I'm also confused where Leelue is getting those numbers from.
Easy:
1) Because cards with level up start on level zero, I became convinced that these cards (which also refer to what level they're on) worked the same way. It seemed really intuitive that they'd keep the same convention, especially because sagas explicitly state that they start on chapter 1.
2) I thought of it as 1 for the base effect, and then as 1B or whatever twice to get the class to level 2. Each segment of the card was a new installment of payments in my accounting. Like how I'd say "Jade mage used to be scary, but nowadays paying 3 mana to make a token is tame."
Those two together led me to say something as strange as "4 mana to draw a card off of Warlock class."
There are quite a few white cards which either immediately or eventually generate 2+ creatures, so I think Basri's Solidarity being better when there are 3 creatures is a relevant upside. I think White being light on Anthem effects is a real issue, and Basri's Solidarity is a decent answer to that.
But even at 3 creatures, I'm not convinced that Basri's solidarity is better more than half the time. If all three creatures are spirit tokens then certainly. Or if the numbers line up just right on your third choice. But needing such a setup or 4+ creatures stretches believability for an average case scenario.
I guess having 6 mana for entwine is less likely than having 4 bodies to be fair.
//
Oh no
So I just cut all of the essentially unblockable creatures from the cube, since I'm prioritizing interaction with this update. I just realized that Lust for War is a lot like a red Latch Seeker, and probably violates my new ideology. Worse, it's harder to interact with at card parity. I might swap it out to give Toggo one last emergency trial run.
(It's not like aggro needs the help anymore for me anyway. But Toggo just keeps seeming like a huge tempo black hole.)
//
EDIT: Holy moly, 49% of my nonland cards cost 1 or 2 mana
The second thing I do with this list is find the cards I play that very few others do (8 or fewer total cubes). A lot of those are my weird Un- cards, Conspiracies, Snow matters and so on. But there are also a few other rarely played commons and uncommons that I want to make a case for.
Portent- The "slowtrip" downside is certainly a bummer, but only matters in scenarios where you have enough mana to then cast the next card from a Ponder. Otherwise, the Fateseal-like ability is pretty interesting and has a high ceiling even with a low floor. I cube this over several more popular one-mana spells like Brainstorm, Opt, Thought Scour, and Serum Visions.
Soltari Trooper- Functionally a 2/1 unblockable that cannot block for 1W. Brings no synergies by itself, but wears +1/+1 counters real well.
Gird for Battle- Speaking of +1/+1 counters. A synergy card that does nothing on its own, but brings two extra power (and toughness) to the board for a cheap cost. Sort of a 2/2 haste for W with some set-up costs.
Feywild Caretaker- The initiative mechanic has caused a lot of commotion in constructed formats, so not surprised about people being cautious, but 22 of y'all ARE playing Palace Jailer. At the core, you get a 3/4 with a 1/1 flier and put a basic into hand. The two bodies should hold the fort until next turn, where you get more bonuses. Caretaker passes the test as a 5+ drop with immediate value and potential to take over the game.
Zhentarim Bandit- A card that only one person, Wolnim, is playing. It has three downsides compared to Magda, Brazen Outlaw, but that card has been pretty good in powered cubes. Definitely looking for a cut to add Bandit.
Any unique cards that you want to advocate from your Peasant Cube?
Any unique cards that you want to advocate from your Peasant Cube?
Great idea! Sadly, I don't have many cards to talk about. Only about 8% of my cube even qualifies.
Feat of Resistance - I've talked about this one before. Feat plays in the same space as Shelter, Sejiri Shelter, and to a lesser extent Valorous Stance, which are all seeing play in 09-14 lists this time around. But, I know more than 8 of us are supporting +1/+1 counters matters in GW. For those of us who are, I'd argue you should be running Feat over these other options as it gives you a way to put a counter onto a creature without taking up a dedicated slot just for that effect.
