I really like Knucklebone Witch and have toyed around with it but could never get it dialed in. I may give it another chance though.
I think it’s a missed opportunity to be running 4x KW and 4x Mogg War Marshal but not any Skirk Prospector. Combat tricks, ramp, utility.
I like where your head’s at with most everything else, but I can’t get onboard with the ‘no two-ofs ever’ line of thought. And that explanation as to why is just way too facile. It’s just really not that simple. What if I want to be able to fetch two of something? What if a piece is important enough that I want to have access to another in case one gets destroyed or discarded? What if I want the option of having two of the same thing on the board simultaneously? What if I want two of something in my deck and not zero, one, three, or four? There’s a spectrum of necessity. Some cards warrant three-ofs. Some don’t. I increase my chances of drawing something by running one more than one. I decrease my chances of drawing something if I’m running one less than three. That’s just way too simplistic, man.
Other than that I really dig the brainstorming. I’m interested to see if Wort is worth it. I just don’t like a 4-drop that does to bolt like that and doesn’t do something as soon as she comes down. There’s a lot of competition in that 4-drop slot. I’m curious how the anecdotal evidence turns out and if you end up netting some value with her enough to warrant her inclusion. There’s a lot of bolts running around right now though...
I had the same thought about Thoughtseize as something to do on turn-1, but I think it just has too much anti-synergy with Ringleader and Vial to make sense as a MB inclusion. It is absolutely a 4-of in my sideboard though and it would be very difficult to convince me that it should be otherwise. I think it’s one of the very few cards that can save us from the combo MU’s. In fact, right now 8x of my SB slots are taken up by Thoughtseize and Leyline of the Void. I could probably be convinced to change LotV to a few Nihil Spellbomb and a Grafdigger’s Cage though to give me less durdly turn-1’s.
I tried both Frogtosser Banneret and Warren Instigator, and Frogtosser just seemed to give me way better value, and with more consistency. I will say that Instigator hitting into Matron and then hitting again into whatever you fetched with Matron is a cool synergy. Also, if I’m playing Instigator, there’s definitely going to be at least one Claim // Fame in my sixty. But at the end of the day, I think Frogtosser is clearly the better choice. At least in my mind.
As far as having MB bullets goes, I think there are some that are very reasonable and I’ll probably end up including them. I like a single Earwig Squad because every deck has three good cards you wouldn’t mind getting rid of. Also, they hit like a train at 5/3. Not to mention Frogtosser can activate their Prowl cost the same turn he comes down AND reduce it by 1 (yes, it works for Prowl). Goblin Chainwhirler is sweet and is probably worth a MB slot, but I hate that my Frogtossers don’t make him cheaper. I would feel much better about him in the MB in an Instigator build. I personally don’t like Goblin Trashmaster in the MB. There’s other stuff I want to be doing at 4cmc against non-artifact decks. I think Munitions Expert is a MB card all the way.
And as for 1-drops creature options are concerned, I’m still struggling with that. For me I think I’ll probably end up going the Fanatical Firebrand/Mogg Fanatic route (most likely the former because I value Haste highly) because of the added utility they provide. And Skirk Prospector is at least a 2-of for me and probably most likely a 3-of. Sometimes that little bit of extra mana he can get you is super crucial. He also plays really well with Mogg War Marshal. There are a couple of really good creature options at 1cmc that can help your Instigator get damage through unblocked and that other one that taps to give Haste if that’s the route you’re going. I don’t remember their names but they’re not hard to find.
That’s just where I am right now. I know there’s a lot still up in the air. I’m just going off my own anecdotal experience.
Edit: Oh, and if y’all haven’t tried the Pashalik Mons/Sling-Gang Lieutenant suicide-bomber-alpha-strike, give it a whirl. It’s very efficient, easy to pay for if you have a Frogtosser or two, and doesn’t require the combat step. It’s almost impossible to stop once those two are on the battlefield. In fact, with just a little bit of chip damage in the first few turns, it really doesn’t require very many bodies at all. Especially if the opponent has been self-inflicting a few points of damage with shocklands. I’m serious though. Try it out if y’all haven’t. I’m certainly a believer in it.
I think the rest of the deck would look a lot like old Puresteel lists. Aether Vials, a lot of other cheap equipment to take advantage of Puresteel, maybe a Sword of This and That or two. Maybe a Steelshaper’s Gift or two.
