conclave - Not good enough.
Wall of Hope - Perimeter Captain going to be better in most situations.
War Falcon - When compared to Loyal Pegasus, it can still block, but makes it less likely to be able to attack, which is what you want to be doing if you are paying discounted price.
Yoked Ox - Strictly worse than Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Path to Exile
Description - One of, if not the best 1 mana removal in white. Can target any creature at instant speed, and exiles them to prevent recursion potential all for a single mana. It can accelerate your opponent, but usually you will have gained a bunch of tempo already.
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Swords to Plowshares
Description - Vies for best 1 mana white removal spell with Path To Exile. Gets around any graveyard shenanigans, persist/undying, and has no conditions. The life gain might hurt aggro decks against big butt targets, but it's hard to go wrong for 1 mana.
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3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Harm's Way
Description - Nice way to swing things around for 1 mana. Turn a trade into killing two of their guys instead. Turn their mid-combat direct damage spell against another creature, creating a 2 for 1. It can even provide reach if that is what is you need. Very rare you can't do something with it, will almost always be at least a 1 for 1, with decent opportunities for 2 for 1's.
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Land Tax
Description - Excellent value in all white decks bar focused aggro decks. Barring specific synergies, the baseline lets you keep pace with your opponents land drops, and helps pull lands out of your deck, giving you more chance of drawing gas. Depending on how many lands you have in play and cost of your cards, it may be best to sit on 1 land less than your opponent and strip all the lands out of your deck, even if you have to discard them. Also great for turning them into other resources; using looters, supporting Forbid, Goblin Trenches, Constant Mists and various other cards. Picked early, its power will certainly shape your draft choices.
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Sunlance
Description - Despite the restriction there are still a lot of targets; Strafe is bad in red, but it is good enough in white to be played in most decks.
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2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Ajani's Presence
Description - As a base it helps save a creature from most forms of destruction, and may occasionally help get a kill with the pump. Targeting two creatures could help turn a combat around, but will be conditional on board state.
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Cloudshift
Description - Simple and elegant, can be used as a way to 'counter' a spell or effect targeting the creature, shift out after blocking so that it survives, or simply re-trigger an ETB effect… preferably more than 1 of those at a time.
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Condemn
Description - Less flexible than Swords to Plowshares for essentially the same effect. You would consider this over Swords to Plowshares if you care about the flavour of white (i.e. retribution against those who attack it) or want to max out exile effects at 1 mana. It can help if you want to ensure more options for a dedicated control deck.
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Emerge Unscathed
Description - It can counter a spell targeting your creature, remove an annoying aura, or help it get through in combat. The rebound can then be used to push through some more damage. This is slightly more aggro oriented than similar effect Shelter for that reason.
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Enlightened Tutor
Description - Provides card disadvantage, but may be worth it depending on the artifacts and enchantments in your cube. If you include powerhouses like Grafted Wargear, Loxodon Warhammer, Curse of Predation and Curse of Graves, this can be worth it. But can also just find answers (e.g. Oblivion Ring) or the other half of synergistic pieces.
Anchors -
Supports - Enchantment Matters, Artifact Matters
Faith's Shield
Description - Has upside over similar cards, as this can protect permanents, not just creatures. There aren't too many non-counterspell cards that can protect your Curse of Predation or Grafted Wargear. Strong upside when you are on deaths door, either making blocking a lot easier, or preventing some (or maybe all) of your opponents creatures from blocking. However, most things you protect will still be creatures, so you may want to consider the upsides of Shelter and Gods Willing first.
Anchors -
Supports -
Genju of the Fields
Description - Genu of the Fields is a great defensive player if you just need to survive the early game to set up your big plays. A 2/5 either eats early aggro creatures, or can stand in the way of midrange creatures, all while gaining life.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Glaring Aegis
Description - Most suited to aggro / tempo decks in the mid-game to both tap down their best blocker, while making one of your team more effective. Requires the type of deck that needs to push the advantage; if you aren't getting advantage out of the tap-down, then you shouldn't have it in your deck.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Gods Willing
Description - This is a serviceable protection spell to either counter a removal spell, protect something in combat, or be able to walk past blockers, plus some card filtering. That said, paying an extra 1 for Shelter is usually going to be worth the card draw over the scry.
Anchors -
Supports -
Hyena Umbra
Description - Can be used as insurance on your best creature with the totem effect, and the boost and first strike will make it harder to kill in combat anyway.
Anchors -
Supports -
Mana Tithe
Description - Provides disruption primarily in early turns. Can be unexpected as white is not usually the counterspell colour, and leaving 1 mana open is usually not too difficult. Can be a great tempo play in early turns, but loses value in the late game when the opponent has enough lands. This makes it better in aggro / tempo decks, but can still provide early support for control decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Oust
Description - Good tempo card, as the creature will almost always cost more than Oust. It doesn't get rid of it permanently, but it is still card parity and maybe a couple of turns without that threat is all you need. In a pinch, you can cast it on one of your creatures if you need a critical ETB effect, get around a pacifism effect, or in rare instances if the life gain is going to be relevant.
Anchors -
Supports -
Pollen Remedy
Description - Damage prevention often isn't amazing, but this is quite flexible due to the ability to divide the damage. It might sometimes do a Healing Salve impression, but where you've got a few creatures about to trade, you might only need to prevent a single point of damage, which can give this potential for a pseudo-3-for-1. In the late game, being able to prevent 6 damage for a single mana can help break complicated board states. Usable in most types of decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Swift Justice
Description - Can allow you to trade up in a fight, and give you a bit of a life buffer if you are either racing, or in defense mode to give you a little more time.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Bandage
Description - At worst it can cycle so long as there is a creature on the board. It's situational as it's not much damage prevention, but there will be times when a single point is all you need to turn a trade into a win or prevent lethal damage to a creature from burn.
Anchors -
Supports -
Brave the Elements
Description - Can work in buffing your team, especially in a colour that is often associated with tokens.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ethereal Armor
Description - It's generally only going to get played in an enchantment deck, but could still make the cut in a deck with enough solid enchantments. The built in synergy of boost plus first strike gives it the opportunity to still have some board impact even if it is the only enchantment you have.
Anchors - Enchantment Matters, Pants
Supports -
Flickering Ward
Description - Flickering Ward can help itself get around the 2 for 1 by giving the creature protection from the most likely colour of removal your opponent is playing, and with mana up can return itself. A creature with protection against half your opponents creatures is only reasonable, but has some fringe upside as well, by being able to remove pacifism effects from your team, and hilariously remove positive auras from your opponents team. Plays well with Pestilence/Pyrohemia.
Anchors -
Supports -
Marrow Shards
Description - Only affects attacking creatures, but can hurt some aggro decks, or help set up combat trades/wins. However it is conditional on board state. If your cube is designed with lots of aggro x/1 creatures or token decks it can have its moments, but you may also not want to include a card that hoses specific decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Niveous Wisps
Description - Given that it's a cantrip, this is an ok way to turn off a blocker or prevent an attack for a turn.
Anchors -
Supports -
Oppressive Rays
Description - The best of the 1 mana Pacifism effects, but strong creatures can always circumvent it with enough mana on the board. As such, you may consider this if you want more removal for your aggro decks that control decks don't want.
Anchors -
Supports -
Steelshaper's Gift
Description - If you have a few pieces of strong equipment in your cube, this can be worth inclusion. You'd need to consider how many pieces of equipment a drafter is likely to see, so it can be pretty conditional.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Anoint - Bad.
Archery Training - It has some strong upside… if your opponent can't deal with it or the creature, AND you have enough time for it to accumulate sufficient counters to matter. Which is too unlikely to happen.
Argivian Find - Often won't be anything to target.
Armor of Faith - Boost is not good enough.
Artifact Ward - Not going to be effective.
Awe Strike - Better similar effects.
Bandage - Bad.
Benedict of Moons - Only if you play with 4+ player multiplayer with your cube.
Black Scarab - Too unreliable.
Black Ward - Too unreliable.
Blaze of Glory - On your own creature, not sure why you wouldn't just want a Fog effect. On your opponents creature, not sure why you wouldn't just want removal.
Blessed Breath - Emerge Unscathed is strictly unless you are REALLY pushing arcane to be a thing.
Blessing of the Nephilim - Too few hybrids/gold in most cubes to matter.
Blue Scarab - Too unreliable.
Blue Ward - Too unreliable.
Brainwash - It's bad because your opponent can still block.
Burden of Guilt - You should feel guilty for having to pay mana for this each turn.
Burst of Energy - Too narrow.
Capashen Standard - Doesn't do enough.
Change of Heart - Too expensive to buy back.
Coalition Flag - You get 2 for 1'd in a way you kind of prefer.
Consecrate Land - Too narrow.
Coordinated Barrage - There might be some happy accidents, but not worth inclusion in a standard cube, and there is less conditional 1 mana removal.
Cowed by Wisdom - It might prevent some early attackers, but can end up doing nothing, and you'd rather just have actual removal.
Daily Regimen - Takes too long to do anything.
Death Ward - Just play Ajani's Presence.
Defensive Formation - Requires too many things to matter; play this which has no immediate impact on the board; you need to have multiple creatures on the board; your deck needs to be defensive in nature; you need to be able to at least double block each attacker to make the damage distribution have any chance of working in your favour.
Defiant Strike - Needs something else; might help you trade up on odd occasion, but won't help you win without something like first strike.
Demystify / Quiet Purity - Simple enchantment removal, but you probably want Erase instead to prevent recursion, or pay 1 extra mana for the flexibility of Disenchant.
Detainment Spell - There are a number of creatures this could work on… but generally you just want removal that does more, like prevent attacking or defending.
Dispatch - More than likely, even if you push an artifact matters theme, other 1 mana removal options (Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares) are going to be more reliable.
Divine Light - Allows you to swing in with impunity, but your opponent can still block of course, which limits it somewhat. Fringe benefit of protecting your creatures with Pestilience/Pyrohemia, or board sweepers. But I'm not seeing a deck you would want to draft with this in it.
Empty City Ruse / False Peace - I can see turns where you attack, and your opponent doesn't block because they see a chance to strike back the following turn. And then you cast this. But too many things have to go right for that to work.
Enshrouding Mist - Better options.
Ephara's Radiance - Requires two cards to make bad life gain.
Equinox - Too narrow.
Erase/card] - In most cases, Disenchant is more flexible, or you can get enchantment removal attached to a body.
Ethereal Haze / Holy Day - They are Fogs. Very situational and may keep you alive for an extra turn but don't affect the board.
Excise - Limited to attacking creatures, and smart opponents will leave their mana open before combat, further limiting its usefulness.
Fasting - Bad.
Festival - Maybe it is worth a mention as a soft lock on an Isochron Scepter, but is the same as Empty City Ruse.
Festival of Trokin / Peach Oath Garden - In the decks where this would gain you a lot of life, you should be playing something else to be able to swing in and win with your army.
Funeral Pyre - You don't want to give your opponent this stuff.
Fylgja - I have a soft spot for this card. But it is not good.
Gaze of Justice - This is only likely to be effective in white token decks, which makes it very limited in its application, and that deck wants the better removal anyway.
Gelid Shackles - Letting it attack is bad, and needing a mana every turn to prevent it from attacking (even if you allow all snow basics) is not great when compared to paying a mana or 2 more for better effects.
Get a Life - You know whether this card applies to you.
Gift of Granite - Bad.
Glimpse the Sun - There are better options.
Glyph of Life - Way too narrow.
Great Defender - Doesn't boost power. Any of the spells that grant protection is going to be better vast majority of the time.
Green Scarab - Too narrow.
Green Ward - Too narrow.
Guard Duty - Bad as they can still block.
Guardian Angel - Expensive damage prevention.
Guildscorn Ward - Nowhere near enough targets.
Guilty Conscience - Bad removal that the control can control.
Hail of Arrows - The window of opportunity and situations where this can be good is too narrow.
Harrow - Too narrow for cube.
Head to Head - Funny, but a bajillion better cards that have no conditions.
Heal - Get Bandage if you want this effect for the immediate card draw.
Healing Salve - Not good enough.
Heaven's Gate - Serves no purpose.
High Ground - Doesn't do enough.
Holy Armor - Doesn't do enough.
Holy Strength - Doesn't do enough to overcome inherent aura weakness.
Hope Charm - The first strike trick is probably the only one worth noting. Which means just get Ajani's Presence instead.
Hundred-Talon Strike - Ajani's Presence is going to have same effect most of the time with more upside.
Indestructible - Ajani's Presence is better.
Inheritance - Too conditional and slow.
Iron Will - Doesn't do enough.
Ivory Charm - None of the modes are good enough.
Kirtar's Desire - Not good removal.
Kithkin Armor - Not good enough.
Lance - Nope.
Lifelink - Not good enough.
Luminesce - Too narrow.
Mask of Law & Grace - Too narrow.
Mending Hands - Doesn't do enough.
Moment of Silence - It is a better version of Empty City Recluse, but the situations where it will be worth playing are still too narrow.
Mortal Obstinacy - Not particularly effective at anything.
Mortal's Ardor - Doesn't do enough.
Off Balance - Just play Niveous Wisps instead.
Opal Caryatid - Not reliable enough.
Orim's Touch - Don't touch it.
Pay No Heed - They aren't the same, but the upside of Harm's Way is likely to matter more often than maximum damage prevention.
Piety Charm - Effects don't do enough.
Primastic Wardrobe - Cube owners choice on this one.
Prophecy - Bad.
Pull from Eternity - Extremely narrow.
Purify the Grave - You really want this effect attached to a creature or have some other use.
Quest for the Holy Relic - Too slow and a horrible top deck.
Rain of Blades - Marrow Shards is strictly better and you don't want two of that effect.
Rally The Troops - Too conditional. If you want this effect, the cantrip on To Arms! is probably worth the extra 1 and more flexible.
Reaping the Rewards - Zuran Orb will be better a lot of the time. If you want life gain in white, there are better options.
Rebuff The Wicked - Faith's Shield is going to serve the same purpose with more upside.
Reciprocate - Need to wait for a bad thing to happen instead of just removing it.
Reconnaissance - This could work if you want to attack in force, and then save creatures from unfavourable blocks. But playing this is 1 less creature you are playing. Too conditional on board state to matter in most games.
Red Scarab - Too conditional.
Red Ward - Too conditional.
Reinforcements - Card disadvantage is not going to be worth the card quality and too difficult to set up any combos etc.
Remove Enchantments - Very narrow. And complicated.
Reward The Faithful - Not good enough.
Righteous Blow - Conditional Shock, which might be just ok for white, except there is lots of better removal. So you probably only want to include it if you are going deep, or want to regulate the power of your removal.
Righteousness - It can turn a losing block into a win, but relies on you wanting to block. There are other cards that can achieve a similar result without being so restrictive. In magical christmas land I'd love to block with my Spikehsot Goblin, cast this, and go 8 to the dome. But moments like those are rarely going to present themselves.
Ritual of Restoration - Argivian Find strictly better.
Sacred Rites - Card disadvantage for not much of anything.
Samite Blessing - The effect is not bad. But you are using two cards to get the effect you want, which is bad.
Save Life - On its own this card is bad. If you think you can trigger the Gotcha a few times, it might be worth it. Could be a card to put in the cube temporarily for a laugh.
Scapegoat - Requires too many things to go right; you want a creature that is already on its way to the graveyard or gives you a benefit, plus 1 or more creatures you want to save or ETB effects to re-use.
Scent of Jasmine - Not good enough.
Seize the Initiative - Ajani's Presence is going to have the same effect vast majority of the time and has other upside.
Serra's Hymn - Terrible.
Sex Appeal - Nah.
Shadow Lance - Not good enough.
Shield of Duty and Reason - Too narrow.
Shielded Passage - Ajani's Presence is all upside over this.
Shieldmate's Blessing - Bad.
Shields of Velis Vel - Doesn't do enough.
Smite - Very narrow removal.
Spirit Link - Not worth a card and setting you up for a 2 for 1.
Spiritual Visit - Bad.
Stand Firm - Doesn't do enough.
Stave Off - Emerge Unscathed, Faith's Shield and God's Willing all have upside compared to this.
Strip Bare - Too narrow.
Sunspring Expedition - 1 mana and a card for 8 life is not terrible, but it isn't an instant, and will be terrible unless played in opening turns.
Testament of Faith - Too much investment.
Unified Strike - Too tribal.
Valor Made Real - The cost of this card is unlikely to be repaid by its effect.
Veteran's Reflexes - Too situational.
Vigilance - Doesn't do enough.
Visions - Bad.
Wake the Reflections - Many cubes have token archetypes, but this is going too deep.
Warning - Too narrow.
White Scarab - Too conditional.
White Ward - Too conditional.
Wojek Siren - Depending on the board state, might only affect a portion of your team, and might even be a dead card if your opponent shares a colour with you.
Wordmail - Very environment dependant. It probably most wants to be played in an aggro deck to push the advantage, so check your average word count on your white aggro creatures. A glance at the 720 average peasant cube only shows a handful of white creatures that have 3 words in their name. +2/+2 is probably only ok if your cube is light on removal, but you want to be able to do better. Blade of the Sixth Pride can become a turn 3 powerhouse, but that synergy isn't worth playing it over strictly better cards like Accorder Paladin.
Worthy Cause - 3 mana for a life gain engine… It sounds ok, but you would only want to save mana for this if you had nothing else to do. Not something you would want to rely on when you draft.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
None.
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Memnite
Description - You might include this if you want your aggro decks to be able to unload their hands as quickly as possible, though it will be bad in those decks as a top deck, and unplayable in most other types of decks. Maybe if you support some artifact matters/affinity theme.
Anchors -
Supports - Artifact Matters, Aggro
0 - Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Phyrexian Walker - It can block early aggro creatures, but its not like the decks that want to be defensive don’t have better creatures they would be willing to pay a few mana for.
Shield Sphere - It might prevent a few attacks, but the tempo gain from costing 0 is quickly lost. Majority of decks would rather pay for a more permanent blocker.
Shifting Wall - Scalability is nice, but with defender is not good.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Everflowing Chalice
Description - While flexible, there are better options across the curve. Cast for 2, you'd rather have better 2cc mana rocks. And ramp decks just want better ramp spells. Still, its flexibility is worth noting, and it does give you back half your investment immediately. But whatever deck it goes in probably wishes for a better version more appropriate to what the deck is trying to achieve.
Anchors -
Supports - Ramp
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Lotus Petal
Description - Gives you a one-off boost, which might help some decks, but at peasant the card disadvantage is usually not worth it. You might include it if for maximum support of Storm decks.
Anchors -
Supports - Storm
Zuran Orb
Description - The 'free' life gain can help when you are on the ropes, potentially giving you time to cast your game winning spells and turn the game around. In some cases, it's just delaying the inevitable. Does have some good synergy with some specific cards which may elevate its worth in your cube; Land Tax, Vizkopa Mage, Ajani's Pridemate, Worm Harvest.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Bone Saw - Shuko costs the same to equip to the first creature, but is free after that.
Briber's Purse - Tumble Magnet or Icy Manipulator are better options.
Claws of Gix - Too much investment to make this worth it.
Dark Sphere - Bad.
Darksteel Relic - Absolutely zero use outside of a affinity/artifact matters theme.
Delif's Cone - Bad.
Fountain of Youth - Too much mana investment.
Herbal Poultice - Bad.
Jeweled Amulet - You can do this better with lands like Mirrodin's Core.
Kite Shield - Not good enough.
Mishra's Bauble - Outside of your opening hand, you end up behind.
Paradise Mantle - The fixing/semi-acceleration is not going to matter in most decks when it requires its creatures to tap. It's close to uselessness isn't likely to be overcome by card specific combos or synergies.
Spellbook - This effect is not going to matter in vast majority of games/decks.
Spidersilk Net - Not good enough.
Tormod's Crypt - Perhaps the best card if all you want to do is nullify graveyard strategies. But it might just wreck decks you've spent effort supporting. Better to find this effect attached to something else (a body or cantrip) if you want it.
Urza's Bauble - Outside of your opening hand, you end up behind.
Urza's Contact Lenses - The advantage you get (keeping the card you draw on your turn hidden until your opponents turn if you activate this) is too marginal to care about
Welding Jar - Too narrow.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Chronomaton
Description - Can be useful for control decks that lock down the board. Over time, it can turn into a threatening blocker, pumping itself either after blocking or end of opponents turn, and then attacking once it is formidable enough.
Anchors -
Supports -
Signal Pest
Description - Useful for supporting token or other go wide strategies. The evasion means it can be a decent target for equipment.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Bonded Construct
Description - Can fit into aggro decks of any colour. Slightly more fragile as it is vulnerable to artifact removal. Worth noting that it is missing the 'can't block alone' clause on similar creatures so it isn't completely useless alone. Best as a support card when you have sufficient 1-drops in your aggro decks that it can be drafted alongside.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Brass Gnat - Not good.
Brass Man - Not good enough.
Clockwork Beetle - Bad.
Heap Doll - Too narrow.
Jawbone Skulkin - Too narrow.
Keeper of the Lens - Rarely going to matter.
Metallic Sliver - Vanilla badness you wouldn't want even if you supported sliver tribal.
Myr Mindservant - Synergies too narrow to invest in.
Myr Moonvessel - Doesn't do enough.
Myr Servitor - No effect in singleton peasant cube.
Razorgrass Screen - Bad.
Roterothopter - Too costly.
Soldevi Sentry - Bad.
Steel Wall - Most colors will have better defensive creatures, and won't need this.
Straw Golem - A creature that will probably die before you get to do anything with it.
Vector Asp - Just get a deathtoucher in black.
Skullclamp
Description - The best piece of equipment at peasant, this will quickly take over games with massive card advantage. Even a single turn, where the opponent doesn't have instant speed artifact removal, can generate a big advantage. Some cube owners do not include this card for being overpowered. While aggro and token decks have the most to gain, every deck will want this, and if picked early, will shape that players draft as they look for small creatures to sacrifice to it or ways to dig for it. It can pump an attacker to force damage through, then placed on a weak blocker; it is always threatening to generate more card advantage.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sol Ring
Description - The best artifact available, it's acceleration is stupidly good. Often considered one of the best cards in fully powered cubes, let alone peasant. In the opening hand, it is insane in making all your future turns 2 turns ahead of the curve. That type of advantage usually wins games. Late game at it’s worst it nets you a mana the turn you play it, and is no worse than a land. Unless your deck is hungry for coloured mana, you can probably straight up replace a land for this, meaning it has no negative impact on your deck at any time. Due to the significant advantage it provides, many cube owners do not include it for power reasons.
Anchors -
Supports -
Bonesplitter
Description - Excellent piece of equipment for aggro decks. A 1-drop followed on turn 2 by a Bonesplitter and equip is an amazing start. If the creature dies, its cheap to throw it on other creatures. Best in aggro, but can show up in defensive decks if they have a high enough creature count. Great with first strikers or double strikers. The only decks that won't benefit are control decks with few finishers.
Anchors -
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
None.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Aether Vial
Description - This can be good for aggro and midrange decks, but requires skill in sequencing of plays. Once set up, being able to flash creatures in is powerful. Also has some synergy with Crystal Shard decks, allowing those decks to replay key creatures for free.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro, Bounce
Leonin Scimitar
Description - It's not flashy, but it is cheap enough to consider.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sai of the Shinobi
Description - Potentially never having to pay an equip cost makes this appealing. Can allow you to attack with an equipped creature, and then drop a creature on curve and have a bigger blocker.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sensei's Diving Top
Description - Playable, but the pieces are missing to make this truly powerful. It's value goes up the more shuffle effects in your cube, or the more effects you have that remove cards from the top of your library (dredge, scry).
Anchors -
Supports -
Sylvok Lifestaff
Description - The power pump is usually secondary to the life gain which can help in racing situations or buy time in sacrifice decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Trusty Machete
Description - Reasonable boost for reasonable cost. Feel like this needs more description but don't have much to say.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Adventuring Gear
Description - Can be ok in general land ramp decks, or if your cube has a lot of saclands (Terramorphic Expanse / Evolving Wilds or breaks Peasant for rare saclands). It can be inconsistent, and is not great when it top deck mode.
Anchors -
Supports -
Aether Spellbomb
Description - Could be an alternate for a bounce effect if you support an artifact matters theme. If you don't have that synergy, just get a better bounce spell.
Anchors -
Supports -
Black Vise
Description - There will be times you play this and it can just win the game for you against slow opponents. But if your opponent is on the play and has a fast deck, it might do almost nothing even if it is in your opening hand. The more cards your cube has that slows the game down by bouncing your opponents permanents, or maybe if you support land destruction, or is just slow in general, it gets a little better. But without this support, opponents will often get down to 4 cards quickly enough to negate its effects.
Anchors -
Supports -
Chromatic Sphere
Description - Chromatic Star is strictly better, but this still serves almost the exact same role, and may be worth inclusion if you want redundancy of the effect. Most decks will want more permanent color fixing though. Can help support storm cards if you include them.
Anchors -
Supports -
Chromatic Star
Description - Reasonable way for any deck to get some 1-off mana fixing, and at worst has a net cost of 1 to cycle into another card. Most decks will want more permanent colour fixing though. Can help support storm cards if you include them. Marginal benefit of still netting card drawn if sacrificed to something else.
Anchors -
Supports -
Codex Shredder
Description - Can support a control based mill deck if you want to push that, with minor upside. You can also target yourself if you support graveyard-based archetypes. A fringe use is to filter your draws if you have ways of looking at the top of your deck. Another fringe benefit is removing cards from the top of your opponents library if they scry or use tutors that go to top of library.
Anchors - Mill / Graveyard
Supports -
Elixir of Immortality
Description - Fills a specific niche if your cube supports graveyard / self-mill decs that will want to start over, or in control decks that can lock down the game and want to go long. The life gain can buy you some time. Shuffling business spells back in slightly improves your card quality. It gets better in decks that have a lot of card draw or filtering (Ponder and friends, Crystal Ball), allowing you to dig back to your more powerful spells quickly.
Anchors -
Supports -
Expedition Map
Description - It's value depends entirely on the nonbasic lands you have in your cube. If you just need fixing, you probably want Traveler's Amulet / Wanderer's Twig / Wayfarer's Bauble. If you are finding Maze of Ith or other utility lands, this may have a place.
Anchors -
Supports -
Flayer Husk
Description - It's not exciting, but is a vanilla 1/1 that leaves something behind when it dies. Can help give your aggro deck a bit of colourless support, but you will often be happier with a better creature or equipment.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ghoulcaller's Bell
Description - Can be used in a graveyard matters theme, but there will usually be better cards for that. Can be used alongside other mill cards. If you have ways of looking at the top of your opponents library, can prevent them from drawing gas, but is a narrow archetype.
Anchors -
Supports - Mill
Infiltration Lens
Description - It doesn't make anything unblockable, but it probably means your opponent won't block, pushing damage through. And if they are forced to block, you get to draw more gas. Allowing the opponent the choice is usually bad, but the the cast and equip cost are cheap enough. You need something decent size or with a combat damage trigger to put it on for the most impact.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ivory Tower
Description - This card is a trap in cube. You can drop it turn 1, and just hit land drops in an attempt to gain 3 life a turn. But most opposing decks will deal more than that after the first couple of turns, and as you play answers you just wasted this card. If it isn't in your opening hand, you are more likely to play threats and answers, and then draw into this and it will be a dead card. It is friends with Land Tax, but synergy with one card is not going to be worth it.
Anchors -
Supports -
Lantern of Insight
Description - In a vacuum this is bad, but gets a mention on the basis that it can be used with targeted mill cards such as Thoughtpicker Witch, Codex Shredder, Ghoulcaller Bell etc to support a deck that can prevent the opponent from drawing anything useful. But if you don't support that deck, it does nothing.
Anchors -
Supports -
O-Naginata
Description - The effect for the casting cost and equip cost is solid. Inclusion in your cube will depend on what type of decks will consistently be able to make use of this. It can give green ramp a way to break through tokens, and red and black aggro get some low cost creatures with 3 power.
Anchors -
Supports -
Pyrite Spellbomb
Description - When compared to other red direct damage, this is poor, but when direct damage is poor it can still be ok. The only reason you would include it over other options is if you had an artifact matters theme or recursion like Auriok Salvagers.
Anchors -
Supports -
Springleaf Drum
Description - Being able to tap a creature while it has summoning sickness makes this an accelerator as well as a fixer primarily useful for aggro decks that didn't want blockers anyway. While most 'inspired' creatures are not considered playable on their own, it provides synergy to those cards.
