Hi! I've just transitioned from Pauper to Peasant Cube, and recently finished my cube. I've been lurking the threads here, as they've been very useful to build the cube since the environment is so different from Pauper (Capsize for example is a staple and instant first pick in Pauper but doesn't quite make the cut in Peasant) and I believe I have almost all powerful cards and staples in each color, with the exception of Propaganda and Ghostly Prison which have been intentionally omitted. So for the rest of the slots, I just filled in with powerful-on-their own cards that also seem to tie together archetypes to build around when drafting with the exception of one color: Red.
With the exception of UR spells, Red has no archetypes and doesn't build around other colors as it's just a pile of goodstuff cards. Which are some good WR, BR and GR archetypes? (note that generic things like "aggro", "ramp", "midrange", "control" etc. are already supported as you can draft goodstuff from your two colors and not build around your archetype at all). For reference, here are the archetypes I'm running:
I'd like the missing 3 archetypes to have some kind of overlap in cards with the others (for example Wing Splicer can be used in Blink but also in Emerge, Haunted Dead can be used in both Tokens and Reanimator) and for them to not be repeated (no WR Tokens, BR Sacrifice or RG Eldrazi). Thanks in advance!
PS: I'd also appreciate that if I'm missing power cards you guys pointed out which ones I inadvertently omitted. Again, thanks.
RW: Tokens; Aggro UR: Instants and Sorceries; Tempo BR: Aristocrats; Aggro; Control RG: Aggro; Control-Ramp; Midrange
Red can also be a useful third color supporting Flicker, Control, and Graveyard archetypes.
Paired with white, you can go for an aggressive tokens deck looking to go wide and then hit with Swell of Courage/Borrowed Grace to end the game. Red's falter effects can also help you get your token army through. Rally the Peasants is a good enough card that can act as another payoff/signal for this build, and Sunhome Guildmage fits very well here too.
Paired with black, you suddenly get a lot more value out of sac outlets like Nantuko Husk. You also greatly improve the quality of Blood Artist effects, and you can use the drain to help you play a longer value game, or close out after an aggressive start. Blazing Hellhound might be lower on straight power than other Rakdos options, but it's a good archetype signal here. Torrent of Souls isn't commonly played, but I think it's interesting as a team pump with additional value.
Paired with green, tokens has less explicit support, but it does benefit if you run Overrun and Great Oak Guardian. I don't find that Gruul generally needs a ton of help with specific archetypes, as the guild cards are powerful enough to enable a solid beatdown/midrange deck on their own. There is something to be said about diversifying your threats, so having red cards that go wide can complement green cards that go big. I have also been interested in testing a more controlling lean for this pair with cards like Firespout and Savage Twister to clear out small creatures while you control the board with big ones.
Paired with blue, obviously "spells matter" is a very deep archetype that doesn't need much additional help. It's possible that you might include a team pump spell here to close a game after flooding the board with Young Pyromancer.
Black / Red can easily be the best aggro pair, but with some twists. You can bleed +1/+1 counters here with several creatures with unleash and other effects, where Volt Charge can be great to keep the pressure up. Once your early cards start losing steam, the likes of Falkenrath Noble, Blood Artist and Hissing Iguanar can close out the game. It kind of feels like a 'combo' finish to an aggro deck. Sweepers can also work if you have enough defensive creatures to keep you alive.
Green / Red in my cube is mostly 'goodstuff' midrange, but it does have a few ways to provide ongoing pressure. Against most decks you get information in advance, such as creatures taking a turn before they attack, but if you've got a few creatures with haste, Stonewright, Druid's Familiar, Trusted Forcemage, Briarhorn etc, these are all cards that can change combat math on the turn they come down, making your opponent second guess themselves. If you want to give green / red aggro a specific flavour that's a bit different than other colour combos, you could also look at raid / bloodthirst and go all in on supporting that. It looks you have the makings of this already.
Red / White feels like the most generic aggro of the colours in my cube at least. But tokens is a good fit here, with the goblin tokens mentioned in posts above, paired with team pump effects in either white or red.
I agree with what everyone else has said for Boros, Gruul, and Izzet but while Sacrifice and Reanimation is great for Rakdos, I feel liek we are ignoring most fo magics history in Rakdos: Suicide Aggro. using cards like Jackal Pup, Rakdos Cackler, Vampire Lacerator, Carnophage, Keldon Mauraders, Flame Rift to beat opponents and yourself down faster than most decks can deal with.
Again there is a lot of support for this super fast aggro but its primarily in the monocolors rather than rakdos cards themselves.
A fun Boros archtype is boardwipes. It's basically a control deck, with enchantments and artifacts to finish the game. Genju of the Spires, Spitemare, Pyrohemia and cards like that are what you look for. Plus, most of the cards are pretty good on their own as well.
Thanks everyone for the replies! I updated RW to tokens (which overlaps with WB tokens) and RB to Sacrifice, while RG is kind of Gruul Haste until I can find something better. Am I missing any absolute must-have cards by adding so much archetype support besides the ones I mentioned in the OP though?
I basically ended up with RW tokens. my RB is a bit weak archetype wise you can go aggro with a lot of 2 power 1 drops or you can go more controlling with the wraths available. My BR Sac deck is the mid range option but it is really over 4 possible colours depending how the draft turns out.
