I dislike incomplete cycles as well. I still use them, but j dont enjoy it. I haven't and won't put them into my cube until I have the complete cycle, however. And Battlebond lands are crap IMO.
I feel the same way on all three accounts. I do play Scattered Grove in GWB, but am looking for slots once the rest of the cycle is released.
Incomplete cycles have no place in cube for me.
Battlebond lands do not interest me, Basic Typed duals are vastly more versatile, especially in Green.
Archon of Justice is good at blocking, or really just dying. Modest mana cost, decent body, great death ability. One of my favorite cards in reanimation decks due to the CMC and flying body. I do not feel bad trading with an X/4 and getting premium removal to boot. Or just blocks something bigger and removes your choice of targets.
Ashen Rider is much more mana intensive, but doubles up on the value. Sidisi, Undead Vizier has deathtough and good toughness to kill x/5's without dying. Also gets her value on ETB so is less prone to eat removal than say Atraxa. Solemn Simulacrum is a premium blocker with ETB and Death trigger. Love blocking early game with this guy, but usually doesn't kill anything.
Overall, creatures that block well, but don't have any non-keyword abilities are less valuable to me. I tend to like ETB creatures with large toughness for blockers, or any creature with death trigger makes a fine blocker to me. Keyword Soup creatures do make good blockers usually, but largely don't show the value added for just being good in combat. Exceptions exist of course.
Melstrome gets an early Bribery on Marath's Primeval Titan. This created an arms race for lands, for a couple of turns. Maelstrom gets 3 triggers (6 lands) and I get one trigger (2 lands)
Primeval Titan gets targeted for reanimation by Zurgo and I use Scavenger Grounds to exile all graveyards to stop the maddness. This was my biggest mistake of the game since my graveyard was looking pretty good after being milled.
The game goes on and I continue to get milled without having time to cast my Commander due to board state issues. I cast Black Sun's Zenith to wipe the board, and in response Melstrom finished off my library, but Black Sun gets shuffled in. I am fuzzy on the details, but in the aftermath the Alter gets answered and Maelstrom has no creatures to sac to mill Black Sun.
On my next turn I draw Black Sun's Zenith as the last card in my library. Cast is for X=0 and Malestrom casts Stroke of Genius targeting me for 1 card. In response I cast Blue Sun's Zenith targeting me X=0. It gets shuffled in and I draw it from Stroke, and STAY ALIVE.
I die soon after, but was able to loop Black Sun a few more turns. My Graveyard was ravaged, and my hand was left with only draw spells I couldn't use.
I am not sure Flayer of the Hatebound triggers off Gyrus. Gyrus exiles the creature and creates a new token. Nothing is entering the battlefield from the graveyard.
I would not expect to get more than a couple activations off of pod (in my meta). Unless your playgroup is removal light, it should get removed quite quickly. It is a massive value engine and will not go unnoticed at a competent table. I would not build my entire creature base around abusing it when you are likely to have it removed. As long as you have a good creature curve, you should not be lacking targets, and will always get value.
Do not play too many high CMC silver bullets just to make a pod chain. They will get stuck in your hand if you pack too many.
Brutalizer Exarch and Rune-Scarred Demon are both high costed and can be had lower on the curve. Also Rune-Scarred Demon is a blue players toy if they hit any copy effects. At least Sidisi, Undead Vizier required a sacrifice to tutor, so no crazy clone chains can happen. Greenwarden of Murasa is also high on the curve even if it returns two cards. At 6 cmc you will likely want to affect the board a little more unless you are heavy on the mass removal.
I like Woodland Bellower at 6 for the toolbox and Inferno Titan for Haste with Gyrus (except it looks like you don't get double burn triggers). Protean Hulk will always do broken things, if you want to try it out.
Pass on Mindclaw Shaman. I have tried it, and it usually is disappointing. Expecially if there isn't a blue player at the table, which most of the time there is. But still is very hit or miss, and there are better cards at 5 cmc.
I play Trinket Mage with as little as 3 targets. Since it is an ETB and I don't blink, only a single trigger will be common in that particular deck.
For cards that expect multiple triggers, then I would be inclined to play 6-10 cards that work well with that card. Really depends on the deck and the specific card.