Anchors -
Supports -
Squee's Toy
Description - For a single mana you get a repeatable no-cost effect that can threaten to mess with combat math. The more combat-heavy your cube, the better it becomes.
Anchors -
Supports -
The Rack
Description - Getting below 3 cards is a common occurrence as players either play threats, or answers to threats. Holding onto cards usually means not keeping up on the board. However once The Rack hits the table, it’s not hard to hold onto a few lands. Black has a number of discard cards, including some repeat effects like Hypnotic Spectre, which The Rack can be paired with. Outside of that type of deck, The Rack might get in a few points of damage, but becomes easier to play around.
Anchors -
Supports - Discard subthemes
Traveler's Amulet / Wanderer's Twig
Description - Played turn 1, it can help you find your second color on turn 2 if required. Fights with Wayfarer's Bauble for mana fixing, which also accelerate. Expedition Map costs 1 more to activate but finds nonbasics if you have utility lands.
Anchors -
Supports -
Triangle of War
Description - 3 mana isn't the most efficient cost for this effect and your opponent can see it coming; you won't be springing any surprises mid-combat. However it is 'removal' that is available to every colour.
Anchors -
Supports -
Viridian Longbow - 1
Description - The equip cost is a little high, but with enough creatures on the board, can ping for 2 damage for 3 mana, or 3 damage with 6 mana on the board. It can be slow, but if you have enough time (either your cube is slower or you support decks that can slow the game down) it can start taking control of the board. Has synergies with deathtouchers or saboteur effects that don't care if it was combat damage.
Anchors -
Supports -
Voyager Staff
Description - ok blink effect if you want it in artifact form. Casting cost means it can be tutored if you have Trinket Mage or want an Auriok Salvagers package.
Anchors -
Supports - Blink
Wayfarer's Bauble
Description - Played on turn 1 allows you to accelerate and fix into 4 mana on turn 3. Most ramp decks are more likely to want greens better ramp spells, and control decks are more likely to prefer mana rocks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Ashnod's Transmogrant - Doesn't do enough.
Avacyn's Collar - Not good enough.
Avarice Totem - Not going to be good enough and no way to abuse.
Barbed Sextant - Chromatic Star strictly better.
Bladed Bracers - Not good enough.
Blazing Torch - Rarely going to matter.
Blinding Powder - Too costly and your opponents can see it coming.
Braidwood Sextant - Strictly better options in Expedition Map, Traveler's Amulet / Wanderer's Twig, and Wayfarer's Bauble.
Chimeric Coils - Too much investment for a 1 off.
Civic Saber - Bad.
Conjurer's Bauble - Applications are too limited.
Copper Carapace - If you are going to have to pay 4 before something happens, may as well have Vulshok Morningstar and have a cheaper equip cost.
Crystal Rod - Bad.
Darksteel Axe - Not worth paying for the indestructibility.
Darkwater Egg - Too narrow.
Dead-Iron Sledge - It might have some value in a defensive deck that can pump out tokens, but even then it seems pretty narrow.
Didgeridoo - Too narrow on tribal, and it's not even good for that tribe.
Explorer's Scope - Too slow.
Feldon's Cane - Paying extra mana for Elixir of Immortality is going to be worth it; it also shuffles itself for re-use.
Flamecast Wheel - Not even if you have Auriok Salvagers.
Glasses of Urza - Not worth the card investment.
Golden Urn - Too slow. Terrible top deck.
Golem-Skin Gauntlets - Rarely going to have multiple equipment.
Gorgon's Head - Not good enough.
Gremlin Mine - Too narrow.
Hankyu - Terrible.
Horizon Spellbomb - Traveler's Amulet / Wanderer's Twig are going to be better for most decks.
Hot Soup - Whispersilk Cloak is the better version.
Iron Star - Bad.
Ivory Cup - Bad.
Jeweled Bird - Ante.
Juju Bubble - Bad Juju.
Lens of Clarity - Doesn't do enough.
Leonin Bola - Because you can only equip sorcery speed, can't lock down opposing board on their turn. Makes this too limited to use.
Library of Leng - Doesn't do enough.
Lifespark Spellbomb - Doesn't do enough.
Locket of Yesterdays - Not useufl in singleton cube.
Magma Mine - Bad.
Mana Cylix - Prophetic Prism is worth the extra mana.
Mana Screw - Not worth the card investment.
Mossfire Egg - Too narrow.
Necrogen Spellbomb - Not good enough.
Neurok Hoversail - Cobbled Wings better equip cost.
Nihil Spellbomb - Doesn't do enough.
Origin Spellbomb - 3 mana cycle and get a 1/1 token is not good enough.
Panic Spellbomb - The red decks that would want this have the effect attached to creatures already.
Peregrine Mask - Not versatile enough.
Phyrexian Furnace - Doesn't do enough.
Prism Ring - If you have a life matters subtheme, incidental life gain is still better than this.
Profane Memento - Narrow applications as it has no effect on the board. Best place would be in a removal heavy control deck with mill cards But even there its performance is likely to be lacklustre.
Relic of Progenitus - It's not an effect that many cubes are likely to want, but if you do, this may be ok. Players choice for the first ability is bad if you need to get rid of something specific, but you can always activate the second ability and not be down a card.
Rod of Spanking - Only for funsies.
Runed Stalactite - If you include the odd lord or two, this does have some benefits over Leonin Scimitar, but rarely relevant enough to pay the higher equip cost.
Scrabbling Claws - Similar to Relic of Progenitus. Not good enough.
Scroll of Avacyn - You will rarely have an angel, and without it this is bad.
Scroll of Griselbrand - You will rarely have a demon, and without it this is bad.
Shriekhorn - An aggressive mill strategy isn't viable at singleton.
Shuko - Sai of the Shinobi is going to be better a lot of the time due to the toughness boost.
Shuriken - Bad.
Silver-Inlaid Dagger - Power boost not going to be consistently better than Bonesplitter often enough to warrant the extra equip cost.
Skyblinder Staff - Doesn't do enough.
Skycloud Egg - Too narrow.
Slagwurm Armor - Just toughness boost is not enough.
Soul Net - Having to pay mana makes this too inefficient.
Sunbeam Spellbomb - Doesn't do enough.
Sungrass Egg - Too narrow.
Surge Node - Too narrow.
Synod Sanctum - To be effective, it almost requires 2 mana to be available at all times to be able to sacrifice in response to artirfact removal. If that is possible, you can always tuck away 1 permanent a turn that would otherwise be destroyed, or be able to re-use some RTB effects. But it is too inefficient compared to blink/bounce strategies.
Tablet of Epityr - Rarely going to matter and too expensive to keep paying for.
Tanglebloom - Not good enough.
Tel-Jilad Stylus - This is only effective if you have consistent ways of getting back the thing you put on the bottom, or you can effectively get yourself down to 1 card. Neither of those things is going to happen in peasant cube.
Terrarion - Being able to fix multiple colours at once is nice, but not being able to use it the turn you draw it is a drawback you don't want.
Thran Foundry - Just get Elixir or Immortality.
Thran Turbine - The Sol Ring that couldn't. Not enough targets that can make use of it. Centaur Glade might be the best, but not enough depth to make it worth it.
Throne of Bone - Not good enough.
Urza's Chalice - Not going to matter a lot of the time, and you don't want to pay the cost.
Vial of Poison - Opponent can see it coming.
Voltaic Key - Not going to have good enough targets.
Witches' Eye - Ties up two cards and you still have to pay mana to scry 1. Scry is good, but not worth tying up 2 cards.
Wolfunter's Quiver - Sorry, the equip cost is what?
Wooden Sphere - Not good enough.
Rakdos Cackler
Description - The vanilla is bad, so you would only include if red and/or black aggro is something you push. But in those decks it is amazing, and having both power and toughness at 2 for a single mana with no meaningful long-term drawback is excellent. In a pinch, you DO have the option to play it as a vanilla if you just need a blocker.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Dryad Militant
Description - Even if you don't support green aggro, the flexible mana cost is appealing over other vanilla white 2/1's, but is probably the best green aggro 1-drop. However, the graveyard hate might be something you want to avoid if you are trying to push archetypes that care about it.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Judge's Familiar
Description - Doesn't really need anything in the way of support, and at worst is 1/1 evasive creature for 1 which is passable. Opponent can play around it as it is an on-board trick, but can slow down their sequence of plays.
Anchors -
Supports -
Tattermunge Maniac
Description - The drawback forces this to only fit in red or green aggro decks that want to rush out of the gates, but is a reasonable addition to those decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Blistercoil Weird
Description - Can work in a spells matters theme. The untap is not going to matter a lot in those decks, but can be used to present a surprise blocker. The Paradise Mantle 'combo' can exist in cube, allowing you to untap the Weird to generate mana to cast more spells, preferably cheap card draw so you can keep playing spells. Hard to pull off effectively in cube though.
Anchors -
Supports - Spells Matter
Slippery Bogle
Description - Pillar of the 'hexproof' deck, but needs the right environment to work. Needs friends with hexproof, and sufficient equipment and auras to be a force to reckoned with.
Anchors -
Supports - Voltron / Hexproof
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Duergar Assailant - Too narrow.
Elvish Hexhunter - Needing to tap this makes it too slow.
Manaforge Cinder - This type of fixing not worth worrying about.
Nip Gwyllion - Just meh.
Odious Trow - Not efficient enough.
Oona's Gatewarden - It will just trade with something. If you don't kill it, sure you made it smaller... but you didn't kill it.
Scuzzback Scrapper - Most of the time is likely to just trade with something anyway.
Seedcradle Witch - It's not effective until mid-game, but combat with the mana open can make combat difficult for the opponent. The untap is mostly a bonus, but can turn your tapped attackers into blockers if required. The cost required however makes this too difficult to use. Makes me wish Viridian Joiner was playable.
Slitherhead - Bad as a vanilla creature, and the scavenge is not significant enough.
Stream Hopper - Not good enough.
Wild Cantor - The sacrifice is not often going to be worth it for a 1-off effect, even if for a single turn of acceleration the following turn. Can support Storm cards, but that is a narrow application.
Zealous Guardian - Not good enough.
Barkshell Blessing - 1
Description - Not the best base stats for a pump, but being able to effectively cast it twice makes it worth a look. On defense, can block with two creatures, then tap them to give them each the bonus. Situational, and value goes up in cubes with less removal and more focus on combat.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayables
Bioshift - Even if you support a +1/+1 theme, this is too narrow.
Cloud of the Dominus - Too narrow.
Dawnglow Infusion - Not enough life gain for the cost.
Dream Salvage - Too narrow; needs too much support to make this viable.
Edge of the Divinity - Too narrow.
Fossil Find - Random is bad, and the reorder will almost never matter.
Guttural Response - Too narrow.
Memory Sluice - An aggro mill deck is not viable in singleton peasant cube.
Riot Spikes - Not good enough.
Safewright Quest - In cube, you want your green land searchers to be more flexible and find other types of lands.
Scar - Not good enough.
2cc creatures 4 posts down.
Judge Tower: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/80859
the more you research RND design and draft; the more clear all of this will be.
Keep It Simple Stupid.
Something like that would give the best of both worlds between the traditional primer style and your more archetype-focused goal.
I think this is the kind of project that everybody should participate in, and it'll take a while. Maybe do 10 cards every week that people can weigh in on and eventually it'll all get done (800 cards to evaluate, 80 weeks, a year and a half to complete... hmm..) It'd be a hell of a resource when it's done!
E: Perhaps each archetype can have a star rating on various axis (Power when pushed, how parasitic it is to support, etc). That'd probably be something to assign in the final stages of the project when the archetype sections are properly fleshed out.
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
Dauthi Horror
Description - Solid evasive creature for aggro decks, but can also be an evasive threat for control decks. It can even evade white shadow creatures you might have in your cube.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Blood Artist
Description - Creatures die all the time in Magic. Without any specific support, this can be good for that reason alone. With some support, it can grind out a lot of advantage over a game. Gets better with tokens, or with sacrifice outlets. A free sacrifice outlet (like Goblin Bombardment) plus Blood Artist provides reach equal to the amount of creatures you control, which can make your opponent very nervous, and allow you to win out of nowhere.
Anchors - Sacrifice decks
Supports -
Blood-Chin Rager
Description - On it's own, a 2/2 for 2 with evasion in black is decent. Most cubes have enough warriors in a few other colours that others will also benefit from this. Well suited for an aggro deck, but can see play as a cheap threat in a control deck.
Anchors -
Supports -
Fledgling Djinn
Description - 2 mana, 2 power creatures with built-in flying are not common for mono-black. The drawback is worth it for the cheap evasive power, primarily in aggro decks.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports - Skies
Nezumi Cutthroat
Description - Solid evasive creature that can work well as part of an aggro assault team, or even in a control deck to chip away at the opponents life total. Obviously worse against black decks, where you might side it out.
Anchors -
Supports -
Thrill-Kill Assassin
Description - Versatile card. 'Leashed' it can be used as a blocker to trade up. As an attacker well suited to an aggro deck, eating through any low power / high toughness defenders (Wall of Blossoms, Wall of Denial) the opponent would throw in its way, and still able to trade up once it becomes outclassed.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vampire Interloper
Description - 2 evasive power for 2 mana is usually solid enough for aggro decks, and the drawback doesn't matter if you are aggro. It's not out of the question for a defensive deck to sport this is as an evasive threat while other cards answer the opponents threats.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vile Bile
Description - If you are ok with Un-cards, this plays like a 2/3 for 2 mana with 'every two times this deal combat damage to a player, deal them an extra damage'. Which is a strict upgrade compared to similar cards like Erg Raiders or Shambling Ghoul... so long as you don't touch it of course.
Anchors -
Supports -
Wight of Precinct Six
Description - Can be a good finisher in a control deck that intends to go long, fighting attrition battles, or in decks with incidental milling. Can be randomly good against dredge / graveyard decks, and even decent in aggro decks after a few trades.
Anchors -
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Battle Brawler
Description - A 3/2 first striker for 2 mana is good value. Can be slightly unreliable and could get turned off mid-combat with removal, but decent enough upside if you lean more towards one of the support colours.
Anchors -
Supports -
Black Knight
Description - There are few black creatures with native first strike if that matters. The double black in the casting cost can be troublesome, giving you something that is somewhat efficient, but doesn't really stand out.
Anchors -
Supports -
Blind Creeper
Description - Downside can be played around, but sometimes you will be trumped in combat by an instant, or an opponent will play a creature post-combat. Aggro-oriented, so you will usually know what you are attacking into, and can factor it into what you want to cast post-combat.
Anchors -
Supports -
Cuombajj Witches
Description - Can be an ok creature for black control, with other creatures with higher than average toughness to give your opponent few chances to remove your creatures.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Dauthi Slayer
Description - The extra toughness over Dauthi Horror will matter occasionally (divisible burn, pingers) but the double black in the casting cost hurts more than that upside. The attack each turn clause means nothing because you were going to do that anyway. Black Knight is more flexible at the same cost, a bit less useful on the attack (lacking evasion) but can put up a defense. You would play this if you want to give aggro some tools that other decks don't want.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Erg Raiders
Description - Erg Raiders has decent stats for cost, and the drawback relates to something you want to be doing anyway; attacking. Only fits in aggro decks. Worth noting that it's drawback can be exploited by opponents with tap down effects, Pacifism etc. Shambling Ghoul and Thrill-Kill Assassin are similar cards that are playable in a wider variety of decks, but you might include Erg Raiders if you want to give aggro a card that no-one else is going to want and is more likely to wheel. Its minor, but Erg Raiders is the only one of those cards that can block before it starts swinging (if you want the aggro version of Thrill-Kill Assassin).
Anchors -
Hand of Cruelty
Description - Double black in the casting cost makes it hard to swallow, but being a 3/3 in combat for 2 mana can make attacking or blocking awkward for your opponent in early turns. By comparison to Black Knight, this will kill x/3's (Augur of Bolas) that Knight will leave behind, but this will die to 3/2's like Borderland Marauder. Which of these is better (if it comes down to these two) will depend on your specific environment.
Anchors -
Supports -
Knight of Infamy
Description - Can turn itself into an attacking 3/2 for 2 mana if alone, but still easy enough to kill. The exalted is nice to have and might help a 1-drop get in if you play this on turn 2. It isn't bad, but it's hard to imagine a deck where it will truly excel. Pro-white will turn some off.
Anchors -
Supports -
Mardu Skullhunter
Description - Excellent value when it triggers, and useful in most stages of the game. You don't want to play this turn 2 without a 1-drop swinging with some consistency, so to get the most value you want to have sufficient aggro 1-drops in black and whichever other aggro colours you support, but still playable in a slower deck.
Anchors -
Supports -
Mesmeric Fiend
Description - Can come down on turn 2 and strip their best card, or their on-curve card, to disrupt them. The body is nothing, but you can always treat it like a 2 mana Thoughtseize, and just keep it out of combat; if they use removal to get the card back, that isn't a bad trade. Almost identical to Brain Maggot; your choice will depend on whether Brain Maggot being an enchantment matters more to you / your environment than the stack tricks that are possible with Mesmeric Fiend.
Anchors -
Supports -
Nezumi Graverobber
Description - Solid utility creature. As a vanilla 2/1 for 2 mana it isn't entirely embarassing for aggro decks, with the ability giving an option in the late game if plan A doesn't work out. While slower, can be an inevitable engine for grindy midrange / control decks, especially when combined with ETB creatures and/or sacrifice effects. Sometimes it will come down so late that the ability just isn't worth pursuing. In some cases can randomly hose graveyard decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Onyx Mage
Description - Helps all of your creatures match up against the enemy if you can afford the payment. Combined with a repeatable token generator can lead to inevitability with chumpers / attackers that can trade with anything in the way. Good with first strikers or pingers. However it is pretty slow.
Anchors -
Supports -
Reassembling Skeleton
Description - A role player in different types of decks. In defensive decks that need to buy time you can chump their biggest attacker, and then return him to the battlefield EOT to untap and do it all over again. Good with loot / dredge cards, as you can just get it back out of the 'yard. Good with sacrifice outlets, as you can just keep returning it to the battlefield. The main downside is needing to leave mana up to activate at the right times, and can be too slow against fast decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Shambling Ghoul
Description - It doesn't require anything in the way of support, but isn't particularly exciting. If you are aggro, there are better aggro options. If you want a defensive creature, there are better options. But it does have the versatility of being able to slot into any deck.
Anchors -
Supports -
Skulking Ghost
Description - 2 evasive power for 2 mana is solid. If they were going to target it, it was probably with intent to remove it anyway. It's going to be randomly bad against some cards (Mother of Runes, Goldmeadow Harrier, Tumble Magnet, Crystal Shard). If equipment is a big part of your aggro decks, this gets a little worse.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Spiteful Returned
Description - This has a kind of reach, allowing you to force life loss even against a wall of blockers. Best when bestowed, allowing you to swing for the 2 life loss immediately (giving it pseudo-haste), and if the creature is killed in combat you still get the Spiteful Returned to swing again next turn. So it is often an automatic 4 life loss even if it can be dealt with in combat.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sultai Emissary
Description - In a vacuum, it can work as a staller for a control deck. Not exciting, but you get a 1/1 and 2/2 for 2 mana. Sometimes the manifested card will become something, but not something you should rely on. Gets a little better in sacrifice decks, and scales with the number of scry or similar effects to manifest something you can flip up.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice
Wretched Anurid
Description - This fits into the suicide aggro deck when you want to maximise power to cost. If you are not the beatdown this guy can hurt, especially if your opponent can put up a high toughness defender that doesn't kill it.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Augur of Skulls
Description - One of few cards in Peasant that can take 2 cards for 2 mana, albeit with a turn delay. A specific line of play can be to use Unearth or Undying Evil to quickly strip your opponents cards. A turn 2 Augur of Skulls followed by Undying Evil during upkeep on turn 3 gives you an early 4 for 2, leaving your opponent with little to do. It is situational however, and your opponent has a turn of opportunity to remove it (though forcing removal on it may not be so bad), and is poor if your opponent is in top deck mode.
Anchors -
Supports -
Basilica Screecher
Description - It's stats and flying for cost are not great, but can be a support card for extort / drain archetypes.
Anchors -
Supports - Extort / Drain
Bloodthrone Vampire
Description - The sac ability can mess with combat, potentially eating something that was going to die to take out a bigger attacker. In swarm/token decks, the opponent may have no choice but to block to avoid a killing blow. It is conditional on the board position and you don't want to eat your creatures unless it presents enough advantage, but can also support some graveyard recursion strategies such as Reassembling Skeleton. Generally considered worse than Nantuko Husk, as the baseline if you aren't sacrificing creatures is significant.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice Decks, Tokens
Brain Maggot
Description - Can come down on turn 2 and strip their best card, or their on-curve card, to disrupt them. The body is nothing, but you can always treat it like a 2 mana Thoughtseize, and just keep it out of combat; if they use removal to get the card back, that isn't a bad trade. Almost identical to Mesmeric Fiend; your choice will depend on whether this being an enchantment matters more to you / your environment than the stack tricks that are possible with Mesmeric Fiend. Brain Maggot is also more prone to removal as a result of being an enchantment.
Anchors -
Supports - Enchantment Matters
Child of Night
Description - Reasonable aggressive creature. Nothing spectacular, but decent. Allows you to race, and even if it trades you still end up ahead. Not ideal if you are on the defensive, but at least it can help keep you stay alive a little bit longer.
Anchors -
Supports -
Corrupt Court Official / Ravenous Rats
Description - It's a 2 for 1, but it leaves behind a not very exciting body. It gets better if surrounded by other discard options to create an aggro/disruption deck to capitalise on the 2 for 1.
Anchors -
Supports -
Disciple of Griselbrand
Description - The body is nothing, so you need the ability to do something. Sure, activating it when something is going to die anyway is nice, but the life gain isn't huge impact. If you just need a sacrifice outlet, many other sacrifice outlets are going to have a bigger impact on your game.
Anchors -
Supports -
Fallen Askari
Description - It might be an ok creature if you want something purely for aggro decks. Eats defending bears, and can't be double blocked by 1/1 tokens, but other black creatures can serve a similar role.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Foul Imp
Description - Fledgling Djinn may end up costing you more life in the long run, but having to pay upfront is worse, as is the need to pay double black. However it is still 2 flying power for 2 mana in black, so it might make the cut in larger cubes or if you really want to push Skies in black.
Anchors -
Supports - Skies
Frightcrawler
Description - A 3/3 evasive creature for 2 mana sounds pretty nice, but is not going to be reliable; 2 mana for a 1/1 is pretty bad, even if it has fear. If you give black or other support colours lots of ways to fill the graveyard, it might be ok. If your cube doesn't support threshold often, You may want to consider Blind Creeper or Wretched Anurid if you want a 3 power 2 mana black creature.
Anchors -
Supports -
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Description - 2/2 for 3 mana and force the opponent to sacrifice a creature is solid. When all 3 of that mana has to be black, it makes it a little harder to swallow. It's inclusion will depend on whether you want to reward mono-colour drafters.
Anchors -
Supports -
Gnawing Zombie
Description - The body isn't exciting, but the 3 toughness can at least stall some of the smaller aggro creatures, or eat 2/1's. 2 mana for the sacrifice ability is a bit on the expensive side, reducing your ability to instantly end the game if you have more creatures than your opponents life total. It's still ok as support for life drain style decks, or with creatures that like being sacrificed / Blood Artist type effects. If your cube is on the faster side, this is probably not going to pass muster.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice
Golgari Thug
Description - There is no noteworthy body attached, so you need to get value from the other effects. The biggest value is dredge, if combined with other cards that like being in your graveyard. The retrieval doesn't net you advantage, but can be useful to get a critical creature ready for the next turn you may have dredged away. You have to push graveyard matters themes to make this worth it, but the high number on the dredge can help support those strategies.
Anchors - Dredge / Graveyard Matters
Supports -
Hand of Silumgar
Description - It isn't as good as other options if heading the pure aggro route, but it isn't embarrassing there (and it may force trading up if the opponent is on the back foot), and can help slower defensive decks take out larger incoming threats. Worth noting that Thrill-Kill Assassin is more flexible and will survive to kill again in situations where this will die.
Anchors -
Supports -
Keeper of the Dead - 1
Description - The core ability (destroying creatures) is a really powerful repeat ability. The trick then is to have lots of creatures in your graveyard. As such, this is probably only worth drafting, and therefore including in your cube, as support for graveyard matters themes. So you need a specific archetype present which this will narrowly fit into. Good for killing tokens, as they won't fill your opponents graveyard.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Marang River Skeleton
Description - As a base without considering Megamorph, it's unexciting. It's a 1/1 with cheap regeneration, which can be an ok chumper, but the power isn’t going to kill much on defense, and the regen, while cheap, still costs mana. The megamoprh doesn't add much. 2 power is a lot better than 1, but still costs a total of 7 mana before it gets there. It is strictly better than Drudge Skeleton and friends.
Anchors -
Supports -
Painsmith
Description - Narrow, but could fit in a heavy artifact theme
Anchors -
Supports -
Pit Keeper
Description - If you aren't retrieving a creature, the baseline is bad. Can be unreliable in 'normal' decks, but gets better in dredge decks or other graveyard matters themes.
Anchors -
Supports -
Plague Witch
Description - It's a graveyard enabler that can kill off utility creatures, but is a little slow and sometimes there won't be any worthwhile targets. Might be worth noting errata makes this an Elf if you support that tribe.
Anchors -
Supports -
Rathi Trapper
Description - It is not as good as counterparts Goldmeadow Harrier & Gideon's Lawkeeper, but is the best tapper in black. The extra mana cost does make it noticeably worse (you aren't likely to use it for aggro support) but can still play a role in control decks. However it may depend on the rest of your black control support cards; if you use sweepers like Barter in Blood and Drown in Sorrow, Rathi Trapper doesn't synergise well with them.
Anchors -
Supports -
Returned Phalanx
Description - A cheap enough wall with reasonable stats to stall early aggro starts. The faster your aggro decks are, the better this will generally be, as it will not only survive but kill most grounded 2-drops. If you happen to be playing blue, you can use it offensively once the game is under control. In slower cubes or where aggro is less prevalent, it is likely to be less useful.
Anchors - Control
Supports -
Skirk Ridge Exhumer
Description - It kind of has a few synergies going for it; graveyard enabler, token producer, decent sacrifice fodder. They are all pretty loose, and you probably need all three of those to matter in the one deck to make this worth considering.
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Supports -
Undertaker
Description - It takes a turn to come online so you won't be using this is an aggro deck, but on its own it can trade excess lands into creatures, or upgrade any lesser creatures into the best tool for the job. With a dredger, you can discard the dredger to get a creature, draw the dredger next turn and increase your targets, repeat. Great with ETB triggers, especially if you can sac them for benefit. Evoking a Mulldrifter with this on the board just feels unfair. Phyrexian Reclamation isn't a discard outlet, but is more reliable, and provides value if you can afford the life loss.
Anchors -
Supports -
Vault Skirge
Description - 1/1 flyers for 1 mana are not particularly exciting, but the lifelink is marginal upside, you can play it any deck, and it is an artifact if you are supporting any artifact themes. Nice if you can equip it early with power boosting equipment, making it difficult to race if the opponent can't mount an air defence.
Anchors -
Supports -
Wall of Souls
Description - Can be an anti-aggro card, but aggro decks will probably accept the damage and win a race unless you otherwise stabilise. Can support a draining theme.
Anchors -
Supports - Drain / Extort
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Agent of Shauku - Probably ok if it had an extra point of power for aggro decks. But it doesn't.
Ashen-Skin Zubera - Just meh.
Baleful Eidolon - You can get cheaper deathtouchers. The bestow is expensive, but even if the creature you put it on dies, you still get this back for another deathtoucher, so you are at least at card parity. There are board states where this would be good, but too conditional to rely one.
Bane Alley Blackguard - Strictly worse than Gnawing Zombie.
Barrow Ghoul - Downside too high.
Basal Thrull - If you want the acceleration, use Dark Ritual.
Black Cat - You want the effect when it comes into play.
Blighted Shaman - Needing to tap plus sacrifice combine to make this too slow and too costly.
Blightsoil Druid - Not good acceleration/fixing.
Blightspeaker - Not enough rebels to make it a thing.
Blister Beetle - Not efficient enough.
Bloodcrazed Hoplite - Too narrow.
Blood Seeker - Not a good body for cost and ability not quite good enough to get it over the line.
