The low power is intended because in my group we like the sensation that a simple 6/6 is big and scary and we don't like flashy things like for example Gush or other not really fair cards.
Setting it in modern cut out all the strange cards of the past where the direction of the game was not really clear in my opinion.
I am looking the average cube and it seems a good list. I think the colors must absolutly be changed because like that are really confusionary. I would have choosen colors from red to dark green (7 total) that create a more intuitive red-green scale.
Thanks for the help anyway
I may have been to blame for the colour-choice. I am red-green colour-blind, so the first version just looked like porridge to me.
I guess 15 goes all the way back to alpha, when draft wasn't really any part of design at all (Although I think the playtesters had actually started experimenting with draft/limited even before the game released).
I have often wondered about whether the game would be better if it could be released in "constructed boosters" and "limited boosters", from a pure gameplay perspective. Get the berated "draft chaff" out of the constructed boosters, and keep stupid crap like The locust god and Tetzimoc, Primal Death out of drafts. Of course this comes with a whole bunch of other potential problems (overall game economy not least among them), but probably the pack size could be different.
My starting point would be a multiple of the number of players.
Collation also comes into it. I have found that in a cube setting with completely random 15-card packs there is an unacceptably high occurence of four-colour packs and general variance in colour distribution overall. I have sorted this one of two ways: The first is to seed the boosters so that each pack has 1 card of each colour + 9 random cards. The second, less labour-intensive solution, is to use more than 15 cards per booster and then scrap the remainder (e.g. 20 card packs, scrap last 5 cards from each pack.)
I was waiting the longest for activity to pick up in the thread, and when it does, I don't contribute. I think things look OK with the ratings as of now.
I came to think: Are we assuming draft or a draft-like format? Or should we give explicit ratings for sealed? I think I have just assumed that we are talking about draft in some form, where consistency and power of decks are higher than in sealed. Suspicious Bookcase was decent in M19 sealed, was what got me thinking about it.
Also, the Regal Bloodlord misses a "lifegain matters" under anchors/supports.
Is Talons of Wildwood even better than Horned Helm (which is rated at zero)? Beyond the first target, Talons costs you five mana to "re-equip".. (EDIT: And now I see that you have also listed it in the unplayables..)
I just heard the LR sunsetshow for M19 and they described Siegebreaker Giant as a card that had underperformed. They described a common scenario where you can only activate it once on the turn after you cast it and that is insufficient to avoid trading down.
Abnormal Endurance costs 1B and is strictly worse than Supernatural Stamina.
I am skeptical that Stitcher's Supplier can do much of anything. At the end of the day, it is still a 1/1 for 1. You have no control what goes to the yard and you can't control when you get the second trigger.
I think I like Vampire Sovereign a decent amount. Been trying to compare it to other options. It seems the best when you are behind, and it is guaranteed value in the face of immediate removal. I wonder if this is enough to actually make it better than Sengir Vampire or Indulgent Tormentor. Sure, the absolute power level is higher on the Tormentor, but when you are behind and want/need to block? And if a big flyer wins you the game, the Sovereign also gets the job done, 9 damage over the first 2 turns as opposed to 10.. It's interesting to think about at least.
I could see Triumph of Gerrard getting blown out by instant speed removal in response to III, but if I and II have allowed you to attack where you otherwise wouldn't, it perhaps isn't a disaster. Big negative that you can't choose where to drop the counters. Not sure, leaning to a zero.
2 for slimefoot I think.
I don't think Skittering Surveyor is the worst possible option to allow your players to splash, but like indicated, I think most cubes (and thus decks) would just not need it with the typical Vivids, tri-lands and the like floating around. I am also not very high on free creatures with (what I am judging to be) irrelevant bodies. This might be a flaw of mine though, I suspect I am too low on cards like Striped Bears. But how much will a 1/2 do? I guess it can stop an X/1 from an aggro deck, and in that case you are super happy.
I also wonder if the blue and green memorials are good enough. They all run into the utility-land-problem though, that they just tend to drift in the draft and are picked only when there are no other options. But they will make decks. Having free spells in your lands are so good.
Haven't considered all the grades, but just realised:
I know we aren't doing M19 yet, but Call the Cavalry needs a mention of Gallant Cavalry in its description as on the face they are the same card, and only blink/prowess/populate/delve/etc-considerations might tell you which is better for you.
Is ghitu chronicler the "best" version of this effect in red? It seems better than Anarchist to me, but perhaps the spells-matter deck would just want Shreds of Sanity? Or perhaps this is just a case of "the 'best' version of something is just bad, so it should be left out"? In cubes where red decks could conceivably be interested in a 1/3 for 1R I guess it could be worth considering?
I know some people around here are high on the aura/enchantments/pants theme, but Valduk can't be more than a 1? Even if you do get him going, there are boardstates where the 3/1s don't do much.
I don't think Thorn Elemental is a 2 as a seven-drop with no protection or guaranteed value.
I also don't think Grunn is good enough, but maybe we should keep him at 1 for uniqueness..?
Does it help in rating Fungal Plots by comparing it to.. Squirrel Nest (which we gave 2)? The nest gives you creatures for 1 mana with no pressure on the graveyard, but can only be used once per turn, and of course you cant do the chump-->sac-->draw thing.
Is instant speed enough better than the pump-spell mode of Hunting Triad (which sits at 1)?
