Butcher of the Horde 1RWB
Creature - Demon
Flying
Sacrifice another creature: Butcher of the Horde gains your choice of Vigilance, Lifelink, or Haste until end of turn
5/4
If you're supporting wedge/shards, this is your w/r/b card. This card is absurd. Flying + Lifelink + Haste is going to just flat out win races. Yes, you need to feed it creatures, but with tons of cards that make random dorks you can sacrifice in these color combinations (Ophiomancer, Bitterblossom, LIngering Souls, Siege Gange, Elspeths, Sorins), you've got a lot of fodder.
The test I think we should use to evaluate a 3-color card for Cube is something like this:
1) Does this card something that's not available as a one- or two-color card in these colors, at the same CMC?
2) Does this card fit into the what these colors are trying to do, so that basically any deck that can cast it will want it?
It also helps that there is basically no competition in this wedge, so this one should have a 100% adoption rate in any Cube that decides to run a cycle of 3-color cards.
The test I think we should use to evaluate a 3-color card for Cube is something like this:
1) Does this card something that's not available as a one- or two-color card in these colors, at the same CMC?
2) Does this card fit into the what these colors are trying to do, so that basically any deck that can cast it will want it?
It also helps that there is basically no competition in this wedge, so this one should have a 100% adoption rate in any Cube that decides to run a cycle of 3-color cards.
Hmmm, while I thought that Siege Rhino was a slam dunk for the Abzan slot, I don't really feel like this guy is a slam dunk for the Mardu slot. I am still wondering if Mardu Charm or Crackling Doom might be better cards for that wedge. My problem with the demon is that - in my opinion - he fails the second test. Hard. Yes, R, W and B are the primary aggro colors in cube, but aggro decks in my cube tend to be RW, WB and BR... and never RWB. Aggro decks in my cube are usually two-color and almost never three-color, because splashing in an aggro deck is hard. Curving out is so important that you never want to run a splash-basic out of fear that you draw it early instead of a land for your main colors. Therefore, you need to pick up multiple dual lands for your splash color really highly or rather not splash a third color at all. Yes, this demon is a really powerful aggro creature in the three primary aggro colors, but if a RWB deck happens in my cube, it is usually some kind of control deck, where the demon would be out of place. And it seems that Ennex has similar experiences with this color combination.
So, even though the demon looks quite powerful, I am not sure if I will run it as my Mardu card. Come to think of it, Rafiq of the Many has a similar problem: He is a very powerful creature that just never really found a deck when I had him in my cube.
So after thinking about it I like it more than the aristocrat because it won't compete for rakdos slots. Definitely on the list of considerations for me.
2) Mardu is an agressive color combination; this guy certainly qualifies as a suitable curve-topper for aggro. This card also has nice synergy with Tokens, which is another strength of the wedge.
Is this the case in your drafts? Based on my experience, WBR tends to a more reactive play style than an aggressive one due to hoarding a lot removal. This is basically why every Mardu card was underwhelming so far imo (besides being bad on their own), because they required many creatures which isn't the way this colour combination gets drafted in my playgroup. In theory, Mardu combines the most aggressive colours, but practically I have the feeling that it plays out very differently.
To be fair, Mardu decks are rare, maybe the rarest of all 3-color combinations. But the attractive thing about this guy is that he's pretty much never bad as long as you can cast him. He's very solid in a midrange/board control type of deck as well. Probably not durable enough to be an ideal control finisher, but I don't see how you can run a genuine control deck in the colors.
The test I think we should use to evaluate a 3-color card for Cube is something like this:
1) Does this card something that's not available as a one- or two-color card in these colors, at the same CMC?
2) Does this card fit into the what these colors are trying to do, so that basically any deck that can cast it will want it?
It also helps that there is basically no competition in this wedge, so this one should have a 100% adoption rate in any Cube that decides to run a cycle of 3-color cards.
Hmmm, while I thought that Siege Rhino was a slam dunk for the Abzan slot, I don't really feel like this guy is a slam dunk for the Mardu slot. I am still wondering if Mardu Charm or Crackling Doom might be better cards for that wedge. My problem with the demon is that - in my opinion - he fails the second test. Hard. Yes, R, W and B are the primary aggro colors in cube, but aggro decks in my cube tend to be RW, WB and BR... and never RWB. Aggro decks in my cube are usually two-color and almost never three-color, because splashing in an aggro deck is hard. Curving out is so important that you never want to run a splash-basic out of fear that you draw it early instead of a land for your main colors. Therefore, you need to pick up multiple dual lands for your splash color really highly or rather not splash a third color at all. Yes, this demon is a really powerful aggro creature in the three primary aggro colors, but if a RWB deck happens in my cube, it is usually some kind of control deck, where the demon would be out of place. And it seems that Ennex has similar experiences with this color combination.
