Blade is a 0 on the basis there are a handful of strictly better version, but that isn't the case with Umara Entangler. I've just added it to my cube, though given my lack of other blue aggro creatures it might have been a mistake. We'll see how it pans out.
Imo the problem with Umara Entangler is that it's not very good at making the incremental prowess advantages count, because of its power/toughness distribution.
I'll try not to get onto my soapbox too much, but Monastery Swiftspear, Jhessian Thief, Stormchaser Mage, Seeker of the Way and even Elusive Spellfist all lend themselves to turning incremental prowess boosts into advantageous trades or outright winning combat, because of their higher toughness. Prowess will rarely give you really big boosts, so making the small advantages count is really important for that kind of deck. These cards don't really belong into the same deck as Kiln Fiend, for example.
In the end I think Umara Entangler is the kind of baseline design that needs to exist, but we're basically just waiting for Wizards to make an uncommon upgrade, like they did with Abbot of Keral Keep at rare. Once we have that upgrade, you're never going to consider Entangler again, unless you want to go really, really deep on prowess. So if it's going to be a 0 in the foreseeable future, I'd tend towards a 0 right away. Maybe you could adapt the description to reflect that.
How much worse than borderland marauder is umara entangler? By a bit, sure, but I'm really not so sure that it's so much to make it unplayable. It is possibly a 1; I may like it more than Frost Walker.
Visions of brutality is worse than that 1 mana card... Crippling blight? I can't check atm but I think that's the one that gives -1/-1 in addition to can't block.
Visions lets you do a better job racing if you're attacking with a bunch of fear/shadow/flying dudes and your opponent has a chunky non-evasive dude like... Su-Chi? I don't know if that is as important as Crippling Blight being cheaper and being able to pick off utility X/1s like looters, but I think it's fairly close.
I hadn't thought of the comparison to Borderland Marauder, it's interesting. Although I can't imagine you're going to trigger Entangler very often in an aggro deck that wants to keep playing creatures.
Corlhelm Guide to 0, Umara Entangler to 1, and updated the description.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good. 3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect. 2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds). 1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect. Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Snapping Gnarlid - 2 Description - Fine as an aggressive option for green. Not much else to say here. Anchors - Supports -
Swell of Growth - 1 Description - It's fairly unique, but the question is, when will you want to play it? You want to play it when the pump matters, which is usually after the first few turns when you've cast a creature or two and they are about to get into combat. But you also want to play it when you can get the extra land drop, which makes the window for maximum opportunity pretty narrow. It might have a place in specific cubes that push landfall triggers and land bounce (Quirion Ranger). Anchors - Supports - Landfall
Elemental Uprising - 1 Description - It's best use is likely to be in the early game on turn 3, when you can safely run it into a single creature that will die to it (you don’t get to choose what they block with), acting like pseudo-removal. The stats also make it reasonable to act as a defensive combat trick to kill smaller incoming creatures. However the timing is sometimes going to be awkward to use effectively. Corner case of being a pump spell if you play it on an awakened land. Anchors - Supports -
Lead By Example - 1 Description - It's not a bad combat trick, and supports +1/+1 counter themes. Anchors - Supports - +1/+1 counters
Stalking Drone - 1 Description - The threat of activation on turn 3 is solid. However, requiring colorless to activate is probably tough for most cubes. The likelihood of having a land base that can support this and be sufficiently aggressive is not high, but some cubes may have a land base to consider it. Anchors - Supports -
Akoum Stonewaker - ??? Description - I'm not sure how good this one is in practice. Anchors - Supports -
Kozilek's Sentinel - 1 Description - 2 mana for a 1/4 can be an unexciting but serviceable blocker, soaking up damage in defensive decks, with the 1 power being a deterrent to your opponent just swinging in with all their x/1's. While it supports colorless, you probably want to see that as a bonus if you are looking to fill your defensive creature quota in red. That said, if you can keep casting colorless spells swinging in early with a 2/4 is not a bad plan. Other red defensive creatures are probably more universal (Mogg War Marshal, Wall of Razors), but this survives sweepers better than most if that is what you are looking for. Anchors - Supports - Colorless matters
Makindi Sliderunner - 1 Description - It isn't bad, but it may get lost in the sea of aggro red 2-drops. Cheap red creatures with trample are in short supply, so this fits better in cubes that have a few pump spells or ways to give it +1/+1 counters to take advantage of that. Anchors - Supports -
Sure Strike - 2 Description - Standard 'vulnerable to removal in response' clause applies, but otherwise it nearly guarantees you will trade up, or potentially a blowout in a multi-block situation. Anchors - Supports -
Brute Strength - 1 Description - Comparable to other pump; it isn't strictly worse than anything and is good if you have a big target to get the trample damage through, but some of the other options are probably going to be more universal (Brute Force without the trample for lower cost and higher survivability, or Sure Strike for the first strike). Anchors - Supports -
Sparkmage's Gambit - 1 Description - This could kill a couple of small defenders pre-combat, get past defenders this turn, or being played after combat to help you trade up (or if your opponent doesn't block, fearing the trick, you can just make the creatures not block next turn). Situational, but flexible. Anchors - Supports -
Zada's Commando - 2 Description - A 2/1 first striker is a fine early drop for either aggro or control, especially in the color of burn or pingers that can pair nicely with the first strike to trade up. The cohort ability is mostly flavor text, and any synergies in your cube are likely to be incidental and supplementary to the base stats. Anchors - Supports -
Earthen Arms - The basic mode is outclassed, and the awaken mode either gives you a vanilla 6/6 (that costs you a land) r a 4/4 plus distribute the other 2 counters elsewhere… not worth the 7 mana.
