1 - Unleashed is a more aggressive 'walker, and is better on the beatdown. But Primal Hunter has a higher ceiling in big monster decks.
2 - I like Dragonspeaker more than Masterless. When I played Dragonspeaker, I used it to axe 4-toughness targets and be a viable win condition in my Wildfire decks. Masterless is neither of the only reasons I would want to run that card.
That being said, I don't currently play any of these four cards at 720.
The 2 toughness without evasion/ first strike on both Imposing and Accorder have both been problematic for me. I would be happy cutting either one.
Also, I assume this is a powered cube? I find Kor Skyfisher's value sinks substantially in a non-powered environment - you lose the return your mox interaction that has been incredible.
Sarkhan the Masterless' static ability feels incredibly underwhelming - Feels irrelevant if he's played in the control role in the matchup and doesn't feel relevant at all in an aggro mirror.
I don't really like any of these options; I find there are alot more 4-5 drops in Green - Red should be focused about their tempo swings.
I find GloryBringer should really be the gold standard at evaluating red 5 drops in both aggro/ control matchups.
The issue with green is there are better cards than the two Garruks :
I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Arcane Denial
Remand
Memory Lapse
Miscalculation
Condescend
Force of Negation
Spell Pierce
For additional context, I also have a 540 powered cube and currently run the top 4 of that list - until very recently I also ran Condescend, which I am planning to cut for Jwari Disruption, which I would put above Miscalculation on that list. You also did not list Force Spike which I also run - I'd probably rank that just below Jwari Disruption.
Arcane Denial
Remand
Memory Lapse
Miscalculation
Condescend
Force of Negation
Spell Pierce
For additional context, I also have a 540 powered cube and currently run the top 4 of that list - until very recently I also ran Condescend, which I am planning to cut for Jwari Disruption, which I would put above Miscalculation on that list. You also did not list Force Spike which I also run - I'd probably rank that just below Jwari Disruption.
Thanks for the response tylor, i already play force spike but i think it's better of the above list because you can counter everything on the draw even against god hands so you avoid getting behind a lot.
i think with jwari that has two modes needed in early game, for example you need lands early turns so you can't behind, but also this type of counter is more useful in early states of the match.
There is a chance it's better then miscalculation, so it could be replace it, but i do think tapped blue where you need untapped blue, to have the mana for countering is more useful, also in late game you can also cycle miscalculation for another card.
But let's see other's people opinions.
Daze and condescend, Daze because it's a unique effect (free counterspell without card disadvantage, just tempo) and one that's still pretty good IMO, and condescend because, well, it's great. I'm also lower on the lands that HAVE to come into play tapped than the people that are really high on them, but this one in particular I don't like because it's a completely useless topdeck late-game so it doesn't have one of the advantages that some of the other MDF lands do (good early as a land and late as a spell). This one you almost have to play as a land if you don't cast it as a spell in the first few turns of the game.
If you are dying to test disruption, and these are the only possible cuts, I'd cut daze, but I see you still have force spike as well - perhaps that's a better cut to test? Or one of the other 2-mana, 2nd tier counters - arcane denial or memory lapse?
Edit - this calculation may be different in powered vs unpowered, but there aren't so many backbraking turn 1 or 2 plays in unpowered that you NEED a force spike, and the fixing in our cube is good enough that you don't need Arcane Denial's absolute ability to counter at 1U with card disadvantage because usually by the time people are making plays that have to be hard countered (ie are out of mana leak/miscalc range) you have UU.
Without knowing the context of powered/unpowered, what archetypes are trying to be supported, etc etc, my personal ranking of those black three drops would be:
Drana, Liberator of Malakir
Mardu Strike Leader
Yahenni, Undying Partisan
Grim Haruspex
Amit Eternal
Without knowing the context of powered/unpowered, what archetypes are trying to be supported, etc etc, my personal ranking of those black three drops would be:
Drana, Liberator of Malakir
Mardu Strike Leader
Yahenni, Undying Partisan
Grim Haruspex
Amit Eternal
It's an unpowered 720 cards cube, you can see the list in the signature.
Thanx for the advice!
I'm less confident in my bottom 3 ranking as I don't have much experience with those.
Also, if you have a heavy token/go wide theme with black as one of the colors, Drana can move into first, but I think black aggro is a more widely supported arhetype so I have spawn at the top. Those two are very close though.
I've never played either of those, but I feel like if you're running either of those cards, it's in order to support Aristocrats and Persist combo archetypes. If that's the case, I'd pick Spawning Pit, as being able to sacrifice over multiple turns is more important than the 2 damage per turn if the opponent keeps the Idol. If those are not archetypes you're supporting, I guess Idol is the better card for aggro against creature-light control, but I'm not super impressed by that.
I was playing both until very recently, now I'm only playing Pit. It's more reliable to combo with, and has been surprisingly effective at just being a cool card to have around.
Dragonspeaker > Masterless.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Unleashed and Masterless
The list on cube cobra
Read my blog on cube - Latest post June 2nd 2022
2 - I like Dragonspeaker more than Masterless. When I played Dragonspeaker, I used it to axe 4-toughness targets and be a viable win condition in my Wildfire decks. Masterless is neither of the only reasons I would want to run that card.
That being said, I don't currently play any of these four cards at 720.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
The 2 toughness without evasion/ first strike on both Imposing and Accorder have both been problematic for me. I would be happy cutting either one.
Also, I assume this is a powered cube? I find Kor Skyfisher's value sinks substantially in a non-powered environment - you lose the return your mox interaction that has been incredible.
