Card/Deck Low Power Card Spotlight

[xyz]

This might not even need to be in the low power thread. I'm running a nearly identical custom (w sorcery, make a thopter, investigate), and even in my evniornment full of 2/1s as far as the eye can see, you've still got time to pop this and be happy about it.

Investigate might just be a big enough hit across all power levels.

Is it that much better than Elvish Visionary? (Which I'm guessing people don't play that much of?)

Yeah, considering how high wall of Omens gets picked she seems totally playable in cube. Also get the human tribal and incidental artifact synergy

Wall of Omens blocks very well though. This blocks....sometimes good.

 

[sigh]

Elvish visionary is a little underrated imo.

Things thraben inspector can do that wall cant:
-kill things
-attack
-generate artifacts
-be half the mana up front

The attacking part is extremely relevant, having played against some white aggro decks in standard. Just hooking up a bonesplitter gives you a mean attacker, and you've got CA off it too.

 

[xyz]

Elvish visionary is a little underrated imo.

Things thraben inspector can do that wall cant:
-kill things
-attack
-generate artifacts
-be half the mana up front

The attacking part is extremely relevant, having played against some white aggro decks in standard. Just hooking up a bonesplitter gives you a mean attacker, and you've got CA off it too.

• Wall of Omens essentially kills up to 3/Xs. Until you invest more, Thraben Inspector only kills X/1s. I would argue that on average Wall of Omens "kills" a creature more often. If the thing matters enough that blanking it is not the same as killing it, they could usually just not swing with it.
• In the standard, the decks are packing 4x Thalia's Lieutennant 4x Always watching 1-3x Gryff's Boon. That's ~1/6 of the deck. Does the average cube deck have ~7 ways to pump the Thraben Inspector? Is 2-4 ways to pump it enough?
• True
• Half the mana doesn't mean anything if the 1/2 body is not worth the extra cost. It's the efficiency of the whole body + card that makes Wall of Omens that much better than Elvish Visionary.

Don't get me wrong, I'll probably at least try it. But I'm skeptical. And to be fair, my cube is fairly high powered relative to this forum.

 

[Suicufnoc]

If your opponent has 4 1/1 creatures against a thraben inspector, you take 3 damage first turn, then 2, then 1, then 0, all dead.
With a wall of omens, you take 3 every turn.

So wall of omens SUCKS.

If every singly creature in the cube is a 1/1.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

If every singly creature in the cube is a 1/1.

If every single creature in the cube is a 1/1 then so as Wall of Omens and Thraben Inspector

 

[xyz]

Humility cube go go

 

[Rasmus Källqvist]

Don't get me wrong, I'll probably at least try it. But I'm skeptical. And to be fair, my cube is fairly high powered relative to this forum.

And yet this is the low power card spotlight thread.

 

[xyz]

And yet this is the low power card spotlight thread.

Oh oops, I was lost. Time to see myself out.
Kidding... I was curious cause Chris said it might not even need to be in the low power thread

Besides, this thread has its gems. Shout out to Onderzeeboot for the Fury Charm suggestion. The potential of a main deckable pump spell + artifact hate is pretty exciting. I hadn't thought of that one before.

 

[sigh]

• Wall of Omens essentially kills up to 3/Xs. Until you invest more, Thraben Inspector only kills X/1s. I would argue that on average Wall of Omens "kills" a creature more often. If the thing matters enough that blanking it is not the same as killing it, they could usually just not swing with it.
• In the standard, the decks are packing 4x Thalia's Lieutennant 4x Always watching 1-3x Gryff's Boon. That's ~1/6 of the deck. Does the average cube deck have ~7 ways to pump the Thraben Inspector? Is 2-4 ways to pump it enough?
• True
• Half the mana doesn't mean anything if the 1/2 body is not worth the extra cost. It's the efficiency of the whole body + card that makes Wall of Omens that much better than Elvish Visionary.

Don't get me wrong, I'll probably at least try it. But I'm skeptical. And to be fair, my cube is fairly high powered relative to this forum.

I'm glad you are on board with trying it, I think its a little gem waiting to be playtested. Some points I just have a burning urge to get across:

• Splitting a mana cost is almost always better than the cost all as one. Being able to run out thraben inspector T1 is a big deal against, say, an aggro deck with a lot of 2/1's. And then you can cash in its reward later, when you are running thin. In this way half the mana definitely does matter.
• Wall of omens is one of the better white two drops there is. It being pick 1-5 or whatever doesn't stop TI from being a decent pick 6-11 or something, and I think that is what genericco was getting at.
• White card draw! A GW curve out deck (for instance) gets so little normally, and this fits nicely in as a first turn play before things start getting intense.

That all being said, its better in a lower pressure environment. Also the best thing is probably to run both. I don't think anyone is arguing they are in the same slot

 

[Dom Harvey]

If you can find ways to get a lot of bodies on the board without spending many cards, this can OHKO for a shockingly low cost

 

[Onderzeeboot]

If you can find ways to get a lot of bodies on the board without spending many cards, this can OHKO for a shockingly low cost

I have killed people with that card in Peasant.

 

[Peter LaCara]

What.

 

[safra]

What.

Mana burn aggro dude. Not actually good.

 

[Peter LaCara]

Mana burn aggro dude. Not actually good.

Oh right. They can just tap all their lands before it connects now, so this does nothing. Nevermind, move along.

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

I thought it was a mana short effect that transfered the drained mana into your pool post combat?

 

[safra]

I thought it was a mana short effect that transfered the drained mana into your pool post combat?

I feel like Xantid Swarm is still much better.

Idk i tried to make the hippo work and it never did

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

Oh yeah, the lack of evasion really kills it.

I think it would be good in lists that focused much less on ground pressure, as the presence of blockers basically neuters it.

 

[whydirt]

 

[Peter LaCara]

Well, the art's great (DiTerlizzi always is), but that one's going to be really tough to break the symmetry.

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

Given how strong marsh flitter has been for me, this fellow probably deserve some time in the sun:



Also, was wondering about this card:



Just sort of sits there like an ichorid factory. Granted its a 4cc card without a --gasp-- etb, that you need to untap with, but this seems like a potentially neat engine piece.

 

[Peter LaCara]

Given how strong marsh flitter has been for me, this fellow probably deserve some time in the sun:

Just don't try to flicker it. You'll be sad.

Also, was wondering about this card:



Just sort of sits there like an ichorid factory. Granted its a 4cc card without a --gasp-- etb, that you need to untap with, but this seems like a potentially neat engine piece.

Is there any reason you wouldn't just run Ichorid instead?

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

Outside of balance issues, they are two different cards.

Ichord is much more tempo friendly, but this is much less narrow, and can convert an entire graveyard of dead creatures into threats, rather than just the black creatures. It can do this while beating down for 2, or defending a board position.

 

[sigh]

I like the idea of this sort of a GY engine piece, if the Engine thread is anything to go by
There's an interesting modern update in:

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

Thats really nice.

The engine pieces I've been looking at for that weird nightmare deck are




Have undertaker, but not too excited about a fragile lynch pin like that. This seems like the kind of role enchantments should be playing.


I don't really want to run phyrexian reclamation, but corpseweft looks like a nice alternative take on a graveyard value strategy.

 

[whydirt]

I've been looking for ways to enhance weenie-based strategies that don't involve pure P/T anthem effects. Getting to swing with your whole team while having pseudo-vigilance + indestructible for any creatures that get blocked seems good without being overbearing.