Oran-Rief Invoker - Not efficient enough.
Rot Shambler - It needs two creatures to die to be above curve. You might be able to set this up in sacrifice decks, but it's too much set up work.
Baloth Pup - Even if you pump it, it still dies to a lot of stuff you would run it into.
Bonds of Mortality - Too narrow.
Loam Larva - If it said 'into your hand' it would be a snap include, if it said 'any land' it would be worth considering. But not with these stats / abilities.
Ruin in Their Wake - You aren't going to have the Wastes to make this worthwhile.
Seek the Wilds - It's probably more likely to find a hit as it searches for the 2 highest density card types in most decks, but Commune With The Gods, Mulch or others are more desirable as they dump cards in the graveyard, providing support archetypes which nearly everybody plays.
Boiling Earth - It doesn't do enough.
Processor Assault - It does nothing for most decks, and will be inconsistent even if you draft whites exile-based removal.
Reckless Cohort - Not worth the drawback.
Immobilizer Eldrazi - There might be certain matchups where this would excel, but it is going to be too inconsistent both in regards to when the ability actually applies to the game state, and getting the colorless mana.
Reality Hemorrhage - Even if you support a colorless matters deck, you would still prefer other burn options in that deck.
Tears of Valakut - The uncounterability doesn't matter enough compared to this not hitting all targets.
Lead by Example might be good enough in cubes pushing +1/+1 counters matter themes with multiple counter lords like Abzan Falconer, where a counter added at instant speed could mean more than just a small stats boost, but I wouldn't give it anything higher than a 1. FWIW, it also pulls its weight in Oath-Oath-Battle limited.
If it helps, Sparkmage's Gambit has been decent in Oath-Oath-Battle limited as a main deck-worthy card for aggro decks for the Falter effect, and a sideboard card against deck running multiple X/1s. Maybe a 1?
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Elemental Uprising is pretty bad. Not a 0, since it works to eat your opponent's 2-drop when you cast it T3 on the play, but overall it's clunky and not great.
I put Sparkmage's Gambit in after playing a couple of OOB drafts, but I haven't seen it played and may be overestimating how good it is in cube. It's a decent way to push through those last few points, and is definitely better than Barrage of Boulders which is what I cut for it.
Also, Makindi Sliderunner's trample is pretty relevant if you're pushing a sort of Gruul pump archetype, and is pretty unique among red 2 drops.
I haven't played with it myself, but Akoum Stonewaker seems to do surprisingly well on streams, at least the times I've seen it. It's a pretty good mana sink and more importantly, it gives aggro decks a way to turn flood into some real damage. It's kind of an Embodiment of Fury light. In cube there are additional synergies with goblin bombardment and the like. I feel like this should be ok in cube. Maybe there are too many 2 drops that are just better for it to see much play, but including it in a list doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
Lead By Example - I'll put this at a 1 unless someone wants to fight for it to be a 2.
Sparkmage's Gambit - I can see this killing a couple of small defenders pre-combat, getting past defenders this turn, or being played after combat to help you trade up (or if your opponent doesn't block, fearing the trick, you can just make the creatures not block next turn. Situational, but flexible. I'll give a 1 for now, but maybe it could be worth a 2.
