MTG Salvation

I often find myself thinking about a handful of cards that I reluctantly run in my cube, because they are without a better replacement. Perhaps a thread like this could open up some discussion on gaps we have in our card pool, and as well as potential alternatives.

Attended Knight- Definitely my least favorite card in my cube. I run it because there aren't any other 2W options
that I like more. This card feels so tepid and nonspecific. It's neither particularly great or bad in any deck.

Glimmerpoint Stag- Exiling a permanent is a great ability, but I find the stag as a package to be really annoying . It's a one-shot blink effect on a double white costed 3/3 vigilant body. Unlike Flickerwisp, it's not good in an aggro deck, and it's average in both control deck and blink deck. If it had 4 toughness, cost only a single white, or maybe had a Galepowder Mage type trigger instead of an ETB I think I'd be more interested in it.

Wing Splicer- Less of an issue than Attended Knight for sure, but I don't really love what it's doing. It's definitely great in a blink deck, but is pretty underwhelming in basically all other contexts. The 4-slot in blue is probably one of the weakest slots in peasant cube.

Slaughterhorn- Green 3 drops are notoriously lacking in the aggressive department. Slaughter is fun in the Gruul ppump deck, but is at its best unremarkable even in that context. Hungry Spriggan is the most aggressive option, bbut the 1/1 body is something I can't really get behind. Leatherback Baloth would be insane it wasn't trips green.

I'm sure there's more, but those are the ones that stick out to me the most.

There are a lot of cards at 2W, but it is hard to make a suggestion without knowing what you want the spot to fill. Is this for a blink theme? Does it have to be a creature? Are there other requirements you are looking for?

Yeah, it needs to be a creature.

The cards that I feel are in the realm of consideration that cost 2W are:

• Aven Riftwatcher
  
• Ballynock Cohort
  
• Basilica Guards
  
• Heliod's Pilgrim
  
• Jötun Owl Keeper
  
• Master of Diversion
  
• Sandsteppe Outcast

Given that most of my 3 drops creatures are aggro-oriented and my 3 drop noncreatures are control-oriented, I would like it to be a good thematic support card (blink or ?).

All of those cards, except slaughterhorn, are cards I just cut or almost cut.
Attended knight isn't very good. It's a poor aggro creature, and mere roadblock of a defensive body.
Wing splicer at least has upside, but downsides of any removal at all making your flier a 3/3 grounded guy. It is basically the definition of average.
Glimmerpoint stag is also basically as average as they come. Fits in everything, helps a fringe archetype, but it's not impressive after the etb. I think it's just barely cuttable at 360, but the dearth of options any higher make finding replacements near impossible.
Slaughterhorn just isn't very good. I just tried a green aggro package (still testing) and I'm happier with other unpopular options like the underrated jungle lion and the unusual rogue elephant.

Abzan Beastmaster is super good in any midrange or ramp deck. It's done well in my testing.
If you need an aggro 3drop, have you considered Hungry Spriggan?

I suppose losing a card that I basically never want to play in a deck for a card that has heavier mana commitments is reasonable switch. So I'll probably bring Fiend Hunter in....Still wish there was another option I liked more.

@n00b: I mentioned Spriggan in my initial post. I'm not interested in my mid-curve beaters dying to literally everything.

Maybe I'll give the Beastmaster a go...it seems to be really good in ramp too.


Surely other folks have cards they are itching to cut in their lists?

i've got a few cards to cut, i just need to find good replacements for them.

stingscourger
ambush viper
traveler's amulet

kind of iffy on cunning sparkmage and ondu giant atm as well. i'm waiting for deciding whether to support red storm before i make my next update though.

I just put Viper in my list as an experiment to encourage UG flash a bit more. It seems like one of green's stronger removal options.

Quote from palingensia »

i've got a few cards to cut, i just need to find good replacements for them.

stingscourger
ambush viper
traveler's amulet

kind of iffy on cunning sparkmage and ondu giant atm as well. i'm waiting for deciding whether to support red storm before i make my next update though.

I feel like all of the cards I'm about to suggest you aren't running for specific reasons, but here are my first thoughts:

both Keldon Marauders and Hellspark Elemental are the most obvious omissions in your red 2-drops. I enjoy having both in my cube.

as far as replacing ambush viper, I'm a big fan of Jade Mage...it does a lot of work in multiple archetypes..being above average in a sacrifice, tokens, and ramp decks, while still serviceable in even an aggro build. Leafcrown Dryad has been decent for me so far.

I like Wayfarer's Bauble far more than Traveler's Amulet. Perilous Myr is another big one that I'd recommend running.

Druid's Familiar has been a great addition to my green section. Could be a good replacement for the Giant. Why no Blastoderm?

Cutting Sparkmage and another red card could open room to run some sweepers in red? Pyroclasm and Slice and Dice are my current favorites. I'm looking to make room for Firespout soon too.

Quote from Squirrely »

Phyrexian Rager is one of those cards for me. Any good black 3-drops I don't run?

Fleshbag marauder fits the bill of easy to cast non-aggro duder.

Or perhaps reassembling skeleton? i think you could stand to cut a 3 drop.

Plague Spitter.

Edit: Reassembling Skeleton is a card you should be running, especially since you already cube with Goblin Bombardment, Thoughtpicker Witch, Plagued Rusalka, and Carrion Feeder.

I'd cut Crypt Rats for Plague Spitter

If skeleton is ever going to be great, it'd be in a list like the one Chips mentioned.

Yeah squirrely, that's how I felt. I'm giving it one last chance before writing it and a bunch of cards off for a while.

Combat has gotten so effective in my cube that it just outpaces these marginal advantages too well I suppose. Which I miss, somewhat.

That's probably a function of you pushing aggro in every colour. You know what you must do now to restore grind.dec to it's true glory

I don't push aggro in white fwiw.

Skeleton was definitely stronger a couple years ago, but I still like him for sacrifice and pestilence decks specifically. The sacrifice deck is shaping up to be one of the stronger decks in my cube so it's safe for the unforeseeable future.

I feel like stonecloaker is a classic card that has for some reason fallen out of favor with me.

I'm still desperately holding onto the idea of blink, and Stonecloaker to a degree helps me keep blink somewhat alive. The card would be much better if the return clause was "you may"

It is also one of the only cards cubed that actively hates on reanimator.