Fearless Adversary 1W
Creature - Human Scout (Mythic)
Lifelink
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may pay 1W any number of times. When you pay for once or more, put that many courage counters on ~.
Creatures you control get +1/+1 for each courage counter on ~.
3/1
Pretty decent beater! Either a 3/1 lifelink beatstick early game, or a 2WW 4/2 lifelinking anthem midgame, and scales even more late!
I have a human subtheme, and any (monoW) human that can also be a lord is a card I'm playing. I also love that, because this has lifelink, it can be used for defensive speed in non-aggro decks. I played Glory-Bound Initiate for a while, and it was played by both aggressive and non-aggressive decks to good effect. This seems like a much much better version of a card for that slot too.
Cool card. I think this will have lots of little interactions the way it is worded. Blinking it etc if you cast it on 4 and then paying 4 more to get +2/+2. Will be played is any white midrange or white weenie type deck and lifeline might make it playable in control decks since 3 power and gaining 3 life against midrange can help stabilize a lot.
I feel the bar for a white 2 2-drop needs to be 2 mana 3/3 with upside - i.e. Indestructible, First strike or ability to spread a minimum power of 3 prior to first attack or 2 power with evasion with relevant ability.
My problem is that a 2 drop for 3/1 could easily be blocked by a Mana dork, token, opposing 1 drop etc.
I'm not sure if the lifelink or spreading counters is enough to make up for it but the 1 toughness feels like too much of a downside for me.
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The problem I have is the 2 mana 3/1. I can see the 1 toughness being incredibly problematic with early blockers.
The upside with this card is its not kicker, but an ETB. This could be interesting with pod/ flicker.
By spreading counters, I meant it adds 3 power of board presence. View a 2 mana 2/2 that can add 1-2 +1/+1 counters over 1-2 turns equally strong if not stronger than a 2 mana 3/3
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Play it as a 4-drop or Xcc card when deckbuilding, and look at the 2cc mode as a safety mode when needed. If the 1-toughness is a liability on the board/in the matchup, just sandbag it and use it to boost the board and resolve w/ 2+ toughness later on. Seems really good w/ tokens. As a 5-power 6-drop w/ a double anthem, this is a scary curve-topper in some shells. Yikes.
Yah I could see that - if that's the case, then the lifelink would be a lot more relevant. Now that I think about it, we don't really have good anthems outside of 4-Gideon or 3 Nissa.
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White weenie is a go wide aggressive strategy. Fearless adversary slots perfectly into that archetype. He can benefit from anthems/equipment on curve @ 2 mana OR be an anthem @ 4 mana OR be an over-run @ 6 mana.
I think it's best to primarily cast this as a 4 drop, but both other modes should come up a lot.
Every mode is close to on curve power level and scales very well as the game progresses. It's base mode is probably it's weakest mode.
Hopefully cards like walking ballista have convinced everyone of the value of modality in conjunction with a mana sink.
Also great in some GW ramp decks that have the possibility of triple kicking it.
Wow this looks fantastic. Good, versatile token support is hard to come by for small cubes, and this card just hits all the right spots. 3/1 for 2 with lifelink isn't a bad baseline for most aggro decks, 4/2 for 4 with an anthem is fantastic follow up in a Boros or Orzhov aggro deck (amazing follow up to a Goblin Rabblemaster variant or Brimaz, King of Oreskos), then all the way up to 5/3 for 6 in Selesnya aggro decks to follow up Deranged Hermits or Angel of Invention, or even to just get damage over the top with a Glare of Subdual or Opposition up. Card looks incredible imo, easy 360 pickup for sure.
The baseline isn't great. the body with lifelink/anthem for 4 isn't bad though. at 6 it is nice unless your opponent has a bolt. Worth keeping an eye on.
Fearless Adversary 1W
Creature - Human Scout (Mythic)
Lifelink
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may pay 1W any number of times. When you pay for once or more, put that many courage counters on ~.
Creatures you control get +1/+1 for each courage counter on ~.
3/1
Pretty decent beater! Either a 3/1 lifelink beatstick early game, or a 2WW 4/2 lifelinking anthem midgame, and scales even more late!
It’s great in race-you aggro decks, go wide tokens decks, lifegain matters decks, and it gives a new dream for the proliferate shenanigans deck.
I have a human subtheme, and any (monoW) human that can also be a lord is a card I'm playing. I also love that, because this has lifelink, it can be used for defensive speed in non-aggro decks. I played Glory-Bound Initiate for a while, and it was played by both aggressive and non-aggressive decks to good effect. This seems like a much much better version of a card for that slot too.
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- Porcelain Legionnaire/ Adanto Vanguard has first strike/ indestructible (1 - 2 power creatures cannot block profitably)
- Luminarch Aspirant / Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit can usually spread two counters prior to their first attack
- Remorseful Cleric / Selfless Spirit / Fearless Fledgling - has evasion
I feel the bar for a white 2 2-drop needs to be 2 mana 3/3 with upside - i.e. Indestructible, First strike or ability to spread a minimum power of 3 prior to first attack or 2 power with evasion with relevant ability.
My problem is that a 2 drop for 3/1 could easily be blocked by a Mana dork, token, opposing 1 drop etc.
I'm not sure if the lifelink or spreading counters is enough to make up for it but the 1 toughness feels like too much of a downside for me.
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The upside with this card is its not kicker, but an ETB. This could be interesting with pod/ flicker.
By spreading counters, I meant it adds 3 power of board presence. View a 2 mana 2/2 that can add 1-2 +1/+1 counters over 1-2 turns equally strong if not stronger than a 2 mana 3/3
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 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!
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
White weenie is a go wide aggressive strategy. Fearless adversary slots perfectly into that archetype. He can benefit from anthems/equipment on curve @ 2 mana OR be an anthem @ 4 mana OR be an over-run @ 6 mana.
I think it's best to primarily cast this as a 4 drop, but both other modes should come up a lot.
Every mode is close to on curve power level and scales very well as the game progresses. It's base mode is probably it's weakest mode.
Hopefully cards like walking ballista have convinced everyone of the value of modality in conjunction with a mana sink.
Also great in some GW ramp decks that have the possibility of triple kicking it.
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