Face burn is what makes red decks the threat they are. It's the reach that pushes those decks over the top. Sometimes you Bolt their mana dork, but often that Bolt (or sorcery speed Bolt clone) pushes through the last few damage you need to close out the game.
How does Survivors' Bond compare to Regrowth? Depending on how many humans are in your cube, it can sometimes net you an extra card, at the cost of not being able to get back a non-creature spell/land.
Looking at my cube, I'm not sure I have enough hits to make Survivors' Bond consistently net an extra card. I have 48 humans, 14 in white, 6 in blue, 5 in black, 15 in red, 4 in green, and 5 multicolored ones. And of those pairs, the decks that usually want a regrowth effect are GB(x) and UG(x). BUT, then again, it seems that Regrowth rarely gets a noncreature spell in practice, so maybe the small potential upside makes Bond a worthy replacement.
How does Survivors' Bond compare to Regrowth? Depending on how many humans are in your cube, it can sometimes net you an extra card, at the cost of not being able to get back a non-creature spell/land.
Looking at my cube, I'm not sure I have enough hits to make Survivors' Bond consistently net an extra card. I have 48 humans, 14 in white, 6 in blue, 5 in black, 15 in red, 4 in green, and 5 multicolored ones. And of those pairs, the decks that usually want a regrowth effect are GB(x) and UG(x). BUT, then again, it seems that Regrowth rarely gets a noncreature spell in practice, so maybe the small potential upside makes Bond a worthy replacement.
People play Regrowth for the ability to select any type of card. I think it's wrong to assume that doesn't happen often.
How many cubes do you see running Raise Dead?
Unfortunately nothing else in the full spoiler list catches my eye. So here are the cards I think I will test: Valiant Rescuer: 3/1 for 2 with cycling is pretty good. I'm on the fence about testing this guy, I still need to test Sheperd of the Flock, which I imagine is better.
Boon of the Wish-giver: A modal card with a lot of upside. It'll end up being cycled often which is fine, it will help you hit a land drop if you are stuck or get to an answer if you need it. But when you don't need to cycle it and can wait for the late game to draw 4 it can win you the game. SO much better than Opportunity. The question is just whether or not I have space for it.
Neutralize: Modal spells are great. This will sometimes help you dig to what you need, or just provide a solid hard counter.
Reconnaissance Mission: Been thinking about this one more, and I don't think the comparison to Concentrate is completely fair, it can easily draw more than that card without already being in a situation where you have the game locked up, by nature of the fact that blue tempo creatures are often just 2 power. Gonna give this a test for sure, but I wouldn't be hesitant to cut it if it's not carrying it's weight.
Grimdancer: Just so perfect for black in my opinion. Provides a super efficient 3 drop for black, which aside from Vampire Nighthawk they were kind of missing that slot. Plus, lifegain is really nice for black which is a color that often pays life for benefits.
Void Beckoner: A cute card particularly for reanimation strategies. I think I like it more than Twisted Abomination. The only removal that Void Beckoner is vulnerable that Twisted Abomination isn't is black kill spells, whereas Void Beckoner provides so much quicker of a clock when it does work out. Plus, the deathtouch counter I find to be a really interesting concept, especially if you have any pingers in your cube (or Murderous Redcap or Mayhem Devil just to name a couple others)
Fire Prophecy: Maybe I won't test this, I've kind of been convinced that the lack of face targeting is a huge weakness.
Flame Spill: This card is just so cool, plus it would be the only 4 damage removal spell for red in my cube, which is a nice hole ot fill.
Sanctuary Smasher: The cycling ability is the primary usage more of the time. It can often lead to 2 for 1's in aggressive decks or even defensive decks. And then if you don't end up cycling it a 6/4 first strike pretty much beats everything in combat. Plus a small boost for reanimation strategies.
Weaponize the Monsters: Probably my favorite card from this set. It is a different take on Goblin Bombardment, which is one of my favorite cards in the cube. In some ways way worse, but in other ways better. Each of your creatures provides double the reach, but at a less explosive rate.
Hornbash Mentor: I'll test out putting this guy + Bramblewood Paragon in my cube. At it's worst it's a 3/3 for 3 with a slight upside, which isn't horrible in green where you can pump it out on turn 2.
I think that while cards like Flourishing Fox are interesting, the cycling archetype is just not there yet. Something to keep in mind for when the time comes, possibly, since there are still some strong options. Being keyed to a keyword rather than an action (compared to Amonkhet's cards of similar nature) is just too limiting, bordering on parasitic.
Cards that stick out: Boon of the Wish-Giver: Kind of a pseudo-cantrip with a late game relevant mode. Helps thin your deck for minimal cost and provides spells in the GY for archetypes that want them. Ominous Seas: Easily enough enabled, hard to remove finisher. Also has cycling for when things just are not going to work out (e.g. when you are losing). Very interesting option as a build-around. Grimdancer: I mean, obviously. Pushed card is pushed. Void Beckoner: Instant deathtouch is nice already and I'd gladly include some more self-enabling fatties for reanimator, even if this one is less than ideal as a target. Lore Drakkis: Very nicely costed ability on a thing that has a decent enough alternative mode. Alert Heedbonder: By itself, this is already a pretty nice creature and the life gain could easily start getting out of hand in the right deck. Jubilant Skybonder: I have wanted a better Azorius hybrid or two for a while. Proud Wildbonder: Benefits from its own effect to already become decent; more trample matters support and a hybrid.
