I'm not really sure on where to rank Vial Smasher currently, but I feel I still like Grenzo more, and that she'll end up ranking somewhere right above or right after Aristocrat.
Would you change your ranking if the cube contained a token theme and a bunch of cards that like to sacrifice stuff?
Probably swap the Gorge and the Necropolis, the rest stays the same.
The costs are just too steep for most decks that would want to run these. Remember to add +1 for tapping the land itself; three mana for a 0/1 token, 4 for one player-only damage, six for a shock.
Reflecting Pool is just low-grade mana fixing, while Dust Bowl is more of an archetype card.
Your cube should have something ~10% of mana-fixing lands (both guild lands and five-mana lands; something like Evolving Wilds counts but Wasteland won't). You appear to be over this number (80 in 720) so it's fine to cut Reflecting Pool.
Here's my cube: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/9332
(...)
This obviously needs 10 cuts. The tri-lands might be an easy 5 (although that may not be optimal, I don't see them in very many other cubes) and then one from each colour, but if that's right - what should go!?
Any help much appreciated!
Descendant of Kiyomaro
Flashfreeze
Tainted Pact
Skullcrack
Tranquil Grove
And the five KTK trilands
Descendant requires you to keep cards in your hand just so you have a 3/5 with not-quite-lifelink. It just isn't worth it.
Flashfreeze, Skullcrack and Tranquil Grove are too much of sideboard cards so they are easy cuts.
Tainted Pact is just a bad tutor - reveals too much information and may backfire.
I find Nekrataal, Braids and Skinrender just too important to swap for an uncertain card like the Tormentor. If I were to try it, I'd replace Desecration Demon.
I'm looking for a high CMC card (5+) to replace the Shapeshifter aswell though. Any suggestion for that?
My list can be seen here http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcurve/19737
What about Morphling? It's a worse but cheaper Aetherling.
For the record, my post in the previous page was answering only netn10's request, and had nothing to do with Calibretto's list.
netn10 said things like "classic", "today's cube standards" and "top list" and I didn't had their cube's list to look at, so I went with the typical average cube's needs. It should go without saying, but adjust the ranking as it fits your cube; I personally run some cards listed as Tier 3 over some Tier 2 in my own list.
There are many green 3cc creatures I'd rank above Call of the Herd. Here's a rough list by Tiers. Cards marked with * aren't truly 3 CMC but are commonly organized this way.
And one of each basic lands from C16/C17.
I like all those cards more than Sin Prodder.
Going by your cubetutor list, I just can't find a good cut. Fire Imp, perhaps?
Lantern would be my cut. I both dislike it more than the others and it is a like-for-like trade.
Grenzo > Aristocrat >= Vial Smasher
I'm not really sure on where to rank Vial Smasher currently, but I feel I still like Grenzo more, and that she'll end up ranking somewhere right above or right after Aristocrat.
Battlements > Keep > Gorge > Necropolis
Probably swap the Gorge and the Necropolis, the rest stays the same.
The costs are just too steep for most decks that would want to run these. Remember to add +1 for tapping the land itself; three mana for a 0/1 token, 4 for one player-only damage, six for a shock.
Your cube should have something ~10% of mana-fixing lands (both guild lands and five-mana lands; something like Evolving Wilds counts but Wasteland won't). You appear to be over this number (80 in 720) so it's fine to cut Reflecting Pool.
Descendant of Kiyomaro
Flashfreeze
Tainted Pact
Skullcrack
Tranquil Grove
And the five KTK trilands
Descendant requires you to keep cards in your hand just so you have a 3/5 with not-quite-lifelink. It just isn't worth it.
Flashfreeze, Skullcrack and Tranquil Grove are too much of sideboard cards so they are easy cuts.
Tainted Pact is just a bad tutor - reveals too much information and may backfire.
From most likely to less likely to be cut: Oracle, Kira, Adept, Thassa, Dancer, Bouncer.
Deed is Golgari's #1 card, and Pulse is #2. I'd run both at any size, but if you want only one, Deed is more unique and interesting.
Going by your list, I'd just cut Garruk Apex Predator and Meren to add both Deed and Pulse.
What about Morphling? It's a worse but cheaper Aetherling.
If not it, there's Sphinx of Jwar Isle.
But if it has to be a blue/black hybrid card, I've got nothing.
netn10 said things like "classic", "today's cube standards" and "top list" and I didn't had their cube's list to look at, so I went with the typical average cube's needs. It should go without saying, but adjust the ranking as it fits your cube; I personally run some cards listed as Tier 3 over some Tier 2 in my own list.
TIER 1
Courser of Kruphix
Eternal Witness
Reclamation Sage
Yavimaya Elder
TIER 2
*Den Protector
Nissa, Vastwood Seer
Viridian Shaman
Uktabi Orangutan
TIER 3
*Ainok Survivalist
Tireless Tracker
Vile Redeemer
Boon Satyr
TIER 4
Troll Ascetic
Call of the Herd
Ohran Viper
Wolfir Avenger