I'm really torn on this because it seems great but as you noted, Golgari's really heavy on removal. I may consider taking out Abrupt Decay for this, because the uncounterable doesn't come up *too* often and the ability to hit CMC 4+ permanents is nice. It's worth noting that this can also hit a utility land (which gets replaced with a basic), which isn't nothing, and isn't a mode usually given to BG removal.
Call me crazy, but I think I might want to leave in Abrupt decay and take out maelstrom pulse? Pulse is good, but in all honesty the remove all creatures with the same name just doesn't come up very often in cube for us. Plus hitting lands where as pulse can't is also an upside.
If you run Maelstrom Pulse, that's the cut for sure. I don't, so I can't cut it. At 495 I run: Deathrite Shaman, Abrupt Decay, Pernicious Deed, and Vraska, Relic Seeker. Vraska isn't stronger than another removal spell, but she adds more variety to the guild.
Ugh. This is a clear include, but I really don't love the thought of three Golgari spots being this, Decay, and Pulse. I think I'd be inclined to remove Pulse for this, primarily because it's a sorcery.
Yeah card seems great. Path to exile downside is real, but so is it's incredible mana efficiency. Having the option to hit an opponents library of alexandria or tolarian academy is also awsome option!
This got me really thinking about 10 years from now.. and the exciting time it will be to be a cube designer. There are so many cards competing in power level that the choice should likely come down to personal preference and interesting card interactions.
3 removal spells in golgari in anything but huge cubes feels... excessive. But they are all so damn good! Similar issue to azorious in Reflector mage, Geist of St Traft and Spell queller.
Call me crazy, but I think I might want to leave in Abrupt decay and take out maelstrom pulse? Pulse is good, but in all honesty the remove all creatures with the same name just doesn't come up very often in cube for us. Plus hitting lands where as pulse can't is also an upside.
I never really tried Abrupt Decay in cube but that's a legit talking point for it.
I'm guessing this is the new best Golgari card in cube? (Deed?)
I feel like this is probably the best of the Golgari removal spells and is a clear include for me. Not sure what I'm cutting for it but there is no way I'm ever going to run Pulse, Decay, AND this in a guild section. That would be so boring.
I expect this card will probably cost a lot of money so cross your fingers for foil copies at the prerelease! This card singly handedly makes me want to select Golgari for the seeded booster.
Powerful and flexible answers like this card improve basically any Cube. For that same reason cutting Maelstrom Pulse seems like insanity to me. If you don't have room in Golgari, this is a card worth cutting a black, green, colorless or other Guild card for.
Powerful and flexible answers like this card improve basically any Cube. For that same reason cutting Maelstrom Pulse seems like insanity to me. If you don't have room in Golgari, this is a card worth cutting a black, green, colorless or other Guild card for.
The problem with cutting black, green or colorless cards is the number of decks that can run this. Colorless cards can theoretically be played in any color deck. Guild cards need to be limited (for most cubes) because a limited number of decks can play them.
Call me crazy, but I think I might want to leave in Abrupt decay and take out maelstrom pulse? Pulse is good, but in all honesty the remove all creatures with the same name just doesn't come up very often in cube for us. Plus hitting lands where as pulse can't is also an upside.
I think pulse is a power notch above abrupt decay in cube, mostly because it can hit problematic planeswalkers... And Cube doesn't have the extreme emphasis on cheap permanents that modern and legacy does. However, I prefer abrupt decay as a card and would cut pulse before I cut decay.. I think decay has more unique properties... and it's good in matchups that I want a golgari spell to be good in.
My point is, you are not crazy for thinking this at all. But I do think the design justifications have to extend beyond raw individual card power to choose decay over maelstrom pulse.
For example, I personally believe Pernicious Deed is the most powerful golgari spell, but I don't run it... The collateral damage in many of my golgari reduces it's average power level quite a bit, but in the right deck, it's upside is the highest by a lot. My playgroup also underestimates it, and doesn't hold it in the same regard that this forum does.. so I'd rather include a less powerful, but more interesting card that my playgroup likes.. In Meren of Clan Nel Toth.
Basically, even if the design thesis of your cube is to create a draft format composed of the best cards in magic history, when cards have a small difference in power level I think you'd be doing yourself and your group a disservice to not consider other good design factors of a limited format when deciding between them.
In terms of the single targeted removal ranking, it’s probably Assassin’s Trophy > Maelstrom Pulse > Abrupt Decay. Each of them have advantages over the other, but 2 mana instant speed unconditional Vindicate is unprecedented and will probably never be surpassed. Trophy / Pulse both being unconditional is huge in cube where there’s such a large variety of threats. Trophy is more versatile than Deed, but Deed’s ceiling is way higher and is just a completely different beast compared to Tropht / Pulse / Decay.
Currently my Golgari section is Deed / Pulse / Decay / Life // Death. Decay will be my cut since I like the overall composition that I have, and this will be a functional upgrade.
Awesome card in a guild full of similar yet slightly worse cards in it.
I don't know if I want Decay, Pulse and this in the same section, at 720 it feels borderline. The least played card in that section for us is Pernicious Deed, mostly because of the reasons LucidVision pointed out. So the cut is either that, or Maelstrom Pulse?