Cards I like: Solid Footing: Much less committing than many similar cards but also obviously more limited in application. Still a flash boost aura, though. Splendor Mare: Nice stats and I like lifelink. Just imagine it on a finisher that ticks most other boxes like being able to protect itself (e.g. Striped Riverwinder). Valiant Rescuer: Possibly good enough for being a decent creature you can cycle away when it is not relevant. Incidental cycle synergies are still only incidental, though. Will of the All-Hunter: Cycling gives you a lot of leeway for things, and this has a clear upside over a plain +2/+2, making it feel less overpriced. Phase Dolphin: It is a relevant blocker when needed and turning something else unblockable while being able to survive attacking can be really good. Wingspan Mentor: Could be too reliant on its abilities with those stats but fliers are common and jumping another creature is itself nice. Boot Nipper: I just really like this flexibility even if Mire Triton *kinds of* gets both sides and more. Heartless Act: I'd need to run the maths but cool design anyway. Footfall Crater: Cycling is nice on a thing like this and both keywords it provides are relevant. Forbidden Frienship: An update to Dragon Fodder is an update, even if I do not run the original at the time. Frillscare Mentor: Menace is nice with counters and to have in general, and this has decent stats itself. Momentum Rumbler: I support a double-striker archetype in Boros. Sanctuary Smasher: Instant speed first strike is nice, as is cycling a fatty to the grave. Plus, it's a red big boy. Shredded Sails: With cycling and potential creature removal, this might have enough modes for an artifact destruction option. Auspicious Starrix: It has good enough stats to be relevant outside mutating and as an upgrade to many creatures even when it hits a land. Sometimes absurd value ensues. Hornbash Mentor: Trample is rather common and this has good stats. Nice synergy with Brawn. Migration Path: I am a sucker for ramp that gives you some value even when you draw it late, and cycling is the poster boy for that. Migratory Greathorn: I also like getting other benefits to go with my ramp, such as upgrading creatures with a pseudo-aura. Also has a relevant alternative mode as just a creature. Gives more mutation support, too. Monstrous Step: Risky but a potential quick finisher. Cycle it away when the stars are not right. Titanoth Rex: Now this is a proper finisher you can cycle yourself for reanimator. Boneyard Lurker: Nice recursion to go with often upgrading creatures with a flexible mana cost. Mutation support. Parcelbeast: When you want a repeatable Coiling Oracle for cheap and it remains a decent creature unmutated. Mutation support. Primal Empathy: A decent imitation of 'draw an extra card each turn' with a fallback measure when the condition is not met. Sonorous Howlbonder: Too crowded a hybrid slot but otherwise pretty nice. Farfinder: I just like these kinds of cards, and they also make decent targets for mutate and the like. Sleeper Dart: Can actually just be abused for the cantrip in a pinch but can also buy you time when needed.
Cards I am unsure of: Bastion of Remembrance: Might well be worth it if you're Zulaport Cutthroat deep into Aristocrats but I feel like that is just not comparable to cards that register more instances like Blood Artist. Fire Prophecy: While the selection is nice, it's very mediocre burn. I'd need to check if anything for the purpose of 'bolt a creature' is worse at the moment. Weaponize the Monsters: A nice card but I do not exactly support the archetype outside some token generation in red.
Even though I am not a big fan of the mutate mechanic, I think this set is pretty good and plenty interesting. I think this was very good set for red midrange which was always lacking before.
Like but argh what to cut Wingspan Mentor - I have sooo many flyers in Blue also this is a wizard, but argh what to cut?, its kinda of perfect for my cube to behonest Reconnaissance Mission - Again the flyiers deck wants this, I think its good enough just got to find the cut. Grimdancer - I think I will replace one of my non-nighthawk black fliers with this, better for agro more versitile, options are good. Momentum Rumbler - First strike then double strike. My red midrange is basically non existant I have to decide how much of my aggro to cut. Ferocious Tigorilla It has a pretty good rate but I'd have to be certain of how my red midrange is going to be. Excavation Mole - 3/3 trampler that fills my graveyard that's kind of a good deal.
Maybe: Flourishing Fox and Valiant Rescuer are good cards but I don't have the cycling density to make them really good. Neutralize I don't know but cancel variants have all fallen out of my cube. Call of the Death-Dweller was better before I realised I misread it. Spelleater Wolverine - I am concerned this might be too hard to trigger in red midrange. Hornbash Mentor I don't have very many trample creatures surprisingly. Primal Empathy probably too slow. Sprite Dragon I need to keep stormchaser mage because I run Adeliz I wish I could run it but then all my Izzet slots would basically be the same.
Now, Lifegain matters has a way to go, but I think Light of Hope is a good start in cross-pollinating synergies. More please!
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I wish all archetypes could be equally hated. Or loved, but the former better reflects the mindset of the vocal portion of the player base. My 540ish Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
Expect to be good: Ram Through - I almost missed this card. 2 mana instant speed unfair fight with upside? Yes please. Best green removal we have. Heartless Act - Removal is removal Lore Drakkis - Efficient, interesting, and an effect in a colour that doesn't get a ton of it. Auspicious Starrix - 5 mana 6/6. Also mutate has enough going on that it's hard to imagine it being even close to irrelevant. Flame Spill - Super-Duper Death Ray. Still not sure if I want a second.
Expect to be fine, but wouldn't be surprised if I cut later: Of One Mind - 1 mana draw 2 with a fairly reasonable condition. Startling Development - Cycling 1 is so cheap. Fire Prophecy - Card selection is good, but so is hitting face. Frillscare Mentor - Not sure what the average case is for this. Weaponize the Monsters - Potential replacement for Goblin Bombardment. Grimdancer - Stats and non-flying keywords normally aren't that good in cube, but this is the best type of that we've seen. Hornbash Mentor - Not super exciting, but does some solid things. Necropanther - Mutate on middling bodies is impossible to evaluate and so is Unearth. Parcelbeast - Draws cards and blocks, but mutate is hard to evaluate.
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Pretty great set for us. Lots of solid cards that you can run with only minor synergy, but become way better if you support them. There's also a ton of powerful but niche cards with cheap cycling costs, which is a design pattern I'm a fan of.
They fill pretty different roles. Treasure Cruise is a solid draw spell that you are trying to play cheaply like for 4 or less mana. Whereas Boon of the Wish-Giver is going to function more often as a cantrip with the added mode of winning you the game if it goes very long.
man this set has so much to think about, which i love. lots of solid cards, cycling as an archetype getting more support and perhaps closer to getting there, and even mutate could be good enough in places.
for reference, my human vs nonhuman count before changes is 49 vs 147.
fight as one: as far as one mana combat tricks go, this is nuts. getting a 2-4-1 with this seems too easy since it gives indestructible, and even trading off this combat trick for a creature on board is pretty good value for 1 mana. given my nonhumans outnumber my humans 3:1 though, might not live the dream enough to be worth running.
flourishing fox: obviously a big card if cycling ever gets there, which i think it's close to. we just need some more cards that aren't super narrow with cycling.
huntmaster liger: i think this card is good. it's hard at this stage to evaluate mutate, but i think with how much i push tokens as an archetype, it'll be easy enough to find targets to mutate onto. as far as this trigger goes, getting one trigger is good to push damage through, and the upgrade on the body will be pretty substantial considering white creatures are notoriously on the smaller side. this effectively having haste is also pretty good. i really dig the card honestly.
valiant rescuer: another one to keep in mind for the cycling archetype one day. getting two tokens a turn cycle seems pretty strong.
vulpikeet: as a 3 mana 3/4 flier, super dig it. i still like serendib efreet, and this is basically the white version.
