I was waiting for Izor to come in and crack some skulls
I actually do agree with him. I don't think I would want more than one Chapel Geist in each color, and not at all in guildspace unless it's offering a significant bonus alongside. An overcosted onetime pump isn't it, unless you have a significant push for +1/+1 counters. I much prefer the Beetleform Mage's pump, which can be activated while still leaving you with leftover mana for other plays, while hitting harder too.
I also find myself agreeing on Shambleshark. It's an excellent ambusher at two mana and almost always attacks for three. It's a cut above, which is why I wouldn't put it in competition with our new contender.
Frenzied Arynx is great though. Spontaneous Artist is borderline playable already. Adding trample on a 3/3 for G is plenty good enough. And it is definitely not a combination that's ever been available on a monocolor card before.
Yeah, what the heck? That's terrible for a common. The paincast and regular cost should be switched. It should give you the spectacle effect for free and come with a cheaper cost if you can paincast it. Or at the very least not make it more expensive. But not this... strictly worse than monocolor cards from twenty years ago business.
Moan of the Unhallowed is stupid good, with the best stats on a pauper 4-drop in black. 4/4 worth of stats, across two bodies, with graveyard synergy and the possibility of a rebuy. It's great.
Mammoth Umbra is not-bad filler as aura support, and I think probably beats Observant Alseid too (tutorable, possibly better body left over).
Lotus-Eye Mystics - I love that white gets its own take on Gravedigger at common. Even if it's a worse card type, the body is ridiculously good (compared to Gravedigger, but it's not bad versus other white 4 drops either) and plays very well with whatever you're returning as an aura target. Also good if you run Seal of Cleansing and friends.
Groundskeeper is nice to see at common but ultimately too slow to make it work. If you want this kind of effect, Tilling Treefolk gives better value upfront and comes with a bigger back end - but I wouldn't discount the possibility of future printings like this guy to fill a Loam-like archetype at common.
Canker Abomination - interesting since it competes with the recent Rhizome Lurcher. It gives the reins to your opponent instead of yourself for its stats, which I'm not a fan of. I think I would have to consider how often they each reach 4/4 (the minimum size I'm willing to invest for four mana) and how often they'd be 6/6 or bigger. Maybe run a split card experiment. Hybrid mana on Canker is nice though.
Skyspear Cavalry reminds me of Cloud Crusader and Plover Knights, which used to be okay options, but I think at five mana I want something that survives damage-based removal or at least provides some value in case it can't.
Foil is not a good limited card, just like FoW is a lot weaker in limited than in Constructed. Especially in pauper there are simply not that many cards that are worth trading 3 for 1 and resources are much more valueable than in constructed legacy.
I don't think Dimir Guildmage actually makes the cut for me. Dimir is just way too stacked. The sorcery restriction really kills it for me.
Worth mentioning with Foil though - it discards instead of exiles like FoW, which does help with graveyard synergies and madness. Being able to counter a spell and drop a 4/4 trampler is a huge tempo gain. Trying to use it as just another Counterspell in control is a losing proposition. Its primary use is in tempo decks where you can use all your mana and cards more efficiently than your opponent. This would be a great addition if you like Izzet aggro or Simic tempo/madness-style decks, and I think that's the kind of place where Foil shines brightest.
Dimir Guildmage probably competes for the number five spot in most cubes (Dinrova Horror, Soul Manipulation, Recoil and Agony Warp being the cream of the crop), which I imagine rules it out up to 450 but puts it in contention for 540+. At that size you've mostly got slightly subpar creatures like Whisper Agent, Tidehollow Strix or Cavern Harpy to play with, and I find it hard to believe those are better than the card advantage this guildmage gives you. I know some players like Consult the Necrosages, and that choice will probably depend on whether you prefer your value upfront (with a spells-matter theme alongside) or prefer the possibility of a bigger payoff down the road with Guildmage (and the body it comes with).
Resurrection does put the number of rez effects up to three in white (Breath of Life and False Defeat at common online) but you really need to hit an ETB creature to get value from it. Best case I can see is evoking Mulldrifter into Resurrection, but any creature that can give you 4+ mana of value on the rebuy (Nekrataal, Beetleback Chief etc) is great - the issue is ensuring you can get that combination consistently in your decks.
Oh man, I've been wanting Reckless at common ever since Arrogant was downshifted. Having two of these effects to encourage madness is great, especially with the rise of red looting. Off the top of my head, this obviously increases the value of blue looters, and red stock cards like Faithless Looting and Gathan Raiders, but it also gives a small nudge to borderline stuff like beaters (Azra Bladeseeker/Keldon Raider), card draw (Cathartic Reunion/Tormenting Voice) and removal (Direct Current/Lightning Axe).
