Worth noting that this is pretty sick with Flickerwisp, but overall I don't think this is quite good enough; the casting cost is just too restrictive. I'd be interested if it was a monocolored card.
The big issue with Pod IMO is that you kind of have to pick it early and warp your picks around it for it to function. It can still be a very powerful card in the right deck, but sometimes you just don't see any 4-drops that you'd want to pod away, or your curve skips 6, removing the option to find a Hornet Queen at some point. Also, your deck is often kinda meh when you don't draw the pod, as you're just playing a Gx creature-based midrange strategy.
I still cube it because it is reasonably powerful and a really fun card to play and draft with, but if I were going for pure power-level, I would probably cut it.
One thing I've noticed by watching MTGO cube drafts from streamers and youtubers is that people seem to prioritize this Jace less than Beleren. In packs where I think Beleren would have been a real consideration, and a card they would have thought about picking, they often don't even mention Mirror Mage. Don't know if that's due to it being a new card and being harder to evaluate, or if the card is genuinely just worse than Beleren, but it's worth noticing.
So is this still cubable? I’m thinking not anymore.
Why wouldn't it be? it's still a free 8th card, even if the card is substantially worse. There will be games where you're flooding out, and in those games you'll be happy to have spent a pick on it during the draft (though it might not be first-pick material any more).
And he had it really high in his 2018 power rankings for cube. Not sure what he feels changed.
But classifying something as overrated =! bad. I believe he thinks the card is good, but he thinks it's overrated by the community at large.
I think a large part of it is the structure of the MTGO vintage cube. You're heavily incentivized to do busted things on turn 4-6, and midrange strategies are particularly poor in such an environment. Library is also great with cheap interaction, but the MTGO cubes always feel slightly larger, and have a bit more jank in them than necessary, so you're unlikely to make a super consistent deck with library and 4+ >=2 mana counters.
FWIW he still thinks it's a great card, but in the environment which the MTGO vintage cube promotes he prioritizes fast mana and cards with immediate board impact over it. He still usually picks it if there's no other power in the pack.
Just picked up a Eureka, so I'm looking to cut a card, but not quite sure which. Any suggestions from my list?
Currently looking at Selvala's Stampede, but it's a very pretty foily one, and is the kind of card that would go in the same deck, so I'm not sure I want to cut it.
If we're talking blue, Punish Ignorance has got to be one of the dankest Sunforger targets, lol. It's probably awful but I'd wanna see my opponents face afterwards.
I see a few people playing 4CMC singleton sorceries in their sideboard. You might just be wanting to cast them normally, but be aware that Sunforger only fetches instants.
My main concern is that the deck feels very clunky if it doesn't draw an Aether Vial. Fervent Champion with SFM is no joke though, and Acclaimed Contender might give the deck the fuel it needs without having to resort to Collected Company.
So I suppose this means Arbiter gets cut for SFM, and thus Ranger Captain could also possibly see play now. This moves the deck away from the mana denial strategy slightly, so I wonder if 4x quarter is still correct, or whether the rest of the deck should be refocused to be even more disruptive (if that is even possible).
EDIT: Wondering how many equipments are optimal. Batterskull and SoFaI for sure, probably need a third one as well; maybe another sword of some sort?
Comparable to Pia and Kiran Nalaar (non-fliers obviously). Having to discard nonlands for the effect is awkward, but 2/2 rummage 2 is still decent, and it's great when topdecking. Flashback is also cool. Definitely excited to try this. If only red 3's weren't already so stacked.
Evolution Sage fills a hole in the curve and has some synergy with Nissa, Voice of Zendikar and maybe Ajani, Mentor of Heroes. Ultimately, it's probably too vulnerable to removal. Huatli's Raptor is similar, but a single instance of proliferate practically does nothing unless you have several tokens with counters on them.
Oath of Kaya could be interesting as a sideboard option against aggressive decks.
