I'm surprised to not see discussion on Annihilating glare. Bone Shards and Eaten Alive are the closest competition. Annihilating Glare seems the most generically strong, but I guess Bone Shards' discard mode is useful for reanimator.
I'm surprised to not see discussion on Annihilating glare. Bone Shards and Eaten Alive are the closest competition. Annihilating Glare seems the most generically strong, but I guess Bone Shards' discard mode is useful for reanimator.
It's not even that it's useful for reanimator, it just gives you an emergency hatch. One of my absolute favorite things about magic is knowing when to trade cards for tempo. It's no force of will, arcane denial, or path to exile, but it gets the job done.
Phyrexia All Will Be One is a really sweet set, even though there are a number of mechanics that clearly aren’t going to overlap with your average cube. I personally won’t be adding anything with Toxic or Corrupted, but the design is a significant improvement on the original implementation of Infect and it's the first time in a while that I've got the itch to put together a set cube. I think the big winner here is clearly the RW equipment archetype, which if we weren’t already at a critical mass of quality payoffs and enablers, then we certainly are now. Some other takeaways from ONE would be the strength of the proliferate cards and the printing of several very powerful removal spells.
Here are the cards that I plan to add to my cube. The number next to the card name is the # rating that I gave the card on the Lucky Paper survey (https://luckypaper.co/survey/one/ - If you're looking for quality cube content, I'd recommend checking out their podcast). For those not familiar, the rating is from 1 to 3 and is a metric of how likely you expect the card to stay in your cube long term. Notable in that regard is that it’s not intended to be a measure of power level, but of compatibility with your cube goals.
Hexgold Hoverwings 2.6
The base body is a bit under-stated, but a 3 power flier is always a threat and the equipment it leaves behind is no joke. I like that the static ability provides an actual payoff, albeit minor, for the equipment deck.
Planar Disruption 2.8
This and Ossification are great additions to the suite of powerful removal we have access to. Ultimately settled on adding Planar Disruption due to it being a slightly cleaner design.
Experimental Augury 2.0 Impulse and to a lesser extent Anticipate have always been fringe playable. Currently I don’t have much counter support outside of GW, but in the interest of making the counter deck a little less insular, I have been looking to bleed support into another color. Blue seems like the best option, and Experimental Augury will help move in that direction.
Trawler Drake 1.8
Sits at a nice place on the curve, and I could use one more solid “spells” payoff in blue. Hoping that triggering off noncreatures means this is more likely to see play outside of just UR.
Drown in Ichor 2.0
Interesting that this is the first time we get -4/-4 at 1B, and they tack proliferate on it basically for free. Sorcery speed is obviously a ding, but I actually don’t mind having a chunk of my removal be sorcery since running too many instant removal spells start to invalidate combat tricks.
Hexgold Halberd 2.6 Barbed Batterfist 2.4
These two slot in as solid 2-drops that continue to increase the equipment density for the RW archetype. I wasn’t totally sold on Barbed Batterfist until I realized that it can also moonlight as a bad sacrifice outlet, so I could see it played in RB as well.
Chimney Rabble 2.4
As mentioned by others, I think this compares favorably to Beetleback Chief. I particularly like how well it works in a racing situation, pushing damage while also leaving behind a blocker.
Rebel Salvo 2.6
Easy add for anyone with an equipment theme.
Blazing Crescendo 1.6
I like combat tricks, I like impulse draws, put both on a single card and you’ve got me interested. I don’t expect this to stick around for too long, but it looks like a fun card to play so I’m happy to test it while it lasts.
Cankerbloom 2.8 Contagious Vorrac 2.6
Lumping these two together as you can basically say the same about both: fantastic base rate that you’d be happy to play in almost any deck, and the added option to proliferate makes them particularly enticing as payoffs for counters decks in green.
Armored Scrapgorger 2.0
A nice little package of mana fixing, graveyard hate, and a relevant late-game body. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on if repeatable graveyard hate like this is too oppressive to the graveyard decks that are just finally starting to feel competitive in my environment.
Atraxa's Skitterfang 2.6
One of my favorite cards from the set, the cute little Skitterfang helps enable attacks and can easily break through board stalls. It’s a cool design that is both powerful and also gives players a lot of agency.
Something I realized I missed on Armored Scrapgorger is that you need a target in the graveyard in order to trigger the tap ability for an oil counter. Playing in ONE booster draft, the ability was not super reliable to trigger on turn 3, although you can work towards the ability by making trades and casting instant/sorceries yourself. Definitely makes me less fond of the card, although the overall package has some significant power to it.
-It's funny how that sort of thing can be not very clear, even to experienced players. I have this problem with my own custom-card cube.
