This seems pretty good. It's a very solid body that comes with ramp so you can drop a 6-drop the next turn, and when you don't need all your mana, it can attack as a 6/6 trampler (and then block as a 6/6, transforming back is only done on your next upkeep!). Buffing your other legendary creatures when transforming is somewhat likely to come up with how many legendary creatures cubes now play, but even without that line of text the card seems very decent.
Yeah this is the only one that caught my eye from those secret lairs. This is pretty solid value / stats for its cost, it's essentially a more fair version of Undermountain Adventurer. I'd strongly consider this in my cube in place of Undermountain Adventurer if I didn't support initiative.
Very notably this card fetches the land to the battlefield, while Nissa, Vastwood Seer searches to your hand, actual ramp vs. just card advantage is a large difference.
I like this card.
Guaranteed value , ramp, and an undercosted beater. It works well enough with both multi color green and heavy green game plan.
Green 4cmc slot is really weak compared to the competition in other Colours, and I think this barely Gets over that low bar.
Nothing special tho. Green unfortunately the least legendary filled color and the mana invested to make it big will add up.
if a deck had a lot of cheap legends , this card gets a LOT more interesting.
The value of the ramp spell adds a really high floor to what’s otherwise a generic beater. If the deck has no interest in a generic beater, it still won’t be impressive.
One of the best qualities of big beaters is they are great defensively against Agro. Unfortunately not true here.
I don't love that you have to pay the 2 mana every turn to make it a good attacker. I think that probably kills this for me - yeah, it ramps you, but if you want a body that keeps being a relevant attacker you're down 2 mana every turn. Maybe a few years ago, and while green 4's may be a bit underwhelming the power green has at 3 and 5 slot means I don't think most cubes need this.
I don't love that you have to pay the 2 mana every turn to make it a good attacker.
I beg to differ with the both of you - for 2 mana you get a good attacker AND a good defender. It's not multiple bodies, so not stellar, but a 6/6 trampling body is on Prime Time levels, which is nothing to scoff at.
Plus, if you really need the mana, you don't have to pay - this is no Echo or Cumulative Upkeep. Decks that play at instant speed will appreciate this creature for simply swinging for 3 while holding up both a blocker and mana, until you have enough mana to pay 2 along with your spells. Mana sinks are not to be underestimated.
relentless is garbage (hyperbole), eureka is a whole different archetype, monster manual is narrow , caladia guardian is an aggressive 3CMC threat not a 4CMC G ramp card (I was underwhelmed when I tested it, small sample), questing beast is mid.
I don't love that you have to pay the 2 mana every turn to make it a good attacker.
I beg to differ with the both of you - for 2 mana you get a good attacker AND a good defender. It's not multiple bodies, so not stellar, but a 6/6 trampling body is on Prime Time levels, which is nothing to scoff at.
Plus, if you really need the mana, you don't have to pay - this is no Echo or Cumulative Upkeep. Decks that play at instant speed will appreciate this creature for simply swinging for 3 while holding up both a blocker and mana, until you have enough mana to pay 2 along with your spells. Mana sinks are not to be underestimated.
im not saying this is bad against Agro. I’m saying it’s significantly worse than a comparably costed beater (which ARE great).
the 6/6 is good against Agro and worth the mana sink. The issue is that the 3/3 dies to most red burn. If the pressure is being put on you , you won’t have time to flip it.
My experience is green 3-4 CMC are at their best if they can provide some combination of ramp/ disruption/ threat. I think the threat of the activation + 6/6 trampler that can attack 2 turns early can be incredibly important to tie up the opponent's mana + put pressure on the opponent's life total/ planeswalkers.
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
This seems pretty good. It's a very solid body that comes with ramp so you can drop a 6-drop the next turn, and when you don't need all your mana, it can attack as a 6/6 trampler (and then block as a 6/6, transforming back is only done on your next upkeep!). Buffing your other legendary creatures when transforming is somewhat likely to come up with how many legendary creatures cubes now play, but even without that line of text the card seems very decent.
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
Getting triomes is pretty nice though. I think this is quite serviceable value/threat of ven if it won’t compete in small-medium powermax.
Interested in Custom Card Creation.
My Cube:Cardinal Custom Cube
A custom version of a third modern masters: MM2019
(filter->rarity to see in set rarity).
Guaranteed value , ramp, and an undercosted beater. It works well enough with both multi color green and heavy green game plan.
Green 4cmc slot is really weak compared to the competition in other Colours, and I think this barely Gets over that low bar.
Nothing special tho. Green unfortunately the least legendary filled color and the mana invested to make it big will add up.
if a deck had a lot of cheap legends , this card gets a LOT more interesting.
The value of the ramp spell adds a really high floor to what’s otherwise a generic beater. If the deck has no interest in a generic beater, it still won’t be impressive.
One of the best qualities of big beaters is they are great defensively against Agro. Unfortunately not true here.
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
I disagree that the 4-cmc green slot is weak, so many great options to choose from:
- Questing Beast
- Undermountain Adventurer
- Caldaia Guardian (more a 3 drop though)
- Esika's Chariot
- Garruk Wildspeaker
- Garruk Relentless
- Natural Order
- Monster Manual
- Eureka
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
I beg to differ with the both of you - for 2 mana you get a good attacker AND a good defender. It's not multiple bodies, so not stellar, but a 6/6 trampling body is on Prime Time levels, which is nothing to scoff at.
Plus, if you really need the mana, you don't have to pay - this is no Echo or Cumulative Upkeep. Decks that play at instant speed will appreciate this creature for simply swinging for 3 while holding up both a blocker and mana, until you have enough mana to pay 2 along with your spells. Mana sinks are not to be underestimated.
Strongly disagree.
relentless is garbage (hyperbole), eureka is a whole different archetype, monster manual is narrow , caladia guardian is an aggressive 3CMC threat not a 4CMC G ramp card (I was underwhelmed when I tested it, small sample), questing beast is mid.
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
im not saying this is bad against Agro. I’m saying it’s significantly worse than a comparably costed beater (which ARE great).
the 6/6 is good against Agro and worth the mana sink. The issue is that the 3/3 dies to most red burn. If the pressure is being put on you , you won’t have time to flip it.
Last Updated 02/07/24
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
Correct. Your opponent will know if it's a 3/3 or 6/6 before they have to block.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588