Seek The Wilds - I don't thin there is a strong reason to play, hence a 1. If it dumped stuff in the graveyard, it would be a solid role player. Should it be a 0 on the basis that the scenario I described (not supporting some form of graveyard deck) is virtually nonexistent?
Kozilek's Sentinel - The 4 toughness provides something the other cards you mentioned can't. It can survive stuff where most of those would trade. Wall of Razors is the exception there, but that is vulnerable to a single point of damage, so Kozoilek's Sentinel is going to be better in sweeper decks. But it can drop to 1.
Sure Strike - I don't think it is better either, but I also don't think it is significantly worse to put it in a lower tier. But that is conjecture without having tried them all.
Makindi Sliderunner - We gave Kruin Striker a 1, but in checking the description, part of the downside there is it forces you to play 'badly' because you need to cast your creatures pre-combat to get the bonus, which isn't the case here. But that also has upside if you follow it with something like Dragon Fodder, and explosive growth is much less likely to happen with Sliderunner. At least Sliderunner's trample is native. So maybe a 1, but could fit the description of a 2, it just gets lost in the sea of other aggro red 2-drop options.
Made updates. Moved Seek the Wilds to unplayable. This is the rest of the recent sets.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good. 3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect. 2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds). 1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect. Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Gideon's Reproach - 1 Description - It's lower power than a lot of other available removal, but may be a metagame choice to give control decks removal against early creatures while not being removal that marginalises all of the big threats in your cube. Anchors - Supports -
Serene Steward - 1 Description - Cross synergy with life gain matters themes and +1/+1 counters. Not requiring a cost makes Ajani Pridemate more desirable for most, but this does let you distribute the counters. If life gain is incidental in your cube, or you don't have at least a handful of repeatable life gain sources, it doesn't belong in your cube. Anchors - Life Gain Matters Supports - +1/+1 Counters
Tandem Tactics - 1 Description - This does give you some options whether you are on attack or defense, though is still dependent on the board state. Attacking and your opponent doesn't block and you are racing? Cast after they attack to surprise block and win. Attacking and they do block? Trade up, while leaving untapped creatures to block anything they have left. Survive a sweeper. The life gain is a nice incidental bonus. Anchors - Supports -
Immolating Glare - 1 Description - White has higher profile 1 mana removal spells, but this is one of few that doesn't provide your opponent some benefit (life gain, land acceleration) while still hitting a lot of targets. Anchors - Supports -
Forerunner of Onslaught - 1 Description - 3/2 base stats are fine, and being able to give it haste if cast after turn 2 is nice. It doesn't really fill a hole you can't get in either of the colours though. It's unlikely you will have many other targets to give haste. Anchors - Supports - Colorless Matters
Skyrider Elf - 1
Description - At worst, it is 2/2 flyer for GU which is efficient, with the opportunity for further growth. Most cube owners will want more than just efficiency, but it does have +1/+1 counters if you are pushing that theme. Anchors - Supports - +1/+1 Counters
Stormchaser Mage - 2 Description - It can block some early creatures both on the ground and in the air, with the threat of prowess triggers making blocking decisions harder given it's toughness. Anchors - Spells Matters Supports -
Weapons Trainer - 1 Description - Fine base stats, so it might make the cut even if you don't draft any equipment. It's nice that it doesn't have to be equipped, so you can just drop the equipment and get the benefit straight away. Because the base stats are already decent, you don't need to go out of your way to add a whole bunch of extra equipment to your cube. Being an Ally is likely to just be incidental. Anchors - Supports - Equipment Matters
Angelic Gift - Just meh.
Fortified Rampart - Wall of Tanglecord exists. Only if you REALLY want only white to have it.
Dazzling Reflection - Too situational.
Kor Bladewhirl - It requires too deep on Allies to work. It might be fine acting like a 'sorcery' that gives your team first strike for an alpha strike, but there are better cards for that, and played on curve this will just be a bear.
Kor Kastigator - There are enough 3/1's with upside (that will actually matter more than 1% of the time) that this falls out of contention.
Ondu Rising - Too many things need to go right for this to be effective.
Stone Haven Medic - Doesn't do enough.
Ondu War Cleric - It's mostly going to be a bear. Even if you have enough incidental Ally support, this is not that good.
Spatial Contortion - It's enticing, but it isn't enough to what amounts to splashing another colour.
Warping Wail - It's enticing, but it isn't enough to what amounts to splashing another colour.
Slab Hammer - Any landfall triggers you might have don't make up for this.
Hedron Crawler - Worse than a mana rock.
