More importantly I'd say, it loses the creature mode. The option to turn a good pump spell into a 4/4 Trample when needed is what made the card stay in my Cube.
Adding one more color is big negative in term of deck it can fit in, though.
The 4/4 mode does not add much value for me, since I don't support the green based aggro decks and as a result, my Gruul decks have more than enough better things to do on turn 4.
It adds more value than you think. The body isn't the main function, but it's still very useful to have. A pump spell's biggest weakness is being dead when you don't have creatures or combat isn't occurring. This eliminates both of them.
The 4/4 mode does not add much value for me, since I don't support the green based aggro decks and as a result, my Gruul decks have more than enough better things to do on turn 4.
You don't have midrange decks that could make use out of a 4/4 trampler for 4 mana? That's often the big stopper drop for midrange decks vs. the aggressive decks, since few aggro dudes of 3 or less mana have four or more power.
If you play a mid-range RG deck with a large saturation of creatures, he's great. But in creature-light ramp, creature-light mid-range, aggro decks and control decks, he's unplayable.
Perhaps we're looking at it the wrong way? Despite Domri whiffing 60% of the time in those decks, assuming you alternate between the first and second abilities, it could still easily end up being a 2-3 for 1 over the course of a couple turns.
I haven't tested it though, just a thought.
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Sure, it's not great in aggro. But in midrange decks, even 'creature light' ones it might still be worth it. A large portion of the r/g decks around here end up being midrange, so it might be worth a test.
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It was solid for us in midrange decks that were saturated with creatures. But the rest of the time, he was no good at all. Too narrow for a multicolor card, IMO.
It's funny how red is mostly retardo aggressive cards and wildfire stuff and green is mostly ramp and mid-top end stuff and stuff that gets killed by wildfire. Funny little meeting place.
I think sarkahn vol is probably not a bad pick for the ramp decks and kinda the midrange ones. The huntmaster can fit it's way into a lot of decks to. Just not as well in the really good red one.
The rest of the cards seem like they are mainly there for the really awesome red deck.
The last one would be in there mostly for testing. But neither color has a depth at the 6cc slot, so really big cubes would probably want one for that color pair anyways.
Hrmmm just saw this thread for the first time and its filled with good information.
I've been playing Kird Ape, Bloodbraid Elf and Stormbind in my cube forever. Maybe its time to swap out Stormbind since it hasn't been amazing for us and nobody on this thread seems to think so either. I've tried Sarkhan Vol in the past and not been a fan of that guy.
Huntmaster of the Fells and I have a long history and I even won a standard PTQ with him last season in the Delver heavy meta where he was an absolute all star for me, so I definitely have positive experiences with Huntmaster. Couple of reasons he's not in my cube yet is 1) I dislike using transform cards in cube, they're a hassle. 2) I don't own an English one. 3) I don't own an English foil one.
Despite that, it looks like enough people have had positive experiences with Huntmaster for me to at least test him out and try to acquire an English foil one. Maybe I should wait until after he rotates out of standard to pick it up.
Have you actually seen him in action? You just can't deal with it profitably if at all and it shuts down a huge portion of the cards that would give your opponent a chance with such a big creature on the table.
Exactly, I've been running it in Gruul since the set came out, and he's been a monster. If he doesn't get countered, at worst he drains your opponent of a kill spell, and they take 6 to the dome. Not bad, considering he can come down as early as turn four in some decks.
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I don't think supporting green aggro requires you to sacrifice a lot of power in small cubes. In fact, I think not supporting green aggro is giving up a lot of power. Supporting green aggro allows a bunch of competitive decks to become available, and doesn't require that many slots to do it, considering that most of the green cards found in X/G aggro decks are already in the cube anyways.
He does bring a big beating but his impact is relatively low. You don't play him as the top of your curve in rg aggro and he is not exactly what you want as a 6 drop in ramp.
@Antknee42:
That shouldn't surprise you, given that you are using a really unconventional cube that has little similarity with what the rest of the forum is using.