boon of the wish-giver: great flexible card. good early, fantastic late. i know i knocked it earlier with the sorcery speed thing but yeah i think the flexibility outweighs that.
dreamtail heron: honestly i like the card a lot, but don't think it's quite there for cube.
gust of wind: i feel like this will cost 2 mana quite often, and even at sorcery speed, i like the sound of a free kicking on into the roil. it does lack the flexibility that into the roil comes with though.
neutralize: honestly a fairly simple, innocuous card, but definitely solid. a 3 mana hard counter is fair, and being able to cycle it is pretty big game. i like the card.
pouncing shoreshark: this feels super strong. instant speed bounce on a 4/3 for 4. you're probably going to be able to mutate a flying creature to make it even more absurd. i honestly think this will be one of the strongest cards in the set.
wingspan mentor: i only dislike how slow this card is. with u/w skies as an archetype, this is gas, but the base body is so far from relevant it's absurd. in a u/g ramp style deck where you can give a fatty flying, this is probably outclassed several times over by other cards. an anthem effect this strong is probably worth keeping an eye on though.
bastion of remembrance: i like how this is harder to remove than our other similar effects, but i think i prefer falkenrath noble triggering off all deaths.
bushmeat poacher: as far as sac outlets that cost mana go, i like this. once a turn is definitely a hinderance, but lifegain and card draw are both pretty sick, especially if you're sacrificing tokens or recurring creatures. on a 4 mana 2/4 though, i'm not super sold on it.
call of the death-dweller: a very fair reanimation spell as you're only ever getting mana neutral at best. getting back a couple of cheap utility creatures can be super strong though. we do have some pretty strong 1-2 mana creatures, after all, and 3 mana isn't too pricy.
grimdancer: nothing super exciting, just super efficient.
heartless act: quite strong, and not actually very restricting at all. one of the better removal spells we have access to i'd say.
void beckoner: the more i think about this, the less i like it honestly. seems just worse than twisted abomination, since the cheaper cycling + setting up land drops is so valueable.
drannith stinger: another one for cycling, keep eyes peeled.
fire prophecy: burn with card selection is always good, but this is creatures only. hard to say whether i like this more than magma jet or not.
flame spill: good, efficient burn which can be split up. 4 damage kills most creatures, and it doesn't feel so bad using it on a low toughness creature either.
forbidden friendship: i guess this edges out one of the dragon fodder clones.
frillscare mentor: decent body that pushes through damage in aggro, and has late game value just in case. not bad, but probably just not as high-impact as other red 3s.
heightened reflexes: having this give first strike permanently changes the game. this feels really efficient, since first strike is pretty strong.
porcuparrot: how much value is a pinger on a 3/4 for 3? i dunno, but it looks like it can do pinging and combat well, so the flexibility is there.
spelleater wolverine: nice to have a different kind of spells payoff, and this one is fairly easy to enable. a 3 mana 3/2 double strike is nuts, if a little fragile, but just nice to have a passive bonus from casting spells, rather than having to sandbag for triggers.
weaponize the monsters: despite costing way more mana than goblin bombardment, 2 damage is a lot more than 1. repeatable shocks is super strong, and if the initial investment is only 1 mana, i'm in.
auspicious starrix: great value on an efficient body. being a base 5 mana 6/6 is plenty fine as well.
glowstone recluse: 4 mana 4/5 sounds nice, honestly.
migratory greathorn: 3 mana 3/4 with ramp applications, feels like it could be a goodie, but i'm not sure.
necropanther: good value mutater. just pretty efficient really.
lore drakkis: hands down the cheapest archaeomancer variant we've seen. very on brand for u/r as well. as a hybrid, it looks like one of the better options.
sprite dragon: loves spells, gets huge. again, exactly what izzet wants. having haste means you can have some nutty turns too probably.
boneyard lurker: good value again, and being permanent over creature can be relevant.
savai thundermane: i dig it, but again, keep in mind for the cycling deck later. adds some variety to boros too which is nice.
parcelbeast: the ability here is pretty strong, as a repeatable form of card advantage. the mutate just being a discount is interesting, and can net you more activations while being absurdly ahead of the curve for 2 mana.
trumpeting gnarr: i like this as a hybrid option, since it's pretty efficient.
no idea how my cuts are looking. but i'm excited by this set.
The only reason to ever play Boon of the Wish Giver over Treasure Cruise is if delving 4-5 cards is problematic, which it almost never is. Reach Through Mists that doesn't trigger cast triggers isn't close to good enough is play, and Treasure Cruise is multiple times more efficient than actually casting Boon.
I'm really surprised people are valuing Boon highly at all. A 6 mana sorcery that doesn't affect the board is hardly castable in most games, and that's before comparing it to the card draw we have access to, which is some of the best in the game. The cycling is nice but you're probably cycling it 80%+ of the time, and at that point just play an actual 1 mana cantrip.
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Is there a reason why no one is mentioning Ram Through? I'm pretty sure it's just the best card in the set for us.
Boon is a card that will play a lot better than it looks, similar to many cycling cards. Control decks can have a ton of issues if their hands are filled up with many 4+ cmc cards, which is bound to happen because your are playing for late game value a lot of the time. This card helps you alleviate that issue. It can be a "finisher" without clogging up your hand, cycling 1 is so so free, even more so than Reach Through Mists.
It's the same reason Hieroglyphic Illumination is so good. It functions as your draw spell - albeit inefficiently, but when your clunking out with a bunch of junk in your hand you get to cycle it and potentially draw yourself into a land or into a 2 or 3 drop to help you fill your curve. Like compare it to Fact or Fiction against an opponent that is pressuring you. You have three 4 drops in your hand, two of which are creatures that can help you stabilize a bit and then the last is FoF. An average scenario may be that you play a 2 drop turn two, have nothing turn three, and then play one of your creatures each of the next 2 turns, maybe you stabilize, maybe you don't, Fact or Fiction did nothing to help you there. Whereas if you have the cycling of Illumination you can cycle it turn one and maybe draw another 2 drop or a 3 drop to play on turn 3 instead of doing nothing. And this isn't even accounting for situations where you get stuck on land drops.
Now, Boon is definitely not as good as Illumination, but I think it is in a similar sphere, where it gives you a lot more options, and helps really smooth out your game plan. If you have the means to hold down the game you can play toward a draw 4, if you need help to survive you can instead cycle it really easily.
The only reason to ever play Boon of the Wish Giver over Treasure Cruise is if delving 4-5 cards is problematic, which it almost never is. Reach Through Mists that doesn't trigger cast triggers isn't close to good enough is play, and Treasure Cruise is multiple times more efficient than actually casting Boon.