The only thing I’m not certain of is if it would be better as Human Tribal instead of Knight Tribal. I hope not, honestly, cuz I’m tired of Humans and I really really want to make a good Knight Tribal deck. Really it all depends on whether Knight Exemplar pulls her weight or not. 3cmc is really expensive, but indestructibility is a pretty rare and sweet thing to bestow on all your critters. Still, all the knights are Humans and would translate over to a human build with easily with Swiftblade Vindicator as a great addition.
I know this wasn’t in response to the Colossus Hammer discussion, but I figured I’d save a post and reply here. Man, I just think the 3cmc slots are already so strongly contested with cards that are a little bit better and/or synergistic. I don’t see him being worth it.
Yeah I’ve been noticing the same thing as far as the 1-drops are concerned. It’s definitely the weakest part of my build right now. Gotta figure out how to get better use out of those first 1-2 turns. *cough* Goblin Lackey *cough*
As far as the 4-drops go, I don’t agree that we need that many Ringleaders and Lieutenants. I’m running 3x Goblin Ringleader and 2x Sling-Gang Lieutenant and it feels like plenty alongside the 4x Goblin Matron. She fetches up whatever I need. So that’s 5x 4-drops instead of 8x, though I guess I am running a Kiki, so it’s really more like 6x.
I’m also not convinced I want my tutorable silver bullets in my MB. I could be wrong and maybe I’ll change my mind, it’s certainly not made up, but for now I’ve been doing well with my bullets in the SB.
I’ve been unimpressed with Tarfire... I’ve been trying to let extra Munitions Experts fill that role. A singleton Unearth has really proven its worth to me though.
Just a few thoughts and observations, albeit from limited anecdotal info.
Dudes, I've been doing a ton of goldfishing with Gobbos, and they're super consistent now (I know, I know, it's different when the opponent isn't interacting, but still!). Turn-4 kills very often like @Bearscape observed (and when it's not turn-4 it's turn-5), though I've been using a Pashalik Mons/Sling-Gang Lieutenant combo to do it instead of Loyalist. I'm 100% convinced 4x Frogtosser Banneret is the optimum choice instead of Warren Instigator or whatever else you would use alternatively. In fact, I'm going to have to retract my previous statement about Goblin Warchief, because I've really enjoyed running a 4/1 split of Frogtosser and Warchief. I think that 1 cost reduction is incredibly strong right now with Goblin Matron, Goblin Ringleader, Pashalik Mons, and Sling-Gang Lieutenant (not to mention Mad Auntie). Two Frogtossers and you can churn out chains of goblins like nobody's business.
I'll post my list maybe this evening if I remember. I have it on my other computer. It seems surprisingly consistent and decently tuned for being so new. Most of the time they don't run that smoothly so quickly.
Edit: Oh, and I've been running a singleton Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker at my top end with really great results. Coyping a Ringleader of Matron is the tits. And it's nice to have Mad Auntie to protect important cards like Kiki.
I guess I should've purchased my Wrenn and Six's sooner... they're already up to $50-$60! I was just waiting for the rest of these cards to come out so I could put in an order for everything all at once. I have a bunch of Goblins and Knights and stuff I was wanting to order as well. I haven't had to buy cards for that much in awhile... *some ragrets*
Hey, thanks for the Discord invite/link! I downloaded that app a couple of days ago. I'll make an account soon and get up on that discussion.
Do y'all think Colossus Hammer and Unsettled Mariner can make Puresteel Knights viable? That hammer seems like it'd be pretty nice attached to a Mirran Crusader, or even an Inkmoth Nexus if you could clear the way for it ('cause it would lose flying, of course). Don't forget that Mariner would protect your equipment as well. I don't know if Danitha Capashen, Paragon or Novice Knight would be worth their inclusion or not, but they're worth consideration at least. There's some other more obscure stuff like Magnetic Theft and Mind Bend too. Just throwing that out there. Oh, and I guess Giver of Runes is worth mentioning.
Mostly Mariner and the new Hammer seem like they could really give that deck some much needed disruption and explosiveness, even making it possible to win with a single swing.
Edit: Also, looks like the other Cavaliers are mostly duds. I think the red one had the highest power level by far. Oh well.
Looks a strong list, although I’m still not convinced with Warchief. However, someone recorded a good result with a list not to dissimilar to yours.... https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=22261&f=MO
I agree about Warchief. I’ve honestly never been too high on him. If I’m making my creatures cheaper, I don’t want to wait ‘til turn 3 to do it. Frogtosser is a much better value. And as far as the Haste that Warchief provides, I’d rather get that from Goblin Chieftain and get the +1/+1 pump as well.
