General Fight Club
- Thread starter Jason Waddell
- Start date
Careful Study is great, I just don't run it because I find Faithless Looting and Frantic Search to fit better into more possible decks. As a blue cantrip that costs U, I always liked Opt.
@ Scour All Possibilities vs blue Omen: it depends on what you're supporting in your cube. Spellslingers and Selfmill both like Scour a lot better while Enchantress and Devotion like the Omen better. Personally, I find Scour All Possibilities to be perfect for my cube and am very happy with it.
There's also Witching Well which is at least comparable, and could even be returned with Auriok Salvagers.
@ Cantrip/Card draw discussion: yes, weakening raw card draw and cantrips is important so blue doesn't get overwhelmingly strong as a colour. Other colours should get some of those, too, like Adventurous Impulse, Ransack the Lab (which is a black Strategic Planning), Winding Way etc., and I also like exile from TOL, which is mainly in red: Dark-Dweller Oracle, Stromkirk Occultist, Escape to the Wilds, Furious Rise etc.
White does have some tutoresque effects on bodies like Thalia's Lancers, Militia Bugler and Outrageous Rider, and cards like Thraben Inspector and Bygone Bishop. Draw could also be attached to other conditions, like Ninja of the Deep Hours, Moonlight Bargain and Epiphany at the Drownyard.
I think the last 3-4 years have brought A LOT of good alternatives to us, and made it possible for other colours to hold their own against the once so mighty blue card draw, which can also be toned down in power with ease.
@ Scour All Possibilities vs blue Omen: it depends on what you're supporting in your cube. Spellslingers and Selfmill both like Scour a lot better while Enchantress and Devotion like the Omen better. Personally, I find Scour All Possibilities to be perfect for my cube and am very happy with it.
There's also Witching Well which is at least comparable, and could even be returned with Auriok Salvagers.@ Cantrip/Card draw discussion: yes, weakening raw card draw and cantrips is important so blue doesn't get overwhelmingly strong as a colour. Other colours should get some of those, too, like Adventurous Impulse, Ransack the Lab (which is a black Strategic Planning), Winding Way etc., and I also like exile from TOL, which is mainly in red: Dark-Dweller Oracle, Stromkirk Occultist, Escape to the Wilds, Furious Rise etc.
White does have some tutoresque effects on bodies like Thalia's Lancers, Militia Bugler and Outrageous Rider, and cards like Thraben Inspector and Bygone Bishop. Draw could also be attached to other conditions, like Ninja of the Deep Hours, Moonlight Bargain and Epiphany at the Drownyard.
I think the last 3-4 years have brought A LOT of good alternatives to us, and made it possible for other colours to hold their own against the once so mighty blue card draw, which can also be toned down in power with ease.
Great post, Mr. Mondschwein, I'm trying something similar. I just can't get myself to cut Fact or Fiction, that damn card is just too cool.
But on a side note, another tool of keeping blue fair, is really embracing their weaknesses (and make them count in your environment). Like, having the weakest creatures (no 4/4 fliers for 4 with upsides and stuff) or having no actual removal (no Claustrophobia like effects), just bounce and maybe one or two really costly steal effects (I have Vapore Snare and Confiscate as "bends").
But on a side note, another tool of keeping blue fair, is really embracing their weaknesses (and make them count in your environment). Like, having the weakest creatures (no 4/4 fliers for 4 with upsides and stuff) or having no actual removal (no Claustrophobia like effects), just bounce and maybe one or two really costly steal effects (I have Vapore Snare and Confiscate as "bends").
FoF definitely is my favourite magic card of all time, but it's such a strong card, and I want to create a nearly perfectly-balanced environment, and we do have interesting alternatives in Fortune's Favor, Epiphany at the Drownyard and Moonlight Bargain, if you ask me.
But you're right, there are other ways to balance colours, it's just not my jam.
But you're right, there are other ways to balance colours, it's just not my jam.
vs.
