Zephyr Sentinel > Skyship Plunderer - Sentinel supports UG flash, and UW blink/ETB effects, while being straight up stronger. I just wish it didn't mention soldiers, I don't want drafters getting the false impression there's a soldier theme in my cube. Skyship plunderer is still pretty good, it may make it back into my cube over a different 2 drop eventually.
Dreams of Steel and Oil > Harsh Scrutiny - Hitting artifacts, something from the graveyard, and exiling both is more important than the scry 1 on Harsh Scrutiny
Maybe Include/Still Searching for a Cut
Combat Thresher - Good payoff for counters/auras/equipment and blink. May be weak without the support though.
Ashnod's Harvester - Pretty strong aggro card and having some mild graveyard hate is probably good for the cube.
Burrowing Razormaw - I've been looking for more self-milling effects for green and this seems like a reasonable rate on a creature for it. Competing against Excavation Mole.
Bushwhack - Decent options on both sides. Would be a definite include if it were instant speed.
Trygon Prime - Seems pretty powerful and fun. I would include if Simic was +1/+1 counters focused in my cube, but I will pass for now. Venomthrope - Also a good card for boggles or +1/+1 counter strategies. Purestrain Genestealer - On-rate card that supports +1/+1 counters and ramp strategies. Potential inclusion for me. Acolyte Hybrid - This is too fragile so it will probably only trigger once, and also draws your opponent a card if you blow up their stuff. Plundering Barbarian seems better the majority of the time. Aberrant - Seems very weak at anything less than X = 5. If this had costed XG I would have considered it.
I got a chance to draft of this set recently, Gut, True Soul Zealot is the real deal as predicted. Greatsword of Tyr was also strong. Kagha, Shadow Archdruid and Druidic Ritual were strong for me, but it did require having a good amount of self-mill. I thought Dread Linnorm did well surprisingly well as a pump/protection/surprise blocker spell + beefy creautre.
Glad to finally get a paper uncommon Prophetic Bolt. Impulse is worth 1U and 4 damage to any target at instant speed is worth about 2R, so getting both effects for the same mana but on 1 card seems good.
Dark-Dweller Oracle got downshifted from rare to common. It seems decent if you can sacrifice on your turn reliably. Trying to sac in response is difficult to use effectively, I really wish it let you play it until your next end step.
I've got 6 cards I'm going to include, and another 13 cards I'm ordering to add to my considering pile. That's not too far off from NEO that had 7 includes and maybe 15 considering.
Includes
Citizen's Crowbar - I was just complaining a few sets ago about how White's Naturalize effects were so much worse than Green's considering Kor Sanctifiers was probably White's best version of it. But now they've printed two fairly quickly in Cathar Commando and this card. Now I'm cutting Kor Sancitifers for this.
Inspiring Overseer - Good value all around and another target to flicker. Very surprised White already power-crept Cloudkin Seer.
My Gruul archetype is also supposed to be Stompy, but honestly red doesn't really provide much. Charging Monstrosaur is the only thing that comes close to the green options. Gruul is definitely one of my weaker guilds right now.
I was wondering what people thought of the U/W Blink archetype, both on power level and how fun it is to draft. I've been running Flyers as the main U/W archetype since the beginning of my cube, but I'm starting to think it's a bit too on-rails of an archetype. Since there's so few flyers in other colors I only occasionally see a flyers deck try to splash other colors, and even when it does happen it's usually for removal. Blink looks kind of interesting to me because all colors have good ETB, which makes me think there will be significant blink deck variety, lots of interesting draft decisions for players going the blink route, etc.
Blade-blizzard Kitsune - One of the best double strikers for low MV, and Ninjutsu can let it get a surprise hit in.
Tamiyo's Compleation - The most full featured variation of this effect yet. IIRC, this is the first version of this effect that hits artifacts and planeswalkers in addition to creatures, has flash, puts a permanent freeze on it, and makes the permanent lose all abilities. 4 mana is a lot but this seems pretty good.
Gravelighter - Since the sac isn't guaranteed I don't think this can replace Plaguecrafter for me, but I will probably run it alongside.
Rabbit Battery - I like this 1 drop a lot for giving early damage and then helping your bigger creatures get in later.
Circuit Mender - I anticipate this being a good filler card for a lot of decks.
Considering
Imperial Oath - 6/6 Vigilance worth of stats spread over 3 bodies for 6, with some nice filtering on top. Only problem is I'm not sure what archetype wants this, maybe a midrange deck?
Sunblade Samurai - A slightly better Noble Templar? That card doesn't see a ton of play but maybe the 5 MV creature side makes this more playable.
Acquisition Octopus - The base body is bad but the option to put it on an evasive creature like a flyer makes it interesting.
Covert Technician - Potentially strong but really needs some power pump to have many targets in the typical peasant cube.
Dockside Chef - The cheapest version of this effect, but I think I prefer Skullport Merchant. If I want a 2nd version for the aristocrats archetype I will probably add this though.
Dokuchi Silencer - Interesting set of abilities, but I can't tell how good it will actually be.