I just think there’s better things we can be doing at 3cmc than Warchief. Mad Auntie is one example. As I mentioned before, I think she’s one of our best lords. That Regenerate is no bull****, especially now that we’re playing better, higher costed Gobbos that are less disposable and worth protecting. That can make things really awkward for the opponent. The casting cost is super easy too and has the possibility of costing only B with two Frogtossers out. That may seem like a small bonus, but it’s huge when it does happen.
Edit: Also, speaking of 3cmc cards I don’t think are worth it, why are some people still playing Boggart Harbinger? That card has just always been a poor excuse for a Matron. Surely we could do better things with those slots??
Interesting list 5-0’d a league. Good to see people still brewing and playing Jund. I like the idea of lowering our top end just a little by running 2x Well-Seasoned Pyromancers in the place of 2x or our BBE’s. I haven’t tested him out yet, but I’m guessing the card selection is a welcome and much needed addition. It’s also nice that the card adds its own flavor of card advantage, so we don’t lose anything in the grindy MU’s by cutting a couple of BBE’s. I like the 1-of Unearth as well. The 2x Wrenn and Six seems appropriate, as discussed.
Hey, btw, I’ve only ever used mtgsalvation for ‘shop-talk’. I don’t have any alternatives. Does anyone have any good suggestions for similar forums I can use to ask questions, get advice, theorize, brew, discuss pet-decks, etc., etc.? I’m bummed mtgsalvation is drying up.
Man, I don’t think I can get on board with that line of thought. I don’t think Student cuts it anymore. He’s obsolete as far as I’m concerned. Bodyguard is a decent option, but I’m not a big fan of the fact that he’s so mediocre turn-1 or on an empty board. He’s a good Vial target for combat tricks and protection, but I want to be able to play my 1-drops on the first turn without missing out on their best abilities. I also think the 1/2 stats of KotEL are more relevant than Bodyguards 2/1.
More than anything, I think most builds of Knights have to be extra aggressive since they don’t have as much disruption as say, Humans or Spirits. They need to be swinging straight out of the gate. I feel like KotEL helps us immensely with that plan by giving us an aggressive 1-drop. That pump ability he has is nothing to scoff at, offensively or defensively. Deathtouch is a big deal, as well as the fact that there’s no “once per turn” clause on the pump.
Edit: The more I think about this card the better it looks. Just threatening an activation on this thing puts your opponent in some awkward situations. If they don’t block and he pumps, he hits for 4 and gets a +1/+1 counter at EoT. If they do block, whatever they blocked with is dead. He makes them second guess when attack with a creature they care about. He can get himself well out of Bolt range. He scales up WAY better than Student ever could. I think that’s a miscalculation saying it’s “probably not better” than those other 1-drops. He’s far and away better, as far as I’m concerned. A whole lotta Knight for 1cmc.
Also, it looks like the Cavaliers are going to be a cycle. That’s pretty awesome. Can’t wait to see the other colors. Is Cavalier of Dawn playable in a GWx build with Hierarchs and Birds?
If I had to guess, I'd say no. Five mana and Knight of Autumn is usually better?
Good point. I think I had “Return History of Benalia from your graveyard to your hand” pictured in my head when I read the last ability, which sounds good to me, but 5cmc is a hefty price. Probably better things to be doing with that mana.
Cavalier of Flame looks a lot better honestly, especially in a Midrange-ish build. Just thinking from a Jund perspective where we always have to hope our disruption lines up correctly with whatever our opponent is doing. That second ability of dumping your hand and getting some fresh gas sounds appealing. Maybe in some Naya build where your dumping a lot of lands in the yard with Knight of the Reliquary to take advantage of the last ability. OR a 4c Knightfall build! Lol. I’m kidding really at that point. I’m sure there’s better brews for CoF to end up in than that, but if I’m being creative and keeping with the Tribal Knight primer...
Hopefully the other Cavaliers will provide some cool top-end options. If the black one has some cool grave recursion abilities too, Haakon would start looking pretty sweet.
Honestly, Knight Tribal looks like it’s beginning to get some pretty diversified build options, some more viable than others, of course. Unsettled Mariner makes Bant or maybe Esper look decent; Knight of the Ebon Legion strongly suggests (at least to me) a black splash to make Orzhov, Esper or Abzan; Cavalier of Flame makes me want to try some janky Jund or Naya Land/Midrange nonsense; shoot, even the idea of a green Cavalier at 2GGG has me thinking about a green devotion Knights build with Steel Leaf Champion, Wilt-Leaf Liege, and this theoretical Cavalier. I’m having fun.
