Kitesail Freebooter that can hit creatures, with lifelink but 1 less toughness. This has both the flexibility of Brain Maggot with a body that's useful to have on the board, and double the life swings of the freebooter. I think this is the best variant of the effect by far.
I like this a lot. Kitesail Freebooter has gotten a lot better over time in my cube due to the increased amount of combos / bombs / monarch / initiative running around. Being able to hit creatures and have lifelink is a good tradeoff for having one less toughness.
I'm surprised about this card's reception TBH. 2 mana for a 1/1 just deosn't feel worth it for me. I feel this needs to have 2 power in order to be considered.
I'm surprised about this card's reception TBH. 2 mana for a 1/1 just deosn't feel worth it for me. I feel this needs to have 2 power in order to be considered.
My cube is extremely bomb heavy with a lot of combo + monarch / initiative running around. Kitesail Freebooter has been good fighting these strategies, and this being able to snipe bomb monarch / initiative creature enablers makes this even better. 1 damage in the air can easily turn into 7 extra damage or draw 2 cards two turns later with monarch / initiative running around.
Not quite as good as Mesmeric Fiend if you have instant-speed blink/bounce, but better than Freebooter by a country mile. Freebooter will be the cut for me to include this.
Not quite as good as Mesmeric Fiend if you have instant-speed blink/bounce, but better than Freebooter by a country mile. Freebooter will be the cut for me to include this.
I've probably played 200+ cube matches with tidehollow sculler and mesmeric fiend and maybe have blink exiled once?
It's a near irrelevant part of the cards value imo, this is way better
Not quite as good as Mesmeric Fiend if you have instant-speed blink/bounce, but better than Freebooter by a country mile. Freebooter will be the cut for me to include this.
I've probably played 200+ cube matches with tidehollow sculler and mesmeric fiend and maybe have blink exiled once?
It's a near irrelevant part of the cards value imo, this is way better
I found it to be much higher, but the other thing is you "cannot" respond to the Tidehollow Sculler trigger using removal but you "can" respond to the Freebooter trigger.
Not quite as good as Mesmeric Fiend if you have instant-speed blink/bounce, but better than Freebooter by a country mile. Freebooter will be the cut for me to include this.
I've probably played 200+ cube matches with tidehollow sculler and mesmeric fiend and maybe have blink exiled once?
It's a near irrelevant part of the cards value imo, this is way better
I found it to be much higher, but the other thing is you "cannot" respond to the Tidehollow Sculler trigger using removal but you "can" respond to the Freebooter trigger.
yeah, that aspect of the templating is relevant. More so than blinking. Not as big a difference as a better body tho
I've probably played 200+ cube matches with tidehollow sculler and mesmeric fiend and maybe have blink exiled once?
It's a near irrelevant part of the cards value imo, this is way better
Yeah, it happens so rarely that it's honestly irrelevant to the card's overall evaluation to me (kind of like Parallax Wave). I'll take bonuses like flying and lifelink that are GUARANTEED over being able to blink it for value once in a blue moon any day.
I think with Wreen/ Liliana/ Orcish and all the various methods to punish 1 toughness creatures, I'm more than happy to bench this. IF this had a second point of toughness, I would probably play it.
This might be the card I've gotten wrong the most.
What I initially thought:
- I felt that 2 CMC discard aren't really worth it in Vintage Cube and body is more of a liability than an asset, especially in a format filled with Orcish Bowmasters.
What I got wrong:
- The 1/1 LifeLike + Flying Body is very relevant and can often be worth a card byself.
- The body can be very relevant with anthems / exalted / swords / initiative or just putting on a relevant clock in a tempo/ midrange deck.
- Discard effects are A+ right now in Vintage Cube.
I think it's also in part that the bat has *just* enough upsides vs the other ones; lifelink and evasion for when that matters and being able to be a Duress unlike other previous ones like Kitesail Freebooter.
Don't beat yourself up about it though, it all seems obvious in hindsight but we all make mistakes.
Kitesail Freebooter that can hit creatures, with lifelink but 1 less toughness. This has both the flexibility of Brain Maggot with a body that's useful to have on the board, and double the life swings of the freebooter. I think this is the best variant of the effect by far.
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Slamming it.
black 2s getting pretty stacked
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StaffMy cube is extremely bomb heavy with a lot of combo + monarch / initiative running around. Kitesail Freebooter has been good fighting these strategies, and this being able to snipe bomb monarch / initiative creature enablers makes this even better. 1 damage in the air can easily turn into 7 extra damage or draw 2 cards two turns later with monarch / initiative running around.
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I've probably played 200+ cube matches with tidehollow sculler and mesmeric fiend and maybe have blink exiled once?
It's a near irrelevant part of the cards value imo, this is way better
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I found it to be much higher, but the other thing is you "cannot" respond to the Tidehollow Sculler trigger using removal but you "can" respond to the Freebooter trigger.
yeah, that aspect of the templating is relevant. More so than blinking. Not as big a difference as a better body tho
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StaffYeah, it happens so rarely that it's honestly irrelevant to the card's overall evaluation to me (kind of like Parallax Wave). I'll take bonuses like flying and lifelink that are GUARANTEED over being able to blink it for value once in a blue moon any day.
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What I initially thought:
- I felt that 2 CMC discard aren't really worth it in Vintage Cube and body is more of a liability than an asset, especially in a format filled with Orcish Bowmasters.
What I got wrong:
- The 1/1 LifeLike + Flying Body is very relevant and can often be worth a card byself.
- The body can be very relevant with anthems / exalted / swords / initiative or just putting on a relevant clock in a tempo/ midrange deck.
- Discard effects are A+ right now in Vintage Cube.
Don't beat yourself up about it though, it all seems obvious in hindsight but we all make mistakes.
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