Leech Gauntlet - Good value but it doesn't really support any theme of my cube. Seems great for anyone with a lifegain or artifact theme though.
Nezumi Prowler - Pretty good for aggro or racing situations.
Blossom Prancer - A 4/4 Reach for 5 with ETB super-draw seems like great value, I just wish it supported one of my cube's themes.
Coiling Stalker - Perhaps for the +1/+1 counters deck? Seems like it might be hard to get in with it more than once.
Generally bad set for peasant cube due to all the tribal and blood cards.
Includes Twinblade Geist - 1/1 Double Strikers for 2 are only good if you can reliably pump them, but this one is good in more situations than the others since it doubles up a boost for your larger creatures. Cruel Witness - Surveil is nice bonus on a decent body. Thirst for Discovery - 3 mana is a great cost for this effect, maybe I replace Rain of Revelation Fell Stinger - This is decent when played for just a 3 MV 3/2 deathtouch, decent if it's 3 MV draw 2 lose 2, and awesome if you can sac a random 1/1 to get both. Even can force in 2 points of damage by targeting the draw at the opponent. Perhaps a staple.
Maybe Arm the Cathars Fleeting Spirit - Depends on how easy it is to threaten first strike. Otherwise the other white 2 drops Seasoned Hallowblade and Adanto Vanguard are better. Radiant Grace - Front side is meh but the back is interesting. Not sure if it adds up to enough though. Cobbled Lancer - If you cast it by turn 3 or 4, seems great. Lantern Bearer - 1/1 flyers for 1 are bad, so does the enchantment provide enough value? Possibly. Scattered Thoughts - Also similar to Rain of Revelation. It poses no danger to Fact or Fiction though because FoF is too interesting a card to be replaced. Stormchaser Drake - Probably not enough ways to trigger in my cube. Persistent Specimen - Still strong, but I'm not a huge fan of playing a 2nd copy, but weaker, of the same effect. Magma Pummeler - Interesting, but probably not mana efficient enough. Reckless Impulse - Strong but less interesting than Light up the Stage Voltaic Visionary - Interesting but awkward. There are a ton of potential small tweaks that would have made this an include such as the backside could block, the front-side could activate at instant speed, it gave you another turn to play the card, etc. Reclusive Taxidermist - In a self mill deck I almost think 7 cards is easier than 4 creatures, in which case Werebear is probably better. Retrieve - Crowded slot. Wandering Mind - Wish it had prowess too.
Maybe Include/Still Searching for a Cut
Venomthrope - Also a good card for boggles or +1/+1 counter strategies.
Purestrain Genestealer - On-rate card that supports +1/+1 counters and ramp strategies. Potential inclusion for me.
Acolyte Hybrid - This is too fragile so it will probably only trigger once, and also draws your opponent a card if you blow up their stuff. Plundering Barbarian seems better the majority of the time.
Aberrant - Seems very weak at anything less than X = 5. If this had costed XG I would have considered it.
Yeah it really needed to dig deeper. Feels way too likely to get a useless creature (or whiff entirely) just looking at 4 cards.
Includes
Considering
Considering
Includes
Twinblade Geist - 1/1 Double Strikers for 2 are only good if you can reliably pump them, but this one is good in more situations than the others since it doubles up a boost for your larger creatures.
Cruel Witness - Surveil is nice bonus on a decent body.
Thirst for Discovery - 3 mana is a great cost for this effect, maybe I replace Rain of Revelation
Fell Stinger - This is decent when played for just a 3 MV 3/2 deathtouch, decent if it's 3 MV draw 2 lose 2, and awesome if you can sac a random 1/1 to get both. Even can force in 2 points of damage by targeting the draw at the opponent. Perhaps a staple.
Maybe
Arm the Cathars
Fleeting Spirit - Depends on how easy it is to threaten first strike. Otherwise the other white 2 drops Seasoned Hallowblade and Adanto Vanguard are better.
Radiant Grace - Front side is meh but the back is interesting. Not sure if it adds up to enough though.
Cobbled Lancer - If you cast it by turn 3 or 4, seems great.
Lantern Bearer - 1/1 flyers for 1 are bad, so does the enchantment provide enough value? Possibly.
Scattered Thoughts - Also similar to Rain of Revelation. It poses no danger to Fact or Fiction though because FoF is too interesting a card to be replaced.
Stormchaser Drake - Probably not enough ways to trigger in my cube.
Persistent Specimen - Still strong, but I'm not a huge fan of playing a 2nd copy, but weaker, of the same effect.
Magma Pummeler - Interesting, but probably not mana efficient enough.
Reckless Impulse - Strong but less interesting than Light up the Stage
Voltaic Visionary - Interesting but awkward. There are a ton of potential small tweaks that would have made this an include such as the backside could block, the front-side could activate at instant speed, it gave you another turn to play the card, etc.
Reclusive Taxidermist - In a self mill deck I almost think 7 cards is easier than 4 creatures, in which case Werebear is probably better.
Retrieve - Crowded slot.
Wandering Mind - Wish it had prowess too.