It is weird to call it a better blocker. You can block Sundering Titan and Exalted Angels (or just random 3/3s) with Baleful Strix.
Ya, Strix can trade up. But it always trades in combat. The 1/3 body on Infiltrator allows me to kill 2/1s in combat, and block 2/2s without losing my own creature.
I do have 2 Strix that is not in used from the planechase deck. I might trade one away and give another one ago. But over tog, maybe. Not over Shadowmage for sure. I rank dimir this way.
I think there is a reason that Strix sees play in Legacy. The card is the real deal. Worst case cheap cantrip, can carry a sword, trades with huge fatties, you can Tinker it away, recur it with Welder or Recur to draw cards. Also fits a spot on the curve where UB decks often don't have great options.
Legacy is a format where the immediate draw is more relevant. The cmc is lower, there are free spells and games aren't won off long-term grinding advantages like they can sometimes be in the cube. Strix may be better in Legacy, but that doesn't mean it's better in the cube.
For two mana strix makes a big impact the moment it hits the board. Being more vulnerable to removal isn't really a big deal for strix given that it has already earned it's keep in my opinion in warranting the expenditure of removal (often the case if someone plans on attacking you) and having already dug you a card deeper and replaced itself. Two mana is also just such a world of difference to 3 when it comes to a sorc, especially when comparing one that makes an impact when it comes down and one that doesn't.
Is finkle too clunky? Does it do it's okay thing too slowly or poorly to warrant inclusion? No, I wouldn't say that. Does he feel lame sometimes? Yes. Does any favourite cube strategy really love him? Ummm maybe UB draw go but that deck is usually kinda iffy and they play it like a 5 drop or six drop so it's doing it's thang on turn 6/7.
I love strix. The card is nuts. It just does so many things and half of them happen immediately and are always super relevant. Who doesn't like blockers that replace themselves? And so much synergy with other heavily supported crap in cube.
UB could use some more potent instants and sorceries though. It's kind of depressing having to rely on artifacts and durdley saboteur effects in the colours of eot draw and spot removal.
Finkel is a card who is by far strongest in a deck that requires some early evasive damage and has other threats that need answering. We often find that in control, his damage is irrelevant early on, and he's often a very prominent removal target when I'm not putting out other threats. I don't want a 1/3 for three in those decks; if I do, I'd often be better off with a Sea Gate Oracle, with much more immediate impact. Finkel takes two of my turns to be better there, assuming he isn't blocked or killed (which is highly likely).
Luckily, we play a lot of U/B aggressive decks, where he's a very strong contender for best three drop you can play. The slow trickle of damage, evasion for equipment, and slow draw make him a great option, and he curves out well with the other strong 2/4 drops that you should be playing alongside him. In a cube where you don't see a lot of those types of decks, I think that there are numerous stronger options. That's not a problem for us, but I can certainly understand cutting the card in other people's cubes and I would not criticize his removal.
In a vacuum I think Strix is considerably better. He is niche support for artifact decks and fits into more archetypes than Finkel. On the other hand, Finkel is very strong support for a particular archetype that we like, so for the moment we run him over the Strix. And that's a lot coming from me, I spent much of the Planechase thread trying to convince people how good Strix really is, and I love that card an awful lot.
Legacy is a format where the immediate draw is more relevant. The cmc is lower, there are free spells and games aren't won off long-term grinding advantages like they can sometimes be in the cube. Strix may be better in Legacy, but that doesn't mean it's better in the cube.
Your two statements seem to be at odds with each other. You say the immediate draw is more relevant, and then go on to say that games aren't won off long-term grinding advantages. Strix is pretty much the epitome of grindy advantage - it's generally not at its best in fast decks. Legacy has decks that specialize in winning off long-term grinding advantages, and Strix is a lynchpin in those decks. Just like cube, some games are decided in the first five turns and some games go down to the wire. I'd say the extra card from Strix would be even more valuable in cube where the overall power level combines with the singleton nature to provide explosive output.
Your two statements seem to be at odds with each other. You say the immediate draw is more relevant, and then go on to say that games aren't won off long-term grinding advantages.
Those aren't at odds with each other at all. Legacy wants the draw now. The immediate value is more important. The cube is slower than Legacy. It can take advantage of the grindy CA from the Infiltrator better.
Strix is not the epitome of grinding out CA. It's the epitome of getting immediate value from a spell. By replacing itself immediately, you can draw more cheap spells to cast right away, and more free spells and so fourth. Grinding out advantage over the course of the game is investing in CA that's potentially better than a 2-for-1.