Also, it looks like the Cavaliers are going to be a cycle. That’s pretty awesome. Can’t wait to see the other colors. Is Cavalier of Dawn playable in a GWx build with Hierarchs and Birds?
Finally got a 1-drop that can keep up with the power-creep! That is one solid knight right there. Y’all have no idea how happy I am all these tribes (like Goblins, Slivers, Angels, etc.) are finally getting some attention in Modern. Let’s be honest, we all were originally drawn to Magic because of the nerdy, fantasy-loving part of us that wants some Tolkienesque (and by extension, Warhammer/D&Desque) tribes to go head-to-head. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, I’m really stoked.
I think the black splash has a lot to offer and is an easy addition with Auntie’s Hovel,Cavern of Souls, etc. Munitions Expert provides a lot of value, and I think that if we’re slowing down the deck to a more Midrange style, the black is going to be essential in the sideboard to combat graveyard and combo strategies. Value Goblins is notoriously bad against combo. I think some amount of Thoughtseize, Leyline of the Void, and probably Earwig Squad is going to be needed in the SB.
I think Frogtosser Banneret is better than ever, although it’s a non-bo with Munitions Expert and Warren Instigator (the latter being a card I’m extremely eager to try with Matron and Ringleader in the mix).
I think Mad Auntie is low-key one of our best lords.
Sling-Gang Lieutenant seems like a no-brainer in a value-centric Gobbo build. At least as a one-of. I just wish Metallic Mimic wasn’t so difficult to tutor up. It’d be sweet to have some built in combo, but it’s just really not worth it. Mimic is way too hard to find.
Pashalik Mons - I'm definitely using him in dirty kitty as an alternative win condition and removal.
Still tinkering atm with Goblin Matron, have no idea how the deck will look like in the end q.q
Best of luck, man. I drove myself nuts trying to get that build to work awhile back. I hope these new toys are the ticket. Regardless, I’m going to sit back and wait for someone else to hopefully figure it out this time around.
I think it’s a missed opportunity to be running 4x KW and 4x Mogg War Marshal but not any Skirk Prospector. Combat tricks, ramp, utility.
I like where your head’s at with most everything else, but I can’t get onboard with the ‘no two-ofs ever’ line of thought. And that explanation as to why is just way too facile. It’s just really not that simple. What if I want to be able to fetch two of something? What if a piece is important enough that I want to have access to another in case one gets destroyed or discarded? What if I want the option of having two of the same thing on the board simultaneously? What if I want two of something in my deck and not zero, one, three, or four? There’s a spectrum of necessity. Some cards warrant three-ofs. Some don’t. I increase my chances of drawing something by running one more than one. I decrease my chances of drawing something if I’m running one less than three. That’s just way too simplistic, man.
Other than that I really dig the brainstorming. I’m interested to see if Wort is worth it. I just don’t like a 4-drop that does to bolt like that and doesn’t do something as soon as she comes down. There’s a lot of competition in that 4-drop slot. I’m curious how the anecdotal evidence turns out and if you end up netting some value with her enough to warrant her inclusion. There’s a lot of bolts running around right now though...
I had the same thought about Thoughtseize as something to do on turn-1, but I think it just has too much anti-synergy with Ringleader and Vial to make sense as a MB inclusion. It is absolutely a 4-of in my sideboard though and it would be very difficult to convince me that it should be otherwise. I think it’s one of the very few cards that can save us from the combo MU’s. In fact, right now 8x of my SB slots are taken up by Thoughtseize and Leyline of the Void. I could probably be convinced to change LotV to a few Nihil Spellbomb and a Grafdigger’s Cage though to give me less durdly turn-1’s.
I tried both Frogtosser Banneret and Warren Instigator, and Frogtosser just seemed to give me way better value, and with more consistency. I will say that Instigator hitting into Matron and then hitting again into whatever you fetched with Matron is a cool synergy. Also, if I’m playing Instigator, there’s definitely going to be at least one Claim // Fame in my sixty. But at the end of the day, I think Frogtosser is clearly the better choice. At least in my mind.
