Speaks to the power level of peasant and the importance of the curve, as it's probably one of the best uncommons in a limited set in a long time. The dream was going Horned Kopesh->Charging Monstrosaur, as much as a dream could live in the horrible world of IXL limited.
It's a good option if you want to double up on that kind of effect. I can see it working in a token deck combined with cards like Zealous Persecution and token lords. Just have to make sure you get your timing right and aren't blown out.
That new Infest variant- Golden Demise- seems like a strange card from a draft perspective. Would you draft it as the token deck under the premise that you might have Ascended and can therefore make this a one-sided effect? If not, do you want it as a sideboard card against the other small creature decks? I think the decks that want to draft this will most often be the controlling decks that prefer different Infest versions, but it is probably more interesting than those other cards if you have a dedicated token deck in black.
If you're in a deck that could end up in stalemates (i.e. every deck in IXL limited) it seems like a great card there. In IXL limited it seems like that was par the course since the removal was horrible, this card would've absolutely wrecked a ton of boards there. Peasant is a bit more fine tuned and efficient, but I would've MDd this in every black IXL deck.
That new Infest variant- Golden Demise- seems like a strange card from a draft perspective. Would you draft it as the token deck under the premise that you might have Ascended and can therefore make this a one-sided effect? If not, do you want it as a sideboard card against the other small creature decks? I think the decks that want to draft this will most often be the controlling decks that prefer different Infest versions, but it is probably more interesting than those other cards if you have a dedicated token deck in black.
I feel it fits in the Black Red Sweepers deck really well as it can count lands. I feel its going to be a fairly strong staple in that deck.
Rakdos Sweeper can have mana rocks, guardian idol/chimeric idol, pacification array, maybe a big butt blocker or two. Should be able to get there before the very late game reasonably often.
Out of curiosity, what does said deck (Rakdos Sweepers) look like? I know I am down to very few cards that could be considered sweepers in either color- just Pyroclasm, Savage Alliance, and Slice and Dice.
There's an archetpye threat around which has a list of cards, but it might be outdated by now. You could also check my cubetutor list, I support the archetype.
Golden Demise: I support Rakdos sweepers as well. I run Drown in Sorrow and Rising Miasma on the -2/-2 front. Rising Miasma has the upside of being able to give you a beater after clearing the board, so that's not going to get replaced. Golden Demise's advantage is probably not so super relevant...
During spoiler season, one of my metrics for evaluating cards is the "foil, signed Otherworldly Outburst test" -- a.k.a. assuming the cards are basically at bulk foil prices (20-30 cents), which would I consider buying for cube use... regardless of whether they're a 1% chance at inclusion or a 100% slam-dunk.
This set... looks baaaad. Power level is low, tribal themes don't translate for us at all, and Raid/Enrage/Ascend aren't exactly the most inspiring mechanic (though obviously if you slap them on something with a good base rate, they can still be totally fine). Yes, it's the day before full spoilers, with lots of C/U cards remaining, but when a nerfed Rampant Growth is a key uncommon in the set, I'm not very optimistic.
With that said, here's what's currently passing the FSOOT:
Golden Demise: I think you need a redundancy of sweepers in a color to make it worth building a "sweeper" deck in those colors; so it's not just about this being better than, e.g. Drown in Sorrow (it's not), but that it offers an extra playable option. I don't think I'll add it to Drown / Famine / Pestilence, but it's certainly solid as Infest with occasional upside, particularly for a control deck with Lingering Souls or similar.
Skymarcher Aspirant: duh. I'm not sure how many dozens of games you'd need to play for its upside to actually decide a game (vs just having an Elite Vanguard), but +points for Winona Nelson art.
Ravenous Chupacabra: absurd uncommon to show up in a set like this. Whether it's a trade for a different "187" creature or just an addition, this is an instant staple.
Secrets of the Golden City: it's on the low end of the FSOOT threshold, but I like the effect... and not the mana cost. Probably just worse than Hieroglyphic Illumination at a similar job.
Thrashing Brontodon: at first glance it's either a passable vanilla creature or an awful 4-mana Disenchant, but... well, that's kinda what it is. If you think you'll reliably have a target for it, you'd rather have a Reclamation Sage/Conclave Naturalists; if you don't have a target, are you going to leave a 1GG 3/4 in your deck? I think it adds up to enough, but not by a large margin.
Randomly curious, and not that it affects card evaluations in any meaningful way, but why does everyone keep comparing Dusk Legion Zealot to Elvish Visionary rather than Phyrexian Rager?