Aven Eternal - If you're running Eldrazi Skyspawner, I think you should be running this instead. These cards are quite similar, the differences being their toughness and the type of token they make. I found that the extra mana from the spawn token is rarely relevant, and Eternal's extra point of toughness matters with so many 1/1 fliers in most Peasant lists (e.g. spirit tokens, bird tokens, bird illusion tokens). Also, the 1/1 amass token can sometimes trade/make a double block profitable.
Hour of Need - Last but not least, my pet card. Only two other people are running it, but it does so much. Blank a removal spell AND make a 4/4 flyer? Check. Ambush an attacker? Check. Swing a race? Check. Hell, you can even use it as a terrible Beast Within if you really needed to. But, the biggest argument for Hour of Need is that it gives UG and other controlling Ux decks a payoff for reaching the late game that closes games fast. All of a sudden those mana dorks and roadblock creatures turn into an army of flying 4/4's. If you've never played with this one before, consider giving it a chance!
Any unique cards that you want to advocate from your Peasant Cube?
My cube is more of an oddball - 38% of my cards appear in 8 or less cubes.
Flame Sweep - Pyroclasm is pretty popular, but this variant offers two advantages for just one more mana. Instant speed makes it more useful post combat or in response. And exempting your flying creatures can provide one-sided advantage, especially in Boros or Izzet decks. It's currently in only 6 cubes.
Tomebound Lich - Lifelink, deathtouch, and loot on both ETB and on hitting a player. It can set up reanimator or just filter cards, and plays as a good rattlesnake blocker or to apply pressure. It's also in only 6 cubes. I suppose it competes in a similar space to Shadowmage Infiltrator, but I really like the Lich.
I've been trying to play with and like hour of need for years. 3 mana just keeps proving too much to hold up, even if the blowout potential is high. 5 mana to turn 2 guys into 4/4 flyers is probably the mode you're really playing it for imo.
I'll give feat of resistance a shot. I really don't like my last one or two white cards, and this will do serviceably.
I'm really surprised to hear "I find the mana from the spawn token to be rarely relevant" about eldrazi skyspawner. Blue is probably the most mana hungry color thanks to both card draw and "spending" mana often to leave up responses. I would argue that you should re-evaluate this position and retry the skyspawner. Even though I personally moved on to Malcolm, Keen-eyed navigator.
I actually am running Zhentarim Bandit, and it's been perfectly fine. If your opponent thinks they're the aggro or if they have valuable bodies they don't want to block with on your turn 3 (a perfectly common occurrance), it's becoming two treasure tokens altogether. That's a hell of a lot of tempo.
Are people not actually running Rushing River? It still remains as one of my favorite tempo swings in the cube.
Easy:
1) Because cards with level up start on level zero, I became convinced that these cards (which also refer to what level they're on) worked the same way. It seemed really intuitive that they'd keep the same convention, especially because sagas explicitly state that they start on chapter 1.
2) I thought of it as 1 for the base effect, and then as 1B or whatever twice to get the class to level 2. Each segment of the card was a new installment of payments in my accounting. Like how I'd say "Jade mage used to be scary, but nowadays paying 3 mana to make a token is tame."
Those two together led me to say something as strange as "4 mana to draw a card off of Warlock class."
But even at 3 creatures, I'm not convinced that Basri's solidarity is better more than half the time. If all three creatures are spirit tokens then certainly. Or if the numbers line up just right on your third choice. But needing such a setup or 4+ creatures stretches believability for an average case scenario.
I guess having 6 mana for entwine is less likely than having 4 bodies to be fair.
//
Oh no
So I just cut all of the essentially unblockable creatures from the cube, since I'm prioritizing interaction with this update. I just realized that Lust for War is a lot like a red Latch Seeker, and probably violates my new ideology. Worse, it's harder to interact with at card parity. I might swap it out to give Toggo one last emergency trial run.
(It's not like aggro needs the help anymore for me anyway. But Toggo just keeps seeming like a huge tempo black hole.)
//
EDIT: Holy moly, 49% of my nonland cards cost 1 or 2 mana
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
Portent- The "slowtrip" downside is certainly a bummer, but only matters in scenarios where you have enough mana to then cast the next card from a Ponder. Otherwise, the Fateseal-like ability is pretty interesting and has a high ceiling even with a low floor. I cube this over several more popular one-mana spells like Brainstorm, Opt, Thought Scour, and Serum Visions.