Examples: Trinket Mage - 3+ targets unless I'm planning on blinking trinket mage, then start at 5 targets (artifact lands maybe). Crucible of Worlds - 8-10+ lands that put themselves in the graveyard and/or other cards that put lands in graveyards. Right now I'm only playing it Titania, Protector of Argoth where lands in the graveyard is a primary theme. Recruiter of the Guard - 6+ available targets. Preferably more. Life from the Loam - 6+ lands that like the graveyard. Maybe less if your heavy graveyard synergy, which I am. It makes it's own targets, but I would still favor some fetch lands and cycle lands for more synergy. Sunforger - 5-6+ available targets depending on how often I tutor Sunforger. 4 would be quite low, but I never see Sunforger tutor more than 2-3 times. Stoneforge Mystic - 3+ targets. Usually non-equipment decks may have a few targets that will be good enough to warrant Stoneforge for Skullclamp, Lightning Greaves, or Basilisk Collar. Spellseeker - I have not played this card yet, but I anticipate wanting 6+ targets for this card, as I expect to see a small selection of go-to with maybe a silver bullet or two. Pongify and Mana Drain being high on the list. Thousand Year Elixir - This one is tough, although even when my Commander had a Tap effect, I still like about 10+ cards to synergize with this card. Otherwise it risks being dead. 10 would be a minimum for this card.
After typing all this, I am seeing a pattern. Tutors require overall less targets to be effective compared to cards that are simply synergies. Trinket Mage and Stoneforge Mystic are commonly run with only a few targets, where Thousand Year Elixir and others would require a heavy commitment to theme in order to warrant inclusion. It makes sense when the tutors can find their own targets, while others need to have their targets available for as long as they are on the battlefield, which is much more difficult to maintain.
I agree that omitting a combo piece is still a "power factor" reason. I play Kiki-Jiki and purposefully omit the infinite combos. I do play Mystic Snake as a soft lock because its not overpowered, but is a powerful interaction that doesn't win on it's own.
Besides avoiding easy infinite combos, there are few cards (already mentioned) I omit for individual power levels.
My main decks still have combo potential, but to effectively win there are still 3-4 cards required NOT including the Commander.
One mana tutors, or tutors that search without restriction are very powerful. Tutors with strict limitations are much more tame, while still being fun and useful. I have reduced the number of cheap tutors I run, but still find wide use for cards like Recruiter of the Guard, Birthing Pod, and Spellseeker as useful cards to help provide some consistency without being overly linear.
Turns out only Dimir Guildmage got a reprint, solid card, but I was hoping for a few more as well.
Lotus-Eye Mystics are a more aggressive Auramancer, which is always helpful. The additional power and prowess are easily worth 1.
Skyspear Cavalry doublestrike flyers are good in white with equipment. May try this one out to see if I can get it suited up with a Bonesplitter. It is a very efficient flyer in white even without any power boost.
Ultimate Masters is about 1/2 spoiled so far, and already I am seeing some interesting rarity shifts that may make a splash in Pauper. Let me know if you think these cards will see play, or if you are planning on using any of these, and where. I will be watching the remaining spoilers for further interesting rarity shifts. If you see any others that warrant mentioning please let us know.
1. Slum Reaper (downgraded to common) will be a staple in many black decks. The sacrifice will be extremely useful against Hexproof creatures and other Voltron strategies. The lack of board wipes leaves chump blockers around, however being a recurrable creature and a solid 4/2 body makes this card a very good choice for black decks. I do not play any of the edicts at the current moment, but am already looking for a slot in my Jund Token deck for this card.
2. Resurrection (downgraded to common) is another reaminmation effect of the few that put creatures directly to play. These effects are great with large creatures that cycle (Jungle Weaver) as well as just getting back larger finishers late game. See also Breath of Life and False Defeat. I will be playing this in Renegade Rallier.
3. Angel of Despair (downgraded to uncommon) brings a powerful control commander to the table. Being a 5/5 Flyer can take control of a game by itself. The ETB Vindicate is great for controlling the board with blink effects and the above mentioned Resurrection and Breath of Life. While it may be a linear strategy, it is no doubt a powerful effect in Pauper. Even at 7 mana, BW has enough creature manipulation to avoid commander tax after the first casting if you so choose. With only a few auras or equipment to boost power to 7, its an easy 3 turn clock with relevant evasion and clears it's own path of flying blockers.
4. Fire//Ice (downgraded to common) is a very solid effect. Able to split 2 damage at instant speed, or tap any permanent and cantrip. I expect to see this pop up in spellslinger decks across the board. Not sure if it will make the cut in my Gelectrode deck, as I am favoring Jilt in that flex slot. I may have a small burn spell I can take out for testing Fire//Ice's flexibility and power.
5. Original Ravnica Guildmages downgraded to common. Many of these can be strong players in the 99, where they may have been underwhelming as a commander.
Had to remove Protean Hulk from Karador, Ghost Chieftain because the first time I drew it, my only two options were 1. Combo the entire table, or 2. purposefully search a sub-optimal set of cards to keep the game going. Card is too powerful in that deck. The definition of 1 card combo.
I still play Tooth and Nail because I typically avoid 2-card "I WIN" combos, so it doesn't typically break games in my decks. Also it is not a creature sitting in the graveyard begging to be reanimated for more combo annoyingness.
