Not sure how it will play in my Cube long term but it supports a token theme that I've been trying to play up in my Cube. It's funny because I think the whole token theme has happened organically over the last nine months. I feel like every card I currently run at 540 that supports tokens is good enough on its own merits even without running a token theme.
I've been in businessworld too much since I used the term "organically" on a Cube forum. #square
Wow...that card seems to fit the Purphoros/tokens theme really well. I think I'll test this card to see how it does. Pretty mediocre on an empty board but insane with tokens or Muzzio's Preparations.
I just wanted to post again about how insane Purphoros has been in our Cube. There’s a 3 card “package” that has become its own archetype in the Cube. Those cards are Purphoros, Goblin Bombardment and Tempt with Vengeance. The goal of Purphoros isn’t to make him a creature. The goal is to get as many recurring threats, armies in a can and token generators as you can get and also draft tutors (Demonic, Vampiric, Enlightened, Worldly, Survival of the Fittest, etc.) to get Purphoros into your hand. I’ve drafted this deck quite a bit on Cube Tutor and also tonight in a 4 player draft and even in average builds it can steal wins out of nowhere. The key is to resolve Purphoros and live long enough to kill your opponent with it.
I find most decks end up being R/G because those are the most consistent builds for it. I think R/W could also ultimately work but I haven’t been able to put one together yet. No tutors in this deck make it a less consistent Purphoros deck but even without its namesake card it’s still a fine R/G midrange deck. Goblin Bombardment gives decks with Purphoros extra reach by essentially being a Lightning Bolt to the face for every creature that enters play. Even with just Purphoros, cards like Myr Battlesphere and Hornet Queen do 10 damage by themselves and cards like Siege-Gang Commander deal 8 damage.
This deck had one of my greatest Cube moments where I got a turn 4 kill solely off Purphoros. Needless to say it involved Tempt with Vengeance and a ton of mana. Getting Bitterblossom in play with Purphoros was cute as I shocked my opponent every turn. Again, even without Purphoros this is a solid R/G-based midrange deck.
I’ve also done sweet things like have Purphoros in play with cards like Mimic Vat to give even more inevitability. I’m at the point now where I even look to splash Purphoros in token-heavy decks as another angle of attack. He’s so hard to defend because he doesn’t damage your opponent in a “traditional” way. Short of a counter, bounce spell or O-Ring, Purphoros will stay on the board for the entire game.
Another reason why I’m enjoying Purphoros so much is because it’s kind of a combo card. You can draft a deck around it, add it to any token/creature heavy deck or combo it with cards like Tempt with Vengeance to just win the game out of nowhere. Tonight I was dead on board to my opponent’s Grave Titan when I ripped Myr Battlesphere off the top with my opponent at 6 life. 24 damage that game all came from Purphoros.
TL;DR, Purphoros is designed as an enchantment and shouldn’t be thought of an aggro card nor should he be put in a deck with the intent of having him become a creature. He should be in decks where his explosive damage potential can be maximized by pairing him with cards that make multiple creatures as well as cards that assist him like Goblin Bombardment and tutors to get Purphoros into your hand.
All Cubes should test the three card package of Purphoros, Goblin Bombardment and Tempt with Vengeance.
This card has been way better than we expected & is now solidly in our 540. He goes great with green (and white to a lesser extent). I was able to ramp him out on turn 3 last week with my R/G midrange deck. I then went T-4 Siege-Gang & T-5 Deranged Hermit. Pretty insane. It also combos well with Goblin Bombardment which we just added and has also overperformed. Those cards often go in the same deck and represent a ton of damage when combined with any card that makes tokens. I like both cards because as long as the spell resolves it guarantees damage.
I would test both cards at 450 and they should be run in anything 540+.
I've been in businessworld too much since I used the term "organically" on a Cube forum. #square
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
Wow...that card seems to fit the Purphoros/tokens theme really well. I think I'll test this card to see how it does. Pretty mediocre on an empty board but insane with tokens or Muzzio's Preparations.
Great find!
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
As a point of reference, here’s a pretty traditional Purphoros deck:
http://cubetutor.com/cubedeck/122475
I find most decks end up being R/G because those are the most consistent builds for it. I think R/W could also ultimately work but I haven’t been able to put one together yet. No tutors in this deck make it a less consistent Purphoros deck but even without its namesake card it’s still a fine R/G midrange deck. Goblin Bombardment gives decks with Purphoros extra reach by essentially being a Lightning Bolt to the face for every creature that enters play. Even with just Purphoros, cards like Myr Battlesphere and Hornet Queen do 10 damage by themselves and cards like Siege-Gang Commander deal 8 damage.
Here’s another Purphoros deck where I went kind of deep:
http://cubetutor.com/cubedeck/120828
This deck had one of my greatest Cube moments where I got a turn 4 kill solely off Purphoros. Needless to say it involved Tempt with Vengeance and a ton of mana. Getting Bitterblossom in play with Purphoros was cute as I shocked my opponent every turn. Again, even without Purphoros this is a solid R/G-based midrange deck.
I’ve also done sweet things like have Purphoros in play with cards like Mimic Vat to give even more inevitability. I’m at the point now where I even look to splash Purphoros in token-heavy decks as another angle of attack. He’s so hard to defend because he doesn’t damage your opponent in a “traditional” way. Short of a counter, bounce spell or O-Ring, Purphoros will stay on the board for the entire game.
Another reason why I’m enjoying Purphoros so much is because it’s kind of a combo card. You can draft a deck around it, add it to any token/creature heavy deck or combo it with cards like Tempt with Vengeance to just win the game out of nowhere. Tonight I was dead on board to my opponent’s Grave Titan when I ripped Myr Battlesphere off the top with my opponent at 6 life. 24 damage that game all came from Purphoros.
TL;DR, Purphoros is designed as an enchantment and shouldn’t be thought of an aggro card nor should he be put in a deck with the intent of having him become a creature. He should be in decks where his explosive damage potential can be maximized by pairing him with cards that make multiple creatures as well as cards that assist him like Goblin Bombardment and tutors to get Purphoros into your hand.
All Cubes should test the three card package of Purphoros, Goblin Bombardment and Tempt with Vengeance.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
I would test both cards at 450 and they should be run in anything 540+.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022