whydirt's peasant cube

[whydirt]

I'm considering breaking the seal and include some actual rare cards. One of the main reasons I haven't before is that I easily reach decision paralysis when trying to figure out how many and which ones to add. But I figure that I can get some feedback here before I take the plunge.

I've looked at the rares in Inscho's and Grillo's cubes as a starting point. I then tried to look at existing themes and find cards to support them. I'm also wanting to add a few ABU rares for nostalgia purposes (I picked up some Collector's Edition cards so I can use them in black border). I don't mind cards being powerful as long as they don't completely dominate the games they're in every time.

Here's a non-exhaustive watch list of cards I'm considering.

Herald of Anafenza
Savannah Lions
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Grand Abolisher
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
Fabled Hero
Eidolon of Countless Battles
Ajani's Chosen
Ranger of Eos
Hixus, Prison Warden
Celestial Ancient
Winds of Rath
Akroma's Vengeance
Glorious Anthem

Vesuvan Doppleganger
Ludevic's Test Subject
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest
Disciple of the Ring
Alhammarret, High Arbiter
Mirror Mockery
Braingeyser
Timetwister
Time Warp

Skeletal Vampire
Skirsdag High Priest
Lord of the Pit
Nightmare
Soulflayer
Coffin Queen
Demonic Pact

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
Shivan Dragon
Hound of Griselbrand
Mondronen Shaman
Two-Headed Giant of Foriys
Abbot of Keral Keep
Markov Blademaster
Squee, Goblin Nabob
Dragon-Style Twins
Fork
Wheel of Fortune
Pyromancer's Goggles

Quirion Dryad
Vinelasher Kudzu
Undergrowth Champion
Oran-Rief Hydra
Champion of Lambholt
Wolfbitten Captive
Renegade Krasis
Eidolon of Blossoms

Evil Twin

Tymaret, the Murder King

Selenia, Dark Angel
Teysa, Orzhov Scion
Triad of Fates
Ghost Council of Orzhova

Jori En, Ruin Diver

Phyrexian Revoker
Akroan Horse
Ratchet Bomb
Jinxed Idol
Trading Post

I think Wheel and Twister are probably fine in a world of low power and without fast mana, but I'm willing to hear otherwise.

I'll probably do some This or That posts for similar groups of cards eventually, but for now are there any outliers stick out from this list?

 

[Suicufnoc]

Rare dards I love that should be in any cube that their power level is reasonable in:
Abbot of Keral Keep
Blast from the Past
Birds of Paradise
Eidolon of Countless Battles
Galepowder Mage
Reveillark
Venser, Shaper Savant
Zealous Conscripts
Greater Gargadon
Gyre Sage
Call of the Herd
Sylvan Library
Genesis
Phyrexian Revoker
City of Brass
Triskelion

Maybe too Powerful:
Restoration Angel
Sylvan Advocate
Goblin Dark-Dwellers
Knight of the Reliquary
Snapcaster Mage
Noble Hierarch
Toxic Deluge
Volrath's Stronghold
Grim Lavamancer
Scavenging Ooze

Also if you haven't yet, I suggest a rare land package. 20+ Painlands if budget matters, 20 Fetches and 20 Shocks if it doesn't.

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

Off these cards, the ones I like the most from my experiences are



Fabled hero is a really exciting card if you have any sort of tempo proc. or growth effect, and is a combo deck in itself. I nailed a guy for 18 damage with it this weekend and it was amazing. Quirion dryad is tons of fun, powerful, but answerable. Champion is a powerful card that grants team evasion, and works well with buffs. Tymaret gives a lot of grind game to token based strategies, and is surprisingly powerful. Ghost council is a game winner, capable of awesome plays, once people get over the restrictive costs. Trading post is very strong, but my format is a bit slower, and artifact based, so its probably better over here than it normally would be.

Jori en is probably my pick from that list to run, if you could only choose one of those cards. The card is not only powerful and fun, but it encourages people to play more active games, sequencing out multiple spells a turn over multiple turns.

A number of the other cards seem way too strong





reveillark and zealous conscripts also belong firmly in that category. Its possible skeletal vampire, hight priest and greater gargadon are too powerful as well.

Some of the cards you have listed have been bad in my experience, like triad of fates. I also don't really like test subject, nightmare, demonic pact, nightmare, or lord of the pit. Squee, celestial ancient, and ajani's chosen seem a bit narrow. High arbiter seems weird in a largely singleton format.

The retro cards are an interesting idea. I don't think any of them are reasonable to run if we are being objective, but it might be fun to drop a time walk in for a draft, and it would make me smile to crack an old shivan dragon. Of the non-power 9 options, shivan and doppelganger actually seem the most reasonable.

Time warp seems fun if you have ways to recur it.

I would keep the lands as is, because I am curious how this evolving wilds experiment works out.

 

[whydirt]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm going to put adding rares on the backburner for the time being as I want to get some playtest time without them. To make a small confession, I haven't had a chance to play with my cube since rebuilding it (aside from mock drafts on CubeTutor). I'm living in a new place and have other things on my plate that have kept me from finding a local playgroup. I know that cube building purely around theorycrafting is dangerous, but it's all I have for the moment. On the upside, I did discover over the weekend that some of my new friends from another hobby are casual magic players, so I may try to rope them into cubing!