Bog Imp - Upgrade to Basilica Screecher.
Bog Initiate - Doesn't do enough.
Bojuka Brigand - Allies aren't good enought to support.
Boneshard Slasher - Worse than Basilica Screecher a lot of the time.
Bone Knitter - Not efficient enough even if you have other zombies.
Brine Shaman - Bad.
Brood of Cockroaches - It's recursive, but only returning end of turn makes it too slow. If you chump block in a control deck, it takes 2 turns before you can block again. This restriction makes it too hard to abuse in a sacrifice deck.
Butcher Ghoul - As an attacker, your opponent may just let it through most of the time because it simply isn't much of a threat. If you want it to be defensive, then you probably just want a better defensive creature. Minor mileage for sacrifice decks, but you probably just want better creatures to sacrifice.
Cabal Inquisitor - Too conditional for repeat discard. By the time you set this up, you could just have Honden on Night's End or other permanent discard.
Cabal Interrogator - Too expensive, even with the card choice.
Cackling Witch - Can threaten, but is too slow.
Cateran Persuader - Narrow tribal.
Clot Sliver - Tribal.
Corpse Hauler - For the total mana cost, you need to get more value while it is in play than just the sac ability. So you need to get into combat, and you can sac before damage is on the stack and not trade. And you need the mana open when it would otherwise die. Too narrow.
Craven Knight - Strictly worse than Fallen Askari.
Cruel Deceiver - Just get a creature with deathtouch instead.
Crypt Creeper - When the ability doesn't matter, it is just a bad vanilla creature. If you want the effect, I'd look elsewhere.
Crypt Sliver - Tribal.
Cyclopean Mummy - Bad.
Daggerdrome Imp - Doesn't do enough.
Dakmor Scorpion - Bad.
Dauthi Cutthroat - It might have a few targets if you have other shadow creatures in your cube, but probably not often enough to make up for this being a 1 power 2-drop.
Dauthi Ghoul - There aren't going to be enough other shadow creatures dying to have this matter.
Dauthi Warlord - There are not likely to be enough other shadow creatures to make this worthwhile.
Deathknell Kami - Just bad.
Deathspore Thallid - On its own, It's a 2 drop that doesn' t provide any threat until 3 turns later. And even then the threat is slim.
Disciple of Malice - Not good enough.
Dregscape Zombie - Without activating unearth, it is a vanilla 2/1 for 2 mana, which is bad. It's not a significant enough body that adding unearthing it is going to be significantly threatening. Helps out sacrifice decks by getting 2 uses, but you probably want better effects for that than this, and it's probably not going to make the cut in decks that don't have a few sac outlets.
Drekavac - Not going to be worth the card disadvantage most of the time. If it let you discard creatures to support reanimation it might have some play… but it doesn't.
Dross Hopper - Just get Fledgling Djinn instead.
Drudge Skeletons / Restless Dead / Unworthy Dead - Strictly worse than Marang River Skeleton, depending on if you care about morph. They can be chumpers, and the regeneration is cheap, but they won't kill much.
Dunerider Outlaw - Not going to connect often enough to matter.
Duskhunter Bat - You want to get 2 flying power reliably; options that have drawback are going to be better than this to ensure that reliability.
Earthblighter - Too narrow.
Exiled Boggart - Bad outside narrow applications.
Fellhide Brawler - Bad.
Festercreep - Doesn't do enough for the costs.
Fetid Imp - It's just... meh.
Filthy Cur - Just bad.
Flensermite - Too difficult to make infect a thing.
Flesh Reaver - Downside too high.
Fleshmad Steed - Bad.
Fog of Gnats - Something like Rathi Trapper is a safer bet for a similar effect.
Frenzy Sliver - Tribal.
Frogtosser Banneret - Not enough depth in goblins or rogues to make this worth playing.
Ghost Hounds - Just not very good.
Giant Slug - Bad.
Glaze Fiend - Probably not even in a heavy artifact cube.
Goblin Turncoat - Narrow tribal.
Grim Roustabout - Aggro mode not effective enough for aggro decks, and more efficient versions of the defensive mode.
Grimclaw Bats - Too costly.
Gurmag Swiftwing - Cost for abilities and stats seems reasonable, but as a whole package doesn't add up to anything worth playing.
Gutter Skulk - Worse than Battle Brawler.
Hasran Ogress - Downside is too high.
Hate Weaver - Not efficient / effective enough.
Headhunter - Better ways to force your opponent to discard. Too easily outclassed on the board.
Highborn Ghoul - You weren't likely to block with this anyway, so you may as well play the easier to cast Nezumi Cutthroat.
Knight of Stromgald / Order of the Ebon Hand - The double black in both the casting cost and activation make this difficult to recommend over other options.
Kolaghan Skirmisher - Neither mode is good enough.
Krovikan Elementalist - Not efficient enough.
Krovikan Scoundrel - Just bad vanilla.
Kuro's Taken - A 2/2 blocker with regen could be an ok staller, but there are better options for defensive decks. You would never consider it as an attacker as they will just let the 1 damage though.
Leeching Licid - I suppose you could block, attach, then deactivate this to create an endless blocking loop. But you can do that with better cards. The aura mode is not worth talking about.
Leeching Sliver - Tribal
Lurking Nightstalker - Wei Ambush Force is strictly better as is the same card but doesn't cost double black.
Malakir Cullblade - This takes too much work to be good. A 3/3 for 2 mana would make this good, but getting that within a turn of it hitting play is going to be rare. In which case black has other immediate 3/3's with drawbacks for 2 mana you could be playing (or just paying an extra mana for).
Manor Skeleton - The haste doesn't make up for higher regen cost of similar cards, or its comparison to Reassembling Skeleton.
Mire Shade - Maybe if the effect wasn't sorcery speed. But it is, so it's not worth considering.
Mishappen Fiend - Strictly worse than Daggerdrome Imp.
Nakaya Shade - Bad.
Nath's Buffoon - Too narrow.
Nectar Faerie - Too narrow.
Nether Shadow - Too hard to abuse. Not too difficult with graveyard strategies to have 3 creatures above it and put it into play, but outside of using cards that have no use anywhere else, its hard to repeat and not worth the effort.
Nezumi Bone-Reader - Attached to a weak body. You will rarely want to activate the ability, maybe if you have a lot of tokens, but still pretty rare at sorcery speed.
Nightscape Familiar - 95% of the time any old mana rock is going to be better. This has upside if you cast multiple spells of the right colour a turn, but a mana rock can be used for activated abilities and is more resilient.
Null Champion - A 7/3 that regenerates for a single mana would be difficult to handle. But it costs 14 mana to get there. And a 4/2 for 5 mana is also not good.
Nyxborn Eidolon - Base mode is vanilla badness. 5 mana for bestow to give something a small power bonus… you end up with a 2/1 if it dies, but still too much investment.
Oona's Blackguard - There are a handful of rogues that might see play, but probably not enough to influnce the inclusion of Oona's Blackguard. The +1/+1 counter trigger matters more, but will need to push that as a theme to make this worth considering.
Phyrexian Denouncer - Too slow and ineffective.
Plague Fiend - Just get Ruthless Ripper.
Plague Stinger - Not enough support to make infect a thing.
Priest of Yawgmoth - Too narrow.
Puppet Conjurer - As a baseline, it can create chumpers while you are on the defensive. It puts creatures into play if you have anything that triggers off that. It creates tokens you can sacrifice to anything (including things that want artifacts). And even if you have death triggers like Blood Artist, you don't even need another sacrifice outlet; Puppet Conjurer creates the tokens and kills them all by itself. However By virtue of being limited to only being effective in BU decks, it really limits the types of decks it will go in.
Qarsi Sadist - If played in 'spell mode', it's expensive for no effect on the board. It's not worth considering for those times when you might have a token lying around.
Rabid Rats - Too situational.
Rats of Rath - Rarely going to matter in cube.
Raving Oni-Slave - This is probably going to cost you 6 life by the time you are done, and the extra power is not worth this downside.
Returned Reveler - 1/3 vanilla needs something more. It plays into graveyard themes, but needing to die first instead of an ETB effect makes this bad.
Roofstalker Wight - Too much to pay. There are a other 2 mana 2 power flyers with drawbacks which are more palatable than this cost.
Rotting Giant - Too difficult to reliably get online early (when the power to cost ratio matters) and maintain.
Rotting Rats - The symmetry attached to a meaningless body makes it hard to be excited. It can get better if you support graveyard themes, both because of the discard, and the unearth if it makes it into your grave from dredge etc. but there are still better options to support that type of deck.
Ruthless Cullblade - 4/2 for 2 mana is great. Played on turn 2, it is going to be vanilla. To reliably get big, it needs a fairly big suite of aggro 1 and 2 drops alongside it. And once you've included those in your cube, you probably don't have room for this. And even when it is big, it still only has 2 toughness which is not difficult to take care of.
Salvage Slasher - Requires 2 artifacts in your graveyard just to make it worth the cost. Too hard to get good upside.
Sangrophage - Not big enough upside for that damage.
Scarred Vinebreeder - Bad.
Shepherd of Rot - Tribal. The symmetry makes it hard to break.
Sickle Reaper - If you are on the attack, it is probably just going to trade with something regardless of the wither. On defense, it either trades, or makes something smaller, in which case you wish you had a better blocker or removal instead. There are some commonly played 0 power defensive guys (Wall of Blossoms, Wall of Omens, Nyx-Fleece Ram) but not enough to consider this.
Skeletal Changeling - Bad.
Skeletal Snake - Bad.
Skinthinner - Baseline is not good, and costs 8 mana for Nekrataal without first strike. The flexibility does not make up for it.
Skirsdag Flayer - Tribal.
Skittering Skirge - The drawback is to offset the fact that it is cheap… you want it to be cheap so you can cast it early… but then you can't follow up. Could have limited applications as a cheap efficient creature you can protect with counterspells, or sequence plays so this is the last creature you play alongside something else.
Skullsnatcher - If you want a graveyard clearer, it isn't attached to an embarassing body for the cost. But still too narrow for most cubes to include.
Slith Bloodletter - Heavy black cost is not appealing. Even played on turn 2 anything with 2 toughness can block it. Played after turn 2 it becomes terrible.
Soldevi Adnate - It's a sacrifice outlet, it can help you ramp… but as a package it just doesn't add up to enough or contribute enough to a deck you would want to draft.
Spineless Thug - Strictly worse than Fallen Askari.
Spiteful Bully - Downside too high.
Squeaking Pie Sneak - Too conditional for cube.
Squirming Mass - Frightcrawler strictly better.
Stromgald Crusader - Double black in casting cost and activation makes it hard to swallow. Pro white will also turn off some cube owners. Equally good or better aggro options without the double casting cost.
Surrak Marauder - If you want intimidate, you aren't intending to block. In which case, Nezumi Cutthroat is better.
Swamp Mosquito - Bad.
Swarm of Rats - Not good enough.
Tainted Monkey - Combos with Lantern of Insight and Wizened Snitches. Or bounce that puts to the top of the library. Which is not enough to make this playable.
Tavern Swindler - There is never a time you would want this.
Thrull Surgeon - 4 total mana for this effect is a no.
Vampire Hexmage - One of few black creatures that have first strike. But the double black cost is not worth the first strike, and removing all counters from something isn’t important enough in peasant cube.
Walking Corpse - Worse than Battle Brawler.
Wall of Corpses - Any of blacks removal does a better job. Maybe if its toughness was 4 or something.
Wall of Tombstones - Bad.
Wei Ambush Force - Not good enough.
Wei Infantry - Bad.
Wei Scout - Black has better shadow creatures to fill this evasive spot.
Whipstictched Zombie - Just bad.
Wicked Akuba - The ability isn't worth the double black in the casting cost. It will be difficult to get through even if cast on curve.
Withered Wretch - Not worth paying the double black in the casting cost.
Working Stiff - Bad.
Yixlid Jailer - Either too narrow, or single-handedly hoses archetypes you are trying to support.
Young Wei Recruits - Bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Demonic Tutor
Description - Great card for all black decks, and sometimes worthy of a splash. Let's you find any answer to the current board state, or find synergistic pieces for what your deck is doing. Only costing 2 mana gives you the opportunity to cast the card you find the turn you play it. If you have ways to get it back from the graveyard it can set up combos all by itself. Value goes down slightly in purer aggro decks that may not want to spend 2 mana that doesn't affect the board.
Anchors -
Doom Blade
Description - One of blacks best removal spells, it will hit the majority of creatures you face. You will rarely be wanting for targets, as even if your opponent is also playing black, they are likely playing a second colour.
Anchors -
Supports -
Go For The Throat
Description - One of blacks best pieces of instant removal, hitting the vast majority of creatures in cubes.
Anchors -
Supports -
Hymn to Tourach
Description - The best 2 mana discard spell available to black. Being random discard makes this particularly potent, as it does not allow the opponent to keep their best cards, and it can hit lands. Its for this reason that some cube owners may avoid this card; cast on turn 2 and even taking a single land can be devastating and knock some players out of their game. It's a 2 for 1 for 2 mana in most stages of the game, and in the late game its rare that an opponent will play every single card on the turn they draw it. Consider Wrench Mind if you want a 'fair' 2 mana discard 2 cards spell.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ultimate Price
Description - Outside of the handful of artifact creatures, Eldrazi and multi-colour creatures that most cubes have, this hits everything else, making it the top black removal spell that is playable in any deck, and is likely to be splashed even if you aren't playing black.
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Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Animate Dead
Description - Animate Dead is a solid card in almost any fair black deck, getting you back your best creature for only 2 mana. 1 less power usually doesn't matter if you only paid 2 mana for a 4+ drop. You don't need to support reanimator for Animate Dead to be good but it also has that upside. Turn 1 discard outlet, Turn 2 Animate Dead on Trostani's Summoner is going to be tough to beat.
Anchors -
Supports - Reanimator
Night's Whisper
Description - The mana cost is cheap for draw 2, offset by the life loss. Most decks will be happy to pay that though. The cheaper cost can make it playable in an aggro deck, allowing it to play this after dumping its hand and potentially playing the drawn threats that turn. Similarly control decks can cast this while keeping mana up for counterspells or other responses, or to activate on-board control.
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Terror
Description - Doom Blade and Go For The Throat both have more targets, but this still hits a lot of targets. It also kills regenerators.
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Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Dance of the Dead
Description - Similar to Animate Dead, with power and toughness upside, inability to block the turn you reanimate due to coming in tapped downside, and upkeep downside. The downsides make this less applicable to 'fair' decks (though still ok) and more appropriate for reanimation decks that are happy to pay 2 mana on turn 3 to untap their 9/9 Ulamog's Crusher.
Anchors - Reanimator
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Death Denied
Description - Paying 3 mana for a Raise Dead is bad. Paying 5 mana at the end of the opponents turn to get 3 creatures back is gravy. The flexibility in casting cost and being an instant makes this a solid card for attrition-based midrange or control decks. Hana Kami on it's own is narrow, but is an engine when combined with this card. Less effective in an aggro deck.
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Supports -
Devour In Shadow
Description - The combination of double black and life loss make this one harder to swallow than other removal. But it has upside over similar costed black removal in that it will kill virtually anything you want. For most it still won't be worth the downsides, but is certainly not unplayable. Value goes up if you have lots of regnerators in your card pool.
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Supports -
Distress
Description - In terms of effect, stripping any nonland card is quite powerful. The question becomes is that additional power worth paying 2 black mana, over the more conditional 1 mana versions? The answer is likely to be no, as the 1 mana versions can let you better sequence plays, but this is still a playable piece of discard.
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Grasp of Darkness
Description - Serviceable if you want to control the effectiveness of your removal, and want your players to commit to black for their removal. Can give ramp / reanimator strategies a little more of a chance while still hitting a significant number of creatures in the cube.
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Supports -
Last Gasp
Description - Kills a lot of things in cubes, but you need to combine with something else to take out bigger threats. Your Doom Blades and Go For the Throat are generally better, and the inclusion of Last Gasp can help ramp / control decks with larger threats have more of a chance.
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Macabre Waltz
Description - Trade this and a card you don't want (or that you want in your graveyard) for the 2 best creatures in your graveyard. You don't end up ahead, but have (or should have) improved card quality. Has synergy with graveyard decks which can put more targets in the graveyard in the first place, and the discard effect of this card, but still works fine in other decks.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Shadows of the Past
Description - It does nothing the turn that it comes into play… and potentially for a few turns after that. But creatures die in games, so you should get a number of scry's out of it, which can add up over the game. Gets better in sacrifice decks which can control the scry. Worth noting that when lots of creatures die, you might find the card you want in your first scry, making further triggers until your next draw step redundant. You won't want to rely on the drain effect, but is a nice bonus if you have the mana spare or if a couple of activations are all that is needed to finish a game. Primarily for control / attrition decks that intend to go long.
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Sinkhole
Description - If you want to push a land destruction package in black, this is your only 2 mana option. The better the nonbasic lands in your cube, the better this gets. However unless you support land destruction as a theme, on its own it is going to be very narrow targeted removal for those cards. It can be good in aggro decks to help slower decks off their bigger spells after laying down some threats.
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Smother
Description - It hits less targets than the likes of Doom Blade and Go For The Throat, and doesn't kill larger creatures that are more likely to be the ones you want to kill. But it is instant speed and doesn't discriminate against colour. It's inclusion in your cube is probably based on intentionally lowering the power level of removal in your cube, or giving your slower decks specific removal against aggro decks.
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Victim of Night
Description - Without checking any particular cubes, it probably hits more creatures than any other 2 mana black destroy spells with the possible exceptions of Go For The Throat and Ultimate Price. But it's probably not enough to make up for the double black to consider it before some of those other options. Still a fine piece of removal.
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Wrench Mind
Description - Potentially the next best 2 mana for 2 discard spells after Hymn to Tourach. The player choice makes it worse than Hymn, but makes it fairer if you are finding the randomness of Hymn to reduce the fun factor.
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1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Bile Blight
Description - Last Gasp is easier to cast and will be better the vast majority of the time, but you might want to consider this if you want a card to deal with token decks.
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Blight
Description - You don't get too many 2 mana land removal spells, though the opponent does get one more use out of the land. You need to be pushing a land destruction deck pretty hard, but at least you give it a 2 mana option for the curve.
Anchors -
Supports - Land Destruction
Cabal Ritual
Description - Narrow enabler for a storm deck. It could be an accelerator in a dredge deck, putting you up 3 mana once you hit threshold, but by the time you've hit threshold you are less likely to need that extra mana.
Anchors -
Supports - Storm
Chainer's Edict
Description - Can be useful for control decks to stall an aggro start and get an extra use in the late game, You won't care if you flip it early, but has synergy with dredge decks
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Supports -
Corrupted Zendikon
Description - You can attack turn 3 with a 3/3, but if you want to use it as a creature, you tie up a mana for each subsequent turn. Can be ok in a low curve aggro deck, but not likely to get much play outside of that.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Diabolic Edict
Description - It's instant and great against single targets like Jetting Glasskite, but the player choice means you are less likely to actually get what you want. Might be worth it in slow cubes where decks curve out at higher end, and you don't support tokens.
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Exhume
Description - You get your best creature, but so does your opponent, and you are down this card. But if you want to maximise cheap reanimation cards, this can be an option; ideally your creature will cost significantly more than your opponents if you have discard / looting support. If you are finding reanimator decks too often being wrecked by enchantment removal (Animate Dead & friends), this gives you another cheap option alongside Reanimate.
Anchors -
Supports - Reanimator
Grave Strength
Description - This card has a low floor but a high ceiling. The ceiling can be hard to reach in most decks, as it will have little value in the early game, but may provide a decent creature boost after some attrition battles. It does still open you up for a 2 for 1. Other cards can provide a boost more reliably, but the self-mill also helps other graveyard strategies as well.
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Grim Discovery
Description - The only reason you would consider this is if you were getting the 2 for 1 on a regular basis, which probably requires some form of land matters theme. There are cards that it might be able to do some work with (Goblin Trenches, Foundry of the Consuls, dead manlands) but you need a critical mass of those types of cards to consider this.
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Grim Harvest
Description - Grim Harvest offers creature recursion ad infinitum, but in practice is tricky to use. You always need the mana open to recover it, so your battle plan needs to account for this, which might be by holding it in hand until you know the mana will be available, or waiting until you are ready to trigger a sacrifice effect. Can provide long term value, but only fits in grindy value decks that can survive aggro assaults long enough to play it.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Marsh Casualties
Description - Against most opponents you will want to be getting the larger effect. 5 mana is a lot for the effect, but can apply to different situations. Against aggro or token decks, it may wipe out most of their team. Played before combat against larger creatures, you make them all ineffective blockers, either dying to your attackers, or letting the damage get through. Or played as an 'after combat trick' to ensure creatures that were dealt damage during combat die. Situational and smidge more than you want to pay, but a 1 sided Infest is worth considering.
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Nameless Inversion
Description - In most cases this is just going to be a Lasp Gasp with some downside (you can't just make a big creature small and have your creature survive combat). Does have upside of allowing power boosting your creatures with high toughness, though this mode is unlikely to be used often. Marginal upside of being about to be tutored by some tribal cards.
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Rime Transfusion
Description - If you let your players have snow basics, this can be a power booster and make the creature almost unblockable. Decent upside, but still at the mercy of 2 for 1, and having to pay a mana every turn can hurt early development.
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Sign In Blood
Description - Night's Whisper is going to be the better card most of the time. This has the extra flexibility of being able to force through the final 2 life loss on your opponent, but with the rare times that will happen, you will want the easier to cast of Night's Whisper. Maybe for larger cubes where you want additional redundancy of this effect.
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Smallpox
Description - It has a powerful effect, but there isn't really a deck or arcehtype that can make great use of it.
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Steal Strength
Description - Conditional, but could turn around 2 combat trades, or kill some utility creatures. However is still situational.
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Withering Boon
Description - This deserves a mention as a card that is relatively unique in blacks arsenal. Removal doesn't require the timing that this does, but it can deal with some problem creatures like Blastoderm / Calciderm, Jetting Glasskite, and 'counters' any ETB effects when removal would be too late.
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Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Addle - A reasonable discard card. While different than the 1 mana options, it's not likely to give you more results and therefore not likely worth investing the extra mana.
Altar's Reap - At least it is instant speed. But the casting is very situational, restricted to both when one of your creatures is about to die, and you have the 2 mana spare. For those reasons it isn't going to make the cut.
Ancestral Vengeance - Not a big enough effect.
Assasin's Blade - Narrow removal. Only if you want to regulate power of your removal.
Banewasp Affliction - It doesn't actually affect the board.
Bereavement - Too narrow.
Bile Blight - Last Gasp is better because it requires less commitment to black. It can be used against token decks, but if you support tokens, you probably don't want a hoser.
Binding Agony - Doesn't affect the board.
Brain Pry - For the most part, you will see the opponents hand and draw a card, for which there are better options. There might be some game states where you will know what they have (bounce spells for example) but not enough to make this playable.
Cannibalize - Bad removal.
Cast into Darkness - Just use straight up removal.
Chain of Smog - You could target yourself for reanimator decks or other graveyard themes, then target your opponent, but probably too variable and unreliable to get the outcome you want.
Chill Haunting - Just get better removal.
Chime of Night - Or just play Doom Blade.
Circle of Affliction - It requires you to be damaged in the first place, you need to invest mana and you don't always have control over when the damage is going to hit you, and most opponents have 2+ colour decks and can play around it.
Claim of Erebos - Need to invest 2 cards, opening you up to 2 for 1's, plus need to invest 2 mana every turn. I could see this being used end of turn in a quirky defender deck, but most creatures you would enchant are likely to be better off swinging or using their other abilities.
Clinging Darkness - If you don't want flat out kill spells, Last Gasp is better than this.
Cloak of Confusion - If you invest a card, you want bonus, not swapping damage for something else.
Coils of Medusa - Too narrow.
Consume Spirit - Needing to spend only black mana makes this bad.
Contaminated Bond - They still get to attack or block.
Contaminated Ground - Going first and played turn 2, this could either deal some damage or stunt the opponents development if they avoid the damage, or even turn off a colour for them in early turns, but is easy enough to play around. Played later, it is terrible and is likely to make up the majority of the time.
Cradle to the Grave - Just get Doom Blade.
Crown of Suspicion - Too situational.
Cruel Edict - Chainer's Edict is strictly better.
Crumbling Ashes - Not enough ways to effectively support this. If you've got -1/-1 counters happening, they should be enough to kill things anyway.
Dark Privilege - Not good enough.
Dark Favor - The upside of being able to swing with an evasive creature with an extra 3 damage on the turn you cast this makes this somewhat appealing, but not enough to overcome potential 2 for 1.
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Death Stroke - Just get better removal, unless intentionally monitoring power level of removal.
Deathgrip - Too narrow.
Debilitating Injury - Dead Weight has the same effect for 1 mana.
Decompose - Not worth a card.
Defeat - Smother strictly better.
Dash Hopes - Opponent option is bad.
Despondency - You just want better removal.
Devour Flesh - It's instant and great against single targets like Jetting Glasskite, but the player choice means you are less likely to actually get what you want. Giving them life is bad when you can just play Diabolic Edict. There may be rare times when you could use this on your own creature that is about to die because you need the life gain, but that is incidental upside that should not impact on whether you play this card or not.
Disturbed Burial - 5 mana for no board impact is too slow an engine except in the super durdliest of cubes.
Disturbing Plot - Having to pay 2 mana instead of Raise Dead's 1 means you need to get value out of conspire to make this worth it. While that is not impossible, you either aren't going to have the two black creatures, or if you do won't want to tap them down instead of attack or be available as blockers, often enough to warrant this.
Dragon Shadow - Doesn’t do enough as an aura. The graveyard retrieval is rarely going to happen.
Drain Life - Consume Spirit strictly better (can drain more than life total / toughness).
Drudge Spell - Requiring 2 cards to exile means you won't get a critical mass of tokens even in a graveyard based deck. Being regenerators, it is at its best in an attrition based defensive deck, and it can provide some extra creatures for a sacrifice deck. But even in those decks, it is still not going to be that impressive.
Dry Spell - Doesn't do enough.
Dying Wail - Too unreliable.
Dying Wish - Too unreliable.
Echoing Decay - It's going to be a bad Disfigure most of the time, or a blowout against the token decks you might be trying to support.
Enfeeblement - Dead Weight is strictly better.
Eternal Thirst - Not good enough to offset potential 2 for 1's.
Exsanguinate - Doesn't do enough.
Fear - Dragon Shadow is strictly better if you really want this effect.
Feast of Blood - Vampires is not something you can rely on.
Feast of Dreams - Removal that is too specific.
Feebleness - Dead Weight is better as an aura, and if instant speed matters then you probably want something like Last Gasp.
Festering Wound - Magical Christmas Land sees this being cast on a defender and the opponent has not way to remove it and you have time to wait. But in 99% of games this will do very little.
Font of Return - Death Denied much more flexible / powerful. The only upside this has is that you don't need two black mana on the same turn, but you would play this effect late enough in the game that it doesn't matter.
Gate to Phyrexia - Poor use of resources. Unless you REALLY want black to have an option for artifact removal.
Gaze of Pain - Very narrow. It could have some use in evasive decks to help wipe the opponents creatures. But is very conditional on board state, and if you are the evasive player, you probably just want to be dealing that damage to the player and winning the game. Does nothing if you are not already winning.
Geth's Verdict - Not good enough.
Ghoul's Feast - It might do some work as a finisher in a graveyard based deck, or an attrition deck, but is too narrow and is not going to be very effective outside of those decks.
Grave Consequences - Minor hoser if your opponent has a graveyard strategy. It just doesn't do enough. And if you are black, you are more likely to be playing some graveyard matters cards yourself.
Grave Peril - Lack of control over what you kill is bad. Even if you have enchantment recursion, this is too poor outside of that interaction to warrant inclusion.
Grave Servitude - Doesn't do enough.
Greel's Caress - Bad.
Headstone - Cremate strictly better (which is still not worth playing)
Hunger of the Nim - Too narrow, even if pushing artifacts.
Hypnotic Cloud - Two mana is too much for a single card, and 6 mana is too much for 3.
Imperial Edict - Worse Diabolic Edict.
Imp's Taunt - At the cheap cost you want it as a cantrip, and too expensive to re-use for this effect.
Infernal Harvest - Too narrow. Need to be mono-black to make it work, and even in those decks unless it is really late in the game, it is going to set you back too much.
