The Wandering Emperor > Gideon, Ally of Zendikar > Serra the Benevolent > Archangel Elspeth > Elspeth, Knight-Errant > Gideon Jura
The Wandering Emperor is my top pick because she's good even when you're behind, whereas the other walkers really want you to be at parity or ahead.
4-MV Gideon is second for me because he's the best into removal after Wandering Emperor.
I have Serra next because all of her power is frontloaded, which I value more over the incremental value over time of Elspeth. And she's very strong with populate effects.
I prefer Archangel Elspeth to Knight-Errant because her buff sticks around even if she doesn't. The ultimate on Archangel Elspeth is much more threatening as well.
Gideon Jura is dead last for me because 5 MV cards need to be absolute bombs to warrant inclusion in decks, and he doesn't clear that threshold. And if he gets removed immediately you are SOL.
Faerie Mastermind > Kitsa, Otterball Elite > Ledger Shredder
Assuming a blue section with a healthy amount of counterspells, cheap blue flash creatures are just solid, and Faerie Mastermind is one of the best ones. I'd imagine that its static effect is better in an unpowered cube than a powered one.
In an unpowered environment, I expect Kitsa to be a mid-tier looter and/or a mid-tier threat. Definitely a lower ceiling than in powered.
Ledger Shredder is also worse in an unpowered environment. But whereas Kitsa has an acceptable floor, Ledger Shredder is terrible if it doesn't trigger.
Flesh Carver > Sedgemoor Witch > Woe Strider
Flesh Carver is the best in a vacuum. I played Sedgemoor Witch for a long time in a Storm-less cube, and creating even a single pest was such a rare occurrence. I would've placed Woe Strider higher than her, but it's been almost entirely outclassed by Umbral Collar Zealot. I wouldn't play any of these cards unless you're using them in some sort of combo.
- Knight-Errant / Archangel Elspeth have been a lot better in my experience compared to other 4-cmc planeswalkers not named The Wandering Emperor. The combination of pump + evasion has only gotten better as damage inflation makes it easier to close out games with a giant flyer. Bonus points if monarch / initiative are involved. Gideon is still a good card, but the lack of evasion has gotten it cut from a lot of cubes. I've cut it a while ago and the MTGO Vintage Cube hasn't included it for some time either.
- As much as I've always wanted to love Serra, it's almost always locked into its -3 ability immediately. It's too easy to kill the token and then just swing 1 damage at Serra. Every other planeswalker is much harder to deal with.
This can be pretty dependent on your cube / goals. Sedgemoor Witch has the combo, but Woe Strider / Flesh Carver can be preferable if you don't play Chain of Smog + have a heavy aristocrats theme.
For blue, will put in Faerie Mastermind; agree that Flash is a great ability for blue creatures. Will hold off the other two.
For black, I feel all these creatures are outclassed now. Will definitely cut Sedgemoor Witch due to lack of spell synergy.
But perhaps I will add in Umbral Collar Zealot and also temporarily remove Woe Strider until I build an aristocrats theme.
Thanks again; I have mad respect for these forums. I don't have resources (time and buy depreciating cards) to experiment, so I try to be as efficient as possible while still enjoy playing magic.
I'd cut Serra for sure. Ideally, she'd be replaced by Elspeth, Storm Slayer but if you can't get that card it's not hard to find a 3-5 cc card that's better than Serra. She got outclassed pretty quickly.
I'm looking to cut a CIPT land from Rakdos and Gruul, so I'm cutting each of their man-duals. Do you like the pathways (Blightstep Pathway), the fast lands (Blackcleave Cliffs), or the painlands (Sulfurous Springs) best as replacements in those guilds?
For Gruul I have actually liked Grove of the Burnwillows as an alternative, and I also tried Punishing Fire for more land synergy and as an admittedly quite mediocre burnspell, although I found the combo to be worthwhile when it comes together. And the Grove is a very servicable land on its own.
In a vacuum, I think Expressive Iteration is the best, however I think cube has enough card advantage engines I much rather prefer a Kolaghan's Command style card in the form of Prismari Command or Electrolyze.
Bone Shards if you support reanimator, aristocrats, graveyard-matters, and/or discard-matters themes heavily. Otherwise, Cut Down is a better card on its own.
I have a problem deciding which red 3s to play in 420, unpowered. Fable, Bomba and Gut are untouchable staples, but who comes next?
I'm considering: Deathgreeter's Champion, Bonecrusher Giant, Seasoned Pyromancer, Goblin Rabblemaster, Leila, the Blade Reforged, Screaming Nemesis and Tersa Lightshatter.
I assume I have room for 7 cards.
I personally divide red 3-cmc creatures into two categories: the pure aggro Rabblemaster beaters and then the value midrange creatures. I generally like to have an even-ish split between the two categories:
This is how I'd personally rank the Rabblemasters in a typical powered vintage cube. Definitely room for argument in terms of the order for the bottom 3. Can also prioritize things like Tersa / Rabblemaster / Phoenix / etc if you want to support things like madness / aristocrats more.
- Broadside Bombardiers
- Gut, True Soul Zealot
- Laelia, the Blade Reforged
- Deathgreeter's Champion
- Screaming Nemesis
As far as the midrange value creatures goes.
- Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- Bonecrusher Giant
- Seasoned Pyromancer
- Imperial Recruiter
I have a problem deciding which red 3s to play in 420, unpowered. Fable, Bomba and Gut are untouchable staples, but who comes next?
I'm considering: Deathgreeter's Champion, Bonecrusher Giant, Seasoned Pyromancer, Goblin Rabblemaster, Leila, the Blade Reforged, Screaming Nemesis and Tersa Lightshatter.
I assume I have room for 7 cards.
You can't really go wrong with that line-up, imo. If you want to trade any out for other archetype specific cards depending on the rest of your cube, I'd say rabbleman and screaming nemesis would be on average the least flexible/impactful (which isnt to say they arent impactful, its just that red 3 drops are busted in 2025)
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StaffChart a Course > Stock Up. Can generate card advantage / act as a discard outlet and graveyard fuel while always being cheaper.
Planar Disruption > Sheltered by Ghosts. Not the biggest fan of Sheltered by Ghosts. I generally like any 1W instant speed removal spell than either like Get Lost / Fateful Absence / Soul Partition. Static Prison is also really good if you're hip to energy.
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Disruption > Sheltered
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1. Looking to add Worldly Tutor back to my cube. Considering these as cuts: Nissa, Voice of Zendikar, Endurance, Abundant Harvest, or one of the Hermits.
2. Rankle, Master of Pranks is better than Elegy Acolyte, right?
3. Rank these green aggro 1-drops: Pawpatch Recruit, Pelt Collector, Edge Rover. Or is Wall of Roots the cut?
Thanks!
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If Wall of Roots is on the table, that would be my cut.
Correct.
Recruit > Rover > Collector
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Cheers,
rant
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Rank the W 4/5 drop PWs: The Wandering Emperor, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, Serra the Benevolent, Elspeth, Knight Errant, Elspeth, Storm Slayer, Gideon Jura
Rank the U 2 drops: Kitsa, Otterball Elite, Ledger Shredder, Faerie Mastermind.. or are the last 2 even good for unpowered?
Rank the B 3 drops: Woe Strider, Sedgemoor Witch, Flesh Carver
Thanks!
The Wandering Emperor is my top pick because she's good even when you're behind, whereas the other walkers really want you to be at parity or ahead.
4-MV Gideon is second for me because he's the best into removal after Wandering Emperor.
I have Serra next because all of her power is frontloaded, which I value more over the incremental value over time of Elspeth. And she's very strong with populate effects.
I prefer Archangel Elspeth to Knight-Errant because her buff sticks around even if she doesn't. The ultimate on Archangel Elspeth is much more threatening as well.
Gideon Jura is dead last for me because 5 MV cards need to be absolute bombs to warrant inclusion in decks, and he doesn't clear that threshold. And if he gets removed immediately you are SOL.
Faerie Mastermind > Kitsa, Otterball Elite > Ledger Shredder
Assuming a blue section with a healthy amount of counterspells, cheap blue flash creatures are just solid, and Faerie Mastermind is one of the best ones. I'd imagine that its static effect is better in an unpowered cube than a powered one.
In an unpowered environment, I expect Kitsa to be a mid-tier looter and/or a mid-tier threat. Definitely a lower ceiling than in powered.
Ledger Shredder is also worse in an unpowered environment. But whereas Kitsa has an acceptable floor, Ledger Shredder is terrible if it doesn't trigger.
Flesh Carver > Sedgemoor Witch > Woe Strider
Flesh Carver is the best in a vacuum. I played Sedgemoor Witch for a long time in a Storm-less cube, and creating even a single pest was such a rare occurrence. I would've placed Woe Strider higher than her, but it's been almost entirely outclassed by Umbral Collar Zealot. I wouldn't play any of these cards unless you're using them in some sort of combo.
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StaffIMO based on cmc
Elspeth, Knight-Errant = The Wandering Emperor > Archangel Elspeth > Gideon, Ally of Zendikar > Serra the Benevolent
- Knight-Errant / Archangel Elspeth have been a lot better in my experience compared to other 4-cmc planeswalkers not named The Wandering Emperor. The combination of pump + evasion has only gotten better as damage inflation makes it easier to close out games with a giant flyer. Bonus points if monarch / initiative are involved. Gideon is still a good card, but the lack of evasion has gotten it cut from a lot of cubes. I've cut it a while ago and the MTGO Vintage Cube hasn't included it for some time either.
- As much as I've always wanted to love Serra, it's almost always locked into its -3 ability immediately. It's too easy to kill the token and then just swing 1 damage at Serra. Every other planeswalker is much harder to deal with.
Elspeth, Storm Slayer >>> Gideon Jura
No real explanation here, Gideon Jura has been out of date for a long time.
Faerie Mastermind >= Ledger Shredder > Kitsa, Otterball Elite. All of them are good regardless of powered / unpowered.
Sedgemoor Witch > Woe Strider > Flesh Carver
This can be pretty dependent on your cube / goals. Sedgemoor Witch has the combo, but Woe Strider / Flesh Carver can be preferable if you don't play Chain of Smog + have a heavy aristocrats theme.
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On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
For now I am definitely putting in The Wandering Emperor over Gideon Jura and keeping Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, Serra the Benevolent, and Elspeth, Knight-Errant, now with 4 4-drop planeswalkers.
Will watch Elspeth, Storm Slayer, Archangel Elspeth.
For blue, will put in Faerie Mastermind; agree that Flash is a great ability for blue creatures. Will hold off the other two.
For black, I feel all these creatures are outclassed now. Will definitely cut Sedgemoor Witch due to lack of spell synergy.
But perhaps I will add in Umbral Collar Zealot and also temporarily remove Woe Strider until I build an aristocrats theme.
Thanks again; I have mad respect for these forums. I don't have resources (time and buy depreciating cards) to experiment, so I try to be as efficient as possible while still enjoy playing magic.
I'd cut Serra for sure. Ideally, she'd be replaced by Elspeth, Storm Slayer but if you can't get that card it's not hard to find a 3-5 cc card that's better than Serra. She got outclassed pretty quickly.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
I'm looking to cut a CIPT land from Rakdos and Gruul, so I'm cutting each of their man-duals. Do you like the pathways (Blightstep Pathway), the fast lands (Blackcleave Cliffs), or the painlands (Sulfurous Springs) best as replacements in those guilds?
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
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StaffCan't go wrong with either of them though.
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- Expressive iteration vs Prismari Command vs Electrolyze
In a vacuum, I think Expressive Iteration is the best, however I think cube has enough card advantage engines I much rather prefer a Kolaghan's Command style card in the form of Prismari Command or Electrolyze.
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StaffCould make a strong argument for Expressive Iteration being the best Izzet card.
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I'm not surprised TBH. Izzet Charm has been horrendous recently.
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I have a problem deciding which red 3s to play in 420, unpowered. Fable, Bomba and Gut are untouchable staples, but who comes next?
I'm considering: Deathgreeter's Champion, Bonecrusher Giant, Seasoned Pyromancer, Goblin Rabblemaster, Leila, the Blade Reforged, Screaming Nemesis and Tersa Lightshatter.
I assume I have room for 7 cards.
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StaffI personally divide red 3-cmc creatures into two categories: the pure aggro Rabblemaster beaters and then the value midrange creatures. I generally like to have an even-ish split between the two categories:
This is how I'd personally rank the Rabblemasters in a typical powered vintage cube. Definitely room for argument in terms of the order for the bottom 3. Can also prioritize things like Tersa / Rabblemaster / Phoenix / etc if you want to support things like madness / aristocrats more.
- Broadside Bombardiers
- Gut, True Soul Zealot
- Laelia, the Blade Reforged
- Deathgreeter's Champion
- Screaming Nemesis
As far as the midrange value creatures goes.
- Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- Bonecrusher Giant
- Seasoned Pyromancer
- Imperial Recruiter
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You can't really go wrong with that line-up, imo. If you want to trade any out for other archetype specific cards depending on the rest of your cube, I'd say rabbleman and screaming nemesis would be on average the least flexible/impactful (which isnt to say they arent impactful, its just that red 3 drops are busted in 2025)
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