How has this guy worked out so far for everyone? I have him in my cube since Avacyn Restored, but can't really remember him doing much. That might just have something to do with me having less opportunities for cubing lately, or it might have just been chance. But it could also be that this guy has failed to make maindecks.
What are your experiences with him? Have you seen him dominating boards? Or was he just an irrelevant 1/1 too often?
He's good. But I just cut him. It's not that he's bad. But there's just no room for him.
He obviously play best with finisher in your deck. I've seen game where he dominate board by forcing a fight that an opponent doesn't enjoy so much. But sometimes, he just sits there and there's better thing to do with your mana.
This card got upgraded to Master of the Wild Hunt in our cube, which does not require you to have other creatures, spend extra mana for the ability and generates a big offensive force on its own.
I think I might try this trade. I have been trying to get Master of the Wild Hunt into my cube and Tracker has been good but not usually a high pick.
I've been very pleased with him in my cube, unlike most one drops he really doesn't mind being drawn late. Usually he is able to pick off a utility creature or eat a removal spell which is more than enough return on a one drop.
That said if you support green aggro there probably isn't room for him at or below 450 because you have to dedicate slots to 2 power one drops.
I support green aggro and I run this guy, and he is great. I've seem him perform well in every iteration of G/x. I don't see myself cutting him anytime soon.
I've found him to be at his best in burn-backed base-green midrange beats. He lets you lean on one fat creature and keep pushing through damage without spending cards -- specifically your burn that you'll use to do the last several points of damage.
Using him correctly takes some consideration, but when the deck's plan really doesn't want to get chumped at give the opponent extra turns or the opportunity to generate a board position, then Tracker works very well -- specifically when Master of the Wild Hunt wouldn't.
I'm cutting him as well. I really wanted him to be good, but he just wasn't worth the pick. I love that he gives green decks removal, but fixing is good enough in my cube that the green decks all play actual removal, not fake green removal. There's no real need for this card, and I've never seen it do more than kill 1 creature. I've also often seen it kill 0 creatures. He would need to have more regular upside to justify how often he does nothing, and he doesn't.
I have liked him so far in my Cube, and play him alongside Master of the Wild Hunt (which has been in my Cube since he came out, to great effect). It gives you something to do with your mid-drops to clear the way, and makes oversized-for-cost creatures in green even better.
Repeatable green removal is pretty good, and he often kills 1-2 creatures (he has dominated games before, and has also been a great way to remove problematic cards like Mother of Runes without using multiple cards to do it [like two burn spells]).
He's been very disappointing since he's been in the Cube. He very rarely hits the table & I have yet to see him come close to dominating (or even affecting) a game like he did in AVR limited. I may err on the side of inconclusive data and leave him in for now but he's definitely on the short list of potential cuts.
This is actually something that has hurt my playgroup a lot, we've had cards that other groups find very powerful that never see play for us. As a cube designer I tend to try and force myself to pick and play cards that the group is just not using for whatever reason.
That said I am not immune to this either, I know several people in my group are petitioning for the masticores to be cut because no one plays them. I've been leaving them in as I know they are objectively powerful. Tough axis to balance, cards that look powerful but the group doesn't like.
I've had the guy come out several times and it's always been good. I support ramp more than aggro in my green, so there are usually fine targets to use. In 600, he's been great. Conversely, I haven't played Master of the Wild Hunt yet - green has too many good 4 drops and I haven't figured out which to cut.
I never thought this card was going to be good, so it doesn't surprise me that he's getting cut from cubes. It looks to me that too much has to go right for this card to work.
I've seen games where this absolutely dominated the board. All you need in addition to the Tracker is a creature who is slightly bigger than a potential target and you get a 1G removal spell every turn. Or until your opponent wastes one of his precious removal spells on your 1-drop. Tracker plus a 3/3 shuts down the vast majority of an aggro deck. And since he is green, you may have a 4/4 or even a 5/5 and all of a sudden, even a midrange deck is in trouble.
That said, Tracker is easy to kill and an instant removal or bounce can counter the fight and screw with your plans.
He is good for midsized cubes, but certainly no staple. Try him for an unusual and well costed effect in green or leave him if you don't like him.
I never thought this card was going to be good, so it doesn't surprise me that he's getting cut from cubes. It looks to me that too much has to go right for this card to work.
Cheers,
rant
I'm a little confused by this; what has to go right, other than him living and you having a large creature (something green should do well)?
