Yeah, I'm not a fan of how he is running it either. I pledged to sign up for champion, and several days later he still hadn't activated it for my account. I emailed him about it, and he didn't reply until after I sent him an email a few days later letting him know I cancelled the pledge. You would think that he would have the time to put a little bit of effort into this project considering he is making roughly $1800 a month from it.
I think we should make a new evaluate everything thread once all the evaluating is done, so that everything can be found in the first couple of posts, as opposed to it being sprawled out amongst the first 2 pages of the thread.
Dauntless Cathar - Borderline
Inquisitor's Ox - Bad
Sleep Paralysis - Bad
Rabid Bite - Cubebable
Solitary Hunter - Cubeable
Dauntless Cathar isn't that good. A 3/2 usually trades down, and the upside to it being a 1/1 flyer isn't all that much. Ghoulcaller's Accomplice is much better than it (and might be worth moving the Ghoulcaller to cubeable, I don't know). Inquisitor's Ox has terrible stats, and delirium is a massive drawback to make it not suck. Sleep Paralysis is a 4 mana removal spell, which is awful. Solitary Hunter has respectable stats before being flipped, but is extremely undercosted when flipped. It's really solid.
Regarding Rancid Rats: How often is your opponent going to block your Typhoid Rats with their best creature? Probably never. They are always going to throw their worst creature at it to block and trade, and if they can trade something useless with your rats, you probably wouldn't be attacking with it in the first place. My point is, Skulk isn't a nonbo with Deathtouch; they are just redundant. I guess if you really need to get in for 1 damage this can do that, while Typhoid Rats cannot.
Rabid bite: Dash Hopes is the best counterspell black has, so it should be a staple as well right? Just because a card is the best at what it does in a color doesn't make it a staple if that color is bad at doing that one thing. Rabid Bite is worse than all of black's removal, all of red's burn, and all of white's s removal, and even some of blue's removal. If I want removal spells, and I am playing green, I will take them from my splash color. Once I have exhausted all the options in my splash colors, and I feel like my deck still needs more, then I will play Rabid Bite, but otherwise it is sitting in the sideboard. Rabid Bite is an awful topdeck, and only works if you have the biggest creature (or tied for it) on the field. Its definitely not deserving of being a staple. Honestly, I prefer Utopia Vow over it because it's guaranteed to kill a creature at any point during the game, and late game the drawback isn't going to matter.
I think Ulvenwald Captive is definitely good enough for cube, and I will be including it. 2 drop mana dorks are not bad, and this one isn't a dead draw late game. I'm not including a single black card from this set, so I wouldn't say green was the worst color.
I think you are undervaluing the effect quite a bit. It will stop an attacker (or blocker) for a turn for just 2 mana, while also giving you a decent creature. Still, the cards is borderline; you wouldn't really be missing out on anything by excluding it.
Yeah, I also think Fogwalker isn't getting enough attention. Its a good blocker early, but if drawn mid to late game it has a relevant effect, plus it has evasion. Outside of the Looters (and Waterfront Bouncer), blue's 2 drops are fairly weak, and I would certainly run this over Welkin Tern #3. Also, it combos nicely with Ninjas. It seems like a really fun card that is strong enough on its own to include.
Also Izor, I don't know how you can say Ingenious Skaab is weak outside of the spells matters archetype. Honestly, if anything there is weak, it's that archetype, not this card. A 2/3 for 3 is a solid baseline, and it has two relevant abilities that make combat extremely difficult for your opponent. Seems like a strong card to me.
Edit: Seacoast Drake really isn't terrible, its just really boring. Fogwalker is a Seacoast Drake with a decent effect added on. The main reason I am interested in it is that its more interesting than most of the blue 2 drops we have available (I don't count Ninja or Ephemeron as 2 drops, but I know some of you do). Also, Fogwalker plays well with the Blink archetype which is something I want to support. It's by no means a must include, but its an interesting card worthy of consideration I think.
Now that you mention it, Fogwalker does seem pretty good. A 1/3 skulk cannot die when attacking barring some combat tricks, which is kinda nice. Its ability is alright as well. I think it might be worth testing.