I'm really surprised people are valuing Boon highly at all. A 6 mana sorcery that doesn't affect the board is hardly castable in most games, and that's before comparing it to the card draw we have access to, which is some of the best in the game. The cycling is nice but you're probably cycling it 80%+ of the time, and at that point just play an actual 1 mana cantrip.
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Is there a reason why no one is mentioning Ram Through? I'm pretty sure it's just the best card in the set for us.
I definitely agree with you on cruise vs. wish-giver. The only reason I consider wish-giver is that the low power level of cards in peasant cube means sometimes you want the quantity of resources rather than the tempo. That said, treasure cruise has just so much more tempo that it's not really a contest in the end.
I tend to find that fight based removal is pretty bad. It's always highly conditional, disruptable versions of spells that other colors do much better. If there is some merit to it, it's that you can sometimes get it at a cheaper rate (prey upon).
How many tramplers are in your cube that you see a lot of value in Ram Through?
Ikoria offers a surprising number of options, but these are the ones I am most considering:
-Bastion of Remembrance - A second Zulaport Cutthroat but less easily removed.
-Grimdancer - I love the flexibility; it actually makes a player evaluate which abilities will best suit them in any given part of a game. Being a 3/3 for 3 makes those abilities even better. I also already run Vampire of the Dire Moon, Gifted Aetherborn, and Vampire Nighthawk.
-Sprite Dragon - Love the card, but it's a tough call if I swap out Stormchaser Mage for it. I love the permanent pump and the fact that it's a dragon, but it is more vulnerable until you cast two noncreature spells.
-Heartless Act - I'm unsure. Great removal against a creature without counters, but against a creature with counters, I will almost always prefer a straight-up kill spell. And removing counters from my own creatures is really only useful with two persist creatures.
-Lore Drakkis - The mutate is pretty awesome by itself, and it could potentially pump a smaller creature.
-Jubilant Skybonder - I'm trying to better support flyers, so this could be a signpost card.
-Titanoth Rex - It would be my largest fattie and sets itself up nicely for reanimator while helping another creature punch through for extra damage.
-Wingspan Mentor - Trying to support flyers and +1/+1 counters, but this might be too slow.
-Light of Hope - It's a charm that offers decent options, though I don't really love it.
-Ram Through - One-sided fight is so much better, and it offers trample damage. I really want to pair this with Pelakka Wurm.
-Swallow Whole - I like cheap removal that supports the +1/+1 counter archetype. It's no Path or Swords, but I already have those.
-Fight as One - +1/+1 and indestructible is decent; getting it on two creatures would be aweome, but how often will that situation present itself?
-Call of the Death-Dweller - I was more keen on it until I saw "total cmc"; as is, I think Victimize is better, especially as it can get fatties.
The biggest problem, as ever, is figuring out what to cut for any I decide to run.
I'm a pretty big fan of Clear Shot, but even then I think Nature's Way is better overall.
Ram Through is an unfair fight, which is a lot less conditional than just a normal fight. Having an empty board isn't super common, and creatures are small enough that your board being too small is minor. You have to play around instant speed removal, but generally that's doable with the instant versions.
I don't think Hieroglyphic Illumination is particularly good either. Serum Visions, Preordain, and Ponder are all close enough to a draw 2 that they almost directly replace it. Chart a Course and Impulse also make it look pretty bad; casting them normally is roughly equivalent to Divination, and if you need to find a card you are probably more likely to be bailed out due to seeing more cards than spending 1 less mana. Drawing 1 is pretty pathetic in terms of finding what you want. Hitting a land of Illumination is 40%, 64% with Chart a Course, 78% for Preordain / Serum Visions with a draw step, and 87% with Impulse / Ponder. The chance you get bailed out when needing a play on t3 is only around 25-30%; I'd estimate the chance you miss a play on t3 to be around 10%, which brings the chance of getting bailed out to be hardly a point in its favour, even ignoring stuff like etbt lands or the fact that the other draw spells can do it too. If you want to compare it with FoF, then sure, it does something for less than 4 mana. But FoF is almost twice as good for the same cost, and you kinda put cards in your deck to cast them. It's not unplayable or anything (it's more so we have insane options), but there's probably around a dozen draw spells I'd play before it, and even if you can play a lot of them I stop way before 13 considering I'm not counting draw through creatures.
I mean yeah obviously you put cards in your deck to cast, but you can't only evaluate them on the merit of when you cast them. There are two types of ways to think of win % related to a card. You can think about it as how much on average does your win % change when you cast a certain card, or you can think about how much on average does your win % change when you draw a certain card. And I think it's much more valuable to analyze on the latter merit. If you only evaluated your win % when you cast a card, then 7 drops would be the best cards in your cube most likely, because if you got to the point where you could cast your big bomby 7 drop you are probably going to win. But that doesn't account for all of the situations where you don't get to that point and instead die with a clunker in your hand.
It's why cycling cards are so valuable, they always do something. They may not have as high of a win % when you cast them, but they likely have a higher win % when you draw them. Like for example in the hitting a land example (in comparison to FoF), yeah you only have a 40% chance of hitting a land, but if you didn't hit a land then you would still be drawing that non-land card and still be not being able to cast your 4 drops. This at least gets you closer to your land drop even if it doesn't get you there. Being stuck on land for 1 less turn is super valuable.
Also yeah I agree that Preordain, Ponder, Serum Visions, Impulse, and Chart a course are better than Illuminations, but those cards are insane and being worse than them doesn't say much about illuminations. I think Illuminations is the best 4 mana draw spell with FoF right behind it. If you haven't played with it you are really missing out.
So, what are people's thoughts on Ominous Seas? It's not that hard to make a token in 5 turns (with a looter or a draw spell).
If you draw it early in a control mirror it might make 2 tokens semi-reliably and it has cycling for when you draw it late or when you're playing on a clock.
So, what are people's thoughts on Ominous Seas? It's not that hard to make a token in 5 turns (with a looter or a draw spell).
If you draw it early in a control mirror it might make 2 tokens semi-reliably and it has cycling for when you draw it late or when you're playing on a clock.
I love it for Commander, but I think it's just too slow for my Peasant Cube. Short of a Brainstorm, it takes at least four turns with a looter or draw engine and this in play before it does anything. If you are drawing that many, you already have the advantage, and if you don't, it's a do-nothing that takes eight turns.
It has a high ceiling, but a very, very low floor. The cycling ability is actually quite a bit above the floor.
