Hello all, I'm relatively new to peasant cubing (started in April) and just found this forum. I'm looking for any helpful feedback and advice on my list: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/12081
A couple things to note:
-I use a unique hybrid methodology, where I count split cards as hybrids if either color is happy to play them. Hybrids count as a quarter of each color and half a guild card, the idea being that a deck with both colors is happier to have it than a deck with either.
-I've seen both Lingering Souls and Unburial Rites used in monocolor lists, so I classified them as "part-brid" where they count as 1/4 of a guild card and 3/4 of a monocolor card. This leaves white and black each down half a card from the other colors, but I like this system better than the alternatives. These were the only cards I found worth using in the "part-brid" section.
-Lashknife Barrier and Lust for War are both on my watchlist; I just don't own them yet.
-My guilds are slightly unbalanced; I am still desperately seeking a Spitemare and need a good azorius hybrid option (looking at Silkbind Faerie; anyone have experience with it?)
-My guild section and artifact section are slightly larger and my fixing section slightly smaller than typical; thus far, this has not led to any major issues and leads to some interesting decisions about splashing or playing a third color, though this is something I am watching
-Some of my artifacts are weak and will be replaced as soon as possible.
-Apostle's Blessing is not a white card. This will be fixed as soon as I find a Valorous Stance
Curse of chains is probably better than silkbind faerie.
Would you, really, play lingering souls in white/red or unburial rites as a five mana zombify in dimir?
Farseek doesn't have an upside over rampant growth for us.
Jilt is an excellent card for izzet.
You have no 2/2s for 1 in your black section, and I don't like any of the cards in there. Fume spitter is closest to playable there, but I still don't like it as a lateral copy of mogg fanatic
The Edict effects are not particularly good unless they have a possibility for high upside. That's why I only like merciless executioner or fleshbag marauder.
Thanks for the reply. Curse of Chains: Hadn't noticed this card when I conducted my initial search. Almost certainly a better option.
On Souls/Rites: I understand the skepticism. I was initially surprised too. But they've actually worked out pretty well in decks that aren't running both black and white. Souls is still 2 flying tokens, which isn't the worst, and rites tends to see play as a value spell with things like Shriekmaw or Mulldrifter, which is alright in a slower deck (it helps that I don't really push fast reanimation). I agree that they are best in orzhov, though, which made classifying them tricky.
Farseek/Rampant Growth: Fair point. I honestly feel these are both kind of boring and am considering trying to find a more interesting option anyways. Flood/Jilt/Black 1 drops: I lump these together because honestly, they all have the issue of I only started playing in Scars of Mirrodin block or so, and so I miss a lot of older cards just because of lack of experience (likely including a lot of better black 1 drops). I do like Viscera Seer, but that's probably more because it's a pet card of mine than because it's a good choice. I do try to support the black sac deck, though.
Edicts: Barter in Blood plays a lot better than a simple edict, Innocent Blood could probably stand to go, and Tribute to Hunger is kind of a filler card right now until I find something I'd rather put in that slot. Again, I miss a lot of cards due to my limited knowledge of the total card pool, so recommendations are appreciated.
Second of all, I'm just going to list the cards that we would all say you are doing a disservice to your cube for not having them since they are viewed as staples.
@squirrely: Phyrexian mana cards I count as colorless, as if they're not good enough to be run as colorless, I try to avoid them. It is tricky to maintain the balance, but I've found it to be pretty worthwhile.
@BrownDog: Some of those cards aren't in due to availability issues (my collection is limited, and I am currently a broke college student, making it hard to purchase many cards). Others, well, I like interactivity, so I kind of have a personal vendetta against hexproof/shroud. I like every card in my cube to have answers to it. I also try to avoid too much protection, especially in the early game, which is why I've been hesitant to pick up a Mother of Runes. I considered Pharika's Mender; my concern is that it might feel to much like just another Gravedigger. How does that actually play out? Also, I'm curious about Serrated Arrows; it doesn't read all that well, does it just play out a lot better in practice? If so, I'll definitely pick up one of them; I usually love cards like that. Grafted Wargear was in the initial draft, but it proved to be a bit too powerful. A lot of those cards are great suggestions, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for them. Thanks for the input!
Pharika's mender isn't another gravedigger, gravedigger is another pharika's mender. Gravedigger has very little value beyond the ebt, and mender is a threat.