Okay, so I have finally settled on what I am going to include from this set:
Steadfast Cathar - It's a solid beater. Regarding the comparison to Benalish Cavalry, the Cavalry dies to 2/x creatrues, where x > 1, but the Cathar does not. Of course, the Cavalry can outright kill y/1's without taking any damage. I would say they are on a very similar power level. I dislike using old and obscure keywords, so I will go with the Cathar.
Borrowed Grace - Strict upgrade to Fortify, not much else to say.
Wretched Gryff - Big flying creature that can be cast for cheap. I wouldn't even mind hardcasting it late game. All around good card.
Ingenious Skaab - An excellent creature for blue. I have always wanted to play Watercourser, but just couldn't justify it in cube. I would have considered just a 2/3 prowess for 3, but add on the Watercourser ability and I think this will be one of the better 3 drops in blue. Unlike some of the other blue 3's people still run, this one can play well both on offense and defense.
Brazen Wolves - An amazing red 3 drop. Defensively a 2/3 for 3 isn't bad, offensively a 4/3 for 3 is amazing. This card will be a staple.
Vildin-Pack Outcasts - I wanted a second true 5 drop in red (as Sprinting Warbrute is almost always just cast for 4 repeatedly), and this one seems really strong for midrange / big red decks.
It of the Horrid Swarm - Probably the worst card on my list here, but I really like Emerge. Turn 3 Civic Wayfinder, turn 4 this is a solid play. Even better if you can play Yavimaya Elder into this.
Grapple with the Past - I have really liked Corpse Churn, and this is a Corpse Churn that can also fix your mana in a pinch. Overall a fantastic card.
I am also including Chilling Grasp as a strictly cooler (and better) Frost Breath. I know its not a common, but figured I would list it with the rest of my includes. I really wish we got some playable blue Madness spells, as they work so nicely with all of Blue's looting abilities.
I also decided against playing Succumb to Temptation. I really like that its an instant speed draw spell, but Black already has 2 insanely good draw spells as it is, so this just doesn't quite make the cut.
As for actual commons, that's 8 includes. Overall this was a fantastic set for us. The only thing we did not get that I was hoping for was a black Emerge creature. Can't complain though.
@ Humphrey: Bold Impaler is a functional reprint of a crappy one drop from BfZ block, and Drag Under is a Sorcery
Of the newly spoiled cards, these are my favorites:
Borrowed Grace - solid card. Fortify was already playable, but now we can have both modes at once. Faithbearer Paladin - a 3/4 lifelink seems really strong, but not sure if I want a 3rd 5 drop. Succumb to Temptation - an instant speed night's whisper seems pretty good. Worse than read the bones, but why not run all 3? Brazen Wolves - 4/3 for 3 is super strong, and it is even okay at blocking It of the Horrid Swarm - Not nearly as good as the blue emerge creature, but I really like this mechanic and will include this one anyways.
Theres also the strictly worse Ghostly Flicker, but it could provide the necessary redundancy to make the Archaeomancer combo worthwhile.
Dauntless Cathar - Borderline
Inquisitor's Ox - Bad
Sleep Paralysis - Bad
Rabid Bite - Cubebable
Solitary Hunter - Cubeable
Dauntless Cathar isn't that good. A 3/2 usually trades down, and the upside to it being a 1/1 flyer isn't all that much. Ghoulcaller's Accomplice is much better than it (and might be worth moving the Ghoulcaller to cubeable, I don't know). Inquisitor's Ox has terrible stats, and delirium is a massive drawback to make it not suck. Sleep Paralysis is a 4 mana removal spell, which is awful. Solitary Hunter has respectable stats before being flipped, but is extremely undercosted when flipped. It's really solid.
Regarding Rancid Rats: How often is your opponent going to block your Typhoid Rats with their best creature? Probably never. They are always going to throw their worst creature at it to block and trade, and if they can trade something useless with your rats, you probably wouldn't be attacking with it in the first place. My point is, Skulk isn't a nonbo with Deathtouch; they are just redundant. I guess if you really need to get in for 1 damage this can do that, while Typhoid Rats cannot.
