Two cards and a new mechanic utilising double-faced cards was leaked today (link). Since the leaked cards were common, and the mechanic itself might warrant some discussion, I thought it was a neat excuse to start the Peasant spoiler tread.
Graf Rats 1B
Creature - Rat
At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you own and control Graf Rats and a creature named Midnight Scavengers, exile them, then meld them into Chittering Host.
2/1
Midnight Scavengers 4B
Creature - Human Rogue
When Midnight Scavengers enters the battlefield, you may return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to your hand. (Melds with Graf Rats)
3/3
The reverse of the cards aren't known, but its power/toughness is 5/6.
Presumably, the Meld-mechanic is about pairs of cards with identical reverse sides, and you need two parts to meld them together. This doesn't sound great for a Cube environment, unless you play some sort of draft-one-get-both-halves-rule.
For this particular pair of cards, I think its cute that it has some internal synergy. Trade your rats early, bring them back with your scavengers, and then build a monster.
Dryad seems worth testing if you support GB and/or GU self-mill. A 1/1 deathtouch is a good defensive creature, and it gets late-game relevance with delirium.
According to the article on the mothership there are only three meld pairs, all of which have been spoiled, so we don't need to worry about getting lots of unplayable meld pairs.
Yeah, Gnarlwood Dryad and Blessed Alliance warrant some consideration as both fill sort of weak slots (white non-creatures in general and green 1-drop creatures which are not mana elves). I do like the design thus far, and I am also glad that Emerge is not like Surge where the alternative cost needs to be paid in order to gain effects. At least thus far, this sees to be the case.
Blessed Alliance 1W
Instant (U)
Escalate (2)
Choose one or more
- Target Player gains 4 life
- Untap up to two target creatures
- Target opponent sacrifices an attacking creature
a) Hooray, uncommon Escalate cards (Escalators?) with 3 options.
b) I think this could be good. Fine early as an easier-to-cast defensive Celestial Flare and scales up well into the late-game.
Seems about as good as Immolating Glare, so not really something I'm interested in. Trades flexibility / blowout potential for the times when an Edict is so much worse than targeted removal.
Warren pilferers is not better than the meld card by my estimation. The new card is a possible fit in am aggressive-midrange deck, with cards like fire imp or what have you.
Warren pilferers is not better than the meld card by my estimation. The new card is a possible fit in am aggressive-midrange deck, with cards like fire imp or what have you.
Warren Pilferers does not do what you think it does and is in fact better than the new meld guy.
So let's assume we're drafting with a "draft rats, get scavengers for free" type of deal. It's still not worth running, is it? The flip-side is a pretty good finisher for more aggressive/midrangey decks, but you can't get it if your opponent has removal or bounce/flicker. You also give up two deck slots for cards that are mediocre at best on their own.
You can't call Dakmor Scorpion "mediocre at best", and the 5-drop is still a much worse version of an existing card (Pilferers) that's fringe if we're being generous.
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Would people pay 5BB + discard a card to get the flip side right away? I think I certainly would, since Morkrut Necropod has been making a good showing. But... that's not a card that actually exists.
I think it's worth thinking about without making snap judgements about the front sides, if only because the mechanic is new. I wouldn't play either card on their own, but there is, at least in theory, a world where two bad cards make a good one or the good card is worth the two bad ones.
Having thought about it a little bit more, I can't see it though. Even if you draw both cards, it's just too easy for the combination to fall apart. It's a shame, because the flip side ~is~ tasty.
I don't think it really matters for us either way. The only meld we're getting is the black common pair, and those aren't close enough to competitive to do anything for us. Even if they were, peasant removal is pretty cutthroat and can easily punish melded creatures with a 2-for-1.
Gnarlwood Dryad and Blessed Alliance are the first cards in the test pile for me. Dryad supports a few archetypes of mine without too much fuss, and Alliance can produce some nasty blowouts on top of being solid removal for control decks.
It'd be nice to get an emerge guy with flash. Altar's reap never quite panned out like you thought it would but with these things at least there's the option of just casting it for its actual mana cost.
I'm pretty stoked for Blessed Alliance too. It looks like a stalemate breakin', alpha strike nullifyin', game stealin' slice of fun. I'd never think of running each effect separately, but the charm-like flexibility combined with the ability to use all three concurrently?! Sold. I hope there are plenty of other good escalate cards. I'm cautiously optimistic.
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I'm pretty stoked for Blessed Alliance too. It looks like a stalemate breakin', alpha strike nullifyin', game stealin' slice of fun. I'd never think of running each effect separately, but the charm-like flexibility combined with the ability to use all three concurrently?! Sold. I hope there are plenty of other good escalate cards. I'm cautiously optimistic.
Stalemates and alpha strikes simply don't occur in like 90% of Cube games, though. At least that's the case around my living room table.
I'm pretty stoked for Blessed Alliance too. It looks like a stalemate breakin', alpha strike nullifyin', game stealin' slice of fun. I'd never think of running each effect separately, but the charm-like flexibility combined with the ability to use all three concurrently?! Sold. I hope there are plenty of other good escalate cards. I'm cautiously optimistic.
Stalemates and alpha strikes simply don't occur in like 90% of Cube games, though. At least that's the case around my living room table.
That's weird, because I typed that with you in mind, specifically. Boy is there is there egg on my face!
Creature - Rat
At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you own and control Graf Rats and a creature named Midnight Scavengers, exile them, then meld them into Chittering Host.
2/1
Creature - Human Rogue
When Midnight Scavengers enters the battlefield, you may return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to your hand.
(Melds with Graf Rats)
3/3
The reverse of the cards aren't known, but its power/toughness is 5/6.
Presumably, the Meld-mechanic is about pairs of cards with identical reverse sides, and you need two parts to meld them together. This doesn't sound great for a Cube environment, unless you play some sort of draft-one-get-both-halves-rule.
For this particular pair of cards, I think its cute that it has some internal synergy. Trade your rats early, bring them back with your scavengers, and then build a monster.
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Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
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I wouldn't mind getting a nice escalate card though.
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Escalate looks really awesome.
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Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Seems about as good as Immolating Glare, so not really something I'm interested in. Trades flexibility / blowout potential for the times when an Edict is so much worse than targeted removal.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Warren Pilferers does not do what you think it does and is in fact better than the new meld guy.
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My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
I guess this is a zombie/graveyard-y set, so we could still get a different playable Gravedigger variant...
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Would people pay 5BB + discard a card to get the flip side right away? I think I certainly would, since Morkrut Necropod has been making a good showing. But... that's not a card that actually exists.
I wonder how this mechanic will be received. I'm skeptical myself. Ballsy of them to try it though, I'll give them that.
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Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Having thought about it a little bit more, I can't see it though. Even if you draw both cards, it's just too easy for the combination to fall apart. It's a shame, because the flip side ~is~ tasty.
Gnarlwood Dryad and Blessed Alliance are the first cards in the test pile for me. Dryad supports a few archetypes of mine without too much fuss, and Alliance can produce some nasty blowouts on top of being solid removal for control decks.
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My 720 Peasant Cube
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Stalemates and alpha strikes simply don't occur in like 90% of Cube games, though. At least that's the case around my living room table.
That's weird, because I typed that with you in mind, specifically. Boy is there is there egg on my face!
Anyway, what are people's thoughts on Unsubstantiate?
My 720 Peasant Cube