If you're trying to push green aggro, you need to add more one-drops, not cut them.
Faerie Guidemother doesn't help aristocrat decks as much as Doomed Traveler, but I can see the Traveler's initial body being very underwhelming if you have to jockey for board position without sac to help you.
Merchant of the Vale is another in a line of recent cards (see Spark Reaper, Vivien's Grizzly) with interesting mana sink abilities that fall just short, imo. I still think blue's loot ability should be shifted to red, as blue's current card drawing and filtering abilities are still miles ahead of every other color. It makes no sense for me to have a strictly worse ability in another color.
For Witching Well, here's a shortlist of cards I don't run at 540 because I either cut them or thought them a bit under par:
Okay, so apparently no blue card is good enough for my pauper cube. They all seem to be meh. Except maybe Queen of Ice and Witching Well.
So no blue card is good enough, except for the two blue cards that might be good enough?
In all seriousness, I agree they probably dont make it in your 360. Witching Well is the next best "cantrip" after Hieroglyphic Illumination, but it's slow - probably don't need a U + 3U draw spell at that size.
Queen of Ice seems worse than Stitched Mangler and friends. I certainly wouldn't cube it ahead of Frost Lynx. Getting the effect as an ETB is better than paying extra for the adventure unless you want to push spells-matter, and even then... the Queen's static ability seems overly defensive.
Oh, yeah Blastoderm, Imperiosaur and Emperor Crocodile are good, but Peema Outrider is right there with them. The 5 power guys are all efficient, but they can get stonewalled pretty hard by tokens. Outrider and Witchstalker both help solve that problem. More generally, it's always good to diversify so that your deck isn't always open to the same weakness.
At 540, I can happily get rid of my worst four drop in Wild Leotau, which has grown to become literally the worst of both worlds (gets stonewalled, but also has lower toughness than newer four drops) on top of its original drawback. If this stream of beaters continues, I'll have to think about cutting Festerhide Boar and/or Primal Huntbeast next.
I agree with Slipper and Tactician, but I really don't think Fierce Witchstalker is a negligible preference choice. It's arguably better than Peema Outrider, and that guy is an all-star. You trade a Servo for a Food token, but you get to keep the full 4/4 stats. At the very least, it represents a direct upgrade to Baloth Gorger, which is barely better if you support super-ramp AND +1/+1 counters. Trample is just better. And getting to chow down on some food to recoup life is a big deal.
Do let us know how Giant's Skewer goes. It's a bit overpriced and the opponent has way too much control in how you benefit, but I'm hoping for more interesting equipment designs like this one.
Queen of Ice is a decent Stitched Mangler variant. You have adventure mode and the creature's ice ability, giving you choices in how to play it out.
Witching Well is deceptively strong. Will be good at smoothing out curves and provides some incidental artifact synergy.
Smitten Swordmaster - technically an upgrade but Knights aren't a thing in pauper. I only run about eight, and that's at 540 size with some questionable ones like Parhelion Patrol or Gryff Vanguard. The adventure is maybe gonna poke in for 1 life every once in a blue moon. I think I prefer the simplicity of Child of Night.
Crystal Slipper is nice. Cheap equip, a power boost and haste. This should see inclusion. Flavorwise though, it's only one step away from Sirlin's clown shoes dilemma.
Fierce Witchstalker is great. Another card in competition for the four-drop slot after Baloth Gorger, this one looks like it has a slight edge since it comes with trample and (delayed) lifegain. Almost an Obstinate Baloth at common! Peripheral synergies with blink and artifact-matters. This should be in pauper lists.
Rosethorn Halberd is functionally a one-mana Giant Strength with timing restrictions. The games where you'll be able to equip it twice are going to be few and far between, unless you have a dragon cube. I'm always interested in playable equipment, but I think this one misses the cut by a hair (equip cost 4 would have made it in for me).
Wildwood Tracker is another deceptively strong card. Note that it attacks or blocks as a 2/2, you just need to have another creature. And you don't need to commit with the other creature like previously undercosted designs in this vein (Jackal Familiar, Ember Beast, Loyal Pegasus).
Prophet of the Peak is a nice push towards value for pauper fatties. It's almost good enough.
I like Weapon Rack as an inverse of Serrated Arrows. Also a neat push for +1/+1 counters in pauper if we want it. Just wish it was instant speed.
The common nonbasics (Idyllic Grange, Witch's Cottage, Mystic Sanctuary, Dwarven Mine) all seem great aside from green. Note that they represent a slight boost to Farseek since you can now get a spell effect with your land tutor. I goofed, the untapped clause is relevant because Farseek puts them into play tapped -_-
If you're trying to push green aggro, you need to add more one-drops, not cut them.
