So, I'm trying to add more "beef" to blue's creature section -- which, of course, is against the general nature of the color in MTG history (just like, say, green getting decent evasion).
Some of my favorite finds thus far are the Skaab cycle from Innistrad. Anyone had success with these guys?
Headless Skaab -- 3/6 for 3, ETB tapped. Huge on-curve, but also fairly hard to cast on T3 in many games with the Skaab exile clause. Late-game relevance can vary quite a bit from matchup to matchup. Interest level: 5/10
Makeshift Mauler -- 4/5 for 4. Simple. Seems somewhat reasonable to get down on T4, needing just one creature to trade/get removed before that. Black's Bellowing Saddlebrute is a borderline playable, and this has the advantage of being in a color where it's much harder to get an efficient, large ground creature. Interest level: 7/10
Relentless Skaabs -- 4/4 undying for 5. If it gets to un-die (presumably from blocking a 4/x attacker)? Great. Until then? Worse than the Mauler in both mana cost and toughness. Interest level: 6/10
Skaab Goliath -- 6/9 trample for 6... that needs two bodies in the yard to exile. Huge! No resilience as a control finisher compared to Glasskite-type cards, but attacks for tons. I think the double-Skaab rule is manageable, but don't know for sure. Interest level: 6/10
Stitched Drake -- 3/4 flyer for 3. A Serendib Efreet! Getting it down at basically any point and it'll be a threat, assuming no Asps or Spiders show up to ruin the fun. Interest level: 7/10
So... thoughts? Who's played which ones? Good or bad?
Hmmm. I played a lot of ISD draft and I have Relentless Skaabs in my Cube. Some things to note about the Skaabs
- Without graveyard enablers playing them on curve is not reliable.
- Makeshift Mauler doesn't even have amazing stats. I probably wouldn't cube a vanilla 4/5 for 4. However, it's worth noting that Makeshift Mauler is often castable on curve.
- Skaab Goliath is nearly impossible to cast in many control decks and in certain matchups.
- Stitched Drake is still fine on turn 4, totally playable with some gentle support.
- Headless Skaab is so iffy. Aggro decks are fine with it, but it's awful (and hard to cast) in control.
- Relentless Skaabs is usually castable on curve and it's almost always a two for one. Blue fives are tight though.
Creature-low control isn't something that I often see, if ever. So Skaab goliath has always been the best of those to me.
Relentless skaabs is very good if you get into wars of attrition though.
I'm not sure I'f I'm happy with stitched drake. If it doesn't come down on 3, then you may eat playing a "4 mana" 3/4 flier next turn, which is fine... but even then that isn't a guarantee. Definitely not a bad option but I remain cautious.
Makeshift mauler's size is fine for 4, especially in blue, but being just a grounded body without much to offer makes it unusual.
Hmmm. I played a lot of ISD draft and I have Relentless Skaabs in my Cube. Some things to note about the Skaabs
- Without graveyard enablers playing them on curve is not reliable.
I certainly appreciate the input but... I think a lot of that is caused by your utter lack of 1-drops/aggro in general. I mean, out of a 535-card cube, how many creatures in your cube are going to attack and die in combat on T2? Three?
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I'm lower on Mauler now that I remember Su-Chi existing, but still would say a vanilla 4/5 for 4 is "amazing stats" in that it's never been printed on a C/U card before.
Drake is the biggest question mark, re: arriving on-time and utility when cast later in the game. Anti-synergy with one of my favorite cards (Unearth) is also noteworthy.
Yeah probably about that many. However, I haven't actually played any Skaabs in cube besides Relentless Skaabs. I was basing that observation off what I remember of ISD limited rather than my cube. I've drafted decks in both ISD and ORI that can't cast Skaab Goliath until turn 15 hahaha.
Another thing worth noting about the Skaabs is that they promote trading and interaction over racing. I think that makes it a really well designed mechanic and Skaabs + Morbid were two big influences on why ISD was such an awesome format.
Drake as a 3/4 for 4 is still highly cubeable in my opinion. I think Drake would be a really awesome inclusion for most of our cubes and worth testing for certain.
Also, in regards to Relentless Skaabs (the only card here I've actually c/ubed with), the card has performed phenomenally in almost every archetype.