Infernal Scarring - It can get around the inherent 2 for 1 of auras (unless it is on the stack) but it doesn't do enough.
Insubordination - A fine drain card if you can put it on a defender, but in most games it is not going to do anything, and your opponent is going to want to attack you anyway.
Kiku's Shadow - It's not bad removal, but there are much better options without the double casting cost.
Leshrac's Sigil - Too narrow.
Liliana's Caress - It has a 'build around me' feel, but you need far too much discard to be in your cube to be reliable enough to outclass other cards that just deal damage to your opponent.
Lim-Dul's Hex - Not worth it.
Lingering Death - They still get to have one more attack; you would rather just have better removal. Maybe in the durdliest of cubes with Dowsing Shaman or other recursion.
Lost Hours - 1 mana discard options are better.
Midnight Covenant - 2 for 1 city.
Mind Burst - No effect in peasant cube.
Mind Knives - Either shave a mana and get targeted discard, or go double black for Hymn to Tourach to get two cards.
Mind Swords - It can support all out aggro as the last card it plays, or even play for a free by saccing an outclassed creature. But just play Hymn To Tourach. It's not like other decks go out of their way to steal all of aggro's discard spells to consider this.
Morgue Theft - Paying 7 mana all up is too much for this effect.
Mourning - Doesn't do enough to affect the board, and the return doesn't add much.
Nausea - It's a sweeper, but -1/-1 is going to be situational.
Nightcreep - There might be cards that synergise with this on some level, but they are either so minor or so specific, and the card does nothing outside of that, that this is worthless in most cubes.
No Rest For The Wicked - It has a higher ceiling than Raise Dead, but the timing issues required to gain card advantage make it rare that you will get optimum plays. Sorceries like Death's Duet are going to give yo more consistency.
Oblivion Crown - Investment city for short term rewards. If you need to get cards into your graveyard, there are much better ways.
Ordeal of Erebos - Too slow.
Pack's Disdain - Too conditional.
Painful Memories - Sorcery speed, so you prevent them from seeing a new card on their next turn. Because it is not affecting the board and is still costing you a card, it doesn't do enough.
Parallax Dementia - Not a big enough reward for the risk.
Pharika's Curse / Sorin's Thirst / Vicious Hunger - Black has much better creature removal and this costs double black.
Phyresis - Not effective to make infect a thing.
Pooling Venom - Bad at everything.
Premature Burial - Too conditional. Doesn't kill the worst threat on the board if you top deck it, and limited window to use it on each creature, impacting your ability to play other spells. If it cost 1 mana, it might be worth it, but not at 2 mana when there are much better options.
Pretender's Charm - I don't see any scenarios where you would want to play this.
Prowess of the Fair - You need to be full on tribal to make this into something. It doesn't affect the board itself, and there aren't enough incidental Elves to make this worth it.
Psychic Miasma - It at least ensures the opponent can't just hold onto land as targets for your discard spells. But targeted options are better.
Pulling Teeth - The opponent gets the choice, and when it is a 1 for 1, you feel bad.
Ragged Veins - Not worth the card investment.
Reave Soul - You might play it if you drafted it as it isn't unplayable, but there are many other better options given its limited targets and the sorcery speed.
Revive The Fallen - 2 mana Raise Dead is bad.
Rite of Consumption - It's reach, but black has other forms of reach. It's conditional, requiring you to have a creature to get rid of at sorcery speed. It doesn't hit creatures, and it will usually do nothing until you are ready to actually end the game.
Rouse - It's free, but it isn't enough impact. Mutagenic Growth is a strict upgrade.
Scent of Nightshade - It's rarely going to be better than Last Gasp, and this forces you to reveal information to your opponent. As a top deck, it is a completely useless card.
Scourgemark - Not worth paying for.
Seizures - If you put this on an opponent's creature, they aren't going to attack with it or activate it's tap abilities… unless they are going to win anyway. So just play removal instead.
Self-Inflicted Wound - Narrow.
Shade's Breath - You would need a fair bit of mana on the board, and have it be black, for this to be effective.
Shattered Crypt - Death Denied is strictly better; instant and doesn't cost you any life.
Shred Memory - Paying 2 mana for this effect with nothing else is bleh. Transmute doesn't add anything meaningful.
Shriek of Dead - Just bad.
Shrivel - It's a sweeper, but the small value makes it situational. You can always cast it after combat if you are attacking into larger creatures, but it is still too situational to consider for most cubes.
Sickening Dreams - It's a powerful effect for 2 mana. Dealing 4 damage and wiping out 4+ opposing cards would be amazing… but will cost you 5 cards total. It's too difficult to reliably use.
Simulacrum - You have to wait until you receive the damage first. So you can't undo your opponent swinging for lethal or throwing the final burn at your dome. And you have to have a creature in play to 'sacrifice'. It's like giving yourself a 2 for 1 for some life gain. Would be nice with Spitemare... but it's not playable.
Sinister Strength - Not worth the possibility of the 2 for 1.
Skeletal Grimace - Not good enough.
Skulltap - Not at sorcery speed. Too high a cost to be consistently playable.
Soul Exchange - A very conditional reanimation spell. If you could reliably get the +2/+2 bonus, that upside might make it worth a look-in, but there are only a couple of playable Thrulls.
Soul Reap - Too conditional.
Soul Rend - Too conditional.
Soulless Revival - The baseline is a bad Raise Dead, with very few synergies to get upside. Death Denied probably fills the same role.
Specter's Wall - Random discard can be good, but it's worth paying the double black for Hymn to Tourach.
Spinal Graft - It has some nice upside, but giving one of your creatures the skulk ability via an aura almost guarantees you will be 2 for 1'd by just about anything. You might get a hit in if your opponent is tapped out, but you'll be lucky for more than a couple.
Spirit Shackle - It's just bad.
Spiteful Shadows - Too narrow. You would rather just remove the target.
Stitch Together - You would only want to include this in your cube / deck if you expected to resolve this card with threshold on a regular basis. By the time you've hit threshold, you can usually cast Zombify or something cheaper but more reliable than this.
Strength of Lunacy - Doesn't have enough impact. The madness doesn't add enough to consider it over other options.
Surging Dementia - Doesn't do anything in singleton peasant.
Swallowing Plague - It only hits creatures, and other removal is better.
Talara's Bane - Too narrow for cube.
Torment - Just play actual removal.
Toxic Stench - Doom Blade is strictly better.
Transmutation - Too conditional to be consistent.
Treacherous Link - Too hard to abuse, you will usually just want removal instead.
Twisted Experiment - Not enough upside to cast on your own creautre over Sinister Strength which isn't really playable, and the -1 toughness isn't enough to consider this for removal.
Tyrant's Choice - It's a guaranteed 4 life loss for 2 mana. It's not terrible reach and can help finish an aggro start, but the fact that it only hits opponents makes this a glorified Lava Spike.
Urge to Feed - Some vampires you might see in peasant cubes; Blood Artist, Bloodthrone Vampire, Child of Night, Falkenrath Noble, Moroii, Pawn of Ulamog, Sengir Vampire, Vampire Interloper, Vampire Nighthawk, Viscera Seer. The question is, how many do you need in your cube to consider this over the easier to cast Last Gasp? The answer is unclear, but requiring the vampires to be untapped sucks. You might consider this if you want your removal to be less splashable and reward players committed to black.
Vampirism - Just bad.
Warp Artifact - Terrible.
Warren Weirding - It's either a sorcery edict that is randomly useless against some opponents, or it's a very narrow tribal card.
Wicked Rewards - It's a nice boost for the mana cost, but the sacrifice cost is too much.
Word of Binding - It can help your guys get through, but the double black makes it too unappealing.
Yawgmoth's Edict - Too narrow.
Yoke of the Damned - Narrow removal.
Zombie Infestation - 2 cards is a lot to ask. Too much. Graveyard synergies don't make up for it.
Looter il-Kor
Description - Strong evasion, which means the card filtering is almost always on, which is great whether it is support for aggro decks that want to keep up pressure, or control decks trying to find appropriate answers or threats. Also provides additional support for graveyard decks or reanimator. Also handy with equipment. There is rarely a blue deck that won't want it.
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Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Carnivorous Death-Parrot
Description - Great for blue aggro, but also playable in any other deck, as long as you are ok with Un-cards and remember to say it.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro / Skies
Vaporkin / Welkin Tern
Description - The inability to block forces this into aggro decks more than others, but it's not unreasonable as a cheap evasive threat for control decks. It's an evasive 2 power 2-drop whose drawback is not going to be relevant most of the time in those decks.
Anchors - Aggro, Skies
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Augury Owl
Description - The body it leaves behind is not impressive, but scry 3 digs enough that it can be worth being a chump blocker to stall while setting up plays, or getting in a few points of evasive damage.
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Azure Mage
Description - The stats are flexible enough that it might see play in both control and aggro decks. It can allow control decks some card draw once stabilised, and give aggro the opportunity to draw some cards as a back up plan if it runs out of gas.
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Briarberry Cohort
Description - Can support blue aggro decks that want to go wide. It will have 2 power less consistently than some other cards that fill a similar role (like Welkin Tern, Gossamer Phantom), but when boosted the extra toughness can help it better survive divisible burn or opposing flying tokens. It's not the greatest fit for a control deck, but is a better fit than other cheap blue evasive creatures.
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Cloudskate
Description - Most 2 power evasive 2 drops are saddled with 1 toughness. The extra point of toughness here is not massive, but lets it attack into spirit tokens or other flying 1/1's. The fading relegates it to decks that want to win quickly, so you need to be pushing blue aggro to include this.
Anchors - Aggro / Skies
Supports -
Fog Bank
Description - Sits back and blocks nearly everything your opponent throws at you, and is great for buying time in a control deck, or even in an aggro/control deck that lays cheap evasive threats and then stalls the opponent. Depending on where you want this type of card on the curve, you may also consider Guard Gomazoa for a similar effect that can actually deal damage.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Frost Walker
Description - Blue aggro, here we come. Best if there are support cards for an aggro control or aggro tempo deck that lays threats like this, and keeps the way clear with removal, tap down, or bounce effects to get hits in. It will die to a bunch of stuff, but you only paid 2 mana for it, and if your opponent was going to target it, they were probably trying to kill it anyway. It can be inconsistent, and if you don't have sufficient tempo based support
(tap down / bounce) to ensure the 4 power matters, you might want to look elsewhere.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Gossamer Phantasm
Description - A decent 2 power evasive 2 drop for aggro. You will probably want to consider Welkin Tern / Vaporkin ahead of this if you want to support blue aggro, as this will be easier for your opponent to remove. You get to block more stuff with this, but if you are spending time blocking, you probably want something more robust than this anyway.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Halimar Wavewatch
Description - This can come down on turn 2 to block most aggro creatures, and with a minor upgrade can block almost anything on the ground. You would wait until you've got the game under control, but once you are ready you can dump spare mana into it to turn it into a threat.
Anchors - Control
Supports -
Invisible Stalker
Description - You can get cheaper 1/1's that can’t be blocked… but the hexproof combined with power boosting auras or equipment can make this a powerhouse. It needs the support of those cards to be good (which are not uncommon in most cubes), but for some players it goes straight from bad to being unfair and unfun as there are few ways to interact with it.
Anchors - Pants / Voltron
Supports -
Magical Hacker
Description - At a quick glance, this could affect the following types of cards; opposing boosting auras and equipment (Griffin Guide, Grafted Wargear), you can make your unleashed creatures block, endless recursion with persist and undying, turn opposing +1/+1 counter strategies and prowess into a disadvantage, kill opposing Wild Nacatl / Kird Apes, add versatility to both your combat pumps or tougness based removal while nullifying your opponents, and makes monstrous hard for your opponent to activate. You won't play it in an aggro deck and you will want enough cards in your cube that it will interact with, but that is not hard for most cubes. Perhaps one of the best foils for Curse of Predation.
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Merfolk Looter / Thought Courier
Description - Cheap, repeatable card filtering. You will probably want to consider Looter-il-Kor before this for a similar effect with combat damage upside (though you do have more timing control here). Helps support graveyard themes while just being solid at improving your card quality in other decks.
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Omenspeaker
Description - Good card for control, puts a reasonable butt on the board to stall aggro, while digging for what you need. Not the best target for Crystal Shard / bounce decks, but is cheap enough to recast to get that decks engine going.
Anchors -
Supports - Bounce
Quickling
Description - A cheap evasive creature that can let you re-use another creatures ETB ability. Best use is to save from removal or other destruction; take care if just using to bounce otherwise. If you cast this when you have 1 other creature, your oppoenent can cast removal while this is on the stack, forcing a 2 for 1.
Anchors -
Supports - bounce
Sejiri Merfolk
Description - You wouldn't play this as just a blue card, but has good enough abilities to fit in blue / white decks of any speed, even if it isn't flashy. Combination of abilities make it a good candidate for power boosting auras and equipment.
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Sigiled Starfish
Description - ok for blocking bears and then scrying at the end of your opponents turn to improve your card quality. It's not tricky and is just generally solid in any deck that isn't trying to win quickly, though it can support cards that care about what is on the top of your deck should you have any of those in your cube.
Anchors - Control
Supports -
Vedalken Mastermind
Description - Good for bounce decks. Baseline lets you block with something and then boune it before damage is dealt as a stalling tactic, but once you start throwing ETB effects into the mix then you start generating incremental advantage. If you suspect removal, you can always hold up this effect.
Anchors - Bounce
Supports -
Wall of Tears
Description - Tempo card that can hurt aggro decks, and even it doesn't survive it still gets to return the creature. The more prevalent ETB effects are in your cube, the less effective this will be. Kaijin of Vanishing Touch slightly worse (3 toughness) but may be an option if you find this too good at anti-aggro in your environment.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Waterfront Bouncer
Description - It's a card disadvantage trade for tempo, but can be useful for graveyard filling for reanimator. In the late game it turns all your extra lands into bounce spells to keep big threats off the board or remove blockers. It won't be your go-to for Crystal Shard decks, but can provide that deck some extra support. Fringe use of 'countering' removal by trading the target with the worst card in your hand.
Anchors -
Supports - Bounce, Reanimator, Graveyard Matters
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Alluring Siren
Description - Supports a narrow 'punisher' deck with cards that deal damage or otherwise punish the opponent whenever they attack, or force small creatures into Spitemare, or high toughness creatures with at least some power. It is very situational, given that your opponent is probably going to want to attack you anyway. May have more value in slower, grindier cubes. Almost useless against quick aggro decks.
Anchors - Punisher decks
Supports -
Aquamoeba
Description - At a glance it can support graveyard and reanimation strategies while having stats just ok enough to block small aggro creatures. But it's fairly narrow compared to other options.
Anchors -
Supports - Reanimator, Dredge, Graveyard Matters
Augur of Bolas - 1
Description - Not consistent enough for most decks, making it most likely to be played only in spells matters decks that are high on sorceries and instants. Omenspeaker is much more flexible while still supporting that deck.
Anchors - Spells Matter
Supports -
Balduvian Conjurer
Description - If you let your player play with snow basics, this might actually be playable in a control deck that intends to go long, letting you throw excess lands either on the attack or helping with blocks, or to sacrifice outlets. However it is still situational and is really only good in the late game in slower cubes.
Anchors -
Supports - Control, Sacrifice
Cloud of Faeries
Description - It fits narrowly into aggro decks that just want to get threats on the board early, allowing you play this and another threat. It also lets control decks play a threat while keeping mana up for counters / answers. It's evasive, but it is still a 1/1. Marginal opportunities for fixing, or acceleration with bounce lands. Can also provide Storm support.
Anchors -
Supports - Storm
Deranged Assistant
Description - Blue will usually want a less fragile accelerator, such as any mana rock. The assistance it provides to graveyard matters themes is minor, but by virtue of milling a single card, can be useful if you have enough effects like scry or look at the top of your library to hit the cards you want and improve the quality of your draws. It could be worth including then, because even without those synergies, it is still at least an accelerator.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Drake Familiar
Description - Difficult to use unless pushing an enchantment theme, though occasionally it can be used as temporary removal for opponents enchantments. You probably only want this in your cube if you are going really deep on pushing the enchantment theme. Cute synergies with Sarcomancy.
Anchors - Enchantment Matters
Supports -
Dream Stalker
Description - You are probably not going to play this turn 2 as you will probably have to return a land, but it can survive combat with almost everything up to 4-drops. It's good for bouncing ETB creatures, but can also bounce auras like Banishing Light if you want to replay them. It can even keep bouncing itself if you have ways to benefit from repeatedly playing spells or creatures entering / leaving play.
Anchors -
Supports - Bounce
Dreamscape Artist
Description - It trades 2 cards for 2 cards. The lands don't come into play tapped, so it sort of only costs 1 mana. It fills your graveyard for threshold, and let's you discard other cards that might benefit from being in the graveyard. After a few activations, you really thin your deck of lands, increasing your chance of drawing business spells. BUT, if you play this on turn 2 and activate it on turn 3 to get your engine running, it's 2 turns with no meaningful interaction with your opponent. Only for slower cubes.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator
Elusive Spellfist
Description - None of the stats or abilities are bad, but it looks like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be doing. It could be defensive, but there are better options. It could be aggressive, but there are better options. It can go in a variety of decks, but it is not likely to be a standout in any of them.
Anchors -
Supports - Spells Matter
Fathom Seer
Description - Gush is good, but this is not the same as Gush on legs. You can pay 3 mana and get a 1/3 and 2 cards which sounds good, but you can't do that effectively on turn 3. Gush doesn't demand any mana. It might be ok in slower cubes that can afford the setup time.
Anchors -
Supports -
Kaijin of the Vanishing Touch
Description - Wall of Tears is strictly better, but this is another analogue for larger cubes if you want it, or you just want to temper the effect. Tempo card that can hurt aggro decks, and even it doesn't survive it still gets to return the creature. The more prevalence beneficial ETB effects are in your cube, the less effective this will be.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Meletis Astronomer
Description - Only in an enchantment heavy theme. Fits into an aura-based Voltron theme, though fairly narrow on that theme.
Anchors -
Supports - Pants / Voltron
Plaxmanta
Description - You might consider this as a 2 mana mono-blue spell that counters anything that targets creatures you control, like removal. In that role, it's probably a bit narrower compared to other counterspells for the mana cost. You might class this as a Simic spell for cube construction, where it is gravy if it does cause a 2 for 1.
Anchors -
Supports -
Renowned Weaponsmith
Description - 2 mana is fairly solid acceleration, but you need several artifacts to make good use of it. At the very least it's a 1/3 for 2 mana, which is not great but at least can block smaller creatures. Including this in your cube may make it look like you have the two artifacts it searches for, which is unlikely to be the case.
Anchors - Artifact Matters
Supports -
Riddlesmith
Description - It's narrow, but can support an artifact matters theme. Outside of that particular archetype it probably won't see much play, but can be aggro filler if you need to fill out your curve.
Anchors - Artifact Matters
Supports -
Screeching Skaab / Sultai Skullkeeper
Description - Without taking advantage of the cards being put into the graveyard, you probably won't include this deck, except maybe as aggro filler. Does a little extra work in graveyard matters themes, whether it is chucking dredgers, unearth creatures, or enabling Worm Harvest / Spider Spawning / threshold cards. But even then, it will rarely see play outside of those types of decks.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Spellstutter Sprite
Description - Countering a spell while putting an evasive creature into play is reasonable. However, it is quite conditional, given that the vast majority of the time, you can only counter 1 mana spells (Quickling and Pestermite might help out, but rarely). While there are some good removal spells you might want to counter, you might be holding up mana for something that isn't there. Probably only for control decks that were going to hold up mana anyway.
Anchors - Control
Supports -
Stitcher's Apprentice
Description - If you have something that is about to die from removal or chumping in combat, you can always replace it. It might have spotty performance outside of sacrifice decks, but is probably good enough to make the cut sometimes in stalling decks. In sacrifice decks, you get a replacement, giving you an endless stream for triggers like Falkenrath Noble.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice
Thrummingbird
Description - It will do the most work with cards that have +1/+1 counters, so you would need enough of those cards in your cube. The dream is turn 2 Thrummingbird, turn 3 Curse of Predation, swing. But without anything else on the board, it's a bad flyer. So it only fits narrowly into that theme.
Anchors -
Supports - +1/+1 counters
Wall of Deceit
Description - It gives control decks an early wall that can turn into a bear when you are ready to turn the game around. But it's still a 0 power wall until then. Halimar Wavewatch is comparable and likely to be preferred over this.
Anchors -
Supports -
Willbender
Description - The payoff can be great, redirecting removal back to an opponents creature. But it does come with the caveat that you need enough other morphs to give it the surprise factor, and you also need to hold up mana for the 'right time', making it situational.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Aether Figment - Not good enough when you can get Latch Seeker.
Alchemist's Apprentice - Only if you want a speed bump.
Amoeboid Changeling - Tribal.
Aphetto Alchemist - Effect isn't powerful enough for the cost.
Arctic Merfolk - This is only useful if you want to re-use comes into play abilities, but there are better ways.
Bay Falcon - Meh.
Blighted Agent - Too hard to make infect a deck.
Briarberry Cohort - You would consider Vaporkin / Welkin Tern first to get the guaranteed power than this.
Cephalid Illusionist - It's hard to abuse the self-mill portion, and the damage prevention is too expensive.
Cephalid Scout - Meh until late game, when you would prefer to just have a better draw engine.
Cephalid Snitch - Bad.
Champion's Drake - Bad.
Cloudseeder - Bad.
Coast Watcher - Bad.
Coral Eel - Bad.
Coral Fighters - Doesn't do enough.
Coral Merfolk - Bad.
Coral Trickster - Not good enough when compared to Pestermite.
Crosstown Courier - If you are pushing a mill theme, you aren't attacking.
Dandan - Bad.
Deepwater Hypnotist - Requires too much set up and too situational on board state.
Diffusion Sliver - Tribal
Diplomatic Escort - Its biggest plus is that it can counter most removal, but being an on-board trick makes it too easy to play around.
Doorkeeper - Too narrow.
Dragon's Eye Savants - It's functional as a blocker against a lot of stuff, but there are just more interesting creatures that can fill the same role.
Dream Thrush - Doesn't do enough.
Drowned - Bad.
Escape Artist - THe self-bounce doesn't add enough over something like Gudul Lurker.
Flitterstep Eidolon - It's just inefficient in either mode.
Floating-Dream Zubera - Too narrow. Surveiiling Sprite is better if you want this effect.
Floodbringer - Too narrow.
Frilled Oculus - You aren't going to play it if you aren't green, in which case you would play any number of more effective options in those colours.
Ghost-Lit Warder - Neither mode is good enough.
Giant Albatross - Bad.
Giant Tortoise - It can be a nice blocker, but you want more and it dies on the attack.
Guardian of Solitude - Too narrow.
Hada Spy Patrol - Too much investment required.
Hammerhead Shark - Bad.
Haz Homunculus - Just bad.
Hisoka's Guard - Does a poor impression of half of mom.
Incursion Specialist - There are some playable cards that could trigger this multiple times, but it just isn't worth the effort or minor synergies.
Indigo Faerie - Bad.
Information Dealer - Tribal.
Ingenious Thief - Bad.
Ink Dissolver - Tribal.
Jeskai Elder - Prowess at least provides for some uncertainty if you attack with it, but its base stats are bad enough that it will still be outclassed too easily just for the potential of card filtering.
Jeskai Sage - Nah.
Jhessian Lookout - Bad.
Keeper of the Mind - The effect for cost is good, but it is just going to be too unreliable.
Krovikan Mist - Bad.
Lore Broker - Don't want to accidentally help your opponent with any of their graveyard strategies or help them filter bad cards.
Lumengrid Warden / Maritime Guardian / Straw Soldiers / Talas Merchant - Bad.
Merfolk Assassin - Bad.
Merfolk Mesmerist - Mill only works with a few key repeatable cards; you want them more resilient than this.
Merfolk Observer - Bad.
Merfolk Raiders - Bad.
Merfolk Traders - You would rather have Omenspeaker.
Metathran Soldier - Bad. Get cheaper unblockables, or get Looter-il-Kor.
Metatrhan Zombie - As this forces you to play black, you would just include Drudge Skeletons. This is not a card you would include in your cube to force Dimir.
Metropolis Sprite - You would rather play any of the 2 mana flyers with base 2 power (Welkin Tern) over this.
Minamo Scrollkeeper - There are better defenders, or better creatures that can fit a defensive role while also being able to attack if required.
Minamo Sightbender - Too slow and not enough impact for the cost.
Mistfolk - Bad.
Mistform Sliver - Tribal.
Mistform Stalker - Too much investment required.
Murmuring Phantasm - Bad.
Narcomoeba - Not going to be able to support this consistently enough.
Neurok Familiar - Too narrow.
Oboro Breezecaller - No good targets for this effect.
Oculus - Bad. Surveilling Sprite is better.
Owl Familiar - Just meh. It can support reanimator, but so can a lot of more playable stuff.
Palace Familiar / Surveilling Sprite - It might take up a slot in a control deck as a staller, but it doesn't do much more than that.
Phantasmal Mount - Bad.
Phantom Whelp - No way to make effective use of this in cube.
Plated Seastrider - Frostburn Weird is strictly better.
Port Inspector - Just bad.
Qarsi Deceiver - Too narrow outside of a cube that is dedicated to these themes.
Research Assistant - Bad. Activation way too expensive.
Rimewind Taskmage - Even if you allow your players snow basics, the prevalence of nonbasics means this will come online far too late.
Ringskipper - Trigger not reliable enough to consider.
Riptide Biologist - Bad.
Riptide Pilferer - Not good enough compared to others with same effect.
Sage of Lat-Nam - Useless in vast majority of cubes.
School of Piranha - Upkeep cost is too much.
Screeching Silcaw - Only if pushing a mill theme, AND artifact theme. Too narrow.
Sea Scryer - Bad.
Sea Sprite - Bad.
Seacost Drake - It can at least block a lot of the flying tokens and a lot of aggro flyers. But you probably want a more aggro oriented flyer yourself, or a better defensive flyer.
Shape Stealer - Can either trade with or just block the biggest attacker, but oppnent can usually kill it with his smallest blocker so it doesn't really pose a threat.
Shriekgeist - Not enough stuff to push this type of mill theme.
Silvergill Adept - Tribal.
Silvergill Douser - Tribal.
Sindbad - Too narrow.
Skyshroud Condor - Stats are not enough upside compared to difficulty in casting.
Sky Weaver - Doesn't do enough.
Sneaky Homunculus - Just get an unblockable dude.
Soldevi Machinist - Renowned Weaponsmith strictly better.
Soldevi Sage - Seems like too much investment to get going.
Soratami Cloudskater - Better off with Merfolk Looter most of the time.
Spellstutter Sprite - Tribal.
Spiketail Hatchling - Not a big enough threat.
Spire Owl - Meh. Augur of Bolas or Augury Owl better for similar effect.
Stern Proctor - Double blue hurts too much.
Stinging Licid - Bad.
Stonybrook Angler - Costing 2 mana to activate makes it too expensive.
Stonybrook Banneret - Tribal.
Storm Crow - Bad.
Stormscape Familiar - In most cases a mana rock is going to have the same effect and be more reliable.
Student of Elements - Bad.
Svyelunite Priest - Bad.
Talas Scout - Outclassed.
Tempest Owl - Neither mode is good enough.
Thalakos Seer - It's just meh. It has a 'leaves battlefield' trigger, so you can draw cards from bouncing it, but that is pretty narrow.
Thought Eater - Not enough upside to overcome not being able to play it effectively on turn 2.
Vedalken Aethermage - Tribal.
Vedalken Engineer - The colored mana is not going to make any difference in 99% of cases. Renowned Weaponsmith is better.
Vertigo Spawn - A tempo blocker, but requires your opponent to only be attacking with bears to maximise value. Wall of Tears has a similar but more effective impact.
Viscerid Drone - If it was mono-colored, the repeat kill might be worth something.
Vodalian Hypnotist - Too slow.
Vodalian Merchant - You would probably prefer Omenspeaker in most cases.
Vodalian Mystic - Too narrow.
Vodalian Soldiers - Vanilla badness.
Voidmage Apprentice - 7 mana to counter a spell…
Walking Sponge - Not going to be relevant most of the time.
Wetland Sambar / Wu Infantry - Bad.
Whirlpool Rider - Not really a good way to take advantage of this.
Willbender - Meh.
Wind Dancer - There are better ways to give your creatures evasion.
