I'd go with Wall here. It's such a pain in the ass and is really helpful for UW decks that need time to set up. It's a bit of an aggro hoser, but having a few of those isn't a bad thing.
Loam dredges its own targets into the graveyard. You don't need other cards that benefit from the dredge. If you have Loam, you have all the dredge synergy you need. And if that one land in your graveyard is a Strip Mine, Wasteland or Horizon Canopy, do you need more than one target?
Loam does dredge it's own targets into the graveyard and, yeah, if your one target is a nice little card advantage engine, then you don't need more than one target. The problem I had with Loam was that I'm playing a 40 card singleton deck that's not really built with Loam in mind (the way normal constructed Loam decks are built, that is). So when I did dredge it back, it normally put something into my graveyard that I did not want in my graveyard like one of my three removal spells or one of my two finishers or the Armageddon what would have been awesome with Loam.
I feel like Loam would be amazing in a BG Stax deck with removal, reanimation, Smokestack and Crucible. Throw in some solid lands that combo like Wasteland or Horizon Canopy, a couple of decent fatties to bring back, should you dredge them away, a Wild Mongrel and a Oona's Prowler, maybe even Braids and you've got yourself a pretty sweet deck that can really take advantage of Loam. I never saw it as a card that would fit into other decks outside of that one (or similar ones). I was never just BG midrange with a fetch and a Wasteland and wanted Loam in my deck. It always felt like a card that supported one deck and if that deck didn't come together, then it was just subpar.
I know you love Loam in cube and I'm not trying to argue that you're wrong. You've had fantastic experiences with it and I've had the opposite. I like Loam a lot. I just never found it useful in cube and wanted to post a different opinion.
Ob was always awesome for me, but I didn't mind cutting him to test Sheoldred. He's the kind of creature that, if left alone, will dominate the game. I feel like Sheoldred is that sort of creature as well. If she turns out to be too expensive or even too prone to removal, Ob will definitely go back in. With that said, I'd rather have Bloodgift on turn five than Ob Nix simply because Bloodgift will be awesome with or without that sixth land. He beats face and draws cards. What more do you want out of a black five drop, really?
As for Survival vs Loam, I think Survival all day long. Loam was never good for us. Never is a fairly strong word, but honestly, I can't remember a single time where Loam was even solid. Dredge was never relevant and I never had the deck that would always want Loam. I really feel like that it's good in a deck that really supports a lands in the 'yard theme. Fetches, man lands, Strip Mine, Wasteland, Gemstone Mine, Barbarian Ring, etc etc... these are what Loam needs to work correctly. A couple of fetches, just isn't enough. So many times I tried to run it based on the fact that I had even 3-4 lands that hit the 'yard regularly and too many times was it just a dead draw. It's like, "Oh... well there's Loam. I've got one land in my graveyard and nothing in my deck that benefits from dredge. Nice." Or I'd pull back a couple of lands, then dredge Loam back only to see something I really needed hit the graveyard with no way to rebuy it. I don't miss Loam at all.
I'd cut Puppeteer Clique. It had it's bomby plays, but it was just ultimately too dependent on my opponent's graveyard to be that great. I've cut Ob Nix from my cube as well, but he was never bad.
I think I'd play the Masticore. Golem is certainly good, but he's pretty easy to deal with. Masticore plays well with graveyard strategies and is a 5/5 first strike dude killer.
Yeah, until we get another Savannah Lions lookalike (or the just reprint Savannah Lions at what it's supposed be: Uncommon), I'll be happy running the Foot Soldier. If I was big on getting cards altered, I'd have it altered to be a Foot Soldier from TMNT.
I like Javelineers the most from that group. I had Akrasan Squire as a pseudo 2 power 1-drop in my C/U cube for a while and he was always disappointing. So much so that I replaced him with Soltari Foot Soldier. The Foot Soldier acts more like a player pinger, but he ultimately gets in for more damage than the Squire and he's much better at packing equipment. I run him over Javelineers in peasant, but I think it's honestly a close call.
Out of all of those, I'd probably go with Instigator Gang. I ran him for a while and he was sometimes good and usually bad. I like Gathan Raiders, but don't feel like he's necessary in most rare cubes nowadays.
I'd keep Morphling. The two are comparable, but Morphling's extra abilities, especially his untap ability, have won a ton of games. Plus Morphling is just simply more interesting and classic. I don't think he's a sacred cow, I think he's still very awesome and very cube worthy.