As far as having MB bullets goes, I think there are some that are very reasonable and I’ll probably end up including them. I like a single Earwig Squad because every deck has three good cards you wouldn’t mind getting rid of. Also, they hit like a train at 5/3. Not to mention Frogtosser can activate their Prowl cost the same turn he comes down AND reduce it by 1 (yes, it works for Prowl). Goblin Chainwhirler is sweet and is probably worth a MB slot, but I hate that my Frogtossers don’t make him cheaper. I would feel much better about him in the MB in an Instigator build. I personally don’t like Goblin Trashmaster in the MB. There’s other stuff I want to be doing at 4cmc against non-artifact decks. I think Munitions Expert is a MB card all the way.
And as for 1-drops creature options are concerned, I’m still struggling with that. For me I think I’ll probably end up going the Fanatical Firebrand/Mogg Fanatic route (most likely the former because I value Haste highly) because of the added utility they provide. And Skirk Prospector is at least a 2-of for me and probably most likely a 3-of. Sometimes that little bit of extra mana he can get you is super crucial. He also plays really well with Mogg War Marshal. There are a couple of really good creature options at 1cmc that can help your Instigator get damage through unblocked and that other one that taps to give Haste if that’s the route you’re going. I don’t remember their names but they’re not hard to find.
That’s just where I am right now. I know there’s a lot still up in the air. I’m just going off my own anecdotal experience.
Edit: Oh, and if y’all haven’t tried the Pashalik Mons/Sling-Gang Lieutenant suicide-bomber-alpha-strike, give it a whirl. It’s very efficient, easy to pay for if you have a Frogtosser or two, and doesn’t require the combat step. It’s almost impossible to stop once those two are on the battlefield. In fact, with just a little bit of chip damage in the first few turns, it really doesn’t require very many bodies at all. Especially if the opponent has been self-inflicting a few points of damage with shocklands. I’m serious though. Try it out if y’all haven’t. I’m certainly a believer in it.
The all-stars:
I think the rest of the deck would look a lot like old Puresteel lists. Aether Vials, a lot of other cheap equipment to take advantage of Puresteel, maybe a Sword of This and That or two. Maybe a Steelshaper’s Gift or two.
The only thing I’m not certain of is if it would be better as Human Tribal instead of Knight Tribal. I hope not, honestly, cuz I’m tired of Humans and I really really want to make a good Knight Tribal deck. Really it all depends on whether Knight Exemplar pulls her weight or not. 3cmc is really expensive, but indestructibility is a pretty rare and sweet thing to bestow on all your critters. Still, all the knights are Humans and would translate over to a human build with easily with Swiftblade Vindicator as a great addition.
What do y’all think??
I know this wasn’t in response to the Colossus Hammer discussion, but I figured I’d save a post and reply here. Man, I just think the 3cmc slots are already so strongly contested with cards that are a little bit better and/or synergistic. I don’t see him being worth it.
As far as the 4-drops go, I don’t agree that we need that many Ringleaders and Lieutenants. I’m running 3x Goblin Ringleader and 2x Sling-Gang Lieutenant and it feels like plenty alongside the 4x Goblin Matron. She fetches up whatever I need. So that’s 5x 4-drops instead of 8x, though I guess I am running a Kiki, so it’s really more like 6x.
I’m also not convinced I want my tutorable silver bullets in my MB. I could be wrong and maybe I’ll change my mind, it’s certainly not made up, but for now I’ve been doing well with my bullets in the SB.
I’ve been unimpressed with Tarfire... I’ve been trying to let extra Munitions Experts fill that role. A singleton Unearth has really proven its worth to me though.
Just a few thoughts and observations, albeit from limited anecdotal info.
I'll post my list maybe this evening if I remember. I have it on my other computer. It seems surprisingly consistent and decently tuned for being so new. Most of the time they don't run that smoothly so quickly.
Edit: Oh, and I've been running a singleton Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker at my top end with really great results. Coyping a Ringleader of Matron is the tits. And it's nice to have Mad Auntie to protect important cards like Kiki.
Hey, thanks for the Discord invite/link! I downloaded that app a couple of days ago. I'll make an account soon and get up on that discussion.
Mostly Mariner and the new Hammer seem like they could really give that deck some much needed disruption and explosiveness, even making it possible to win with a single swing.
Edit: Also, looks like the other Cavaliers are mostly duds. I think the red one had the highest power level by far. Oh well.
I agree about Warchief. I’ve honestly never been too high on him. If I’m making my creatures cheaper, I don’t want to wait ‘til turn 3 to do it. Frogtosser is a much better value. And as far as the Haste that Warchief provides, I’d rather get that from Goblin Chieftain and get the +1/+1 pump as well.
