Today's card, Cabal Archon is one I am currently testing. there are enough clerics in both White and Black that provide a good subtheme for my Aristocrats archetype and Cabal Archon is basically a lord in his effectiveness. I'm curious if anyone else has tried clerics or the archon in their cube.
I'm running exactly 3 Clerics in my white section right now, so this would be terrible under my cube's current configuration. Based on what Bacchus listed in the Comprehensive Archetypes thread for Cleric support, I really don't think the payoff is there to make Cleric tribal a thing:
There are some tribes that I'm interested in trying to add tribal sub-themes for, specifically Soldiers, Warriors, and Zombies, but Clerics just don't seem to have enough payoff or incidental quality playables to bother with.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Further Im still looking to add Serene Steward for my W/G lifegain archetype so I feel there are plenty if your Orzhov archetype in sacrifice but to eachs own
Firstly, Mother of Runes not being in my playable list of Clerics is a grievous oversight.
Secondly, if you are supporting both Cleric and life gain matters archetypes in Orzhov, Drana's Emissary should probably be on your radar. Looking at your list, I'd take out Edgewalker for it. For the most part, it is occasionally going to save you a mana a turn. Maybe some rare occasions where it saves you 2. Probably more turns than not it will just a 2/2 for 3, which is pretty bad. I'd rather have whatever the 2/2 Myr for 3 is that gives you 2, which affects all of your spells.
On Cabal Archon, I can see board states where you just need to get in the final 6 and you sac 3 clerics, but I'd guess the deck that can capitalise on it wouldn't come together very often.
I have it in my list. It's obviously behind Merfolk Looter (Thought Courier, Enclave Cryptologist) but it's still a powerful card for control decks or those with graveyard synergies. The mana cost to activate is annoying, but it's a FUN enough card that I'm keeping it in.
Hard to really imagine justifying it at 360 or on pure power level, but it definitely does good stuff in some games.
I can't say I've tried Dakra Mystic, but I'm very skeptical about the idea of investing mana into drawing cards for my opponent. I'd rather run every looter available and stuff like Sigiled Starfish for card selection before running this. If anyone else has been playing this and wants to try to sell me on it, though, I'm all ears.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
The ability is just much more powerful than "Scry 1". It's weird to read, but in practice getting to control both players' top of library is super strong.
Now, it DOES cost mana and is a useless 1/1 body, but when you're able to use it (big "if", yes) the Mystic really outperforms the Starfish.
Oooh, me likey this discussion. The incarnations from this cycle which I currently run are Wonder, Anger and Valor. There was also a point when I had Brawn in.
Obviously, Wonder and Anger are the two best cards of the cycle: the key words they provide have such wide-ranging effects regardless of your or your opponent's deck constitution. It also helps how they are in colours which have a decent number of playable self-discard and which pair well with black that has access to more. Compared to these two, Brawn and Valor face the more challenges. Brawn only benefits sufficiently large creatures such as reanimated Eldrazi, and in most cases, those cards would be better served by Wonder for the purpose of getting in damage. Still, spirit tokens chumping is a thing through which Brawn but not Wonder would push so Trample is by no means strictly worse than Flying for them. Green also has some discard but its best outlets tend to be aggressive creatures which is slightly at odds with the types of decks that would most benefit from having Brawn. On that note, a 3/3 for 4 is terrible but still better than a 2/2 for 4 without evasion like Anger or Valor. Wonder is comparable. As for Valor, white has by far the least ways to cheat it in the graveyard and first strike can be great but its value fluctuates. Aggressively, it becomes almost obsolete once an opponent starts having any big butts on the board. However, at the same time, universal first strike can keep those big creatures at bay defensively when the situation arises. Keeping your small creatures from trading is a boon, though, even if it does not push damage in quite as directly or reliably as the rest. The biggest problem similar cards like Archetype of Courage face is how instant speed removal on them can easily spell disaster for you if you at all relied on their ability. As a card that works from the GY, Valor is much less likely to lead to similar blow-outs. Finally, Filth might work for multiplayer where at least someone is likely to have swamps but for most CU/bes, the way it fluctuates between great and unplayable depending on the opponent is a bit much. (I own a foil copy for EDH, though.)
