EDIT - I added Arboreal Grazer to the title of this page - we determined this is the strongest variant of these type of cards.
This is definitely no Birds of Paradise. I'm wondering if this is worth a card slot as a hybrid between Exploration for the lands deck and Birds of Paradise for the pod/ Aristocrats deck.
I'm a bit unwilling to run Exploration - a bit too parasitic, and unwilling to run too many 2 CMC mana dorks - significantly weaker than their 1 CMC counter part.
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
I think Sakura-Tribe Scout is a lot worse than Exploration / Explore effects since it's not particularly good at being a creature / ramping out lands since it's so fragile. I think Arboreal Grazer is much better since it at least has good defensive applications.
I think Sakura-Tribe Scout is a lot worse than Exploration / Explore effects since it's not particularly good at being a creature / ramping out lands since it's so fragile. I think Arboreal Grazer is much better since it at least has good defensive applications.
I been more interested in these subpar 1 CMC ramp these days after Gilded Goose performed decently well - not as well as Birds of Paradise obviously, but better than I anticipated.
The reason I'm considering a creature over an enchantment is I have no shortage of sacrifice/ discard a weak creature - Birthing Pod, Vannifar, Vraska, Golgari Queen, Skullclamp, Yamgmoth, Grist, Survival of the Fittest, Fiend Artisan, Daretti, Fauna Shaman etc. Not to mention the cards that work well with a bunch of creatures - Cradle, Opposition etc. I could see this number slightly increase with +2 1 CMC mana dork, especially if it is more consistent for green decks to open with an accelerate.
I could see myself playing Arboreal Grazer - 2 CMC mana dorks haven't been too effective for us (Outside of Devoted, Rofellos - Wall of Roots/ Sylvan Crayatid have been pretty weak).
My problem with these 1 CMC mana dorks is not that it will get bolted - that's actually a good case for me. My concern is a Arboreal Grazer essentially becomes a 1 mana 0/3. This isn't the end of the world in a aristocrats/ planewalker token shell - but I was hoping to also help foster a lands archetype without being too parasitic.
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
I think your head is in the right place, but the power level of the tribe scout is too low in any shell that isn't a dedicated lands strategy.
As in, most of those decks would rather run an extra land than play this card. Borderline unplayable imo.
It'll end up being effectively as parasitic as exploration, without the upside to compensate for it.
Agreed with steve_man that arboreal grazer would be a much better card in any non-lands deck and comparable to it in a lands deck.
Grazer might be more what you are looking for, as at least the grazer has anti-agro applications when it's effect is hard to leverage
yea, arboreal grazer isnt bad & if ur cube has any way to leverage counters or something like kessig wolf run, etc to provide it w/ a little punch, it mite be a decent edition. as LucidVision stated, its good against aggro decks. if ur willing to entertain a 2 cmc mana dork, viridian emissary has always done good wrk for me in constructed environments
I think the sacrifice synergy, lands synergy, blink synergy, and the 0/3 body to block early aggression might be good enough to make up for his card disadvantage.
There are plenty of cards that can get a 3 for 1 for a 2 for 1 at 3 or 4 CMC that giving up a card early on to accelerate into those threats might not be the worst.
I think we reached a threshold where we don't need a mix of 1 CMC and 2 CMC mana dorks (outside of Devoted/ Rofellos) - We could stick entirely to 1 CMC mana dorks.
But then again, I find when I test cards only 1 or 2 cube curators play, it usually doesn't end up well.
If he does perform well, I might give Sakura-Tribe Scout a try over Sakura-Tribe Elder. But I personally would not recommend these cards if sacrifice/ stax/ pod isn't big in your cube.
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
EDIT - I added Arboreal Grazer to the title of this page - we determined this is the strongest variant of these type of cards.
This is definitely no Birds of Paradise. I'm wondering if this is worth a card slot as a hybrid between Exploration for the lands deck and Birds of Paradise for the pod/ Aristocrats deck.
I'm a bit unwilling to run Exploration - a bit too parasitic, and unwilling to run too many 2 CMC mana dorks - significantly weaker than their 1 CMC counter part.
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
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
I been more interested in these subpar 1 CMC ramp these days after Gilded Goose performed decently well - not as well as Birds of Paradise obviously, but better than I anticipated.
The reason I'm considering a creature over an enchantment is I have no shortage of sacrifice/ discard a weak creature - Birthing Pod, Vannifar, Vraska, Golgari Queen, Skullclamp, Yamgmoth, Grist, Survival of the Fittest, Fiend Artisan, Daretti, Fauna Shaman etc. Not to mention the cards that work well with a bunch of creatures - Cradle, Opposition etc. I could see this number slightly increase with +2 1 CMC mana dork, especially if it is more consistent for green decks to open with an accelerate.
I could see myself playing Arboreal Grazer - 2 CMC mana dorks haven't been too effective for us (Outside of Devoted, Rofellos - Wall of Roots/ Sylvan Crayatid have been pretty weak).
My problem with these 1 CMC mana dorks is not that it will get bolted - that's actually a good case for me. My concern is a Arboreal Grazer essentially becomes a 1 mana 0/3. This isn't the end of the world in a aristocrats/ planewalker token shell - but I was hoping to also help foster a lands archetype without being too parasitic.
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
As in, most of those decks would rather run an extra land than play this card. Borderline unplayable imo.
It'll end up being effectively as parasitic as exploration, without the upside to compensate for it.
Agreed with steve_man that arboreal grazer would be a much better card in any non-lands deck and comparable to it in a lands deck.
Grazer might be more what you are looking for, as at least the grazer has anti-agro applications when it's effect is hard to leverage
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I think the sacrifice synergy, lands synergy, blink synergy, and the 0/3 body to block early aggression might be good enough to make up for his card disadvantage.
There are plenty of cards that can get a 3 for 1 for a 2 for 1 at 3 or 4 CMC that giving up a card early on to accelerate into those threats might not be the worst.
I think we reached a threshold where we don't need a mix of 1 CMC and 2 CMC mana dorks (outside of Devoted/ Rofellos) - We could stick entirely to 1 CMC mana dorks.
But then again, I find when I test cards only 1 or 2 cube curators play, it usually doesn't end up well.
If he does perform well, I might give Sakura-Tribe Scout a try over Sakura-Tribe Elder. But I personally would not recommend these cards if sacrifice/ stax/ pod isn't big in your cube.
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