Winged Sliver - Tribal.
Wormfang Newt - If you want blue aggro creatures, you would rather get a 2/1 with upside than play this.
Wu Light Cavalry - There are better evasive creatures than this.
Wi Scout - Bad.
Wu Spy - Doesn't do enough.
Zephyr Falcon - Doesn't do enough.
Zuran Enchanter - A bit slow and not good enough as a Dimir card.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Mana Drain
Description - Occasionally it might just be a counterspell if you top deck it or just don't have anything, but other times it will lead to absolute blowouts, resulting in massive board advantages. Great in any deck with enough islands.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Mana Leak
Description - Excellent tempo counterspell or early play for a control deck. Only costing a single blue makes it more likely you can cast it on turn 2 over options like Counterspell to stem early aggro, as well as the ability to cast other blue spells while holding up Mana Leak. However it can lose some steam in the late game when they have the 3 mana spare. Can be a good support spell for aggro decks to counter the opponents answers and maintain board pressure.
Anchors -
Supports - Control, Aggro / Tempo
Remand
Description - One of the best tempo plays available. Sure, they get the threat back, but if it required timing or finesse, that is out the window. It can mess with your opponents sequencing, can keep the board clear if you are the agressor, and if you counter a 4+ cmc card and are still using the rest of your mana, you are clearly ahead. On top of that, the card draw keeps you at parity. Excellent whether you need to push your advantage, or just buy some time to get back into the game.
Anchors -
Supports -
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Counterspell
Description - It's a baseline for hard counters, but the double blue in conjunction with non-Constructed mana bases can make the U1 soft counters more desirable, depending on the deck. But still a solid counter for most blue based control decks, particularly for long games.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Daze
Description - Most of the time it is going to be cast in the mid-game when your opponent taps out for a midrange threat, providing you a solid tempo boost while having minor impact on your ability to keep affecting the board.
Anchors -
Supports -
Impulse
Description - Great for digging and finding the answer / threat that you need, and fits in nearly every blue deck. It doesn't enable anything specific; it's just good everywhere. Instant speed lets you dig for the answer you need at the exact time you need it.
Anchors -
Supports -
Into The Roil
Description - Solid and flexible tempo card. Early game you can simply clear an early threat and push a board advantage, and late game you can throw card draw in to maintain card parity.
Anchors -
Supports - Tempo
Jilt
Description - You might consider this a blue+ card, or an Izzet card. There are better pure blue options for creature bounce, but is still ok as just bounce for tempo. When kicked it can clear the board for a turn and usually results in strong tempo advantage while maintaining card parity. The rating reflects how powerful it can be in red / blue decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Singing Bell Strike
Description - Great tempo-based removal for blue. Removes most creatures from the game completely, though in the late game they can untap it if they have nothing else to spend the mana on.
Anchors -
Supports -
Snap
Description - Good tempo card, allowing you to set back your opponent while still using the mana to develop your board. Also supports Storm if you are pushing that. Minor synergies with bouncelands to accelerate, or cast Snap and untap other lands you weren't representing.
Anchors - Tempo
Supports - Storm
Standstill
Description - Standstill is an interesting card because it is either great or it is terrible. If you are in a dominant board position, you can lay it down and your opponent has to respond. If you top deck it while you are behind, it does nothing. For those reasons, it is best in blue-based aggro decks that can get out ahead quickly, forcing the opponent to respond. Also works well with manlands. If your blue section is slow and only control focused, you probably don't want this in your cube.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Arcane Denial
Description - It's the only unconditional counter that doesn't have 2 water drops in its casting cost. It does give your opponent extra cards, but if you are playing the tempo game and just need to keep the board long enough to win, the cards in their hand won't matter. You also get to draw into (hopefully) more tempo-oriented spells to keep the pressure going. In a slower control deck, the card disadvantage is likely to matter more.
Anchors -
Supports -
Boomerang
Description - There are better ways to bounce creatures, but being able to bounce lands puts this in contention. Setting your opponent back in the early game can make this a great tempo play, epecially against lands that enter the battlefield tapped. Brutal against bouncelands if you have them in your card pool. It still plays as creature bounce once your opponent has a stable land base.
Anchors -
Supports - Tempo
Compulsion
Description - The filtering can be useful, though is unlikely to make the cut in faster cubes. In slower cubes, the extra time can improve your card quality while helping dump relevant cards in the graveyard for any graveyard matters theme. It has more resiliency than creature based version, and with sufficient mana on the board can help you really dig for the answer you need. Opens up the opportunity for a turn 3 filter plus Reanimate.
Anchors -
Supports - Reanimator / Graveyard Matters
Essence Scatter / False Summoning / Preemptive Strike / Remove Soul
Description - You will always have targets, but the lack of flexibility hurts it a little. You'll sometimes wish you just had a soft counter like Mana Leak in the early game for non-creature threats (e.g. Curse of Predation), but is better in the late game for control decks that want to go long. Sometimes the extra mana matters, but Exclude gives you card advantage for an additional mana and may be the preferred spell.
Anchors -
Supports -
Favorable Winds
Description - Can be used as an anchor card for a Skies deck. Great with cards that put multiple flying tokens into play, like Spectral Procession, Lingering Souls, Midnight Haunting, and Talrand's Invocation, where the boost can add up quickly across multiple creatures.
Anchors - Skies
Supports -
Hands of Binding
Description - It has some high upside, particularly if you can pair it with something evasive. The first cast also makes it more likely you will get through, allowing you to keep a big threat in lockdown, or over a couple of turns guarantee 2 creatures are out of action. Gets more value if your cube has some unblockables, shadow etc.
Anchors -
Supports -
Legacy's Allure
Description - Played on turn 2, this can be a powerful effect to have on the board, forcing your opponent to make hard decisions about what they commit to the board. The instant speed flexibility to activate can make it hard to play around and is therefore resilient to enchantment removal. Once it has enough counters, your opponent has to consider the possibility of activating it end of their turn and then swinging with the target. However, it is situational and if you are behind, it can be a bad top deck unless you are going to survive another few turns.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Memory Lapse
Description - It's not great if the spell is truly powerful because it will come back next turn, but if the spell required timing, it can be almost as good as a regular counterspell. You also know they have the spell, allowing you to play around it next turn if needed.
Anchors -
Supports -
Miscalculation
Description - The difference between 2 mana here and the 3 mana on Mana Leak is considerable, but this counter serves mostly the same purpose. It just fizzles a bit sooner, but has the bonus of being able to cycle in the late game, or if you just need to draw a threat
Anchors -
Supports -
Narcolespy
Description - Decent blue removal, but it doesn't tap upon casting, which doesn't allow you to get past blockers that turn, and if it has a tap ability, it can still be used in response.
Anchors -
Supports -
Prohibit
Description - Decent if a little unexciting. There are a number of decent targets at 2 mana (including most removal). In the late game you probably don't mind paying the kicker cost to hit the majority of targets.
Anchors -
Supports -
Telekinesis
Description - On it's own, this can take out a creature for 3 attack phases, which is excellent against mid-size creatures or ramp targets if you just need to survive a bit longer. However enchantments like Singing Bell Strike can do that more permanently. The double blue makes it harder to recommend over some of those options.
Anchors - Tempo
Supports -
Think Twice
Description - It's not particularly fast, but it is inevitable card advantage. You aren't going to be particularly excited about it in a dredge deck. Better in control decks full of instants or flash creatures to be able to hold up mana and cast at end of opponents turn if there is nothing better to do.
Anchors -
Supports - Draw/Flash Go
Withdraw
Description - Answering your opponents tapout on turn 4 or 5 and returning 6 or more mana's worth of creatures to their hand is a good beating. The last clause makes it bad in the late game, but decent for a tempo-based deck that just wants to keep the way clear long enough. The double blue isn't terrible, as you won't want to play it in the first few turns. May have some legs in a bounce deck by targeting your own creature with the second effect (they don't need to be controlled by the same player) while also setting your opponents board back. Worth noting that you must have two targets to be able to cast it.
Anchors -
Supports - Bounce
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Agoraphobia
Description - It removes a threat, but you still have to attack into it. However it may still have a place in control decks that just need to shut down early threats.
Anchors -
Supports -
Anticipate
Description - It's worse than Impulse, but it is still playable if you want redundancy of the effect, giving you instant access to the top 3 cards if you need an immediate answer.
Anchors -
Supports -
Call to Heel
Description - Most bounce leans towards your opponents creatures with the upside of targeting yours in a pinch, but this is the opposite. Can help save a creature from removal while generating card advantage, or provide assistance to a bounce deck. In a pinch, you can always clear a blocker or a truly threatening creature.
Anchors - Bounce
Supports -
Chronic Flooding
Description - It doesn't affect the board, but could be useful if you want to go deep for dredge / delve / threshold strategies. Potential for player to assume you have mill win conditions in your cube if they see this without understanding the archetypes you are pushing in your cube.
Anchors - Dredge, Graveyard Matters
Supports -
Confound
Description - It has limited targets, but it counters most removal as well as opposing creature buffs while providing card advantage.
Anchors -
Supports -
Delay
Description - So long as you are going to win in the next 3 turns, it doesn't matter that the spell is coming back. It makes this counterspell a bit narrower than others, but can help give aggro / tempo decks a counterspell that 'hunker down' control won't want. Some spells might fizzle or be less than optimal if they do come back.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro / Tempo
Deprive
Description - It's obviously worse than Counterspell, but is a 2 mana hard counter. You won't be playing it early, but allows you to hold up two mana in the late game when the likes of Mana Leak are too late to be effective. Aggro / tempo decks might have more option to give up the land drop a little earlier, but the soft counters are probably going to be just as effective there.
Anchors -
Supports -
Echoing Truth
Description - Tempo decks are going to much prefer Vapor Snag / Unsummon. There will be occasions where you will want to bounce an artifact or enchantment, but auras and equipment will still fall off if you bounce creatures. The mana difference will be relevant more frequently. This can hose tokens if you want a card to counter those types of decks; consider Disperse if you don't want that effect. Into The Roil is going to strictly better unless you really care about dealing with tokens.
Anchors -
Supports -
Eel Umbra
Description - It's functional, but not exciting. It's best use will be where the +1/+1 is enough to win a combat that was going to be a loss, and then have the totem armor provide a sort of 2 for 1 by surviving another combat. But that is all situational and it is likely to be stranded in your hand for a while.
Anchors -
Supports -
Familiar's Ruse
Description - Counterspell is 'strictly' better because it doesn't have an additional cost, but this has narrow applications in a bounce deck. You might play it outside of that archetype, but it will be inconsistent and sometimes just stranded if you don't have a creature on the board.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ideas Unbound
Description - It can help graveyard based decks, but has minor use outside of that archetype given that it ends up being card disadvantage. It could be used in explosive aggro decks as the last card in hand that it plays in the mid-game, to fill up the hand and cast stuff the same turn, but that is pretty narrow, and the double blue doesn't help.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator, All-out aggro
Mage's Guile
Description - It's like a narrow counterspell for removal, with some flexibility upside with cycling. Or you could view it as a 1 mana cantrip to make your blue decks smaller with shroud upside.
Anchors -
Supports -
Merchant Scroll
Description - It's usefulness will largely depend on other blue instants in your cube and the decks you are pushing, but the narrow target range means it often won't make the cut.
Anchors -
Supports -
Military Intelligence
Description - Could be worth it for blue / X aggro decks, particularly for 'Skies' or tempo based aggro, using the card draw to continue to lay down aggro threats, or bouncing / tapping down opponents resources. Can also work in a token deck, but it is the kind of card you want to go to work for you right away, not wait around in your hand. Minor tension with whether to drop this or drop threats first.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro / Tempo
Negate
Description - There are some powerful noncreature spells in cube. This might end up being a sideboard card, but its inclusion in your cube scales with the quality and quantity of your noncreature spells. Other soft counters are more flexible and likely to be more desirable for decks than this.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ovinize
Description - It's not an outright kill spell, but this can serve as blue removal, letting you kill an attacker as long as you have something with at least 1 power to block with. Conditional, but is a blue 'removal' option.
Anchors -
Supports -
Perilous Research
Description - At least as an instant, you can sac something that is about to chump or is the target of removal. Provides some minor synergy with sacrifice decks, but most decks will want their card draw to be more flexible. Minor support for sacrifice decks with the likes of Blood Artist / Falkenrath Noble / Hissing Iguanar.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice
Spectral Flight
Description - It comes with the standard 2 for 1 aura problem, but evasion and a decent boost for a reasonable cost can make this one worth consideration, primarily for decks that want to end games quickly before the opponent can answer the threat.
Anchors -
Supports -
Strategic Planning
Description - Let's you filter for card quality, while also being able to dump stuff in the graveyard. At 2 mana, you can either have better digging options with Impulse, or some of the 1 mana cantrips. This might be a swap if you want keep card filtering but give your graveyard matters decks a little push.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Telling Time
Description - Reasonable card filtering. As an instant can help you filter or dig when you need to. Impulse is better because you get to dig a card deeper. While it's definitely a niche archetype, this supports 'top of deck matters' cards.
Anchors -
Supports - Top of Deck Matters
Words of Wisdom
Description - You end up at card parity, but you get to cast it end of turn, so you get to play your 2 new cards first. Could fit in a tempo deck that gets an early board presence and keeps bouncing the opponents permanents, and they won't benefit from the extra cards before they're dead. However it is pretty narrow on that archetype.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Accumulated Knowledge - Not for cube.
Aether Burst - Not for cube.
Alexi's Coat - It kind of says "counter target spell or ability that targets a creature you control". Confound is better for that. The ongoing shroud doesn't really make up for that.
Arcanum Wings - Doesn't do enough.
Aura Graft - Too narrow.
Aura of Dominion - Token decks with pingers? Block and then protect with Mother of Runes? Outside of those narrow combos, any other instance where it might be useful, say untapping a big attacker so it can block, you would rather have just played another creature or something else that affected the board.
Backslide - Way too narrow.
Barrin's Unmaking - Too unreliable.
Brain Freeze - There isn't enough support for a dedicated mill deck, and you don't want to cast it on yourself for graveyard strategies because it does nothing to the board. Not reliable enough for storm decks.
Buoyancy - Bad.
Carry Away - Bad.
Chill - Bad.
Cloak of Mists - Bad. Aqueous Form cheaper and better.
Consuming Vortex - Bad Unsummon / Vapor Snag.
Contempt - Creature can still block. Better to lock it down with something like Singing Bell Strike etc.
Convinving Mage - Bad.
Coral Reef - Way too intensive for little gain.
Corrupted Resolve - Bahahahaha.
Counterbalance - Bad. Can't effectively control this like in constructed.
Creature Bond - Bad. No impact on the board.
Crown of Ascension - Bad.
Crypsis - I think they forgot to print "Draw a card" on it. It's not worth the card investment.
Cunning - Bad.
Customs Depot - Enclave Cryptologist, Looter il-Kor and Merfolk Looter are going to be more consistent. They are creatures and a bit more vulnerable, but having to pay mana and having no effect on the board renders this short of playable.
Dampen Thought - Not enough good support to make dedicated mill into a thing.
Dance of Many - Too much investment and setup required.
Dance of the Skywise - Requires too many things to go right.
Deep Water - Bad.
Diplomatic Immunity - Alexi's Cloak strictly better.
Disdainful Stroke - Well, it’s guaranteed to give you mana advantage! But you want more flexibility from your counterspells, given that most (well constructed) decks won't have many cards 4 and above outside of ramp decks.
Dispersal Shield - Too conditional.
Disperse - Into the Roil is strictly better.
Downpour - While not essentially unplayable, there are enough better options that serve a similar purpose, like Frost Breath, Sleep, Crippling Chill, all of which can maximise value even if the opponent doesn't have 3 creatures.
Dragon Wings - Narrow. Need to have sufficient fatty support, plus enough ways to get this into the graveyard. Maybe in Simic ramp? Probably not useful elsewhere. And probably better ways to give flying to things anyway.
Fatigue - This is going to be too inconsistent to matter.
Early Frost - You could make a case for it supporting an aggro tempo deck to lock down opposing lands, but it's too inconsistent to rely on.
Encase in Ice - Too narrow.
Enervate - Fire // Ice strictly better.
Ensoul Artifact - Requires too much support to be consistent enough.
Evasive Action - Mana Leak (or many other counterspells) will be better than this vast majority of the time.
Excavation - The symmetry is too hard to break given that you have to invest the card. Nice with Land Tax, but not worth it for that synergy.
Extinguish - Too narrow.
Eye of Nowhere - Boomerang strictly better because it is an instant.
Fascination - Sorcery speed kills it. The card draw gives you’re opponent a full turn to use everything they have drawn. The milling is not efficient.
Fate Foretold - It needs a creature in play before you can cantrip it. If the target is removed in response, you get nothing. And you have to have it die to get the extra card. A lot of things need to go right.
Fishliver Oil - Bad.
Flash Counter - Too narrow.
Flashfreeze - Too narrow.
Font of Fortunes - It costs 4 mana for 2 cards. While there are some advantages to being an enchantment, it's not close enough to playable to make it in enchantment matters deck.
Force Away - The conditional card filter isn’t strong enough to make up for the extra mana cost over Unsummon / Vapor Snag.
Foreshadow - Bad.
Foresight - Manipulate Fate strictly better.
Framed! - Cube dependant.
Gainsay - Too narrow.
Ghostform - Artful Dodge is going to provide more flexibility in most cases.
Ghostly Touch - It effectively costs you two cards to get this effect, and it isn't worth that.
Ghostly Wings - Doesn't do enough.
Glint - Doesn't do enough.
Grip of Amnesia - Terrible.
Hermetic Study - Bad, card disadvantage.
Hesitation - Your opponent can see it coming and can play into. Does nothing when you are behind.
Hidden Strings - The lack of lockdown means it isn't really relevant for combat once it has been ciphered. Too situational.
Hisoka's Defiance - Too narrow.
Homarid Spawning Bed - It costs 5 mana before it does anything, and either requires an additional sacrifice upfront, or timing to respond to removal etc. Too intensive.
Hoodwink - You would not want this over other bounce options.
Hubris - Too narrow.
Ice Cage - Bad. Too easy to break.
Iceberg - Bad.
Icy Prison - Too costly.
Illuminated Wings - Doesn't do enough.
Illusionary Terrain - Bad.
Immobilizing Ink - Gives them an out, and no worthwhile combos you can play yourself.
Inaction Injunction - Not good enough.
Inertia Bubble - Bad.
Interdict - Too narrow.
Invisibility - Bad.
Ior Ruin Expedition - Too slow.
Jace's Erasure - Too slow even if you want to push mill.
Jaded Response - Too narrow.
Jinx - Doesn't do anything worthwhile.
Laquatas's Disdain - Bad.
Lat-Nam's Legacy - It looks similar to 'draw 2, discard 1', which would be excellent at 2 mana. You get rid of a card you don't want, and get the opportunity to draw 2 more. But it doesn't enable graveyard strategies like a discard effect would, and it's a terrible top deck for 2 reasons; you have to wait a turn, so you can't refill and cast straight away, and you MUST shuffle a card in. It's useless if you don't have another card.
Launch - Doesn’t do enough.
Lifetap - Bad.
Lifting Refrain - Bad.
Lingering Mirage - Bad.
Logic Knot - For two blue mana, you could just actually counter it…
Lost in Thought - It might be ok in blue aggro decks when they won't have 3 cards, but other blue 'removal' effects are better.
Mana Vapors - Could be a tempo card, but relies on your opponent having tapped all their lands. It might seal a game that is even or where you are ahead, but it is too unreliable.
Manipulate Fate - Paying two mana to slightly improve your draws doesn't do enough.
Meddle - Too narrow.
Memory's Journey - It's not a cantrip, and the flashback is off-colour… There are decks that might benefit from this effect, but not with this narrow application.
Merrow Commerce - Tribal.
Metamorphose - About the only time you would be happy to play this was if your opponent had an empty hand. It might get rid of a truly threatening card in other situations, but will usually still be replaced with something else.
Mind Sculpt - Aggro' mill is not deep enough to support, stick to repeatable effects if you really want mill.
Misstep - It relies too much on the opponent having tapped them first. Exhaustion costs more but is likely to be more robust. Frost Breath may also be worth considering if you want this type of effect.
Mistform Mask - Bad.
Muddle the Mixture - Too narrow and the transmute doesn't add enough.
Mystic Veil - Bad.
Neutralizing Blast - Too few targets.
Nullify - Just get counterspell, or Essence Scatter.
Omen - Strictly worse than Ponder.
Ordeal of Thassa - Bad. Minor immediate impact, inherent card disadvantage.
Peel From Reality - It's a narrow application, but it might work in a bounce deck to get you back an ETB creature while setting your opponents board back. Outside of a deck with sufficient ETB creatures (and therefore enough in your cube), it's unlikely to see play. You could cast it in response to removal, but you are probably looking at parity; you both spend mana casting a card, and you both get set back on the board. But that is pretty narrow upside, and not enough to warrant space in your cube.
Peer Through Depths - Given the narrow search criteria and limited cards, this supports a spells matters deck (setting up your next trigger), but is not playable anywhere else. You could include it to throw that deck a card other decks don't want, but there are generally better cards for that.
Pendrell Flux - At first glance it looks like a form of blue removal, but your opponent has the choice of paying if they are still going to win the next turn by keeping the creature around.
Phantasmal Terrain - Bad.
Phantom Wings - The flexibility doesn't make up for the expensive cost of either of those effects.
Pin to the Earth - The flexibility of Agoraphobia will matter more often than the additional point of power reduction.
Power Artifact - Bad.
Power Leak - Targets too conditional and bad in the late game.
Power Taint - Targets too conditional and bad in the late game.
Predict - You need a specific environment / deck to make this more than a 2 mana cantrip. You need too much scry / top of deck matters cards to get good advantage for this.
Prohibit - Too narrow.
Psionic Gift - Bad. Card disadvantage.
Psychic Barrier - The 1 life loss does not compare favourably to either Essence Scatter or Counterspell.
Psychic Puppetry - You will never use the arcane, which makes this bad.
Psychic Rebuttal - It has to target you, making this too narrow.
Psychic Venom - Meh. Even if cast early, unlikely to matter much.
Quickchange - Worse than sway of illusion.
Quiet Speculation - It gives you access to 3 spells, which you tutor for, but if the cost of the flashback isn't reasonable then you've wasted your time. You will probably need a pretty specific set of cards supporting this, and then drafted together, to consider spending your second turn setting up. If I could guarantee I could get Crippling Fatigue, Deep Analysis and Roar of the Wurm every time (which also would need to have not already been drawn by the time Quiet Speculation is played) then maybe. But that is across 3 colours, and the chance of drafting those altogether is almost nil. This is going to be too parasitic for most cubes.
Reality Ripple - It doesn't do enough to be considered removal.
Reality Shift - It's instant speed blue removal, but the drawback is too much.
Reality Spasm - Doesn't do enough.
Rebound - Too narrow.
Refocus - I'm surprised there isn't a strictly better version than this. Still, it doesn't do enough.
Research the Deep - Not consistent enough.
Reset - As a card, can either be used to surprise your opponent and have more mana available than they anticipated, or unorthodox ramp on their turn. In the context of cube, it isn't going to find a home in a deck.
Rites of Refusal - Costs you two cards to be a Mana Leak, and 3 cards to almost guarantee they can't cast a spell. I invoke my rite to refuse this card.
Rune Snag - Bad in singleton cube.
Runner's Bane - Meh. Ok effect but narrowness of targets not appealing compared to similar options.
Scent of Brine - Bad.
Second Guess - Far too narrow.
See Beyond - You end up at card parity, but get to see two new cards, both if which you can keep if you have something worse in hand to get rid of. It can help shape your hand early, especially if you are either mana screwed or mana flooded. On an empty hand, it is worse than Preordain. Ultimately it's not bad, but other card filters / draws are generally more efficient or effective, and you won't need to go deep enough on those effects to include this.
Send to Sleep - While not terrible, you would rather pay the extra mana for Frost Breath and guarantee 2 turns of the creatures being out of action. When you don't have spell mastery, which is far from guaranteed, the impact is not enough for the cost of the card.
Shimmering Mirage - Doesn't do enough.
Silhouette - Too narrow.
Silumgar's Scorn - Doesn't do anything for peasant cube.
Skygames - The fact that the activation is only sorcery speed means you should be looking at equipment for your flying needs.
Skyscribing - Too hard to break the symmetry in peasant cube.
Snapback - No mana to clear an opposing creature is a great tempo play, but two cards is often going to be too high a cost, and paying the regular mana cost is too much. Snap is better for the same spot.
Snow Devil - Bad.
Soar - Bad.
Sorry - Doesn't do anything in singleton peasant.
Spell Rupture - Too narrow.
Spell Syphon - Too narrow.
Spreading Seas - Bad.
Squelch - Too narrow.
Spectral Cloak - Bad.
Sleeping Potion / Spectral Prison - Too easy to break compared to other blue 'sleep' options.
Steal Enchantment - Bad.
Stratus Walk - Just meh.
Stream of Unconsciousness - Doesn't do enough to warrant the card disadvantage.
Stupefying Touch - It replaces itself, but the effect is too narrow. You would rather have something like Singing Bell-Strike that can target almost anything.
Stymied Hopes / Voyage's End - The extra mana over Unsummon isn't worth a single scry.
Suffocation - Too narrow.
Sunken City - Bad.
Sunken Field - Bad.
Sway of Illusion - It doesn't do enough.
Taigam's Scheming - Potential graveyard synergies / deck stacking doesn't make up for the inherent card disadvantage.
Teferi's Curse - Meh. Seems better just to get rid of the target.
Teferi's Veil - Doesn't seem to have any benefit.
Thassa's Rebuff - Too inconsistent.
Tidal Bore - In the right tempo-based deck, it can be effective as a free spell to tap down something on your opponents board once you start hitting the top of your curve, but is too narrow an effect compared to other options.
Tidal Surge - Downpour strictly better.
Time and Tide - I thought this sounded like a good end of turn trick until I re-read it and the creatures have to have phasing.
Tolarian Winds - It is inherent card disadvantage. It may provide an improvement to card quality and dump some stuff for graveyard strategies, but it's not worth the card disadvantage.
Train of Thought - The flexibility comes at too high a cost; inefficiency.
Transmute Artifact - Too narrow.
Trapfinder's Trick - Errr…no.
Trapmakers Snare - Too narrow.
Treasure Hunt - Without manipulation, most decks will have about a 60% chance of just getting one card. 40% of the time you get 2 cards… or more. The potential for high upside isn't going to outweigh the times you get 1 card. If you support a narrow 'top of deck matters' deck, it could be ok in that deck.
Truth or Tale - You aren't likely to get the card you want.
Turn the Tide - Not good enough.
Turn to Frog - A form of permanent instant speed removal for blue if you can block the offender in combat. Very conditional, where other removal options (auras etc) are just going to be better.
Unified Will - Too narrow.
Updraft - Leap strictly better.
Veil of Secrecy - There are better counterspells, and better cards to give unblockable.
Veiled Apparition - Bad.
Venarian Gold - Bad.
View from Above - It's only ok (and just ok) in a blue white deck. You wouldn't waste an Azorius slot on this, and unless you are skewing your colours, it is in the best two flying colours anyway.
Viscerid Armor - Just not good.
Vision Skeins - Words of Wisdom exists.
Volrath's Curse - Bad. Gives them an out.
Whirlpool Whelm - Too inconsistent to be good.
Wind Sail - Sorcery speed means it isn't a good combat trick.
Wings of Velis Vel - Means that any of your little creatures can survive a lot of things, but not everything. You would rather have removal.
Worldly Counsel - Even if you push 5 colour decks, this is too narrow compared to other green digging cards that more decks can use.
Zephyr Charge - 4 mana before you give your first creature flying. Investing in equipment would be better.
Zephyr Net - Not good at anything.
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Description - Excellent accelerator and fixer while also able to be a 'free' speed bump, stemming damage in the early game against aggro, or even a large late game threat. Possibly the only time you wouldn't play it is in a blistering fast green/x aggro deck that doesn't want to take time off from swinging.
Anchors -
Supports -
Wall of Roots
Description - Can stall early aggro for a couple of turns while still getting value from the acceleration. Can help squeeze out extra value by providing mana in your opponents turn if you have combat tricks, flash creatures, or instant speed activated abilities. Top tier accelerator
Anchors -
Supports - Flash / Go, Ramp
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Devoted Druid
Description - It lets you untap on turn 3 into 5 mana if you hit your land drop, which can lead to an explosive start. You wouldn't rely on it, but you might eke out 3 or more mana in a single turn if you can boost it's toughness.