Phyrexian Arena, Shadowmage Infiltrator, Jace Beleren ...even something like Thawing Glaciers. Those are spells that will eventually grind your opponent down with CA. Cards that cantrip and card filtering spells are cards designed to provide immediate value, or immediate CA. It's kinda the opposite of grinding out an advantage.
That's too narrow a definition. When you want to win through card advantage, anything that gives you a 2-for-1 counts. So when your deck is all spells like Arena and Strix that trade with more than one card, you're playing to grind out card advantage. Whether you do it with a one-shot spell like Strix (but also Firebolt, Chainer's Edict, Fireball, Nekrataal, Wrath of God etc) or with continuous card advantage like Arena, it's the same concept. Not necessarily the same power level.
Shadowmage presents a much bigger liability for that potential though and comes with a lot fewer fun whacky synergies. I'm investing heavily in being able to keep swinging with my finkle and maybe get a few cards out of him over quite a few turns and a paltry amount of damage. I very well might have to invest some cards and more mana after that initial three he cost me to even get him drawing me a single card, I guess that's alright, I like that sort of plan, even if it isn't that great anymore. It's just... Strix gets me what I want right away. Two mana, immediate, no worries incredibly likely 2for1 that also has synergy with tonnes of stuff in the cube that unlock even more value.
I like finkle and all, but I feel like there's way more of a place for strix in most decks and it's just a card that doesn't need a lot of babying and waiting to be valuable. Kinda like cryptic.
The Strix is a more consistent spell, and almost always a 2-for-1. But Finkel is a Phyrexian Arena that damages my opponent instead of me. Unless the artifact type is relevant to my deck, I'd much rather have Finkel. I like both spells, but I'd cut the Strix from my cube way before I'd consider losing Shadowmage.
I can get down with that. I just don't like the idea of blue black decks having to sit around and wait for dinky guys to turn turn sideways to win. Especially if they aren't the things winning you the game and they are just enablers... even if they are potent enablers. It just doesn't taste right to be as the best thing they are doing. I do like that the draw is a one time investment in slowly pulling the game into your favor, but it usually also involves spending the cards and mana you are saving protecting a 1/3.
It's not that I dislike Fink! I just wish UB had some cooler identity than the weird paring of Drawgo, 1for1 trades, squishy value guys and fatty cheating. It's just an odd gamut and it seems like Fink is the best thing most people want to give them.
I don't have to protect Finkel. He has evasion. Either he grinds out card advantage over the long term, or draws a couple of cards and gets 'Bolted. Either way, I feel like I'm getting my manas worth. If he draws removal immediately, I don't feel too bad about it. Strix is better if Finkel dies before drawing a card, but that happens far less often than situations where I draw at least 2-3 cards before his demise does. Sometimes, he dominates a game by running away with massive card advantage. Other times, he dies immediately. But most of the time, he'll draw 2-3 cards and then die, and that additional CA is usually worth the extra 1 I paid for him. He also stunts aggro's attack step the turn after he resolves, which is a nice bit of tempo recovery added in.
I think UB has a lot of deck options available. We play tempo. mid-range and control decks, in addition to the artifact.dec and reanimator. And I think the Dimir section has a diverse suite of effects that benefit all of the decks that UB plays.
I love Baleful Strix, and he's awesome in the Recurring Nightmare/Crystal Shard/Venser deck. In a deck that wants to go with the tempo route, I like Shadowmage more, but in the previously mentioned archetypes Strix is at worst a cantripping road block that allows you to get to the mana to get your combo off, and at best it draws you a ton of cards while blocking like a king and keeping your growing board protected. Also it's a sick card in the tinker deck.
Duskmantle Seer is possibly my favourite UB card right at this moment. He feels like the card we really wanted for that slot without even realizing it.
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
Strix is good in everything, and becomes better of the artifact or ETB abuse is valuable. But even though that's the case, I's still rank it as the #5 or #6 Dimir card.
This doesn't include lands. I recently took out 'Tog for the Seer, since he was going 15th or going to me. Even reanimator players didn't think to use him. I guess I just play with too young a crowd, but I do think he would be 2nd if I played with a crowd who knew what to do with him.
The Lich is a pet card for sure, but we've made some pretty sick midrange reanmator decks with him that sac and recur things like Man-o'-War. It's the kind of card I play cube to have fun with, and my playgroup feels accordingly.
Tezz has never failed us, as we run a lot of artifacts for our size.
I really want a Strix, but I've yet to get my hands on one.
Quick question, is Duskmantle Seer better than 'tog or Shadowmage Infiltrator? I can't see cutting either of them for it, but I am willing to listen to dissent.