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Here's a new question. I want to give U/G a light domain ramp identity. Should I stick to just using explicit domain cards in those two colors, since easily getting to splash for off-color spells is already a benefit on its own, or should I keep Aven Trailblazer, Drag Down, and Tribal Flames around as additional payoff?

 

[Gozmit97]

Have you gotten to test your list? I have been keeping track of the changes to your cubetutor, as i am building something similar.

 

[James Stevenson]

Here's a new question. I want to give U/G a light domain ramp identity. Should I stick to just using explicit domain cards in those two colors, since easily getting to splash for off-color spells is already a benefit on its own, or should I keep Aven Trailblazer, Drag Down, and Tribal Flames around as additional payoff?

I run tribal flames and I love it. So I was going to recommend it very highly, but then I realised I have shocks and fetches. I'd be curious to know how domain cards play out with peasant manabases, though.

 

[whydirt]

Have you gotten to test your list? I have been keeping track of the changes to your cubetutor, as i am building something similar.

Sorry, but no.

Non-cube activities have limited my time. I've also recently moved, so I'll likely need to find a new playgroup before getting any testing in.

I run tribal flames and I love it. So I was going to recommend it very highly, but then I realised I have shocks and fetches. I'd be curious to know how domain cards play out with peasant manabases, though.

If I follow through with having an Evolving Wilds in each pack, domain should be relatively easy to put together. I had a lot of fun with green-based domain decks in the original Modern Masters, so I don't think it's a hard strategy to support if your format is slowed down from high powered cubes.

 

[raistlin]

I am also building something similar. I have almost finished your initial list with the 418 cards but haven't played yet. I think it's a solid list. I hope it works. Thanks!

Why have you removed some cards? Were they overpowered (maybe rancor is) or just to make some room for the cards from shadows (which I think are very interesting due to the delirium and flip mechanics!)?

 

[whydirt]

Updated my list! To really emphasize that aggro decks start with 2-drops, I cut out almost all 1-drops that are nothing but mindless beaters. Loyal Pegasus is basically the only one left, but I feel like it's got some good play value in it.

I've decided that I'm okay with different color pairs having different levels of being about a specific theme. R/G is primarily setup to be werewolf & wolf tribal, but shouldn't be on such strong rails to deny building a strong domain ramp deck based in that guild. W/U on the other hand, has a light skies theme, but is generally going to be much more open ended.

After having some time for SOI to sink in, I have to say that I love delirium! I feel like it definitely gives control and graveyard decks a way to earn additional value in the mid-to-late game without breaking the mana system the way that delve does. I hope we get a couple more cool cards with it in Eldritch Moon. It definitely comes across as an "improved" version of threshold that should hopefully make for more interesting deckbuilding and play decisions.

I think I'm ready to take the plunge and break singleton. I want to expand to 540 to increase the overall variety of cards in the pool, but I want to make sure certain effects are available in most drafts. Here's my preliminary list of potential doubles:



I like this better than O-Ring effects in formats closer to retail limited and is my current favorite removal spell in white at the moment. If EDM doesn't give white another playable investigate card, I may double up on Expose Evil or Thraben Inspector.



Brainstorm is mostly for the Evolving Wilds interactions. Wordly Counsel is there to add density to the UG domain theme (there aren't enough cards to keep it singleton in a large cubo, imo). Write into Being is to give blue another "creature" in a spells-matter deck.



Tragic Slip I'm on the fence about, so I might eventually use another "death-matters" card. Basilica Screecher is in to maintain extort density.



Kiln Fiend for spells-matter. Tormenting Voice for general card selection, graveyard shenanigans, and because red has only recently started getting fun toys at C/U that aren't just threatens or burn, so there's not a lot of options available.



Wayfinder intersects with graveyard stuff, domain, and sacrifice decks, making it a clear choice to double. I like Rabid Bite more than fight effects, so until we get more cards like it, I'm going to double up. Matca Rioters is for domain. Siege Wurm is a payoff for G/W decks, but also might not make the doubling list when the dust settles.



Voyager Staff is a sweet utility card that can go into a ton of decks and do a lot of things. Cogwork Librarian should never see actual play, but I'm willing to double it to make drafts more smooth.

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I am also building something similar. I have almost finished your initial list with the 418 cards but haven't played yet. I think it's a solid list. I hope it works.Thanks!

Why have you removed some cards? Were they overpowered (maybe rancor is) or just to make some room for the cards from shadows (which I think are very interesting due to the delirium and flip mechanics!)?

Glad you're enjoying the list! Let me know how it works for you!

Yeah, in general most cards you'd seen in other peasant lists but not here were cut due to power level. I have no problem with cards like Rancor, Mulldrifter, etc. I'm just looking to do something different that meets other design goals I have.

 

[whydirt]

I've taken the dive and broken singleton. I'll post a full update soon, but here's a preview of things to come:

Mono-R Rise from the Tides from CubeTutor.com

W/B Exploit and Extort from CubeTutor.com