Rabid bite: Dash Hopes is the best counterspell black has, so it should be a staple as well right? Just because a card is the best at what it does in a color doesn't make it a staple if that color is bad at doing that one thing. Rabid Bite is worse than all of black's removal, all of red's burn, and all of white's s removal, and even some of blue's removal. If I want removal spells, and I am playing green, I will take them from my splash color. Once I have exhausted all the options in my splash colors, and I feel like my deck still needs more, then I will play Rabid Bite, but otherwise it is sitting in the sideboard. Rabid Bite is an awful topdeck, and only works if you have the biggest creature (or tied for it) on the field. Its definitely not deserving of being a staple. Honestly, I prefer Utopia Vow over it because it's guaranteed to kill a creature at any point during the game, and late game the drawback isn't going to matter.
Also Izor, I don't know how you can say Ingenious Skaab is weak outside of the spells matters archetype. Honestly, if anything there is weak, it's that archetype, not this card. A 2/3 for 3 is a solid baseline, and it has two relevant abilities that make combat extremely difficult for your opponent. Seems like a strong card to me.
Edit: Seacoast Drake really isn't terrible, its just really boring. Fogwalker is a Seacoast Drake with a decent effect added on. The main reason I am interested in it is that its more interesting than most of the blue 2 drops we have available (I don't count Ninja or Ephemeron as 2 drops, but I know some of you do). Also, Fogwalker plays well with the Blink archetype which is something I want to support. It's by no means a must include, but its an interesting card worthy of consideration I think.
Steadfast Cathar - It's a solid beater. Regarding the comparison to Benalish Cavalry, the Cavalry dies to 2/x creatrues, where x > 1, but the Cathar does not. Of course, the Cavalry can outright kill y/1's without taking any damage. I would say they are on a very similar power level. I dislike using old and obscure keywords, so I will go with the Cathar.
Borrowed Grace - Strict upgrade to Fortify, not much else to say.
Wretched Gryff - Big flying creature that can be cast for cheap. I wouldn't even mind hardcasting it late game. All around good card.
Ingenious Skaab - An excellent creature for blue. I have always wanted to play Watercourser, but just couldn't justify it in cube. I would have considered just a 2/3 prowess for 3, but add on the Watercourser ability and I think this will be one of the better 3 drops in blue. Unlike some of the other blue 3's people still run, this one can play well both on offense and defense.
Brazen Wolves - An amazing red 3 drop. Defensively a 2/3 for 3 isn't bad, offensively a 4/3 for 3 is amazing. This card will be a staple.
Vildin-Pack Outcasts - I wanted a second true 5 drop in red (as Sprinting Warbrute is almost always just cast for 4 repeatedly), and this one seems really strong for midrange / big red decks.
It of the Horrid Swarm - Probably the worst card on my list here, but I really like Emerge. Turn 3 Civic Wayfinder, turn 4 this is a solid play. Even better if you can play Yavimaya Elder into this.
Grapple with the Past - I have really liked Corpse Churn, and this is a Corpse Churn that can also fix your mana in a pinch. Overall a fantastic card.
I am also including Chilling Grasp as a strictly cooler (and better) Frost Breath. I know its not a common, but figured I would list it with the rest of my includes. I really wish we got some playable blue Madness spells, as they work so nicely with all of Blue's looting abilities.
I also decided against playing Succumb to Temptation. I really like that its an instant speed draw spell, but Black already has 2 insanely good draw spells as it is, so this just doesn't quite make the cut.
As for actual commons, that's 8 includes. Overall this was a fantastic set for us. The only thing we did not get that I was hoping for was a black Emerge creature. Can't complain though.
Of the newly spoiled cards, these are my favorites:
Borrowed Grace - solid card. Fortify was already playable, but now we can have both modes at once.
Faithbearer Paladin - a 3/4 lifelink seems really strong, but not sure if I want a 3rd 5 drop.
Succumb to Temptation - an instant speed night's whisper seems pretty good. Worse than read the bones, but why not run all 3?
Brazen Wolves - 4/3 for 3 is super strong, and it is even okay at blocking
It of the Horrid Swarm - Not nearly as good as the blue emerge creature, but I really like this mechanic and will include this one anyways.
Theres also the strictly worse Ghostly Flicker, but it could provide the necessary redundancy to make the Archaeomancer combo worthwhile.
Char vs Staggershock