Crazy synergy with Sylvan Library for an 8/8 every 3 turns! I agree it's definitely too slow unless you've got some really abusive card draw going on. And at that point, aren't you winning anyhow? I think it might be comparable to an 8/8 for 1U Suspend 8 that gets a little better with looters and card draw.
Unless you can make 2 tokens Ominous Seas is pretty suspect. A 2 mana 8/8 is good, but your opp is probably going to hold a removal spell for it if it starts to become relevant (which it won't always be).
I've played with Illuminations. I also cut Illuminations because these spots where it bails you out don't really exist and the card is barely even worth casting; Inspiration is no where near playable. I highlighted the common examples, but what I said also extends to stuff like Opt, Sleight of Hand, Anticipate, and Omen of the Sea. Also, in your example it's just way better for Illumination to be Sea Gate Oracle or Cloudkin Seer or Remand or Miscalculation or Condescend or Repulse. All of which are better at every point in the game (if you say Illuminations beats them if you're missing your 3rd land then you should really be keeping less 2 land hands). Hell, anything decent with a cycling 1 cost is probably better. Considering how much you're pushing the value of cycling, I'm really surprised you're not playing Censor, cause the base mode of that can actually win games. Illuminations > FoF is probably the hottest take I've ever seen tbh.
I don't think we are going to get anywhere with this. I highly value cards that are flexible and that's what Illuminations is. There is a reason it has seen modern play. As for Censor, I should be playing it I just keep forgetting to add it.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
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Looking at my cube, I'm not sure I have enough hits to make Survivors' Bond consistently net an extra card. I have 48 humans, 14 in white, 6 in blue, 5 in black, 15 in red, 4 in green, and 5 multicolored ones. And of those pairs, the decks that usually want a regrowth effect are GB(x) and UG(x). BUT, then again, it seems that Regrowth rarely gets a noncreature spell in practice, so maybe the small potential upside makes Bond a worthy replacement.
People play Regrowth for the ability to select any type of card. I think it's wrong to assume that doesn't happen often.
How many cubes do you see running Raise Dead?
Valiant Rescuer: 3/1 for 2 with cycling is pretty good. I'm on the fence about testing this guy, I still need to test Sheperd of the Flock, which I imagine is better.
Boon of the Wish-giver: A modal card with a lot of upside. It'll end up being cycled often which is fine, it will help you hit a land drop if you are stuck or get to an answer if you need it. But when you don't need to cycle it and can wait for the late game to draw 4 it can win you the game. SO much better than Opportunity. The question is just whether or not I have space for it.
Neutralize: Modal spells are great. This will sometimes help you dig to what you need, or just provide a solid hard counter.
Reconnaissance Mission: Been thinking about this one more, and I don't think the comparison to Concentrate is completely fair, it can easily draw more than that card without already being in a situation where you have the game locked up, by nature of the fact that blue tempo creatures are often just 2 power. Gonna give this a test for sure, but I wouldn't be hesitant to cut it if it's not carrying it's weight.
Bastion of Remembrance: I'll probably swap out Falkenrath Noble for this. For 4 mana in black I would rather be slamming down a Ravenous Chupecabra etc. Not sure if it's better though.
Grimdancer: Just so perfect for black in my opinion. Provides a super efficient 3 drop for black, which aside from Vampire Nighthawk they were kind of missing that slot. Plus, lifegain is really nice for black which is a color that often pays life for benefits.
Void Beckoner: A cute card particularly for reanimation strategies. I think I like it more than Twisted Abomination. The only removal that Void Beckoner is vulnerable that Twisted Abomination isn't is black kill spells, whereas Void Beckoner provides so much quicker of a clock when it does work out. Plus, the deathtouch counter I find to be a really interesting concept, especially if you have any pingers in your cube (or Murderous Redcap or Mayhem Devil just to name a couple others)
Fire Prophecy: Maybe I won't test this, I've kind of been convinced that the lack of face targeting is a huge weakness.
Flame Spill: This card is just so cool, plus it would be the only 4 damage removal spell for red in my cube, which is a nice hole ot fill.
Sanctuary Smasher: The cycling ability is the primary usage more of the time. It can often lead to 2 for 1's in aggressive decks or even defensive decks. And then if you don't end up cycling it a 6/4 first strike pretty much beats everything in combat. Plus a small boost for reanimation strategies.
Weaponize the Monsters: Probably my favorite card from this set. It is a different take on Goblin Bombardment, which is one of my favorite cards in the cube. In some ways way worse, but in other ways better. Each of your creatures provides double the reach, but at a less explosive rate.
Hornbash Mentor: I'll test out putting this guy + Bramblewood Paragon in my cube. At it's worst it's a 3/3 for 3 with a slight upside, which isn't horrible in green where you can pump it out on turn 2.
Sprite Dragon: Probably better than Gelectrode, but maybe not as fun.
Edit:
Forgot about Forbidden Friendship and Heartless Act
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/djredpeasant
I think that while cards like Flourishing Fox are interesting, the cycling archetype is just not there yet. Something to keep in mind for when the time comes, possibly, since there are still some strong options. Being keyed to a keyword rather than an action (compared to Amonkhet's cards of similar nature) is just too limiting, bordering on parasitic.
Cards that stick out:
Boon of the Wish-Giver: Kind of a pseudo-cantrip with a late game relevant mode. Helps thin your deck for minimal cost and provides spells in the GY for archetypes that want them.
Ominous Seas: Easily enough enabled, hard to remove finisher. Also has cycling for when things just are not going to work out (e.g. when you are losing). Very interesting option as a build-around.
Grimdancer: I mean, obviously. Pushed card is pushed.
Void Beckoner: Instant deathtouch is nice already and I'd gladly include some more self-enabling fatties for reanimator, even if this one is less than ideal as a target.
Lore Drakkis: Very nicely costed ability on a thing that has a decent enough alternative mode.
Alert Heedbonder: By itself, this is already a pretty nice creature and the life gain could easily start getting out of hand in the right deck.
Jubilant Skybonder: I have wanted a better Azorius hybrid or two for a while.
Proud Wildbonder: Benefits from its own effect to already become decent; more trample matters support and a hybrid.
Cards I like:
Solid Footing: Much less committing than many similar cards but also obviously more limited in application. Still a flash boost aura, though.
Splendor Mare: Nice stats and I like lifelink. Just imagine it on a finisher that ticks most other boxes like being able to protect itself (e.g. Striped Riverwinder).
Valiant Rescuer: Possibly good enough for being a decent creature you can cycle away when it is not relevant. Incidental cycle synergies are still only incidental, though.
Will of the All-Hunter: Cycling gives you a lot of leeway for things, and this has a clear upside over a plain +2/+2, making it feel less overpriced.