All in all, these cards just tick so many boxes for me that I want to keep trying them. Brawn is only excluded for the simple reason that green's 4-drop slot is as tight as they come and it has that earlier-mentioned identity crisis. I also recently moved tertiary GY support to red from green, with the printing of decent new rummagers.
You've gotta be willing to play Shambling Ghoul as one of your 2-drops... and some significantly WORSE other stuff for zombie.dec to really be worth it, I think (or just NOT play generic amazing stuff like FTK or Skinrender).
I got this and thought it could be a decent starting point for discussion about blue french vanilla fliers with flash? What's the best one, are any of them worth running?
Pestermite is the only mono-blue flash creature that I run.
Out of the french vanilla blue flash fliers, though, I'd say Cloaked Siren is the best of the bunch, as a 3-power flier is an OK deal for 4 mana, but the 2 toughness means it's rarely going to be great to ambush blockers in combat with this. In Evaluate Everything this was ranked as a 1, and I agree with that. I do like the idea of supporting flash-go Simic, but the mono-blue options are pretty underwhelming, and it's hard to find room for more than 1 or 2 flash creatures in my Simic section.
The options for flash creatures in green are way better, and right now I'm running these 6:
None of these feel like I'm sacrificing anything on power level just to shoehorn flash in as a theme. I've seen a few Simic decks come together with countermagic and flash creatures that came together quite nicely, and I'd really love to see some better blue flash fliers to help go a bit deeper on that, but the ones we have right now are just too underwhelming for me to seriously consider.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
I've been pretty happy with about 3 or 4 flash creatures in my simic decks: Horizon Chimera, Fleetfeather Cockatrice, and a couple of the green ones. I don't think simic gains a lot by getting a weaker Horizon Chimera, and I don't think the flash is good enough in other blue decks. I think I would play a 4 mana 3/2 flash flier with some other minor upside (loot on etb, minor combat buff, etc.) so it's relatively close.
Today's card, Cabal Archon is one I am currently testing. there are enough clerics in both White and Black that provide a good subtheme for my Aristocrats archetype and Cabal Archon is basically a lord in his effectiveness. I'm curious if anyone else has tried clerics or the archon in their cube.
0 None
Playable Clerics
2 Arashin Cleric
2 Nearheath Pilgrim
2 Suture Priest
2 Syndic of Tithes
2 Temple Acolyte
2 War Priest of Thune
3 Banisher Priest
3 Drana’s Emissary
3 Fiend Hunter
3 Kor Sanctifiers
4 Goldnight Commander
5 Custodi Squire
0 Starlit Sanctum
2 Battlefield Medic
2 Daru Spiritualist
3 Cabal Archon
3 Edgewalker
3 Whipgrass Entangler
4 Akroma’s Devoted
4 Doubtless One
4 Profane Prayers
4 Vile Deacon
5 Daunting Defender
6 Shieldmage Elder
1 Anointer of Champions
1 Qarsi High Priest
2 Beloved Chaplain
2 Disciple of Griselbrand
2 Leonin Relic-Warder
2 Serene Steward
2 Underworld Coinsmith
3 Heliod’s Pilgrim
3 Monk Idealist
3 Priest of Gix
3 Priest of Urabrask
There are some tribes that I'm interested in trying to add tribal sub-themes for, specifically Soldiers, Warriors, and Zombies, but Clerics just don't seem to have enough payoff or incidental quality playables to bother with.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
1 Mother of Runes
1 Soul Warden
3 Banisher Priest
3 Custodi Soulcaller
3 fiend hunter
3 pious Evangle
3 Reliquary monk
3 Vizier of Deferment
3 Whipgrass entangler
4 Nearhearth Champlain
Black
2 Disciple of Griselbrand
3 Cabal Archon
4 entomber exarch
3 edgewalker
Further Im still looking to add Serene Steward for my W/G lifegain archetype so I feel there are plenty if your Orzhov archetype in sacrifice but to eachs own
Secondly, if you are supporting both Cleric and life gain matters archetypes in Orzhov, Drana's Emissary should probably be on your radar. Looking at your list, I'd take out Edgewalker for it. For the most part, it is occasionally going to save you a mana a turn. Maybe some rare occasions where it saves you 2. Probably more turns than not it will just a 2/2 for 3, which is pretty bad. I'd rather have whatever the 2/2 Myr for 3 is that gives you 2, which affects all of your spells.
