Yeah but would Stone Rain be a bad card to run? Setting larger decks back a turn seems relevant, as does shutting down their dual/utility lands. I don't think I've ever seen any actual discussion about the card around here. Probably a discussion for the general though.
I would guess it's probably just mediocre. I am sure there are times where it will stop/slow down your opponent so much that they can't compete the rest of the game, but just think how many times its a dead draw/card.
Also, I would just never run it because I hate land destruction more than anything in this game and it's boring :/...
The problem with land destruction is that it needs lots of redundancy. Otherwise, they are just sideboard cards against very greedy 4 or 5 color decks.
Oh, yeah, Reckless Bushwhacker... this guy was AWFUL. Stuck in hand in multiple situations when I had a good board and really wanted the Surge ability but couldn't get two spells out in the same turn, and hard-casting him as an worse Raging Cougar is obviously not helpful.
I'm sure the average red aggro Cube deck will have a significantly better curve to more easily enable Surge, but I still think it's way worse than the original Bushwhacker.
Oh my. I completely missed the 'if its surge cost was paid' part about Reckless Bushwhacker. Originally, I intended to include it for sure. Now, though? No way.
To be fair, 3 mana 2/1 haste is probably still better than a 1 mana 1/1. So if you're going by what you're getting if you can't kick or surge, it's the new Bushwhacker anyway.
Sure, I was not about to exchange my old Bushwacker. I was merely pointing out that a 2/1 haste can at least be a small burn spell sometimes, whereas the 1/1 is always going to be useless. I prefer the mana restriction to the surge restriction, but I don't think there's that much between the two cards in cube when it comes down to it.
Relief Captain - Been amazing every time it's played. Just crushes people. Wall of Resurgence - Been fine, haven't seen it shine, but I think it can in the right deck. No problems with it yet though. Seed Guardian - Good. I like it better then Pnumbra Spider Embodiment of Insight - Great. Has made an impact on the board every time it has been played. Embodiment of Fury - Great. Same as abaove. Reflector Mage - Honestly, haven't played it yet. Stormchaser Mage - Good. Can get some decent damage in, but also a good blocker.
Def not interested. Even in a deck with something to sacrifice for minimal loss, I don't see it being consistent.
Not to mention, there just arent a lot of cards that want to die, or want to see others die. Epochrasite and the blood artist bros (for 1 measly life) are all I can think of
I mean, if I 100% knew I'd always have an Iguanar or Myr or Blood Artist or Noble in play on T4, I still wouldn't play Troll. One small triggered ability still doesn't negate the loss of an entire card just to get a vanilla 4/5.
The +1/+1's thing is... fine enough, I guess, but that deck ALSO doesn't want to give up a whole card (since Root-Kin/Angel both need to come down AFTER this 4-drop for value). Why not Karstoderm?
--
I did include Shoulder to Shoulder, as a "hasty" kinda version of Pianna or Soltari Champion, etc. It's been OK, but Relief Captain is just a better option for basically the same job.
The one time I saw a Seed Guardian, it popped into a like... 4/4? token on average-case. Pretty great.
Baloth Null is as insane as it looked at first glance.
I'm still holding off on Reflector Mage, but the power level is obviously awesome.
Just in case people were curious, Seed Guardian is... average.
My GF and I were playing a control (me) vs midrange/ramp (GF), and...
She cast Seed Guardian out on turn... 3 or 4? He died maybe 2 turns later into a 2/2, which is LESS GOOD than a Penumbra Spider. Maybe 4 turns later, my opponent got Seed Guardian back via Eternal Witness. Another few turns later, Seed Guardian died, resulting in a 6/6 which was kind of a problem.
I will say that the lack of reach made a difference, as I was flying over quite easily after that. In addition to the lack of reach, 3power was huuugely different.
Pros:
3power vs 2power
huge late game
Cons:
Dying with few creatures early
2nd creature not having reach
I think the pros outweigh the cons, ever so slightly.
I would guess it's probably just mediocre. I am sure there are times where it will stop/slow down your opponent so much that they can't compete the rest of the game, but just think how many times its a dead draw/card.
Also, I would just never run it because I hate land destruction more than anything in this game and it's boring :/...
My 180 Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
My C/Ube on Cube Cobra
I'm sure the average red aggro Cube deck will have a significantly better curve to more easily enable Surge, but I still think it's way worse than the original Bushwhacker.
My 180 Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
Also, having the worse mode of the card be F+ instead of F- isn't really much of a selling point.
Relief Captain - Been amazing every time it's played. Just crushes people.
Wall of Resurgence - Been fine, haven't seen it shine, but I think it can in the right deck. No problems with it yet though.
Seed Guardian - Good. I like it better then Pnumbra Spider
Embodiment of Insight - Great. Has made an impact on the board every time it has been played.
Embodiment of Fury - Great. Same as abaove.
Reflector Mage - Honestly, haven't played it yet.
Stormchaser Mage - Good. Can get some decent damage in, but also a good blocker.
My 180 Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
Not to mention, there just arent a lot of cards that want to die, or want to see others die. Epochrasite and the blood artist bros (for 1 measly life) are all I can think of
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
The +1/+1's thing is... fine enough, I guess, but that deck ALSO doesn't want to give up a whole card (since Root-Kin/Angel both need to come down AFTER this 4-drop for value). Why not Karstoderm?
--
I did include Shoulder to Shoulder, as a "hasty" kinda version of Pianna or Soltari Champion, etc. It's been OK, but Relief Captain is just a better option for basically the same job.
The one time I saw a Seed Guardian, it popped into a like... 4/4? token on average-case. Pretty great.
Baloth Null is as insane as it looked at first glance.
I'm still holding off on Reflector Mage, but the power level is obviously awesome.
Also, if you just want an easy-to-cast 4/5, some normally stupid forum member made one of his infrequently insightful posts two months ago:
My GF and I were playing a control (me) vs midrange/ramp (GF), and...
She cast Seed Guardian out on turn... 3 or 4? He died maybe 2 turns later into a 2/2, which is LESS GOOD than a Penumbra Spider. Maybe 4 turns later, my opponent got Seed Guardian back via Eternal Witness. Another few turns later, Seed Guardian died, resulting in a 6/6 which was kind of a problem.
I will say that the lack of reach made a difference, as I was flying over quite easily after that. In addition to the lack of reach, 3power was huuugely different.
Pros:
3power vs 2power
huge late game
Cons:
Dying with few creatures early
2nd creature not having reach
I think the pros outweigh the cons, ever so slightly.
I didn't get to live the dream and Relief Captain with Elite Scaleguard in our other matchup a couple hours prior :(.