Anchors -
Supports - Ramp
Jade Mage
Description - It might not make the cut is super-fast aggro decks, but even there it gives you something to do with spare mana. Left alone a while it can build a solid board state that is useful to most types of decks. Can be a contributor to a sacrifice deck, or a more controlling version of a token deck.
Anchors -
Supports - Tokens, Sacrifice
Leafcrown Dryad
Description - Its flexibility makes it solid. 2/2 with reach isn't setting the world on fire, but is still ok in a range of decks. The bestow is where it shines, giving you the option of setting up a strong defensive creature, or just keeping up pressure by casting and then swinging. Supplementary support for enchantment matters theme if you include them in your cube. To n00b1n8tR, it is a crime not to consider the art in your evaluation.
Anchors -
Supports - Voltron, Enchantment Matters
Mire Boa
Description - The swampwalk may turn some cubers away as it punishes black, but a 2/1 that regenerates for a single mana is solid in aggro decks to survive combat where it would usually trade, or to sit back in a more controlling deck and ward off attacks.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Nest Invader
Description - A bear+ that provides some synergies for a few different types of decks. The additional mana on the following turn can help cement a board prescence for aggro / midrange decks. It fits into sacrifice decks, and works particularly well with the morbid ability. It doesn't set the world on fire for token decks, but helps you go wide if you have power boosters. At worst in a control deck, you get a couple of blockers against early aggro decks to survive until you can make your late plays.
Anchors -
Supports -
River Boa
Description - The islandwalk may turn some cubers away as it punishes blue, but a 2/1 that regenerates for a single mana is solid in aggro decks to survive combat where it would usually trade, or to sit back in a more controlling deck and ward off attacks.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Strangleroot Geist
Description - Good enough upside to consider double green on a 2-drop. Swings for 2 on turn 2 with a good degree of resiliency. Even on the defensive, starting at 2 power and upgrading to 3 means you will usually have the opportunity for a couple of trades. Also has some value in getting a couple of uses from sacrifice decks.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice
Wall of Blossoms
Description - Solid for ramp or control decks, providing an early blocker without the cost of a card. It's not a juicy target for bounce decks, but can get some card draw going for that deck if it needs it.
Anchors -
Supports - Ramp, Bounce
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Ainok Survivalist
Description - It will depend on your stance on morph, but is a reasonable piece of enchantment / artifact removal. It costs 5 mana if you need that removal right now, but the morph options mean you can break down those costs depending on the game state. Sometimes you might just need a 2-drop to sequence your plays and hit your curve.
Anchors -
Supports -
Albino Troll
Description - The echo can make it harder to sequence, but you can always drop it turn 2 to stem some early aggro until you can hit your regen mana. In an aggro deck you aren't going to want to pay for your 2 drop twice, but the 'split' cost of echo can can help you drop 2 creatures later as you curve out.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ambush Viper
Description - It's most common use would be as a 'removal' spell for non-flying attackers. In that light, it is a pretty narrow removal spell, but this is green. It is also a creature you can flash in at the end of your opponents turn and beat down with if you need it to. Ultimately it is not bad, just not exciting. Maybe if you are looking for options for a Simic flash / go deck.
Anchors -
Supports - Flash / Go
Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
Description - It can potentilly swing into just about anything on turn 3 for 4, but you have to give up other third turn board development to do so. In topdeck mode, dropping this for 5 mana for a 4/4 is not efficient but not terrible. The upside of the final level is not enough to consider spending the extra 9 mana unless you have nothing else to do.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro / Midrange
Boreal Centaur
Description - The score is on the assumption you let your players have snow basics, in which case it can be ok as an aggro creature. It can make combat decisions more difficult for your opponent in the early game, and having the mana spare isn't likely to be a problem later.
Anchors -
Supports -
Broodhatch Nantuko
Description - If your opponent is the beatdown, this can be an ok early staller, chumping to get some number of token replacements. Difficult to abuse, and requires your opponent to be willing to attack you, but if you support enough morph creatures for this to be a surprise it might be decent. Get's a little better if you can throw Rancor or power boosting equipment on it so your opponent has to take notice, but I'd be dubious that the tokens are worth putting other auras on it and getting 2 for 1'd. Can also get some mileage in token decks.
Anchors -
Supports - Tokens
Darkthicket Wolf
Description - It's a bear that can threaten to be worth two bears. Best in aggro decks, where you can drop it on turn 2, and swing on turn 3 with 3 mana open into almost anything. If the opponent blocks, you can pump and secure board advantage. If they don't, which is more likely, you get to connect for a couple of damage and keep developing your board.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Deadly Recluse
Description - Similar to Thornweald Archer, though this is more defensive. They are likely to trade in combat in similar situations, but the spider can survive spirit tokens and is a little more resistant to divisible burn or pinging effects if that is more important to you than being able to attack for 2.
Anchors -
Supports -
Flinthoof Boar
Description - This can come down as 3/3 on turn 2 which is excellent, with the possibility of being a hasty 3/3 for 3 later. Solid all around for Gruul decks.
Anchors - Aggro / midrange
Supports -
Gatstaf Shepherd
Description - It might not be consistent, but it does help green aggro.
Anchors -
Supports -
Gemhide Sliver
Description - 2-drops that generate mana are generally poor, but making any colour makes this ok even when it is alone. However, it may make your drafters believe there is a sliver theme to draft. Manaweft Sliver only affects your own, but is unlikely to matter unless you actually push Slivers as a tribe.
Anchors -
Supports - Sliver Tribal
Heir of the Wilds
Description - A bear with deathtouch is reasonable. It compares with Thornweald Archer or Ambush Viper, but this is the slightly more resilient and aggressive version, allowing it survive chump blocks by 1/1's, ans sometimes getting in for 3 damage.
Anchors -
Supports -
Hermit Druid
Description - Can be an enabler for graveyard based decks. Decks that have recursive elements often require a bit of mana, so the land searching aspect is good for those decks while also dumping things in the yard. Picked early, you might prioritise more nonbasics to maximise the graveyard dump. It might not be the first choice, but in non-graveyard decks like ramp or control it can still find extra lands to be played.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters, Ramp
Manaweft Sliver
Description - 2-drops that generate mana are generally poor, but making any colour makes this ok even when it is alone. However, it may make your drafters believe there is a sliver theme to draft. You could go Gemhide Sliver if you want a second of this effect; they are identical unless you actually support other Slivers.
Anchors -
Supports -
Overgrown Battlement
Description - Most 2 drop accelerators are not very good, but the 4 toughness gives this some flexibility to stall aggro, especially if you have instants or on-board abilities you can sink the mana into end of turn. While the 'defender deck' is a narrow archetype, it does support it, though it is comfortable just sitting alongside Wall of Blossoms as the only other defender in your cube without needing specific defender support.
Anchors -
Supports - Defender
Satyr Wayfinder
Description - It puts a mostly irrelevant creature on the board, but it’s the ETB effect that matters most. Helps you dig for lands if you need to find your next drop (or have a bunch of utility lands), but perhaps more importantly is the ability to drop stuff in the graveyard. A selection of 4 cards is big enough to help put creatures in the yard for reanimation, dredgers, or just put more cards in to activate threshold.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Thornweald Archer
Description - It's not a blowout, but it is decent in a range of decks. It's likely to simply trade more often than not when used aggressively, but can break through any 0-power walls you might have in your environment (Wall of Blossoms, Nyx-Fleece Ram, Wall of Denial etc.) or trade up if all they have to block with is a midrange / fatty creature. On the defensive it can make attacking difficult for your opponent given that it can block most things, forcing them to make poor decisions or buying you time.
Anchors -
Supports -
Undercity Troll
Description - Solid bear with upside. Played turn 2, most of the time you will be able to attack and hold up the regeneration mana if they have a blocker, providing hard choices for your opponent. Against some decks it might not be worth giving up your third turn to survive combat, but then you would just trade and play your 3-drop. The regen isn't cheap, but is mostly bonus.
Anchors -
Supports -
Werebear
Description - 2 drops that accelerate a single mana need to have good upside over the 1 mana versions to be worth consideration. The ability to be a 4/4 is lucrative enough, but you need to provide sufficient support to get enough cards in the graveyard. Providing that support is not too difficult, turning your accelerator into a legitimate threat. Outside of the graveyard / attrition decks, it is going to be worse than the 1 mana accelerators.
Anchors - Graveyard Matters
Supports -
Wild Mongrel
Description - Supports a number of different graveyard strategies, particularly being able to drop a target for reanimation, can turn threshold on at instant speed, and can set up an early Roar of The Wurm or other flashback cards, all while threatening combat. Even without support it can be difficult to block, and attacking an opponent who has low health while you have a few cards in hand can make decisions difficult for your opponent.
Anchors - Graveyard Matters, Reanimator
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Blight Mamba
Description - Too hard to make infect a thing, so this won't be attacking. It could be a defensive creature that slowly dwindles opposing creatures down… slowly… It might just be ok if you throw some equipment or other power boosters on it; your opponent might be willing to throw his wider army at you a few turns in a row if you are only reducing his total forces by -1/-1, but be more reluctant if you can outright kill that Skysnare Spider in 2 attacks. You would have to have enough support and draft around this pretty aggressively to make that happen though.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Boneyard Wurm
Description - You aren't likely to play this on turn 2. Can be a solid finisher in attrition based decks, or dredge decks, where it can get large quickly. If you are going to be waiting to cast it, you want the payoff to be worth it. If you are consistently not playing it until you've got 6+ mana on the board, it had better be a 5/5 or greater, which might be a third of the creatures in your deck being in your graveyard.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard Matters
Bramblesnap
Description - It can be useful in a tokens deck or other decks that go wide, though it isn't likely to be of much use elsewhere. It's dependent on the board position, but with a few other creatures it can make it harder for your opponent to attack into you and expect a trade, and with a few more, the trample can help you break through stalemates. With only a couple of other creatures on your board though, it doesn't have a lot of value.
Anchors -
Supports - Tokens
Bramblewood Paragon
Description - If you have enough Warriors in your cube, this could be worth the times it will just be a bear. With monstrous and unleashed creatures in your cube, the trample can also be relevant. But it needs that specific support to be worth considering.
Anchors - Warrior sub-theme, +1/+1 counters
Supports -
Brindle Shoat
Description - If your opponent is the beatdown, this can be an ok early staller, hopefully trading the 1/1 but at least chumping and then getting a more reasonable threat. If you are the beatdown, this is terrible though, as the opponent will just let the 1 damage through. Has some extra legs in sacrifice decks as a 2 for 1.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice
Brushstrider
Description - With power more than the casting cost, this could fit into a green aggro mold, though the vigilance is not exciting and it will die to almost anything. Best in decks that can keep blockers out of the way.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Canopy Spider
Description - It will depend on the prevalence and breakdown of flyers in your cube, but it can deal with spirit tokens, and some of the aggro options such as Mistral Charger, Vampire Interloper, and Welkin Tern, while also being able to hold off bears on the ground. It might not be exciting, but it might fill a particular spot for your defensive green decks in dealing with that subset of creatures. You may also consider Juvenile Gloomwidow if you don't care about the double green.
Anchors -
Supports -
Carapace Forger
Description - Only playable in the artifact deck, which you would need to support pretty hard to make up for the times this would jut be a bear.
Anchors - Artifact Matters
Supports -
Dreampod Druid
Description - You wouldn't play it outside of an aura-based Voltron deck (unless you are desparate to fill your curve), but this could be a solid anchor for that deck. Usual 2 for 1 caveat applies, but getting 2 token per turn cycle is decent upside. Following this up with something like Griffin Guide or Elephant Guide can quickly give you excellent board development if your opponent doesn't have an answer. A bear isn't too threatening, but if it's unenchanted your opponent won't dare cast the likes of Pacifism or Singing Bell Strike on it.
Anchors - Voltron / Pants
Supports -
Dryad Sophisticate
Description - It's value will change depending on the prevalence of nonbasic lands in your cube or your draft format, but the inconsistency means it isn't amazing.
Anchors -
Supports -
Elvish Visionary
Description - It can at worst chump while cycling. It's mostly filler though, and doesn't really support any specific types of decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Elvish Warrior
Description - It's strictly worse than Kalonian Tusker. It does have good stats for its cost, but costing double green makes it difficult to land on turn 2. While it has good stats, the lack of extra abilities means that it is more likely to be outclassed by the time you cast it.
Anchors -
Supports -
Garruk's Companion
Description - It has good stats, but it's not quite big enough for the trample to matter a great deal, and the 2 toughness means it is still going to get killed by a decent amount of things. Not being able to consistently cast this on turn 2 in multi-colour decks also makes it harder to consider, unless you actively push mono-colour decks.
Hamlet Captain
Description - There are likely to be enough Humans in your cube that this might actually be ok to contribute primarily towards wide, depending on your thoughts on errata and the versions of cards that you have.
Anchors - Human Tribal
Supports -
Kalonian Tusker
Description - Solid stats for cost, but it's the sort of creature you want to cast on turn 2, which will be more difficult given the double green in its cost. If you actively support mono-decks though, then this is solid in that deck.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Kavu Predator
Description - This will be cube dependant, but if you have a lot of incidental life gain effects, this might be worth including. It's not worth considering any cards that might give your opponent life to pair it with though, and it might be too strong a hate card if you are pushing a life gain matters theme.
Anchors -
Supports -
Laughing Hyena
Description - Give it a mention because it could be decent in graveyard strategies. But of course will depend on your play group… and whether you are funny or not.
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Nightshade Peddler
Description - In most decks, you are just going to want a better creature that has deathtouch. It probably only has use in decks where you can pump out tokens, so you can keep pairing them. Also has fringe use with reds pingers.
Anchors -
Supports - Tokens
Pendelhaven Elder
Description - At first glance, it would fit in with a token theme, and would work well alongside a number of token generators that make 1/1's, with some minor upside with some other utility creatures. However, it can turn into a nombo if you include other permanent token boosting cards (Intangible Virtue, Phantom General).
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Supports - Tokens
Plant Elemental
Description - Supports low curve aggro, allowing this to be played potentially alongside another 2 drop on turn 4. You will need to be heavy on green aggro to consider it.
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Priest of Titania
Description - Played alone, this is a bad Llanowar Elf. With another Elf on the field, it becomes good acceleration. Its inclusion is likely to be less as an indicator of Elf tribal being supported, but rather a ramp strategy supported by Elf mana producers. You need enough other Elves, but there are enough playables Elves without going out of your way to include them.
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Supports - Ramp
Quirion Sentinel
Description - Most of its value will come from being in an aggro deck, putting two power on the board and then playing something else. It's pretty close to being strictly worse than Burning-Tree Emissary in a similar role (minor flexibility in casting and creates any colour mana) but it can fit a similar role in helping to fill the board quickly.
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Supports - Aggro
Scryb Ranger
Description - Has utility, but most cubes don't have a lot of creatures that tap for effect that you would want to use this for. Can still set up blocks after you've attacked, get out from some opponents tap effects. It can also re-use mana accelerators, replay Forets for landfall triggers, and if you don't have a land drop for the turn, pseudo-acceleration. While those synergies exist, they aren't high impact most of the time. You probably want Quirion Ranger over this for the cheaper mana cost.
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Silhana Ledgewalker
Description - Can fit the hexproof version of the Voltron / pants deck, but if you aren't actively supporting it, you don't want this.
Anchors - Voltron / Pants
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Temur Charger
Description - It exists if you want to maximise greens 3 power 2-drops for aggro decks. The morph doesn't add a lot, but the option is there at least.
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Thallid Shell-Dweller
Description - In general it doesn't compare favourably to something like Wall of Blossoms, but it can provide an early blocker with some upside. It supports token decks and sacrifice decks, but only in a minor way because it takes so long.
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Supports - Tokens, Sacrifice
Viridian Emissary
Description - I can see it being played either aggressively or defensively in a ramp deck, and even as an aggro-ish creature in midrange, trading while setting up your beef next turn.
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Voracious Wurm
Description - You would need a pretty solid 'life gain matters' theme to get this to trigger enough to warrant inclusion. Which is not impossible, but it would just take a bit of work to push as a theme.
Anchors - Life Gain Matters
Supports -
Wall of Mulch
Description - It can cycle itself, which is nice. In a vacuum, Wall of Blossoms is significantly better by getting you the card ETB instead of saccing. However it can support a defender theme if you have enough defenders with the wall creature type.
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Supports - Defenders
Wandering Wolf
Description - You would only be excited about drafting it in a Voltron deck, though it remains vulnerable to removal. At least it can't be blocked by tokens.
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Supports - Pants / Voltron
Whisperer of the Wilds
Description - Whether this is useful will depend on how many creatures fit the criteria in your cube, particularly in green. However most decks will want more efficient / reliable mana acceleration.
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Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Acridian - This might actually be ok in some situations, such as a turn 2 play against full on aggro decks that can eat most of what the opponent throws at you and survive most of the rest. But you will never be excited to play it in any other situation, and it sucks in aggro decks.
Anoik Guide - It's a bear, or it is minor mana fixer without any card advantage while leaving behind a bad body. No thanks.
Aquastrand Spider - It's not likely to be playable even if you are pushing a +1/+1 theme.
Archer's Parapet - As a mono-green card, there is no reason you would play this over Wall of Blossoms or some other better defenders. If you consider this a green+ card, you are still pushing it. It's not good enough if you consider it a Golgari card.
Argothian Pixies - Nope.
Ashcoat Bear - Not good enough. The deathtouch on Ambush Viper is worth more than the extra point of toughness in majority of cases.
Balduvian Bears / Barbary Apes / Bear Cub / Cylian Elf /Forest Bear / Grizzly Bears / Runeclaw Bear - Vanilla badness.
Bassara Tower Archer - The hexproof could lend it to a Voltron deck, but you probably wouldn't play it otherwise.
Bayou Dragonfly - Bad.
Bloodline Shaman - Too narrow.
Bosk Banneret - Tribal.
Bull Aurochs - bad for cube.
Citanul Druid - Not going to trigger often enough.
Darkthicket Wolf - You can activate this ability once on Beastbreaker of Bala Ged and have a permanent 4/4.
Dawntreader Elk - Not good enough.
Deadly Recluse - Having 2 toughness doesn't give it significantly more survivability than Thornweald Archer, where the extra power matters more if the opposing board is clear.
Dwynen's Elite - You really need a guaranteed turn 1 Elf to make this worthwhile, and it isn't worth supporting the density required.
Death-Hood Cobra - The extra toughness here doesn't make up for these two abilities being native on Thornweald Archer.
Deepwood Drummer - After a couple of turns, at best you've invested 2 cards for a bad Giant Growth as an onboard trick. Being able to repeat it doesn't make it much better.
Disciple of the Old Ways - Not good enough as Gruul card.
Dripping-Tongue Zubera - Just not good enough value.
Drudge Beetle - The scavenge cost is too high to overcome this otherwise just be a bear.
Druid of the Anima - 2 mana is too much.
Elvish Hunter - Too slow, and you let them attack you first.
Emerald Dragonfly - Poor abilities and stats.
Forcemage Advocate - There are few situations where this will be worth it.
Freyalise Supplicant - You have to sacrifice creatures of 4 power or more to really have much effect, which is not going to happen most of the time.
Frontier Guide - If you want a card that slowly strips your lands out to improve card draws in a long game… well, this is one. Very slow. 6 mana before you can start thinning your deck, and 4 mana a turn is too much.
Gatecreeper Vine - Too narrow, and the 2 toughness isn't going to survive much.Fa'adiyah Seer - A card that only lets you draw lands, and throws the rest in your graveyard… It does provide some card advantage (if you didn't activate this, you would have drawn the land next turn instead of the next card) but not enough.
Fire Sprites - Not good enough.
Gatecreeper Vine - Too narrow, and the 2 toughness isn't going to survive much.
Gatherer of Graces - It wants to be in an aura-based Voltron deck, but even in a dedicated deck it doesn't really make the cut compared to other options.
Gempalm Strider - Too tribal to consider.
Glade Watcher - Not worth playing.
Gnarlid Pack - It's not particularly exciting anywhere on the mana curve.
Golden Hind / Leaf Gilder - The 1 mana versions are going to be better the vast majority of the time.
Grapple Spider - Seton's Scout and Thornweald Archer are strictly better.
Greenside Watcher - Too narrow.
Guardian Shield-Bearer - Too slow in megamorph mode and not good enough in basic mode.
Gloomwidow - The three points of toughness is perhaps 1 shy of where you want it to be for the wither to really matter over similarly costed creatures, especially at double green.
Harvest Wurm - For the setup, you may as well just be playing Kalonian Tusker.
Harvester Druid - Too far down the chain of mana producers.
Heart Warden - Reliability of turn 1 mana acceleration is worth much than the card draw option.
Heartwood Dryad - Too narrow.
Highland Game - Not good enough.
Humble Budoka - Perhaps just marginally better than Grizzly Bears. Perhaps.
Ironshell Beetle - Doesn’t do enough.
Karoo Meerkat - Too narrow.
Keeper of Beasts - Repeatable bears seems powerful enough to take notice even if it is limited. I just don't know what you would be doing with the rest of your mana while you actively don't play creatures. Play attrition until your opponent is out of cards, then dump your hand? Presumably it still isn't too hard to play around, especially if your opponent has decent mid-size creatures.
Kithkin Daggerdare - It looks like it could have use in midrange decks that want to keep pushing threats into the red zone, making it harder for your opponent to block. However the green in the cost is not irrelevant, as those types of decks are more likely to want to curve out their threats.
Krakilin - There are better regenerators across the mana curve, that the flexibility doesn't make up for.
Kraul Warrior - Way too expensive cost for ability.
Lifesmith - Even if you are pushing artifact themes, this doesn't do enough to warrant inclusion.
Llanowar Druid - It does have the potential upside of massive acceleration, but it is Magical Christmas Land that is never likely to happen in practice, and you want more reliable and permanent ramp.
Loam Dweller - Too narrow.
Lynx - Strictly worse than Somberwald Dryad.
Matsu-Tribe Sniper - Not a bad tapper against flying decks or killing spirit tokens, but banking on that is too unreliable, and it's not good enough elsewhere.
Might Weaver - Just meh.
Moon Sprite - Worse than Bayou Dragonfly. You don't want to be worse than Bayou Dragonfly.
Multani's Acolyte - Having to pay echo sucks.
Muscle Sliver - Tribal.
Nacatl Savage - Not relevant enough.
Nantuko Tracer - Ability not relevant enough.
Nissa's Chosen - Worse than Kalonian Tusker, ability rarely relevant.
Nomadic Elf - Fixer that decelerates. Nope.
Nurturing Licid - Meh.
Oran-Rief Survivalist - Ally tribal.
Orcohi Ranger - The tap down effect only matters if you are dealing with a larger creature that it can't kill. Helps if you are outclassed, but it seems like you are setting yourself up for a losing proposition in the first place by playing it.
People of the Woods - Even if you want to push mono-green as a deck, this is not making the cut.
Petalmane Baku - Too narrow.
Pygmy Razorback - Strictly worse than Kavu Predator.
Pygmy Troll - The single mana to regenerate is nice, but you would never play it over Mire Boa / River Boa.
Quick Sliver - Tribal.
Quirion Elves - Too far down the chain of mana producers.
Quirion Explorer - Too far down the chain of mana producers.
Riftsweeper - Too narrow.
Rushwood Dryad - Strictly worse than Somberwald Dryad.
Satyr Grovedancer / Timberland Guide - It's a flexible bear. But the flexibility leaves you with a slightly pumped creature, and an irrelevant one.
Satyr Hedonist - Turn 2 play, turn 3 swing, sac and play a 5 drop? Too inconsistent as a one-time accelerator, especially as a Gruul card.
Scaleguard Sentinels - 3/4 for 2 mana is pretty sick. But will be such a rarity in peasant that you would never consider it.
Scarwood Hag - Just bad.
Scorned Villager - If you play this on turn 2 and your opponent doesn't cast anything, you have the option of attacking for 2 and accelerating to 5 mana on turn 3. That is good upside… if your opponent doesn't cast anything. Most cubes include enough turn 2 plays that this will be a bad Llanowar Elf frequtently enough to feel bad about it.
Seeker of Skybreak - I can't find anything abusable for this guy. There are situations where the untap will be useful, but it doesn't provide siginficant enough value to warrant inclusion.
Seton's Scout - Even in graveyard decks, there is going to be too long before this becomes good.
Shelkin Brownie - Oh good, lose banding.
Sheltering Ancient - Maybe there are some crazy combos, but too hard to build around.
Shinen of Life's Roar - Not going to be consistent enough.
Silverglade Pathfinder - There might be some graveyard decks that are happy to dump cards while building their land base, but one-shot effects like Satyr Wayfinder and going to be faster and playable in more decks.
Skyshooter - Not good enough.
Skyshroud Elf - Too far down the chain of mana producers.
Slith Predator - Too slow to get the counter clock ticking. Especially if you are on the draw, your opponent is likely to have an answer.
Smoke Teller - Too narrow.
Soilshaper - Too narrow.
Somberwalk Dryad - Just meh.
Spectral Bears - A 3/3 every 2 turns is bad.
Spellwild Ouphe - Turn 2 play, turn 3 Elephant Guide, Griffin Guide, Moldervine Cloak… Too Magical Christmas Land to rely on the potential upsides and open to removal.
Spinneret Sliver - Tribal.
Spore Flower - Played early, this could be end up being annoying to play against in decks that intend to go long. But it relies too heavily on being played early, and it's a dead top deck if you are already behind.
Stonewood Invoker - Too costly to consider.
Swordwise Centaur - Strictly worse than Kalonian Tusker / Garruk's Companion.
Sylvan Hierophant - To be of reasonable value, it needs to provide value on the board as well as graveyard retrieval. And it doesn't.
Sylvan ranger - Not good enough when compared to other options that can actually accelerate.
Sylvok Explorer - Too far down the chain of mana producers.
Tangle Asp - Wasteland Viper exists.
Tel-Jilad Chosen - Too narrow.
Thornscape Familiar - In most cases a mana rock is going to be more resilient, and better except in some pretty uncommon circumstances.
Timberpack Wolf - No place in cube.
Transluminant - Not good enough as a Selesnya card.
Uktabi Faerie - Too costly.
Unseen Walker - Just poor.
Urborg Elf - Too far down the chain of mana producers.
Venom Sliver - Tribal
Vine Trellis - Overgrown Battlement strictly better and there are other options if you want more walls.
Vintara Snapper - Humble Budoka strictly better.
Vitapsore Thallid - The fact that it is 1/1 for 2 mana for at least 3 turns before it does anything else is poor, and even then the haste does not really make up for it.
Voyaging Satyr - The effect is more flexible than Arbor Elf, but the extra mana in the cost matters too much.
Warren-Scourge Elf - Nope.
Wellwisher - As a 2 mana 1/1, you need to get some decent upside. While most cubes include a number of otherwise good Elves, this effect isn't likely to be worth inclusion.
Whirling Dervish - Too slow to get going, and easy enough to block for most decks.
Willow Faerie - Not good stats.
Wirewood Herald - Pretty narrow on Elf tribal.
Wirewood Hivemaster - Too narrow on Elf tribal.
Wolf-Skull Shaman - Without a lot of tribal support, won't be worth more than a bear.
Woodland Changeling - Rarely relevant.
Wren's Run Vanquisher - Too inconsistent to be good.
Wyluli Wolf - Going to be too slow for vast majority of cubes.
Zodiac Monkey - Strictly worse than Somberwald Dryad.
Zodiac Rooster - Just bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
Regrowth
Description - Solid card in almost any green deck. It can get back the most relevant target in your graveyard for the current game state, whether it is the best creature that got hit by removal, getting back your own removal to deal with a new threat, or getting an engine going. Can combine with other retrieval cards to form loops, such as Eternal Witness. Also good in graveyard decks that can dredge stuff into the graveyard for later retrieval.
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Supports - Graveyard Matters
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
Sylvan Library
Description - If you aren't paying life to get more cards, you are invested a card. Played early it can help you hit your land drops, and stem their flow once you hit the required number. However once you hit 2 'dud' cards it isn't really helping much than if you had just drawn them. If you have a few shuffling or scry effects, it does get better by letting you see new cards more frequently. 4 life is not insignificant, but not having a mana cost attached can let you draw cards without impacting your ability to play them. Note that you are still drawing 2 extra cards a turn, regardless of whether you put them back, so it has some specific synergies with Lorescale Coatl and Horizon Chimera.