Similarly, Teferi, Time Raveler could be an interesting sideboard tech against control decks. I think this is the only card that could be a solid inclusion in the deck.
Seems awful. You need to have four cards in your graveyard to get two back, and even then you'll get the worst two. Having a Bolas walker in play when casting it is a pipe-dream and is very win-more.
The mana cost is way too restrictive for something that is only just somewhat better than Ral, Izzet Viceroy or Ob Nixilis Reignited. If this was 2UBR, I'd be into it, but as is it's a hard pass for me. The moment you're unable to cast it on turn 5 is the moment it becomes worse than the previously mentioned cards IMO.
Card seems decent, basically a slightly better Ral with slightly harder CMC. I think this can definitely see play as a 1-off, maybe 2. Maybe a 1-1-1 split of Jace, Ral and Bolas, though that might be too many 5s? I wonder how often the static ability will be relevant. This one could prompt playing a UB filter land maybe?
I think the 2 mana Edict is also very interesting.
I still cube it because it is reasonably powerful and a really fun card to play and draft with, but if I were going for pure power-level, I would probably cut it.
Why wouldn't it be? it's still a free 8th card, even if the card is substantially worse. There will be games where you're flooding out, and in those games you'll be happy to have spent a pick on it during the draft (though it might not be first-pick material any more).
I think a large part of it is the structure of the MTGO vintage cube. You're heavily incentivized to do busted things on turn 4-6, and midrange strategies are particularly poor in such an environment. Library is also great with cheap interaction, but the MTGO cubes always feel slightly larger, and have a bit more jank in them than necessary, so you're unlikely to make a super consistent deck with library and 4+ >=2 mana counters.
FWIW he still thinks it's a great card, but in the environment which the MTGO vintage cube promotes he prioritizes fast mana and cards with immediate board impact over it. He still usually picks it if there's no other power in the pack.
Currently looking at Selvala's Stampede, but it's a very pretty foily one, and is the kind of card that would go in the same deck, so I'm not sure I want to cut it.
I see a few people playing 4CMC singleton sorceries in their sideboard. You might just be wanting to cast them normally, but be aware that Sunforger only fetches instants.
4 Fervent Champion
4 Student of Warfare
1 Giver of Runes
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Inspiring Veteran
2 Worthy Knight
4 Knight Exemplar
4 Worthy Contender
1 Mirran Crusader
4 Aether Vial
2 On Thin Ice
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Batterskull
Lands
4 Sunbaked Canyon
3 Inspiring Vantage
4 Arid Mesa
4 Windswept Heath
2 Sacred Foundry
3 Snow-Covered Plains
My main concern is that the deck feels very clunky if it doesn't draw an Aether Vial. Fervent Champion with SFM is no joke though, and Acclaimed Contender might give the deck the fuel it needs without having to resort to Collected Company.
EDIT: Wondering how many equipments are optimal. Batterskull and SoFaI for sure, probably need a third one as well; maybe another sword of some sort?
Gideon Blackblade could be interesting in a more aggressive token-based build, but is probably awful if your opponent is playing aggro.
Ignite the Beacon is probably just worse than Deploy the Gatewatch, which is already a meme-tier card.
Evolution Sage fills a hole in the curve and has some synergy with Nissa, Voice of Zendikar and maybe Ajani, Mentor of Heroes. Ultimately, it's probably too vulnerable to removal. Huatli's Raptor is similar, but a single instance of proliferate practically does nothing unless you have several tokens with counters on them.
Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God is completely uncastable without Oath of Nissa.
Oath of Kaya could be interesting as a sideboard option against aggressive decks.
Similarly, Teferi, Time Raveler could be an interesting sideboard tech against control decks. I think this is the only card that could be a solid inclusion in the deck.
Seems awful. You need to have four cards in your graveyard to get two back, and even then you'll get the worst two. Having a Bolas walker in play when casting it is a pipe-dream and is very win-more.
I think the 2 mana Edict is also very interesting.