If you're piloting a UB tempo/aggro deck, it's the best Dimir card in the cube. But for other decks, the other two guys are better, so I still rank them higher. He's a fantastic card though; a 450 cube should get him in without question, IMO (just not at the expense of one of those two cards).
Strix is almost always +1 card advantage. But the Infiltrator is often a lot more.
Ya, Strix can trade up. But it always trades in combat. The 1/3 body on Infiltrator allows me to kill 2/1s in combat, and block 2/2s without losing my own creature.
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Is finkle too clunky? Does it do it's okay thing too slowly or poorly to warrant inclusion? No, I wouldn't say that. Does he feel lame sometimes? Yes. Does any favourite cube strategy really love him? Ummm maybe UB draw go but that deck is usually kinda iffy and they play it like a 5 drop or six drop so it's doing it's thang on turn 6/7.
I love strix. The card is nuts. It just does so many things and half of them happen immediately and are always super relevant. Who doesn't like blockers that replace themselves? And so much synergy with other heavily supported crap in cube.
UB could use some more potent instants and sorceries though. It's kind of depressing having to rely on artifacts and durdley saboteur effects in the colours of eot draw and spot removal.
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Luckily, we play a lot of U/B aggressive decks, where he's a very strong contender for best three drop you can play. The slow trickle of damage, evasion for equipment, and slow draw make him a great option, and he curves out well with the other strong 2/4 drops that you should be playing alongside him. In a cube where you don't see a lot of those types of decks, I think that there are numerous stronger options. That's not a problem for us, but I can certainly understand cutting the card in other people's cubes and I would not criticize his removal.
In a vacuum I think Strix is considerably better. He is niche support for artifact decks and fits into more archetypes than Finkel. On the other hand, Finkel is very strong support for a particular archetype that we like, so for the moment we run him over the Strix. And that's a lot coming from me, I spent much of the Planechase thread trying to convince people how good Strix really is, and I love that card an awful lot.
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Your two statements seem to be at odds with each other. You say the immediate draw is more relevant, and then go on to say that games aren't won off long-term grinding advantages. Strix is pretty much the epitome of grindy advantage - it's generally not at its best in fast decks. Legacy has decks that specialize in winning off long-term grinding advantages, and Strix is a lynchpin in those decks. Just like cube, some games are decided in the first five turns and some games go down to the wire. I'd say the extra card from Strix would be even more valuable in cube where the overall power level combines with the singleton nature to provide explosive output.
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Those aren't at odds with each other at all. Legacy wants the draw now. The immediate value is more important. The cube is slower than Legacy. It can take advantage of the grindy CA from the Infiltrator better.
Strix is not the epitome of grinding out CA. It's the epitome of getting immediate value from a spell. By replacing itself immediately, you can draw more cheap spells to cast right away, and more free spells and so fourth. Grinding out advantage over the course of the game is investing in CA that's potentially better than a 2-for-1.
Phyrexian Arena, Shadowmage Infiltrator, Jace Beleren ...even something like Thawing Glaciers. Those are spells that will eventually grind your opponent down with CA. Cards that cantrip and card filtering spells are cards designed to provide immediate value, or immediate CA. It's kinda the opposite of grinding out an advantage.
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I like finkle and all, but I feel like there's way more of a place for strix in most decks and it's just a card that doesn't need a lot of babying and waiting to be valuable. Kinda like cryptic.
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It's not that I dislike Fink! I just wish UB had some cooler identity than the weird paring of Drawgo, 1for1 trades, squishy value guys and fatty cheating. It's just an odd gamut and it seems like Fink is the best thing most people want to give them.
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I think UB has a lot of deck options available. We play tempo. mid-range and control decks, in addition to the artifact.dec and reanimator. And I think the Dimir section has a diverse suite of effects that benefit all of the decks that UB plays.
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I agree. Duskmantle Seer is a complete house in UB tempo decks. I'm so happy with that card in the cube it's not even funny.
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This doesn't include lands. I recently took out 'Tog for the Seer, since he was going 15th or going to me. Even reanimator players didn't think to use him. I guess I just play with too young a crowd, but I do think he would be 2nd if I played with a crowd who knew what to do with him.
The Lich is a pet card for sure, but we've made some pretty sick midrange reanmator decks with him that sac and recur things like Man-o'-War. It's the kind of card I play cube to have fun with, and my playgroup feels accordingly.
Tezz has never failed us, as we run a lot of artifacts for our size.
I really want a Strix, but I've yet to get my hands on one.
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