Soltari Trooper- Functionally a 2/1 unblockable that cannot block for 1W. Brings no synergies by itself, but wears +1/+1 counters real well.
Gird for Battle- Speaking of +1/+1 counters. A synergy card that does nothing on its own, but brings two extra power (and toughness) to the board for a cheap cost. Sort of a 2/2 haste for W with some set-up costs.
Feywild Caretaker- The initiative mechanic has caused a lot of commotion in constructed formats, so not surprised about people being cautious, but 22 of y'all ARE playing Palace Jailer. At the core, you get a 3/4 with a 1/1 flier and put a basic into hand. The two bodies should hold the fort until next turn, where you get more bonuses. Caretaker passes the test as a 5+ drop with immediate value and potential to take over the game.
Zhentarim Bandit- A card that only one person, Wolnim, is playing. It has three downsides compared to Magda, Brazen Outlaw, but that card has been pretty good in powered cubes. Definitely looking for a cut to add Bandit.
Any unique cards that you want to advocate from your Peasant Cube?
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
Great idea! Sadly, I don't have many cards to talk about. Only about 8% of my cube even qualifies.
Feat of Resistance - I've talked about this one before. Feat plays in the same space as Shelter, Sejiri Shelter, and to a lesser extent Valorous Stance, which are all seeing play in 09-14 lists this time around. But, I know more than 8 of us are supporting +1/+1 counters matters in GW. For those of us who are, I'd argue you should be running Feat over these other options as it gives you a way to put a counter onto a creature without taking up a dedicated slot just for that effect.
Aven Eternal - If you're running Eldrazi Skyspawner, I think you should be running this instead. These cards are quite similar, the differences being their toughness and the type of token they make. I found that the extra mana from the spawn token is rarely relevant, and Eternal's extra point of toughness matters with so many 1/1 fliers in most Peasant lists (e.g. spirit tokens, bird tokens, bird illusion tokens). Also, the 1/1 amass token can sometimes trade/make a double block profitable.
Hour of Need - Last but not least, my pet card. Only two other people are running it, but it does so much. Blank a removal spell AND make a 4/4 flyer? Check. Ambush an attacker? Check. Swing a race? Check. Hell, you can even use it as a terrible Beast Within if you really needed to. But, the biggest argument for Hour of Need is that it gives UG and other controlling Ux decks a payoff for reaching the late game that closes games fast. All of a sudden those mana dorks and roadblock creatures turn into an army of flying 4/4's. If you've never played with this one before, consider giving it a chance!
Flame Sweep - Pyroclasm is pretty popular, but this variant offers two advantages for just one more mana. Instant speed makes it more useful post combat or in response. And exempting your flying creatures can provide one-sided advantage, especially in Boros or Izzet decks. It's currently in only 6 cubes.
Tomebound Lich - Lifelink, deathtouch, and loot on both ETB and on hitting a player. It can set up reanimator or just filter cards, and plays as a good rattlesnake blocker or to apply pressure. It's also in only 6 cubes. I suppose it competes in a similar space to Shadowmage Infiltrator, but I really like the Lich.
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
I'll give feat of resistance a shot. I really don't like my last one or two white cards, and this will do serviceably.
I'm really surprised to hear "I find the mana from the spawn token to be rarely relevant" about eldrazi skyspawner. Blue is probably the most mana hungry color thanks to both card draw and "spending" mana often to leave up responses. I would argue that you should re-evaluate this position and retry the skyspawner. Even though I personally moved on to Malcolm, Keen-eyed navigator.
I actually am running Zhentarim Bandit, and it's been perfectly fine. If your opponent thinks they're the aggro or if they have valuable bodies they don't want to block with on your turn 3 (a perfectly common occurrance), it's becoming two treasure tokens altogether. That's a hell of a lot of tempo.
Are people not actually running Rushing River? It still remains as one of my favorite tempo swings in the cube.
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