Sad to not see Isamaru, Hound of Konda or Splinterfright at uncommon. I think these cards could perfectly have the silver icon today. The set doesn't have many relevant cards for Peasant, but it's crazy por Pauper cubes.
I think I will just play Mentor of the Meek, Lotleth Troll and Cryptic Spires, these are a "sure". Dark-Dweller Oracle and Graveblade Marauder are a "probably".
[...] red is definettly begging for some quality drops at 6+. After charging Monstrosuar, its a huge drop off on curve.
That what I've trying to push in my red section for gruul decks, and any midrange deck in red. I think these are not bad options to consider. Charging Monstrosaur Frenzied Saddlebrute Pugnacious Pugilist Red Dragon, is like Volcanic Dragon without the need to attack to deal the damage when you cast it.
I will add Amethyst Dragon, too, even when I cut Pyrotechnics some sets ago, and knowing Volcanic Dragon is not awesome, but... both cards in a single card? I think that’s great for any midrange deck.
I am slightly taken by Sailors' Bane, the jumbo sized Cryptic Serpent. I like Cryptic Serpent as a pay-off card for spells matter decks while also being a reasonable control card for 5 mana without turboing spells. Sailors' Bane shifts away from being reasonable in non-dedicated spells decks to being a strong reanimation target. I feel the synergy between the Dimir-based control decks and reanimation strategies has been overlapping significantly over the last several sets, so I like Sailors' Bane there. If I was not so interested in making reanimator work right now, I would probably skip this.
Blue has some good finishers for control decks, and they are good targets for reanimator decks, as many of them selfdiscard themselves while serving as cantrips for the control deck.
I like Sailors' Bane for reanimator decks, too, specially for the ward ability, which I really appreciate to protect the creature.
But, at least in my Cube, the competition for a slot in cmc 6-7 is tough, and I think I prefer to add Sapphire Dragon, as I play with Pteramander, yet. Probably Errant Ephemeron is the card to remove.
Kagha, Shadow Archdruid
2BG
Legendary Creature - Elf Druid
Whenever Kagha, Shadow Archdruid attacks, it gains death touch until end of turn. Mill two cards.
Once during each of your turns, you can play a land or cast a permanent spell from cards that have gone to your graveyard from your library this turn.
1/4
I think I really like Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward for the blink archtype. It can reset planeswalkers or used Sphere of the Suns-like cards, which is pretty nice. I imagine you also wouldn't feel too bad about putting 2/2's such as Civic Waywinder or a Phyrexian Rager variant under it.
The background text is a bit unfortunate, but we have been cubing with Halana, Kessig Ranger for a while now, and it may be a little bothersome but it is not a dealbreaker for me.
I've been playtesting the new cards these days on several drafts and believe me if I say Colossal Skyturtle is the mythic uncommon from this set. That creature was a winner in every match, always relevant with any of its modes.
Good in ramp, but awesome in reanimator, where any of its abilities to go to the graveyard are bonkers creating advantage for you. And kills really fast. My friends were impressed.
Animate Dead to Pelakka Wurm, they killed it, then channel the turtle with its Regrowth ability to bring back Animate Dead, replaying the turtle to kill by air, or the Pelakka again, for example.
The channel crab was also good for reanimator, the ward is useful if you play it early to protect itself from removal.
Reinforced Ronin seems to be a must have for Peasant. Is not affected by Sorcery speed removal, and is not bad if you topdeck him and need something better.
I think it's probably time to say goodbye to Jackal Pup.
Twinshot Sniper seems pretty good (decent body, reach, hits any target, Goblin synergies, shock damage is uncounterable). May cost 1 mana too much though and can get hit by artifact removal.
Yes, great card. Some kind of mix between Flametongue Kavu and Ghitu Slinger, maybe. But much better than the Slinger, of course.
I run the Shrines archetype in my cube, and I was excited with more of these enchantments in this set, but seeing Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose, my hype is a bit down now as it's a creature, too.
Four mana do-nothing who dies to Lightning Bolt or any other creature removal is not what I want to play... This is a five mana card, and I'm not sure if I want it in my cube, even when I apreciate the tokens effect in white.
I hope the other Shrines have better stats, at least, and maybe a blue one with Scry X, or another one putting X +1/+1 counters on a creature...
Stormchaser Drake is the second 2/1 flying for 1U with no downside after Skyship Plunderer. I say this just in case people forgot that card exists
I also like Bramble Wurm, I could play it instead of Sifter Wurm. Scry 3 is good, but Reach and doing something from the graveyard is valuable, too. And this reminds me I have a Bookwurm copy waiting in my box to be played. A creature I really like but at 8 mana is hard to cast even for ramp decks (but not to reanimate).
I would play any of these green fatties, what would you do?
