General Fight Club
- Thread starter Jason Waddell
- Start date
We found Timmy.
I personally like that Gearhulk has less blowout potential because it's easier to keep your instants in check for single card impact than it is to keep all three card types in check for Scholar. That said, Gearhulk has the ambush blowout potential.
Onder's dead on about 7 being decently more mana than 6. And sigh is dead on about them filling quite different roles than it appears at face value. I think it really comes down to what you're after. That absolutely could be both.
All that said, Gearhulk is usually better. You can always add a few more instants if you're lacking targets. It shouldn't be too difficult to swap stuff over to instant speed unless you're trying to protect some sort of pants deck by keeping it sorcery.
One big consideration may be that Gearhulk is $8 and Scholar is $1.
Onder's dead on about 7 being decently more mana than 6. And sigh is dead on about them filling quite different roles than it appears at face value. I think it really comes down to what you're after. That absolutely could be both.
All that said, Gearhulk is usually better. You can always add a few more instants if you're lacking targets. It shouldn't be too difficult to swap stuff over to instant speed unless you're trying to protect some sort of pants deck by keeping it sorcery.
One big consideration may be that Gearhulk is $8 and Scholar is $1.
Her'es one I'm undecided on:
vs
Gearhulk is not as good as it seems in my cube, as I don't run as many instants. However, Scholar costs seven mana which is a lot. It also has blowout potential with reanimator if you happen to get something tasty in the graveyard at the same time as the Scholar. Thoughts?
The bolded gives me pause. If I'm sitting down to draft your cube and I get a P1P1 Gearhulk, I'm slamming it and looking to build around it. Might end up being a disappointing draft for me if I find out that that part of the card isn't very well supported.
This is all playgroup dependent of course, if your folks are sophisticated drafters of your cube they'll be able to make the proper valuations, and in this scenario maybe gearhulk is perfect for the power level you're looking for. But I personally to avoid running cards if one of the reasons I'm comfortable with them at my power level is that they're not fully supported, as it means I'm laying a trap for my drafters.
Totally agree. I think more than sophistication, it just demands a level of familiarity with a cube. Gearhulk telegraphs that there is going to be an adequate density of targets, and optimistically some splashy ones. The artifact type will likely be the secondary synergy point. Maybe if there is a lot of artifact support you can avert the trap somewhat....
EDIT: But regarding Scholar vs Gearhulk....7 is a lot more than 6 in practice. At 7, I'm looking more towards cheating it into play. The instant speed and 6cmc makes Gearhulk more of an organically castable control/reactive card. Very different applications despite the obvious similarities imo.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Hanna is very hard to keep on the table with such a feeble body.
Hanna also costs 6 mana before you get anything back, and the body barely makes an impact on the board. Banish costs the same and at least provides better bodies!
Ultimately,w hile Mask of Memory requires you to run through some hoops, it does give you card advantage. With extra filtering at that. Zephyr Boots is card disadvantage only to turn a creature into a looter and give it flying.
I didn't see skeleton key making many waves around here when it came out, so not sure that Zephyr Boots makes much more impact than that. Flying is generally better than Skulk overall, but still.
I think these are two really different cards, actually.
Mask of Memory is a card advantage engine for aggressive decks. It likes fliers, and evasion in general. It's pretty strong in my cube, and best in blue due to evasion, tapping and bounce. It is useless in defense.
Zephyr Boots is a clock-maker with smoothing built-in. It is subpar with evasion, but good with large creatures. It's best in green because it gives it "reach", breaks stallmates, uses its large beaters well, and provides smoothing. It is relevant in defense.
Note also that 2 to play 1 to equip is cheaper than 1 to play, 2 to equip.
Flying is so much better than skulk that I think Zephyr Boots are way better. Skeleton Key is useless with large creatures.
Mask of Memory is a card advantage engine for aggressive decks. It likes fliers, and evasion in general. It's pretty strong in my cube, and best in blue due to evasion, tapping and bounce. It is useless in defense.
Zephyr Boots is a clock-maker with smoothing built-in. It is subpar with evasion, but good with large creatures. It's best in green because it gives it "reach", breaks stallmates, uses its large beaters well, and provides smoothing. It is relevant in defense.
Note also that 2 to play 1 to equip is cheaper than 1 to play, 2 to equip.
Flying is so much better than skulk that I think Zephyr Boots are way better. Skeleton Key is useless with large creatures.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Mystic for me.
There is also Metallurgic Summonings if you want an even more resilient "body" then Deekah
There is also Metallurgic Summonings if you want an even more resilient "body" then Deekah
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
You mis-spelled fractal
Agree though. The Mystic also has a surprisingly relevant body for its cost. It can hold down the fort while your birds are pecking in.Thank you guys for the advices on Mask of Memory and Zephyr Boots as well as on Murmuring Mystic, Talrand, Sky Summoner and Deekah, Fractal Theorist!
I will neither include Mask or Boots for the reasons you mentioned and for power reasons nor Deekah because it's too wordy and fractal.. I mean fragile.
I will neither include Mask or Boots for the reasons you mentioned and for power reasons nor Deekah because it's too wordy and fractal.. I mean fragile.
I agree here, skulk is a really goofy keyword. I think the boots are a pretty nice design!
I think the high rating of Increasing Vengeance for Strixhaven was because it's good in a retail limited environment that cares about copying spells. Having run the card in my Cube in the past, I believe it is very mediocre.
The good rating for Increasing Vengeance in the Limited Resources set review made me reconsider it.
I think Mizzix's Mastry is better in the context of Cube, as it can more reliably be used to build around awesome spells.