Yeah, I get that although I just noticed that Portable Hole says permanent instead of creature. Being able to kill cards like Bonesplitter, Rancor or Coldsteel Heart makes it much better. Seems reasonable in a cube with de-powered removal (although depends on how de-powered).
Portable Hole is hardly tier 1 removal, but I also wouldn't raise an eyebrow if I saw it in a list. Worse creature removal than Fatal Push but more versatile and has artifact synergy which may eventually be relevant (probably more than the "warriors" theme some people seem to care about lmao)
I recently cut Sunlance and I think that is a good comparison to Portable Hole, particularly in number of targets. Portable Hole hits about a dozen more cards in my 512 card Cube, considering that Hole deals with some tokens a little bit better like 1/1 white Birds and 1/1 white Spirits, but specifically the tokens from Feudkiller's Verdict and Roar of the Wurm. The other obvious point is that Portable Hole hits almost all of my mana rocks, which means a lot to me. There are also a lot of other relevant non-creature permanents, like both Shrines, Sol Ring, Skullclamp, Land Tax, and Sylvan Library.
At this moment, I would probably test Portable Hole. What it lacks in power dealing with more expensive creatures, it makes up for by dealing with those other powerful artifacts and enchantments. I think the real question about Portable Hole is not about how powerful your removal is, but how powerful your threats are.
It probably goes without saying, but Power Word Kill is the best 2-mana removal spell black has. I have 6 misses in my 512 card Cube, compared to 12 for Cast Down, 15 for Go For the Throat, 37 (creatures that have or can get counters) for Heartless Act, 41 for Ultimate Price, and 49 for Doom Blade. I am less on the anti-color hosing bandwagon when it comes to otherwise broadly powerful cards, but I think Doom Blade will be my cut here.
As with anything else in cube, it never goes without saying and is always dependent on the rest of the cube. Power Word Kill has 9 misses in my 400-card cube, compared to 7 misses for Cast Down. On top of that, I kind of hate a card that has to list four conditions as opposed to one - it is convoluted and wordy rather than clean and quick to parse. And the name feels like it belongs in my Un-Cube, not my Peasant Cube. I'll still consider it, but it's not indisputably the best.
So... a peasant cube can now contain 4 different cards that make the big hammer reasonable (this guy, Arden, toll collector, and kor outfitter). If we get more equipment with hefty equip costs, that may be the start of a package.
Taking a look at your list, I did forget a few of the (1) to equip cards (namely Heirloom Blade and Bonesplitter)
I tend to think of Grafted Wargear and potentially Lightning Greaves with regards to equipment.
Still I don't know if a (1) mana rebate is really enough for this guy to shine.
It won’t make my cube, but it’s interesting that this could make other equipment playable. Equipments are mostly evaluated based on the equip cost, and perhaps there are equipment that would go from unplayable to good?
Colossus Hammer becomes 1 mana +10/+10 lose flying, which seems like an insane ceiling.
Personally, I feel that adding subpar equipments just to enable other subpar cards is a strategy that might be fun for one or two drafts, but quickly loses its novelty value as they are cards that would always need to be drafted together or be subpar.
I think it also greatly depends on cube size, since you're less likely to get all the pieces in a draft in a 540 cube than in a 360 cube.
However you can fill your entire Boros guild section with dwarves who care about equipment now, so that's pretty fun and flavourful. (Koll, the Forgemaster, Reyav, Master Smith and now this guy). Could be a fun package, but I don't think the number of actually good equipments warrant such a package in Boros just yet. I don't run the 'broken' equipments (both Warhammers and the Clamp), so that may influence my opinion slightly.
Bruenor also has a pretty nice bonus for your currently equipped creatures too. I think the more interesting approach is in playing the Boros-colored equipment that also fit the curve as a creature. Between Ancestral Blade, Dwarven Hammer, Mask of Immolation, Mortarpod and maybe Valkyrie's Sword, you have a set of equipment that become great creatures with Bruenor and then leave behind great equipment. +3/+1 for 1? +5/+0 and trample for 3?
Not for me. Haste is better than create a treasure, if you don't have an artifact to destroy.
Dawnbringer Cleric is decent:
1/3, 1W
When etb, choose one: gain 2 life, destroy target enchantment or exile a card from a graveyard.
Understandable. I value the ramp more, but haste is good, too. They're both strictly better mechanically than Manic Vandal, and it's nice to have choices.
Speaking of choices, I agree that Dawnbringer Cleric is decent. It offers graveyard hate and enchantment hate without being too narrow and offers lifegain as a fallback. I think I'm still running Lone Missionary, and this could easily take its place.