Arrogant Wurm has been around for a while, has anyone else had results with it? It's about 0.5 mana too expensive at full cost, since you can get vanilla 4/4s at four mana and 4/4s with two upsides at five mana. In green you have ramp to mitigate the extra expense - I'm hoping red's looting plays a similar role in shoring up the Wurm's main weakness.
Fire//Ice ties Jilt for the number one Izzet spell. If this set ends up downshifting multicolor cards like the last Masters, we're in for an embarrassment of riches
Yeah I think even Keldon Raider might be a nicer fit. That card is better in multiple ways - you don't need to discard if you don't want to, and it loots for you if you do. Still only borderline. (on a side note, I just noticed the nice thematic riff between Gathan Raiders and Keldon Raider. And since Gathan is one of my favorite beaters, Keldon Raider might be better than I think )
Pretty much the only thing going for Horde is the body (fairly easy to negate) and the fact that it opens up more design space for undercosted-beater-with-a-drawback in the future. Bloodrage Brawler isn't too far off from common printable if you tweak a couple levers.
Fencing Ace is cubable to me. On its own its strong enough and with some kind of pump it gets crazy. Geist of the Moors only borderline. double W and toughness 1. meh Dragon's Eye Savants borderline 0/6 blocks pretty much every non evasive in paupercubes and it has the flexibility in an offensive mode
Horde still bad for me. I dont see any deck thats wants it.
I was going to disagree with you on Fencing Ace, but on its own, it's only slightly worse thanYouthful Knight, which is marked cubeable here. The fact that it gets better with equipment and auras, and can represent a ton of burst damage with instant-speed pump, might bring it up to the cubeable level. For me it's somewhere in between, as I'm not sure how often you can leverage your pump to lift it out of subpar range.
I do agree on Geist. One point of toughness is a massive liability in a format with pingers, dividable burn and flying tokens.
Balduvian Horde... poor thing. Well, if Reckless Wurm ever gets downshifted like Arrogant Wurm, then I might have a case for this guy. With all the pseudo-looting available, it could help push some sort of madness/graveyard theme in red.
Not that it matters too much, but I like Barging Sergeant more than Gerrard's Irregulars, and that card was considered a good curve-topper until I want to say maybe 2010 or so. Flurry of Horns really knocks that card for a loop, eh.
More interestingly, I think Cinder Hellion might be an underrated five-drop. It took Viashino Pyromancer to show me the value of ETB damage on an untapped body, and the Hellion is big enough to take advantage of the pseudo-vigilance. Combine that with trample, and I think it might be the next best thing at five mana after Flurry - about the same as the two werewolves (Gatstaf Arsonists and Vildin-Pack Outcast)
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Healer's Hawk. True, it happens to work well in GRN limited, but pauper has a ton more options to get the ball rolling. Between equipment, auras and potentially +1/+1 counters, there's some potential to upsize it. I like it more than a 1/1 unblockable like Soltari Foot Soldier (which doesn't block very well), or War Falcon which occasionally has potential to be a do-nothing (and can virtually be 2-for-1ed by removal on your other critters).
Mentor in general does seem stronger than expected, although I'm still irritated by Wojek Bodyguard's drawback (I would have loved it as a 1RR Courser without the no-block clause). The best mentor card at common is Parhelion Patrol. I think it might actually be worth including, particularly if you run more tokens. It plays well on offense and defense too. Flying and vigilance is almost as good as flying and lifelink.
That being said, even without tokens, it's worth checking to see how many 1/x creatures would benefit from a +1/+1 counter. It's more than expected for me. Also consider random incidental synergy that might develop from things like Phantom Tiger or Ainok Bond-Kin (or again, just suiting up with auras/equipment as a build-your-own Serra Angel).
Those are all very much bottom-of-the-barrel options, except the Intrusive Packbeast which is a nice curve-topper for aggressive decks. It may eventually break into pauper cubes if it proves its worth. Markov Warlord seems okay in peasant cubes, so a weaker but cheaper version at common could do some work.
Yeah concerning [card]Soul of the Rapids, I leaned to Borderline with it being more of an archetype card or at least requires some consideration when cube building but I could see it at cubeable as a resilient and evasive control finisher. That or maybe some borderline creatures in that cmc slot aren't as good anymore. Could be a combination of the two also.
Giltgrove Stalker isn't really a strictly worse Wandering Wolf because just as is, wolf can be blocked by 2/X's unlike stalker. I think wolf may be more a borderline archetype card, since it require a decent amount of equipments/auras to make use of it's full potential, or at least as good as Stalker.