Phase Dolphin: It is a relevant blocker when needed and turning something else unblockable while being able to survive attacking can be really good.
Wingspan Mentor: Could be too reliant on its abilities with those stats but fliers are common and jumping another creature is itself nice.
Boot Nipper: I just really like this flexibility even if Mire Triton *kinds of* gets both sides and more.
Heartless Act: I'd need to run the maths but cool design anyway.
Footfall Crater: Cycling is nice on a thing like this and both keywords it provides are relevant.
Forbidden Frienship: An update to Dragon Fodder is an update, even if I do not run the original at the time.
Frillscare Mentor: Menace is nice with counters and to have in general, and this has decent stats itself.
Momentum Rumbler: I support a double-striker archetype in Boros.
Sanctuary Smasher: Instant speed first strike is nice, as is cycling a fatty to the grave. Plus, it's a red big boy.
Shredded Sails: With cycling and potential creature removal, this might have enough modes for an artifact destruction option.
Auspicious Starrix: It has good enough stats to be relevant outside mutating and as an upgrade to many creatures even when it hits a land. Sometimes absurd value ensues.
Hornbash Mentor: Trample is rather common and this has good stats. Nice synergy with Brawn.
Migration Path: I am a sucker for ramp that gives you some value even when you draw it late, and cycling is the poster boy for that.
Migratory Greathorn: I also like getting other benefits to go with my ramp, such as upgrading creatures with a pseudo-aura. Also has a relevant alternative mode as just a creature. Gives more mutation support, too.
Monstrous Step: Risky but a potential quick finisher. Cycle it away when the stars are not right.
Titanoth Rex: Now this is a proper finisher you can cycle yourself for reanimator.
Boneyard Lurker: Nice recursion to go with often upgrading creatures with a flexible mana cost. Mutation support.
Parcelbeast: When you want a repeatable Coiling Oracle for cheap and it remains a decent creature unmutated. Mutation support.
Primal Empathy: A decent imitation of 'draw an extra card each turn' with a fallback measure when the condition is not met.
Sonorous Howlbonder: Too crowded a hybrid slot but otherwise pretty nice.
Farfinder: I just like these kinds of cards, and they also make decent targets for mutate and the like.
Sleeper Dart: Can actually just be abused for the cantrip in a pinch but can also buy you time when needed.
Cards I am unsure of:
Bastion of Remembrance: Might well be worth it if you're Zulaport Cutthroat deep into Aristocrats but I feel like that is just not comparable to cards that register more instances like Blood Artist.
Fire Prophecy: While the selection is nice, it's very mediocre burn. I'd need to check if anything for the purpose of 'bolt a creature' is worse at the moment.
Weaponize the Monsters: A nice card but I do not exactly support the archetype outside some token generation in red.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/djredpeasant
Going in:
Splendor Mare - I think I like this card more than Sandsteppe Outcast that has somehow still in my cube.
Bastion of Remembrance - the fourth version of an effect... still good.
Void Beckoner - I like it better than twisted abomination for reasons above.
Forbidden Friendship - better dragon fodder
Weaponize the Monsters - 2 damage is a lot higher than 1 even with the higher cost this is great.. I'll force a cut.
Jubilant Skybonder - I <3 UW flyiers and this makes them really hard to kill.
Proud Wildbonder - Even though I don't have a lot of trample in green or red, bramblewood paragon combo is nasty.
Like but argh what to cut
Wingspan Mentor - I have sooo many flyers in Blue also this is a wizard, but argh what to cut?, its kinda of perfect for my cube to behonest
Reconnaissance Mission - Again the flyiers deck wants this, I think its good enough just got to find the cut.
Grimdancer - I think I will replace one of my non-nighthawk black fliers with this, better for agro more versitile, options are good.
Momentum Rumbler - First strike then double strike. My red midrange is basically non existant I have to decide how much of my aggro to cut.
Ferocious Tigorilla It has a pretty good rate but I'd have to be certain of how my red midrange is going to be.
Excavation Mole - 3/3 trampler that fills my graveyard that's kind of a good deal.
Maybe:
Flourishing Fox and Valiant Rescuer are good cards but I don't have the cycling density to make them really good.
Neutralize I don't know but cancel variants have all fallen out of my cube.
Call of the Death-Dweller was better before I realised I misread it.
Spelleater Wolverine - I am concerned this might be too hard to trigger in red midrange.
Hornbash Mentor I don't have very many trample creatures surprisingly.
Primal Empathy probably too slow.
Sprite Dragon I need to keep stormchaser mage because I run Adeliz I wish I could run it but then all my Izzet slots would basically be the same.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
My 540ish Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
Ram Through - I almost missed this card. 2 mana instant speed unfair fight with upside? Yes please. Best green removal we have.
Heartless Act - Removal is removal
Lore Drakkis - Efficient, interesting, and an effect in a colour that doesn't get a ton of it.
Auspicious Starrix - 5 mana 6/6. Also mutate has enough going on that it's hard to imagine it being even close to irrelevant.
Flame Spill - Super-Duper Death Ray. Still not sure if I want a second.
Expect to be fine, but wouldn't be surprised if I cut later:
Of One Mind - 1 mana draw 2 with a fairly reasonable condition.
Startling Development - Cycling 1 is so cheap.
Fire Prophecy - Card selection is good, but so is hitting face.
Frillscare Mentor - Not sure what the average case is for this.
Weaponize the Monsters - Potential replacement for Goblin Bombardment.
Grimdancer - Stats and non-flying keywords normally aren't that good in cube, but this is the best type of that we've seen.
Hornbash Mentor - Not super exciting, but does some solid things.
Necropanther - Mutate on middling bodies is impossible to evaluate and so is Unearth.
Parcelbeast - Draws cards and blocks, but mutate is hard to evaluate.
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Pretty great set for us. Lots of solid cards that you can run with only minor synergy, but become way better if you support them. There's also a ton of powerful but niche cards with cheap cycling costs, which is a design pattern I'm a fan of.
Nothing really stood out as S-tier this season
A-Tier: A solid improvements my current options
B-Tier: Unsure but looks good enough to test
C-Tier: Probably not but seem worth keeping in mind
Special Edition: Commander 2020
Bonder's Ornament
Also, Vraska, Swarms Eminence => Skull Prophet
What is the general consensus of Boon of the Wish-Giver vs. Treasure Cruise?