On Cabal Archon, I can see board states where you just need to get in the final 6 and you sac 3 clerics, but I'd guess the deck that can capitalise on it wouldn't come together very often.
About 40% of those cards in Ulka's list seem 1 out of 5 at best, so you dilurte your pool just the occasional payoff game.
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
I remember some discussion about this one from before it was released. Has anyone played it? Is anyone still playing it?
CubeTutor: www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/72
Thread: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=512410
Hard to really imagine justifying it at 360 or on pure power level, but it definitely does good stuff in some games.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Now, it DOES cost mana and is a useless 1/1 body, but when you're able to use it (big "if", yes) the Mystic really outperforms the Starfish.
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
But could also include for discussion:
Obviously, Wonder and Anger are the two best cards of the cycle: the key words they provide have such wide-ranging effects regardless of your or your opponent's deck constitution. It also helps how they are in colours which have a decent number of playable self-discard and which pair well with black that has access to more. Compared to these two, Brawn and Valor face the more challenges. Brawn only benefits sufficiently large creatures such as reanimated Eldrazi, and in most cases, those cards would be better served by Wonder for the purpose of getting in damage. Still, spirit tokens chumping is a thing through which Brawn but not Wonder would push so Trample is by no means strictly worse than Flying for them. Green also has some discard but its best outlets tend to be aggressive creatures which is slightly at odds with the types of decks that would most benefit from having Brawn. On that note, a 3/3 for 4 is terrible but still better than a 2/2 for 4 without evasion like Anger or Valor. Wonder is comparable. As for Valor, white has by far the least ways to cheat it in the graveyard and first strike can be great but its value fluctuates. Aggressively, it becomes almost obsolete once an opponent starts having any big butts on the board. However, at the same time, universal first strike can keep those big creatures at bay defensively when the situation arises. Keeping your small creatures from trading is a boon, though, even if it does not push damage in quite as directly or reliably as the rest. The biggest problem similar cards like Archetype of Courage face is how instant speed removal on them can easily spell disaster for you if you at all relied on their ability. As a card that works from the GY, Valor is much less likely to lead to similar blow-outs. Finally, Filth might work for multiplayer where at least someone is likely to have swamps but for most CU/bes, the way it fluctuates between great and unplayable depending on the opponent is a bit much. (I own a foil copy for EDH, though.)
All in all, these cards just tick so many boxes for me that I want to keep trying them. Brawn is only excluded for the simple reason that green's 4-drop slot is as tight as they come and it has that earlier-mentioned identity crisis. I also recently moved tertiary GY support to red from green, with the printing of decent new rummagers.
Honestly this card is the reason ive been thinking about zombie tribal
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Maybe we can include him and the new zombie lord and get somewhere. Zombie master was an uncommon in masters edition.
And I guess graf harvest exists?
At least the blue embalm guys work with the blueblack lord.
Too bad only the blue illusion with embalm is worth looking at.
Also, how do you embalm an illusion...
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
The zombie?
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
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
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
I got this and thought it could be a decent starting point for discussion about blue french vanilla fliers with flash? What's the best one, are any of them worth running?
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Out of the french vanilla blue flash fliers, though, I'd say Cloaked Siren is the best of the bunch, as a 3-power flier is an OK deal for 4 mana, but the 2 toughness means it's rarely going to be great to ambush blockers in combat with this. In Evaluate Everything this was ranked as a 1, and I agree with that. I do like the idea of supporting flash-go Simic, but the mono-blue options are pretty underwhelming, and it's hard to find room for more than 1 or 2 flash creatures in my Simic section.
The options for flash creatures in green are way better, and right now I'm running these 6:
None of these feel like I'm sacrificing anything on power level just to shoehorn flash in as a theme. I've seen a few Simic decks come together with countermagic and flash creatures that came together quite nicely, and I'd really love to see some better blue flash fliers to help go a bit deeper on that, but the ones we have right now are just too underwhelming for me to seriously consider.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.