Still, I've been under the impression that it's too unreliable to be good enough by just a hair. And unlike the other "mana dudes at 2 that become beaters", this one doesn't bulk up right away if it's topdecked.
In
Barbed Batterfist out Keldon Mauraders out. Much more permanent.
Cacophony Scamp out Fireblade Charger same card bigger upside
Chimney Rabble out not sure.. maybe Burning Prophet I have too many spells cards. beetleback chief is not in modern
Cankerbloom out Outland Liberator
Atraxa's Skitterfang out Towashi Guide-Bot
Maybe
Swooping Lookout v Battlefield Raptor I think first strike is better but being an artifact creature is relevant for me. Very close maybe.
Hexgold Halberd
Bladehold War-Whip good card but I don't think I have enough equipment
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Armored Scrapgorger - Replacing Paradise Druid
Cankerbloom - Replacing Pollenbright Druid
Also, I'm not sold on Against All Odds, but I'm going to test it out and remove Vizier of Deferment.
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
It's not even that it's useful for reanimator, it just gives you an emergency hatch. One of my absolute favorite things about magic is knowing when to trade cards for tempo. It's no force of will, arcane denial, or path to exile, but it gets the job done.
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
Here are the cards that I plan to add to my cube. The number next to the card name is the # rating that I gave the card on the Lucky Paper survey (https://luckypaper.co/survey/one/ - If you're looking for quality cube content, I'd recommend checking out their podcast). For those not familiar, the rating is from 1 to 3 and is a metric of how likely you expect the card to stay in your cube long term. Notable in that regard is that it’s not intended to be a measure of power level, but of compatibility with your cube goals.
Hexgold Hoverwings 2.6
The base body is a bit under-stated, but a 3 power flier is always a threat and the equipment it leaves behind is no joke. I like that the static ability provides an actual payoff, albeit minor, for the equipment deck.
Planar Disruption 2.8
This and Ossification are great additions to the suite of powerful removal we have access to. Ultimately settled on adding Planar Disruption due to it being a slightly cleaner design.
Experimental Augury 2.0
Impulse and to a lesser extent Anticipate have always been fringe playable. Currently I don’t have much counter support outside of GW, but in the interest of making the counter deck a little less insular, I have been looking to bleed support into another color. Blue seems like the best option, and Experimental Augury will help move in that direction.
Trawler Drake 1.8
Sits at a nice place on the curve, and I could use one more solid “spells” payoff in blue. Hoping that triggering off noncreatures means this is more likely to see play outside of just UR.
Drown in Ichor 2.0
Interesting that this is the first time we get -4/-4 at 1B, and they tack proliferate on it basically for free. Sorcery speed is obviously a ding, but I actually don’t mind having a chunk of my removal be sorcery since running too many instant removal spells start to invalidate combat tricks.
Hexgold Halberd 2.6
Barbed Batterfist 2.4
These two slot in as solid 2-drops that continue to increase the equipment density for the RW archetype. I wasn’t totally sold on Barbed Batterfist until I realized that it can also moonlight as a bad sacrifice outlet, so I could see it played in RB as well.
Chimney Rabble 2.4
As mentioned by others, I think this compares favorably to Beetleback Chief. I particularly like how well it works in a racing situation, pushing damage while also leaving behind a blocker.
Rebel Salvo 2.6
Easy add for anyone with an equipment theme.
Blazing Crescendo 1.6
I like combat tricks, I like impulse draws, put both on a single card and you’ve got me interested. I don’t expect this to stick around for too long, but it looks like a fun card to play so I’m happy to test it while it lasts.
Cankerbloom 2.8
Contagious Vorrac 2.6
Lumping these two together as you can basically say the same about both: fantastic base rate that you’d be happy to play in almost any deck, and the added option to proliferate makes them particularly enticing as payoffs for counters decks in green.
Armored Scrapgorger 2.0
A nice little package of mana fixing, graveyard hate, and a relevant late-game body. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on if repeatable graveyard hate like this is too oppressive to the graveyard decks that are just finally starting to feel competitive in my environment.
Bladehold War-Whip 2.8
C+V from Rebel Salvo: Easy add for anyone with an equipment theme.
Atraxa's Skitterfang 2.6
One of my favorite cards from the set, the cute little Skitterfang helps enable attacks and can easily break through board stalls. It’s a cool design that is both powerful and also gives players a lot of agency.
Formerly hedgehogger
Also that's a great idea for a rating system
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
Formerly hedgehogger
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
Still, I've been under the impression that it's too unreliable to be good enough by just a hair. And unlike the other "mana dudes at 2 that become beaters", this one doesn't bulk up right away if it's topdecked.
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