They're fine, and I run them, but I don't think that they impact games strongly so often in my cube that they are glaring omissions if you decided not to run them at 360.
Ok, you guys have sold me on a lot of these. Now looking to pick up: Cloudgoat Ranger Custodi Squire Harm's Way Spectral Procession Temporal Isolation (how have I never found this before? This is awesome) Faith's Fetters Jetting Glasskite (This type of resistance to targeted effects is something my playgroup will be more likely to enjoy) Fact or Fiction Preordain Blood Artist (I love this guy, but I don't own any right now) Skinrender Darkblast Snuff Out Stormblood Berserker Fire Imp Goblin Bombardment Arc Trail Eternal Witness Briarhorn Pharika's Mender Dreg Mangler Jilt Dismember (this one may be a bit tricky to classify; I play it as colorless, but I'd rather play it in a black deck generally) Serrated Arrows
I will also be looking for better black 1 drops.
There are a few notable omissions, and many of them have specific reasons Mother of Runes/Calciderm/Blastoderm: As I mentioned above, I hate shroud, and the group I usually play with hates it even more than I do. And most of them have played against Mom before and hated the experience, so I left these off because no one wanted to see them. Path/Swords/Bolt: My cube runs a shade slower than I think is typical, and including too many cheap removal spells is something I'm concerned may tip the balance against aggro. My plan is to slowly phase these in a little at a time to try to find the right balance. Also, I have no way to acquire a StP. Clone: I try to run only cards printed at uncommon that I own the printing for to avoid complaints, and I have never seen one of the uncommon printings. Talrand's Invocation: In the original draft, but several people complained that it "didn't feel right." I tend to take my playgroup's opinions into account as a general rule, so this got the axe. Nekrataal: I feel like this might be just too many of this effect, and this seemed like the weakest of them. Demonic Tutor: I'm a sucker for variance and luck. Personal preference to avoid tutors.
Marauders/Champion: To be honest, these just feel like to the face burn spells with legs, which just isn't all that interesting in my opinion. I prefer to use creature slots for creatures, and spell slots for spells, especially in u/r, where those slots are at a premium. Rancor: I probably should give it a shot, but I was originally concerned it might be too hard to deal with. Ribbons/Boar: I play with a few players who would really get mad at me for putting these in guild slots. I actually had a hard time convincing them of my stance on Souls and Rites (at least partly multicolor), but these are clearly guild cards, as they are pretty much worse than every other option if you're not in multicolor, but my group would fight me on this for a while. I actually have similar concerns about Jilt. I suppose I could try using the part-brid system for these options, though that will require some rebalancing of the sections. Murderous Redcap: I don't want to overdo the Nekrataals, and this one fights for hybrid space. If I do end up rebalancing guilds again, this is probably one of the first additions. Bloodbraid Elf: My playgroup hates it. Too swingy and powerful. Trostani's Summoner: I like the way selesnya plays right now, and I find it hard to make cuts. Pridemage or charm are the obvious choices, but I don't like cutting some of the primary maindeckable enchantment removal, and charm is just so versatile. Putrid Leech: My playgroup has an irrational love of Korozda Guildmage. I've been trying to make this change for a month. I'll see if I can slip it into the Dragons of Tarkir update.
Lands: I do like manlands, and will be looking to find space for them, but it's difficult. Fixing has never been an issue since I added the vivids, though.
"Talrand's Invocation: In the original draft, but several people complained that it "didn't feel right." I tend to take my playgroup's opinions into account as a general rule, so this got the axe."
I don't understand what you mean
Trostani's summoner is the strongest card in selesnya. Possibly one of the top 5 gold cards in general.
Murderous redcap is.. probably the second best rakdos card (less gamebreaking than fire covenant, but better in not aggro). Also, you're not really playing a lot of these (you're excluding fire imp, bone shredder)
As for your issues with keldon champion... well, aren't most aggro creatures kind of like burn spells with legs? Especially if they can't block, or if they have shadow?
I haven't found Mother of Runes to be oppressive. It is strong, but when I've been on the opposing side of the table it has usually meant some form of suboptimal play to draw out an activation, followed by some form of removal on mom while she is vulnerable. Because it is a tap activation I think it allows for plenty of decision making and interaction on both sides of the table.