Yep, that's my bad. I think they can still be grouped together though as a push for the auras theme.
I do like Soul of the Rapids-style finishers. I currently have Whirlwind Adept in that spot, but it really feels like it should have flying (it looks like it should, and with a name like that, it kind of feels like it should too). Ideally for that cost we could get them combined in one card eventually for a 3/2 hexproof prowess flyer. I might even take it at six mana if it came as a 3/3
I like the ratings overall. Being stricter is a good thing.
I would switch Vampire Champion and Brazen Freebooter's ratings. Deathtouch on a 3/3 is super-overrated in pauper since those stats already trade with about 75% of a cube's creatures. And you're in ideal removal colors where you don't need a creature as pseudo-removal. Ramp in red is unusual enough that it opens up new strategies outside of aggro.
Swaggering Corsair: Borderline unless you have a decent +1/+1 counter theme going. Red 3s are just too good for a conditional Courser to see play.
Jungleborn Pioneer: Super cubeable. Like Marl said, you're getting a Gladecover Scout which is worth the cost and shields you against red's dividable burn.
Orazca Frillback: Borderline. I like the efficiency of the stats, but I don't think anyone actually wants this or Alpine Grizzly. They hit hard but trade with two-drops. My guess is that if red is the most aggressive color in the cube and still doesn't like including these cards (they get two as well in Onakke Ogre and Frenzied Raptor) then they are probably just under the curve for inclusion.
I love Notion Rain, but I do have an unhealthy attraction to card draw + selection. This would have been amazing as a monocolored card, but as it is, Read the Bones but harder to cast is a rough label to see.
I actually do agree with him. I don't think I would want more than one Chapel Geist in each color, and not at all in guildspace unless it's offering a significant bonus alongside. An overcosted onetime pump isn't it, unless you have a significant push for +1/+1 counters. I much prefer the Beetleform Mage's pump, which can be activated while still leaving you with leftover mana for other plays, while hitting harder too.
I also find myself agreeing on Shambleshark. It's an excellent ambusher at two mana and almost always attacks for three. It's a cut above, which is why I wouldn't put it in competition with our new contender.
Frenzied Arynx is great though. Spontaneous Artist is borderline playable already. Adding trample on a 3/3 for G is plenty good enough. And it is definitely not a combination that's ever been available on a monocolor card before.
Does not bode well for the set mechanics.
Wandering Champion is probably in the low mid-tier of 3/1s for 1W, in between Daring Skyjek and Audacious Infiltrator.
Mammoth Umbra is not-bad filler as aura support, and I think probably beats Observant Alseid too (tutorable, possibly better body left over).
Lotus-Eye Mystics - I love that white gets its own take on Gravedigger at common. Even if it's a worse card type, the body is ridiculously good (compared to Gravedigger, but it's not bad versus other white 4 drops either) and plays very well with whatever you're returning as an aura target. Also good if you run Seal of Cleansing and friends.
Groundskeeper is nice to see at common but ultimately too slow to make it work. If you want this kind of effect, Tilling Treefolk gives better value upfront and comes with a bigger back end - but I wouldn't discount the possibility of future printings like this guy to fill a Loam-like archetype at common.
Canker Abomination - interesting since it competes with the recent Rhizome Lurcher. It gives the reins to your opponent instead of yourself for its stats, which I'm not a fan of. I think I would have to consider how often they each reach 4/4 (the minimum size I'm willing to invest for four mana) and how often they'd be 6/6 or bigger. Maybe run a split card experiment. Hybrid mana on Canker is nice though.
Skyspear Cavalry reminds me of Cloud Crusader and Plover Knights, which used to be okay options, but I think at five mana I want something that survives damage-based removal or at least provides some value in case it can't.
Paying UURRB for Demonic Tutor is certainly funny, old chap.
Worth mentioning with Foil though - it discards instead of exiles like FoW, which does help with graveyard synergies and madness. Being able to counter a spell and drop a 4/4 trampler is a huge tempo gain. Trying to use it as just another Counterspell in control is a losing proposition. Its primary use is in tempo decks where you can use all your mana and cards more efficiently than your opponent. This would be a great addition if you like Izzet aggro or Simic tempo/madness-style decks, and I think that's the kind of place where Foil shines brightest.
Dimir Guildmage probably competes for the number five spot in most cubes (Dinrova Horror, Soul Manipulation, Recoil and Agony Warp being the cream of the crop), which I imagine rules it out up to 450 but puts it in contention for 540+. At that size you've mostly got slightly subpar creatures like Whisper Agent, Tidehollow Strix or Cavern Harpy to play with, and I find it hard to believe those are better than the card advantage this guildmage gives you. I know some players like Consult the Necrosages, and that choice will probably depend on whether you prefer your value upfront (with a spells-matter theme alongside) or prefer the possibility of a bigger payoff down the road with Guildmage (and the body it comes with).