I cut the drake a long time ago, as it was rarely cast on curve. I recently cut Relentless; it was fine, but as someone else pointed out, blue five drops are pretty packed, even for me at 720. I do like the Goliath though. Having two creatures in the yard by T6 isn't normally much of a feat, he hits hard, and that big butt lets him attack profitably into almost anything.
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I have been thinking of these guys recently and was thinking of what kind of support might help them out.
The timely blue enablers that sprang to mind:
How have people found creature counterspells like the spiketails and silumgar sorcerer? I don't see them in cubes much if at all which doesn't bode well...
Some of my favorite finds thus far are the Skaab cycle from Innistrad. Anyone had success with these guys?
Headless Skaab -- 3/6 for 3, ETB tapped. Huge on-curve, but also fairly hard to cast on T3 in many games with the Skaab exile clause. Late-game relevance can vary quite a bit from matchup to matchup. Interest level: 5/10
Makeshift Mauler -- 4/5 for 4. Simple. Seems somewhat reasonable to get down on T4, needing just one creature to trade/get removed before that. Black's Bellowing Saddlebrute is a borderline playable, and this has the advantage of being in a color where it's much harder to get an efficient, large ground creature. Interest level: 7/10
Relentless Skaabs -- 4/4 undying for 5. If it gets to un-die (presumably from blocking a 4/x attacker)? Great. Until then? Worse than the Mauler in both mana cost and toughness. Interest level: 6/10
Skaab Goliath -- 6/9 trample for 6... that needs two bodies in the yard to exile. Huge! No resilience as a control finisher compared to Glasskite-type cards, but attacks for tons. I think the double-Skaab rule is manageable, but don't know for sure. Interest level: 6/10
Stitched Drake -- 3/4 flyer for 3. A Serendib Efreet! Getting it down at basically any point and it'll be a threat, assuming no Asps or Spiders show up to ruin the fun. Interest level: 7/10
So... thoughts? Who's played which ones? Good or bad?
Thx ladies and gentlemen of MTGSP&P.
- Without graveyard enablers playing them on curve is not reliable.
- Makeshift Mauler doesn't even have amazing stats. I probably wouldn't cube a vanilla 4/5 for 4. However, it's worth noting that Makeshift Mauler is often castable on curve.
- Skaab Goliath is nearly impossible to cast in many control decks and in certain matchups.
- Stitched Drake is still fine on turn 4, totally playable with some gentle support.
- Headless Skaab is so iffy. Aggro decks are fine with it, but it's awful (and hard to cast) in control.
- Relentless Skaabs is usually castable on curve and it's almost always a two for one. Blue fives are tight though.
If I ran enablers for graveyard interaction, I would consider Skaab Goliath, Stitched Drake, and Relentless Skaabs to be playable.
Without enablers only Stitched Drake and Relentless Skaabs are playable in my opinion.
Relentless skaabs is very good if you get into wars of attrition though.
I'm not sure I'f I'm happy with stitched drake. If it doesn't come down on 3, then you may eat playing a "4 mana" 3/4 flier next turn, which is fine... but even then that isn't a guarantee. Definitely not a bad option but I remain cautious.
Makeshift mauler's size is fine for 4, especially in blue, but being just a grounded body without much to offer makes it unusual.
Not interested in headless skaab
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
I certainly appreciate the input but... I think a lot of that is caused by your utter lack of 1-drops/aggro in general. I mean, out of a 535-card cube, how many creatures in your cube are going to attack and die in combat on T2? Three?
--
I'm lower on Mauler now that I remember Su-Chi existing, but still would say a vanilla 4/5 for 4 is "amazing stats" in that it's never been printed on a C/U card before.
Drake is the biggest question mark, re: arriving on-time and utility when cast later in the game. Anti-synergy with one of my favorite cards (Unearth) is also noteworthy.
Another thing worth noting about the Skaabs is that they promote trading and interaction over racing. I think that makes it a really well designed mechanic and Skaabs + Morbid were two big influences on why ISD was such an awesome format.
Drake as a 3/4 for 4 is still highly cubeable in my opinion. I think Drake would be a really awesome inclusion for most of our cubes and worth testing for certain.
Also, in regards to Relentless Skaabs (the only card here I've actually c/ubed with), the card has performed phenomenally in almost every archetype.
My 720 Peasant Cube
The timely blue enablers that sprang to mind:
How have people found creature counterspells like the spiketails and silumgar sorcerer? I don't see them in cubes much if at all which doesn't bode well...
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article