I'm a little confused by this; what has to go right, other than him living and you having a large creature (something green should do well)?
-AA
You'd think, right? But the situation where he was out, I had a big creature out, they have a smaller creature that I need to remove, and I had the mana available and it was the right play, and I didn't have anything better or more important to play/do ...before the board situation changed, the removal became less relevant, the Tracker died, my bigger creature died or they were able to make the creature I needed to kill bigger via equipment... just wasn't as often as I had hoped. It looks like a slam dunk, and it was pretty much a complete dud.
...What are your experiences with him? Have you seen him dominating boards? Or was he just an irrelevant 1/1 too often?
Actually just cut him today upon improving the cube. I really liked him when he came out. He's had dominating moments. But he's also "ehhh" a considerable amount of the time. He's too close to "filler" in my mind. I could see him coming back into the cube should I warrant green needing to break stalemates. But even in aggro G/x decks, he's more of a durdle than a contributor.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
That which nourishes me, destroys me
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
Yep, I can see him being more of a durdle in green aggro decks, I think it's much stronger in midrange, and I think that's why we've had so much success with is that ramp and midrange are our two main archtypes in green.
I'm surprised that he has been so dead on board for so many people.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
How has this guy worked out so far for everyone? I have him in my cube since Avacyn Restored, but can't really remember him doing much. That might just have something to do with me having less opportunities for cubing lately, or it might have just been chance. But it could also be that this guy has failed to make maindecks.
What are your experiences with him? Have you seen him dominating boards? Or was he just an irrelevant 1/1 too often?
He obviously play best with finisher in your deck. I've seen game where he dominate board by forcing a fight that an opponent doesn't enjoy so much. But sometimes, he just sits there and there's better thing to do with your mana.
My cube
My cube on Cube tutor
I'm OP_Forever. I'll be putting this in my signature for a while so everyone know I change my nickname.
I think I might try this trade. I have been trying to get Master of the Wild Hunt into my cube and Tracker has been good but not usually a high pick.
That said if you support green aggro there probably isn't room for him at or below 450 because you have to dedicate slots to 2 power one drops.
He is BEST in a midrange list tho.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Using him correctly takes some consideration, but when the deck's plan really doesn't want to get chumped at give the opponent extra turns or the opportunity to generate a board position, then Tracker works very well -- specifically when Master of the Wild Hunt wouldn't.
I'm still sad. Wanted him to be better.
My MTGSalvation Cube Page (not always up to date, but sweet pics of my alters)
Repeatable green removal is pretty good, and he often kills 1-2 creatures (he has dominated games before, and has also been a great way to remove problematic cards like Mother of Runes without using multiple cards to do it [like two burn spells]).
-AA
I use descriptive language. Assume that I'm being nice and respectful. (I'll tell you when I'm not.)
My Cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9029
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
This is actually something that has hurt my playgroup a lot, we've had cards that other groups find very powerful that never see play for us. As a cube designer I tend to try and force myself to pick and play cards that the group is just not using for whatever reason.
That said I am not immune to this either, I know several people in my group are petitioning for the masticores to be cut because no one plays them. I've been leaving them in as I know they are objectively powerful. Tough axis to balance, cards that look powerful but the group doesn't like.
360 Uncommons only Cube!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
That said, Tracker is easy to kill and an instant removal or bounce can counter the fight and screw with your plans.
He is good for midsized cubes, but certainly no staple. Try him for an unusual and well costed effect in green or leave him if you don't like him.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
I'm a little confused by this; what has to go right, other than him living and you having a large creature (something green should do well)?
-AA
I use descriptive language. Assume that I'm being nice and respectful. (I'll tell you when I'm not.)
My Cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9029
You'd think, right? But the situation where he was out, I had a big creature out, they have a smaller creature that I need to remove, and I had the mana available and it was the right play, and I didn't have anything better or more important to play/do ...before the board situation changed, the removal became less relevant, the Tracker died, my bigger creature died or they were able to make the creature I needed to kill bigger via equipment... just wasn't as often as I had hoped. It looks like a slam dunk, and it was pretty much a complete dud.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Actually just cut him today upon improving the cube. I really liked him when he came out. He's had dominating moments. But he's also "ehhh" a considerable amount of the time. He's too close to "filler" in my mind. I could see him coming back into the cube should I warrant green needing to break stalemates. But even in aggro G/x decks, he's more of a durdle than a contributor.
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
I'm surprised that he has been so dead on board for so many people.