Its been a pretty long project. The majority of these cards have been exceptionally difficult to explain. I've revised a few of my explanations of some of the older cards to help explain their concepts/ use cases a bit better to newer players.
I'm currently looking over some of my previous explanations and trying to add more details/ sample game plays/ potentially deck lists. If there are cards that are unclear/ cards you feel are missing, please let me know.
Maybe I'm dumb, but I had to read this card several times to fully understand it. Some cards in this set are incredibly complicated... I would consider testing if the pump were not only for legendary creatures.
I feel you on this one.
Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion is a card btw - I always think any red 4-5 drops should be compared with him.
How do folks rate this versus Serra the Benevolent? Serra was good for us, but we made the swap to CoG. We haven't had the change to cube much since the change.
Serra is pretty bad IMO. Its pretty much a glorified 4 mana for a 5/5 flying.
I will say, when I first joined this community, I felt alienated because my cube philosophy was quite different from everyone else here. I do feel the group's mentality has softened a lot, and that's a good thing. There are so many cubable cards now, and so many ways to build a great cube.
And to those still trying to build the optimal cube, godspeed to you. I spent the last several years cubing at low power, so I can't really weigh in. But I would say if those cards seem weak, cut them. You can re-add them later, and it gives you room to test.
Cubes are for you and your community - if you like it its good.
Acidic Slime:
I might give Acidic Slime a second shot - the reason why I cut it is because we have 4 Reclamation Sage variants + Avalanche Rider + RiftWing Cloudscape which all feel stronger.
Sword of Body and Mind:
I never thought it it that way - hit twice, and the opponent likely milled themselves out.
Liliana of the Veil:
I guess I've been less and less impressed by her recently - She's been ticking down in both Modern and Legacy a lot recently. She was the 2nd best planeswalker after Jace 3 years ago, but has fallen really quickly to something like #8 or #9 in both eternal formats + cube.
In terms of the edict - I could see that - it might be the only playable edict in cube right now.
Liliana of the Veil - I don't see how in cube you can "liliana someone out" anymore. The edict isn't that good given the speed of the format + haste, tokens etc. The amount of card advantage + draw 7 has made the discard too even. Discard has been pretty bad, even in reanimator decks - I find if I'm using her as a discard outlet, its a easy 2 for 1 in my opponent's favor as she will prob be attacked down without something like Tarmogoyf blocking.
Sword of Body and Mind - Mill 10 seems to be too much of an upside given the graveyard synergies. I don't really understand how this is good
Acidic Slime - This just seems way too slow. If it can hit planeswalkers, then I be all for it.
For us, when the card was good it was hard to imagine losing those games often even without the card, but you often couldn’t play it in spots where other white cards like planeswalkers establish board presence. It felt like you had to be too far ahead in order to cast it in most matchups.
I like to ask the people who feel this card underperformed - what was the reason?
(This is based off my theory - I'm asking):
I could understand monarch in other colors underperformed because it is more difficult from them to defend it, but for white decks that seeks to get ahead and stay ahead, why would this be a weak card?
If its bad, doesn't it mean the white deck is going to lose the game anyways? Comparing this to white's best 4 drop - Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, its not like if the white deck is behind against a consecrated sphinx, Gideon wouldn't fair much better.
Is the reason that its significantly worse that Palace Jailer?
Its been a pretty long project. The majority of these cards have been exceptionally difficult to explain. I've revised a few of my explanations of some of the older cards to help explain their concepts/ use cases a bit better to newer players.
I'm currently looking over some of my previous explanations and trying to add more details/ sample game plays/ potentially deck lists. If there are cards that are unclear/ cards you feel are missing, please let me know.
Aether Chaser has synergies with some of Red's best cards such as Purphorous, Embercleave, Hell Rider.
Spiteful Prankster
Irreverent Revelers
Phoenix of Ash
For example all cards that could see play in my cube and would likely do very well, but the rest of the section is already too stiff.
Mystic Sanctuary, Shelldock Isle, Academy Ruins, Tolarian Academy, Castle Vantress, Seat of the Synod are all cards. The competition in this group is too stiff.
Seat/ Castle are too narrow, but they are still "playable" utility lands.
I feel you on this one.
Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion is a card btw - I always think any red 4-5 drops should be compared with him.
When facing against White Weenie/ Green ramp, I find taking out their 1 drops mana dorks/ Savanna Lions early on is incredibly important.
Narset Transcendent is actually a pretty decent card that I've been wanting to play for a while, but the color combination is too stacked.
Serra is pretty bad IMO. Its pretty much a glorified 4 mana for a 5/5 flying.
Elspeth, Knight-Errant, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar and Ajani, Strength of the Pride are miles better. (Ajani doesn't need a lifegain package to be good - he's actually good by himself)
Cubes are for you and your community - if you like it its good.
Acidic Slime:
I might give Acidic Slime a second shot - the reason why I cut it is because we have 4 Reclamation Sage variants + Avalanche Rider + RiftWing Cloudscape which all feel stronger.
Sword of Body and Mind:
I never thought it it that way - hit twice, and the opponent likely milled themselves out.
Liliana of the Veil:
I guess I've been less and less impressed by her recently - She's been ticking down in both Modern and Legacy a lot recently. She was the 2nd best planeswalker after Jace 3 years ago, but has fallen really quickly to something like #8 or #9 in both eternal formats + cube.
In terms of the edict - I could see that - it might be the only playable edict in cube right now.
Liliana of the Veil - I don't see how in cube you can "liliana someone out" anymore. The edict isn't that good given the speed of the format + haste, tokens etc. The amount of card advantage + draw 7 has made the discard too even. Discard has been pretty bad, even in reanimator decks - I find if I'm using her as a discard outlet, its a easy 2 for 1 in my opponent's favor as she will prob be attacked down without something like Tarmogoyf blocking.
Sword of Body and Mind - Mill 10 seems to be too much of an upside given the graveyard synergies. I don't really understand how this is good
Acidic Slime - This just seems way too slow. If it can hit planeswalkers, then I be all for it.
That makes sense.
(This is based off my theory - I'm asking):
I could understand monarch in other colors underperformed because it is more difficult from them to defend it, but for white decks that seeks to get ahead and stay ahead, why would this be a weak card?
If its bad, doesn't it mean the white deck is going to lose the game anyways? Comparing this to white's best 4 drop - Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, its not like if the white deck is behind against a consecrated sphinx, Gideon wouldn't fair much better.
Is the reason that its significantly worse that Palace Jailer?