General "Looking for a card"-Thread
- Thread starter ravnic
- Start date
Let's not kid ourselves, most of the quadbrids are pretty bad. Elite Headhunter is one of the biggest wastes of cardboard since Chimney Imp. A couple of them are fine, but I don't think I'd be jazzed to play any of them in my limited deck barring Deathless Knight and maybe Rampart Smasher if I'm in a Gruul deck. I don't think any of them can make the cut in most cubes.
Dom Harvey
Contributor
I've warmed to Arcanist's Owl as a thicc Glint-Nest Crane that also turbo-charges devotion for either Thassa and Master of Waves
Identity. The unicorn I think is a perfect fit (I like Grumgully, the Generous more, but RG already has tons of interesting cards to offer), the mentioned Ironroot Warlord was a perfect signal but is just a bit too weak, and I'm still thinking about Slimefoot, the Stowaway in BG which also is a better card than the warlord.
I think it's not that easy if you want your gold section to be overall balanced (powerlevel-wise) and also have enough obvious signals for possible colour-combinations.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Is it though? I mean, obviously Slimefoot has a cheaper activation cost for the token generations, but the Warlord's stats are vastly superior. 1/5 is a bit better than 2/3, generally, and it only needs one other creature to become strictly better.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Drain is big
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Fair, that does break stalemates.
I really like Fire Imp, but it has two stupid issues:
I already run Flametongue Kavu, and it's at the top end of the power level I aim for.
- Type is "Creature", actually is "Imp". This is minor.
- Printed text is "When Fire Imp comes into play from your hand, it deals 2 damage to any one creature." Actually, it doesn't need to come in from your hand - if it's reanimated or blinked this works, since the oracle text is "When Fire Imp enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature." This is major.
I already run Flametongue Kavu, and it's at the top end of the power level I aim for.
Can deal 2 damage to any target.
Can be a creature for 3 mana.
Can be both of the above for extra payment.
Not a 1-1 trade but something to think about.
Also the following:
Dismissive Pyromancer
Pia and Kiran Nalaar
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
If you run proxies, Fire Imp has been reprinted online: https://scryfall.com/card/me4/113/fire-imp
BC Giant is great, I also like
I really like Fire Imp, but it has two stupid issues:
I'm looking for a replacement for Fire Imp, but everything else seems bad:
- Type is "Creature", actually is "Imp". This is minor.
- Printed text is "When Fire Imp comes into play from your hand, it deals 2 damage to any one creature." Actually, it doesn't need to come in from your hand - if it's reanimated or blinked this works, since the oracle text is "When Fire Imp enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature." This is major.
I already run Flametongue Kavu, and it's at the top end of the power level I aim for.
Viashino Pyromancer is actually very good, the only reason I don't run it is for space reasons. A creature chocking the opponent on ETB is really strong in aggro decks since it both provides board presence and what is effectively a free spell for the cost of one card.
I wouldn't dismiss Ghitu Slinger, either. Being able to hit creatures or players is huge, since it means that you can spend it as a removal spell on a stick or as an "unblock able haste" on a stick. The echo can be annoying, but doesn't actually have a huge negative impact on play. Aggro usually is going to have something to cast for 1 mana the turn after a slinger is player. If you're using the card defensively, you might even just shock a thing and then throw the Ghitu Slinger in front of a random fatty before the echo cost even matters. Fire Imp is a little better than Ghitu Slinger, but the slinger's echo drawback is mostly negated by the ability to hit players and wider defensive applications.
Bonecrusher Giant is a great option, as others have suggested. The card is not more powerful than FTK in my opinion, simply because the "spell mode" damage output is less (even though the giant is instant speed), but the cards are comparable. If you're good with FTK, Giant is not going to cause issues.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
I will say viashino pyromancer and fire imp accomplish almost opposite purposes
The creature needs to be worth blinking, and I like Fire Imp in this role because it doesn't gum up the state of the board like the other blinkable creatures in red that make tokens. That's why the slot is important to me. Also, red has lots of blinkable 4cc, but only Fire Imp in 3cc.
I had written off Bonecrusher Giant as too good. Yeah, it's about the same power level as FTK, but I don't want a lot in that slot, and Bonecrusher Giant is the sort of low risk card (good in any situation) I don't like running, plus it has plenty of text.
Ran it in the past, might include it again, but it has the low risk problem.
I feel like going for the sharpie/proxy as the only card that looks modified will raise questions and people missing it can be blinked is a lesser evil.
I had written off Bonecrusher Giant as too good. Yeah, it's about the same power level as FTK, but I don't want a lot in that slot, and Bonecrusher Giant is the sort of low risk card (good in any situation) I don't like running, plus it has plenty of text.
Ran it in the past, might include it again, but it has the low risk problem.
I feel like going for the sharpie/proxy as the only card that looks modified will raise questions and people missing it can be blinked is a lesser evil.
You have already exhausted most of your options, but do you need to do 2 damage? Here are other ETB options:
I feel like Fervent Cathar is elegant enough to fit into the cube, just that it might be a little too aggro, compared to Fire Imp, that can be a control card if it needs to be.
I know I even quoted the text where you said you don't want the thopter makers because they gum up the board, but they were the only other real option that give the flexibility of Fire Imp.
The topters have evasion, also! So while they 'gum up the board' they'll also additionally move towards closing out the game!
I have the same issue. I'm not fully happy with Fire Imp and having to run the online version is a bit of a bummer, but he IS blinkable while most other cards competing for his slot aren't.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Another alternative is to look at your blink cards. Just to name two examples.
This card doesn't care for blink targets, in a, presumably offensive,
deck, it can exile a blocker for a turn so your creatures can get in.
This card likes blinkbables, but I've most often used the scry 2, because adding a body to the board while improving the quality of your draws is something decks like a lot.
Neither of these two cards are desperate for a blinkable 3-drop in red. They are useful without as well.
This card doesn't care for blink targets, in a, presumably offensive,
deck, it can exile a blocker for a turn so your creatures can get in.This card likes blinkbables, but I've most often used the scry 2, because adding a body to the board while improving the quality of your draws is something
decks like a lot.Neither of these two cards are desperate for a blinkable 3-drop in red. They are useful without as well.
I'm not very happy with Talrand, Sky Summoner. Do you guys have any alternatives for a spells-matter deck? I know of some options but I'm digging a bit.
Do you really need a 1 for 1 replacement for this specific slot? Talrand, Sky Summoner, like many of his fellow big spell payoff friends, is expensive and swingy. You've probably already cast more than half of the spells you're going to play out by the time you can stick a big finisher like this and protect it. You already have Young Pyromancer and Saheeli, Sublime Artificer, both of whom are great payoffs for this tricky spells sort of deck, so I don't think you need another one.
I think your URx Spells decks would be happier with another counterspell or something. You only run a handful of cantrips and you leave some of the cheap counterspells on the table. A Blue/Red deck cares more about spell velocity than paper-thin big value engines. A universal interactive element like Miscalculation is going to take me closer to winning the game than some sub-par payoff card will.
The other nice thing about playing a universal card like Miscalculation is that all of your blue decks are happy to use it, but your spell decks are extremely happy to use it. The problem with hyper-specific cards like Talrand, Sky Summoner and Murmuring Mystic is that they only end up excelling in very specific archetype decks. Showcasing the synergies these cards benefit from is nice, but their existing doesn't make their respective decks much better except in the "magical christmas land" scenario where you get the perfect number of perfectly costed spells to make these cards work optimally. Simply put, specific payoffs that aren't just "I win" bombs are lukewarm at best outside of their respective deck. You'd get more milage out of something easier to play.