I play Deathrite and Deed at 360 and this is better than both of them. This is going to be a really tough cut. Deathrite sees more mainboard play, but Deed is so unique. I guess I’ll probably cut Deed, but I’ll have to sleep on the decision.
Hitting lands on a two mana spells is not something I would ever see printed in magic again. So definitely a lock. We have already been cutting amazing removal spells like putrefy from cube because of how stacked golgari is. Hold on to your hats folks, the guild sections are gonna feel real full over the next two weeks.
Hitting lands on a two mana spells is not something I would ever see printed in magic again. So definitely a lock. We have already been cutting amazing removal spells like putrefy from cube because of how stacked golgari is. Hold on to your hats folks, the guild sections are gonna feel real full over the next two weeks.
At instant speed too. You can nuke a Cradle/Academy/Ancient Tomb during your opponent's upkeep and they get a tapped basic that does nothing for them until their next turn. So brutal!
This card is never going to be cheap, mainboardable Tron hate is going to be all the rage in modern.
Hitting lands on a two mana spells is not something I would ever see printed in magic again. So definitely a lock. We have already been cutting amazing removal spells like putrefy from cube because of how stacked golgari is. Hold on to your hats folks, the guild sections are gonna feel real full over the next two weeks.
At instant speed too. You can nuke a Cradle/Academy/Ancient Tomb during your opponent's upkeep and they get a tapped basic that does nothing for them until their next turn. So brutal!
This card is never going to be cheap, mainboardable Tron hate is going to be all the rage in modern.
Basic land comes in untapped, but still worth nuking those lands.
This is super pushed! I'm going to have to see what else this set has before figuring out how to rearrange these guilds.
Edit: Some (depraved) person on reddit just mentioned that this can go on an Isochron Sceptor...so for those of you still running that like I am....good times ahead!
Deed is a controlled wrath while this is targeted removal. Assassin's trophy is fantastic but not really what the guild needed. This will definitely replace abrupt decay for me but they're similar enough I'm just not that pumped. I hope Vraska gives the guild a fun, powerful build around.
Vindicate meets Path to Exile at 2 mana instant speed! I know Golgari spells are mainly removal spells, but this seems REALLY good.
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This got me really thinking about 10 years from now.. and the exciting time it will be to be a cube designer. There are so many cards competing in power level that the choice should likely come down to personal preference and interesting card interactions.
3 removal spells in golgari in anything but huge cubes feels... excessive. But they are all so damn good! Similar issue to azorious in Reflector mage, Geist of St Traft and Spell queller.
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I never really tried Abrupt Decay in cube but that's a legit talking point for it.
I'm guessing this is the new best Golgari card in cube? (Deed?)
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I expect this card will probably cost a lot of money so cross your fingers for foil copies at the prerelease! This card singly handedly makes me want to select Golgari for the seeded booster.
The problem with cutting black, green or colorless cards is the number of decks that can run this. Colorless cards can theoretically be played in any color deck. Guild cards need to be limited (for most cubes) because a limited number of decks can play them.
http://www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/63569
I think pulse is a power notch above abrupt decay in cube, mostly because it can hit problematic planeswalkers... And Cube doesn't have the extreme emphasis on cheap permanents that modern and legacy does. However, I prefer abrupt decay as a card and would cut pulse before I cut decay.. I think decay has more unique properties... and it's good in matchups that I want a golgari spell to be good in.
My point is, you are not crazy for thinking this at all. But I do think the design justifications have to extend beyond raw individual card power to choose decay over maelstrom pulse.
For example, I personally believe Pernicious Deed is the most powerful golgari spell, but I don't run it... The collateral damage in many of my golgari reduces it's average power level quite a bit, but in the right deck, it's upside is the highest by a lot. My playgroup also underestimates it, and doesn't hold it in the same regard that this forum does.. so I'd rather include a less powerful, but more interesting card that my playgroup likes.. In Meren of Clan Nel Toth.
Basically, even if the design thesis of your cube is to create a draft format composed of the best cards in magic history, when cards have a small difference in power level I think you'd be doing yourself and your group a disservice to not consider other good design factors of a limited format when deciding between them.
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Currently my Golgari section is Deed / Pulse / Decay / Life // Death. Decay will be my cut since I like the overall composition that I have, and this will be a functional upgrade.
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I don't know if I want Decay, Pulse and this in the same section, at 720 it feels borderline. The least played card in that section for us is Pernicious Deed, mostly because of the reasons LucidVision pointed out. So the cut is either that, or Maelstrom Pulse?
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At instant speed too. You can nuke a Cradle/Academy/Ancient Tomb during your opponent's upkeep and they get a tapped basic that does nothing for them until their next turn. So brutal!
This card is never going to be cheap, mainboardable Tron hate is going to be all the rage in modern.
At least it's not a mythic so that should help with the price a little bit.
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Edit: Some (depraved) person on reddit just mentioned that this can go on an Isochron Sceptor...so for those of you still running that like I am....good times ahead!
I don't agree with this in the slightest. I think there's MAYBE an argument for Deathrite being worse...? But Deed is an obscenely powerful card.