I'd downgrade each of tandem tactics and dazzling reflection by 1.
I like that weapons trainer is a better gore-house chainwalker in a boros deck, but then it's like... would I cube with it ever? A 2 feels generous, but I can't put my finger on it. Did we grade watchwolf? Is watchwolf a low 2? Is this worse than that enough to be a 1 if so?
I agree with Leelue on Dazzling Reflection, it usually just isn't worth a card most of the time even in its native limited environment, IMHO. I'm having a hard time imagining running this in cube where there are so many options for actual removal at this cost.
Fixed the typos. Watchwolf got a 1 on the basis that it is just vanilla, and you can just get Kalonian Tusker in monogreen, which is only going to be marginally harder to cast in the Selesnya deck than Watchwolf (and is playable in other green/x decks). So yeah, Weapons Trainer can go to niche on account of gold tax. I hovered between 1 and 2 for both this and Forerunner of Onslaught because of their stat / cost ratio, but figure Weapons Master at least does something a little more unique and probably has a higher ceiling.
No problem on Tandem Tactics and Dazzling Beauty downgrades.
Is Weapons Trainer better than Wojek Halberdiers... I don't know. I feel like maybe that could deserve a 1. I like that Weapons Trainer forces you to rate equipment higher, whereas Halberdiers is often just good stats so feels a little less interesting.
Trainer is in a funny spot because it wants an equipment theme, but that means cubing with equipment that you otherwise wouldn't. Also, I don't think an aggressive Boros deck ever really wants more than one equipment, or two max, since it's so bad to overload on them rather than drawing actual creatures.
But, it's still a good on-curve body with a cool effect when it works. Sounds like a 1.
I absolutely agree with _i0, trainer is limited less by the amount of cubable equipment and more by the fact that you can't afford to run too many pieces of equipment, no matter how many good ones you have. They'd have to be living weapons or something similar.
I put stormchaser mage in my cube and so far it's been good, solid 2 in my opinion
What sort of decks does it seem to fit in, and what role does it play?
I was thinking it when putting together my last post, but didn't specifically say that I'm on board with Weapons Trainer being a 1. It might have come across I was fighting for it to remain a 2.
So far it's been in a UR spells deck and a R/u aggro deck. In the R/u aggro deck it could get some early and consistent damage in and in the UR spells deck it was more of a blocker, but a pretty good wall that had the chance to take your attackers out if prowess triggered enough. Still a 2 in my opinion, a good card that is interchangeable depending on the cube or play style.
I'll update the previous post shortly, on to the 3cc black creatures! A bunch of unplayables plus some questionables, but that is likely to be the nature the higher up the cmc we go with some pretty bad older cards.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good. 3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect. 2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds). 1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect. Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Blind Zealot - 1 Description - It will suck against other black decks, but that's when you sideboard it out. Elsewhere it can be ok, being evasive damage when you need it, and trading with their biggest threat when you need to. It can be awkward though. Anchors - Supports -
Bone Shredder - 3 Description - As a minimum, you get a 3 mana sorcery speed Terror that can chump an attacker during your opponents next attack phase, which is a pretty decent floor. A 1/1 flyer isn't much, but in the late game you might be willing to pay the echo cost. The echo helps it bin itself if you have ways to recurse it, which gives it a unique edge. Anchors - Supports -
Cabal Torturer - 1 Description - No way it belongs in fast cubes, but it might be ok in slower cubes that supports graveyard decks. 5 mana activation is a lot, but repeat -2/-2 is also powerful. Anchors - Supports -
Chilling Shade - 2 Description - Scored on the basis of allowing your players snow basics, the threat of activation can make this powerful (most similar creatures are bad in multi-color decks). Playing turn 3, dropping your land turn 4 and swinging in with a potential 5/5 flyer can be solid. Caveat that it gets worse the more prevalent instant speed removal is in your cube. Not bad once you are in top deck mode either. Anchors - Supports -
Chittering Rats - 2 Description - Good support for aggro / control decks. Sometimes it feels like time walking an opponent, particularly if they are relying on their draw step to draw into more lands. Unless your opponent is on an empty hand, it's a 2 for 1 with an ok body. Anchors - Supports -
Crypt Rats - 1 Description - 3 mana is a lot for a 1/1, but can be a good proxy for Pestilence for sweeper control decks. It is a bit awkward though. Anchors - Sweeper Control Supports -
Daggerclaw Imp - 1 Description - 3 evasive power is good for 3 mana, but Dauthi Marauder is almost strictly better. There are other 3 power flyers that have other drawbacks, but don't die when they run into spirit tokens, like Necrogen Scudder. It might be an option for bigger cubes that want to go deep on this type of creature. Anchors - Supports -
Alley Grifter - Too much needs to go right to get value.