For GR it is Zoo. The key i see here is that the peasent wraths take out x/2s so my GR cards tend to be x/3s. Basically high power/toughness to mana cost ratio cards. I tried to make GR ramp work but it really didn't, black was much more popular for the hard removal and graveyard return.
If you want something a bit off the wall, I run elemental tribal that tends to be in Temur RGU. Smokebraider and Incandescent Soulstoke are in red. It will warp you cube and your card choices a little though.
With the exception of UR spells, Red has no archetypes and doesn't build around other colors as it's just a pile of goodstuff cards. Which are some good WR, BR and GR archetypes? (note that generic things like "aggro", "ramp", "midrange", "control" etc. are already supported as you can draft goodstuff from your two colors and not build around your archetype at all). For reference, here are the archetypes I'm running:
- WU: Blink
- UB: Reanimator
- BR: Missing
- RG: Missing
- GW: +1/+1 Counters matter
- WB: Tokens
- UR: Spells matter
- BG: Sacrifice
- RW: Missing
- GU: Eldrazi (Emerge + ramp)
I'd like the missing 3 archetypes to have some kind of overlap in cards with the others (for example Wing Splicer can be used in Blink but also in Emerge, Haunted Dead can be used in both Tokens and Reanimator) and for them to not be repeated (no WR Tokens, BR Sacrifice or RG Eldrazi). Thanks in advance!
PS: I'd also appreciate that if I'm missing power cards you guys pointed out which ones I inadvertently omitted. Again, thanks.
Cube list: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/64201
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
UR: Instants and Sorceries; Tempo
BR: Aristocrats; Aggro; Control
RG: Aggro; Control-Ramp; Midrange
Red can also be a useful third color supporting Flicker, Control, and Graveyard archetypes.
CubeTutor Link
Within the color, you've got some decent options in Mogg War Marshal, Dragon Fodder, Hordeling Outburst, Beetleback Chief, and some payoff with Dynacharge and possibly Weapon Surge. Tokens can also turn Goblin Bombardment from a good card to a great card.
Paired with white, you can go for an aggressive tokens deck looking to go wide and then hit with Swell of Courage/Borrowed Grace to end the game. Red's falter effects can also help you get your token army through. Rally the Peasants is a good enough card that can act as another payoff/signal for this build, and Sunhome Guildmage fits very well here too.
Paired with black, you suddenly get a lot more value out of sac outlets like Nantuko Husk. You also greatly improve the quality of Blood Artist effects, and you can use the drain to help you play a longer value game, or close out after an aggressive start. Blazing Hellhound might be lower on straight power than other Rakdos options, but it's a good archetype signal here. Torrent of Souls isn't commonly played, but I think it's interesting as a team pump with additional value.
Paired with green, tokens has less explicit support, but it does benefit if you run Overrun and Great Oak Guardian. I don't find that Gruul generally needs a ton of help with specific archetypes, as the guild cards are powerful enough to enable a solid beatdown/midrange deck on their own. There is something to be said about diversifying your threats, so having red cards that go wide can complement green cards that go big. I have also been interested in testing a more controlling lean for this pair with cards like Firespout and Savage Twister to clear out small creatures while you control the board with big ones.
Paired with blue, obviously "spells matter" is a very deep archetype that doesn't need much additional help. It's possible that you might include a team pump spell here to close a game after flooding the board with Young Pyromancer.
My cube discussion thread
Black / Red can easily be the best aggro pair, but with some twists. You can bleed +1/+1 counters here with several creatures with unleash and other effects, where Volt Charge can be great to keep the pressure up. Once your early cards start losing steam, the likes of Falkenrath Noble, Blood Artist and Hissing Iguanar can close out the game. It kind of feels like a 'combo' finish to an aggro deck. Sweepers can also work if you have enough defensive creatures to keep you alive.
Green / Red in my cube is mostly 'goodstuff' midrange, but it does have a few ways to provide ongoing pressure. Against most decks you get information in advance, such as creatures taking a turn before they attack, but if you've got a few creatures with haste, Stonewright, Druid's Familiar, Trusted Forcemage, Briarhorn etc, these are all cards that can change combat math on the turn they come down, making your opponent second guess themselves. If you want to give green / red aggro a specific flavour that's a bit different than other colour combos, you could also look at raid / bloodthirst and go all in on supporting that. It looks you have the makings of this already.
Red / White feels like the most generic aggro of the colours in my cube at least. But tokens is a good fit here, with the goblin tokens mentioned in posts above, paired with team pump effects in either white or red.
Again there is a lot of support for this super fast aggro but its primarily in the monocolors rather than rakdos cards themselves.
WiJ
Peasant 540 Cube
CubeTutor Link
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
For GR it is Zoo. The key i see here is that the peasent wraths take out x/2s so my GR cards tend to be x/3s. Basically high power/toughness to mana cost ratio cards. I tried to make GR ramp work but it really didn't, black was much more popular for the hard removal and graveyard return.
If you want something a bit off the wall, I run elemental tribal that tends to be in Temur RGU. Smokebraider and Incandescent Soulstoke are in red. It will warp you cube and your card choices a little though.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own