Card/Deck Single Card Spotlight

vennythekid

vennythekid

2 Questions:

1. What's everybody's favorite Eldrazi Spawn/Scion generator? I want to include 1 more and I don't know which one. Preferably, lower CMC.
I've already got: Nest Invader and Awakening Zone

2. If I wanted a 3-CMC version of Inferno Titan, what card would I be looking at?
 
sigh

sigh

vennythekid said:
2 Questions:

1. What's everybody's favorite Eldrazi Spawn/Scion generator? I want to include 1 more and I don't know which one. Preferably, lower CMC.
I've already got: Nest Invader and Awakening Zone

2. If I wanted a 3-CMC version of Inferno Titan, what card would I be looking at?
Click to expand...

Probably this if it's doesn't have to stay in {G}:

There's not much choice beyond that for low CMC's, sadly. Second Nest Invader?
 
Alphez

Alphez

These are (probably) not the droids you're looking for. Anyway:

- Eldrazi dork generator. I'm gonna try out Carrier Thrall. Acceptable stats and an ability that makes it decent in Aristocrats and Pod decks. Pawn of Ulamog, as suggested by sigh, is also very good.
- 3-CMC Inferno Titan. I have a soft spot for Plague Spitter, even though I never found room for it in my list. I have this wet dream of slapping a Curiosity on it. I'm gonna make it happen, sooner or later.
 
RavebornMuse

RavebornMuse

The problem is that Disciple of Bolas does best in lower-powered, fairer lists, where it essentially reads something like

"as an additional cost to play Disciple of Bolas, sacrifice a Bloodsoaked Champion. You draw 2 cards and gain 2 life."

That's... not really all that super exciting for a 2/1 that requires you eat another 2/1 you cast a few turns ago. I like it a lot but it just looks fun, in actuality it's kinda the last sac outlet I'd ever want. I'd really love to run it but it just doesn't seem to belong. Probably does better in a multiplayer cube where you can enjoy that kind of self-service play because that's what everyone else is doing.
 
Jason Waddell

Jason Waddell

Administrator
Staff member
Alfonzo Bonzo said:
Is this any good?

Click to expand...

I think it's sweet in a low-mid power cube. Obvious concern: it's a very conditional 5-drop, but the more sacrifice you have in your environment, the less narrow it becomes. Do note: it's a 5-drop that relies on attacking, so it doesn't necessarily slot into control well, so keep that in mind when assembling your list of finishers.
 
GiftsForgiven

GiftsForgiven

Throwing this card out there:

Image.ashx


I'm referencing him as a standalone card (no other cephalid) in a cube. I think he's a pretty interesting top-end that's fair, but can be pretty tough to deal with. What do you guys think? (currently testing him in a cube that may be a bit too strong for him, but hey.) Note that he can tap himself to his first ability, so it isn't wasted.
 
RavebornMuse

RavebornMuse

Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor seems to be in a weird spot on the power curve where he's too good for Low Power Card Spotlight and too bad for most any other cube. Let's break it down...
  • 6 mana is a TON for blue, and blue is not typically a very offensive colour. When it does go on offense, it typically makes use of evasives, or tricks its way past the enemy. Given this, a tapdown effect seems a bit underwhelming, especially attached to a 6-mana body.
  • The {U}{U}{U} cost makes it unlikely to be a splash tool for the aggro or control decks that might want it, forcing a player to commit to blue pretty heavily
  • That it doesn't tap down fliers makes it all the worse, as many of blue's more aggressive creature decks have some number of fliers, unless it's a pure prowess-style deck, in which case, the tapdown on an expensive body isn't necessary.
  • Outside of an aggro deck, Aboshan offers a downright merciless ability to keep attackers at bay, and while I like some delay cards, this is literally a card that says "you have 1 specific turn to remove me, otherwise, you're probably going to need to draw two removal spells to push through counterspells or else you can never attack".
  • Even outside these brutal-case scenarios, a 6-mana, killable Icy Manipulator isn't really where I want to be, and that */3 body means it's well within most cube's burn range.
I'd give it a firm pass; it's simply too much of an investment and too risky unless you can keep 'em alive for a whole turn, and that's kind of a big ask.
 