I don't currently play any of these, but I am going to look for a spot for Knight of Autumn for the infinite life off of Reveilark loops. My meta is mostly casual and gaining infinite life is a solid upside compared to the others.
I feel the same way on all three accounts. I do play Scattered Grove in GWB, but am looking for slots once the rest of the cycle is released.
Incomplete cycles have no place in cube for me.
Battlebond lands do not interest me, Basic Typed duals are vastly more versatile, especially in Green.
Creature - Elf
When (~) ETB, search your library for a land card and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
2/2
About as fair as I can make it. Would prefer a 3 cmc 1/1 with the same ability, but that may be too good.
Ambitious Scout 1GG
Creature - Elf
When (~) ETB, search your library for a land card and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
1/1
I want a creature 4 cmc or less that can search for ANY land and put it into my hand or battlefield.
Currently testing Utvenwald Hydra for the same ability as an ETB, but need something cheaper mana wise.
Ashen Rider is much more mana intensive, but doubles up on the value.
Sidisi, Undead Vizier has deathtough and good toughness to kill x/5's without dying. Also gets her value on ETB so is less prone to eat removal than say Atraxa.
Solemn Simulacrum is a premium blocker with ETB and Death trigger. Love blocking early game with this guy, but usually doesn't kill anything.
Overall, creatures that block well, but don't have any non-keyword abilities are less valuable to me. I tend to like ETB creatures with large toughness for blockers, or any creature with death trigger makes a fine blocker to me. Keyword Soup creatures do make good blockers usually, but largely don't show the value added for just being good in combat. Exceptions exist of course.
Melstrome gets an early Bribery on Marath's Primeval Titan. This created an arms race for lands, for a couple of turns. Maelstrom gets 3 triggers (6 lands) and I get one trigger (2 lands)
Maelstrom then casts Alter of Dementia and mills me some when a board wipe hits after his Body Double on Primeval Titan.
Primeval Titan gets targeted for reanimation by Zurgo and I use Scavenger Grounds to exile all graveyards to stop the maddness. This was my biggest mistake of the game since my graveyard was looking pretty good after being milled.
The game goes on and I continue to get milled without having time to cast my Commander due to board state issues. I cast Black Sun's Zenith to wipe the board, and in response Melstrom finished off my library, but Black Sun gets shuffled in. I am fuzzy on the details, but in the aftermath the Alter gets answered and Maelstrom has no creatures to sac to mill Black Sun.
On my next turn I draw Black Sun's Zenith as the last card in my library. Cast is for X=0 and Malestrom casts Stroke of Genius targeting me for 1 card. In response I cast Blue Sun's Zenith targeting me X=0. It gets shuffled in and I draw it from Stroke, and STAY ALIVE.
I die soon after, but was able to loop Black Sun a few more turns. My Graveyard was ravaged, and my hand was left with only draw spells I couldn't use.
I am not sure Flayer of the Hatebound triggers off Gyrus. Gyrus exiles the creature and creates a new token. Nothing is entering the battlefield from the graveyard.
I would not expect to get more than a couple activations off of pod (in my meta). Unless your playgroup is removal light, it should get removed quite quickly. It is a massive value engine and will not go unnoticed at a competent table. I would not build my entire creature base around abusing it when you are likely to have it removed. As long as you have a good creature curve, you should not be lacking targets, and will always get value.
Do not play too many high CMC silver bullets just to make a pod chain. They will get stuck in your hand if you pack too many.
Brutalizer Exarch and Rune-Scarred Demon are both high costed and can be had lower on the curve. Also Rune-Scarred Demon is a blue players toy if they hit any copy effects. At least Sidisi, Undead Vizier required a sacrifice to tutor, so no crazy clone chains can happen. Greenwarden of Murasa is also high on the curve even if it returns two cards. At 6 cmc you will likely want to affect the board a little more unless you are heavy on the mass removal.
I like Woodland Bellower at 6 for the toolbox and Inferno Titan for Haste with Gyrus (except it looks like you don't get double burn triggers). Protean Hulk will always do broken things, if you want to try it out.
+1 for Massacre Wurm
Paradise Mantle is probably what you are looking for. Seems good, and fair.
For cards that expect multiple triggers, then I would be inclined to play 6-10 cards that work well with that card. Really depends on the deck and the specific card.
Examples:
Trinket Mage - 3+ targets unless I'm planning on blinking trinket mage, then start at 5 targets (artifact lands maybe).
Crucible of Worlds - 8-10+ lands that put themselves in the graveyard and/or other cards that put lands in graveyards. Right now I'm only playing it Titania, Protector of Argoth where lands in the graveyard is a primary theme.
Recruiter of the Guard - 6+ available targets. Preferably more.