So, even though the demon looks quite powerful, I am not sure if I will run it as my Mardu card. Come to think of it, Rafiq of the Many has a similar problem: He is a very powerful creature that just never really found a deck when I had him in my cube.
This brings up an interesting issue in cube design.
Do you design a cube that is inherently balanced? or do you cater to over-drafted archetypes that people from your play group love, trimming from archetypes that are under-drafted.
When I first designed my cube, I was an idealist, striving for balance. The more I cube, the more I realize that the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
In my cube, RWB agro is an archetype that is played.
The fixing for RWB agro is phenomenal due to double fetches and the way I've configured fixing. Not sure how tight the fixing is for RWB in an average cube.
There are very few people in my play group who draft it, but it's certainly a strong viable archetype.
It's typically Brw, splashing red and white for the powerful multi-colored removal spells and cards like Armageddon, falkenrath aristocrat, goblin rabblemaster.
It's typical built with some sub-token synergies. Lingering souls, tempt with vengeance, blood artist, sorin, goblin bombardment, smokestack combined with typical agro creatures.
Butcher of the horde has a clear home in my cube. But it is still quite narrow.
If you do not support black agro, this card has no home.
If you do not have solid fixing for this shard, I wouldn't play it.
If your play group never drafts RWB agro, but it could work in theory. I still wouldn't play it.
Im going to give it a trial run (I'm one of the RWB drafters haha), but suspect it will hit too many sideboards for it to stay in the cube.
We make Mardu decks all the damn time. It's probably the deck I default to the most often when drafting. This card fits into the two decks - aggro and tokens - like a glove. I would get this in like a flash for its above the curve stats, free sac outlet and relevant abilities if I had space for wedge cards.
The Angel is much better, not even close imo. Ruhan can be chump blocked all day and can't block except for one turn, so it's neither very good of a finisher nor does he protect you.
Butcher of the Horde is great. We also don't usually draft 3-colored aggro decks, but this can make it into midrange control-ish decks too. Am also always happy to try out new archetypes and this could be an incentive to build a Mardu-aggro deck with him as a curve topper.
Not much discussion of Butcher after it first came out, but our refocus on supporting token sacrifice subtheme in this wedge has made me revisit the card. Seems like great payoff that you’ll get rewarded with in the draft if you’re the only person in this archetype.
Revisiting Butcher after getting the Mardu tri-land. Butcher has been very close to inclusion, and I'm thinking the better fixing might cause it to get splashed more often.
My experience with the Mardu wedge aristocrats deck has shown that sac effects are the bottleneck for building a great deck. You usually get plenty of recursive creatures and token makers.
I ended up testing this guy after someone talked about him in another thread recently. Did not like him very much.
The problem I have with cards like this is that although he fulfills a need in the correct colors, particularly artisocrats, he's just there to facilitate a very basic role. If you're short on sac outlets and want the deck to happen, this card lets you ... pay the steep cost of spreading out your mana to do the thing you could ideally have done with a mono-colored card. That's better than no option, but I feel this is the opposite of what a restrictive card should be doing.
Meanwhile, other shard identity cards like Hierarch are like "Hey, I'll give you the option to use more colors", or, like the various Bolas 'walkers, are just straight-up wincons. Basically, I feel like these cards need to be lower opportunity cost or have much bigger payoff to justify their inclusion.
Revisiting Butcher after getting the Mardu tri-land. Butcher has been very close to inclusion, and I'm thinking the better fixing might cause it to get splashed more often.
My experience with the Mardu wedge aristocrats deck has shown that sac effects are the bottleneck for building a great deck. You usually get plenty of recursive creatures and token makers.
The issue with Butcher was never the lack of tri-lands, it's the fact that it's a 3-colored card that's no better than other mono colored / 2-colored 4-drops.
You guys and some of our players have convinced me to keep our Mardu friend out of the Cube.
But I will say, if this cost 2BB I have a hard time seeing how it wouldn't be one of the best 4-drop creatures in Cube, so I do think the tri-color mana cost is the reason for it not being worth a slot.
Creature - Demon
Flying
Sacrifice another creature: Butcher of the Horde gains your choice of Vigilance, Lifelink, or Haste until end of turn
5/4
If you're supporting wedge/shards, this is your w/r/b card. This card is absurd. Flying + Lifelink + Haste is going to just flat out win races. Yes, you need to feed it creatures, but with tons of cards that make random dorks you can sacrifice in these color combinations (Ophiomancer, Bitterblossom, LIngering Souls, Siege Gange, Elspeths, Sorins), you've got a lot of fodder.