GiftsForgiven

GiftsForgiven

RavebornMuse said:
Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor seems to be in a weird spot on the power curve where he's too good for Low Power Card Spotlight and too bad for most any other cube. Let's break it down...
  • 6 mana is a TON for blue, and blue is not typically a very offensive colour. When it does go on offense, it typically makes use of evasives, or tricks its way past the enemy. Given this, a tapdown effect seems a bit underwhelming, especially attached to a 6-mana body.
  • The {U}{U}{U} cost makes it unlikely to be a splash tool for the aggro or control decks that might want it, forcing a player to commit to blue pretty heavily
  • That it doesn't tap down fliers makes it all the worse, as many of blue's more aggressive creature decks have some number of fliers, unless it's a pure prowess-style deck, in which case, the tapdown on an expensive body isn't necessary.
  • Outside of an aggro deck, Aboshan offers a downright merciless ability to keep attackers at bay, and while I like some delay cards, this is literally a card that says "you have 1 specific turn to remove me, otherwise, you're probably going to need to draw two removal spells to push through counterspells or else you can never attack".
  • Even outside these brutal-case scenarios, a 6-mana, killable Icy Manipulator isn't really where I want to be, and that */3 body means it's well within most cube's burn range.
I'd give it a firm pass; it's simply too much of an investment and too risky unless you can keep 'em alive for a whole turn, and that's kind of a big ask.
Click to expand...


I'm currently testing it in a legacy-level cube as a replacement for Keiga on the curve. Maybe that new sphinx,
110819.jpg


might be better for that slot? Those are all valid points. I liked Aboshan because he's an oddball, but that does work against him, too...
 
xpistou83

xpistou83

Hi folks! Long time lurker, first time posting...I couldn't find info on this thread concerning Dryad Arbor. I picked one up the other day because I just think it's cool. Other than its interaction with GSZ, can someone tell me why they like it in the ULD or their cube or whatever. What other cards should I get to make it shine in my cube? I remember that CML said something about not loving the design of the card in another thread. Thanks for any help!
 
Tzenmoroth

Tzenmoroth

I haven't come around to the Arbor yet myself in cube, but its uses include being good with Green Sun's Zenith, Woodland Bellower, Natural Order, Aether Vial, Birthing Pod, Collected Company etc by virtue of being a green creature at 0 cmc. It can also be recurred repeatedly with Crucible of Worlds or Life from the Loam and Unearth can get back a land I guess. You can sacrifice Wooded Foothills and friends to counter an edict. Crop Rotation, Nature's Lore etc can find it. Sylvan Advocate can pump it now. Its another body that works with Standstill. Can even come back with Meren of Clan Nel Toth now, maybe that matters.

Honestly, not sure if all the cute little synergies compensate for the drawback of a land that constantly dies to a light breeze but its a pretty useful card, esp in an environment with a lot of fetches and edicts. That's probably the strongest interaction.
 
FlowerSunRain

FlowerSunRain

Contributor
I'm not too entralled with arbor. Green Sun's Zenith is already a massive card, it really doesn't need to be llanowar elves on top of everything else. I think most people are happy with enough running mana elves as is, they don't need them to have every single green creature in your deck as a backup mode.

That said, fucking with edicts or getting an eot attacker off of a fetchland is pretty cool, but relatively narrow. Being a land and a creature has some interesting side effects with graveyard interactions and will be sweet at helping hit delirium once Shadows is out. Sadly, most decks probably don't want to play it over basic forest due to the drawbacks, but once in a while you might hit the right deck.

Overall:

With GSZ: Strong, but mostly just adds power to an already powerful card you'd play anyway
Without GSZ: Kinda weak and narrow
 
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