Adult Gold Dragon gets in there and does not mess around. The name on the other hand is actually trash and sounds like a bad yugioh card.
Unfortunately the gold dragon has a gold rarity
Woops. It was mixed in with some uncommons and the power level didn't seem crazy for an uncommon. I should have remembered that good boros cards can't be made.
Hobgoblin Captain seems decent. However, if you play it turn 2 it's pretty difficult to attack with it turn 3 with first strike, so I wouldn't say it's amazing.
So, spoilers for Forgotten Realms have already begon.
Power Word Kill seems like the best conditional 1B removal spell to date (in my cube at least it is better than both Cast Down and Go for the Throat).
Not too interested in the other two cards but I can see Portable Hole being played in a larger cube.
My C/Ube on Cube Cobra
My C/Ube on Cube Cobra
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
At this moment, I would probably test Portable Hole. What it lacks in power dealing with more expensive creatures, it makes up for by dealing with those other powerful artifacts and enchantments. I think the real question about Portable Hole is not about how powerful your removal is, but how powerful your threats are.
It probably goes without saying, but Power Word Kill is the best 2-mana removal spell black has. I have 6 misses in my 512 card Cube, compared to 12 for Cast Down, 15 for Go For the Throat, 37 (creatures that have or can get counters) for Heartless Act, 41 for Ultimate Price, and 49 for Doom Blade. I am less on the anti-color hosing bandwagon when it comes to otherwise broadly powerful cards, but I think Doom Blade will be my cut here.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/peasantsnowcube
-- Updated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction
The PioneWer Peasant CUbe
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/pionewer
-- Updated with Murders at Karlov Manor
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
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ManabaseCrafter
Is 4 too steep for the equip decks? Seems like a sweet lord if you can stick it and in the right colours.
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
I tend to think of Grafted Wargear and potentially Lightning Greaves with regards to equipment.
Still I don't know if a (1) mana rebate is really enough for this guy to shine.
Colossus Hammer becomes 1 mana +10/+10 lose flying, which seems like an insane ceiling.
I think it also greatly depends on cube size, since you're less likely to get all the pieces in a draft in a 540 cube than in a 360 cube.
However you can fill your entire Boros guild section with dwarves who care about equipment now, so that's pretty fun and flavourful. (Koll, the Forgemaster, Reyav, Master Smith and now this guy). Could be a fun package, but I don't think the number of actually good equipments warrant such a package in Boros just yet. I don't run the 'broken' equipments (both Warhammers and the Clamp), so that may influence my opinion slightly.
WiJ
Peasant 540 Cube
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/peasantsnowcube
-- Updated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction
The PioneWer Peasant CUbe
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/pionewer
-- Updated with Murders at Karlov Manor
Creature: Bird Bear
Trample
When ~ ETB, draw a card.
4/4
Is this better than Arborback Stomper? I mean, the life gain in Arborback is good to stabilize against aggro, and 5 power is also nice.
Life gain vs card draw...
My Omniscience Draft Cube[/b]
My Commander Cube
My Pai Gow Cube
My Two-Headed Giant Cube
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Not for me. Haste is better than create a treasure, if you don't have an artifact to destroy.
Dawnbringer Cleric is decent:
1/3, 1W
When etb, choose one: gain 2 life, destroy target enchantment or exile a card from a graveyard.
My Omniscience Draft Cube[/b]
My Commander Cube
My Pai Gow Cube
My Two-Headed Giant Cube
Speaking of choices, I agree that Dawnbringer Cleric is decent. It offers graveyard hate and enchantment hate without being too narrow and offers lifegain as a fallback. I think I'm still running Lone Missionary, and this could easily take its place.
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Another interesting card:
You see a Pair of Goblins.
2R Instant
- Create two goblin tokens.
- Creatures you control gain +2/+0 until eot.
My Omniscience Draft Cube[/b]
My Commander Cube
My Pai Gow Cube
My Two-Headed Giant Cube
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
Unfortunately the gold dragon has a gold rarity
1UU Instant (Common)
Choose one:
- Counter target spell.
- Draw two cards, then discard two cards.
This card is awesome. A common Archmage's Charm. Better than Neutralize? Or Supreme Will?
My Omniscience Draft Cube[/b]
My Commander Cube
My Pai Gow Cube
My Two-Headed Giant Cube
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
Woops. It was mixed in with some uncommons and the power level didn't seem crazy for an uncommon. I should have remembered that good boros cards can't be made.
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.