I just think there’s better things we can be doing at 3cmc than Warchief. Mad Auntie is one example. As I mentioned before, I think she’s one of our best lords. That Regenerate is no bull****, especially now that we’re playing better, higher costed Gobbos that are less disposable and worth protecting. That can make things really awkward for the opponent. The casting cost is super easy too and has the possibility of costing only B with two Frogtossers out. That may seem like a small bonus, but it’s huge when it does happen.
Edit: Also, speaking of 3cmc cards I don’t think are worth it, why are some people still playing Boggart Harbinger? That card has just always been a poor excuse for a Matron. Surely we could do better things with those slots??
Hey, btw, I’ve only ever used mtgsalvation for ‘shop-talk’. I don’t have any alternatives. Does anyone have any good suggestions for similar forums I can use to ask questions, get advice, theorize, brew, discuss pet-decks, etc., etc.? I’m bummed mtgsalvation is drying up.
Man, I don’t think I can get on board with that line of thought. I don’t think Student cuts it anymore. He’s obsolete as far as I’m concerned. Bodyguard is a decent option, but I’m not a big fan of the fact that he’s so mediocre turn-1 or on an empty board. He’s a good Vial target for combat tricks and protection, but I want to be able to play my 1-drops on the first turn without missing out on their best abilities. I also think the 1/2 stats of KotEL are more relevant than Bodyguards 2/1.
More than anything, I think most builds of Knights have to be extra aggressive since they don’t have as much disruption as say, Humans or Spirits. They need to be swinging straight out of the gate. I feel like KotEL helps us immensely with that plan by giving us an aggressive 1-drop. That pump ability he has is nothing to scoff at, offensively or defensively. Deathtouch is a big deal, as well as the fact that there’s no “once per turn” clause on the pump.
Edit: The more I think about this card the better it looks. Just threatening an activation on this thing puts your opponent in some awkward situations. If they don’t block and he pumps, he hits for 4 and gets a +1/+1 counter at EoT. If they do block, whatever they blocked with is dead. He makes them second guess when attack with a creature they care about. He can get himself well out of Bolt range. He scales up WAY better than Student ever could. I think that’s a miscalculation saying it’s “probably not better” than those other 1-drops. He’s far and away better, as far as I’m concerned. A whole lotta Knight for 1cmc.
Good point. I think I had “Return History of Benalia from your graveyard to your hand” pictured in my head when I read the last ability, which sounds good to me, but 5cmc is a hefty price. Probably better things to be doing with that mana.
Cavalier of Flame looks a lot better honestly, especially in a Midrange-ish build. Just thinking from a Jund perspective where we always have to hope our disruption lines up correctly with whatever our opponent is doing. That second ability of dumping your hand and getting some fresh gas sounds appealing. Maybe in some Naya build where your dumping a lot of lands in the yard with Knight of the Reliquary to take advantage of the last ability. OR a 4c Knightfall build! Lol. I’m kidding really at that point. I’m sure there’s better brews for CoF to end up in than that, but if I’m being creative and keeping with the Tribal Knight primer...
Hopefully the other Cavaliers will provide some cool top-end options. If the black one has some cool grave recursion abilities too, Haakon would start looking pretty sweet.
Honestly, Knight Tribal looks like it’s beginning to get some pretty diversified build options, some more viable than others, of course. Unsettled Mariner makes Bant or maybe Esper look decent; Knight of the Ebon Legion strongly suggests (at least to me) a black splash to make Orzhov, Esper or Abzan; Cavalier of Flame makes me want to try some janky Jund or Naya Land/Midrange nonsense; shoot, even the idea of a green Cavalier at 2GGG has me thinking about a green devotion Knights build with Steel Leaf Champion, Wilt-Leaf Liege, and this theoretical Cavalier. I’m having fun.
I think Frogtosser Banneret is better than ever, although it’s a non-bo with Munitions Expert and Warren Instigator (the latter being a card I’m extremely eager to try with Matron and Ringleader in the mix).
I think Mad Auntie is low-key one of our best lords.
Sling-Gang Lieutenant seems like a no-brainer in a value-centric Gobbo build. At least as a one-of. I just wish Metallic Mimic wasn’t so difficult to tutor up. It’d be sweet to have some built in combo, but it’s just really not worth it. Mimic is way too hard to find.
Best of luck, man. I drove myself nuts trying to get that build to work awhile back. I hope these new toys are the ticket. Regardless, I’m going to sit back and wait for someone else to hopefully figure it out this time around.