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2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Commune With The Gods
Description - Digging 5 and being able to find 2 relevant card types makes it unlikely that you will whiff. Helps find your powerful cards, and assist graveyard decks by dumping any relevant card there. In particular, dumping a reanimation target while finding a reanimation enchantment (Animate Dead, Necromancy) is some pretty strong synergy for that deck. Also solid in enchantment based Voltron / enchantment matters decks, or just to increase the chance of finding your powerful enchantments like Curses, or removal like Banishing Light. Fits well in just about any deck, but goes the extra mile in decks built to take advantage.
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Supports - Reanimator, Graveyard Matters
Constant Mists
Description - A single Fog effect usually delays the inevitable without getting you ahead. In the case of Constant Mists, being able to buy it back a number of turns in a row can lock out the opponent while you set up your board or other plays. Once your opponent knows you have it, it makes things difficult for them; do they all out assault? Only attack with a single evasive creature to draw out the sacrifice or hope you will take the damage? Don't attack and let you draw into more lands? Has strong synergy with a handful of other cards. Land Tax keeps the fuel going, and paired with Guttersnipe can be a slow rolling death machine.
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Edge of Autumn
Description - Helps in the early game to accelerate and fix, while providing flexibility in the late game to draw into something more useful, essentially for free.
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Epic Confrontation - Playable
Description - Decent option for green removal. Allows your creatures to trade up by virtue of the toughness, and if you are clearing a path, you get an extra point of damage in. It can still be situational; even if your creature survives, your creature might have taken sufficient damage that attacking may no longer be profitable if the opponent has another blocker.
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Mulch
Description - Can help with decks that need to hit their land drops early, while also helping to fill the graveyard. Marginally better if you have effects which let you manipulate or look at the top of your library, but it is bit of work. Waiting unti your Sensei's Divining Top has hit 3 lands before you cast it may not fit your game plan.
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Naturalize
Description - It's not sexy, but it gets the job done. While there are plenty of options attached to creatures, you can always keep this held back until your opponent is committed to an attack before removing equipment, power boosting auras etc to maximise other opportunities to mess with your opponent.
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Predator's Strike
Description - It fights among other pump options, but 2 mana isn't back breaking to get your early creatures to trade up / survive, and the trample can be relevant to break through the final points in the lategame.
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Rampant Growth
Description - A fairly basic effect that ramp or control decks will welcome for mana fixing and accelerating from turn 2 into 4-drops. It's not flashy, but gets the job done. Sakura-Tribe Elder is better in nearly all situations, but you might include this if you want multiple 2cc spells that both fix and accelerate.
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Resize
Description - The baseline effect is worse than Giant Growth or Predator's Strike, so it depends on whether you will get use out of Recover. It's not optional; if you can't pay the mana, it gets exiled. That is going to be tricky for some decks to manage. A midrange deck that want to keep laying threats on curve and pushing the advantage isn't going to want to hold that mana up 'just in case'. An alternative play is using 4 mana in response to removal or a trigger on the stack, but you still have to have another creature worth casting this on in the first place. May be more suited to grindy cubes that find their decks with mana to spare in the late game.
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Savage Surge
Description - A reasonable combat trick, particularly in racing situations. It can either be used on the attack to win what would be a losing / trade situation and then have a blocker for your opponents turn. Or allow you to swing in, and then have a surprise blocker when your opponent swings back.
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Sprout Swarm
Description - The effectiveness of Sprout Swarm is highly dependent on the average speed of your cube. Given time, it accelerates into a machine of mass tokens. In fast cubes, you will probably be on the back foot and won’t have time to get into a position to cast it twice in a turn, and will need to start blocking with your tokens to survive, killing your engine. If you do have the time and your opponent doesn't have an answer (counterspells, targeted discard, or evasive creatures you can't deal with), it can be an inevitable win condition.
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Supports - Tokens
Symbiosis
Description - It does have the downside of requiring two targets, but it has the ability to turn around a couple of combat interactions.
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Tangle
Description - One of the better Fog effects that can help you survive an alpha strike and then let you strike back for 2 consecutive attack phases. It might even be a reasonable stalling tactic played early against aggro, protecting your life total and giving you time to cast your larger creatures.
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Titanic Growth
Description - Pump spells often come down to personal preference (you might consider Predator's Strike or Giant Growth to fill the same spot), but this is a solid pump spell.
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Utopia Vow
Description - 2 mana for green to remove a creature from combat is a good option. You fix and accelerate their mana; the closest comparison is Path To Exile, and while this is worse (permanently on abilities still apply, they can sacrifice the creature, sorcery speed) when it comes to green removal you won't find much better.
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1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Channel
Description - It's possible to support the Channel / Fireball combo in peasant cube. The question is, how good is it outside of that combo? The double green in the casting cost makes it much harder to accelerate into green ramp targets. You will need 5 green mana on the board if you want to ramp into something like Pelakka Wurm. On the plus side, you can accelerate into Eldrazi or large artifact creatures as early as turn 2, so you might give it more consideration if you have more of those in your cube. It has potential for really high upside, but will be wildly inconsistent.
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Druid's Call
Description - It comes with the inherent 2 for 1 problem if your opponent has removal. But if they can't remove the target, then it can become problematic for them to attack into. It isn't likely to generate a squillion squirrels, but more likely to provide virtual card advantage by holding off attacks until they draw removal. You wouldn't want to rely on it, but minor synergies with pingers.
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Evolution Charm
Description - Nothing is particularly noteworthy, but each effect will being relevant often enough to consider as a package.
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Exoskeletal Armor
Description - This can have some pretty big upside, especially if you support graveyard matters decks. It's tempered by the standard 2 for 1 aura issue, and times when the bonus will be miniscule. Can be ok in hexproof / pants decks, and when paired with greens 'digging' cards like Commune With The Gods.
Anchors - Gravedyard Matters
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Explore
Description - It can help accelerate and at worst is a 2 mana cantrip.
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Farseek
Description - At peasant, it finds less than Rampant Growth / Sakura-Tribe Elder for the same cost. However, I've listed it here noting that some peasant cube owners may break rarity for dual lands that have basic land types. In those cubes, this might have a place.
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Fists of Ironwood
Description - Trample might be relevant, depending on the number of fatties you have in your cube, with the tokens making up for the cost of the card. In a pinch, you can cast on a small creature just to use this as a green Dragon Fodder if you just need bodies.
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Gather the Pack
Description - It competes with Commune With The Gods, which can find enchantments as well. The upside of Gather The Pack is the ability to keep 2 creatures if you have spell mastery. The likely decks that would want this variant are spell-based ramp (Cultivate, Kodama's Reach etc) that can then dig for their targets with the highest likelihood of hitting spell mastery. It may be a little inconsistent in other decks.
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Supports - Ramp, Spells Matter
Into the North
Description - The only time you would consider including this in your cube is if you had the 5 snow dual fixers, let your players play with snow basics, and probably Mouth of Ronom as well. Without the nonbasics (and whenever you don't draft them for your deck) it's just a Rampant Growth.
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Moment's Peace
Description - Fog variant that gives you two Fogs. It just buys time, but it buys more time than most. The threat of the second activation might actually buy you more time. Minor synergy with graveyard strategies, who might be happy to have this effect dumped in the graveyard while they set up their plays.
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Name Dropping
Description - This… seems interesting. It could do absolutely nothing if the opponent is careful, but it could do a lot for a grindy threshold deck against some opponents. It's not optional, so it would be hilarious for your opponent to fill your hand to prevent threshold while Grizzly Fate is on the stack.
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Nature's Lore / Three Visits
Description - It doesn't hit the battlefield tapped like other searchers, but it only finds Forests. There aren't any nonbasic Forests worth finding at Peasant, and this locks you into finding green mana, and land searchers that find other basic land types support more decks. However coming into play untapped can be important, and can be really good when sequenced on turn 3 alongside another 2-drop.
Nature's Spiral
Description - It's strictly worse than Regrowth, but there are still enough targets that you may consider this as a second effect for larger cubes, or you are really pushing deep on recursion themes in green.
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Supports - Graveyard Matters
Nostalgic Dreams
Description - This requires a bit of setup. You need cards in your graveyard you want to get back, and cards in your hand you are ready to get rid of; preferably ones that benefit from being in the graveyard. Compared to the likes of Regrowth, you end up at card disadvantage, but it can give you card quality. Best in dredge-type graveyard decks that can give you lots of targets to shape your hand to the current game state.
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Supports - Graveyard Matters
Provoke
Description - It's a form of green removal. It's something you would play more for the gameplay it generates than raw power. It can help take out some utility creatures.
Seal of Primordium
Description - Enchantment version of Naturalize. The only reason you would play this over the instant version, or attached to creatures, is for enchantment matters themes.
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Supports - Enchantment Matters
Sylvan Scrying
Description - This will be highly dependent on the nonbasics in your cube. If you are finding basics, it is just worse than Rampant Growth or Sakura-Tribe Elder. If you have powerful utility lands (Maze of Ith, Library of Alexandria) it gets a little boost, and it can always find tri-lands or rainbow lands for multi-colour decks.
Travel Preparations
Description - You aren't going to play it without the flashback, making this a conditional 4 power and 4 tougness for 4 mana. It requires two creatures to maximise value, and once you've put counters on creatures, they are still prone to removal. Being a sorcery is a knock against it, but if you support any +1/+1 counter themes this can be worth it. It also has minor synergy with persist creatures. It can also help aggro starts stay relevant long enough to close the game.
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Wildwood Rebirth
Description - It's narrower than Regrowth, but it is instant speed, which might suit flash / go style decks. One of few retrieval effects that fits on Isochron Scepter if you want to create that synergy.
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Supports - Flash / Go
Aether Web - Doesn't do enough.
Aggressive Urge - This seems too situational, I'd prefer the cost of the card for a Giant Growth, or Wildsize as my cantrip combat spell.
Alpha Authority - Only really useful on a creature that is already decent size, and therefore should be outclassing your opponents creatures anyway.
Armor of Thorns - Just not effective.
Aspect of Mongoose - Despite coming back if the creature dies, the protection still costs you a card. There might be some creatures you want to protect , but this is not the card. Lightning Greaves gives you a similar effect with a lot more upside and fits in more decks.
Back to Nature - You either don't have a lot of enchantments, where Naturalise is likely to be more flexible. Or you are pushing an enchantment theme / deck, and this might turn out to be a blowout against that deck. It won't fit the design of most cubes.
Bower Passage - Too conditional.
Canopy Cover - Doesn't have enough impact.
Canopy Surge - Hurricane exists.
Compost - Too narrow.
Crosswinds - Too narrow.
Crown of Vigor - Better options.
Decomposition - Too narrow.
Deep Wood - Bad version of Constant Mists.
Defend the Hearth - Too narrow.
Deglamer - If it's truly threatening (Skullclamp, Curse of Predation), you wouldn't want to put it back into the players library to draw again. It isn't worth the card to 'save' your own.
Dense Canopy - Too narrow.
Display of Dominance - Too narrow.
Dragon Fangs - The number of decks where this would make sense are far too narrow.
Druid's Deliverance - Only prevents damage to you, not all combat damage. Too narrow.
Earthbrawn - The flexibility of a single +1/+1 counter is not worth the extra mana cost over Giant Growth.
Echoing Courage - Worse than many other effects, except in token decks.
Elfhame Sanctuary - You would need a pretty good reason to play this. It can keep fueling a Constant Mists or Goblin Trenches, but isn't likely to be worth investing a card to the board for that purpose.
Elven Rite - A Diregraf Ghoul might be nice swinging as a 4/4 on turn 2, but in most cases this isn't going to be worth it. At sorcery speed, it can't be used as a combat trick.
Feed The Clan - 10 life is an ok amount if you can get it. I'm just not sure what deck would want it.
Ferocity - It's probably most likely to just let your creatures through so they don't grow, and if they can kill the creature you just got 2 for 1'd. It could have a place in decks with regeneration creatures, warding off attacks and then being able to swing in, but it's too narrow for most decks to contemplate. You'd rather have it be an aura with immediate impact or a combat trick.
Fertile Ground - You would rather be able to accelerate on turn 1 with Utopia Sprawl. This has minor upsides, but in most cases won't be worth the extra mana.
Fistful of Force - You want to know what you are getting with a combat trick. Lots of better green pump spells at 1 or 2 mana.
Flock of Rabid Sheep - You probably need X to be at least 6 to get an average of 3 bears… err.. Sheep. Not efficient enough. I'd rather the guarantee and repeatability of Grizzly Fate even without threshold.
Fog Patch - A poor Fog.
Fortitude - Too costly.
Freyalise's Charm - Too narrow.
Freyalise's Radiance - Bad.
Full Moon's Rise - Too narrow.
Gaea's Blessing - It can help shuffle critical cards into your library without costing a card, but you still have to take time off to cast it, and the likelihood of drawing those cards in the next few turns is still going to be slim. The first effect would be most useful in decks like dredge, but the second effect is completely counter to what dredge decks want to be doing.
Gaea's Touch - The dream would be to drop this turn 2 and play your 3rd Forest, turn 3 drop 2 more Forests, sac this, and play something like Plated Crusher. But you need to be mono-green to be consistent, and it does not make for a good top deck. There are a few cards that bounce lands to your hand (like Quirion Ranger) but the synergy is not strong enough to consider pursuing.
Gleeful Sabotage - The likelihood of having two targets is low, or that you will want to tap two of your creatures, and that you will want to do so at sorcery speed, is very slim.
Glissa's Scorn - The flexibility of Naturalise is better.
Grounded - Super narrow.
Growth Spurt - The average is not better than other options, and the inconsistency will drive most players nuts.
Heavy Fog - It only prevents damage to you, not your creatures. Pass.
Hidden Ancients - This is going to be a sideboard card at best, and only then if you support an enchantment based deck.
Howling Gale - If your cube includes a prevalence of spirit tokens and 2/1 flyers, this might give green some outs, while also being about to take out some 2 toughness flyers from time to time. But there are better effects.
Invigorating Boon - Too difficult to make cycling a thing, and the upside is not great regardless.
Jolrael's Favor - Flashing it into play might save a decent creature, but it is still a 4 mana combat trick. With the prevalence of white exile removal and black 'can’t regenerate' removal, investing an extra card in regeneration is not likely to be worth it.
Karametra's Favor - It replaces itself, but it works on the proviso that you have a creature already on the board that you are willing to give up whatever its inherent value is to become a mana creature. Just include more mana creatures.
Khalni Heart Expedition - If you can play it consistently on turn 2, it is solid. When you play it on turn 5+, it might have no impact for several turns. It gets better in ramp decks that include other land searching spells, but not enough to warrant the inclusion of this in your cube.
Krosan Reclamation - It costs you a card. Sure, you get to cast it twice, but it still costs you a card you never get back. The fixing of card draw or improvement in card quality is so minor, it nowhere near makes up for it, and there are no worthwhile combos or synergies that can make effective use of this.
Lammastide Weave - The only place I could see this fitting is for the fateseal deck, that looks at the opponents top of deck and uses this to mill an offending card. If you support a graveyard matters themes and have other cards in your cube that monitor the top of your deck, it could also fit there. It is very narrowly on theme however.
Land Aid '04 - This sounds fun, but double G kills it.
Land Grant - Hardcast it is worse than a lot of other options. Casting it for free is nice, but as we don't have nonbasic Forest options, it may as well just be another Forest. It could a free spell to trigger prowess, Guttersnipe etc, but that is too narrow to consider inclusion.
Leeching Bite - It requires the right board state to be effective, and you would usually prefer a better pump effect. It can kill things, but not enough to warrant inclusion. Useless if you have no creatures.
Lifeforce - Too narrow.
Lignify - You can cast it on your own creature, using 2 cards to build a wall… or you could include Wall of Blossoms which sort of costs 0 cards. Or you could cast it on your opponents creatures… and then have a wall that you have to break through. No thanks.
Lull - It's a Fog variant. The cycling doesn't make it worth playing.
Mantle of Webs - Not providing actual flying makes this not worth it.
Mark of Sakiko - It requires a lot of set up for what is not likely to be a lot of payoff. Magical Christmas land sees a 2 power 1 drop followed by this without being opposed, allowing you to play another 2-drop, using removal to keep the board clear and keep casting dudes. Or getting a trampler connecting in the midgame to power out midrange or high end fatties. But the reality is more likely to be getting blocked and 2 for 1'd, or not being able to make effective use of the mana anyway. Just stick with more consistent ramp.
Might of the Nephilim - Except in very rare instances, it's going to be worse than Titanic Strength.
Monstrous Growth - Titanic Strength is the same effect but instant.
Moonmist - Far too narrow to consider.
Mortal's Resolve - It's more likely you will wish the bigger growth spell than this more often than vice versa.
Muscle Burst - Not going to be anything more than an expensive Giant Growth in singleton peasant.
Nature's Kiss - I thought it said 'top of your library', which was still dubious. Graveyard? Nope.
Night Soil - Doesn't do enough. Without a lot of support, there won't be enough creatures in graveyards. And if you spend a lot of effort, you only have a handful of 1/1 tokens to show for it.
Nourish - Not enough life gain to be good.
Nylea's Presence - Not enough impact. It doesn't cost you a card, but it only fixes mana and doesn't accelerate while costing you 2 mana.
Ordeal of Nylea - It requires you to draft the right deck, and then for things to go right. Ideally you need an early creature you want to attack with, wait up to 3 turns, and then wait another turn for your ramp as the lands comes into play tapped. You could accelerate it with creatures that enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters, but you are clutching for the perfect confluence of events.
Phytoburst - A quarter of a life total is a lot. However sorcery speed means this is probably not going to connect when you want it to, and Titanic Growth is better for the instant speed.
Plummet - Too narrow.
Powerleech - Narrow Mcnarrowson.
Primal Rage - There are board states where this might have an impact, but there are better ways to give creatures trample.
Quest for Renewal - Pseudo-vigilance that may not become active until several turns after you play it. There might be some interesting combos (Sprout Swarm), but they don't overcome the fact that this is otherwise terrible, and are probably just win more anyway.
Quest For The Gemblades - It isn't going to be consistent enough.
Quiet Disrepair - It's quirky, but for the most part you don't want to wait a turn for your removal to work. 2 life for 'free' each turn is not bad if you are racing or have some life gain matter cards, but you would rather have something a little more consistent.
Reality Anchor - Too narrow.
Reap - This could probably amount to some good card advantage, but is too narrow for cube.
Regenerate - Not good enough. Mortal's Resolve is strictly better.
Regeneration - Doesn't do enough.
Repopulate - It's not a cantrip, and even if you improve the density of nonlands, on average it is going to take may turns for that to turn into a full card.
Resounding Roar - 8 mana is too much, and there are better versions of the base effect.
Respite - It's a Fog with upside, but not enough to warrant playing.
Restore - It's too narrow to be of any consequence.
Resuscitate - Mortals' Resolve is strictly better.
Revive - It's a narrow Regrowth.
Rites of Spring - It doesn't ramp, and you end up down a card. It lets you dump stuff in your graveyard, but it just doesn’t have enough upside.
Root Cage - Welcome to narrow town.
Savage Punch - Epic Confrontation is far more consistent for this effect.
Scouting Trek - You end up down a card, and there are few synergies that are easy to exploit in singelton peasant. It can give you a constant stream of Wurm Harvests, but it isn't worth including for a single card.
Serene Heat - Too narrow.
Sheltering Wood - The upside on Vines of Vastwood is much better than the upside here that you wouldn't consider playing this.
Skyreaping - Even if you want this type of effect, this is too inconsistent.
Skyshroud Blessing - For when you really really really need to protect that Treetop Village.
Solidarity of Heroes - This is so all in on the +1/+1 theme, and is only going to be playable in a deck that has a fair number of creatures with +1/+1 counters. There are likely to be board states where casting this will be an absolute blowout, but is still situational and it costs a bucket ton of mana if you have a few targets.
Song of Serenity - Too narrow and will do nothing a lot of the time, except help you lose the game by not playing cards that mattered.
Spring Cleaning - Most of the time there will only be 1 target anyway, in which case you want a more flexible card.
Strength from the Fallen - In the early to midgame it might just do nothing. You need the perfect confluence of graveyard dumping cards and enough enchantments, which is a tall order to fulfill.
Strength in Numbers - You want this to be more consistent to consider playing it.
Summer Bloom - The upside seems high. Play on turn 2, drop 3 lands (maybe a bounceland), play a land on turn 3 and play a 6-drop. But this fails anywhere other than turn 2, fails if you don't have an opening hand full of land, and other 1 and 2 mana acceleration options are more consistent. You are probably only happy to see this in an opening hand with 5 other lands and a relevant 5-6 drop. Which could get hit by removal anyway.
Superior Numbers - Green direct damage! But it is probably only ever going to be consistent enough in a dedicated token deck.
Supersize - Nope.
Sustenance - Too inefficient.
Sylvan Might - The baseline is not good, and the flashback is expensive.
Sylvan Scrying - There aren't enough good nonbasics to put this in your pool. You'd rather play something Rampant Growth to actually accelerate you.
Tangleasp - So about the only time you would want to play this is during your combat phase when you have a bunch of tramplers and your opponent is intending to block.
Tel-Jilad Defiance - Too narrow.
Tel-Jilad Justice - Scrying is nice, but there are plenty of more flexible options that hit enchantments as well.
Terrifying Presence - Doesn't do enough.
Thoughtleech - Too narrow.
Time of Need - There isn't the critical mass of playable legendary creatures at uncommon to consider this.
Toil to Renown - It could gain you 10+ life in the right deck, but is going to be too inconsistent to be relied upon.
Tower Defense - If you have no creatures a real Fog effect will be better, but It might just be one of the best pseudo-Fog effects if you have creature parity on the board. It will help your creatures survive almost any encounter with opposing forces, hopefully turn trades into wins, and if you are on defense you can deal with flyers. In practice, it is going to be too inconsistent, and in other situations doesn't help you win the game.
Tracker's Instincts - You would have to consider this a Simic card, otherwise you would just play Commune With the Gods or Gather the Pack. It isn't terrible incremental advantage, but it's not good enough to break into a Simic section.
Tranquil Domain - Too narrow.
Tread Upon - Predator's Strike strictly better.
Treetop Bracers - Doesn't do enough.
Tribute to the Wild - Unless you are playing multiplayer, Naturalize is better.
Unravel the Aether - Very little upside over Natualize. You might prevent some decks from using graveyard retrieval, but you give them the chance of drawing it again.
Verdant Touch - The effect is too expensive for what you get. You don't get anything extra to add to the board. Centaur Glade has a higher initial investment, but doesn't cost you your lands. Even Zendikar's Roil would be better in most cases.
Vital Surge - Just nope.
Wallop - Narrowness added to narrowness.
Wear Away - No benefit in cube over the easier to cast Naturalize.
Whiteout - The effect is too narrow. In a cube that allows snow lands I would like to see it alongside Guttersnipe, but it's not enough to save it.
Wielding the Green Dragon - It's sorcery speed. Worse than Titanic Growth.
Wild Might - Not getting a guaranteed pump is bad.
Winds of Qal Sisma - Too inconsistent as a Fog.
Wrap in Vigor - Mortal's Resolve strictly better.
cube unless you ban them for being too good.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck /
archetype / effect.
Borderland Marauder
Description - Play it, then swing for three. As simple as possible, a key card for any red aggressive deck.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Frazzled Editor
Description - It requires some house rules about interpretation, but can be really strong. Mainly you need to decide whether you count reminder or flavour text. Even if you don't count those, cube is full of higher complexity cards which lend themselves to more rules text. Basically, it is a red 2/2 with protection from a bunch of stuff, which is more than red usually gets. Note that it might preclude you targeting it with some of your own stuff, but that is a pretty minimal downside in comparison to what you get.
Anchors -
Supports -
Gore-House Chainwalker
Description - You only want to include this in aggro decks that want to swing for the fences. 3 power for 2 mana that doesn't die to a 1/1 utility creature or token is excellent in those decks though. The 2/1 is a distant secondary mode if you really need it as a blocker.
Anchors -
Supports -
Keldon Marauders
Description - Good for aggro decks that want to punch through quickly. The 3/3 stats are often enough force through damage, or force the opponent to lose a creature if they block. 2 mana to either deal 5 damage to a player, or kill a creature and deal 2 damage is a pretty good deal. Even if you are behind, it can still deal a couple of damage while chumping if you happen to be behind.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro
Mogg War Marshal
Description - Decent token generator. If you don't pay the echo, you still get Dragon Fodder's worth of tokens, but you also get the opportunity to block if you aren't intending to pay. Paying the echo is mostly upside if you happen to have the mana spare. Good for sacrifice decks, getting 3 activations for a couple of mana. Can fit into a range of decks.
Anchors -
Supports - Sacrifice, Aggro, Tokens
Stormblood Berserker
Description - Two mana 3/3 is great, and is easy enough to support with other aggressive 1-drops or other sequencing.
Anchors -
Supports -
Young Pyromancer
Description - Base stats are not embarrassing, but the ability to spawn multiple tokens over a game make this a solid card even if you aren't heavy on 'spells matters' themes. You can get it out early and use removal to keep the path clear while building your army, or use the tokens for sacrifice effects. It works well with token spells like Hordeling Outburst to really go wide. Can combine with Sprout Swarm for a quickly accelerated
army.
Anchors - Spells Matters
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a
little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Ashmouth Hound
Description - Obviously great in combat against X/1s, and can trade up with x/3's. Situationally good.
Anchors -
bSupports -
Blood Knight
Description - Similar to White Knight and Black Knight, perhaps a little worse as an attacker since red usually wants to keep the board as clear as possible and a 3-power dude will outperform 2-power with first strike.
Anchors -
Supports -
Ember Hauler
Description - Hard to cast, but when you do get it out early it can attack while it can, and turn into removal later.
Anchors -
Supports -
Firefist Striker
Description - Repeatable can't-block effects are great for aggro, and this is just easy enough to trigger to be a very solid card.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Fireslinger
Description - Repeatably taking down X/1s is quite strong for two mana, despite the damage drawback.
Anchors -
Supports -
Generator Servant
Description - Red ramp is a very rare effect, but it's always at least on a 2/1 body and can lead to some very explosive plays.
Anchors -
Supports -
Goblin Shortcutter
Description - Solid for red aggro decks, turning off your opponents blockers in the early to midgame and forcing some damage through, or prevent a trade / unfavorable block.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Goblin Wardriver
Description - ok stats for cost, and the battlecry can be relevant in aggro decks laying out multiple cheap threats or token decks. The double red makes it harder to cast on curve in multicolour decks. It's not flashy, but fits into decks that want to be attacking.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Hellspark Elemental
Description - It comes out the gates swinging in aggro decks... twice. In the early game it can be hard to block, either forcing your opponent to lose a creature or take what amounts to a Lava Spike that can be repeated. minor synergies with sacrifice decks, and it isn't a prime target but could also see
play in dredge-style graveyard decks.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports - Sacrifice, Graveyard Matters
Lightning Mauler
Description - You can always play it as a 2-drop haste by pairing it with a 1-drop, but it is best served waiting for a 3+ drop to come down and swing ahead of curve. As a result, it only really belongs in aggressive decks. Sometimes you might be able to sequence this plus another 2-drop on turn 4 for a surprise swing, but that will be uncommon.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Mogis's Warhound
Description - As a baseline you wouldn't accept the attack each turn drawback, but being able to bestow it makes it reasonable to boost one of your own creatures. Good for midrange decks that want to put an extra 2 power on the board immediately and swing.
Anchors -
Supports -
Plated Geopede
Description - It may be inconsistent, but a 3/3 first striker on the attack for a couple of turns in the early game can make things difficult for your opponent. It needs to be an aggro or midrange deck that just wants to get out swinging. Some upside if you have ramp cards, or with Terramoprhic Expanse, or you break rarity for fetchlands.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Reckless Reveler / Torch Fiend
Description - It isn't embarrassing stats if you want artifact removal on legs.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sigiled Skink
Description - The scry is a good smoother for aggressive decks. It doesn't do anything tricky; it's just solid for filtering away lands you don't need once you've hit requirements, and keep pressure up.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Sparksmith
Description - Compared to Fireslinger, it doesn't hit players, but hitting creatures is more important anyway. The damage to yourself is usually worth it to take out opposing creatures. An early Hordeling Outburst alongside this gives you the opportunity to dominate the opposing
board; the life loss will hardly matter if they have no creatures and you still have other cards to drop. Sometimes your opponent might even help you out by playing some goblins.
