I'd turn 1 vial, turn 2 Thalia and hierarch with no information. Then both avenger and smiter could come down on 3 depending on what you're up against. Option B is strictly worse as you have the same board state at the start of your third turn and your vial is on 1 instead of 2 if you lead with vial.
I only really lead with hierarch over vial if I have a turn 2 arbiter and ghost quarter. There are other times, but it's circumstantial and requires some information on what your opponent is playing.
Neither have I, fwiw. I just don't have any interest in it for my cube. I admit that it'd be pretty decent in a fires deck, but then I struggle to think of its application in other contexts.
fires absolutely makes me want to bring phantom centaur back. i still don't like seismic elemental at all..it feels so narrow. It's a 5 drop that control doesn't want, tempo doesn't want it, it's too expensive for a true aggro deck. it's pretty much a gruul only card since you get mana elves to accelerate and all of the threats are big ground walkers.
Well haste allows you to catch your opponent with their pants around their ankles. Say they tap out to play anything turn three or four, you can potentially crush their board with annihilator triggers. It just decreases the risk of channel because you're paying almost half of your life.
Fires could definitely be good. Maybe I'll run it over Kird Ape for this weeks draft.
I really like it in a pseudo gruul sneak attack shell. You really want some combination of generator servant, lightning mauler, and lightning greaves. Savage ventmaw is also good in this shell as are all fireball variants. I need a better big red critter to help the archetype out. Maybe shockmaw dragon will make an appearance.
It has yet to come together in a real draft, but I've sat down and played some example decklists with friends so it's definitely feasible. Channel so far has only really shown its face in mono green ramp with lightning greaves a couple times in the past dozen drafts. Turn one utopia sprawl into turn 2 channel+roar of the wurm, into turn 3 flashback wurm is a line of play I've seen. As well as a 3 turn greaves'd eldrazi. I've also seen it sit in hand more than a few times.
I'm still waiting to see someone pay 10 life and drop an ulamog's crusher and lightning greaves turn 2
If you could fashion a cube that would be conducive to riptide shapeshifter, then see beyond would be considerable. That's its best function imo...shipping away those things you can't cast.
I have all of the usable ones sleeved up for times when we want to shake things up. Unfortunately, Summers are slow for cubing so getting to cube at all is pretty fresh in and of itself. Some of them get stupid really quick.
I only really lead with hierarch over vial if I have a turn 2 arbiter and ghost quarter. There are other times, but it's circumstantial and requires some information on what your opponent is playing.
Fires could definitely be good. Maybe I'll run it over Kird Ape for this weeks draft.
It has yet to come together in a real draft, but I've sat down and played some example decklists with friends so it's definitely feasible. Channel so far has only really shown its face in mono green ramp with lightning greaves a couple times in the past dozen drafts. Turn one utopia sprawl into turn 2 channel+roar of the wurm, into turn 3 flashback wurm is a line of play I've seen. As well as a 3 turn greaves'd eldrazi. I've also seen it sit in hand more than a few times.
I'm still waiting to see someone pay 10 life and drop an ulamog's crusher and lightning greaves turn 2
But no, far too much work.
1 Enclave Cryptologist
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Careful Study
1 Compulsive Research
1 Frantic Search
1 Forbid
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Darkblast
1 Raven's Crime
1 Rakdos Guildmage
1 Psychatog
1 Nezumi Graverobber (in a pinch)
1 Reanimate
1 Animate Dead
1 Dance of the Dead
1 Exhume
1 Necromancy
1 Diabolic Servitude
1 Unburial Rites
Creatures:
1 Sentinel of the Eternal Watch
1 Jetting Glasskite
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Dark Hatchling
1 Pelakka Wurm
1 Jungle Weaver
1 Trostani's Summoner
1 Ulamog's Crusher
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
1 Duress
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Force of Will
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Lightning Greaves
Example Decklist:
1x Enclave Cryptologist
1x Bone Shredder
1x Psychatog
1x Mulldrifter
1x Dark Hatchling
1x Jetting Glasskite
1x Pelakka Wurm
1x Ulamog's Crusher
1x Artisan of Kozilek
1x Dismember
1x Impulse
1x Mana Leak
1x Remand
1x Forbid
Sorcery
1x Careful Study
1x Raven's Crime
1x Exhume
1x Compulsive Research
1x Barter in Blood
1x Treasure Cruise
1x Lightning Greaves
Enchantment
1x Animate Dead
1x Dance of the Dead
1x Diabolic Servitude
Land
1x Crumbling Necropolis
1x Gemstone Mine
8x Island
6x Swamp