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/djredpeasant
for reference, my human vs nonhuman count before changes is 49 vs 147.
fight as one: as far as one mana combat tricks go, this is nuts. getting a 2-4-1 with this seems too easy since it gives indestructible, and even trading off this combat trick for a creature on board is pretty good value for 1 mana. given my nonhumans outnumber my humans 3:1 though, might not live the dream enough to be worth running.
flourishing fox: obviously a big card if cycling ever gets there, which i think it's close to. we just need some more cards that aren't super narrow with cycling.
huntmaster liger: i think this card is good. it's hard at this stage to evaluate mutate, but i think with how much i push tokens as an archetype, it'll be easy enough to find targets to mutate onto. as far as this trigger goes, getting one trigger is good to push damage through, and the upgrade on the body will be pretty substantial considering white creatures are notoriously on the smaller side. this effectively having haste is also pretty good. i really dig the card honestly.
valiant rescuer: another one to keep in mind for the cycling archetype one day. getting two tokens a turn cycle seems pretty strong.
vulpikeet: as a 3 mana 3/4 flier, super dig it. i still like serendib efreet, and this is basically the white version.
boon of the wish-giver: great flexible card. good early, fantastic late. i know i knocked it earlier with the sorcery speed thing but yeah i think the flexibility outweighs that.
dreamtail heron: honestly i like the card a lot, but don't think it's quite there for cube.
gust of wind: i feel like this will cost 2 mana quite often, and even at sorcery speed, i like the sound of a free kicking on into the roil. it does lack the flexibility that into the roil comes with though.
neutralize: honestly a fairly simple, innocuous card, but definitely solid. a 3 mana hard counter is fair, and being able to cycle it is pretty big game. i like the card.
pouncing shoreshark: this feels super strong. instant speed bounce on a 4/3 for 4. you're probably going to be able to mutate a flying creature to make it even more absurd. i honestly think this will be one of the strongest cards in the set.
wingspan mentor: i only dislike how slow this card is. with u/w skies as an archetype, this is gas, but the base body is so far from relevant it's absurd. in a u/g ramp style deck where you can give a fatty flying, this is probably outclassed several times over by other cards. an anthem effect this strong is probably worth keeping an eye on though.
bastion of remembrance: i like how this is harder to remove than our other similar effects, but i think i prefer falkenrath noble triggering off all deaths.
bushmeat poacher: as far as sac outlets that cost mana go, i like this. once a turn is definitely a hinderance, but lifegain and card draw are both pretty sick, especially if you're sacrificing tokens or recurring creatures. on a 4 mana 2/4 though, i'm not super sold on it.
call of the death-dweller: a very fair reanimation spell as you're only ever getting mana neutral at best. getting back a couple of cheap utility creatures can be super strong though. we do have some pretty strong 1-2 mana creatures, after all, and 3 mana isn't too pricy.
grimdancer: nothing super exciting, just super efficient.
heartless act: quite strong, and not actually very restricting at all. one of the better removal spells we have access to i'd say.
void beckoner: the more i think about this, the less i like it honestly. seems just worse than twisted abomination, since the cheaper cycling + setting up land drops is so valueable.
drannith stinger: another one for cycling, keep eyes peeled.
fire prophecy: burn with card selection is always good, but this is creatures only. hard to say whether i like this more than magma jet or not.
flame spill: good, efficient burn which can be split up. 4 damage kills most creatures, and it doesn't feel so bad using it on a low toughness creature either.
forbidden friendship: i guess this edges out one of the dragon fodder clones.
frillscare mentor: decent body that pushes through damage in aggro, and has late game value just in case. not bad, but probably just not as high-impact as other red 3s.
heightened reflexes: having this give first strike permanently changes the game. this feels really efficient, since first strike is pretty strong.
porcuparrot: how much value is a pinger on a 3/4 for 3? i dunno, but it looks like it can do pinging and combat well, so the flexibility is there.
spelleater wolverine: nice to have a different kind of spells payoff, and this one is fairly easy to enable. a 3 mana 3/2 double strike is nuts, if a little fragile, but just nice to have a passive bonus from casting spells, rather than having to sandbag for triggers.
weaponize the monsters: despite costing way more mana than goblin bombardment, 2 damage is a lot more than 1. repeatable shocks is super strong, and if the initial investment is only 1 mana, i'm in.
auspicious starrix: great value on an efficient body. being a base 5 mana 6/6 is plenty fine as well.
glowstone recluse: 4 mana 4/5 sounds nice, honestly.
migratory greathorn: 3 mana 3/4 with ramp applications, feels like it could be a goodie, but i'm not sure.
necropanther: good value mutater. just pretty efficient really.
lore drakkis: hands down the cheapest archaeomancer variant we've seen. very on brand for u/r as well. as a hybrid, it looks like one of the better options.
sprite dragon: loves spells, gets huge. again, exactly what izzet wants. having haste means you can have some nutty turns too probably.
boneyard lurker: good value again, and being permanent over creature can be relevant.
savai thundermane: i dig it, but again, keep in mind for the cycling deck later. adds some variety to boros too which is nice.
parcelbeast: the ability here is pretty strong, as a repeatable form of card advantage. the mutate just being a discount is interesting, and can net you more activations while being absurdly ahead of the curve for 2 mana.
trumpeting gnarr: i like this as a hybrid option, since it's pretty efficient.
no idea how my cuts are looking. but i'm excited by this set.
I'm really surprised people are valuing Boon highly at all. A 6 mana sorcery that doesn't affect the board is hardly castable in most games, and that's before comparing it to the card draw we have access to, which is some of the best in the game. The cycling is nice but you're probably cycling it 80%+ of the time, and at that point just play an actual 1 mana cantrip.
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Is there a reason why no one is mentioning Ram Through? I'm pretty sure it's just the best card in the set for us.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/5d749a228d85b07c66d28337
Mono Black EDH cube is also linked on my profile in cubecobra
Boon is a card that will play a lot better than it looks, similar to many cycling cards. Control decks can have a ton of issues if their hands are filled up with many 4+ cmc cards, which is bound to happen because your are playing for late game value a lot of the time. This card helps you alleviate that issue. It can be a "finisher" without clogging up your hand, cycling 1 is so so free, even more so than Reach Through Mists.
It's the same reason Hieroglyphic Illumination is so good. It functions as your draw spell - albeit inefficiently, but when your clunking out with a bunch of junk in your hand you get to cycle it and potentially draw yourself into a land or into a 2 or 3 drop to help you fill your curve. Like compare it to Fact or Fiction against an opponent that is pressuring you. You have three 4 drops in your hand, two of which are creatures that can help you stabilize a bit and then the last is FoF. An average scenario may be that you play a 2 drop turn two, have nothing turn three, and then play one of your creatures each of the next 2 turns, maybe you stabilize, maybe you don't, Fact or Fiction did nothing to help you there. Whereas if you have the cycling of Illumination you can cycle it turn one and maybe draw another 2 drop or a 3 drop to play on turn 3 instead of doing nothing. And this isn't even accounting for situations where you get stuck on land drops.