I know it's a 2-drop like Visionary, but isn't the design much more like Rager? Just costing one less for a reduction of 1/1?
Rager costs 50% more mana
Rager has 100% more power and toughness
Visionary... saves you 5% of your starting ife total
And is in a completely different color with different a different part of the color pie. Of course green gets more efficient creatures with less drawbacks than black. It just seems odd to me.
Color pie matters infinitely less than P/T and CMC, though.
Like, I play Sunlance and not Strafe so I get what you mean -- but it's not like Elvish Visionary is kept out my list because there's too many other good 2cmc creatures in green. It's just a weak, filler effect that doesn't translate well in cube.
That MIGHT be slightly different in black -- more sac outlets and death triggers, like I mentioned -- but I doubt it.
Mutiny is a good removal spell if you're a control deck playing against an aggro deck, because most of their creatures will kill each other, but that's about it.
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Do you want an Elvish Visionary that kicks you in the shins?
Do you want a Visionary, period?
My cube discussion thread
very aggressive izzet 3 drop.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/peasantsnowcube
-- Updated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction
The PioneWer Peasant CUbe
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/pionewer
-- Updated with Murders at Karlov Manor
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
I feel it fits in the Black Red Sweepers deck really well as it can count lands. I feel its going to be a fairly strong staple in that deck.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/peasantsnowcube
-- Updated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction
The PioneWer Peasant CUbe
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/pionewer
-- Updated with Murders at Karlov Manor
There's an archetpye threat around which has a list of cards, but it might be outdated by now. You could also check my cubetutor list, I support the archetype.
WiJ
Peasant 540 Cube
Thinking about Fanatical Firebrand too.
My 720 Peasant Cube
Fanatical Firebrand is for people who want a second, worse Mogg Fanatic and Fanatic is already mostly just bad.
During spoiler season, one of my metrics for evaluating cards is the "foil, signed Otherworldly Outburst test" -- a.k.a. assuming the cards are basically at bulk foil prices (20-30 cents), which would I consider buying for cube use... regardless of whether they're a 1% chance at inclusion or a 100% slam-dunk.
This set... looks baaaad. Power level is low, tribal themes don't translate for us at all, and Raid/Enrage/Ascend aren't exactly the most inspiring mechanic (though obviously if you slap them on something with a good base rate, they can still be totally fine). Yes, it's the day before full spoilers, with lots of C/U cards remaining, but when a nerfed Rampant Growth is a key uncommon in the set, I'm not very optimistic.
With that said, here's what's currently passing the FSOOT:
Golden Demise: I think you need a redundancy of sweepers in a color to make it worth building a "sweeper" deck in those colors; so it's not just about this being better than, e.g. Drown in Sorrow (it's not), but that it offers an extra playable option. I don't think I'll add it to Drown / Famine / Pestilence, but it's certainly solid as Infest with occasional upside, particularly for a control deck with Lingering Souls or similar.
Storm Fleet Sprinter: Phantom Warrior with an extra combat phase is decent. Izzet can do better, though.
Dusk Legion Zealot: I've never played or liked Elvish Visionary, but it's like 5% more interesting when on-color with Blood Artist.
Skymarcher Aspirant: duh. I'm not sure how many dozens of games you'd need to play for its upside to actually decide a game (vs just having an Elite Vanguard), but +points for Winona Nelson art.
Ravenous Chupacabra: absurd uncommon to show up in a set like this. Whether it's a trade for a different "187" creature or just an addition, this is an instant staple.
Secrets of the Golden City: it's on the low end of the FSOOT threshold, but I like the effect... and not the mana cost. Probably just worse than Hieroglyphic Illumination at a similar job.
Thrashing Brontodon: at first glance it's either a passable vanilla creature or an awful 4-mana Disenchant, but... well, that's kinda what it is. If you think you'll reliably have a target for it, you'd rather have a Reclamation Sage/Conclave Naturalists; if you don't have a target, are you going to leave a 1GG 3/4 in your deck? I think it adds up to enough, but not by a large margin.
I know it's a 2-drop like Visionary, but isn't the design much more like Rager? Just costing one less for a reduction of 1/1?
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Rager costs 50% more mana
Rager has 100% more power and toughness
Visionary... saves you 5% of your starting ife total
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Like, I play Sunlance and not Strafe so I get what you mean -- but it's not like Elvish Visionary is kept out my list because there's too many other good 2cmc creatures in green. It's just a weak, filler effect that doesn't translate well in cube.
That MIGHT be slightly different in black -- more sac outlets and death triggers, like I mentioned -- but I doubt it.
My 720 Peasant Cube