Blastoderm and Calciderm are great cards and might require some chump/double blocks. You can choose not to block them because they will eventually fade, but it isn't like you can't interact with them.
That said, you should tailor your card pool to what works for you and your group; I don' play most shadow guys because they only way to deal with them is usually a removal spell and i want them to be more interactive.
@BrownDog: To clarify, I don't own the uncommon printing, nor do I know anyone who might, and I avoid cards that I don't actually own the proper printing for
@Leelue: On Talrand's Invocation, I played it originally in the list, but I got a lot of complaints about the effect feeling wrong in blue or similar, so I cut it rather than having a huge argument with my playgroup. We haven't really missed it. Summoner is a good choice, though. Redcap is amazing, and I do hope to get it in in the next color rebalancing update; I typically do these every couple months to get the balance right. As for Champion...I get your point, but I feel like paying the echo will never happen, making it just 4 for 6 to face unless they block, which is fine, but not that exciting in my opinion. It may be that I'm wrong, so I may still slip it in for testing at some point down the line.
@bacchus: Mother of Runes is probably ok, but when I mentioned it to the people I typically play with, they hated the idea. And I have a personal vendetta against hexproof and shroud, which is why I'm so against the 'derms. I'm also starting to limit and remove protection in general except for the conditional/expensive kind (part of my purpose here was to find some good replacements for those kinds). Personal preference on this, I admit I'm biased here, but it's worked for my group so far.
To Everyone: Thanks for the input and advice. I know it may seem like I'm arguing everything, but I do appreciate your input and recognize that you have more experience than I; I just like to be sure I'm making the best possible decisions through discussion rather than taking anything for granted. So thank you all.
Well, the idea with the champ is that it's the last guy you play. It should be fine so long as you don't play it expecting to need to follow up next turn
Cards like Mother of Runes, Blastoderm, and Calciderm are important pieces for green and white to combat removal heavy control decks...those 3 color decks that run all the 2-for-1s they could draft. So unless you consciously omit a lot of 2-for-1s, you should almost certainly be running them in my opinion.
I think we need to know more about the odd whims of your playgroup before we can make more recommendations. It seems like you're hesitant to include cards that are too strong or don't "feel right." Take Talrand's Invocation, for instance. It's definitely first-pick material while not being oppressive. I'm not really sure what your group has against such a card.
Moreover, inscho is totally right about Blastoderm and Calciderm, and while your dislike of hexproof and shroud is understandable, the fading/vanishing is more than fair. A balance of threats and answers is important, but you should never have so many answers as to make it impossible for the threats to actually be threats.
Of course, it's all relative and you should do what you feel is right for your cube. My cube is atypical in several ways, and I believe that the way I built it simultaneously rewards skill while adding a healthy amount of variance. You're wise to seek advice, but don't be afraid to put some suggestions on the back burner and go your own way first.
EDIT: Regarding Keldon Champion specifically, I pay the echo on that guy all the time. Unless you're racing hard, keeping a sturdy body like that around will normally get you to your next turn to keep applying pressure. I'd recommend giving him a shot. He plays better than he may appear.
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I ran Silkbind Faerie for a draft or two. It had a lot of presence and demanded an answer but 2 mana every turn is a lot, and even with evasion, it doesn't present any sort of clock, which is something I want most white and blue 3-drops to present.
Yeah, my playgroup can be a little weird at times. They generally don't like the idea of blue being able to produce highly efficient aggro creatures on a consistent basis for some reason; I've managed to get them to come around on a fair number, but on certain cards, they just don't budge. I do make an effort to limit the quantity of 2-for-1s, and the lower amounts of fixing present prevent 3 color control decks that got all of them from becoming too omnipresent (they do show up, but they are often forced to pick between fixing and 2-for-1s and so the decks are good, but not oppressive). The issue has not really come up where there are too many efficient answers to threats to allow the threats to be threats. Again, part of this is because I do limit the power and quantity of removal to some extent (very little removal costs less than 2, and most of it that does is conditional). The derms are something I'm not likely to budge on for a while, and I've never had problems where green and white based aggro or midrange are unable to answer controlling decks. I try to maximize interactivity, which is to say that I don't really want to put in any cards where the only thing you can really do is block for a few turns and hope it's enough. This is a personal preference, and I know that many of you may disagree with me for various (probably valid) reasons, but this is one place where my cube just differs from almost any other. I will have to test Keldon Marauders, though. And if I locate a Clone from one of those sets, I will look to pick it up and run it; I can be a bit weird about not running any cards with gold set symbols.