I've been out of the loop for a while, but I thought maybe it was worth it to bring Innocent Blood back up. It is an efficient piece of removal for creature-light decks that wont be snapped up by every other deck. We gaveParalyze a 2 because it is good in a deck that wants to win quickly, I think Innocent blood is comparable for a deck that wants to win slowly. Probably both could be a 1?
I also agree with most things said on Altac Bloodseeker. Probably it was good enough when printed just because it was the next in line of red 2-drops with potential power >2, but no longer. I did once go T2 Bloodseeker into T3 Arc Lightning away their Hordeling Outburst though.
"A 3/3 for 5 that draws you a card, AND casts it is pretty reasonable. Tack on some bonus damage and you are pretty happy." also sounds a lot better than 2.
I love having my positive spins getting tore down in this project.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I may have been to blame for the colour-choice. I am red-green colour-blind, so the first version just looked like porridge to me.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I have often wondered about whether the game would be better if it could be released in "constructed boosters" and "limited boosters", from a pure gameplay perspective. Get the berated "draft chaff" out of the constructed boosters, and keep stupid crap like The locust god and Tetzimoc, Primal Death out of drafts. Of course this comes with a whole bunch of other potential problems (overall game economy not least among them), but probably the pack size could be different.
My starting point would be a multiple of the number of players.
Collation also comes into it. I have found that in a cube setting with completely random 15-card packs there is an unacceptably high occurence of four-colour packs and general variance in colour distribution overall. I have sorted this one of two ways: The first is to seed the boosters so that each pack has 1 card of each colour + 9 random cards. The second, less labour-intensive solution, is to use more than 15 cards per booster and then scrap the remainder (e.g. 20 card packs, scrap last 5 cards from each pack.)
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I was waiting the longest for activity to pick up in the thread, and when it does, I don't contribute. I think things look OK with the ratings as of now.
I came to think: Are we assuming draft or a draft-like format? Or should we give explicit ratings for sealed? I think I have just assumed that we are talking about draft in some form, where consistency and power of decks are higher than in sealed. Suspicious Bookcase was decent in M19 sealed, was what got me thinking about it.
Also, the Regal Bloodlord misses a "lifegain matters" under anchors/supports.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I just heard the LR sunsetshow for M19 and they described Siegebreaker Giant as a card that had underperformed. They described a common scenario where you can only activate it once on the turn after you cast it and that is insufficient to avoid trading down.
The new Healer's Hawk at least pushes out all the Aven Skirmishers, and probably also Rustwing Falcon.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I am skeptical that Stitcher's Supplier can do much of anything. At the end of the day, it is still a 1/1 for 1. You have no control what goes to the yard and you can't control when you get the second trigger.
I think I like Vampire Sovereign a decent amount. Been trying to compare it to other options. It seems the best when you are behind, and it is guaranteed value in the face of immediate removal. I wonder if this is enough to actually make it better than Sengir Vampire or Indulgent Tormentor. Sure, the absolute power level is higher on the Tormentor, but when you are behind and want/need to block? And if a big flyer wins you the game, the Sovereign also gets the job done, 9 damage over the first 2 turns as opposed to 10.. It's interesting to think about at least.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
2 for slimefoot I think.
I don't think Skittering Surveyor is the worst possible option to allow your players to splash, but like indicated, I think most cubes (and thus decks) would just not need it with the typical Vivids, tri-lands and the like floating around. I am also not very high on free creatures with (what I am judging to be) irrelevant bodies. This might be a flaw of mine though, I suspect I am too low on cards like Striped Bears. But how much will a 1/2 do? I guess it can stop an X/1 from an aggro deck, and in that case you are super happy.
I also wonder if the blue and green memorials are good enough. They all run into the utility-land-problem though, that they just tend to drift in the draft and are picked only when there are no other options. But they will make decks. Having free spells in your lands are so good.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I know we aren't doing M19 yet, but Call the Cavalry needs a mention of Gallant Cavalry in its description as on the face they are the same card, and only blink/prowess/populate/delve/etc-considerations might tell you which is better for you.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I know some people around here are high on the aura/enchantments/pants theme, but Valduk can't be more than a 1? Even if you do get him going, there are boardstates where the 3/1s don't do much.
(And Pyromantic Pilgrim makes sense alongside Keldon Overseer because of wizard tribal I guess)
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I also don't think Grunn is good enough, but maybe we should keep him at 1 for uniqueness..?
Does it help in rating Fungal Plots by comparing it to.. Squirrel Nest (which we gave 2)? The nest gives you creatures for 1 mana with no pressure on the graveyard, but can only be used once per turn, and of course you cant do the chump-->sac-->draw thing.
Is instant speed enough better than the pump-spell mode of Hunting Triad (which sits at 1)?
In Bolas's Cluthces has slight upside over Confiscate if you cube Cast Down.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I also agree with most things said on Altac Bloodseeker. Probably it was good enough when printed just because it was the next in line of red 2-drops with potential power >2, but no longer. I did once go T2 Bloodseeker into T3 Arc Lightning away their Hordeling Outburst though.
Also, Punch-spells won't work with Zada, Hedron Grinder, will they?
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
"A 3/3 for 5 that draws you a card, AND casts it is pretty reasonable. Tack on some bonus damage and you are pretty happy." also sounds a lot better than 2.
EDIT: Also, Blurry Beeble is a better Looter il-kor if there are no glasses in your playgroup.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)