Initially thought this is really bad due to the vulnerability to removal and lack of immediate impact, but I was really underappreciating how strong turning off your opponent's ETBs is as a form of protection. Based on a quick overview, in my cube only Swords to Plowshares, Unexpectedly Absent, Brazen Borrower, Lethal Scheme and Grist, the Hunger Tide can unconditionally get this off the board for good without trading down in mana, and two of these are white cards you could very well have in your own deck. Elesh also pairs well with the Solitude cycle for immediate impact.
It doesn't stabilise the board for you, but if it sticks, which it likely will, it will make it very easy for you to take over the game. I think it's a good card for cubes encouraging "battlecruiser"-style play.
I highly recommend Aboleth Spawn if you like this card. Its effect isn't as nearly as strong but it's also only a 3 drop. It's been working really well in my 360 testing and I might try to keep it over the long haul if possible..
Personal opinion is at cube sizes of 450 on down - there isn't sufficient space to adequately support green ramp and green aggro. Of the two, ramp is the stronger package. I'd keep all of these and swap out a lot of the aggro pieces.
I definitely feel this hard. Try to push for green aggro and ramp and I think green as a whole is hurt a lot. Mana dork is more beloved in most decks. Probably more spaces in bigger cube but not enough for 360.
I totally agree with your #2-3 but I am a bit surprised by the top card of the set.
Current, I am including
Dack Fayden
Lutri, the Spellchaser
Prismari Command
in my Izzet section.
Lutri has been pretty solid and I'll have to see if I like this guy more than Prismari command.
I also view Surge Engine a bit differently. While it is "The way this card plays out, you spend your 2nd turn’s and part of your 3rd turn’s mana getting this beater online" like you say, it's also essentially leaving 2 mana open for counterspell which are bread and butter of blue decks. I do like blue tempo and like to push for cubable blue creatures a lot though. So while I'm not sure if it'll stay in my cube I'll still give it a run.
I was initially excited by the set, but when I'm making this list I find a lot of the cards I'm initially excited about are probably just gonna get test.
I still want to own them though. I absolutely love their design.
Shade is annoying because it require black mana to pump. This card solve that problem. I think it could be great bomb in limited which can translate well to cube.
I highly recommend Aboleth Spawn if you like this card. Its effect isn't as nearly as strong but it's also only a 3 drop. It's been working really well in my 360 testing and I might try to keep it over the long haul if possible..
I definitely feel this hard. Try to push for green aggro and ramp and I think green as a whole is hurt a lot. Mana dork is more beloved in most decks. Probably more spaces in bigger cube but not enough for 360.
Current, I am including
Dack Fayden
Lutri, the Spellchaser
Prismari Command
in my Izzet section.
Lutri has been pretty solid and I'll have to see if I like this guy more than Prismari command.
I also view Surge Engine a bit differently. While it is "The way this card plays out, you spend your 2nd turn’s and part of your 3rd turn’s mana getting this beater online" like you say, it's also essentially leaving 2 mana open for counterspell which are bread and butter of blue decks. I do like blue tempo and like to push for cubable blue creatures a lot though. So while I'm not sure if it'll stay in my cube I'll still give it a run.
I still want to own them though. I absolutely love their design.
Include
Loran of the Third Path
Arcane Proxy
Testing
Recruitment Officer
Surge Engine
Misery's Shadow
Phyrexian Fleshgorger
Transmogrant's Crown
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
Feldon, Ronom Excavator
Rootwire Amalgam
Third Path Iconoclast
I like this a lot. Aggressive body that can recur. But the recur cost is quite expensive though compare to Scrapheap Scrounger