Ambuscade Shaman - A 4/4 hasty guy for 4 is is decent, but having to pay every turn will stack up. It might be an ok curve topper for black aggro but it isn't going to be top of your list. Other creatures getting the bonus will only matter if you have a bunch of other hasty guys, or a couple of ways of giving your guys haste, such as Lightning Greaves. Too much work.
Arrogant Bloodlord - It's nice stats for cost, but the feel bads when you can't attack means you won't want to consider this (unless you remove all token creators and 1 power guys from your cube…)
Ashiok's Adept - Not effective enough. There aren't going to be enough cards you want to cast to overcome the poor base stats.
Big Game Hunter - You would be looking to fill a niche to play this card. It only hits big creatures, making it a lot worse than Nekrataal and Shriekmaw, unless you really want something black that hits big black creatures or want to limit your removal. The small body hardly makes it a 2 for 1 compared to those creatures.
Cinderbones - It's too slow at whittling away creatures at the 3 mana cost.
Contagion Nim - Likely outcomes are that it will just trade in combat. Or you attack with it a few times and give your opponent a few poison counters, and then they kill it and you've done nothing to their actual life total.
It's really weird, but bone shredder is one of the most included cards on the forums. In fact, including my own list, out of the 5 lists I looked at only one of them didn't run it. That's browndog, and browndog is a lunatic. It's a 3, because of abusability.
I have no idea what chilling shade would do. Paying mana for at least a second power each turn is a bad deal. I would guess it's too much work.
Big Game Hunter is too narrow. 0.
I've wanted to like blind zealot a bunch of times, but a 2/2 intimidate isn't exactly great, and if it is unable to get in then all that potential for a kill spell is foiled.
There are not enough clerics for the cleric guy to work. It's a bad card alone. It's a bad card with one other cleric.
I just don't understand the pestilence rats. I'd call it a 1.
Corrosive mentor is narrower in application than it looks.
Umara Entangler... is pretty bad. I think it's about as good as Blade of the Sixth Pride. That's a 0, right? Maybe it could be a 1.
I'll try not to get onto my soapbox too much, but Monastery Swiftspear, Jhessian Thief, Stormchaser Mage, Seeker of the Way and even Elusive Spellfist all lend themselves to turning incremental prowess boosts into advantageous trades or outright winning combat, because of their higher toughness. Prowess will rarely give you really big boosts, so making the small advantages count is really important for that kind of deck. These cards don't really belong into the same deck as Kiln Fiend, for example.
In the end I think Umara Entangler is the kind of baseline design that needs to exist, but we're basically just waiting for Wizards to make an uncommon upgrade, like they did with Abbot of Keral Keep at rare. Once we have that upgrade, you're never going to consider Entangler again, unless you want to go really, really deep on prowess. So if it's going to be a 0 in the foreseeable future, I'd tend towards a 0 right away. Maybe you could adapt the description to reflect that.
Visions of brutality is worse than that 1 mana card... Crippling blight? I can't check atm but I think that's the one that gives -1/-1 in addition to can't block.
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
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Snapping Gnarlid - 2
Description - Fine as an aggressive option for green. Not much else to say here.
Anchors -
Supports -
Swell of Growth - 1
Description - It's fairly unique, but the question is, when will you want to play it? You want to play it when the pump matters, which is usually after the first few turns when you've cast a creature or two and they are about to get into combat. But you also want to play it when you can get the extra land drop, which makes the window for maximum opportunity pretty narrow. It might have a place in specific cubes that push landfall triggers and land bounce (Quirion Ranger).
Anchors -
Supports - Landfall
Elemental Uprising - 1
Description - It's best use is likely to be in the early game on turn 3, when you can safely run it into a single creature that will die to it (you don’t get to choose what they block with), acting like pseudo-removal. The stats also make it reasonable to act as a defensive combat trick to kill smaller incoming creatures. However the timing is sometimes going to be awkward to use effectively. Corner case of being a pump spell if you play it on an awakened land.
Anchors -
Supports -
Lead By Example - 1
Description - It's not a bad combat trick, and supports +1/+1 counter themes.