Preordain is too good, but I really like both of these. I'm sort of tempted to run both, but I don't want to go too heavy on 2 CMC cantrips.
I like Seaordain more than Scour All Possibilities. Seaordain is an instant speed play, and being able to scry at instant speed is good as well. You usually have to take your entire turn off to flashback Scour All Possibilities because it's a sorcery. I don't think the ability to draw an extra card is really worth the clunkiness involved in scour. I'd argue your cube has one of the higher power ceilings compared to a lot of what we see on RTL, so I think the clunk isn't really something you want in your environment.
You don't run a lot of 1 or 2cc draw in your cube, so I think keeping Scour All Possibilities is reasonable. If you were to cut it, I'd replace it with another cantrip or card with Cycling
.
I have cut almost all sorcery speed mono blue spells. It is an easy way to give blue yet another theme with no effort. It was tough to cut Scour All Possibilities but totally worth it.
For that reasoning I prefer Omen of the Sea in a fight.
For that reasoning I prefer Omen of the Sea in a fight.
This is a thought question. Evasion is really good in draft, and the point about being able to block opposing flyers I think would make me want the flying robot but it depends on what artifacts you're getting back and what other ways of killing the robot you'd have besides just combat.
Is the 1 mana cheaper on such an ability worth losing the ability to block flyers (and die to them)?
Is the 1 mana cheaper on such an ability worth losing the ability to block flyers (and die to them)?
While +1 mana for flying makes the bird more valuable in a vacuum, I actually think that most cubes that are running that kind of artifact recursion shenanigans that these cards thrive in would rather run the retriever. Those decks really want their artifacts to be as cheap as possible.
Looking for a black 7-drop to work as control finisher, reanimator target, and ramp target.
Narrowed the options down to these two, but I'm open to other suggestions.
Rune-Scarred Demon seems good even if removed, since you can tutor out another reanimator spell, or another finisher. I dislike the consistency that tutors bring, but as a 7-drop, I think it can be allowed to break my cube's rules.
Sheoldred, Whispering One seems to have a higher ceiling and reads pretty oppressive, but it would be wrong for a 7-drop Phyrexian Preator not to feel oppressive.
Narrowed the options down to these two, but I'm open to other suggestions.
Rune-Scarred Demon seems good even if removed, since you can tutor out another reanimator spell, or another finisher. I dislike the consistency that tutors bring, but as a 7-drop, I think it can be allowed to break my cube's rules.
Sheoldred, Whispering One seems to have a higher ceiling and reads pretty oppressive, but it would be wrong for a 7-drop Phyrexian Preator not to feel oppressive.
Looking for a black 7-drop to work as control finisher, reanimator target, and ramp target.
Narrowed the options down to these two, but I'm open to other suggestions.
Rune-Scarred Demon seems good even if removed, since you can tutor out another reanimator spell, or another finisher. I dislike the consistency that tutors bring, but as a 7-drop, I think it can be allowed to break my cube's rules.
Sheoldred, Whispering One seems to have a higher ceiling and reads pretty oppressive, but it would be wrong for a 7-drop Phyrexian Preator not to feel oppressive.
Big no for Sheoldred, Whispering One. She ruins games if not immediately addressed.
Rune-Scarred Demon is fine.
Deathbringer Regent is nice as a board wipe on a stick for control decks.
Same for Havoc Demon, but it has to die for it's wipe trigger. It also doesn't kill their big things.
Herald of Anguish is cool too.
Thieving Amalgam is cool three.
Looking for a black 7-drop to work as control finisher, reanimator target, and ramp target.
Narrowed the options down to these two, but I'm open to other suggestions.
Rune-Scarred Demon seems good even if removed, since you can tutor out another reanimator spell, or another finisher. I dislike the consistency that tutors bring, but as a 7-drop, I think it can be allowed to break my cube's rules.