Resurrection does put the number of rez effects up to three in white (Breath of Life and False Defeat at common online) but you really need to hit an ETB creature to get value from it. Best case I can see is evoking Mulldrifter into Resurrection, but any creature that can give you 4+ mana of value on the rebuy (Nekrataal, Beetleback Chief etc) is great - the issue is ensuring you can get that combination consistently in your decks.
Arrogant Wurm has been around for a while, has anyone else had results with it? It's about 0.5 mana too expensive at full cost, since you can get vanilla 4/4s at four mana and 4/4s with two upsides at five mana. In green you have ramp to mitigate the extra expense - I'm hoping red's looting plays a similar role in shoring up the Wurm's main weakness.
Fire//Ice ties Jilt for the number one Izzet spell. If this set ends up downshifting multicolor cards like the last Masters, we're in for an embarrassment of riches
Pretty much the only thing going for Horde is the body (fairly easy to negate) and the fact that it opens up more design space for undercosted-beater-with-a-drawback in the future. Bloodrage Brawler isn't too far off from common printable if you tweak a couple levers.
I was going to disagree with you on Fencing Ace, but on its own, it's only slightly worse thanYouthful Knight, which is marked cubeable here. The fact that it gets better with equipment and auras, and can represent a ton of burst damage with instant-speed pump, might bring it up to the cubeable level. For me it's somewhere in between, as I'm not sure how often you can leverage your pump to lift it out of subpar range.
I do agree on Geist. One point of toughness is a massive liability in a format with pingers, dividable burn and flying tokens.
Balduvian Horde... poor thing. Well, if Reckless Wurm ever gets downshifted like Arrogant Wurm, then I might have a case for this guy. With all the pseudo-looting available, it could help push some sort of madness/graveyard theme in red.
More interestingly, I think Cinder Hellion might be an underrated five-drop. It took Viashino Pyromancer to show me the value of ETB damage on an untapped body, and the Hellion is big enough to take advantage of the pseudo-vigilance. Combine that with trample, and I think it might be the next best thing at five mana after Flurry - about the same as the two werewolves (Gatstaf Arsonists and Vildin-Pack Outcast)
Mentor in general does seem stronger than expected, although I'm still irritated by Wojek Bodyguard's drawback (I would have loved it as a 1RR Courser without the no-block clause). The best mentor card at common is Parhelion Patrol. I think it might actually be worth including, particularly if you run more tokens. It plays well on offense and defense too. Flying and vigilance is almost as good as flying and lifelink.
That being said, even without tokens, it's worth checking to see how many 1/x creatures would benefit from a +1/+1 counter. It's more than expected for me. Also consider random incidental synergy that might develop from things like Phantom Tiger or Ainok Bond-Kin (or again, just suiting up with auras/equipment as a build-your-own Serra Angel).
Yep, that's my bad. I think they can still be grouped together though as a push for the auras theme.
I do like Soul of the Rapids-style finishers. I currently have Whirlwind Adept in that spot, but it really feels like it should have flying (it looks like it should, and with a name like that, it kind of feels like it should too). Ideally for that cost we could get them combined in one card eventually for a 3/2 hexproof prowess flyer. I might even take it at six mana if it came as a 3/3
I would switch Vampire Champion and Brazen Freebooter's ratings. Deathtouch on a 3/3 is super-overrated in pauper since those stats already trade with about 75% of a cube's creatures. And you're in ideal removal colors where you don't need a creature as pseudo-removal. Ramp in red is unusual enough that it opens up new strategies outside of aggro.
Swaggering Corsair: Borderline unless you have a decent +1/+1 counter theme going. Red 3s are just too good for a conditional Courser to see play.
Giltgrove Stalker: Borderline. Strictly worse than Wandering Wolf which already sees very little play.
Jungleborn Pioneer: Super cubeable. Like Marl said, you're getting a Gladecover Scout which is worth the cost and shields you against red's dividable burn.
Orazca Frillback: Borderline. I like the efficiency of the stats, but I don't think anyone actually wants this or Alpine Grizzly. They hit hard but trade with two-drops. My guess is that if red is the most aggressive color in the cube and still doesn't like including these cards (they get two as well in Onakke Ogre and Frenzied Raptor) then they are probably just under the curve for inclusion.
Not a big deal, but you also have a typo in Goblin Trailblazer.