@ Big Jim: I agree about Stormbind. Is it going to be broken? Probably not. But it's going to be a reliable source of finishing damage that you can use to put games away that combat damage can't seal for you. Which is why I think it's a more important card for the cube. It's not always about what's better in a vacuum, or what the BCS comparisons look like; it's about what's needed. And extra Vortex imitators are clutch.
Quote from LucidVision »
If your opponent doesn't answer him, the upside is pretty significant.
I'd say the same thing about Sarkhan, but with 10x the emphasis.
Quote from the42up »
Vol has never been disappointing and has led to some truly remarkable cube games of epicness.
I concur. Not only are the abilities unique, but they're all really powerful. Fires, Anthems and Threatens aren't attached to many cube cards, particularly not in red and green. So he provides a unique effect, and he's a threat that must be answered right away, or else your opponent will have 20 power worth of dragons coming for their face, and fast.
Quote from Torggo »
Vol is probably better if you support green aggro. I dont, my cube is more green ramp, and Huntmaster of the Fells is much better in a ramp deck than Sarkhan Vol
I like Vol in mid-range, and especially in ramp. It can combo with a lot of cards, and the fires effect is really strong there. It may actually be better in mid-range than it is in aggro. The only deck that I'd prefer the Huntmaster in is some sort of RG control. Huntmaster is an excellent creature against aggro. Which isn't something I typically need in RG, because it's often a mid-range color, which already has an advantageous matchup against aggro. Vol, on the other hand, is a great card for mid-range to shore up the weakness against control, which is a needed effect.
We had the opposite experience. Players wanted the unique effects that Vol brought, and didn't care so much about the redundant Huntmaster. Vol is one of the only Threaten effects. One of the only Fires effects. One of the few anthem effects for RG. And it has an easily obtainable ultimate, that pretty much auto-wins (I think he's gone ultimate more than any other 'walker in my cube, even after taking a 6-month hiatus when I was at 360, none of the other planeswalkers came close to catching his numbers). And all of his abilities combine with other effects in the cube to make him even more valuable. He's so much more unique than the Huntmaster, who was just another playable 4-drop for Gruul.
I've found Sarkhan far from lackluster (the word I'd use to describe the Huntmaster adequately) and he's not nearly as important as Stormbind. It didn't flip much when we were testing it (none of the wolves did), and the body that has to survive is a 2/2. They can easily kill it with everything before it ever becomes a problem. Paying 4 mana and getting the same (or less) value than I do with Obstinate Baloth (another card I don't think is good enough for med/small cubes) just doesn't hack it for a gold card.
It wasn't much better than any of the other 4cc creatures in the cube, and he doesn't guarantee near enough value to justify being a 4cc gold card. Bloodbraid makes this thing look silly bad, as do a handful of mono-colored creatures in both green and red. I think he's probably the 5th or 6th best card in RG, and I'd be looking to include it somewhere around 630 cards. The other options in that guild are far more important and unique than just an average value 4-drop. Unless it somehow goes crazy and flip-flops back and fourth turn after turn (which he doesn't/shouldn't) what are you guaranteed? 4-power and 2 life for 4 mana? Unimpressive.
I'd say the same thing about Sarkhan, but with 10x the emphasis.
I concur. Not only are the abilities unique, but they're all really powerful. Fires, Anthems and Threatens aren't attached to many cube cards, particularly not in red and green. So he provides a unique effect, and he's a threat that must be answered right away, or else your opponent will have 20 power worth of dragons coming for their face, and fast.
I like Vol in mid-range, and especially in ramp. It can combo with a lot of cards, and the fires effect is really strong there. It may actually be better in mid-range than it is in aggro. The only deck that I'd prefer the Huntmaster in is some sort of RG control. Huntmaster is an excellent creature against aggro. Which isn't something I typically need in RG, because it's often a mid-range color, which already has an advantageous matchup against aggro. Vol, on the other hand, is a great card for mid-range to shore up the weakness against control, which is a needed effect.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!