Anchors -
Supports - Pinger Control
Wall of Razors
Description - The 1 toughness makes it vulnerable, but 4 first striking power makes this hard to attack into for a lot of creatures. Good for supporting defensive control in red.
Anchors -
Supports -
War-Name Aspirant
Description - They can't use tokens to trade with it, and they can't use the likes of Wall of Blossoms to stall it. Raid gives it the extra boost; in aggressive decks, getting down a 3/2 where the opponent's opportunity to easily trade up is removed, it can be solid.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Blazing Effigy
Description - If you are playing defensively in red, it stalls 2/x's, and when it is outclassed is probably going to take something with it. Wall of Razors and a couple of other walls fit a similar the role, but this doesn't die to Gut Shot or divisible burn, and even if it gets bolted you still get to take something with it. Downside that you must target your own creatures if they have nothing on the board.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Crimson Mage
Description - Decent effect tacked on to a Piker body, one extra mana is usually a fair price for tacking on haste to a creature.
Anchors -
Supports -
Crimson Muckwader
Description - A very solid card in a vacuum, but seldom seen due to strong competition among Rakdos cards.
Anchors -
Supports -
Deathbellow Raider
Description - A good attacker even for non-black decks, having a third toughness makes him much more sturdy than the must-attack drawback on a 2/2 or 2/1, but can still be a dead card from time to time.
Anchors -
Supports -
Dwarven Blastminer / Dwarven Miner
Description -If you want a mediocre way to punish greedy manabases, consider one of these guys.
Anchors -
Supports -
Embersmith
Description - Certainly dependent on having a dedicated artifact theme in your cube, but if that's present this is a strong threat (and, in that cube, still has the "always a bear" upside for when the theme doesn't come together fully).
Anchors - Artifact Matters
Supports -
Emberwilde Augur
Description - If it attacks and isn't blocked once then gets sacrificed, it's the same amount of damage as Keldon Marauders, but it's not reliable enough as basically a vanilla creature.
Anchors -
Supports -
Everflame Eidolon
Description - Pretty miserable when hard-cast, but will add on a decent amount of damage when used as an aura.
Anchors -
Supports -
Falkenrath Exterminator
Description - Slow, but has a very strong best-case scenario and works well with other effects that can grant it a +1/+1 effect.
Anchors -
Supports -
Goblin Skycutter
Description - 2 power for 2 is not embarrassing, and free activation cost gives it some flexibility to take out opposing flyers if you need to clear them out. It will be actively subpar against any deck that doesn't have many flyers though.
Anchors -
Supports -
Horde Ambusher
Description - Without morph it is a bear with downside, but the 'free' morph cost gives you options and supports the 'can't block' subtheme.
Anchors -
Supports -
Humble Defector
Description - Drawing 2 cards is pretty solid, but what if your opponent gets to do it too? Being in red, in the late game this could help you draw into reach and possibly close out the game before your opponent can respond. It can also work by sacrificing or bouncing in response to an activation. While there aren't many untap effects that are highly playable, untapping it in response to the first activation can net you 4 cards before you give it to your opponent.
Anchors -
Supports -
Kiln Fiend
Description - You need to be pretty heavy on the spells matters themes to get this to work, but can be a good threat. Using removal to keep the path clear and swinging in for 4 damage is a solid plan, but the 2 toughness doesn't give it a lot of longevity, and it will be inconsistent. When your opponent is in the single digits and you have cards in hand, it can make them a little nervous.
Anchors - Spells Matter
Supports -
Kruin Striker
Description - Has a reasoable chance of hitting for 3, and can be more if supporting tokens. The trample is mostly bonus, so getting power is the real draw, in which case most creatures that have a baseline 3 power when attacking are going to be better served in the same slot, or that have better upside. This also forces you to play 'badly', making you cast creatures before combat.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Mardu Scout
Description - Reds only base 3 power creature at 2 mana that doesn't kill itself or have a drawback (aside from costing double red). However it just doesn't do enough compared to other options. The dash can be a surprise, but having to pay for it each turn is either going to stunt your development or will often start coming down too late to matter.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Mogg Flunkies
Description - While its drawback can be overcome, it isn't going to be a consistent 3 power attacking 2 drop like some other cards, but might be an option for larger cubes. Not having a 1 drop means it can't attack turn 3 (or block opposing 2-drops), and it can get neutered by removal on other creatures. If you can draft go wide decks in your cube, its value goes up a little as it helps mitigate the drawback to some degree.
Anchors -
Supports -
Rustrazor Butcher
Description - On its own, it can survive combat with 2/x's, but this doesn't fit an aggro deck. Better as a defensive creature, but you would need ways to pump its power, and get more benefit from the first strike / wither combo, to feel comfortable playing it. If you can put a couple of +1/+1 counters on it, it can survive a lot of combat situations.
Anchors -
Supports -
Skirk Marauder
Description - It seems expensive, but a 2 for 1 particularly with direct damage may deserve some respect. Probably only if you support a morph contingent to your cube.
Anchors -
Supports -
Slavering Nulls
Description - It isn't flashy, but as a Rakdos card, you are in the two colors that can help clear a path (burn, kill spells, can't block effects) and get it connecting early. It's fine in that deck, but it fights with other more 'interesting' Rakdos cards, given black has access to Hypnotic Specter and similar friends.
Anchors -
Supports -
Soulbright Flamekin
Description - Whether this is effective or not will probably depend on how red pairs up with other colors. It might be ok with green on the assumption you are playing ramp targets, with some higher end red aggro / midrange creatures.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sparkmage Apprentice
Description - It might be useful if your cube is crammed with x/1 aggro creatures, or 1/1 utility creatures, where it can both kill one on the way in and then trade with something. Elsewhere it is likely to be lackluster, and require awkward timing to get use of the damage, and then leave behind a mostly useless body.
Anchors -
Supports -
Stingscourger
Description - It's ok as a control card. 2 mana sorcery Unsummon is not great, but even if you aren't paying the echo you still get a chumper that can trade. Needing to pay the echo cost is hard though, given you have to give up the chance to cast something relevant you may be able to draw.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Viashino Slaughtermaster
Description - The activated ability makes it look like this is a 3 colour card, but as a baseline it is a red Fencing Ace. On that basis, you might consider it if you have a Voltron / pants theme, or sufficient combat pump spells. Outside of that support it isn't going to be good.
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Goblin Furrier - It will mostly be a vanilla 2/2 for 2, which is actually uncommon for red. But you want more.
Goblin Glider - A 1/1 flyer for 2 mana AND a drawback?
Goblin Lookout - Too tribal to consider.
Goblin Masons - Too narrow.
Goblin Mime - Just meh.
Goblin Piker - Bad.
Goblin Raider - Too much drawback.
Goblin Recruiter - Too tribal.
Goblin Rock Sled - Just bad.
Goblin Sappers - Several degrees of bad.
Goblin Ski Patrol - Just bad compared to many other options.
Goblin Striker - Just poor stats.
Goblin Tinkerer - There won't be sufficient artifacts for the repeat ability to outweigh the mana investment or time investment (needing to wait a turn).
Goblin Tunneler - There are some creatures this would work well with; sabotuers such as Jhessian Thief, Stealer of Secrets etc. However, the setup cost is high. If you don't have saboteurs, it has cost you 2 cards to get 2 damage through. It isn't going to benefit consistently enough to warrant a spot in the cube.
Goblin War Buggy - Not good enough.
Grotag Siege-Runner - Too narrow.
Hammer Mage - Too narrow for artifact removal. It's slow, and it costs you a card investment to put this on the board, and then another to actually remove what is probably only 1 artifact. And it will destroy your own artifacts if you have any.
Heart Sliver - Tribal.
Hearth Kami - Torch Fiend is more efficient.
Heartlash Cinder - The one-shot of possibly being decent does not make up for the rest of the time when this is a 1/1 for 2 mana.
Highland Berserker - Too hard to make allies a thing.
Hinterland Hermit - The upgrade isn't enough.
Hulking Goblin - Bad.
Hunter Sliver - Tribal.
Impetuous Sunchaser - They had to give it a drawback?
Independent Troops - Bad vanilla.
Ironclaw Orcs - Not good enough.
Keeper of the Flame - It might make for interesting games where you use your life total as a resource to maximise the damage, but that doesn't make it actually good.
Kolaghan Aspirant - Ashmouth Hound strictly better.
Kobold Drill Sergeant - None of the Kobold cards are good on their own and are still ordinary even when they are all together.
Kobold Overlord - None of the Kobold cards are good on their own and are still ordinary even when they are all together.
Kobold Taskmaster - None of the Kobold cards are good on their own and are still ordinary even when they are all together.
Kyren Glider - Because it needed a drawback…
Kyren Legate - Even when it is free it is still bad.
Leaping Master - Vanilla as a red card, and not good enough as a Boros card.
Mad Dog - Bear with a drawback.
Mage-Ring Bully - While there is prowess upside, the forced attack increases the times this will be bad.
Minotaur Explorer - A 3/3 for 2 mana is not worth 2 cards, especially not a random one.
Mogg Jailer - It can attack into almost nothing.
Mogg Maniac - You might chump to prevent some damage and Lava Spike your opponent, but it isn't going to do a lot for your game plan.
Mogg Squad - The times when this will be a bear or just stranded in hand are going to heavily outweight the times this is an efficient beater.
Mogg Toady - Being a bear is not worth having a drawback.
Mudbrawler Cohort - A 2/2 with haste is good. If it is sometimes a 1/1, it is not so good.
Ogre Sentry - There are better walls.
Orcish Healer - Activation costs are too high.
Orcish Settlers - The only place I could see this getting played is in a ramp deck to wipe out the opponent's mana base once you hit 7 or 9 mana, but that seems way too unreliable, and presumably you'd rather spend that mana to put a stabiliser / finisher on the board.
Oxidda Daredevil - Cost is too much to make it any better than a poor vanilla crreature.
Pouncing Kavu - Neither mode is good enough.
Pygmy Dinosaur - Lightning Berserker is all kinds of upside over this.
Pyre Charger - While not strictly better, you would prefer Lightning Berserker over this for more flexibility.
Pyric Salamander - Lightning Berserker is all kinds of upside over this.
Rage Weaver - Just get Crimson Mage.
Riot Piker - It might fit in some aggro decks, but it is going to be outlcassed too often for you to want to rely on it.
Rogue Kavu - There isn't going to be many red decks that wants to swing with just a single 3/1.
Satyr Rambler - Doesn't do enough.
Scalding Devil - Bad body and only hitting players gives this a no.
Sell-Sword Brute / Smoldering Efreet - Bear with downside. No.
Skinbrand Goblin - It doesn't seem terrible, but when it comes to 2/1's for 2 mana with upside for aggro decks, it doesn't quite reach expectations.
Skirk Drill Sergeant - Too tribal.
Skittish Kavu - Conditional bear.
Slith Firewalker - It isn't going to be consistent enough.
Smokebraider - Elemental tribal, and you wouldn't play it otherwise.
Spitfire Handler - Bad Lightning Berserker.
Squealing Devil - Doesn't do enough as a Rakdos card.
Storm Entity - Even at the end of a good storm chain, you can still be undone by a piece of removal.
Subterranean Scout - It has some value, but is likely to be inconsistent enough that it won't have huge impact on the game. Played turn 2 your 1-drop might have been getting through anyway, or you may not have a 1-drop, and it might be the only 2-drop in your hand.
Snflare Shaman - Even if you have enough other elementals in your cube that this could be an occasional shock, there are still better options.
Thick-Skinned Goblin - There just aren't going to be enough echo cards in your cube to warrant playing this.
Thunderscape Familiar - Except in limited circumstances, a mana rock is going to be better and fit in more decks.
Tin Street Hooligan - Not good enough as a Gruul card.
Two-Headed Sliver - Tribal
Utvara Scrapper - Stats are not good enough.
Valley Dasher - A 2/2 hasty guy is only going to be wanted by cheap aggressive decks, but the forced attack is going to make it a dead card too often.
Viashino Sandscout - It has minimal combo potential with ETB effect, but it is too many hoops to jump through and terrible in other cases. It can dodge sorcery speed removal, but most cubes don't include much of that and you are likely to have other targets anyway.
Viashino Slasher - Generally poor stats and ability.
Village Ironsmith - Being a sometimes 3/1 first striker makes this a lot worse than other 2-drops that always have 3 power on the attack.
Wall of Diffusion - It can block stuff, but at this cost you would trade the extra point of toughness for the pump of Aetherflame Wall, or the shadow ability to go for Wall of Tanglecord and be able to block 'derms.
Wall of Earth - You can get Wall of Tanglecord for colorless.
Wall of Torches - Wall of Razors strictly better.
Yellow Scarves Cavalry - 1/1 unblockable for 2 mana is not good.
Yellow Scarves Troops - Bad.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
None.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Arc Trail
Description - Great divisible burn, with the flexibility to take out two smaller creatures, or a creature plus sneak in some damage against your opponent. Excellent control tool against early aggro, so you may include / exclude depending on how those matchups are looking in your cube.
Anchors -
Supports - Control
Goblin Bombardment
Description - Good sacrifice outlet for a number of decks. It can provide reach, being an almost instant win once your opponents life total is less than or equal to the number of creatures you have in play. Synergises nicely in the 'sacrifice deck' with Falkenrath Noble, Hissing Iganuar, and Blood Artist. Not requiring mana to activate makes it very easy to get extra damage in just during the normal course of gameplay.
Anchors - Sacrifice
Supports -
Incinerate
Description - Just good solid burn. It's a 2 mana Lightning Bolt in most cases, but depending on the make-up of your cube, it might kill the odd Cudgel Troll, Undercity Troll and friends.
Anchors -
Supports -
Pyroclasm
Description - A good sweeper given how cheap it is. It clears out a decent number of opposing creatures against aggro and is good against token decks. In midrange once you get past the 2 toughness barrier, it can clear out opposing creatures to let you swing, or you can cast it after combat to help trade up. You wouldn't play it in low to the ground aggro, but it's powerful enough to play it in decks where it will kill some of your creatures, given you have the power of when to cast it.
Anchors - Sweeper Control
Supports -
Searing Blaze
Description - Generally only playable on your turn (to meet landfall requirement), this is still a good card to clear out opposing blockers to swing in, while pushing damage through to the opponent. It's 6 damage for 2 mana which is excellent. There might be the occasional timing issues (no lands to play) but is going to be excellent most of the time. Even if you can't kill an opposing creature it can just be used as reach, and even with landfall you can still use it midcombat to enhance things like first strikers. You can always hang on to an Evolving Wilds to crack it on your opponents turn too... or bluff that you have this.
Anchors -
Supports -
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
Breath of Darigaaz
Description - 4 mana for 4 damage is going to clear out most opposing creatures on the ground. While red doesn't really contribute to the flyers archetype, this can also be a decent splash card for that type of deck.
Anchors - Sweeper Control
Supports -
Dragon Fodder / Krenko's Command
Description - It's not exciting, but it puts bodies on the board. To get the most benefit, you want it in aggro decks that have some form of pump. Nice on defense if you are facing aggressive x/1's to gain card advantage.
Anchors -
Supports - Tokens
Flame Rift
Description - It only deals damage to players, and that includes you. However, it is 4 damage for 2 mana, something you won't find anywhere else. You would include it in your cube if you want to give aggro decks some burn that will wheel, giving them some extra reach to close out the game.
Anchors - Aggro
Supports -
Lightning Strike / Searing Spear
Description - It's strictly worse than Lightning Bolt and Incinerate. However, it is still 3 damage at instant speed for 2 mana that can hit either players or creatures, which is still a good deal, possibly for larger cubes.
Anchors -
Supports -
Madcap Skills
Description - By giving the creature menace, it helps reduce the possibility of getting 2 for 1'd in combat, as the power boost will often help you take out 2 blockers if the opponent can block. If they don't block, an extra 3 'haste' power on the board does good work in aggressive decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Magma Jet
Description - Without scry it is inefficient burn, but the scry is excellent, particularly in red which is without many smoothing options.
Anchors -
Supports -
Rolling Thunder
Description - One of the better red X spells, though it is still slow. It takes a bit of mana to be better than Arc Lightning, but is flexible in allowing you to kill multiple creatures of varying sizes.
Anchors -
Supports - Ramp
Searing Blood
Description - It can clear out creatures while dealing damage to the opponent. While it has more flexibility in timing compared to Searing Blaze, the third point of damage to creatures that card can do is important, and needing to kill the creature to get the extra 3 damage to the player also makes this less flexible in targets. It's a decent card of itself if you have space for 2 cards that cost double red.
Anchors -
Supports -
Tormenting Voice
Description - Helps support graveyard / reanimator strategies in red, and can be a way to give aggro decks some gas by discarding land they no longer need. It doesn't excel, but is fine in those decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Whipflare
Description - It's a decent enough proxy of Pyroclasm, though your mileage may vary depending on your artifact creature count and sizes, with both upsides and downsides. If your cube is full of artifact creatures it might do little, but if there are enough that you can draft the 'artifact deck' then you might be sitting pretty against other decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Break Through The Line
Description - It's effectiveness is going to depend on the specific makeup of creatures in your cube, but it could support saboteurs or aggro. Once your opponent starts stabilising while in the single digits, it can let your outclassed early drops get through. In control decks, it can let card drawing sabotuers through to maintain card advantage while slowly pinging away their life total. Shoutout to Throat Slitter for beig able to eliminate their board at the same time. Don't forget the haste which can also be important. Those upsides or situations aside, it is still going to be situational.
Anchors -
Supports - Aggro, Sabotuers
Burning Oil
Description - The timing is more restrictive than most burn, but the 2 for 1 can make up for that. You are loathe to cast this on a blocker, but in a defensive Boros deck it might be worthwhile to stem an early threat with another use late game. However it isn't likely to be considered among other Boros options and may also be considered 'boring' as a gold card.
Anchors -
Supports -
Circle of Flame
Description - It can invalidate some token strategies, but what deck wants this? It's a sideboard card as opposed to part of a particular strategy.
Anchors -
Supports -
Fall of the Hammer
Description - On pure power, it is worse than more consistent burn. However it might be a more interesting burn choice if you want removal that your midrange / ramp decks are likely to want more than your aggressive decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Fiery Conclusion
Description - 5 damage kills a lot of creatures. Can help aggro decks trade up, sacrificing a creature in a 'go wide' strategy to help keep the guys get through. However there might not always be an opportune time to cast it, and occasionally will be a dead card when you have no creatures on the board.
Anchors -
Supports -
Fling
Description - The question is, how often will this be better than Searing Spear, and how often will you be willing to sac a creature for it? That consideration will limit it to ramp or midrange decks with enough big creatures to get advantage from it, probably to close out the game. Also has synergy with temporary steal effects, so it might be more appealing if you have a few of those.
Anchors -
Supports -
Grapeshot
Description - The only reason you would include this in your cube is as an anchor card for a storm deck, and will need to support it with other cards that support storm.
Anchors - Storm
Supports -
Impact Tremors
Description - Ongoing damage triggers are nice, but the issue is that it doesn't develop your board. Red aggressive decks need to lay down threats and get them in for damage before the opponent stabilises; taking a turn off to cast this reduces the ability to do that. It does have use in midrange decks, token decks, or grindy graveyard creature recursion decks, but it won't fit everywhere.
Anchors -
Supports -
Lash Out
Description - Other burn can target both players and creatures, but often burn is best saved for creatures, so the possibility of hitting your opponent may be worth considering.
Anchors -
Supports -
Mob Justice
Description - It only hits players. Most burn will be better, unless you want some burn that is going to wheel to players drafting 'go wide' decks.
Anchors -
Supports -
Nightbird's Clutches
Description - It's not flashy (but it's flashbacky...) but it can get past some annoying blockers when you need it to. It's bad as a 6 mana sorcery if you need to push through in a single turn (Order // Chaos is your guy) but spreading over 2 turns and having minor synergy with graveyard themes might cause you to choose this for your cube.
Anchors -
Supports - Graveyard themes
Ordeal of Purphoros
Description - Throwing on a 1-drop that can outrace the defense, and then take out something at the end seems reasonable, but is going to be inconsistent. Also good on evasive creatures. However, it is going to be inconsistent and still fails the 2 for 1 test.
Anchors -
Supports -
Pyrostatic Pillar
Description - Many cubes are built with tight mana curves in mind and a reasonable number of spells that cost 3 or less. It means it will trigger often enough, but so will your spells. Aggressive decks are the ones that are most likely to want it, but are also more likely to play the trigger cards. It's abstractly powerful, but hard to break in a cube context.
Anchors -
Supports -
Scouring Sands
Description - This is probably a metagame call if you want to punish over reliance on aggressive x/1's or token creatures. Boiling Earth and Electrickery are similar options you may wish to consider. You'd pick this over those mainly if you just want to add more deck smoothing cards to your environment.
Anchors -
Supports -
Shrapnel Blast
Description - If you push an artifact deck, this could be included as a reach card for that deck, but no other deck will want it.
Anchors -
Supports -
Skullcrack
Description - This is highly environment dependent, but can stem life gain effects if they are prevalent in your cube, and can be a metagame card against prevention effects like Phantom Centaur. You need to be running enough cards it is going to hate on to be worth it.
Anchors -
Supports -
Smash to Smithereens
Description - Dedicated artifact destruction cards are a hard sell, but it has reasonable upside so might be worth considering.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sudden Shock
Description - It is inefficient compared to most burn. You would only consider it if you want specific options to deal with troublesome cards, like Mother of Runes. Most would consider this unecessary, but the option is there.
Anchors -
Supports -
Temur Battle-Rage
Description - It's performance is likely to be inconsistent and the decks that can maximise its potential are limited, but it does have some high upside if you pull it off. It's value might be a little higher if combat pump is more prevalent in your cube and you are lighter on instant speed removal.
Anchors -
Supports -
Twin Bolt
Description - This is decent flexible burn. The 2 mana shock option is poor but it is still burn, but can take out two creatures, particularly helping trade up in combat or in conjunction with first strikers. Fire // Ice is strictly better, depending on your stance (some count it as mono-red with occasional upside in blue decks).
Anchors -
Supports -
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
I think I get what you are saying, but this doesn't seem much different than some of the arcehtype threads we already have (perhaps with a more complete list of cards). What those don't do is provide at a glance, or filterable list, a comparison to other archetypes or where you can cross-pollinate.
@ALIK4
It's intended more as what to include in your cube, and less about how to draft. I don't deny a lot of effort will be involved, and who knows, maybe this will fail and not meet my lofty goals. But I'm hoping for some flexibility in the end product, maybe with some comparison or suggestive features based on what archetypes you want to push.
@n00b1n8R
I'm not sure which card evaluation you mean; do you mean the 1-5 rating in the pauper evaluate everything thread, or something else? I think each archetype should include a description, including how many anchor and support cards (or whatever agreed classification) are required to make the deck viable.
Strictly worse than Gideon's Lawkeeper
Archetypes: Ebola
Mardu Woe-Reaper
This card is hands down white's best aggressive 1drop creature. If you want your white decks to be turning dudes sideways on turn 2, this will be the first cards you include to support it.
Archetypes: Aggro, White Weenie
etc..
This card is the bomb-diggity in this archetype because it's really obvious why it's good
Evaluate all the cards in the first section, then in the archetype only discuss the cards that are relevant to that archetype, and how important they are to it.
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
All that said, I'd prefer to collaborate and happy to consider other suggestions. My aim was for maximum flexibility with the end result.
Just curious what basis you made this strictly worse statement on? (joke/ art preference/ Human > Kithkin)
In a peasant environment I would argue that the harrier is better due to the staple status of Cloudgoat Ranger, and a lack of humans matter spells. (also if you are being serious, one cannot be strictly better than the other in the same way that Mardu Woe-Reaper is not strictly better than Elite Vanguard, as there are warriors matter spells AND soldiers matter spells - mostly irrelevant in cube I know, but still a valid point)
Although, if you are talking about the art, I agree. Goldmeadow Harrier is a total uggo.
I think we could reasonably run a discussion on a set of cards every week, especially if they're all simmilar cards ("this week: 1 drop white and blue creatures", "white 2 drop creatures", etc). We already have an active This or That which is a simmilar kind if discussion and it would be a great way to start internet arguments which are sure to generate posts.
@Bacchus2: That's a pretty great concept but is the technology there to easily make it (would anybody put excessive time in to support and maintain a service like that?)
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
just copy my cube...
I don't see myself contributing on this a whole lot. Too much work, too many cubes are different, our meta changes every few months it seems so data becomes quickly outdated, etc.My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
yeah, i agree.
Aside from the fact that I really don't want to have to give Fs to Balduvian bears, Barbary apes, Cylian elf, Forest bear, Grizzly bears, and Runeclaw bear, when I already gave an F+ to Bear cub.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
My Peasant Cube thread !!! (380 cards)
Draft my Peasant Cube on Cube Cobra !!!
Lookin at you trinket mage and shrapnel blast.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
You are correct, every cube is different. Every environment can't be fully taken into account, but if cards are listed with a 'general' score as noob implied with further information about what archetypes they specifically support, it can give more information about a variety of environments. Or when a new set comes out, it can be easy to evaluate cards against the archetypes that you are actively trying to support.
The artifact/metalcraft deck you allude to is a great example; trinket mage is unplayable in most decks, and might be listed as 0 or 1/5 (or whatever scale is decided on) but is listed as a supporting the metalcraft deck. It gives some insight that this is a card you might want to include if pushing the metalcraft deck is really something you want to do (your fun whackjob decks analogy) but is rarely going to support any other decks.
There will always be some aspects of the environment you can't take into account, and I would certainly acknowledge any assumptions in a primer to the information (general power considered over flavour/colour pie philosophies, assumes an 'average' mix of the different card types).
Assuming a classification of card approach as noob suggested, I suspect I would take out the chaff, but list which cards I considered chaff in case anyone wanted to elevate them.
I've got a list elsewhere of potential archetypes, so I will grab that and post that here tomorrow.
Proposed card listing and scoring methodology, let me know if there are any other suggestions/feedback;
Card Name - Score
Description - Can include what is strictly better than it, why it's good, if it hoses certain archetypes, if it gets better or worse in particular environments etc.
Anchors : Archetypes that this card signals are probably in the cube. Pulls you into that archetype.
Supports : Might not pull you into an archetype, but if you are already in this archetype, the value of this card goes up.
Scoring would be it's 'general' score.
5 - Bomb. This card is top of the range and is playable in almost every deck of the cards colours, or may warrant a splash. These are likely to be contenders for first picks, and later in the draft you will probably pick these over something that supports the archetype you are pushing.
4 - Staple. This card is good and is likely to be played in most decks of its colours.
3 - Playables. These cards might not always be the most exciting, but they get the job done.
2 - Borderline. These cards might make the cut in some cubes, but probably won't make the majority. This category might include strictly worse cards to consider if you want redundant effects.
1 - Fringe. These cards are almost unplayable in most decks, but may serve to support specific archetypes. Cards that push a parasitic mechanic or theme may fit this category.
0 - Unplayable. There aren't really any decks that would want this card, let alone your cube.
Example
Grafted Wargear - 5
This is the best available piece of equipment, and one of the best cards available to peasant cubes. If your opponent does not have an immediate answer and you have a creature, it often ends games by itself. Note that some cubers ban this card due to its significant power. While any decks can play it, It is particularly brutal in any aggressive build.
Anchors : None
Supports : Aggro decks in all colours.
Eternal Witness - 4
Eternal Witness is great at generating card advantage, and interacts nicely with a number of different themes often found in cubes. While her value goes up in decks that want to abuse the graveyard to give her more targets or can re-use her ETB effect, she can still serve a role in reusing early resources in an aggro build, or even just a 'speed bump' while a control deck marshals its resources.
Anchors : None
Supports : Golgari Dredge, Crystal Shard, Flicker
Lava Spike - 1
When compared to Lightning Bolt, Lava spike doesn't look so hot. It's a sorcery and it only deals damage to players. Sure it deals 3 for 1, but there are dozens of better burn spells than this.
Anchors : Arcane decks
Supports : Nothing
I think Loxodon Warhammer is better than Grafted Wargear though (you can use it on an attacker, then stick it on a blocker for double value and has an impact to both sides life).
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
We can update the examples when we get to those categories
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article