Not sure if I'll run it, but the power level is obvious, don't even need to make an argument for it heh.
Narrow , but super powerful. If fixing isn't an issue, this is definitely on falkenrath/hellrider level of power. Maybe even slightly better
Last Updated 02/07/24
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1) Does this card something that's not available as a one- or two-color card in these colors, at the same CMC?
2) Does this card fit into the what these colors are trying to do, so that basically any deck that can cast it will want it?
The Butcher passes this test.
1) There are no drawbackless 4-mana 5-power evasion creatures in those colors (compare Master of the Feast, Abyssal Persecutor, Bloodgift Demon, Thundermaw Hellkite, Baneslayer Angel, Sublime Archangel and Falkenrath Aristocrat)
2) Mardu is an agressive color combination; this guy certainly qualifies as a suitable curve-topper for aggro. This card also has nice synergy with Tokens, which is another strength of the wedge.
It also helps that there is basically no competition in this wedge, so this one should have a 100% adoption rate in any Cube that decides to run a cycle of 3-color cards.
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So, even though the demon looks quite powerful, I am not sure if I will run it as my Mardu card. Come to think of it, Rafiq of the Many has a similar problem: He is a very powerful creature that just never really found a deck when I had him in my cube.
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To be fair, Mardu decks are rare, maybe the rarest of all 3-color combinations. But the attractive thing about this guy is that he's pretty much never bad as long as you can cast him. He's very solid in a midrange/board control type of deck as well. Probably not durable enough to be an ideal control finisher, but I don't see how you can run a genuine control deck in the colors.
A Comprehensive list of Cube Archetypes
This brings up an interesting issue in cube design.
Do you design a cube that is inherently balanced? or do you cater to over-drafted archetypes that people from your play group love, trimming from archetypes that are under-drafted.
When I first designed my cube, I was an idealist, striving for balance. The more I cube, the more I realize that the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
In my cube, RWB agro is an archetype that is played.
The fixing for RWB agro is phenomenal due to double fetches and the way I've configured fixing. Not sure how tight the fixing is for RWB in an average cube.
There are very few people in my play group who draft it, but it's certainly a strong viable archetype.
It's typically Brw, splashing red and white for the powerful multi-colored removal spells and cards like Armageddon, falkenrath aristocrat, goblin rabblemaster.
It's typical built with some sub-token synergies. Lingering souls, tempt with vengeance, blood artist, sorin, goblin bombardment, smokestack combined with typical agro creatures.
Butcher of the horde has a clear home in my cube. But it is still quite narrow.
If you do not support black agro, this card has no home.
If you do not have solid fixing for this shard, I wouldn't play it.
If your play group never drafts RWB agro, but it could work in theory. I still wouldn't play it.
Im going to give it a trial run (I'm one of the RWB drafters haha), but suspect it will hit too many sideboards for it to stay in the cube.
Last Updated 02/07/24
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On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Agree with this 100%. It's a great cost for that combination too.
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This will immediately replace it.
Though, it does make me want to think if I want Raka to be Ruhan of the Fomori or Lightning Angel.
Butcher of the Horde is great. We also don't usually draft 3-colored aggro decks, but this can make it into midrange control-ish decks too. Am also always happy to try out new archetypes and this could be an incentive to build a Mardu-aggro deck with him as a curve topper.
My experience with the Mardu wedge aristocrats deck has shown that sac effects are the bottleneck for building a great deck. You usually get plenty of recursive creatures and token makers.
The problem I have with cards like this is that although he fulfills a need in the correct colors, particularly artisocrats, he's just there to facilitate a very basic role. If you're short on sac outlets and want the deck to happen, this card lets you ... pay the steep cost of spreading out your mana to do the thing you could ideally have done with a mono-colored card. That's better than no option, but I feel this is the opposite of what a restrictive card should be doing.
Meanwhile, other shard identity cards like Hierarch are like "Hey, I'll give you the option to use more colors", or, like the various Bolas 'walkers, are just straight-up wincons. Basically, I feel like these cards need to be lower opportunity cost or have much bigger payoff to justify their inclusion.
The issue with Butcher was never the lack of tri-lands, it's the fact that it's a 3-colored card that's no better than other mono colored / 2-colored 4-drops.
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But I will say, if this cost 2BB I have a hard time seeing how it wouldn't be one of the best 4-drop creatures in Cube, so I do think the tri-color mana cost is the reason for it not being worth a slot.