Life from the Loam - 6+ lands that like the graveyard. Maybe less if your heavy graveyard synergy, which I am. It makes it's own targets, but I would still favor some fetch lands and cycle lands for more synergy.
Sunforger - 5-6+ available targets depending on how often I tutor Sunforger. 4 would be quite low, but I never see Sunforger tutor more than 2-3 times.
Stoneforge Mystic - 3+ targets. Usually non-equipment decks may have a few targets that will be good enough to warrant Stoneforge for Skullclamp, Lightning Greaves, or Basilisk Collar.
Spellseeker - I have not played this card yet, but I anticipate wanting 6+ targets for this card, as I expect to see a small selection of go-to with maybe a silver bullet or two. Pongify and Mana Drain being high on the list.
Thousand Year Elixir - This one is tough, although even when my Commander had a Tap effect, I still like about 10+ cards to synergize with this card. Otherwise it risks being dead. 10 would be a minimum for this card.
After typing all this, I am seeing a pattern. Tutors require overall less targets to be effective compared to cards that are simply synergies. Trinket Mage and Stoneforge Mystic are commonly run with only a few targets, where Thousand Year Elixir and others would require a heavy commitment to theme in order to warrant inclusion. It makes sense when the tutors can find their own targets, while others need to have their targets available for as long as they are on the battlefield, which is much more difficult to maintain.
Besides avoiding easy infinite combos, there are few cards (already mentioned) I omit for individual power levels.
My main decks still have combo potential, but to effectively win there are still 3-4 cards required NOT including the Commander.
What type of tutors?
One mana tutors, or tutors that search without restriction are very powerful. Tutors with strict limitations are much more tame, while still being fun and useful. I have reduced the number of cheap tutors I run, but still find wide use for cards like Recruiter of the Guard, Birthing Pod, and Spellseeker as useful cards to help provide some consistency without being overly linear.
Lotus-Eye Mystics are a more aggressive Auramancer, which is always helpful. The additional power and prowess are easily worth 1.
Skyspear Cavalry doublestrike flyers are good in white with equipment. May try this one out to see if I can get it suited up with a Bonesplitter. It is a very efficient flyer in white even without any power boost.
1. Slum Reaper (downgraded to common) will be a staple in many black decks. The sacrifice will be extremely useful against Hexproof creatures and other Voltron strategies. The lack of board wipes leaves chump blockers around, however being a recurrable creature and a solid 4/2 body makes this card a very good choice for black decks. I do not play any of the edicts at the current moment, but am already looking for a slot in my Jund Token deck for this card.
2. Resurrection (downgraded to common) is another reaminmation effect of the few that put creatures directly to play. These effects are great with large creatures that cycle (Jungle Weaver) as well as just getting back larger finishers late game. See also Breath of Life and False Defeat. I will be playing this in Renegade Rallier.
3. Angel of Despair (downgraded to uncommon) brings a powerful control commander to the table. Being a 5/5 Flyer can take control of a game by itself. The ETB Vindicate is great for controlling the board with blink effects and the above mentioned Resurrection and Breath of Life. While it may be a linear strategy, it is no doubt a powerful effect in Pauper. Even at 7 mana, BW has enough creature manipulation to avoid commander tax after the first casting if you so choose. With only a few auras or equipment to boost power to 7, its an easy 3 turn clock with relevant evasion and clears it's own path of flying blockers.
4. Fire//Ice (downgraded to common) is a very solid effect. Able to split 2 damage at instant speed, or tap any permanent and cantrip. I expect to see this pop up in spellslinger decks across the board. Not sure if it will make the cut in my Gelectrode deck, as I am favoring Jilt in that flex slot. I may have a small burn spell I can take out for testing Fire//Ice's flexibility and power.
5. Original Ravnica Guildmages downgraded to common. Many of these can be strong players in the 99, where they may have been underwhelming as a commander.
I am avoiding Craterhoof Behemoth in my Titania, Protector of Argoth deck because of power reasons.
Debating removing Paradox Engine from Daretti, Scrap Savant artifacts because it's so broken with mana rocks.
Had to remove Protean Hulk from Karador, Ghost Chieftain because the first time I drew it, my only two options were 1. Combo the entire table, or 2. purposefully search a sub-optimal set of cards to keep the game going. Card is too powerful in that deck. The definition of 1 card combo.
I still play Tooth and Nail because I typically avoid 2-card "I WIN" combos, so it doesn't typically break games in my decks. Also it is not a creature sitting in the graveyard begging to be reanimated for more combo annoyingness.
I currently play Qasali pridemage as my only creature based disenchant. I have many other flexible removal including Archon of Justice, Maelstrome Pulse, Anguished Unmaking, and Vindicate.
+1
Hard to keep Karador down. Love his late game staying power. Plus I love graveyard manipulation.