FoF is an excellent card, but now we have an option which lets you choose to you what to get, not your opponent, and the cards are not revealed, so that info is only for you. You dig one less card with this new version, but I think is better than FoF.
Bramble Wurm seems really good. Some mixture of Pelakka Wurm and Sifter Wurm. Scry 3 and gain some life is decent, but maybe you reveal a fatty or a LLanowar Elf... so the life gain could be bad. Even with that, is Scry 3. I think I could replace the Sifter with this new Wurm. Also Reach is always a good addition and it has another option for when it dies.
I think I will just play Mentor of the Meek, Lotleth Troll and Cryptic Spires, these are a "sure". Dark-Dweller Oracle and Graveblade Marauder are a "probably".
That what I've trying to push in my red section for gruul decks, and any midrange deck in red. I think these are not bad options to consider.
Charging Monstrosaur
Frenzied Saddlebrute
Pugnacious Pugilist
Red Dragon, is like Volcanic Dragon without the need to attack to deal the damage when you cast it.
And even Rite of the Raging Storm.
I will add Amethyst Dragon, too, even when I cut Pyrotechnics some sets ago, and knowing Volcanic Dragon is not awesome, but... both cards in a single card? I think that’s great for any midrange deck.
Blue has some good finishers for control decks, and they are good targets for reanimator decks, as many of them selfdiscard themselves while serving as cantrips for the control deck.
Jetting Glasskite
Mirrorshell Crab
Striped Riverwinder
Waker of Waves
I like Sailors' Bane for reanimator decks, too, specially for the ward ability, which I really appreciate to protect the creature.
But, at least in my Cube, the competition for a slot in cmc 6-7 is tough, and I think I prefer to add Sapphire Dragon, as I play with Pteramander, yet. Probably Errant Ephemeron is the card to remove.
Great card for golgari graveyard.
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward goes infinite with Animate Dead and Dance of the Dead, too. You create infinite tokens. Add Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat or Goblin Bombardment to win in that same turn. Seems a good combo with cards many cubes run because all of them are decent by themselves.
I will give Abdel a slot in my Cube, for sure.
{1}
Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature has "{1}: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature blocking."
Equip {1}
This is crazy with any creature with deathtouch.
All of them have 4 or more toughness, so they survive to Firesprout, too. Rhythm of the Wild and Grumgully, the Generous also help your creatures with 3 toughness to survive to Firesprout.
I try to not play ramp spells that cost 3 or more, so after Sakura-Tribe Elder and Rampant Growth (and mana dorks), I play with enchantments for lands: Utopia Sprawl Fertile Ground, Wolfwillow Haven... They are good options to play.
Into the North could be another card if you say your drafters all your basics are snow lands.
Good in ramp, but awesome in reanimator, where any of its abilities to go to the graveyard are bonkers creating advantage for you. And kills really fast. My friends were impressed.
Animate Dead to Pelakka Wurm, they killed it, then channel the turtle with its Regrowth ability to bring back Animate Dead, replaying the turtle to kill by air, or the Pelakka again, for example.
The channel crab was also good for reanimator, the ward is useful if you play it early to protect itself from removal.
Good set, I love it.
I think it's probably time to say goodbye to Jackal Pup.
Yes, great card. Some kind of mix between Flametongue Kavu and Ghitu Slinger, maybe. But much better than the Slinger, of course.
Four mana do-nothing who dies to Lightning Bolt or any other creature removal is not what I want to play... This is a five mana card, and I'm not sure if I want it in my cube, even when I apreciate the tokens effect in white.
I hope the other Shrines have better stats, at least, and maybe a blue one with Scry X, or another one putting X +1/+1 counters on a creature...
Here is what I've seen decent right now:
Greater Tanuki
Michiko's Reign of Truth
Portrait of Michiko
Jukai Naturalist
Enthusiastic Mechanaut
I also like Bramble Wurm, I could play it instead of Sifter Wurm. Scry 3 is good, but Reach and doing something from the graveyard is valuable, too. And this reminds me I have a Bookwurm copy waiting in my box to be played. A creature I really like but at 8 mana is hard to cast even for ramp decks (but not to reanimate).
I would play any of these green fatties, what would you do?
FoF is an excellent card, but now we have an option which lets you choose to you what to get, not your opponent, and the cards are not revealed, so that info is only for you. You dig one less card with this new version, but I think is better than FoF.
Bramble Wurm seems really good. Some mixture of Pelakka Wurm and Sifter Wurm. Scry 3 and gain some life is decent, but maybe you reveal a fatty or a LLanowar Elf... so the life gain could be bad. Even with that, is Scry 3. I think I could replace the Sifter with this new Wurm. Also Reach is always a good addition and it has another option for when it dies.
Also, I'm probably replacing Fact or Fiction with Scattered Thoughts.