Then I would consider either upping the support for aggro in green or not including Loam Lion at all. I wouldn't include the Lion if the only deck he's realistically gonna be seeing play in is Zoo, which you admit is the least common green deck. You're wasting a slot that could be better filled with something that will support your more popular GX midrange decks.
I'm not saying Loam Lion is bad or shouldn't be included in cubes, but you have to have the support. Green is one of those colors that can have multiple identities, so it's either aggressive or it's not. It just depends on what your playgroup wants out of the color and the type of decks that like playing.
I think Caller looks a lot better on paper than he actually plays. I mean, he looks like a back breaking Wrath counter, but that's quite situational. I honestly don't think that instance came up the entire time he was in my cube. Maybe once or twice he was cast EOT after my opponent used some spot removal, but he was never an army in a can. The stars really have to align just right for him to play out the way he's supposed to. I cut him a while back and don't miss him at all.
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I'd go with Wall here. It's such a pain in the ass and is really helpful for UW decks that need time to set up. It's a bit of an aggro hoser, but having a few of those isn't a bad thing.
Mind Stone and Prismatic Lens, for sure.
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Loam does dredge it's own targets into the graveyard and, yeah, if your one target is a nice little card advantage engine, then you don't need more than one target. The problem I had with Loam was that I'm playing a 40 card singleton deck that's not really built with Loam in mind (the way normal constructed Loam decks are built, that is). So when I did dredge it back, it normally put something into my graveyard that I did not want in my graveyard like one of my three removal spells or one of my two finishers or the Armageddon what would have been awesome with Loam.
I feel like Loam would be amazing in a BG Stax deck with removal, reanimation, Smokestack and Crucible. Throw in some solid lands that combo like Wasteland or Horizon Canopy, a couple of decent fatties to bring back, should you dredge them away, a Wild Mongrel and a Oona's Prowler, maybe even Braids and you've got yourself a pretty sweet deck that can really take advantage of Loam. I never saw it as a card that would fit into other decks outside of that one (or similar ones). I was never just BG midrange with a fetch and a Wasteland and wanted Loam in my deck. It always felt like a card that supported one deck and if that deck didn't come together, then it was just subpar.
I know you love Loam in cube and I'm not trying to argue that you're wrong. You've had fantastic experiences with it and I've had the opposite. I like Loam a lot. I just never found it useful in cube and wanted to post a different opinion.
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As for Survival vs Loam, I think Survival all day long. Loam was never good for us. Never is a fairly strong word, but honestly, I can't remember a single time where Loam was even solid. Dredge was never relevant and I never had the deck that would always want Loam. I really feel like that it's good in a deck that really supports a lands in the 'yard theme. Fetches, man lands, Strip Mine, Wasteland, Gemstone Mine, Barbarian Ring, etc etc... these are what Loam needs to work correctly. A couple of fetches, just isn't enough. So many times I tried to run it based on the fact that I had even 3-4 lands that hit the 'yard regularly and too many times was it just a dead draw. It's like, "Oh... well there's Loam. I've got one land in my graveyard and nothing in my deck that benefits from dredge. Nice." Or I'd pull back a couple of lands, then dredge Loam back only to see something I really needed hit the graveyard with no way to rebuy it. I don't miss Loam at all.
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From here I'd cut Gaddock Teeg. He's quite narrow and only seems super usefuly vs control.
I think Vess is the right cut here. Sad, but true.
Out of all of those, I'd probably go with Instigator Gang. I ran him for a while and he was sometimes good and usually bad. I like Gathan Raiders, but don't feel like he's necessary in most rare cubes nowadays.
How has Urabrask been for you?
I'd cut Spider and Ashes to Ashes.
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I'd keep Morphling. The two are comparable, but Morphling's extra abilities, especially his untap ability, have won a ton of games. Plus Morphling is just simply more interesting and classic. I don't think he's a sacred cow, I think he's still very awesome and very cube worthy.
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I'm not saying Loam Lion is bad or shouldn't be included in cubes, but you have to have the support. Green is one of those colors that can have multiple identities, so it's either aggressive or it's not. It just depends on what your playgroup wants out of the color and the type of decks that like playing.
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That's not enough aggro to support aggro, IMO. How often do green aggressive decks pop up in your drafts?
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This.
My six card Simic section looks like this:
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Mystic Snake
Simic Sky Swallower
Spitting Image
Trygon Predator
Voidslime
I could easily drop Spitting Image and Voidslime and not really miss them.
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