Anchors -
Supports - +1/+1 counters
Stalking Drone - 1
Description - The threat of activation on turn 3 is solid. However, requiring colorless to activate is probably tough for most cubes. The likelihood of having a land base that can support this and be sufficiently aggressive is not high, but some cubes may have a land base to consider it.
Anchors -
Supports -
Akoum Stonewaker - ???
Description - I'm not sure how good this one is in practice.
Anchors -
Supports -
Kozilek's Sentinel - 1
Description - 2 mana for a 1/4 can be an unexciting but serviceable blocker, soaking up damage in defensive decks, with the 1 power being a deterrent to your opponent just swinging in with all their x/1's. While it supports colorless, you probably want to see that as a bonus if you are looking to fill your defensive creature quota in red. That said, if you can keep casting colorless spells swinging in early with a 2/4 is not a bad plan. Other red defensive creatures are probably more universal (Mogg War Marshal, Wall of Razors), but this survives sweepers better than most if that is what you are looking for.
Anchors -
Supports - Colorless matters
Makindi Sliderunner - 1
Description - It isn't bad, but it may get lost in the sea of aggro red 2-drops. Cheap red creatures with trample are in short supply, so this fits better in cubes that have a few pump spells or ways to give it +1/+1 counters to take advantage of that.
Anchors -
Supports -
Sure Strike - 2
Description - Standard 'vulnerable to removal in response' clause applies, but otherwise it nearly guarantees you will trade up, or potentially a blowout in a multi-block situation.
Anchors -
Supports -
Brute Strength - 1
Description - Comparable to other pump; it isn't strictly worse than anything and is good if you have a big target to get the trample damage through, but some of the other options are probably going to be more universal (Brute Force without the trample for lower cost and higher survivability, or Sure Strike for the first strike).
Anchors -
Supports -
Sparkmage's Gambit - 1
Description - This could kill a couple of small defenders pre-combat, get past defenders this turn, or being played after combat to help you trade up (or if your opponent doesn't block, fearing the trick, you can just make the creatures not block next turn). Situational, but flexible.
Anchors -
Supports -
Zada's Commando - 2
Description - A 2/1 first striker is a fine early drop for either aggro or control, especially in the color of burn or pingers that can pair nicely with the first strike to trade up. The cohort ability is mostly flavor text, and any synergies in your cube are likely to be incidental and supplementary to the base stats.
Anchors -
Supports -
Oran-Rief Invoker - Not efficient enough.
Rot Shambler - It needs two creatures to die to be above curve. You might be able to set this up in sacrifice decks, but it's too much set up work.
Baloth Pup - Even if you pump it, it still dies to a lot of stuff you would run it into.
Bonds of Mortality - Too narrow.
Loam Larva - If it said 'into your hand' it would be a snap include, if it said 'any land' it would be worth considering. But not with these stats / abilities.
Ruin in Their Wake - You aren't going to have the Wastes to make this worthwhile.
Seek the Wilds - It's probably more likely to find a hit as it searches for the 2 highest density card types in most decks, but Commune With The Gods, Mulch or others are more desirable as they dump cards in the graveyard, providing support archetypes which nearly everybody plays.
Boiling Earth - It doesn't do enough.
Processor Assault - It does nothing for most decks, and will be inconsistent even if you draft whites exile-based removal.
Reckless Cohort - Not worth the drawback.
Immobilizer Eldrazi - There might be certain matchups where this would excel, but it is going to be too inconsistent both in regards to when the ability actually applies to the game state, and getting the colorless mana.
Reality Hemorrhage - Even if you support a colorless matters deck, you would still prefer other burn options in that deck.
Tears of Valakut - The uncounterability doesn't matter enough compared to this not hitting all targets.
If it helps, Sparkmage's Gambit has been decent in Oath-Oath-Battle limited as a main deck-worthy card for aggro decks for the Falter effect, and a sideboard card against deck running multiple X/1s. Maybe a 1?
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
I second Spike, Lead by Example is an OK trick.
Also, Makindi Sliderunner's trample is pretty relevant if you're pushing a sort of Gruul pump archetype, and is pretty unique among red 2 drops.
CubeTutor
Forum
Elemental uprising is very narrow and dangerous to use. not a 2
I think that if you are looking for defensive red cards, mogg war marshal, dragon fodder, and wall of razors are better options than the 1/4.
I don't think sure strike is better than Brute force or weapon surge
I also don't think makindi sliderunner is much better than kruin striker
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
Sparkmage's Gambit - I can see this killing a couple of small defenders pre-combat, getting past defenders this turn, or being played after combat to help you trade up (or if your opponent doesn't block, fearing the trick, you can just make the creatures not block next turn. Situational, but flexible. I'll give a 1 for now, but maybe it could be worth a 2.