Overall, I think my cube is at a lower than average power level, which is something I am okay with (it also makes each new set more exciting, as more cards are likely to fit in at the appropriate power level), but there are definitely some improvements that can be made, which is why I decided to ask for advice. So far, I have gotten a lot of really solid recommendations and some new thoughts and ideas to tinker around with. Again, I do really appreciate all of the input, even if I don't end up agreeing with it completely or following all of the recommendations.
On efficient blue token production: several people in my playgroup do actually hate and refuse to acknowledge Master of Waves. They've been playing since old Mirrodin, and really don't like the power creep in creatures in general. It took a bit of work to get them to stop complaining about the aggressive blue creatures that I currently run; one of them flat out told me that blue shouldn't be allowed to be aggro at all (which I disagreed with; I'm actually trying to line up a couple more aggressive options for blue).
It was only one person who really thought that, and he also tended to think that red control didn't feel right. I think he just had a weird mindset from primarily seeing blue have inefficient creatures and efficient counterspells/card draw (he was more okay with blue tempo, as long as the creatures weren't too cost efficient). As I said, I disagreed and have been pushing back against this mindset a decent amount, but I gave up on the token generation, preferring to focus on other aspects of the battle first (he tried to get me to cut Welkin Tern and any variants of it for being too aggressive. I mean, come on.) Luckily, it was only the one person who was opposed to the entire blue aggro thing, but it was multiple people who opposed the highly efficient token generators.
A couple things to note:
-I use a unique hybrid methodology, where I count split cards as hybrids if either color is happy to play them. Hybrids count as a quarter of each color and half a guild card, the idea being that a deck with both colors is happier to have it than a deck with either.
-I've seen both Lingering Souls and Unburial Rites used in monocolor lists, so I classified them as "part-brid" where they count as 1/4 of a guild card and 3/4 of a monocolor card. This leaves white and black each down half a card from the other colors, but I like this system better than the alternatives. These were the only cards I found worth using in the "part-brid" section.
-Lashknife Barrier and Lust for War are both on my watchlist; I just don't own them yet.
-My guilds are slightly unbalanced; I am still desperately seeking a Spitemare and need a good azorius hybrid option (looking at Silkbind Faerie; anyone have experience with it?)
-My guild section and artifact section are slightly larger and my fixing section slightly smaller than typical; thus far, this has not led to any major issues and leads to some interesting decisions about splashing or playing a third color, though this is something I am watching
-Some of my artifacts are weak and will be replaced as soon as possible.
-Apostle's Blessing is not a white card. This will be fixed as soon as I find a Valorous Stance
Would you, really, play lingering souls in white/red or unburial rites as a five mana zombify in dimir?
Farseek doesn't have an upside over rampant growth for us.
Jilt is an excellent card for izzet.
You have no 2/2s for 1 in your black section, and I don't like any of the cards in there. Fume spitter is closest to playable there, but I still don't like it as a lateral copy of mogg fanatic
The Edict effects are not particularly good unless they have a possibility for high upside. That's why I only like merciless executioner or fleshbag marauder.
Flood is better than thassa's ire.
gtg to work
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
Curse of Chains: Hadn't noticed this card when I conducted my initial search. Almost certainly a better option.
On Souls/Rites: I understand the skepticism. I was initially surprised too. But they've actually worked out pretty well in decks that aren't running both black and white. Souls is still 2 flying tokens, which isn't the worst, and rites tends to see play as a value spell with things like Shriekmaw or Mulldrifter, which is alright in a slower deck (it helps that I don't really push fast reanimation). I agree that they are best in orzhov, though, which made classifying them tricky.
Farseek/Rampant Growth: Fair point. I honestly feel these are both kind of boring and am considering trying to find a more interesting option anyways.
Flood/Jilt/Black 1 drops: I lump these together because honestly, they all have the issue of I only started playing in Scars of Mirrodin block or so, and so I miss a lot of older cards just because of lack of experience (likely including a lot of better black 1 drops). I do like Viscera Seer, but that's probably more because it's a pet card of mine than because it's a good choice. I do try to support the black sac deck, though.