Really unconventional is a misnomer; I value historical vale more than others, and run specific cards to make archetypes go-not just 'most powerful'-but that doesn't mean I run junk in my Cube. And I think you would find that my opinions have quite a few similarities to people on here. I just find that I disagree with you most of the time, since I think you actually evaluate cards much differently than I do.
For example, I think Sarkhan Vol is waaaaay too high on your list. Kird Ape's absence is a bit embarrassing, Rampager is quite a bit more impressive than 10th, Domri Rade is likewise a bit high, Savageborn Hydra is quite meh, Tattermunge Maniac is an important card that is absent, and I think the Burning-Tree Bros. are probably better than a lot of cards on that list.
The one I do think you have right that others tend to ignore is Kessig Wolf Run. THAT is the kind of card that fits in both aggro and midrange/ramp decks, and doesn't get enough love around here.
Adding one more color is big negative in term of deck it can fit in, though.
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Agree with this. Comparing these two cards is a huge stretch and sorta misses the point of the Rampager entirely.
It adds more value than you think. The body isn't the main function, but it's still very useful to have. A pump spell's biggest weakness is being dead when you don't have creatures or combat isn't occurring. This eliminates both of them.
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You don't have midrange decks that could make use out of a 4/4 trampler for 4 mana? That's often the big stopper drop for midrange decks vs. the aggressive decks, since few aggro dudes of 3 or less mana have four or more power.
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How has Domri played? I have one in the trade binder, but never even considered him for cube.
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I haven't tested it though, just a thought.
It was awful in practice. Just terrible.
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I think sarkahn vol is probably not a bad pick for the ramp decks and kinda the midrange ones. The huntmaster can fit it's way into a lot of decks to. Just not as well in the really good red one.
The rest of the cards seem like they are mainly there for the really awesome red deck.
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Probably something like this:
02 Kird Ape
03 Huntmaster of the Fells
04 Sarkhan Vol
05 Savageborn Hydra
06 Ghor-Clan Rampager
07 Burning-Tree Emissary
08 Tattermunge Maniac
09 Flinthoof Boar
10 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
The last one would be in there mostly for testing. But neither color has a depth at the 6cc slot, so really big cubes would probably want one for that color pair anyways.
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I've been playing Kird Ape, Bloodbraid Elf and Stormbind in my cube forever. Maybe its time to swap out Stormbind since it hasn't been amazing for us and nobody on this thread seems to think so either. I've tried Sarkhan Vol in the past and not been a fan of that guy.
Huntmaster of the Fells and I have a long history and I even won a standard PTQ with him last season in the Delver heavy meta where he was an absolute all star for me, so I definitely have positive experiences with Huntmaster. Couple of reasons he's not in my cube yet is 1) I dislike using transform cards in cube, they're a hassle. 2) I don't own an English one. 3) I don't own an English foil one.
Despite that, it looks like enough people have had positive experiences with Huntmaster for me to at least test him out and try to acquire an English foil one. Maybe I should wait until after he rotates out of standard to pick it up.
The absence of Kird Ape makes me sad.
Oof, this list is quite a bit off from my experience.
-AA
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Exactly, I've been running it in Gruul since the set came out, and he's been a monster. If he doesn't get countered, at worst he drains your opponent of a kill spell, and they take 6 to the dome. Not bad, considering he can come down as early as turn four in some decks.
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Really unconventional is a misnomer; I value historical vale more than others, and run specific cards to make archetypes go-not just 'most powerful'-but that doesn't mean I run junk in my Cube. And I think you would find that my opinions have quite a few similarities to people on here. I just find that I disagree with you most of the time, since I think you actually evaluate cards much differently than I do.
For example, I think Sarkhan Vol is waaaaay too high on your list. Kird Ape's absence is a bit embarrassing, Rampager is quite a bit more impressive than 10th, Domri Rade is likewise a bit high, Savageborn Hydra is quite meh, Tattermunge Maniac is an important card that is absent, and I think the Burning-Tree Bros. are probably better than a lot of cards on that list.
The one I do think you have right that others tend to ignore is Kessig Wolf Run. THAT is the kind of card that fits in both aggro and midrange/ramp decks, and doesn't get enough love around here.
-AA
P.S. Tin-Street Hooligan? Boggart Ram-Gang?
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