Sheoldred, Whispering One seems to have a higher ceiling and reads pretty oppressive, but it would be wrong for a 7-drop Phyrexian Preator not to feel oppressive.
If you'll allow an eight drop instead.
Looking for a black 7-drop to work as control finisher, reanimator target, and ramp target.
Narrowed the options down to these two, but I'm open to other suggestions.
Rune-Scarred Demon seems good even if removed, since you can tutor out another reanimator spell, or another finisher. I dislike the consistency that tutors bring, but as a 7-drop, I think it can be allowed to break my cube's rules.
Sheoldred, Whispering One seems to have a higher ceiling and reads pretty oppressive, but it would be wrong for a 7-drop Phyrexian Preator not to feel oppressive.
Overseer of the Damned isn't half bad, either. The body is not amazing, but it does something upon ETB (which I think is much needed for a reanimator target, so you get some value out of your investment even if the fatty gets removed immediately). The token ability also helps stabilise the board, assuming that you fell behind a bit while setting up your graveyard.
If a 7 drop doesn’t win games, what good is it to include them in a cube?
I vote Sheoldred, Whispering One. It is powerful and it doesn’t ruin games. It wins them. In my opinion. I also like Vilis, Broker of Blood but it is an 8 drop. If you want something 5 % lowered power you can also go for Overseer of the Damned since it also wins games.
In my opinion Stasis ruins games and Sheoldred wins them.
I vote Sheoldred, Whispering One. It is powerful and it doesn’t ruin games. It wins them. In my opinion. I also like Vilis, Broker of Blood but it is an 8 drop. If you want something 5 % lowered power you can also go for Overseer of the Damned since it also wins games.
In my opinion Stasis ruins games and Sheoldred wins them.
Rimestag, cool art, easy condition. Cub isn't interesting without any other energy cards, it just plays like one of the red og INN vampires, without the cool Innistrad flavour.
Attacking with a 4/4 on t3 is nice, in Flash it's even able to block as a 4/4.
Attacking with a 4/4 on t3 is nice, in Flash it's even able to block as a 4/4.
Dom Harvey
Contributor
Rimestag is a lot cleaner and doesn't mislead drafters into looking for an energy subtheme (Cub can be a self-contained threat so it suggests it less but it's still a natural thing to expect)
Which green aggro 2-drop would you prefer?
Saddled Rimestag is easy to make crash in as a 4/4 every turn. Longtusk Cub trades with a random utility bear and makes your aggro drafter sad.
Look at the "Damage to players" curve for these two:
Saddled Rimestag-> 4, 8, 12, 16, 20
Longtusk Cub-> 2, 5, 9, 14, 20
Both take the same amount of time to kill, but Rimestag is able to do the same amount of work throughout the game. Your Rimestag is almost always going to hit them as a 4/4, your Longtusk Cub isn't going to do that until turn 5.
Two fights:
VS
VS
How good is Regenerate on E1, how fast does the collector grow (too fast?), is it relevant that the Slug is also a good blocker?
VS VS How good is Regenerate on E1, how fast does the collector grow (too fast?), is it relevant that the Slug is also a good blocker?
I like the pelt collector, I don't think it grows too fast compared to E1, but the death trigger does give it good depth.
Cloudfin raptor is great. An interesting fight because these cards seem to fill two different roles, and in two different colors. I don't think they'd be going in the same types of decks.
Cloudfin raptor is great. An interesting fight because these cards seem to fill two different roles, and in two different colors. I don't think they'd be going in the same types of decks.
They obv fill different roles, they aren't even in the same colour. It's more a fight in terms of powerlevel and/or usefulness. they both start at 0 power, which is something that makes comparing easier.
Blue often is in need for playable 1drops, black is traditionally thin on 2drops. I really like Evolve and I like if the creature evolving is evasive, so I just threw it in.
Blue often is in need for playable 1drops, black is traditionally thin on 2drops. I really like Evolve and I like if the creature evolving is evasive, so I just threw it in.