Seek The Wilds - I don't thin there is a strong reason to play, hence a 1. If it dumped stuff in the graveyard, it would be a solid role player. Should it be a 0 on the basis that the scenario I described (not supporting some form of graveyard deck) is virtually nonexistent?
Elemental Uprising - Agree with all above statements, will drop to 1.
Kozilek's Sentinel - The 4 toughness provides something the other cards you mentioned can't. It can survive stuff where most of those would trade. Wall of Razors is the exception there, but that is vulnerable to a single point of damage, so Kozoilek's Sentinel is going to be better in sweeper decks. But it can drop to 1.
Sure Strike - I don't think it is better either, but I also don't think it is significantly worse to put it in a lower tier. But that is conjecture without having tried them all.
Makindi Sliderunner - We gave Kruin Striker a 1, but in checking the description, part of the downside there is it forces you to play 'badly' because you need to cast your creatures pre-combat to get the bonus, which isn't the case here. But that also has upside if you follow it with something like Dragon Fodder, and explosive growth is much less likely to happen with Sliderunner. At least Sliderunner's trample is native. So maybe a 1, but could fit the description of a 2, it just gets lost in the sea of other aggro red 2-drop options.
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Gideon's Reproach - 1
Description - It's lower power than a lot of other available removal, but may be a metagame choice to give control decks removal against early creatures while not being removal that marginalises all of the big threats in your cube.
Anchors -
Supports -
Serene Steward - 1
Description - Cross synergy with life gain matters themes and +1/+1 counters. Not requiring a cost makes Ajani Pridemate more desirable for most, but this does let you distribute the counters. If life gain is incidental in your cube, or you don't have at least a handful of repeatable life gain sources, it doesn't belong in your cube.
Anchors - Life Gain Matters
Supports - +1/+1 Counters
Tandem Tactics - 1
Description - This does give you some options whether you are on attack or defense, though is still dependent on the board state. Attacking and your opponent doesn't block and you are racing? Cast after they attack to surprise block and win. Attacking and they do block? Trade up, while leaving untapped creatures to block anything they have left. Survive a sweeper. The life gain is a nice incidental bonus.
Anchors -
Supports -
Immolating Glare - 1
Description - White has higher profile 1 mana removal spells, but this is one of few that doesn't provide your opponent some benefit (life gain, land acceleration) while still hitting a lot of targets.
Anchors -
Supports -
Forerunner of Onslaught - 1
Description - 3/2 base stats are fine, and being able to give it haste if cast after turn 2 is nice. It doesn't really fill a hole you can't get in either of the colours though. It's unlikely you will have many other targets to give haste.
Anchors -
Supports - Colorless Matters
Skyrider Elf - 1
Description - At worst, it is 2/2 flyer for GU which is efficient, with the opportunity for further growth. Most cube owners will want more than just efficiency, but it does have +1/+1 counters if you are pushing that theme.
Anchors -
Supports - +1/+1 Counters
Stormchaser Mage - 2
Description - It can block some early creatures both on the ground and in the air, with the threat of prowess triggers making blocking decisions harder given it's toughness.
Anchors - Spells Matters
Supports -
Weapons Trainer - 1
Description - Fine base stats, so it might make the cut even if you don't draft any equipment. It's nice that it doesn't have to be equipped, so you can just drop the equipment and get the benefit straight away. Because the base stats are already decent, you don't need to go out of your way to add a whole bunch of extra equipment to your cube. Being an Ally is likely to just be incidental.
Anchors -
Supports - Equipment Matters
Fortified Rampart - Wall of Tanglecord exists. Only if you REALLY want only white to have it.
Dazzling Reflection - Too situational.
Kor Bladewhirl - It requires too deep on Allies to work. It might be fine acting like a 'sorcery' that gives your team first strike for an alpha strike, but there are better cards for that, and played on curve this will just be a bear.
Kor Kastigator - There are enough 3/1's with upside (that will actually matter more than 1% of the time) that this falls out of contention.
Ondu Rising - Too many things need to go right for this to be effective.
Stone Haven Medic - Doesn't do enough.
Ondu War Cleric - It's mostly going to be a bear. Even if you have enough incidental Ally support, this is not that good.
Spatial Contortion - It's enticing, but it isn't enough to what amounts to splashing another colour.