Now, Boon is definitely not as good as Illumination, but I think it is in a similar sphere, where it gives you a lot more options, and helps really smooth out your game plan. If you have the means to hold down the game you can play toward a draw 4, if you need help to survive you can instead cycle it really easily.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/djredpeasant
I definitely agree with you on cruise vs. wish-giver. The only reason I consider wish-giver is that the low power level of cards in peasant cube means sometimes you want the quantity of resources rather than the tempo. That said, treasure cruise has just so much more tempo that it's not really a contest in the end.
I tend to find that fight based removal is pretty bad. It's always highly conditional, disruptable versions of spells that other colors do much better. If there is some merit to it, it's that you can sometimes get it at a cheaper rate (prey upon).
How many tramplers are in your cube that you see a lot of value in Ram Through?
-Bastion of Remembrance - A second Zulaport Cutthroat but less easily removed.
-Grimdancer - I love the flexibility; it actually makes a player evaluate which abilities will best suit them in any given part of a game. Being a 3/3 for 3 makes those abilities even better. I also already run Vampire of the Dire Moon, Gifted Aetherborn, and Vampire Nighthawk.
-Sprite Dragon - Love the card, but it's a tough call if I swap out Stormchaser Mage for it. I love the permanent pump and the fact that it's a dragon, but it is more vulnerable until you cast two noncreature spells.
-Heartless Act - I'm unsure. Great removal against a creature without counters, but against a creature with counters, I will almost always prefer a straight-up kill spell. And removing counters from my own creatures is really only useful with two persist creatures.
-Lore Drakkis - The mutate is pretty awesome by itself, and it could potentially pump a smaller creature.
-Jubilant Skybonder - I'm trying to better support flyers, so this could be a signpost card.
-Titanoth Rex - It would be my largest fattie and sets itself up nicely for reanimator while helping another creature punch through for extra damage.
-Wingspan Mentor - Trying to support flyers and +1/+1 counters, but this might be too slow.
-Light of Hope - It's a charm that offers decent options, though I don't really love it.
-Ram Through - One-sided fight is so much better, and it offers trample damage. I really want to pair this with Pelakka Wurm.
-Swallow Whole - I like cheap removal that supports the +1/+1 counter archetype. It's no Path or Swords, but I already have those.
-Fight as One - +1/+1 and indestructible is decent; getting it on two creatures would be aweome, but how often will that situation present itself?
-Call of the Death-Dweller - I was more keen on it until I saw "total cmc"; as is, I think Victimize is better, especially as it can get fatties.
The biggest problem, as ever, is figuring out what to cut for any I decide to run.
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
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EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Ram Through is an unfair fight, which is a lot less conditional than just a normal fight. Having an empty board isn't super common, and creatures are small enough that your board being too small is minor. You have to play around instant speed removal, but generally that's doable with the instant versions.
I was actually hardly evaluating the trample part at all (I have 5 in green and 1 in red), but there's a lot more tramplers than I thought. In GR Voltaic Brawler and Ghor-Clan Rampager are both insane with it. Rancor, Nature's Way, and Hornbash Mentor can give trample. And you also have Renegade Freighter and Untethered Express and random stuff like Treetop Village or Trostani's Summoner tokens.
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I don't think Hieroglyphic Illumination is particularly good either. Serum Visions, Preordain, and Ponder are all close enough to a draw 2 that they almost directly replace it. Chart a Course and Impulse also make it look pretty bad; casting them normally is roughly equivalent to Divination, and if you need to find a card you are probably more likely to be bailed out due to seeing more cards than spending 1 less mana. Drawing 1 is pretty pathetic in terms of finding what you want. Hitting a land of Illumination is 40%, 64% with Chart a Course, 78% for Preordain / Serum Visions with a draw step, and 87% with Impulse / Ponder. The chance you get bailed out when needing a play on t3 is only around 25-30%; I'd estimate the chance you miss a play on t3 to be around 10%, which brings the chance of getting bailed out to be hardly a point in its favour, even ignoring stuff like etbt lands or the fact that the other draw spells can do it too. If you want to compare it with FoF, then sure, it does something for less than 4 mana. But FoF is almost twice as good for the same cost, and you kinda put cards in your deck to cast them. It's not unplayable or anything (it's more so we have insane options), but there's probably around a dozen draw spells I'd play before it, and even if you can play a lot of them I stop way before 13 considering I'm not counting draw through creatures.
It's why cycling cards are so valuable, they always do something. They may not have as high of a win % when you cast them, but they likely have a higher win % when you draw them. Like for example in the hitting a land example (in comparison to FoF), yeah you only have a 40% chance of hitting a land, but if you didn't hit a land then you would still be drawing that non-land card and still be not being able to cast your 4 drops. This at least gets you closer to your land drop even if it doesn't get you there. Being stuck on land for 1 less turn is super valuable.
Also yeah I agree that Preordain, Ponder, Serum Visions, Impulse, and Chart a course are better than Illuminations, but those cards are insane and being worse than them doesn't say much about illuminations. I think Illuminations is the best 4 mana draw spell with FoF right behind it. If you haven't played with it you are really missing out.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/djredpeasant
If you draw it early in a control mirror it might make 2 tokens semi-reliably and it has cycling for when you draw it late or when you're playing on a clock.
My C/Ube on Cube Cobra
It has a high ceiling, but a very, very low floor. The cycling ability is actually quite a bit above the floor.
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Cubetutor link - 380 Peasant Cube
I've played with Illuminations. I also cut Illuminations because these spots where it bails you out don't really exist and the card is barely even worth casting; Inspiration is no where near playable. I highlighted the common examples, but what I said also extends to stuff like Opt, Sleight of Hand, Anticipate, and Omen of the Sea. Also, in your example it's just way better for Illumination to be Sea Gate Oracle or Cloudkin Seer or Remand or Miscalculation or Condescend or Repulse. All of which are better at every point in the game (if you say Illuminations beats them if you're missing your 3rd land then you should really be keeping less 2 land hands). Hell, anything decent with a cycling 1 cost is probably better. Considering how much you're pushing the value of cycling, I'm really surprised you're not playing Censor, cause the base mode of that can actually win games. Illuminations > FoF is probably the hottest take I've ever seen tbh.
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