The triple green on Primal Hunter is unpleasant.
Sarkhan the Masterless' static ability feels incredibly underwhelming - Feels irrelevant if he's played in the control role in the matchup and doesn't feel relevant at all in an aggro mirror.
I don't really like any of these options; I find there are alot more 4-5 drops in Green - Red should be focused about their tempo swings.
I find GloryBringer should really be the gold standard at evaluating red 5 drops in both aggro/ control matchups.
The issue with green is there are better cards than the two Garruks :
Vivien, Monsters' Advocate or
Nissa, Who Shakes the World
They both have very relevant tempo swing abilities and static effects.
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
2 - Kabira Takedown vs Declaration in Stone ?
3 - Valakut Awakening vs Experimental Frenzy vs Light Up the Stage ? What order ?
2 - Declaration in Stone, IMO.
3 - I like frenzy the best of those three cards.
Which is the better tertiary colorless sac outlet - Jinxed Idol or Spawning Pit?
My 36+ Commander Decks: TAPPEDOUT
rank best to worse?
Got 540 powered cube.
memory lapse-miscalculation-remand-spell pierce-arcane denial-force of negation-condescend
Arcane Denial
Remand
Memory Lapse
Miscalculation
Condescend
Force of Negation
Spell Pierce
For additional context, I also have a 540 powered cube and currently run the top 4 of that list - until very recently I also ran Condescend, which I am planning to cut for Jwari Disruption, which I would put above Miscalculation on that list. You also did not list Force Spike which I also run - I'd probably rank that just below Jwari Disruption.
I'm still interested to hear what people think about Jinxed Idol vs Spawning Pit as well.
My 36+ Commander Decks: TAPPEDOUT
Thanks for the response tylor, i already play force spike but i think it's better of the above list because you can counter everything on the draw even against god hands so you avoid getting behind a lot.
i think with jwari that has two modes needed in early game, for example you need lands early turns so you can't behind, but also this type of counter is more useful in early states of the match.
There is a chance it's better then miscalculation, so it could be replace it, but i do think tapped blue where you need untapped blue, to have the mana for countering is more useful, also in late game you can also cycle miscalculation for another card.
But let's see other's people opinions.
Keep two:
Daze
Condescend
Jwari Disruption
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Right now I want to definitely keep Condescend, test out Disruption over Daze?
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
Daze and condescend, Daze because it's a unique effect (free counterspell without card disadvantage, just tempo) and one that's still pretty good IMO, and condescend because, well, it's great. I'm also lower on the lands that HAVE to come into play tapped than the people that are really high on them, but this one in particular I don't like because it's a completely useless topdeck late-game so it doesn't have one of the advantages that some of the other MDF lands do (good early as a land and late as a spell). This one you almost have to play as a land if you don't cast it as a spell in the first few turns of the game.
If you are dying to test disruption, and these are the only possible cuts, I'd cut daze, but I see you still have force spike as well - perhaps that's a better cut to test? Or one of the other 2-mana, 2nd tier counters - arcane denial or memory lapse?
Edit - this calculation may be different in powered vs unpowered, but there aren't so many backbraking turn 1 or 2 plays in unpowered that you NEED a force spike, and the fixing in our cube is good enough that you don't need Arcane Denial's absolute ability to counter at 1U with card disadvantage because usually by the time people are making plays that have to be hard countered (ie are out of mana leak/miscalc range) you have UU.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
Personally I'd keep Daze and Disruption, but I seem to be in the minority here.
My 36+ Commander Decks: TAPPEDOUT
Drana, liberator of malakir Ammit eternal Yahenni, undying partisan Grim haruspex Mardu strike leader
Thanx.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/5f79d238debf310362d43d47
Drana, Liberator of Malakir
Mardu Strike Leader
Yahenni, Undying Partisan
Grim Haruspex
Amit Eternal
My 36+ Commander Decks: TAPPEDOUT
It's an unpowered 720 cards cube, you can see the list in the signature.
Thanx for the advice!
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/5f79d238debf310362d43d47
Drana, liberator of malakir
Ammit eternal
Yahenni, undying partisan
Grim haruspex
Mardu strike leader
Spawn of mayhem
Thanx again.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/5f79d238debf310362d43d47
Spawn of mayhem
Drana, liberator of malakir
Mardu strike leader
Grim haruspex
Yahenni, undying partisan
Ammit eternal
I'm less confident in my bottom 3 ranking as I don't have much experience with those.
Also, if you have a heavy token/go wide theme with black as one of the colors, Drana can move into first, but I think black aggro is a more widely supported arhetype so I have spawn at the top. Those two are very close though.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
1. Drana, liberator of malakir
2. Mardu strike leader
3. Spawn of mayhem
...and then the other 3 in some random order.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
I've never played either of those, but I feel like if you're running either of those cards, it's in order to support Aristocrats and Persist combo archetypes. If that's the case, I'd pick Spawning Pit, as being able to sacrifice over multiple turns is more important than the 2 damage per turn if the opponent keeps the Idol. If those are not archetypes you're supporting, I guess Idol is the better card for aggro against creature-light control, but I'm not super impressed by that.
[180 classic cube]
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Harsh mentor
Ire shaman
Goblin engineer
Keldon marauders
War-name Aspirant
thanx to you all.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/5f79d238debf310362d43d47
Harsh Mentor > War-name > Ire Shaman > Keldon
[180 classic cube]
Village Rites
Unearth
Harsh Scrutiny
2 - Collective Brutality vs Night's Whisper ? Assuming tat I don't run reaninme neither black aggro archetypes