Edicts: Barter in Blood plays a lot better than a simple edict, Innocent Blood could probably stand to go, and Tribute to Hunger is kind of a filler card right now until I find something I'd rather put in that slot. Again, I miss a lot of cards due to my limited knowledge of the total card pool, so recommendations are appreciated.
Second of all, I'm just going to list the cards that we would all say you are doing a disservice to your cube for not having them since they are viewed as staples.
My Peasant Cube thread !!! (380 cards)
Draft my Peasant Cube on Cube Cobra !!!
@BrownDog: Some of those cards aren't in due to availability issues (my collection is limited, and I am currently a broke college student, making it hard to purchase many cards). Others, well, I like interactivity, so I kind of have a personal vendetta against hexproof/shroud. I like every card in my cube to have answers to it. I also try to avoid too much protection, especially in the early game, which is why I've been hesitant to pick up a Mother of Runes. I considered Pharika's Mender; my concern is that it might feel to much like just another Gravedigger. How does that actually play out? Also, I'm curious about Serrated Arrows; it doesn't read all that well, does it just play out a lot better in practice? If so, I'll definitely pick up one of them; I usually love cards like that. Grafted Wargear was in the initial draft, but it proved to be a bit too powerful. A lot of those cards are great suggestions, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for them. Thanks for the input!
*= I run it
Ghitu encampment
Faerie conclave*
Treetop village*
Grafted wargear (because it's broken)
Deadwood treefolk *
Darkblast *
Pharika's mender isn't another gravedigger, gravedigger is another pharika's mender. Gravedigger has very little value beyond the ebt, and mender is a threat.
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 CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Cloudgoat Ranger
Custodi Squire
Harm's Way
Spectral Procession
Temporal Isolation (how have I never found this before? This is awesome)
Faith's Fetters
Jetting Glasskite (This type of resistance to targeted effects is something my playgroup will be more likely to enjoy)
Fact or Fiction
Preordain
Blood Artist (I love this guy, but I don't own any right now)
Skinrender
Darkblast
Snuff Out
Stormblood Berserker
Fire Imp
Goblin Bombardment
Arc Trail
Eternal Witness
Briarhorn
Pharika's Mender
Dreg Mangler
Jilt
Dismember (this one may be a bit tricky to classify; I play it as colorless, but I'd rather play it in a black deck generally)
Serrated Arrows
I will also be looking for better black 1 drops.
There are a few notable omissions, and many of them have specific reasons
Mother of Runes/Calciderm/Blastoderm: As I mentioned above, I hate shroud, and the group I usually play with hates it even more than I do. And most of them have played against Mom before and hated the experience, so I left these off because no one wanted to see them.
Path/Swords/Bolt: My cube runs a shade slower than I think is typical, and including too many cheap removal spells is something I'm concerned may tip the balance against aggro. My plan is to slowly phase these in a little at a time to try to find the right balance. Also, I have no way to acquire a StP.
Clone: I try to run only cards printed at uncommon that I own the printing for to avoid complaints, and I have never seen one of the uncommon printings.
Talrand's Invocation: In the original draft, but several people complained that it "didn't feel right." I tend to take my playgroup's opinions into account as a general rule, so this got the axe.
Nekrataal: I feel like this might be just too many of this effect, and this seemed like the weakest of them.
Demonic Tutor: I'm a sucker for variance and luck. Personal preference to avoid tutors.
Marauders/Champion: To be honest, these just feel like to the face burn spells with legs, which just isn't all that interesting in my opinion. I prefer to use creature slots for creatures, and spell slots for spells, especially in u/r, where those slots are at a premium.
Rancor: I probably should give it a shot, but I was originally concerned it might be too hard to deal with.
Ribbons/Boar: I play with a few players who would really get mad at me for putting these in guild slots. I actually had a hard time convincing them of my stance on Souls and Rites (at least partly multicolor), but these are clearly guild cards, as they are pretty much worse than every other option if you're not in multicolor, but my group would fight me on this for a while. I actually have similar concerns about Jilt. I suppose I could try using the part-brid system for these options, though that will require some rebalancing of the sections.
Murderous Redcap: I don't want to overdo the Nekrataals, and this one fights for hybrid space. If I do end up rebalancing guilds again, this is probably one of the first additions.
Bloodbraid Elf: My playgroup hates it. Too swingy and powerful.