Faerie Guidemother doesn't help aristocrat decks as much as Doomed Traveler, but I can see the Traveler's initial body being very underwhelming if you have to jockey for board position without sac to help you.
Merchant of the Vale is another in a line of recent cards (see Spark Reaper, Vivien's Grizzly) with interesting mana sink abilities that fall just short, imo. I still think blue's loot ability should be shifted to red, as blue's current card drawing and filtering abilities are still miles ahead of every other color. It makes no sense for me to have a strictly worse ability in another color.
For Witching Well, here's a shortlist of cards I don't run at 540 because I either cut them or thought them a bit under par:
Also, why is Raptor Companion a pet card? Is this a joke inclusion? Did it help you win a draft GP or something?
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge
So no blue card is good enough, except for the two blue cards that might be good enough?
In all seriousness, I agree they probably dont make it in your 360. Witching Well is the next best "cantrip" after Hieroglyphic Illumination, but it's slow - probably don't need a U + 3U draw spell at that size.
Queen of Ice seems worse than Stitched Mangler and friends. I certainly wouldn't cube it ahead of Frost Lynx. Getting the effect as an ETB is better than paying extra for the adventure unless you want to push spells-matter, and even then... the Queen's static ability seems overly defensive.
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge
At 540, I can happily get rid of my worst four drop in Wild Leotau, which has grown to become literally the worst of both worlds (gets stonewalled, but also has lower toughness than newer four drops) on top of its original drawback. If this stream of beaters continues, I'll have to think about cutting Festerhide Boar and/or Primal Huntbeast next.
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge
Do let us know how Giant's Skewer goes. It's a bit overpriced and the opponent has way too much control in how you benefit, but I'm hoping for more interesting equipment designs like this one.
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge
Silverflame Squire has potential as a combat trick and a body in one. Comparable to Briarhorn.
Queen of Ice is a decent Stitched Mangler variant. You have adventure mode and the creature's ice ability, giving you choices in how to play it out.
Witching Well is deceptively strong. Will be good at smoothing out curves and provides some incidental artifact synergy.
Smitten Swordmaster - technically an upgrade but Knights aren't a thing in pauper. I only run about eight, and that's at 540 size with some questionable ones like Parhelion Patrol or Gryff Vanguard. The adventure is maybe gonna poke in for 1 life every once in a blue moon. I think I prefer the simplicity of Child of Night.
Crystal Slipper is nice. Cheap equip, a power boost and haste. This should see inclusion. Flavorwise though, it's only one step away from Sirlin's clown shoes dilemma.
Thrill of Possibility - instant speed improves this a lot over Tormenting Voice. Gives red some play that isn't burn.
Fierce Witchstalker is great. Another card in competition for the four-drop slot after Baloth Gorger, this one looks like it has a slight edge since it comes with trample and (delayed) lifegain. Almost an Obstinate Baloth at common! Peripheral synergies with blink and artifact-matters. This should be in pauper lists.
Rosethorn Halberd is functionally a one-mana Giant Strength with timing restrictions. The games where you'll be able to equip it twice are going to be few and far between, unless you have a dragon cube. I'm always interested in playable equipment, but I think this one misses the cut by a hair (equip cost 4 would have made it in for me).
Wildwood Tracker is another deceptively strong card. Note that it attacks or blocks as a 2/2, you just need to have another creature. And you don't need to commit with the other creature like previously undercosted designs in this vein (Jackal Familiar, Ember Beast, Loyal Pegasus).
I wonder how Crashing Drawbridge will fare, particularly with the crowd that likes Bloodlust Inciter.
Gingerbrute is a colorless Raging Goblin with upside, and that's an acceptable card for pauper.
Prophet of the Peak is a nice push towards value for pauper fatties. It's almost good enough.
I like Weapon Rack as an inverse of Serrated Arrows. Also a neat push for +1/+1 counters in pauper if we want it. Just wish it was instant speed.
The common nonbasics (Idyllic Grange, Witch's Cottage, Mystic Sanctuary, Dwarven Mine) all seem great aside from green.
Note that they represent a slight boost to Farseek since you can now get a spell effect with your land tutor.I goofed, the untapped clause is relevant because Farseek puts them into play tapped -_-My top five, in no particular order:
1. Ardenvale Tactician
2. Fierce Witchstalker
3. Crystal Slipper
4. Gingerbrute
5. Witching Well
Honorable mention to Silverflame Squire, Queen of Ice and the nonbasic lands.
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge