There was little discussion about Varolz when he was revealed. I figured that this was because it was assumed the card ranked golgari 5-7. However, I need some advice on if it makes my final cut.
Recently, I've reclassified hybrid out of multicolor/guild and into mono-colored spots ( please no headache about this contentious move! I did it to bolster weaker colors-black, while maintaining my multicolor power level). By doing this I freed up a space, the one that was previously held by deathrite shaman.
The two cards I see as potential cuts, are Vraska and Troll. In all honesty I though these would both play out better than they do. Vraska has performed more than lotleth but I have a tough time cutting a relevant two drop that helps enable reanimator.
There are many pros to Varolz that I see. He is a cheaper, regenerating creature that effectively acts as a mana sink in the late game. I also think he would play better out in cube than any other format because of the Cmc-power/toughness ratio of your average creature. Scavenge here may look very promising. The fact that this card is 3 Cmc is very enticing for me, who is continually trying to lower my cubes Cmc while retaining relevant threats ( what can I say games that have good early, mid and late game are more interesting).
With all of this said, can someone give me their input. Is this card even worth trying to find a spot, am I considering making the wrong cuts?
Don't know if this is the right place to post this but I figured I could get some constructive advice, insight. Much appreciated!
On a side note the testing has seen both sides of Varolz but the same could be said for the two weaker cards of this guild.
There are a staggering amount of good B/G cards as highlighted by eidolon, and I would also include that new enchantment Deadbridge Chant and the Rot Farm Skeleton (of whom I am a big, big fan).
He seems like he would be a good draftable general for EDH cubes like many of the new legends in this block - he interacts with a key zone and has a big effect on the field, and he is probably potent when you can reliably build around him. No Death's Shadow in cube, but plenty of other targets.
First, off I agree that Varolz is worse than Pernicious Deed, Pulse and Decay. That was implied when I told you that those weren't being considered as possible cuts.
Putrefy is a card I'm no longer considering. I know this will sound tautological but Decay is better in the situations in which it is better. When decay works on a signet turn two or an early drop creature I appreciate it more. The spell stays because of the cost/uncounterablility.
Spiritmonger is not better than Varolz. He is a dumb dorky beater, I don't care for him. While there was a time when due to be undercosted was powerful, I don't think it is worth any consideration.
Lotleth troll tends to be overrated by members on the board. I don't know what games I play that I have a plethora of creatures in hand to discard to make it a relevant threat. Most times its an upgraded version Oona's prowler. With that said, some games are decided by an early troll and I make a minor concession that it has the ability to take over a game. However, I don't see this happen as often as it is made out to be.
Vraska. For a walker to make a significant impact at 5 mana I find that both of its first two abilities need to be utilized. I put her in the second class of walkers at 5 cmc. Gideon and Jace Memory Adept are worth the cost, Elspeth Tirel, Venser, the Sojourner and Vraska are less so.
Out of what you listed and apart from Garruk Relentless (in Green already), only Deathrite Shaman is powerful enough for a cube my size.
Look I am not on here to defend the card. I am asking for some insightful advice, that which I do not feel just saying "Bad card is bad" is providing me.
Somethings that attract me to Varolz and make it more than EDH fodder:
-Green/Black 3 drops are weak
-Sacrifice outlets are underrated and can have a powerful effect on game states
-Creatures with cheap regeneration need to be considered
- Early drop that has the ability to affect the late game are a premium
-Giving scavenge to each creature card in your graveyard effectively gives you half a card's worth of value
-Having the option to scavenge gives you a mana sink, which aren't abundant in cube
-The scavenge ability on cube cards is proportionally more powerfully because of the cost- Power/Toughness ratio of your average creature
-Being able to scavenge and not being forced to invest on him allows for you to diversify your threats and makes this rise beyond "big dumb beater" category
-Many times slight power buffs are enough to meaningfully affect combat
In my testing I have found that in rock style/attrition decks it was an all-star and not in the least bit clunky. Out of my three drop I was able to make the most of each of my turns by using my mana to the fullest. The perceived clunkiness was not there because the decks it was best in were scavenging utility creatures and low drops that had out lived their use on the game state.
Remember this before responding, I am not trying to defend the card but be fair to it. I don't know if it will pass its try-out but I feel that had I wrote it off I would have done my cube a great disservice.
I think he's an okay card. But if you were half as honest with your evaluation of him as you are arguing against other great Golgari cards (Troll, Vraska, etc) he doesn't really stack up either. He's a sac outlet which is nice, and he gives you value from your dead creatures (which Golgari doesn't really need more of considering reanimation, creature recursion and a density of threats that get value from being in your 'yard) you're left with a gold gray ogre with a steep regeneration cost. He's just not good enough to stack up agains the competition.
I think he's an okay card. But if you were half as honest with your evaluation of him as you are arguing against other great Golgari cards (Troll, Vraska, etc) he doesn't really stack up either. He's a sac outlet which is nice, and he gives you value from your dead creatures (which Golgari doesn't really need more of considering reanimation, creature recursion and a density of threats that get value from being in your 'yard) you're left with a gold gray ogre with a steep regeneration cost. He's just not good enough to stack up agains the competition.
For any cube under 810 cards, I'd say there are FAR too many better options.
I am being perfectly honest, thank you! I am just not overrating the cards that I think you are. You keep on saying better options exist but I look at your list and 4 of them are mainstays in my cube (Deed, Pulse, Decay, Shaman) the rest are not better. We are talking about that 5-7 range power level for Varolz, which you haven't provided better alternatives. I do not have to defend the cards that are already in my cube, they are there for a reason. If you are wondering why it doesn't seem like I am being fair then consider the obvious.
First, I am being fair to troll. Lotleth is a fine card but the way it plays out is that it is a slightly better putrid leech that fits into an archetypal deck. I love when my opponent dumps creature cards their yard because they want to apply pressure with troll. The only way that his ability isn't card disadvantage is if your aim is to reanimate soon. Sorry I don't like spewing value by discarding cards freely. Lotleth troll is a card that RTR preview season we were drooling over and it's turned out to be decent but not gamebreakingly good. I am considering the alternative because of the perceived upside of giving every card scavenge. Like I will continue saying, the pros are there but I am not here to defend this card because it is IN my cube already.
Why shouldn't we be hard on Vraska? We should be hard on every card. There are few planeswalkers in cube that players can ignore and sometimes this is how it plays out. For a 5 mana planeswalker she isn't as good as I thought she would be. Her plus ability is irrelevant and easy to play around. Sometimes my drafters are able to ignore her on the field. Once again, I do not need to justify her strengths because she is already in my cube but at the 4-5 rank.
Second argument is that two cards you list maybe better in terms of power level but you are ignoring cube context. Important thing to remember when talking about Putrid Leech and Dreg Mangler is that black and green aggro are myths. So I ask you what deck are those cards being played in? Putrid Leech at least goes better into midrange strategies, I enjoyed playing it as a powerful two drop in Jund decks. However Mangler is an irrelevant card.
If I were to put Life// Death back in the cube I would have to classify it as a black card. I have been witness to your argument with Kojiro on Far // Away. I find it interesting that you can honestly suggest the inclusion of Life // Death as a guild card when you know full well you wouldn't because one half of the card is decent at best. If I weren't playing the card for both of its sides then why consider it? Furthermore I could not justify including this in my cube at this point, which would have to be a black card as previously stated, because I have reached the saturation point of reanimation spells in my cube.
Why do I want Glissa? She is not better, she is a hard to kill beater.
Maybe your games play out a bit differently but golgari doesn't always get to play reanimation or have creatures that innately give you value in the yard. ETB creatures value comes and goes, in the graveyard the body is left over.
Rock decks were the decktype I told you this shined in. This card has won me games, if it were unplayable jank this could not be the case.
For all of the pros I listed the cons would be:
-irrelevant initial body size
-regeneration cost can be restrictive at times ( the cost ties nicely into its scavenge ability)
-a slower efficiency than I would like
-powerful cards should be able to do it on their own without the need to scavenge
Is that more fair for you?
EDIT: I reread this over, please wtwlf do not take this as a caustic response. This is not its intent.
You keep on saying better options exist but I look at your list and 4 of them are mainstays in my cube (Deed, Pulse, Decay, Shaman) the rest are not better.
I do not have to defend the cards that are already in my cube, they are there for a reason. If you are wondering why it doesn't seem like I am being fair then consider the obvious.
I didn't say you were ignoring the top tier cards. I simply added them to the list to be comprehensive.
I love when my opponent dumps creature cards their yard because they want to apply pressure with troll. The only way that his ability isn't card disadvantage is if your aim is to reanimate soon. Sorry I don't like spewing value by discarding cards freely. Lotleth troll is a card that RTR preview season we were drooling over and it's turned out to be decent but not gamebreakingly good. I am considering the alternative because of the perceived upside of giving every card scavenge. Like I will continue saying, the pros are there but I am not here to defend this card because it is IN my cube already.
We don't go "all in" on the Troll. If your players were, it would explain the distaste for the card. It's about pitching creatures that have value in your 'yard, and using the bonus to provide a solid, removal/combat resilient beater. It's amazing value for 2 mana in decks that can take advantage of his discard ability. Which pretty much every single BG deck we build can.
We should be hard on every card. There are few planeswalkers in cube that players can ignore and sometimes this is how it plays out. For a 5 mana planeswalker she isn't as good as I thought she would be. Her plus ability is irrelevant and easy to play around. Sometimes my drafters are able to ignore her on the field. Once again, I do not need to justify her strengths because she is already in my cube but at the 4-5 rank.
I was pleasantly surprised with how she played out. A Maelstrom Pulse that leaves a PW body behind is perfectly okay. But I agree she's not amazing. Just solid. But I do like her more than Varolz. She's a bullet for other 'walkers and/or whatever happens to be their best permanent on the board. And after one round of defending her (which isn't hard after Pulsing their best threat away) she can Pulse again. Getting 2 Pulses from 1 card is very reasonable value from a #5-7 slot in Golgari. And her cost/cc makes her an easy card to splash for in decks that might struggle with mid-game non-creature threats (like other 'walkers, for example).
Second argument is that two cards you list maybe better in terms of power level but you are ignoring cube context.
Actually, I'm not ignoring cube context. The cards I recommend on that list can all be important role-players for commonly played Golgari decks in my cube.
Important thing to remember when talking about Putrid Leech and Dreg Mangler is that black and green aggro are myths. So I ask you what deck are those cards being played in? Putrid Leech at least goes better into midrange strategies, I enjoyed playing it as a powerful two drop in Jund decks. However Mangler is an irrelevant card.
Golgari aggro is a very draftable decktype around here. Neither of those cards are irrelevant in those decktypes.
If I were to put Life// Death back in the cube I would have to classify it as a black card. I have been witness to your argument with Kojiro on Far // Away. I find it interesting that you can honestly suggest the inclusion of Life // Death as a guild card when you know full well you wouldn't because one half of the card is decent at best. If I weren't playing the card for both of its sides then why consider it?
Life is a surprisingly strong spell. The effect is subtly powerful. After playing Life // Death for an extended period of time in my cube, I found the spell to be very much lacking in powerlevel without access to green mana.
Why do I want Glissa? She is not better, she is a hard to kill beater.
She can be a source of card advantage, getting back dead utility artifacts, creatures and powerful equipment cards. In addition to being a baller combat monster. She's not a great card, but neither is Varolz. They each have their pros and cons in comparison to one another, which is why I considered them comparable.
Maybe your games play out a bit differently but golgari doesn't always get to play reanimation or have creatures that innately give you value in the yard. ETB creatures value comes and goes, in the graveyard the body is left over.
The vast majority of our Golgari decks get value from the yard. It's an important theme between those colors in the ever important "cube context" you were praising above.
Rock decks were the decktype I told you this shined in. This card has won me games, if it were unplayable jank this could not be the case.
I'm not saying he's unplayable jank or irrelevant to rock strategies. I'm simply pointing out that a brutally honest evaluation of this card puts him pretty far down on my list of Golgari cards I might want for a 540-630 card cube.
For all of the pros I listed the cons would be:
-irrelevant initial body size
-regeneration cost can be restrictive at times ( the cost ties nicely into its scavenge ability)
-a slower efficiency than I would like
-powerful cards should be able to do it on their own without the need to scavenge
EDIT: I reread this over, please wtwlf do not take this as a caustic response. This is not its intent.
Oh, I didn't! Very thought out and meaningful response. I too, don't intend for any of this discussion to be caustic. Similar to the classification discussions elsewhere, I'm simply voicing my opinion as you are.
IMO this card doesn't surpass the t10 tier of golgari. I wouldn't say it's in the top 5 either. I may indeed be wrong, but I see DRS/Decay as the #1 and #2 (unpowered). After that, you have room to put pulse, deed, troll, leech and possibly vraska. This card is probably on par with glissa. It has flavor and can create strong dynamics, but it certainly ain't the bee's knees. Top 5 status you really gotta do something big. This card is "good" but not "great". I'd rank it similar top glissa in that regard. And to be fair, every new card doesn't have to reinvent the wheel and be the next OMFG card.
edit: *surpass meaning "can reside in, but didn't make it any higher than"
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
That which nourishes me, destroys me
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
Yes. Black aggro is ridiculously good in smaller cubes. It has efficient small beaters aplenty, especially 2/x one drops, loads of cheap card advantage, and hand disruption effects that no other colour can get. Plus any of its many broken cards that trade life for whatever advantage are at their best in aggro. It's probably the best straight-up aggro colour in my small cube. Hardly a 'myth'.
As for green aggro, the best aggro-only creatures are really good, like Experiment One. I'd just run those and not the Wild Dogs calibre ones that are still fine for larger cubes. Many non-aggro green cards are fantastic in aggro decks so a little support doesn't hurt.
I feel completely the opposite. I think that it's much easier to address points line by line, and it's easier to analyze people's opinions when they're listed topic by topic instead of all jumbled together.
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
will say that I do like this card. Is it weak compared to the other geat golgari cards we already have? yes.
I have played this and have found him great in limited DGM.
However, in cube, when you have so many reanimation effects or play from the graveyard, this guy was a bit counter-intuitive to the plan. Playing the G/B/x deck usually means you want to keep things in the graveyard so you can abuse that, or have some sort of other sacrifice shenanigans, other than exiling the card permanently.
This is the type of card that is very dependent on the cube environment. Cubes that support B/G aggro, as well as black-based sacrifice/recursion strategies, could definitely see results from this guy. If you're adding him to a Golgari section that is mono-removal/Deed/Vraska, yeah, he's probably not great.
He seems pretty fun with stuff like hellspark elemental, keldon marauders, etc. But still meh for cube.
If it had come out back in my casual kitchen table days I'd definitely be throwing together a varolz/death's shadow/phyrexian dreadnought/vexing devil deck. In fact I hope someone manages to successfully accomplish such a thing in modern.
I've added him to my Cube for testing as requested by a friend who wants to see him in action, and I must say he is performing much better than what I expected. I cut nothing to add him and I cannot tell if he will be more interesting than what I am currently running (5 spells / Guild), but I do like him a lot. If you want to try something else than the standard Golgari suite, then definitely test Varolz for a while.
same here Toad. the xtra value we've been able to get out of him scavenging critters in the yard has been sweet. particularly when they're usually decent sized creatures for the mana investment. i.e. oona's prowler, goblin guide, tarmogoyf, etc etc
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Recently, I've reclassified hybrid out of multicolor/guild and into mono-colored spots ( please no headache about this contentious move! I did it to bolster weaker colors-black, while maintaining my multicolor power level). By doing this I freed up a space, the one that was previously held by deathrite shaman.
My current golgari list looks like:
Pernicious Deed
Maelstrom Pulse
Abrupt Decay
Vraska the Unseen
Lotleth Troll
The two cards I see as potential cuts, are Vraska and Troll. In all honesty I though these would both play out better than they do. Vraska has performed more than lotleth but I have a tough time cutting a relevant two drop that helps enable reanimator.
There are many pros to Varolz that I see. He is a cheaper, regenerating creature that effectively acts as a mana sink in the late game. I also think he would play better out in cube than any other format because of the Cmc-power/toughness ratio of your average creature. Scavenge here may look very promising. The fact that this card is 3 Cmc is very enticing for me, who is continually trying to lower my cubes Cmc while retaining relevant threats ( what can I say games that have good early, mid and late game are more interesting).
With all of this said, can someone give me their input. Is this card even worth trying to find a spot, am I considering making the wrong cuts?
Don't know if this is the right place to post this but I figured I could get some constructive advice, insight. Much appreciated!
On a side note the testing has seen both sides of Varolz but the same could be said for the two weaker cards of this guild.
Also, since this is the thread on the card, you might want to edit in Varolz picture in the first post and add SCD.
My cube
My cube on Cube tutor
I'm OP_Forever. I'll be putting this in my signature for a while so everyone know I change my nickname.
I really don't think this is the case. There are a TON of cards in BG that I think are better than this guy for the cube.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
He seems like he would be a good draftable general for EDH cubes like many of the new legends in this block - he interacts with a key zone and has a big effect on the field, and he is probably potent when you can reliably build around him. No Death's Shadow in cube, but plenty of other targets.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
First, off I agree that Varolz is worse than Pernicious Deed, Pulse and Decay. That was implied when I told you that those weren't being considered as possible cuts.
Putrefy is a card I'm no longer considering. I know this will sound tautological but Decay is better in the situations in which it is better. When decay works on a signet turn two or an early drop creature I appreciate it more. The spell stays because of the cost/uncounterablility.
Spiritmonger is not better than Varolz. He is a dumb dorky beater, I don't care for him. While there was a time when due to be undercosted was powerful, I don't think it is worth any consideration.
Lotleth troll tends to be overrated by members on the board. I don't know what games I play that I have a plethora of creatures in hand to discard to make it a relevant threat. Most times its an upgraded version Oona's prowler. With that said, some games are decided by an early troll and I make a minor concession that it has the ability to take over a game. However, I don't see this happen as often as it is made out to be.
Vraska. For a walker to make a significant impact at 5 mana I find that both of its first two abilities need to be utilized. I put her in the second class of walkers at 5 cmc. Gideon and Jace Memory Adept are worth the cost, Elspeth Tirel, Venser, the Sojourner and Vraska are less so.
Out of what you listed and apart from Garruk Relentless (in Green already), only Deathrite Shaman is powerful enough for a cube my size.
Look I am not on here to defend the card. I am asking for some insightful advice, that which I do not feel just saying "Bad card is bad" is providing me.
Somethings that attract me to Varolz and make it more than EDH fodder:
-Green/Black 3 drops are weak
-Sacrifice outlets are underrated and can have a powerful effect on game states
-Creatures with cheap regeneration need to be considered
- Early drop that has the ability to affect the late game are a premium
-Giving scavenge to each creature card in your graveyard effectively gives you half a card's worth of value
-Having the option to scavenge gives you a mana sink, which aren't abundant in cube
-The scavenge ability on cube cards is proportionally more powerfully because of the cost- Power/Toughness ratio of your average creature
-Being able to scavenge and not being forced to invest on him allows for you to diversify your threats and makes this rise beyond "big dumb beater" category
-Many times slight power buffs are enough to meaningfully affect combat
In my testing I have found that in rock style/attrition decks it was an all-star and not in the least bit clunky. Out of my three drop I was able to make the most of each of my turns by using my mana to the fullest. The perceived clunkiness was not there because the decks it was best in were scavenging utility creatures and low drops that had out lived their use on the game state.
Remember this before responding, I am not trying to defend the card but be fair to it. I don't know if it will pass its try-out but I feel that had I wrote it off I would have done my cube a great disservice.
I would say:
are all better at the very least. And Dredg Mangler & Glissa, the Traitor are very close, if not better themselves.
For any cube under 810 cards, I'd say there are FAR too many better options.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
I am being perfectly honest, thank you! I am just not overrating the cards that I think you are. You keep on saying better options exist but I look at your list and 4 of them are mainstays in my cube (Deed, Pulse, Decay, Shaman) the rest are not better. We are talking about that 5-7 range power level for Varolz, which you haven't provided better alternatives. I do not have to defend the cards that are already in my cube, they are there for a reason. If you are wondering why it doesn't seem like I am being fair then consider the obvious.
First, I am being fair to troll. Lotleth is a fine card but the way it plays out is that it is a slightly better putrid leech that fits into an archetypal deck. I love when my opponent dumps creature cards their yard because they want to apply pressure with troll. The only way that his ability isn't card disadvantage is if your aim is to reanimate soon. Sorry I don't like spewing value by discarding cards freely. Lotleth troll is a card that RTR preview season we were drooling over and it's turned out to be decent but not gamebreakingly good. I am considering the alternative because of the perceived upside of giving every card scavenge. Like I will continue saying, the pros are there but I am not here to defend this card because it is IN my cube already.
Why shouldn't we be hard on Vraska? We should be hard on every card. There are few planeswalkers in cube that players can ignore and sometimes this is how it plays out. For a 5 mana planeswalker she isn't as good as I thought she would be. Her plus ability is irrelevant and easy to play around. Sometimes my drafters are able to ignore her on the field. Once again, I do not need to justify her strengths because she is already in my cube but at the 4-5 rank.
Second argument is that two cards you list maybe better in terms of power level but you are ignoring cube context. Important thing to remember when talking about Putrid Leech and Dreg Mangler is that black and green aggro are myths. So I ask you what deck are those cards being played in? Putrid Leech at least goes better into midrange strategies, I enjoyed playing it as a powerful two drop in Jund decks. However Mangler is an irrelevant card.
If I were to put Life// Death back in the cube I would have to classify it as a black card. I have been witness to your argument with Kojiro on Far // Away. I find it interesting that you can honestly suggest the inclusion of Life // Death as a guild card when you know full well you wouldn't because one half of the card is decent at best. If I weren't playing the card for both of its sides then why consider it? Furthermore I could not justify including this in my cube at this point, which would have to be a black card as previously stated, because I have reached the saturation point of reanimation spells in my cube.
Why do I want Glissa? She is not better, she is a hard to kill beater.
Maybe your games play out a bit differently but golgari doesn't always get to play reanimation or have creatures that innately give you value in the yard. ETB creatures value comes and goes, in the graveyard the body is left over.
Rock decks were the decktype I told you this shined in. This card has won me games, if it were unplayable jank this could not be the case.
For all of the pros I listed the cons would be:
-irrelevant initial body size
-regeneration cost can be restrictive at times ( the cost ties nicely into its scavenge ability)
-a slower efficiency than I would like
-powerful cards should be able to do it on their own without the need to scavenge
Is that more fair for you?
EDIT: I reread this over, please wtwlf do not take this as a caustic response. This is not its intent.
I don't think you are exactly. I hear what you're saying, I just don't agree with your evaluations.
I think you're underrating them.
I think they are better.
I think I have provided better alternatives.
I didn't say you were ignoring the top tier cards. I simply added them to the list to be comprehensive.
I really don't think you are.
Which is pretty much exactly what I want.
We don't go "all in" on the Troll. If your players were, it would explain the distaste for the card. It's about pitching creatures that have value in your 'yard, and using the bonus to provide a solid, removal/combat resilient beater. It's amazing value for 2 mana in decks that can take advantage of his discard ability. Which pretty much every single BG deck we build can.
We should! We should be hard on every card.
I was pleasantly surprised with how she played out. A Maelstrom Pulse that leaves a PW body behind is perfectly okay. But I agree she's not amazing. Just solid. But I do like her more than Varolz. She's a bullet for other 'walkers and/or whatever happens to be their best permanent on the board. And after one round of defending her (which isn't hard after Pulsing their best threat away) she can Pulse again. Getting 2 Pulses from 1 card is very reasonable value from a #5-7 slot in Golgari. And her cost/cc makes her an easy card to splash for in decks that might struggle with mid-game non-creature threats (like other 'walkers, for example).
Actually, I'm not ignoring cube context. The cards I recommend on that list can all be important role-players for commonly played Golgari decks in my cube.
Golgari aggro is a very draftable decktype around here. Neither of those cards are irrelevant in those decktypes.
Life is a surprisingly strong spell. The effect is subtly powerful. After playing Life // Death for an extended period of time in my cube, I found the spell to be very much lacking in powerlevel without access to green mana.
She can be a source of card advantage, getting back dead utility artifacts, creatures and powerful equipment cards. In addition to being a baller combat monster. She's not a great card, but neither is Varolz. They each have their pros and cons in comparison to one another, which is why I considered them comparable.
The vast majority of our Golgari decks get value from the yard. It's an important theme between those colors in the ever important "cube context" you were praising above.
I'm not saying he's unplayable jank or irrelevant to rock strategies. I'm simply pointing out that a brutally honest evaluation of this card puts him pretty far down on my list of Golgari cards I might want for a 540-630 card cube.
I agree with this list of drawbacks.
Definitely better! I appreciate a good back-and-forth discussion. Cheers mate.
Oh, I didn't! Very thought out and meaningful response. I too, don't intend for any of this discussion to be caustic. Similar to the classification discussions elsewhere, I'm simply voicing my opinion as you are.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
edit: *surpass meaning "can reside in, but didn't make it any higher than"
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
As for green aggro, the best aggro-only creatures are really good, like Experiment One. I'd just run those and not the Wild Dogs calibre ones that are still fine for larger cubes. Many non-aggro green cards are fantastic in aggro decks so a little support doesn't hurt.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Fixed.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
^This, just this made my day!
I have played this and have found him great in limited DGM.
However, in cube, when you have so many reanimation effects or play from the graveyard, this guy was a bit counter-intuitive to the plan. Playing the G/B/x deck usually means you want to keep things in the graveyard so you can abuse that, or have some sort of other sacrifice shenanigans, other than exiling the card permanently.
Cube on Cubetutor
Come trade with Puca Trade!, the best place to get those hard to get cards no one else will trade!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
If it had come out back in my casual kitchen table days I'd definitely be throwing together a varolz/death's shadow/phyrexian dreadnought/vexing devil deck. In fact I hope someone manages to successfully accomplish such a thing in modern.
Cube list thread
Cubetutor
same here Toad. the xtra value we've been able to get out of him scavenging critters in the yard has been sweet. particularly when they're usually decent sized creatures for the mana investment. i.e. oona's prowler, goblin guide, tarmogoyf, etc etc