MTG Salvation

Is there potential for Ecstatic Awakener in larger cubes?


Finding enough one drops is hard once you start to get a large sized cube and this is kind of like a one-drop that can come in early and just pickup a Bonesplitter or whatever, and then later on "combine" with one of your other creatures to become something relevant in the mid-game. It also doubles as a 4 drop, sort of similar to a better Crypt Lurker.


On the other hand, Crypt Lurker is hardly an "amazing" card anyway.

This is not bad, either. You can save a creature without losing a card, or act as pseudo-removal.



This is a better Archaeomancer. In red.



And what about this? Elephant Ambush was a thing for a long time, and even if this has not flash, the body is better and the Flashback is cheaper.

I like the Shadowbeast Sighting and the Ardent Elementalist a lot.

im not too high on the captain either. but i dont even run ancient lore, just because my white is too aggressive to waste time on value creatures with weak bodies. And im not swarm either, so the discount is at best 2.

Im defintely going to include the cather, replacing Dawnbringer Cleric without ever playing him once


I also like Ecstatic Awakener, although i dont think i find a spot.

SPC is just Striped Bear. Made white, and modernized. It is not something I would kick out of my deck, but it is not something that I am striving to draft. Good Sealed card.

And to quote Al: "You are going to flicker just to cantrip?"

Getting it for 1 is either late, or you had a broken deck to start with. 2-3 is very likely, and then it is just a 2/2. Now... contrast to our White Phyrexian Rager.... 2/1, 3cmc, gain 1 life.... wait.... he really is not as good as I thought, does trigger Bleed effects.

I guess it comes down to what are you replacing? I buy like 12 cards a set, and only ever fit in 3 nonland most of the time. It could replace an outdated 4cmc and lower your overall curve. But it is technically just a non--evasive filler. I probably 2ill run it because I like centripetal bodies under 4cmc

I can argue for and against these 3 (pictured below). While making a 2/2 Decayed is partially worthless. It does add minor aggression, and bodies for the Sacrifice Architype; specifically Exploit mechanic.

Harvesttide Sentry is a 2cmc 3/1 in green with possible Evasion.

The recent 3cmc Transfo4m/Disturb showings are worth considering if you like Sealed over Draft considerations.
Shady Traveller
Mourning Patrol

Quote from Night_Hydra »

I can argue for and against these 3 (pictured below). While making a 2/2 Decayed is partially worthless. It does add minor aggression, and bodies for the Sacrifice Architype; specifically Exploit mechanic.

Harvesttide Sentry is a 2cmc 3/1 in green with possible Evasion.

The recent 3cmc Transfo4m/Disturb showings are worth considering if you like Sealed over Draft considerations.
Shady Traveller
Mourning Patrol

I am unconvinced that Falcon Abomination is any better than Aven Eternal. Not being able to block is a massive, massive drawback and if I am making bodies just to sac them I'd prefer to have the option of chump blocking.


So far the only real "auto-includes" for me are Consider and Ardent Elementalist. Other ones I will definitely try are:



Organ Hoarder as I have a heavy graveyard theme in my cube.

Secrets of the Key for the same reason.

In the "maybe try" category are:



Famished Foragers

Ecstatic Awakener

Howl of the Hunt I constantly go back and forth on Feral Invocation as a Combat Trick that sticks around and this is technically strictly better.



My cube is at a lower power level than most though. I am also definitely adding the cool-looking new lands.

Don't forget the Cathar Commando. Imo,,the can't miss pick

I like all 4 of these:
-Cathar Commando: Ambush Viper and Disenchant all in one ist kind of unique.
-Search Party Captain: Attacking with 1 creature is not really a corner case and I think that Phyrexian Rager is still slightly above average. I do also support swarm with a lot of 2 mana -> 2 token makers, so this can easily be used to have good turn where you double spell with this.
-Ardent Elementalist: This feels really good to me. Red always has a bunch of nice targets and the ability to trade an X/2 compared to Archaeomancer is great.
-Shadowbeast Sighting: A 4/4 for 4 is still a really good baseline and giving green a little bit of card advantage in the late game definitely doesn't hurt.

Quote from Night_Hydra »

Don't forget the Cathar Commando. Imo,,the can't miss pick

I had forgotten about that actually. I will definitely be giving it a try to. I will probably try Search Party Captain and Shadowbeast sighting to, but I am less high on those.

I kinda like
A 7/6 for 5 is huge

is a decent non cantripping cantrip

full spoiler is up.
only change in t1 -Dawnbringer Cleric+Cathar Commando

8 cards for t2 though, so not a total bummer.

everybody disappointed?

I did actually find a slot for all the 4 cards I was interested in:
Farrel's Zealot > Cathar Commando
Master of Diversion > Search Party Captain
Blood Ogre > Ardent Elementalist
Arrogant Wurm > Shadowbeast Sighting

I think Voracious Typhon is the better Shadowbeast Sighting

never expected you let go of the zealot

its also kinda crazy the 3/3 fs ogres arent good enough anymore. I also cut them moons ago.

Quote from Humphrey »

I think Voracious Typhon is the better Shadowbeast Sighting

The first 4/4 doesn't need to be dead to cast the 2nd one. There is a lot of exile/enchantment removal, which prevents the Typhon from coming back.

Quote from Humphrey »

never expected you let go of the zealot

Me neither. It always hurts to let go of a pet card and I still think it's underrated, but my fellow drafters rarely ever pick it.

Quote from Humphrey »

its also kinda crazy the 3/3 fs ogres arent good enough anymore. I also cut them moons ago.

I did cut Splatter Thug a while ago, but Blood Ogre was always better, with the ability to block as a 3/3. I'm still not entirely sure that it was the right cut, but with the inclusion of a madness theme I basically had to let go all most of the "vanilla" 3/2s and 3/3s which don't support any archetypes.

i certainly have more bounce than exile effects and typhon can "flashback" multiple times

Quote from Humphrey »

i certainly have more bounce than exile effects and typhon can "flashback" multiple times

After a quick count through your cube, I counted 10 exile/aura removal, which don't kill and 9 bounce effects, which can actively bounce an opponents creature of your choice. (I have 13/10 in my cube)
I think booth are good, but for exile/aura-removal slightly outweighing bounce effects and the fact, that the first token doesn't need to be dead in the first place I like the Sightning a little bit more.

yeah probably on par then. i still like the typon more. sightings is very interesting with populate though

Adding Cathar Commando, could mean cutting Q. Pridemage from GW, and opens up a slot for Captured by Lagacs

Quote from Night_Hydra »

Adding Cathar Commando, could mean cutting Q. Pridemage from GW, and opens up a slot for Captured by Lagacs

sure, but an additioal disenchant doesnt hurt and im not a fan of legacs

I do think that Captured by Lagacs is better than Armadillo Cloak anyway. It's the difference versus adding 2 p/t to the board for 3 mana and gaining lifelink, vs adding 2 p/t to the board and removing a creature.

i still dont agree. mv3 removal is awfully slow, dualcolored even more and you need other creatures for the full effect. armdillo is one of the best commons ever printed and can easily turn a game.
id replace travel prep for it, cuz its kinda similiar