Trostani's Summoner: I like the way selesnya plays right now, and I find it hard to make cuts. Pridemage or charm are the obvious choices, but I don't like cutting some of the primary maindeckable enchantment removal, and charm is just so versatile.
Putrid Leech: My playgroup has an irrational love of Korozda Guildmage. I've been trying to make this change for a month. I'll see if I can slip it into the Dragons of Tarkir update.
Lands: I do like manlands, and will be looking to find space for them, but it's difficult. Fixing has never been an issue since I added the vivids, though.
My Peasant Cube thread !!! (380 cards)
Draft my Peasant Cube on Cube Cobra !!!
I don't understand what you mean
Trostani's summoner is the strongest card in selesnya. Possibly one of the top 5 gold cards in general.
Murderous redcap is.. probably the second best rakdos card (less gamebreaking than fire covenant, but better in not aggro). Also, you're not really playing a lot of these (you're excluding fire imp, bone shredder)
As for your issues with keldon champion... well, aren't most aggro creatures kind of like burn spells with legs? Especially if they can't block, or if they have shadow?
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
Blastoderm and Calciderm are great cards and might require some chump/double blocks. You can choose not to block them because they will eventually fade, but it isn't like you can't interact with them.
That said, you should tailor your card pool to what works for you and your group; I don' play most shadow guys because they only way to deal with them is usually a removal spell and i want them to be more interactive.
@Leelue: On Talrand's Invocation, I played it originally in the list, but I got a lot of complaints about the effect feeling wrong in blue or similar, so I cut it rather than having a huge argument with my playgroup. We haven't really missed it. Summoner is a good choice, though. Redcap is amazing, and I do hope to get it in in the next color rebalancing update; I typically do these every couple months to get the balance right. As for Champion...I get your point, but I feel like paying the echo will never happen, making it just 4 for 6 to face unless they block, which is fine, but not that exciting in my opinion. It may be that I'm wrong, so I may still slip it in for testing at some point down the line.
@bacchus: Mother of Runes is probably ok, but when I mentioned it to the people I typically play with, they hated the idea. And I have a personal vendetta against hexproof and shroud, which is why I'm so against the 'derms. I'm also starting to limit and remove protection in general except for the conditional/expensive kind (part of my purpose here was to find some good replacements for those kinds). Personal preference on this, I admit I'm biased here, but it's worked for my group so far.
To Everyone: Thanks for the input and advice. I know it may seem like I'm arguing everything, but I do appreciate your input and recognize that you have more experience than I; I just like to be sure I'm making the best possible decisions through discussion rather than taking anything for granted. So thank you all.
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
And Clone was uncommon from Alpha-Revised.
Moreover, inscho is totally right about Blastoderm and Calciderm, and while your dislike of hexproof and shroud is understandable, the fading/vanishing is more than fair. A balance of threats and answers is important, but you should never have so many answers as to make it impossible for the threats to actually be threats.
Of course, it's all relative and you should do what you feel is right for your cube. My cube is atypical in several ways, and I believe that the way I built it simultaneously rewards skill while adding a healthy amount of variance. You're wise to seek advice, but don't be afraid to put some suggestions on the back burner and go your own way first.
EDIT: Regarding Keldon Champion specifically, I pay the echo on that guy all the time. Unless you're racing hard, keeping a sturdy body like that around will normally get you to your next turn to keep applying pressure. I'd recommend giving him a shot. He plays better than he may appear.
My 720 Peasant Cube
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
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
Overall, I think my cube is at a lower than average power level, which is something I am okay with (it also makes each new set more exciting, as more cards are likely to fit in at the appropriate power level), but there are definitely some improvements that can be made, which is why I decided to ask for advice. So far, I have gotten a lot of really solid recommendations and some new thoughts and ideas to tinker around with. Again, I do really appreciate all of the input, even if I don't end up agreeing with it completely or following all of the recommendations.
On efficient blue token production: several people in my playgroup do actually hate and refuse to acknowledge Master of Waves. They've been playing since old Mirrodin, and really don't like the power creep in creatures in general. It took a bit of work to get them to stop complaining about the aggressive blue creatures that I currently run; one of them flat out told me that blue shouldn't be allowed to be aggro at all (which I disagreed with; I'm actually trying to line up a couple more aggressive options for blue).
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.