Warping Wail - It's enticing, but it isn't enough to what amounts to splashing another colour.
Slab Hammer - Any landfall triggers you might have don't make up for this.
Hedron Crawler - Worse than a mana rock.
I like that weapons trainer is a better gore-house chainwalker in a boros deck, but then it's like... would I cube with it ever? A 2 feels generous, but I can't put my finger on it. Did we grade watchwolf? Is watchwolf a low 2? Is this worse than that enough to be a 1 if so?
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
Also, there are a couple of typos in card names:
Forerunner of Slaughter
Stone Haven Medic
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
CubeTutor
Forum
No problem on Tandem Tactics and Dazzling Beauty downgrades.
Is Weapons Trainer better than Wojek Halberdiers... I don't know. I feel like maybe that could deserve a 1. I like that Weapons Trainer forces you to rate equipment higher, whereas Halberdiers is often just good stats so feels a little less interesting.
But, it's still a good on-curve body with a cool effect when it works. Sounds like a 1.
My 180 Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
I was thinking it when putting together my last post, but didn't specifically say that I'm on board with Weapons Trainer being a 1. It might have come across I was fighting for it to remain a 2.
My 180 Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
4 - Staple - Cards with enough base power that your cube is less powerful from their omission. They are cards that are likely to never rotate out of your cube unless you ban them for being too good.
3 - Strong - These are solid cards that get the job done. Their exclusion is probably an indicator that you are actively not supporting a popular deck / archetype / effect.
2 - Playable - These are good cards, but they are either interchangeable (e.g. lots of removal, aggressive red 2-drops) or are build-around cards that need a little support to be good (Favorable Winds).
1 - Niche - These cards aren't usually considered great, but might be included to support some obscure archetypes, specific interactions, or if going deep on a particular type of deck / archetype / effect.
Unplayable - There isn't a reason to play these over other options, except in extreme cases where you are intentionally depowering an effect.
Blind Zealot - 1
Description - It will suck against other black decks, but that's when you sideboard it out. Elsewhere it can be ok, being evasive damage when you need it, and trading with their biggest threat when you need to. It can be awkward though.
Anchors -
Supports -
Bone Shredder - 3
Description - As a minimum, you get a 3 mana sorcery speed Terror that can chump an attacker during your opponents next attack phase, which is a pretty decent floor. A 1/1 flyer isn't much, but in the late game you might be willing to pay the echo cost. The echo helps it bin itself if you have ways to recurse it, which gives it a unique edge.
Anchors -
Supports -
Cabal Torturer - 1
Description - No way it belongs in fast cubes, but it might be ok in slower cubes that supports graveyard decks. 5 mana activation is a lot, but repeat -2/-2 is also powerful.
Anchors -
Supports -
Chilling Shade - 2
Description - Scored on the basis of allowing your players snow basics, the threat of activation can make this powerful (most similar creatures are bad in multi-color decks). Playing turn 3, dropping your land turn 4 and swinging in with a potential 5/5 flyer can be solid. Caveat that it gets worse the more prevalent instant speed removal is in your cube. Not bad once you are in top deck mode either.
Anchors -
Supports -
Chittering Rats - 2
Description - Good support for aggro / control decks. Sometimes it feels like time walking an opponent, particularly if they are relying on their draw step to draw into more lands. Unless your opponent is on an empty hand, it's a 2 for 1 with an ok body.
Anchors -
Supports -
Crypt Rats - 1
Description - 3 mana is a lot for a 1/1, but can be a good proxy for Pestilence for sweeper control decks. It is a bit awkward though.
Anchors - Sweeper Control
Supports -
Daggerclaw Imp - 1
Description - 3 evasive power is good for 3 mana, but Dauthi Marauder is almost strictly better. There are other 3 power flyers that have other drawbacks, but don't die when they run into spirit tokens, like Necrogen Scudder. It might be an option for bigger cubes that want to go deep on this type of creature.
Anchors -
Supports -
I have no idea what chilling shade would do. Paying mana for at least a second power each turn is a bad deal. I would guess it's too much work.
Big Game Hunter is too narrow. 0.
I've wanted to like blind zealot a bunch of times, but a 2/2 intimidate isn't exactly great, and if it is unable to get in then all that potential for a kill spell is foiled.
There are not enough clerics for the cleric guy to work. It's a bad card alone. It's a bad card with one other cleric.
I just don't understand the pestilence rats. I'd call it a 1.
Corrosive mentor is narrower in application than it looks.
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